Android phones have already seen larger displays, curved glass, 3D displays, NFC, 4G, 1.5 GHz dual-core processors, 1 GB RAM, 8 MP cameras, etc. Quad-core processors and 16 MP cameras are about to hit Android phones soon.
Oh Really? All of those phones have their caveats as well. There are tons of 8MP Android cameras that are vastly inferior to iPhone 4's. Similary, everyone complains that 4G kills off the already poor battery life of those devices. And thanks to "TRUE MULTITASKING" and Flash and other OS inefficiencies, that 1GB of RAM and processor don't result in really meaningful differences considering the iPhone 4 is 15 months old. NFC is sure to be coming but outside Japan it's not BIG, so it's more of a "features for features sake" thing, which also applies to 3D screens (that's a negative feature for me, in fact). I also couldn't care less about curved glass. Bigger screens is the only thing on this list the iPhone could really use, and anything beyond 4" is just too big.
Quote:
I'm seriously hoping Apple has an iPhone 5 surprise planned for next week. If the best Apple can deliver in 16 months is an iPhone 4 chassis with some iPad 2 upgrades, there will be some disappointed people and investors. iOS 5 mostly seems to play catchup with Android and Windows Phone, so most of the new software features are a "been there, done that."
Except they are done right? Oh wait, that doesn't count. Sorry bout that
However, fourteen months later, I wonder. If Apple is going to use the same design with upgraded innards, it seems like a poor decision to make. The competitive landscape is very different now. According to Nielsen, Android smartphones make up 43% of the U.S. smartphone market. Apple is losing market share, now down at 28%.!
Android growth has stalled. That's some rather old news.
A whole year and all Apple has is a iPhone 4S? Pretty lame. That is not much better than an iPhone 4 Plus. At the minimum they should have an iPhone 4GS. Or an iPhone 4 Pro. With Steve Jobs gone now, all we will probably see is an iPhone Performa.
iPhone 4 is the most popular smartphone ever. Does Apple need to change a winning design?
For those who argue Android competition does not allow Apple to *stand* still, is iOS 5 a sign of standing still? Furthermore, take a good look at the Galaxy S and Galaxy S2. Are they very different in form factor?
A5 processor. 8 MP camera. iOS 5. All inside the most popular smartphone design ever.
Except they are done right? Oh wait, that doesn't count. Sorry bout that
Apple doesn't always "do things right." The notification system in iOS 4 was extremely terrible, Maps is a vastly inferior app compared to Android's offerings, and well, Apple finally embraced resizing a window from any side in Lion a la Microsoft Windows.
One thing to consider: One benefit of having this iPhone 4 body is the universe of peripherals that is all ready out there and able to support - a new one will have a lag before manufactures can put out replacements. If you're trying to woo new people, that is not a minor consideration.
Also, a lot of people whined about the 3gs when it came out - and Apple's been selling it for nearly 3 years. In the world of today to have a single model sell for 3 years in incredible. It is a huge value that a body Apple designed nearly 5 years ago (For the original iPhone 3g) is able to be used, and have the ecology of peripherals it can. If it can get the same life out of the iPhone 4 body, that is a huge positive for Apple. It keeps costs down.
That said, I think Apple has both. Going forward, Apple will want more power to push iCloud, so having better chips in the low-end model will help make it a better product. And while I'm not a big believer in huge screens on Mobile devices, it will help sales to have a 4" screen.
One possibility no one's said: iOS 5, today, iCloud, next week, iPhone 4s, available next week, iPhone 5, available, say, Thanksgiving - it would give any extra development/bug fix time they need, and get it out for Christmas season.
One possibility no one's said: iOS 5, today, iCloud, next week, iPhone 4s, available next week, iPhone 5, available, say, Thanksgiving - it would give any extra development/bug fix time they need, and get it out for Christmas season.
Not going to happen.
This whole iPhone 5 obsession is funny. Apple has never, ever committed to consistently naming the iPhone based on the generation number of the product. There was no iPhone 2, after all. There may never be an iPhone 5, if they come up with a better name next year - e.g. iPhone LTE.
Hopefully there's also "just one more thing" in the form of an iPhone 5. I'm not sure a basic spec bump after 15+ months will be worthwhile for many. Perhaps there will be an "S" with immediate availability (and a lower price), and an iPhone 5 available a few weeks later.
