FWIW, I have no idea whether Apple will or will not stick to the Retina screen. I don't even particularly care one way or the other. My only point is that I don't believe the absence of a Retina screen automatically, by itself, makes a phone an idiot's choice.
In the case of both the screen and the chassis, we have no idea what other features of value Apple might include that make it more attractive than an iPhone 4. LTE? FaceTime over cellular? Siri? Who knows? Perhaps to some those things would matter more than a Retina screen or a chassis that is never even SEEN because it's inside a cheap plastic case!
I agree.
This phone is for those who haven't experienced an iPhone before, not for current iPhone owners. Apple will provide the features that best suit new buyers primarily in emerging markets.
A plastic case is easier to mass produce and if this phone comes with a China Mobile deal easier production would be a huge asset for Apple, so that's why plastic seems likely (again not my preference but still a realistic option). Siri is a trademark feature that has enough stickiness to get new buyers hooked into the platform. LTE is likely because China Mobile seems to be moving in that direction.
Adding LTE and a 4 inch screen already brings the price higher as well as designing a new form factor and setting up the new manufacturing lines for it. So we're talking a new start up price far higher than the continued selling of the 4S (which has already recouped it's associated cost by being on sale for 2 full years already at higher price points).
This new device needs to be profitable from day one, and if it's adding more valuable features than 2 year old model it's replacing that means something is going to have to get cut.
That's why I've been postulating that the retina screen may have to be cut in order to price the device at essentially half of what the 5/5S will go for.
Yeah a non-Retina iPhone may not be our first choice in a new phone since it'd be a downgrade for us, but compared to $300 Androids, an iPad Mini-esque screen in the cheaper iPhone would be on par with expectations.
It was a slick machine, and ahead of its time. It was also very expensive. In its day, the machine received good reviews (but for the price).
It was a slick machine only if by "slick" you mean underpowered and overpriced.
It was not well received at all and ended up being severely discounted just to get rid of it. Calling it "slick" while not inaccurate (because it's a personal judgement), really gives the opposite impression to the actual facts.
Steve is not rolling in his grave because this is not what the low cost iPhone will look like.
I remember in one of Steve's first interviews after the iPhone 1 was announced for $499, he said that he wished he could price the phone at $99 and get it into everyones hands because it was such an amazing experience. An "iPhone for everyone" has probably always been in Steve's heart and has probably always been in Apple's plans.
Well the hope is everyone could have a iPhone, I think apple agrees that there will always be the people avoiding apple (various reasons) and for those people (hoping prabably 3-10% of phone market) to enjoy it, if apple prabably almost already has had a iPhone touch almost every living persons hands.
Steve Jobs is probably rolling in his grave if this is true. Tim Cook is definetely taking Apple to another way that is not part of Job's Philosophy.
What "philosophy"? Steve's only over-arching philosophy was to only release great products, or at least strive to do so. Do you have evidence that this still- fictional phone will not be a good product? Do you not recall that SJ decided to switch from aluminum to plastic, for 2 GENERATIONS, after the original iPhone? Or that he released something called the iPod shuffle? I'm sure that if this phone is actually released, it will have much better build quality than the 3G/3GS, and will be much lower in price. You're grasping at straws trying to bash Cook and "Steve rolling in his grave" non-sense. SJ showed, over and over again, was that there was no "rules", and that he was willing to do something if it made sense at the time. Your ultra-premium iPhone is not going anywhere, but I see it as a good thing if the company releases another option, at a lower prie-point, that might open up new markets for them, to the tune of hundreds of millions of people. I have confidence that Apple is able to do this without releasing a shitty product.
To all those complaining that the upcoming low cost iPhone lacks features that you had hoped for, the metal and glass premium loaded-up-with-every-feature-you-could-imagine model will still be available and is not going anywhere.
Apple is just adding an option for prepaid and emerging markets, that I'm sure will be far nicer than these pics suggest.
Comments
Quote:
Originally Posted by v5v
FWIW, I have no idea whether Apple will or will not stick to the Retina screen. I don't even particularly care one way or the other. My only point is that I don't believe the absence of a Retina screen automatically, by itself, makes a phone an idiot's choice.
