Apple and faith
Monday, September 17, 2012 at 2:59AM Something changed for me last week with regards to my perception of Apple. A little piece of the magic slipped away as the launch of the iPhone 5 got under way and the full ramifications of the event dawned on me.
It wasn’t the lack of styling change or the obvious enhancements of the new iPhone. It wasn’t the lacklustre ‘seen it all before’ keynote. It was something more subtle that crept up on me as the hours passed- I felt like Apple was taking me for a fool. The price of the adaptors for the new dock connector struck me the most and for a loyal iPhone user of many generations, I resent being asked to pay so much for something that must cost pennies to make. It’s a small part of the iPhone package, but something that maybe shows too visibly Apple’s true intentions. The fact that one is bundled with the iPhone helps, but not hugely if you own a lot of accessories. Of course all companies want to make a profit, but Apple has been very good in the past of not making the pricing blatant in terms of including a huge mark up. The iPhone has been forgiven for the sheer quality that comes with it and so have the iPads and Macs, but the accessory side is pushing it a little too far.
Add to this my thinking process as a 4S owner. There is so little here to tempt me to upgrade outside of contract that for the first time I am failing to see any genuine benefits of the latest iPhone. The camera is improved, but is still 8 Megapixels and the 4S camera is already great. The speed will be beneficial no doubt in the long run when developers get around to taking advantage of the new processors and the extra height of the screen offers potential good and bad points. More screen space is of course beneficial and I like that the width has not changed, but I wonder if it will make the phone feel too tall. Everything that you can do on iOS 6 on a 5 can be done on a 4S and so there are no actual changes to what can be done, just some small upgrades in how they are done. My 4S has never stuttered or slowed down in a year and this is my main concern- at what point will the 5 be a requirement and for this reason alone I see no reason to jump early and pre-order. Potentially, I may not see a reason to move to the 5 in the next year and could wait for the 5S, but time will tell on that one. I do, however, love the fact that Apple chose to double the speed of a device which is already incredibly quick.
Credit where its due- Apple made a very good smartphone with the 4S and it is understandable why the 5 is a minor upgrade. However, it has maybe reached a point where the update is so small that for many the need to upgrade is much less than previously seen, even with the minor jump from the 4 to the 4S. The 4S has no major failings (battery life maybe, but not expecting the 5 to suddenly solve that) and on a personal level, there is nothing in the 5 that ‘solves’ anything. That is ultimately the crucial reason for my decision (a decision that you know will not stick). I also wonder if some of the Apple magic is going away as time passes. Without Steve Jobs as the ultimate tech showman, it seems as though no-one else in the company is able to create the same buzz around their products, but no doubt the sales figures will prove me wrong.
As for my feelings towards Apple, something changed last week which is hard to explain. Maybe the fact that these keynotes have naturally become less exciting as familiarity grows and innovation becomes harder is part of the reason.
This is my last article on the iPhone 5, three in a row is a bit of overkill and so I will move on to new topics when the inspriation hits me.
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And then Peter M. popped up with a different view, with some similarities on specifics-
Loads of people still seem to have an expectation that Apple will somehow revolutionise smartphones again - and they won't. Every iota of this product was leaked in the months beforehand and people still expected more!
The truth is that the iPhone was already a great product and so there are only fractional gains to be made. And they did about as much as you could reasonably expect.
For instance:
* The retina display is already pretty damn good, but has apparently better colour saturation now, as well as the extra headroom. It's really going to pop - and that extra headroom will be welcome for browsing and messaging, as well as 16:9 movies and games.
* CPU and graphics. Up to twice as fast! That's a pretty incredible upgrade - more than incremental. What tempers it is the iPhone UI already runs synched at 60fps, but you'll see massive gains in camera performance, app loading and gaming. It is likely the memory has been doubled too.
* Camera. Nokia has overtaken Apple here and Samsung has equalled it, but there are still welcome nuggets for camera fans here; better low light performance, sapphire lens, better image stabilisation and panoramas. And although it wasn't spoken about, iOS6 now adds exposure control through the SDK, which will bring a whole new class of camera apps. Looking forward to a little astro-photography, myself.
* Design. It's recognisably an evolved iPhone, but an entirely new construction using top-notch materials. It's really quite beautiful and, like many of us, I know you appreciate timeless, beautiful objects.
