It's even worse than you suggest. In the UK, they haven't even started the bidding for the rights to the LTE bandwidths! It'll be years before we have an LTE network, but people still moan they don't have the antenna. 'Morons' in the right word.
This is a world phone now, and the hard reality is that LTE is not coming this year, or even next year, or even the year after that in many of Apple's core markets. It's a complete white elephant at the moment.
This isn't an earth-shattering update, but those days are gone. The iPhone 4 made the phone feature complete. From now on it'll be about more speed, better software and a few bells and whistles adding each year. People want Apple to reinvent the phone every summer, it's madness.
As for lacking 'panache', so do the launches from almost all tech products. Apple stood out in the past by having that panache. Without Steve Jobs, perhaps that's gone now but that doesn't make Apple's launch any worse than their competition's.
Yes, yes, yes.
People forget that AAPL always dropped back down after the RDF faded away. ALWAYS.
The only think that keeps it up is earnings and projections. And those are only going to get better.
Ok, I've yet to hear the whiners say precisely what this release SHOULD have been.
Bigger screen?
Great, needlessly fracture developers into doing apps for a 4 inch screen that will be to small on the millions of devices already out there.
4G?
Right... more data charges for higher data use over a network that isn't even deployed yet.
Digital Wallet?
Again, show me more than a handful of retailers that offer that.
Teardrop shape?
Get serious.
Some people really need to get lives.
+1 and here here!
Tm Cook's approach to the release did seem to be a bit lack-luster (haven't watched it yet, but followed along with a couple live blogs that commented on how quiet the room was). But I have to say that when the Schiller and the guys started rolling through the upgrades my mouth fell open. I have never owned an iPhone and haven't wanted to because of the data charges. But I have to say that this phone is worth every penny and made me want one even though I do 95% of my computing on my iPad 2. 1080p? The lens? The enhancements of ios5 and integration with iCloud? And, last but not least, 14Mbps download? How is it that Schiller can come right out and say this phone achieves the currently-being-deployed 4G speeds on the already-rolled-out 3G network and no one bothers to remember that? Maybe Apple should have just said, "Sure, it's 4G." Or, better yet, maybe the analysts should look at the telecoms and revue their stock based on the false promotion of a supposed 4G network which is actually 3.5G.
So they are saying: iPhone is going down because someone might come out with something almost equivalent next year. Android is great compared to existing phones, but some of these analysts don't seem to realize how far behind it is compared to the iPhone. Just the small changes that give the iPhone superior quality pictures with similar hardware can take years to create. Android is always going to be a step behind the iPhone. A lot of Android users are frustrated by this and are planning to switch to the iPhone. I think there are a lot of first time smart phone users that pick and Android phone. I think most people switch to an iPhone when they are ready to move on to their second phone. The problem with the iPhone 3s (or the iPhone 4 now), is that it is priced the same as an Android phone but is a generation older. For the same price they can get a current generation Android phone. They don't realize the software value until later. The iPhone is much better positioned to create loyal customers.
The release felt like a significant update to me. Exactly what I would have expected for a release one year after a major redesign. They don't need to change the form factor after only one year. These Android devices with larger screens are actually lower resolution. If you want a bigger screen, buy an iPad.
The graphics performance in this thing is killer, btw. There is no Android device that comes close. So long portable game players...
The single feature that was keeping me from considering the 4S was rumors of a body redesign. I LOVE the iPhone 4's design.
Now it looks like I'll be ordering on Friday for the camera and processor.
Listen folks. 2007 was a game changer with the iPhone. So was the iPad.
We know you want dancing fairies every year, but that's not the real world.
Get used to it. For the forseeable future, this is the kind of upgrade you're going to be seeing. The stock will still kill because of sales, not RDF pixie dust.
The competitors will continue to throw features at the wall to see what sticks and use them in bullet point comparisons, but the bottom line remains the top-to-bottom integration and quality.
Maybe y'all should start DOING SOMTHING with your devices instead of just fetishizing them.