I think the "one more thing" bit will be retired. That was Steve's shtick. Won't look right coming from anyone else.
Android phones have already seen larger displays, curved glass, 3D displays, NFC, 4G, 1.5 GHz dual-core processors, 1 GB RAM, 8 MP cameras, etc. Quad-core processors and 16 MP cameras are about to hit Android phones soon.
I'm seriously hoping Apple has an iPhone 5 surprise planned for next week. If the best Apple can deliver in 16 months is an iPhone 4 chassis with some iPad 2 upgrades, there will be some disappointed people and investors. iOS 5 mostly seems to play catchup with Android and Windows Phone, so most of the new software features are a "been there, done that."
Apple is the biggest company on Earth now. What do they have to worry about? (snicker)
Hopefully there's also "just one more thing" in the form of an iPhone 5. I'm not sure a basic spec bump after 15+ months will be worthwhile for many. Perhaps there will be an "S" with immediate availability (and a lower price), and an iPhone 5 available a few weeks later.
iPhone5 is the "teardrop" unibody-back, glass-front super duper new iPhone. A5 chip, 512MB RAM, new GPU but not as good as iPad2, better than iPhone4. Same retina display, slightly larger but not quite 4".
iPhone4 becomes the new "iPhone3GS", hence, iPhone4S.
iPhone5 and iPhone4 are unified GSM/CDMA models but not the Chinese CDMA.
Well if just this new iPhone 4S launches, I guess that's cool. Sure did save Apple time on designing a new one. Hopefully all that time saved will have been put towards improving the design flaws of the current iPhone 4. I'm all for recycling the old design and focusing on the flaws, creating a better product. By the time an iPhone 5 comes out, it will probably be completely redesigned and hopefully they would have had enough time to fix any problems with the redesign BEFORE it launches. Unlike what happened with the iPhone 4. Plus, this would be great for accessory manufacturers, not having to come out with a new design. Plus, customers won't have to buy new cases! It's a win-win for everyone.
Maybe we should all reserve our comments until the iPhne4S is announced and ships. Just because the 4S may look the same on the outside doesn't mean the insides don't represent a major improvement / redesign. Any manufacturer would be thrilled to design a a phone as flawed as the iPhone4, the best selling smartphone on the planet.
Maybe we should all reserve our comments until the iPhne4S is announced and ships. Just because the 4S may look the same on the outside doesn't mean the insides don't represent a major improvement / redesign. Any manufacturer would be thrilled to design a a phone as flawed as the iPhone4, the best selling smartphone on the planet.
iPhone4 currently just becomes the iPhone4S. The only difference is they are going to take the iPhone4 CDMA not GSM design and then make that the GSM/CDMA iPhone4S... But still A4 chip, same screen, same size, 512MB RAM, etc.
iPhone5 will still be cool. Definitely more like an iPad 2 but a smartphone instead.
I agree. Of all iOS user subsets, AI forum readers should be able to discern the true distinctions between any iPhone model and the "competition." It takes a tremendous amount of money and quality time to conceive, design, engineer, code, test, debug and manufacture a device of the iPhones stature. So why should they not benefit from the efficiencies of longer product life-cycles? I never expected a major redesign this year because it does not make any economical sense.
I look at Apple products as I do entry level German luxury cars: sheer utilitarian beauty. Apple would be like BMW only selling 3 series sedans. These cars crush the competition in a multitude of substantive ways big and small. They cost more to produce and their platforms have longer life cycles. These cars are fast but they are not the fastest and one can't buy the latest, most cutting edge tech in these cars because it doesn't make economical sense. Think night-vision for cars and NFC for phones. Cheap AND early implementation of the latest cool technology requires compromises I am glad Apple is unwilling to make.
So how anyone who claims to appreciate the iPhone4 for what and how it is could seriously consider the latest Android device with a bigger screen or this and that is beyond me. I am reminded of the movie quote, "they don't drink the sand because they think it's water. They drink the sand because the don't know the difference."
If an iPhone 4S is all that Apple releases next week, I'll be a bit disappointed.
When the iPhone 3GS was released in 2009, I stood in line for 3 hours at Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh, NC to get mine -- the day before my wedding no less, when I had guests coming in from out of town . But back in 2009, the iPhone really had no competition -- why would I want to go with anything else?
