Will iPhone 4 users want to upgrade? Most of them won't, no. But Apple knew that because every iPhone 4 user is half way through a 2 year contract! The people upgrading to this will be 3GS users, who'll freak out when they see how fast this thing is compared to what they're used to. It may not be Optimus Prime, but it's a sensible update and sensible people can see that.
That's exactly how I see it and how I experience it.
All people I know who have an iP4, are still extremely happy with the device.
They are all in a 2 year contract.
They will wait and mostly upgrade to what ever is coming next year.
They all invested into apples eco system.
Whoever owns a 3GS is admittedly going to upgrade to the iP4S.
I had my iPhone 4 stolen recently and was waiting for the new handset to arrive before replacing my old iPhone 3G, which I gladly had held on to. I was nervous about a new form factor because i kind of just love the way this thing looks And i'm glad at the performance enhancements and encouraged that Apple now has 3 phones to sell at 3 price points. The secret weapon in this announcement is that one can now walk in to an ATT/Verizon/Sprint store and leave with a free iPhone. This is no small thing. They quietly entered a new market that, for image sake (luxury brand and all,) they'd rather not make too big a deal of.
That said, I have trouble believing that Steve Jobs, had he been himself, would have allowed that extra 4 months to be frittered so that there is no "one more thing" and no visible hardware change that would have been worth talking about and differentiated the new phone from the old phone visibly. the obvious choice would have been increasing screen size. A bigger screen would be nice. And coupled with the performance boosts would have gone a long way toward dampening disappointment while not really costing all that much to implement.
Wow! So different! So where's the moral outrage on that one?
People are such hypocrites.
You obviously have never seen them side by side. Not only is the SII bigger and thinner, but the display is infinitely better.
For everyone who says the iphone 4S has "EVERYTHING" they need, then I suppose if a model came out tomorrow with a sleeker mmore exciting design, slightly larger screen and a low power LTE radio, you say why oh why did apple waste their money giving me that crap. I want a 16 month old design, a smaller screen and slow internet speeds for the next two years.
Let's face it, if the only thing Apple did was add Siri, and nothing else, you would have said, "IT's PERFECT. Who needs a A5 chip, the iphone 4 is fast enough. Who needs a better camera, the iPhone 4 camera is great."
This phone is solid. Operating system and hardware. Not pushing for too much too soon.
This upgrade will bring in all of those that didn't upgrade to the iPhone 4. I didn't get the 4 and others I know didn't. I will get the 4s the day it comes out.
I'm very happy with this and the momentum will shift back to Apple when others see how great it is in real life.
Also, what the trolls don't get is that Apple doesn't really care how many android phone are sold. Same as they don't care how many PCs running Widows are sold. They are in this for the really long term. Wait until you see how prolific FCP X becomes in the future. I love the underestimation of Apple Corp.
I own a 16gb iPhone 4. When I upgrade will be determined by the upgrade/trade-in options available where I live. As long as I don't have to pay full price for an upgrade, I'm going to do it as soon as possible. I may even have to buy out my remaining contract and start a new one or something. These are the reasons I will upgrade (and if you looks beyond the lack of a different case shape, they should be obvious):
Larger capacity. I'm constantly having to reduce the amount of music on my current iPhone in order to make rooms for photos and documents. Need more storage.
Better camera. The new camera promises to be better than my aging point and shoot, which I won't be replacing.
World phone. I'm on GSM where I live, but I look forward to being able to get on Verizon or Sprint prepaid when I'm in the US. No more AT&T, ever.
Speed. I think my iPhone 4 is fast, but I wouldn't sneeze at a speed bump.
Other things like Siri and AirPlay mirroring are nice but don't factor into my decision. Neither, for that matter, does a redesigned case. I think the media and analysts focusing on the shape need to take a look around at the godawful case design of all the other smartphones out there. The iPhone 4 case design could remain unchanged for years and still be current and cutting edge. It's a bit like the Mac Pro. Why change a perfect design?
I think this is an example of Apple's secrecy coming back to bite them. The frenzy that whips up prior to these launches is directly related to the lack of information coming from the source. We all expect that 'one more thing' to blow us away, and if it doesn't there is a natural letdown. This is where an edge to edge screen or an even slightly different case could have excited the masses in ways that the A5 and '60% more pixels' won't. Those parts of the presentation would fit in with any geeky spec-obsessed presentation anywhere - no magic.
