If you're not going to substantiate anything that you write in response, why bother in the first place?
The fact that you deny that Apple is losing cachet reflects a profound willful ignorance on your part, because the evidence is everywhere, from here to China. People used to expect Apple to lead the way, now they're expected to follow. Whether or not this is true, that is the perception. Perception is huge. They need a big-screened phone for many reasons, not the least of which is keeping the brand from looking stagnant. I like fingerprint security, it's a very nice feature, but it's not a game-changer. People won't ignore major shortcomings simply because they can unlock their phone without typing a password. Most folks will just skip the security altogether.
An iPhone with a larger screen and a larger battery isn't going downmarket, it's going upmarket. And Apple didn't get where they are today by sticking with one product, they expanded their hits into diverse product lines. The iPod Mini and Nano models sold more than the Classic by a long shot. The reason the stock ever got to 700 in the first place was because of rampant anticipation of running away with the Chinese market. Now it looks like Apple is losing their grip.
High margins are great when the demand is there. I think they're getting greedy and pound foolish.
"The fact that you deny that Apple is losing cachet reflects a profound willful ignorance on your part, because the evidence is everywhere, from here to China." Really? Why then according to Kantar's latest data is the iPhone GAINING market share in the US. UK, France Australia, Italy, Spain Mexico and the whole the EU5? And that was for the latest June quarter when Apple had the 9 month old iPhone competing with the latest Samsung Galaxies, latest HTCs , latest Motorolos and latest Nokias.You seem to be seriously misinformed or deluded.
"People used to expect Apple to lead the way, now they're expected to follow. Whether or not this is true, that is the perception. Perception is huge." Again you are totally deluded. Apple is still the innovation and technology leader and the competitors are again disrupted and struggling to catch up. The iPhone S5 is FIRST with 64 bit technology; FIRST with the separate M7 Chip; FIRST with the state of the art finger scanning security; and FIRST with 64 bit ready OS. Apple has left the competition trailing in the dust again trying to copy
The perception (if there really is such a perception) is FALSE and achieved by the countless billions spent by Samsung, Google and other Apple competitors in PR and marketing and bribing journalists and paid for bloggers in a desperate attempt to create the false perception.
Apple achieves the highest margins because they produce the best and most desirable hardware, software and eco-system and because carriers know that iPhone customers are their most profitable, so they are willing to give the highest subsidies to the iPhone
They 'really' do not need to go bigger with the screen size. Anything bigger and it isn't a phone, so just buy an iPad mini instead if you just want a bigger screen, because you'd look stupid sticking it up to your face and using it as a phone. The current size is perfect.
They 'really' do not need to go bigger with the screen size. Anything bigger and it isn't a phone, so just buy an iPad mini instead if you just want a bigger screen, because you'd look stupid sticking it up to your face and using it as a phone. The current size is perfect.
iPhones are becoming much more "crossover" devices these days. My kids for example rarely if hardly ever make voice calls on their iPhones. 95% of their activities involve texting, messaging, games, watching you tube videos, interacting with various social media sites, googling, browsing, taking photos/videos and listening to music. A larger screen would not be a disadvantage. The only numbers they voice call are the technically challenged 'rents.
How it looks when stuck to their ear is not really a factor. They want cellular connectivity in a package that fits in their pocket, and can occasionally be used to make voice calls.
5S does not come with 128Gb storage option; nor does it come with WiFi standard 802.11ac. No IGZO screen either. Not sure what the RAM is on it either but I doubt it is 4GB or more. More like 2GB! You need that for operating it in 64 bit mode; but there are no 64 bit Apple iPhone apps either so that explains the lack of RAM %u2013 Checking on the price of RAM; going from 2 to 4GB cost around $30 -(retail)
First, I want to note that I enjoy Apple products and plan to purchase the 5s when it gets released.