When the iPhone 4 came out, I pre-ordered on day one because while the Android competition had started to gain some steam, Apple was still clearly ahead of the pack in more ways than one.
However, fourteen months later, I wonder. If Apple is going to use the same design with upgraded innards, it seems like a poor decision to make. The competitive landscape is very different now. According to Nielsen, Android smartphones make up 43% of the U.S. smartphone market. Apple is losing market share, now down at 28%.
Playing it safe isn't in the cards anymore. It's time to start curb-stomping the competition.
And the same tired complaints don't work anymore:
1) Well, Apple sells only needs to sell two types of phones (iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS)
2) Well, Apple makes more profit per phone
3) Well, Android manufacturers dump cheap phones and B1G1 offers on consumers
To tell you the truth, that stuff may matter to investors, but it obviously doesn't matter to consumers, or they wouldn't be buying Android smartphones. Apple obviously sees the threat, hence all the lawsuits.
I guess my point is; I'd like to see Apple take some chances on the hardware side (again). Thinner, lighter, larger screen, with an aluminum unibody makes sense. We've been on a 3.5" screen since day one -- give it up. It's time to move on.
Remember, this isn't just about grabbing onto existing Apple customers; this is also about taking BACK those customers that have jumped ship to Android. Dual-core processor, 512MB of RAM, 8MP camera? Pfff, Android users have been eatin' that s**t up for nearly year. What would make them want to move to an iPhone 4S?
I also think that LTE should be in there as well. Verizon has already substantially built out its LTE network (AT&T's LTE network is still in its infancy, however), it'd be a damn shame if we have to wait another year (or fourteen months) just to have the privilege of having LTE on an iPhone when everyone in their grandma on the Android side has been enjoying it for nearly a year now.
STOP PLAYING IT SAFE, APPLE. KNOCK SOME F**KING TEETH OUT!
Both Verizon's and AT&T's LTE networks are far from being fully deployed and generally available.
Tim Cook: "And now for the big unveil.... last spring's phone."
Seriously, this is the first product unveil post-Steve Jobs. They really need to unveil something that'll blow people's socks off; and slightly tweaking an almost-two year old model isn't going to cut it. The best I can hope for is that the 4S ends up being dirt-cheap, because I'm not paying $400 for last year's phone + a 2-year contract.
Comments
Android phones have already seen larger displays, curved glass, 3D displays, NFC, 4G, 1.5 GHz dual-core processors, 1 GB RAM, 8 MP cameras, etc. Quad-core processors and 16 MP cameras are about to hit Android phones soon.
Oh Really? All of those phones have their caveats as well. There are tons of 8MP Android cameras that are vastly inferior to iPhone 4's. Similary, everyone complains that 4G kills off the already poor battery life of those devices. And thanks to "TRUE MULTITASKING" and Flash and other OS inefficiencies, that 1GB of RAM and processor don't result in really meaningful differences considering the iPhone 4 is 15 months old. NFC is sure to be coming but outside Japan it's not BIG, so it's more of a "features for features sake" thing, which also applies to 3D screens (that's a negative feature for me, in fact). I also couldn't care less about curved glass. Bigger screens is the only thing on this list the iPhone could really use, and anything beyond 4" is just too big.
I'm seriously hoping Apple has an iPhone 5 surprise planned for next week. If the best Apple can deliver in 16 months is an iPhone 4 chassis with some iPad 2 upgrades, there will be some disappointed people and investors. iOS 5 mostly seems to play catchup with Android and Windows Phone, so most of the new software features are a "been there, done that."
Except they are done right? Oh wait, that doesn't count. Sorry bout that
However, fourteen months later, I wonder. If Apple is going to use the same design with upgraded innards, it seems like a poor decision to make. The competitive landscape is very different now. According to Nielsen, Android smartphones make up 43% of the U.S. smartphone market. Apple is losing market share, now down at 28%.!
Android growth has stalled. That's some rather old news.
Ok, So there is an iPhone 4S
and there is likely an iPhone 5
[images - very delectable ones! - snipped]
I agree. I am still convinced that the invite hints at "4+1."
For those who argue Android competition does not allow Apple to *stand* still, is iOS 5 a sign of standing still? Furthermore, take a good look at the Galaxy S and Galaxy S2. Are they very different in form factor?