The iPhone 4 physical design is like nothing else on the market. It's worth keeping around and I'm glad Apple didn't release something that looked like a tiny iPad. Moving from glass and stainless steel to aluminum would, to me, be a step backwards.
Keeping the same shape doesn?t make it be ?seen? that way by actual phone buyers, considering that the ancient 3GS design is the second-best selling smartphone!
Android, judging by the ads, is all about hype: 12-year-old macho robot fantasies, and bullet-point specs aimed to mislead.
What the iPhone delivers is substance?real talk time, real quality app selection, real reliable/secure operation, real automatic full backups, real media/music integration, real OS updates that the carriers/hardware makers can?t interfere with.
I?ll take that over ?panache? please
I would suggest that the people who think that the new iPhone needs to be visibly different should paint racing stripes on theirs and tell their friends that it's the new, ultra-secret iPhone GT.
Quote:
Originally Posted by shen
...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?
Believe it or not, it was worse - much worse. You'd have thought Apple was torturing puppies and stealing candy from babies. The complaints were endless - and Apple's demise was regularly predicted.
At least this time, we don't have to hear "Apple's going to go bankrupt because of this".
So they are saying: iPhone is going down because someone might come out with something almost equivalent next year.
Someone came out with something more than equivalent (and in some ways superior) months ago. The phone coming out on October 11th will trump the iPhone 4S in every way, including screen res (1280x720).
This is why analysts are disappointed. The iPhone 4S is not going to be the class leader like all other iPhones were, by a good margin. It's starting out behind.
Tm Cook's approach to the release did seem to be a bit lack-luster (haven't watched it yet, ...
I did, and to be truthful, I think some of the criticisms are valid on that point.
The first THIRD was devoted to self back-patting. That was a bit much.
The next section was a rehash of iOS 5 features we already knew about (and of course the new greeting cards app. My god... how did that get into a keynote?)
2 schmaltzy films, and finally a really good demo of the phone itself.
I think the 4S is a good phone and appropriate release.
I think the show was a bit of a mess... could have been done in 45 minutes tops.
The analyst is right in some ways. In particular, the effect of a lookalike phone will be less than of a phone with a new design. With mobile phones being updated sometimes every six months or less, and users being addicted to change, where's the curiosity factor to get people to make the effort to go and look at this 4S phone? If it looks the same, they already know what it looks like so why make a special trip?
Of course, all those who loved the design of the iP4 will be as pleased with this phone as their last, but for all those who didn't buy the iP4 because of how it looked, this 4S version won't have them spending money with Apple, even if they are loyal customers. They'll just wait for the iP5. And as for existing iP4 owners, they can't buy it either because they're still locked into contracts. By the time their contracts end it won't be so long until the iP5 comes out so fewer will go for the iP4S.
Have to feel sorry for Tim Cook though, with the release of iOS5 previewed at WWDC to give Steve lots to say as a final 'send off' the only major change was for Siri, and that's not a fast burner curiosity, it's a wait and see how it goes feature. Most people just think it'll be no different to the 1990s voice controlled car phones, allowing you to dial and do a few other things. I think those at Apple allowed themselves to get too worked up over this software feature and thought it would persuade the masses they had a new phone. In effect all Apple have done is paint a 'go faster' stripe on an old model.
I'm sticking with my iP3G until they sell phones that do not have glass backs, that do have curvy edges, and I don't care if the spec is unchanged internally. And if they persist with this current design type, I'll just keep my 3G until it breaks and then look around to see what other phones are available that suit my hand and eye better. Bricks are for houses, not phones.
Speaking of presentation snafus, would it have hurt them to add that most of the new features for the Nano would be available that night as a software update to the existing model?
It's even worse than you suggest. In the UK, they haven't even started the bidding for the rights to the LTE bandwidths! It'll be years before we have an LTE network, but people still moan they don't have the antenna. 'Morons' in the right word.
This is a world phone now, and the hard reality is that LTE is not coming this year, or even next year, or even the year after that in many of Apple's core markets. It's a complete white elephant at the moment.