That being said, why all of the Samsung bashing? A hands-on article like this on a pro-Apple website (nothing wrong with that) should focus exclusively on the phone itself. Instead, this "hands-on" article just seems to be trying to defend Apple's design choices against Samsung. Even the sub-header of the article states that, "Without any of Samsung's embarrassing show stereotypes and circus theatrics, Apple unveiled its "forward thinking" new iPhone 5s as not just "what's next," but "what should be next," advancing mobile devices into the 64-bit computing world for the first time". How does a header like that portray any sort of professionalism whatsoever? Few people would disagree that Samsung's Galaxy S4 unveiling was inappropriate, but how is that even remotely relevant to this article? Samsung shouldn't be mentioned at all on a pro-Apple website unless there is actual news about them that pertains to what is going on with Apple in some respect. There are ways to be in favor of one company or product without having to be against another. People who visit blogs like this have every right to their opinion, but they shouldn't be spoon-fed reasons not to like another company that makes millions of other people happy as well.
***Full disclosure*** - I used to own a Galaxy S4 and ended up not liking it. That is why I am switching to the iPhone 5s, since it is a product that works better for me. However, I can see why many other people enjoy the Galaxy series of phones so I do not hold hate for having diversity in the industry.
Am I the only person who follows this site that believes that Apple Insider takes things too far sometimes with the bashing of other companies? Am I wrong to ask for a more professional style of writing?
Samsung products are touted all over the web as being more "innovative" while Apple is constantly portrayed as "having lost their edge" etc, etc.
Samsung has been caught out on multiple occasions paying bloggers to contribute negative comments about their competitors and reinforces the message via the use of more traditional advertising.
One only has to look at the impact on Apple's share price this constant negative narrative has, to understand why such comparisons are valid and need to be made.
Checking on the price of RAM; going from 2 to 4GB cost around $30 -(retail)
How stupid do you think we are? Answer that question. I want to know what you think. How stupid do you think we are? Are you honestly trying to pass off COMPUTER RAM as a valid metric for the type of RAM that Apple uses in the iPhone?!
I used a larger screen Android for 2,5 years before I switched to the iPhone 5.
You could not change the font sizes on the Android.
The IPhone 5 can be set for multiple font sizes up to 56 point. This covers your mail, messaging, calendar, and contacts.
Safari web pages can be read withe the Reader feature where again the fonts can be adjusted.
Bottom line the larger screen size does not have bigger viewing capabilities.
For video consumption I use an iPad.
When I show others how to reset the iPhone fonts they say thank me and are happy campers.
I get big screens. My wife and I would much prefer a larger screens. I do a lot of internet browsing. She has weak eyesight.
I bought a Note to try. I really enjoyed the extra real estate. However, I found the OS awful, a steep learning curve compared intuitive easy to learn iOS and full of annoying glitches, sudden slowdowns, jerkiness and reboots etc. One problem was that whatever I did to fix it and reset it in settings, after a short time the screen would start dimming very quickly, presumably to save battery.
Another problem was lack of privacy and security of Android. I find the way Big Brother Google snoops into everything on an Android really spooky. There was no way I could use the Note to store any private or confidential data, which meant I just used it for intenet browsing. No phone calls, no contacts, no emails, no SMS, no photos, just internet browsing. After about six months using it less and less it suddenly went dead. Later I found out about Samsung's sdden death problem which the meduia have never investigated - Samesung's PR slush fund goes along way...LOL I never bothered to try and get it fixed.
Kantar market research shows that around 30% of Europeans would prefer a large screen iPhone, and probably a higher percentage in Asia.
When Apple finally bring out a larger screen iPhone I shall be first in line.
"The days of "lol iPhone doesn't have X or Y feature" are over."
You're smoking crack if you don't think there's a huge unmet demand for larger screened iPhones.
They are losing their cachet big-time by having only one small form factor. Just because you and I don't need a bigger screen doesn't mean that everyone else feels that way. I meet people all the time who want a bigger screen so that they can see easier. Women, especially. They carry purses and handbags, and have plenty of room for a bigger phone.