The other thing I would note (and has been mentioned upthread) is that this was an exceedingly unexciting presentation. It coughed and stumbled for far too long with the only news being the greeting card thingy, finally got to the iPhone, and then just fizzled out.
When I say not pushing for too much too soon I mean that Apple products are rarely hyper cutting edge. They make the best use of solid technology available. There are always devices and computers with better "specs" for certain people but for products that just pain work and just enough choices, no one is dong this better than Apple.
I love the iPhone 4 form factor but won`t be upgrading because like most I`m a year out on contract renewal but the additions such as Siri make this update pretty cutting edge as far as I`m concerned.
If it works as advertised that is.
For me a noticeably bigger screen would mean a bigger phone and I simply don`t want that.
The mock up`s of the tapered design don`t really thrill me when compared to the current iPhone4 design.
I have to say I as so sick of hearing all the crap flying around about this being the iPhone 4S and not the iPhone 5. If it was an iPhone 5 it would just be the same hardware with the iPhone 5 name, maybe with a slightly different form. Does that change how functional it is or what improvements there are. No. It's just moron hype and that is what has created the expectation problem. Morons.
I especially hate the 4G idiots. We all know 4G LTE is not fully rolled out and that phones with 4G LTE have short battery life. Apple was always going to wait for better chips and better coverage to roll this out. Yes we would all love the speed, but if the whole thing doesn't work is it worth anything.
There is my rant and I see the iPhone 4S as being a great upgrade for myself coming from an iPhone 3GS. If you have an iPhone 4, maybe not, but then again why waste money on an early upgrade in the first place.
I agree with most of what you said. Analysts are pretty much useless.
However, I will say that there are sensible reasons to want a redesign. Aesthetics definitely play a role, but these aesthetic changes would also enhance usability. The iPhone 4 (and now 4s) look really beautiful, but in my opinion could be better in some ways.
I don't care so much about a larger screen, but would be okay with it if it didn't increase the overall size of the unit too much. Primarily, I wanted the following in this update:
1. a more curved and lighter design as it would feel more comfortable in the hand. This is especially appreciated when on a long call.
2. a non-glass back panel as they have shown to be too fragile. I am careful with my phone, but it would be my luck to drop it and shatter it. If you only have glass on the front, then you have a 50% less chance of glass breaking if and when you drop.
3. an improved antenna system.
So in the end they redesigned the antenna, and this is great news. I ended up getting one of my three requests, but the other two requests still make good sense. I will likely get a 4S, as my 3Gs is really tired. But where the 4S is a good upgrade, it could have been a great upgrade for me if they had delivered one or both of my other two requests. With all this said, Apple definitely did not "blow it". The 4S looks like a very strong contender, and for me is head and shoulders above android phones.
Had Apple released the iPhone 4S back in June not many people I know would have complained,
What about the people you don't know. What about your other friends. Those 3 hate it you yourself said it was good enough for you to buy.
This hardware isn't for folks that have the iPhone 4. Its for folks that have the 3g, 3gs perhaps even the original or no smartphone at all. And there could be enough folks in that latter group that Apple isn't really worked if some of them go to Android phones because some of them are going Apple also. There's plenty of folks for everyone.
This analysis is BS. Android is going to gain ground because it's going to keep stealing market share from RIM, Nokia and Microsoft. Apple has nothing to do with this.
Apple will still sell boatloads of phones.
And this update was for newcomers and 3G/3GS owners.
It's amazing to me. If Apple had released the the exact same internals as the 4S but in a new form factor, everyone would have been happy (except those wanting a bigger screen).
This is all about looks, which is fine. But I think it's dingenous of people to call this a "minor" update or a spec bump. The ONLY thing that hasn't changed here is the case.
Here's another point-
SAMSUN GALAXY S
SAMSUNG GALAXY S II
Wow! So different! So where's the moral outrage on that one?
People are such hypocrites.
Off-topic...but it is crazy how much these two phones look like the 3Gs and iP4. If i were a judge, Samsung would be in big trouble.
There does seem to be quite a bit of disappointment over this, I know that three of my friends will not be upgrading based on the announcement. ....
I question this kind of thinking.
I am also disappointed in what was announced. I also won't be getting up at midnight to put in my order for this phone as I have for the last two years. The online ordering for iPhone is problematic at best, and this time the upgrade just isn't worth the hassle for me.