* Connectivity. With just about every communications standard known to man, how much better could they make it?
Sure, there are always more things you can cram into one of these devices, but Apple's attention to detail on the features they do push forward is very evident. Would you rather have a stack of new, underdeveloped features or a focused set of superbly realised hardware and software upgrades? I'm way too old to want change for change sake, any more, so I appreciate the gradual evolution of Apple's hardware and software, this way.
I'd quite like NFC, but I don't know what I want it for, which is telling. I suspect Apple is biding it's time and when they do launch an NFC product, they'll work things like smartphone payments deeply into their ecosystem and support it with many real-world partnerships. Time will tell.
I suggest to the court that this upgrade is just as meaningful as the move from the Galaxy SII to the Galaxy SIII - and that has been very well received.
Next up - the launch of the iPad Mini, which will be EXACTLY an iPad 2, but an inch and bit smaller. And will sell so many bucketloads, buckets will be out of stock everywhere.
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Reader Comments (29)
Weren't we hearing the same "Apple didn't need to do much" arguments this time last year? How long can they coast on what they did for the iPhone 4?
More info has come out regarding the new CPU; apparently it runs at 1GHz and is a custom dual-core ARM chip. It sounds very like Qualcomm's S4 except running at a far lower clock speed. So CPU-wise they're still way behind, although they've tended to make better use of what they've had.
Also the iPhone 5 apparently has 1GB RAM, which is hardly setting the pace.
They're probably still leading the pack when it comes to the GPU, but in terms of hardware that's probably the only area in which they're leading.
Whether they're leading with the OS is a matter of opinion. I'm seeing iOS releases greeted with boredom and yet more arguments of why "Apple didn't need to do much".
Anyone who argues that Apple no longer needs to innovate really needs to think again; no tech (or software) company can stay on top with a product that's barely changed in two years (or in five years in key areas).
Microsoft's kept messing about with MS Office for that very reason; it was working just fine as it was but they needed to keep it seeming fresh. They could have just made minor tweaks since 2003, and that may in fact have served us better, but if they'd done that MS Office would have lost its dominant position.
Shaun's point, that there's nothing he can do with the iPhone 5 that he can't do with the 4S, is very telling. And how much will you be able to do with iOS 6 that you can't already do with iOS 5?
Apple has many loyal customers. How do those customers feel when trying to justify why the iPhone 5 was really the best thing Apple could have done? How would those customers have felt if we'd all been wowed by genuine innovation? By genius ways of dealing with the issues that still exist with smartphone usage, and by expanding what we use our smartphones for?
Shouldn't Apple be making its competitors' customers feel bad instead of its own?
I watched a hands-on demo of the Note 2 this evening and the S-Pen shows some real innovation, especially with the hover functionality (a whole new way of interacting with the phone? That's massive! Someone needs to do hover with fingers too). Imagine if the iPhone 5 had introduced something like hover, or even just the stylus (sorry, iPen).
My gf was impressed too, particularly with the pop-up note-taking and annotation; it's between the Note 2 and the S3 for her next phone.
This is real innovation. The Asus Transformer was real innovation. The MS Surface tablet is real innovation. Where's Apples innovation? Patent trolling!
iOS runs more efficiently so 1gb ram is huge for it. Same concept and efficiency with the new windows phones.
I reckon the new chip provides all the screen benefits, camera improvements etc. While the new connector is a pain, in the long run it will create some snazzy accessories that will be very good.
The difference now is there are alternatives to Apple that look good and are good both from hardware and software. Samsung S3, Nokia 920, Sony Experia T and HTC One X. Plus Eco systems from competitors are catching up or have caught up in some areas.
I love my S3. It's the best phone I've ever owned. On Friday my iPhone 5 arrives. It's definitely going to be a tough call to decide on which one to keep.
Just think if Samsung announces the S4, and this time it's a work of art, and not made from any plastics.
I have dropped my Note 1 a couple of times and its all okay. Not sure the non plastic iPhone would survive. Plastic absorbs energy.
I should point out that I actually deleted the comment that Shaun used, about 1 minute after posting, due to excessive exuberance.
But the point stands - this is a weighty evolution of a great product. The iPhone already has the highest satisfaction ratings for any smartphone, and this is a better iPhone. What's not to like?
As for metal vs plastic. I prefer high quality materials, but, hey, there's a trade-off.