They've gotten way too conservative. They need to aggressively address their weak spots, not simply declare that they're actually strengths.
What small form factor?
A 2.8" Android phone is a "small form factor".
I'm getting sick of all this screen size is the holy grail bullshit.
5S does not come with 128Gb storage option; nor does it come with WiFi standard 802.11ac. No IGZO screen either. Not sure what the RAM is on it either but I doubt it is 4GB or more. More like 2GB! You need that for operating it in 64 bit mode; but there are no 64 bit Apple iPhone apps either so that explains the lack of RAM %u2013 Checking on the price of RAM; going from 2 to 4GB cost around $30 -(retail)
"Not sure what the RAM is on it either but I doubt it is 4GB or more. More like 2GB! You need that for operating it in 64 bit mode;"NO YOU DON'T - READ THE ARTCLE.
You are right though. The S5 is missing lots of vital features. It has no tele-transporter, no patoto peeler, no Swiss Army Knife, no x-ray, nothing to inflate my tyres, no bottle opener, no water bottle, no shoe horn, no steam iron, not even a key to unlock my front door, or even a sponge to wipe your silly butt. ..... ZZZZZZZZ.
What i dont get is why limit the fingerprint sensor function just to unlock and itunes.
Why not allow me to associate all my passwords to my fingerprint ... So that i can use it to enter password protected sits and etc.
that is where the real value would be for me.
I'm guessing they want to test the use of the sensor by restricting it to functions they know are secure and they can control. Once iCloud Keychain is out and run through its paces, the sensor will be added to it allowing you to authorize use of your saved passwords as they're needed. Once it has gone full blown and all the kinks worked out, it'll made available to developers through iOS' Keychain service.
Great article DED! still so glad to have you back in the saddle. I'll be on the road to DC that Friday but hope to wrestle a 64gig gold 5s from AT&T even though I'm only one yr in. Last yr they let me pay off the $249 ETF by buying 10 of the 30 pin to lightning connectors. Wonder what it will be this year? We have 5 iPhones on the account. Maybe give up two of the original unlimited data phone plans for the family data plan they seem to push so much.
I'm quite excited about the 5s, but I believe the motox sets aside a couple of low power cores for sensor processing. I think it's still on the main die but Motorola have already implemented an M7 style of architecture. Perhaps not physically, but certainly in principle.
To some extent they are the same. Motorola's Moto X contains two additional DSP cores ... "Contextual Awareness Processor" and the "Natural Language Processor".
I can't find anything regarding whether the CAP just processes sensor data sent to it from the main CPU or if it actually monitors them as the M7 supposedly does? However, CAP seems to be used to translate motion into gestures and performs an action of some kind, currently limited to "gimmicky" activation functions; turn screen on, bring up camera app, etc., but the OS can of course be updated to perform other things.
The M7 basically monitors the motion sensors and continuously feeds that data back to CoreMotion which in turn offers up "optimizations based on contextual awareness." which I assume means types of movements (lifted, set down, tossed, dropped) and various states of movement (at rest, walking, running, free falling, driving)?
I wrote a brief response on another website earlier today about "Awareness" after factoring in all available data, not just motion, and where I think Apple is headed with it...
* Biosensors – the device knows who you are (and in the future, physical state)
* GPS – the device knows where you are.
* Mapping data, iBeacons – the device knows what’s around you
* Compass – the device knows where you’re headed
* Motion data – the device knows (can guess) what you’re doing
* iOS 7 – usage pattern recognition – the device knows what you do and when you do it. (App usage, calendar, reminders, alarms, etc.)
* Camera, ambient light sensor, microphone – the device can “sense” the environment; light, dark, loud, quiet, indoors, outdoors, etc.
Using all the above data, Siri can learn your habits and intelligently guess your intentions and can give you updates, information or directions automatically. When this can all come together we will have a true personal digital assistant that can actually assist and help when we need it.
Examples…
* Siri learns that you sometimes have a hard time getting up for work, causing you to be late, so it disables the snooze button and amplifies the alarm.