On the other hand however, I probably will buy this phone sometime in the next few months. It's just not that big of a deal that one *has* to be the first to have it.
I think a lot of folks are disappointed, and a lot of folks (like me) are saying they won't buy it, but while sales might not take off into the stratosphere the first month, most people who *can* upgrade, (like me) will eventually buy it.
Additionally, if there was a single carrier in my country that offered a fair deal, I would switch to that carrier and upgrade to a new iPhone in a heartbeat. It's not likely to happen, but it could.
Comments
I totally agree. Apple times their iPhone release with the 2 year cycle that we all have to abide by.
It is a smart move from a business perspective but nonetheless, it's a disappointing move after making us wait for so long. ...
Again... what is it that you can't DO with this phone?
I suppose its the nature of geeks that its the device itself that matters, but really folks, it isn't. Its what you can DO with it.
Its my new realization. For too many people, the device is a sexual fetish.
Turn it around and USE IT!!!
Spot on.
Will iPhone 4 users want to upgrade? Most of them won't, no. But Apple knew that because every iPhone 4 user is half way through a 2 year contract! The people upgrading to this will be 3GS users, who'll freak out when they see how fast this thing is compared to what they're used to. It may not be Optimus Prime, but it's a sensible update and sensible people can see that.
That's exactly how I see it and how I experience it.
All people I know who have an iP4, are still extremely happy with the device.
They are all in a 2 year contract.
They will wait and mostly upgrade to what ever is coming next year.
They all invested into apples eco system.
Whoever owns a 3GS is admittedly going to upgrade to the iP4S.
It's the way things go!
IMO if this phone had been released on schedule in July there would be a lot less negativity. I think the delayed release raised expectations.
Apple neither raised nor lowered ANYONE's expectations over the past 1.5 years.
People who live on rumor lists did. Blame them, not Apple.
That said, I have trouble believing that Steve Jobs, had he been himself, would have allowed that extra 4 months to be frittered so that there is no "one more thing" and no visible hardware change that would have been worth talking about and differentiated the new phone from the old phone visibly. the obvious choice would have been increasing screen size. A bigger screen would be nice. And coupled with the performance boosts would have gone a long way toward dampening disappointment while not really costing all that much to implement.
Wow! So different! So where's the moral outrage on that one?
People are such hypocrites.
You obviously have never seen them side by side. Not only is the SII bigger and thinner, but the display is infinitely better.
For everyone who says the iphone 4S has "EVERYTHING" they need, then I suppose if a model came out tomorrow with a sleeker mmore exciting design, slightly larger screen and a low power LTE radio, you say why oh why did apple waste their money giving me that crap. I want a 16 month old design, a smaller screen and slow internet speeds for the next two years.
Let's face it, if the only thing Apple did was add Siri, and nothing else, you would have said, "IT's PERFECT. Who needs a A5 chip, the iphone 4 is fast enough. Who needs a better camera, the iPhone 4 camera is great."
This upgrade will bring in all of those that didn't upgrade to the iPhone 4. I didn't get the 4 and others I know didn't. I will get the 4s the day it comes out.
I'm very happy with this and the momentum will shift back to Apple when others see how great it is in real life.
Also, what the trolls don't get is that Apple doesn't really care how many android phone are sold. Same as they don't care how many PCs running Widows are sold. They are in this for the really long term. Wait until you see how prolific FCP X becomes in the future. I love the underestimation of Apple Corp.
...and the 3GS
...the 3
...the latest iPod
...the nano
...the initial iPod
i wasn't here for the first release of OSX, was it like this?
How are all those working out?
And the MBA...
Larger capacity. I'm constantly having to reduce the amount of music on my current iPhone in order to make rooms for photos and documents. Need more storage.
Better camera. The new camera promises to be better than my aging point and shoot, which I won't be replacing.
World phone. I'm on GSM where I live, but I look forward to being able to get on Verizon or Sprint prepaid when I'm in the US. No more AT&T, ever.
Speed. I think my iPhone 4 is fast, but I wouldn't sneeze at a speed bump.
Other things like Siri and AirPlay mirroring are nice but don't factor into my decision. Neither, for that matter, does a redesigned case. I think the media and analysts focusing on the shape need to take a look around at the godawful case design of all the other smartphones out there. The iPhone 4 case design could remain unchanged for years and still be current and cutting edge. It's a bit like the Mac Pro. Why change a perfect design?