"I should point out that I actually deleted the comment that Shaun used, about 1 minute after posting, due to excessive exuberance."
And I posted it because you made a very good point and had me thinking twice for a while there.
@Peter M - Just curious as to why you think the iPad mini will sell by the bucketload? With the new iPod at £249, the iPad 2 at £329 and the new iPad at £399, it would seem like the only pricing 'slot' for it is at £299 - presumably for 16GB and non-3G. That's quite a premium over the Nexus and the Fire HD.
I am not sure what the value proposition would be for the ipad mini for people who don't own an ipad already.
Those who own an iPad, me for instance, could sell the iPad and replace it with the Mini. I would do this because I like the smaller size. As for those who don't own an iPad, they would need to decide if it is worth the extra money over a Nexus 7 etc.
Alloafan -
Simple. Ever iOS device sells by the bucketload. The volumes shifted are insane. IF priced at £249, the world and his sister will buy. At £299, it's less clear, I agree, but the supposed iPad Mini and the iPod Touch are aimed at very different audiences, so I see no reason for it not to be £249.
Also, Apple products tend to be less price-sensitive then those from other manufacturers. People buy iOS *despite* the price.
My guess is that Apple is working on a plan that users upgrade every two years. This makes sense because most customers are signing up to two year contracts with the networks. So as an upgrade to the previous phone each new iPhone doesn't look so impressive, look at the preceeding one and that's not the case.
The iPhone 5 is intended to snare current iPhone 4 users, just as the 4S was aimed at 3GS users.
The iPad Mini pricing doesn't need to fit between the iPod Touch and iPad. My guess is it will be priced the same as the iPad 2. At £329 Apple will sell all they make...
There is no doubt that's the case, Elbowz. They introduce a ground-up redesign every two years and refine it the next year with the "S" model. The iPhone 5 is entirely new, despite keeping the classic iPhone design cues. Next year, I would imagine we'll get the usual speed bump, a12 megapixel camera, NFC and iOS 7. iOS is due a major bump.
And you can pretty much see the iPad 4 trajectory; iOS 7, speed and graphics bump, camera bump, thinner and lighter without compromising that amazing screen or battery life (i.e. IGZO screen tech). It's a boring update, people will say, but very appealing for the iPad and iPad *2* customer.
Currently, I'm not tempted — the benefits do not seem to justify the price tag.
As for "faith" — it's a piece of consumer electronic kit. Apple's brand loyalty is incredible, but I don't get the "must have" zeal; perhaps I'm just a bit too price conscious?
if I had an iphone3 (or 3GS) I would probably upgrade.
if I had a 4, I would consider the upgrade, but hold back until the early adopter's pain of new software on new hardware was resolve - Apple used to be very good at quality control but that has slipped - look at the problems with Mountain Lion OSX and how battery life was much reduced and people had problems upgrading.
I would see no reason to upgrade from a 4S to a 5, at least not for some time, until the prices are cheaper (e.g. the carriers start subsidising more) and accessories are readily available.
I don't think the i5 comes with an dock connector adaptor at all.
@Bug Blatter - you wrote about the hover functionality
Sony now have this - finger pre-touch detection.
http://pocketnow.com/android/sony-details-xperia-solas-floating-touch-hover-sensor-techn
Thanks Paul; just have to hope it becomes ubiquitous so that devs will make use of it. Samsung's made a good start of integrating it into the Note 2 but there's still way more that can and should be done.
I think the ipad mini will have a harder time competing, especially with the Kindle fire HD, a very high quality product at the sort of price only the cheap end of android market could once meet.
For all the talk of magic ability to reinvent the computer, the reinvention of the laptop has been the macbook Air, which only the very best "ultrabooks" have really competed against. I think a convertible AirIPad would be special, effectively an Asus transformer made my Apple, if the dock added some really clever functionality to the iPad. I know people buy keyboard docs for ipads but they seem pretty unsatisfactory.
I think the iphone5S will come sooner than expected, and address things like european LTE frequencies (especially in the UK) and probably add NFC once Apple have signed the deals required to make it useful. NFC has found some purposes but still lacking in widespread adoption.
Just got off the phone with Apple. The new 5 does NOT come with dock connector adaptor in the USA. I knew it was too good to be true.
I think that the missing surprise factor (given that all rumors turned out to be accurate) coupled with the evolution rather than revolution of the phone left me feeling without the excitement factor of the past.