* You approach your car to head to work… Siri automatically brings up a screen to unlock your door, then connects “iOS in the Car”, displays traffic information, turns to your favorite radio station, etc.
* You’re walking to the bus stop and Siri notices that you aren’t walking fast enough and may miss the bus, so it alerts you to pick up the pace.
* Siri knows you’re in a strange town, and in a bar/club, knows you called a cab to get there, it’s closing time and automatically asks if you would like a cab to take you back to your hotel.
5S does not come with 128Gb storage option; nor does it come with WiFi standard 802.11ac. No IGZO screen either. Not sure what the RAM is on it either but I doubt it is 4GB or more. More like 2GB! You need that for operating it in 64 bit mode; but there are no 64 bit Apple iPhone apps either so that explains the lack of RAM %u2013 Checking on the price of RAM; going from 2 to 4GB cost around $30 -(retail)
So no one has explained to you that different RAM costs different amounts of money? I really doubt that Apple could get 4 GB of RAM in the format they use in the iPhone for $30.
Furthermore, the extra RAM doesn't add enough value to justify the added battery drain, so why bother? Even with 1 GB, the iPhone 5 blew the doors off all those high-spec Android phones, so 2 GB would be even better.
The fact that you deny that Apple is losing cachet reflects a profound willful ignorance on your part, because the evidence is everywhere, from here to China. People used to expect Apple to lead the way, now they're expected to follow. Whether or not this is true, that is the perception. Perception is huge. They need a big-screened phone for many reasons, not the least of which is keeping the brand from looking stagnant. I like fingerprint security, it's a very nice feature, but it's not a game-changer. People won't ignore major shortcomings simply because they can unlock their phone without typing a password. Most folks will just skip the security altogether.
An iPhone with a larger screen and a larger battery isn't going downmarket, it's going upmarket. And Apple didn't get where they are today by sticking with one product, they expanded their hits into diverse product lines. The iPod Mini and Nano models sold more than the Classic by a long shot. The reason the stock ever got to 700 in the first place was because of rampant anticipation of running away with the Chinese market. Now it looks like Apple is losing their grip.
Why do you worry about Apple's perception problem? How is Apple's cachet an issue that matters to you?
Comments
I just do not get the screen size issue.
I used a larger screen Android for 2,5 years before I switched to the iPhone 5.
You could not change the font sizes on the Android.
Could perhaps is the operative word. On my nexus 4 I can change screen fonts from small/normal/large/huge
If you're not going to substantiate anything that you write in response, why bother in the first place?
The fact that you deny that Apple is losing cachet reflects a profound willful ignorance on your part, because the evidence is everywhere, from here to China. People used to expect Apple to lead the way, now they're expected to follow. Whether or not this is true, that is the perception. Perception is huge. They need a big-screened phone for many reasons, not the least of which is keeping the brand from looking stagnant. I like fingerprint security, it's a very nice feature, but it's not a game-changer. People won't ignore major shortcomings simply because they can unlock their phone without typing a password. Most folks will just skip the security altogether.
An iPhone with a larger screen and a larger battery isn't going downmarket, it's going upmarket. And Apple didn't get where they are today by sticking with one product, they expanded their hits into diverse product lines. The iPod Mini and Nano models sold more than the Classic by a long shot. The reason the stock ever got to 700 in the first place was because of rampant anticipation of running away with the Chinese market. Now it looks like Apple is losing their grip.
High margins are great when the demand is there. I think they're getting greedy and pound foolish.
"The fact that you deny that Apple is losing cachet reflects a profound willful ignorance on your part, because the evidence is everywhere, from here to China." Really? Why then according to Kantar's latest data is the iPhone GAINING market share in the US. UK, France Australia, Italy, Spain Mexico and the whole the EU5? And that was for the latest June quarter when Apple had the 9 month old iPhone competing with the latest Samsung Galaxies, latest HTCs , latest Motorolos and latest Nokias.You seem to be seriously misinformed or deluded.