In the case of both the screen and the chassis, we have no idea what other features of value Apple might include that make it more attractive than an iPhone 4. LTE? FaceTime over cellular? Siri? Who knows? Perhaps to some those things would matter more than a Retina screen or a chassis that is never even SEEN because it's inside a cheap plastic case!
I agree.
This phone is for those who haven't experienced an iPhone before, not for current iPhone owners. Apple will provide the features that best suit new buyers primarily in emerging markets.
A plastic case is easier to mass produce and if this phone comes with a China Mobile deal easier production would be a huge asset for Apple, so that's why plastic seems likely (again not my preference but still a realistic option). Siri is a trademark feature that has enough stickiness to get new buyers hooked into the platform. LTE is likely because China Mobile seems to be moving in that direction.
Adding LTE and a 4 inch screen already brings the price higher as well as designing a new form factor and setting up the new manufacturing lines for it. So we're talking a new start up price far higher than the continued selling of the 4S (which has already recouped it's associated cost by being on sale for 2 full years already at higher price points).
This new device needs to be profitable from day one, and if it's adding more valuable features than 2 year old model it's replacing that means something is going to have to get cut.
That's why I've been postulating that the retina screen may have to be cut in order to price the device at essentially half of what the 5/5S will go for.
Yeah a non-Retina iPhone may not be our first choice in a new phone since it'd be a downgrade for us, but compared to $300 Androids, an iPad Mini-esque screen in the cheaper iPhone would be on par with expectations.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rogifan
Hmm....my iPhone isn't inside a cheap plastic case.
Yeah, but you're phone also cost $649 when you bought it.
It was a slick machine, and ahead of its time. It was also very expensive. In its day, the machine received good reviews (but for the price).
Quote:
Originally Posted by TBell
It was a slick machine, and ahead of its time. It was also very expensive. In its day, the machine received good reviews (but for the price).
It was a slick machine only if by "slick" you mean underpowered and overpriced.
It was not well received at all and ended up being severely discounted just to get rid of it. Calling it "slick" while not inaccurate (because it's a personal judgement), really gives the opposite impression to the actual facts.
Well the hope is everyone could have a iPhone, I think apple agrees that there will always be the people avoiding apple (various reasons) and for those people (hoping prabably 3-10% of phone market) to enjoy it, if apple prabably almost already has had a iPhone touch almost every living persons hands.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Apple ][
It doesn't matter to me what the Gap chooses to call them. Based on the colors, they look like girls pants and clown pants.
Let us know when you've re-attached your retinas.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rogifan
Hmm....my iPhone isn't inside a cheap plastic case.
Right, sorry. I should have said "...a geezly EXPENSIVE plastic case."
If yours is not in a case at all, I'm sure you recognize that you are in a very tiny minority in that regard.
Quote:
Originally Posted by maclancer
Steve Jobs is probably rolling in his grave if this is true. Tim Cook is definetely taking Apple to another way that is not part of Job's Philosophy.
What "philosophy"? Steve's only over-arching philosophy was to only release great products, or at least strive to do so. Do you have evidence that this still- fictional phone will not be a good product? Do you not recall that SJ decided to switch from aluminum to plastic, for 2 GENERATIONS, after the original iPhone? Or that he released something called the iPod shuffle? I'm sure that if this phone is actually released, it will have much better build quality than the 3G/3GS, and will be much lower in price. You're grasping at straws trying to bash Cook and "Steve rolling in his grave" non-sense. SJ showed, over and over again, was that there was no "rules", and that he was willing to do something if it made sense at the time. Your ultra-premium iPhone is not going anywhere, but I see it as a good thing if the company releases another option, at a lower prie-point, that might open up new markets for them, to the tune of hundreds of millions of people. I have confidence that Apple is able to do this without releasing a shitty product.
This right here hits the nail on the head.
To all those complaining that the upcoming low cost iPhone lacks features that you had hoped for, the metal and glass premium loaded-up-with-every-feature-you-could-imagine model will still be available and is not going anywhere.
Apple is just adding an option for prepaid and emerging markets, that I'm sure will be far nicer than these pics suggest.