The other thing I would note (and has been mentioned upthread) is that this was an exceedingly unexciting presentation. It coughed and stumbled for far too long with the only news being the greeting card thingy, finally got to the iPhone, and then just fizzled out.
If it works as advertised that is.
For me a noticeably bigger screen would mean a bigger phone and I simply don`t want that.
The mock up`s of the tapered design don`t really thrill me when compared to the current iPhone4 design.
I have to say I as so sick of hearing all the crap flying around about this being the iPhone 4S and not the iPhone 5. If it was an iPhone 5 it would just be the same hardware with the iPhone 5 name, maybe with a slightly different form. Does that change how functional it is or what improvements there are. No. It's just moron hype and that is what has created the expectation problem. Morons.
I especially hate the 4G idiots. We all know 4G LTE is not fully rolled out and that phones with 4G LTE have short battery life. Apple was always going to wait for better chips and better coverage to roll this out. Yes we would all love the speed, but if the whole thing doesn't work is it worth anything.
There is my rant and I see the iPhone 4S as being a great upgrade for myself coming from an iPhone 3GS. If you have an iPhone 4, maybe not, but then again why waste money on an early upgrade in the first place.
I agree with most of what you said. Analysts are pretty much useless.
However, I will say that there are sensible reasons to want a redesign. Aesthetics definitely play a role, but these aesthetic changes would also enhance usability. The iPhone 4 (and now 4s) look really beautiful, but in my opinion could be better in some ways.
I don't care so much about a larger screen, but would be okay with it if it didn't increase the overall size of the unit too much. Primarily, I wanted the following in this update:
1. a more curved and lighter design as it would feel more comfortable in the hand. This is especially appreciated when on a long call.
2. a non-glass back panel as they have shown to be too fragile. I am careful with my phone, but it would be my luck to drop it and shatter it. If you only have glass on the front, then you have a 50% less chance of glass breaking if and when you drop.
3. an improved antenna system.
So in the end they redesigned the antenna, and this is great news. I ended up getting one of my three requests, but the other two requests still make good sense. I will likely get a 4S, as my 3Gs is really tired. But where the 4S is a good upgrade, it could have been a great upgrade for me if they had delivered one or both of my other two requests. With all this said, Apple definitely did not "blow it". The 4S looks like a very strong contender, and for me is head and shoulders above android phones.
Had Apple released the iPhone 4S back in June not many people I know would have complained,
What about the people you don't know. What about your other friends. Those 3 hate it you yourself said it was good enough for you to buy.
This hardware isn't for folks that have the iPhone 4. Its for folks that have the 3g, 3gs perhaps even the original or no smartphone at all. And there could be enough folks in that latter group that Apple isn't really worked if some of them go to Android phones because some of them are going Apple also. There's plenty of folks for everyone.
Apple will still sell boatloads of phones.
And this update was for newcomers and 3G/3GS owners.
It's amazing to me. If Apple had released the the exact same internals as the 4S but in a new form factor, everyone would have been happy (except those wanting a bigger screen).
This is all about looks, which is fine. But I think it's dingenous of people to call this a "minor" update or a spec bump. The ONLY thing that hasn't changed here is the case.
Here's another point-
SAMSUN GALAXY S
SAMSUNG GALAXY S II
Wow! So different! So where's the moral outrage on that one?
People are such hypocrites.
Off-topic...but it is crazy how much these two phones look like the 3Gs and iP4. If i were a judge, Samsung would be in big trouble.
There does seem to be quite a bit of disappointment over this, I know that three of my friends will not be upgrading based on the announcement. ....
I question this kind of thinking.
I am also disappointed in what was announced. I also won't be getting up at midnight to put in my order for this phone as I have for the last two years. The online ordering for iPhone is problematic at best, and this time the upgrade just isn't worth the hassle for me.
On the other hand however, I probably will buy this phone sometime in the next few months. It's just not that big of a deal that one *has* to be the first to have it.
I think a lot of folks are disappointed, and a lot of folks (like me) are saying they won't buy it, but while sales might not take off into the stratosphere the first month, most people who *can* upgrade, (like me) will eventually buy it.
Additionally, if there was a single carrier in my country that offered a fair deal, I would switch to that carrier and upgrade to a new iPhone in a heartbeat. It's not likely to happen, but it could.