"People used to expect Apple to lead the way, now they're expected to follow. Whether or not this is true, that is the perception. Perception is huge." Again you are totally deluded. Apple is still the innovation and technology leader and the competitors are again disrupted and struggling to catch up. The iPhone S5 is FIRST with 64 bit technology; FIRST with the separate M7 Chip; FIRST with the state of the art finger scanning security; and FIRST with 64 bit ready OS. Apple has left the competition trailing in the dust again trying to copy
The perception (if there really is such a perception) is FALSE and achieved by the countless billions spent by Samsung, Google and other Apple competitors in PR and marketing and bribing journalists and paid for bloggers in a desperate attempt to create the false perception.
Apple achieves the highest margins because they produce the best and most desirable hardware, software and eco-system and because carriers know that iPhone customers are their most profitable, so they are willing to give the highest subsidies to the iPhone
They 'really' do not need to go bigger with the screen size. Anything bigger and it isn't a phone, so just buy an iPad mini instead if you just want a bigger screen, because you'd look stupid sticking it up to your face and using it as a phone. The current size is perfect.
iPhones are becoming much more "crossover" devices these days. My kids for example rarely if hardly ever make voice calls on their iPhones. 95% of their activities involve texting, messaging, games, watching you tube videos, interacting with various social media sites, googling, browsing, taking photos/videos and listening to music. A larger screen would not be a disadvantage. The only numbers they voice call are the technically challenged 'rents.
How it looks when stuck to their ear is not really a factor. They want cellular connectivity in a package that fits in their pocket, and can occasionally be used to make voice calls.
First, I want to note that I enjoy Apple products and plan to purchase the 5s when it gets released.
That being said, why all of the Samsung bashing? A hands-on article like this on a pro-Apple website (nothing wrong with that) should focus exclusively on the phone itself. Instead, this "hands-on" article just seems to be trying to defend Apple's design choices against Samsung. Even the sub-header of the article states that, "Without any of Samsung's embarrassing show stereotypes and circus theatrics, Apple unveiled its "forward thinking" new iPhone 5s as not just "what's next," but "what should be next," advancing mobile devices into the 64-bit computing world for the first time". How does a header like that portray any sort of professionalism whatsoever? Few people would disagree that Samsung's Galaxy S4 unveiling was inappropriate, but how is that even remotely relevant to this article? Samsung shouldn't be mentioned at all on a pro-Apple website unless there is actual news about them that pertains to what is going on with Apple in some respect. There are ways to be in favor of one company or product without having to be against another. People who visit blogs like this have every right to their opinion, but they shouldn't be spoon-fed reasons not to like another company that makes millions of other people happy as well.
***Full disclosure*** - I used to own a Galaxy S4 and ended up not liking it. That is why I am switching to the iPhone 5s, since it is a product that works better for me. However, I can see why many other people enjoy the Galaxy series of phones so I do not hold hate for having diversity in the industry.
Am I the only person who follows this site that believes that Apple Insider takes things too far sometimes with the bashing of other companies? Am I wrong to ask for a more professional style of writing?
Samsung products are touted all over the web as being more "innovative" while Apple is constantly portrayed as "having lost their edge" etc, etc.
Samsung has been caught out on multiple occasions paying bloggers to contribute negative comments about their competitors and reinforces the message via the use of more traditional advertising.
One only has to look at the impact on Apple's share price this constant negative narrative has, to understand why such comparisons are valid and need to be made.
You need that for operating it in 64 bit mode…
No…
Except it was explicitly stated they all are.
How stupid do you think we are? Answer that question. I want to know what you think. How stupid do you think we are? Are you honestly trying to pass off COMPUTER RAM as a valid metric for the type of RAM that Apple uses in the iPhone?!
I just do not get the screen size issue.
I used a larger screen Android for 2,5 years before I switched to the iPhone 5.
You could not change the font sizes on the Android.