A5 processor. 8 MP camera. iOS 5. All inside the most popular smartphone design ever.
That sounds like a winning combination.
Except they are done right? Oh wait, that doesn't count. Sorry bout that
Apple doesn't always "do things right." The notification system in iOS 4 was extremely terrible, Maps is a vastly inferior app compared to Android's offerings, and well, Apple finally embraced resizing a window from any side in Lion a la Microsoft Windows.
Also, a lot of people whined about the 3gs when it came out - and Apple's been selling it for nearly 3 years. In the world of today to have a single model sell for 3 years in incredible. It is a huge value that a body Apple designed nearly 5 years ago (For the original iPhone 3g) is able to be used, and have the ecology of peripherals it can. If it can get the same life out of the iPhone 4 body, that is a huge positive for Apple. It keeps costs down.
That said, I think Apple has both. Going forward, Apple will want more power to push iCloud, so having better chips in the low-end model will help make it a better product. And while I'm not a big believer in huge screens on Mobile devices, it will help sales to have a 4" screen.
One possibility no one's said: iOS 5, today, iCloud, next week, iPhone 4s, available next week, iPhone 5, available, say, Thanksgiving - it would give any extra development/bug fix time they need, and get it out for Christmas season.
One possibility no one's said: iOS 5, today, iCloud, next week, iPhone 4s, available next week, iPhone 5, available, say, Thanksgiving - it would give any extra development/bug fix time they need, and get it out for Christmas season.
Not going to happen.
This whole iPhone 5 obsession is funny. Apple has never, ever committed to consistently naming the iPhone based on the generation number of the product. There was no iPhone 2, after all. There may never be an iPhone 5, if they come up with a better name next year - e.g. iPhone LTE.
Hopefully there's also "just one more thing" in the form of an iPhone 5. I'm not sure a basic spec bump after 15+ months will be worthwhile for many. Perhaps there will be an "S" with immediate availability (and a lower price), and an iPhone 5 available a few weeks later.
I think the "one more thing" bit will be retired. That was Steve's shtick. Won't look right coming from anyone else.
You must be kidding me. Wait more than a year just to update cpu and camera?
I hope that's not true. Otherwise, AAPL trading at $381 two days before iPhone 4s introduction means all insiders are so ethical on the stock market.
I would believe this piece of news if AAPL closes below $350 on Monday.
Insider trading is rampant. Always has been. Only the high profile cases make the news.
Android phones have already seen larger displays, curved glass, 3D displays, NFC, 4G, 1.5 GHz dual-core processors, 1 GB RAM, 8 MP cameras, etc. Quad-core processors and 16 MP cameras are about to hit Android phones soon.
I'm seriously hoping Apple has an iPhone 5 surprise planned for next week. If the best Apple can deliver in 16 months is an iPhone 4 chassis with some iPad 2 upgrades, there will be some disappointed people and investors. iOS 5 mostly seems to play catchup with Android and Windows Phone, so most of the new software features are a "been there, done that."
Apple is the biggest company on Earth now. What do they have to worry about? (snicker)
Hopefully there's also "just one more thing" in the form of an iPhone 5. I'm not sure a basic spec bump after 15+ months will be worthwhile for many. Perhaps there will be an "S" with immediate availability (and a lower price), and an iPhone 5 available a few weeks later.
iPhone5 is the "teardrop" unibody-back, glass-front super duper new iPhone. A5 chip, 512MB RAM, new GPU but not as good as iPad2, better than iPhone4. Same retina display, slightly larger but not quite 4".
iPhone4 becomes the new "iPhone3GS", hence, iPhone4S.
iPhone5 and iPhone4 are unified GSM/CDMA models but not the Chinese CDMA.
Mah Predictions.
Well if just this new iPhone 4S launches, I guess that's cool. Sure did save Apple time on designing a new one. Hopefully all that time saved will have been put towards improving the design flaws of the current iPhone 4. I'm all for recycling the old design and focusing on the flaws, creating a better product. By the time an iPhone 5 comes out, it will probably be completely redesigned and hopefully they would have had enough time to fix any problems with the redesign BEFORE it launches. Unlike what happened with the iPhone 4. Plus, this would be great for accessory manufacturers, not having to come out with a new design. Plus, customers won't have to buy new cases! It's a win-win for everyone.