But I own the iPhone 4 and therefore ordered the new 5.
I'm with elbowz and Peter M. Apple has a plan. Every two years there's a major step. In between they make a small step just to "present" something to the world and gather some more "fans". Yet, even the major steps are subtle ones and smooth. This way they ensure people stay with them - people say: I'm just too much into the ecosystem or it just works, why would I go anywhere else? This is true. iOS and the iPhone just work together very well and if ain't broken, don't fix it.
Along with this, Apple is clever. They create a new type of connector and obviously will make loads of money from this, because there are millions of accessories out there. People will need to buy more than one connector, screen protectors, bumpers, cases, etc, etc. So, it's another market altogether.
As for me, I agree they have a fantastic group of software/hardware, but ultimately Apple is playing a smart game with the world and I just don't want to play it. Materialism is getting the best out of people and Apple is taking advantage from that. My boss, no longer buys looking at the product, he just asks: what's the most expensive device you have? OK, I'll take it.
Apple's reliable annual release schedule has created massive pent-up demand. With 2 million preorders in 24 hours, it looks like the iPhone 5 is on course to be an even bigger success than the 4S.
@Rui the iPhone 5 doesn't seem like a major step to me. More like an iPhone 4SS...hey look what I did! :oD
I have an iPhone 4 which I got the day it was released in June 2010 (I think!). Until very recently I haven't even thought about upgrading - it still feels like a premium device that does the job I want it to do. Recent;y however, a teeny bit of lag has been evident and with all the talk of the iPhone 5 and the S3, I've just started to have that "want" itch again.
I'm long out of contract, so that's not an issue.
The iPhone 5 feels like the obvious route, but £529 is a lot of money even for a brand new device. I'm certainly not going to commit to one until I've seen one in the flesh and heard you lot telling everyone how good (or not) it is.
I am still though very tempted by the S3. I can get it sim free for about £450. I've had a play with one a few times, and I am taken by the bigger screen - with my ageing eyesight I'd appreciate the extra screen space and it would make web browsing much easier on the eye. I'm unconvinced that the 5's taller screen would offer that bigger screen experience.
Also, whilst I have a Macbook Pro and will be getting an iPad soon, I'm not THAT tied into the Apple ecosystem. I use Gmail, Dropbox, Evernote and would have no problem switching to Google Calendar from iCal. I don't listen to much music so the iTunes stuff wouldn't be a loss, and what e-books I have are on the kindle app.
Interesting times. tempted by the iPhone 5, but at the moment not THAT tempted.
I own a Samsung Epic 4G and an iPodTouch (as well as a Garmin GPS). My car is cluttered with three devices.
I struggled with my Epic 4g and Android, with battery life, lag, email and SMS not pushing...and if you do it will kill your battery, etc. Yes Android is flexible and tweek-able but I am spending too much time trying to get it working and using custom ROMs to get OS updates on devices those ROMs were not made for, etc.
So I ordered an iPhone5. For me, there is no 'is there enough difference between what I have and the new iPhone' because I don't have an iPhone (but I did use a iPhone4 for work when I traveled abroad). So sheerly on ease of use, promptness, smoothness and speed of my email, texts, browsing and video, battery life (a full day is great for me) and it works with my folding BT keyboard (that now classic iGo/ThinkOutside/Stowaway Ultra-Slim BT that goes for crazy money on ebay) and possible consolidation of devices in my car (hands-free bt phone w/ music and stand-alone GPS), I will be happy. Plus I LIKE all the features Apple announced. Sure Android has some or all those features, but they do not work TOGETHER, not when you have un-check apps and developers submitting apps--they ruin the experience. And it is the ecosystem people keep forgetting about--Apple only allows apps (baring some that may get momentarily overlooked) that will not cause resets, lags and power drains, for a smooth experience.
The iPhone is my communication device and phone with music. Not my pocket computer. I need something that works and is supported. Trust me, Samsung is more interested in selling phones than upgrading them and Google is not involved. Every new wiz-bang phone ever released by Google and/or Android integrators is dead and forgotten about in 6-9 months. Just review the history. Mark my words, by December 2012 the Galaxy S III will be old and Sammy will be selling a new baby and orphaning its older siblings.