The IPhone 5 can be set for multiple font sizes up to 56 point. This covers your mail, messaging, calendar, and contacts.
Safari web pages can be read withe the Reader feature where again the fonts can be adjusted.
Bottom line the larger screen size does not have bigger viewing capabilities.
For video consumption I use an iPad.
When I show others how to reset the iPhone fonts they say thank me and are happy campers.
I get big screens. My wife and I would much prefer a larger screens. I do a lot of internet browsing. She has weak eyesight.
I bought a Note to try. I really enjoyed the extra real estate. However, I found the OS awful, a steep learning curve compared intuitive easy to learn iOS and full of annoying glitches, sudden slowdowns, jerkiness and reboots etc. One problem was that whatever I did to fix it and reset it in settings, after a short time the screen would start dimming very quickly, presumably to save battery.
Another problem was lack of privacy and security of Android. I find the way Big Brother Google snoops into everything on an Android really spooky. There was no way I could use the Note to store any private or confidential data, which meant I just used it for intenet browsing. No phone calls, no contacts, no emails, no SMS, no photos, just internet browsing. After about six months using it less and less it suddenly went dead. Later I found out about Samsung's sdden death problem which the meduia have never investigated - Samesung's PR slush fund goes along way...LOL I never bothered to try and get it fixed.
Kantar market research shows that around 30% of Europeans would prefer a large screen iPhone, and probably a higher percentage in Asia.
When Apple finally bring out a larger screen iPhone I shall be first in line.
"The days of "lol iPhone doesn't have X or Y feature" are over."
You're smoking crack if you don't think there's a huge unmet demand for larger screened iPhones.
They are losing their cachet big-time by having only one small form factor. Just because you and I don't need a bigger screen doesn't mean that everyone else feels that way. I meet people all the time who want a bigger screen so that they can see easier. Women, especially. They carry purses and handbags, and have plenty of room for a bigger phone.
They've gotten way too conservative. They need to aggressively address their weak spots, not simply declare that they're actually strengths.
What small form factor?
A 2.8" Android phone is a "small form factor".
I'm getting sick of all this screen size is the holy grail bullshit.
5S does not come with 128Gb storage option; nor does it come with WiFi standard 802.11ac. No IGZO screen either. Not sure what the RAM is on it either but I doubt it is 4GB or more. More like 2GB! You need that for operating it in 64 bit mode; but there are no 64 bit Apple iPhone apps either so that explains the lack of RAM %u2013 Checking on the price of RAM; going from 2 to 4GB cost around $30 -(retail)
"Not sure what the RAM is on it either but I doubt it is 4GB or more. More like 2GB! You need that for operating it in 64 bit mode;" NO YOU DON'T - READ THE ARTCLE.
You are right though. The S5 is missing lots of vital features. It has no tele-transporter, no patoto peeler, no Swiss Army Knife, no x-ray, nothing to inflate my tyres, no bottle opener, no water bottle, no shoe horn, no steam iron, not even a key to unlock my front door, or even a sponge to wipe your silly butt. ..... ZZZZZZZZ.
What i dont get is why limit the fingerprint sensor function just to unlock and itunes.
Why not allow me to associate all my passwords to my fingerprint ... So that i can use it to enter password protected sits and etc.
that is where the real value would be for me.
I'm guessing they want to test the use of the sensor by restricting it to functions they know are secure and they can control. Once iCloud Keychain is out and run through its paces, the sensor will be added to it allowing you to authorize use of your saved passwords as they're needed. Once it has gone full blown and all the kinks worked out, it'll made available to developers through iOS' Keychain service.
I'll be on the road to DC that Friday but hope to wrestle a 64gig gold 5s from AT&T even though I'm only one yr in. Last yr they let me pay off the $249 ETF by buying 10 of the 30 pin to lightning connectors. Wonder what it will be this year? We have 5 iPhones on the account. Maybe give up two of the original unlimited data phone plans for the family data plan they seem to push so much.