Maybe we should all reserve our comments until the iPhne4S is announced and ships. Just because the 4S may look the same on the outside doesn't mean the insides don't represent a major improvement / redesign. Any manufacturer would be thrilled to design a a phone as flawed as the iPhone4, the best selling smartphone on the planet.
I think the "one more thing" bit will be retired. That was Steve's shtick. Won't look right coming from anyone else.
Phil Schiller tried it one keynote. He massacred it.
Maybe we should all reserve our comments until the iPhne4S is announced and ships. Just because the 4S may look the same on the outside doesn't mean the insides don't represent a major improvement / redesign. Any manufacturer would be thrilled to design a a phone as flawed as the iPhone4, the best selling smartphone on the planet.
iPhone4 currently just becomes the iPhone4S. The only difference is they are going to take the iPhone4 CDMA not GSM design and then make that the GSM/CDMA iPhone4S... But still A4 chip, same screen, same size, 512MB RAM, etc.
iPhone5 will still be cool. Definitely more like an iPad 2 but a smartphone instead.
I look at Apple products as I do entry level German luxury cars: sheer utilitarian beauty. Apple would be like BMW only selling 3 series sedans. These cars crush the competition in a multitude of substantive ways big and small. They cost more to produce and their platforms have longer life cycles. These cars are fast but they are not the fastest and one can't buy the latest, most cutting edge tech in these cars because it doesn't make economical sense. Think night-vision for cars and NFC for phones. Cheap AND early implementation of the latest cool technology requires compromises I am glad Apple is unwilling to make.
So how anyone who claims to appreciate the iPhone4 for what and how it is could seriously consider the latest Android device with a bigger screen or this and that is beyond me. I am reminded of the movie quote, "they don't drink the sand because they think it's water. They drink the sand because the don't know the difference."
If an iPhone 4S is all that Apple releases next week, I'll be a bit disappointed.
When the iPhone 3GS was released in 2009, I stood in line for 3 hours at Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh, NC to get mine -- the day before my wedding no less, when I had guests coming in from out of town
When the iPhone 4 came out, I pre-ordered on day one because while the Android competition had started to gain some steam, Apple was still clearly ahead of the pack in more ways than one.
However, fourteen months later, I wonder. If Apple is going to use the same design with upgraded innards, it seems like a poor decision to make. The competitive landscape is very different now. According to Nielsen, Android smartphones make up 43% of the U.S. smartphone market. Apple is losing market share, now down at 28%.
http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/...acing-android/
Playing it safe isn't in the cards anymore. It's time to start curb-stomping the competition.
And the same tired complaints don't work anymore:
1) Well, Apple sells only needs to sell two types of phones (iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS)
2) Well, Apple makes more profit per phone
3) Well, Android manufacturers dump cheap phones and B1G1 offers on consumers
To tell you the truth, that stuff may matter to investors, but it obviously doesn't matter to consumers, or they wouldn't be buying Android smartphones. Apple obviously sees the threat, hence all the lawsuits.
I guess my point is; I'd like to see Apple take some chances on the hardware side (again). Thinner, lighter, larger screen, with an aluminum unibody makes sense. We've been on a 3.5" screen since day one -- give it up. It's time to move on.
Remember, this isn't just about grabbing onto existing Apple customers; this is also about taking BACK those customers that have jumped ship to Android. Dual-core processor, 512MB of RAM, 8MP camera? Pfff, Android users have been eatin' that s**t up for nearly year. What would make them want to move to an iPhone 4S?
I also think that LTE should be in there as well. Verizon has already substantially built out its LTE network (AT&T's LTE network is still in its infancy, however), it'd be a damn shame if we have to wait another year (or fourteen months) just to have the privilege of having LTE on an iPhone when everyone in their grandma on the Android side has been enjoying it for nearly a year now.
STOP PLAYING IT SAFE, APPLE. KNOCK SOME F**KING TEETH OUT!
Both Verizon's and AT&T's LTE networks are far from being fully deployed and generally available.
Seriously, this is the first product unveil post-Steve Jobs. They really need to unveil something that'll blow people's socks off; and slightly tweaking an almost-two year old model isn't going to cut it. The best I can hope for is that the 4S ends up being dirt-cheap, because I'm not paying $400 for last year's phone + a 2-year contract.