I still have my Epic 4G and will use it as my Android Playground. But none of the manufacturers design and build phones to use Android optimally and even if their first entry did, the next versions of Android will not run well on the hardware. They will tell you 'what you bought is what we guarantee...new OS updates may or may not be for your phone beyond what you bought'--and we're talking just 1 or 2 major upgrades. My phone was never suppose to go past Froyo (from Donut or Eclair). They (the phones and the Android OS) are cousins by marriage. Apple products are children of hardware, software, customer and service support, content management systems and thorough testing of the integration of it all. I may not like the closed system, I may not buy all the accessories or apps because some are overpriced and gouging because of proprietary designs, but I can afford stress-free utility for two years. I'll make that $300 back and will enjoy a communicator, phone and media player, hub for my vehicle, that works.
Jason yes the lack of updates is one of the most annoying things about Android. Not a problem for me as I get custom ROMs from XDADevs (even my old HTC Touch HD2 has ICS on it) but for most customers it's doing them a disservice.
The latest leak is that the S4 will be announced at MWC and launched in March. So far it's sounding more like an S3S, but it's early days yet. After that the S3 may be slow in getting official upgrades to the latest version of Android, although Samsung has said it'll bring ICS even to the original Galaxy S eventually so the S3 should be supported for a while yet.
Don't over-estimate the checking Apple does on apps; it's more than Google does but it's still far from a guarantee. But if the iPhone is the best fit for what you want to do with it then go fo it.
The bigger screen on my S3 does make it rather nice for in-car navigation though ;o)
Btw I just checked and the 4S and 5 both support GLONASS (as does the S3). GLONASS makes a massive difference; the GPS on the S3 is amazing and I should think the Apple phones would be the same.
Sad news, I have received official confirmation that the iPhone 5 does NOT have apt-x Bluetooth high quality stereo. The S3 does ands it makes a huge difference.
In more epic news, my sister Justine just got featured in this comparison http://www.moneysupermarket.com/life-insurance/infographic-against-all-odds/ and she never knew anything about it until today when sent the link. Puts gadget news in perspective IMO.
Thanks for that, Gavin. Well done to your sister!
And you're right - it does put gadget news in perspective.
I propose a little experiment (Shaun, if you're listening).... for one day and one day only, post just human interest, news and current affairs stories, with no mention of iPhones, Androids or any other piece of technology. 'Lost In Mobile' become 'Lost In Life' for 24 hours.
Let the real world take over and let's see what happens.
Maybe could do that on a weekend.
Cool and very human.
@Bug Blatter: Good points. I have been reading about GSIII since it came out as well as asking my co-worker about hers (although she doesn't customize anything); I do like many things about GSIII. I also had been following iPhone5 (as well as my experience with my 3rd Gen iPod Touch which is now nearly 3 years old) and also evaluating carriers (such as voice+data at the same time, prices, etc); I also have been pondering just how to have a phone, gps and music in my car and how would I navigate between the three. At the end, I decided on a stand-alone GPS (with my phone as my backup due to ability to use phone towers) and find a cradle to convert phone into BT hands-free while allowing my music. BTW, I have a small steering wheel RF remote that allows me to control my iPod...I never found one for my Android.
I am actually running a custom ICS ROM on my 2yr old Epic 4G (not the E4G Touch). I literally found out hours after ordering my iPhone how to make my phone last 18 hours consistently (provided I don't use it too much - see, I hate this: save battery by not using the phone. We need a 48 hour battery that when pushed only lasts 24 hours). And it took 4-5 apps to analyze, control and profile my device to accomplish this. Just like Palm (I still have my Centro and 40% of my apps were to compensate for what Palm OS was lacking and absolutely should have been stock). Still, my Epic 4G is laggy at times and I am forced to poll SMS and mail. My phone literally does not start ringing until the caller's 2nd or 3rd ring so sometimes it goes to VM after only 1-2 rings.
I agree with Shaun though...the adapter cost is ridiculous. I really only need one though because I only have one accessory (my car ipod's 30-pin RF remote dongle).
I want to get back to having as basic a phone as possible and getting my computer(s) to be more mobile. Phones and the services are getting too expensive, especially every two years. I have not been attracted to a tablet thus far (although MS Surface looks interesting). My next goal will be to get my laptop to turn on instantly (or at least much faster) by putting the OS onto a SSD. Eventually I want to have a decent phone and a portable computer. That's it.
Hilarious, even by Fox News standards: http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=27721