Wasn't there an article yesterday that said the keychain feature was removed from the final iOS release?
I'm quite excited about the 5s, but I believe the motox sets aside a couple of low power cores for sensor processing. I think it's still on the main die but Motorola have already implemented an M7 style of architecture. Perhaps not physically, but certainly in principle.
To some extent they are the same. Motorola's Moto X contains two additional DSP cores ... "Contextual Awareness Processor" and the "Natural Language Processor".
I can't find anything regarding whether the CAP just processes sensor data sent to it from the main CPU or if it actually monitors them as the M7 supposedly does? However, CAP seems to be used to translate motion into gestures and performs an action of some kind, currently limited to "gimmicky" activation functions; turn screen on, bring up camera app, etc., but the OS can of course be updated to perform other things.
The M7 basically monitors the motion sensors and continuously feeds that data back to CoreMotion which in turn offers up "optimizations based on contextual awareness." which I assume means types of movements (lifted, set down, tossed, dropped) and various states of movement (at rest, walking, running, free falling, driving)?
I wrote a brief response on another website earlier today about "Awareness" after factoring in all available data, not just motion, and where I think Apple is headed with it...
* Biosensors – the device knows who you are (and in the future, physical state)
* GPS – the device knows where you are.
* Mapping data, iBeacons – the device knows what’s around you
* Compass – the device knows where you’re headed
* Motion data – the device knows (can guess) what you’re doing
* iOS 7 – usage pattern recognition – the device knows what you do and when you do it. (App usage, calendar, reminders, alarms, etc.)
* Camera, ambient light sensor, microphone – the device can “sense” the environment; light, dark, loud, quiet, indoors, outdoors, etc.
Using all the above data, Siri can learn your habits and intelligently guess your intentions and can give you updates, information or directions automatically. When this can all come together we will have a true personal digital assistant that can actually assist and help when we need it.
Examples…
* Siri learns that you sometimes have a hard time getting up for work, causing you to be late, so it disables the snooze button and amplifies the alarm.
* You approach your car to head to work… Siri automatically brings up a screen to unlock your door, then connects “iOS in the Car”, displays traffic information, turns to your favorite radio station, etc.
* You’re walking to the bus stop and Siri notices that you aren’t walking fast enough and may miss the bus, so it alerts you to pick up the pace.
* Siri knows you’re in a strange town, and in a bar/club, knows you called a cab to get there, it’s closing time and automatically asks if you would like a cab to take you back to your hotel.
It seems unclear. And if true, only for a few weeks until Mavericks is released. It's not 'removed' in that it's never being re-added.
So no one has explained to you that different RAM costs different amounts of money? I really doubt that Apple could get 4 GB of RAM in the format they use in the iPhone for $30.
Furthermore, the extra RAM doesn't add enough value to justify the added battery drain, so why bother? Even with 1 GB, the iPhone 5 blew the doors off all those high-spec Android phones, so 2 GB would be even better.
iPhone will never be the ultimate mobile games machine until it is less portable and with a shorter battery life.
The fact that you deny that Apple is losing cachet reflects a profound willful ignorance on your part, because the evidence is everywhere, from here to China. People used to expect Apple to lead the way, now they're expected to follow. Whether or not this is true, that is the perception. Perception is huge. They need a big-screened phone for many reasons, not the least of which is keeping the brand from looking stagnant. I like fingerprint security, it's a very nice feature, but it's not a game-changer. People won't ignore major shortcomings simply because they can unlock their phone without typing a password. Most folks will just skip the security altogether.
An iPhone with a larger screen and a larger battery isn't going downmarket, it's going upmarket. And Apple didn't get where they are today by sticking with one product, they expanded their hits into diverse product lines. The iPod Mini and Nano models sold more than the Classic by a long shot. The reason the stock ever got to 700 in the first place was because of rampant anticipation of running away with the Chinese market. Now it looks like Apple is losing their grip.
Why do you worry about Apple's perception problem? How is Apple's cachet an issue that matters to you?