This isn't an earth-shattering update, but those days are gone. The iPhone 4 made the phone feature complete. From now on it'll be about more speed, better software and a few bells and whistles adding each year. People want Apple to reinvent the phone every summer, it's madness.
As for lacking 'panache', so do the launches from almost all tech products. Apple stood out in the past by having that panache. Without Steve Jobs, perhaps that's gone now but that doesn't make Apple's launch any worse than their competition's.
The only mistake Apple perhaps made here was unveiling iCloud in the summer. People aren't factoring that in to the new release. It's going to be hugely convenient for iOS users but because they heard about it months ago it isn't adding gloss to this release, as it may have otherwise done.
In the end, who cares? Most of us can see through the hype and see what a superb phone the iPhone is. I don't need it put on a turntable with a leggy blonde draped over it to make me buy it.
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.
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. This is what happens when you keep raising the bar. People have expectations.
I think Apple can afford to offer more models in their lineup especially in the high end price point where the new Samsung Galaxy 2 is really superior in terms of lightness and thinness. Heck, a new color would have been a good enough differentiator from the current iPhone 4 model.
I have the iPhone 3G and I am definitely gonna wait until the next one comes out. As much as I like the new features, the phone looks the same and why will I lock myself in another 3 year contract (in Canada) with an old design? Superficial? Absolutely !
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.
Had Apple released the iPhone 4S back in June not many people I know would have complained, but to be 4 months later than usual and then show off a "S" model....... Well what did Apple expect? They screwed up plain & simple.
Still, as a 3GS owner it's good enough for me so I'll be pre ordering on Friday.
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?
Someone came out with something more than equivalent (and in some ways superior) months ago. The phone coming out on October 11th will trump the iPhone 4S in every way, including screen res (1280x720).
This is why analysts are disappointed. The iPhone 4S is not going to be the class leader like all other iPhones were, by a good margin. It's starting out behind.
Some people just don't get it.
For a sliver of people for whom the device itself is a near sexual fetish, yes... you need to pile one features and change the design every other week. Android's great at that.
Go have fun with it.
but for the 95% of customers (you know, the people who actually pay for things) change for change's sake is NOT a feature. What is a feature is end-to-end seamlessness, and NOBODY comes close to Apple for that.
The most important number in the entire presentation was the customer satisfaction rate.
That's worth more than ANY bullet point feature out there.
"The presentation lacked panache" is a good reason for dissing the iPhone? So having the biggest selling smartphone in the world lacked panache? Having now gained 23% market share of US desktops lacked panache? Having the best selling desktop in the US market lacked panache? Having the iPad which crushes all competition is lacking panache?
I could be wrong but I don't remember Apple announcing the iPhone 5 or the iPhone 4S and then not delivering.
Its the pundits and the analysts who create these expectations, have them confounded and then blame Apple as if they had set them in the first place.
But its OK. Android will catch up "early next year with [Siri]" - on the word of "someone who knows".
So early next year is when? By my calculations it could be between 1 January and 31 March. So it could be 6 months from now who knows? So that's not really competing at all is it?
In the meantime Apple will be selling iPhones by the truckload.
I wonder how much this guy gets paid for this garbage?
"Apple knows that they do NOT have to be the best. They just need to be good enough. And the profits will roll in."
THAT depends on what the definition of "best" is.. Apple is a consumer electronics company. They changed their name many years ago (see retail stores). Apple develops "total solutions" that revolve around and inside their hardware - which make the consumer friendliest solution available for a "life cycle" of the "total solution" package presented. (see new offerings of yesterday)
The new phone is the best they could do with the technology available and there fore offered. The compromise of not offering one thing (being a #5 body style or a service provider offering that uses to much energy or is not yet available on one chip or.. etc etc. is a business decision made by apple that tells us what they CAN offer today).
The new feature of a humble "personal assistant" for example is being mocked rather than being covered as it will ultimately be accepted by apple users. The simple use of this feature by asking the first question that one wants to know with a fast resulting answer will be an epiphany of sorts in the mind of the consumer. THIS IS GOING TO BE A MAJOR KEY ADVERTISED FEATURE THIS FALL. The advertising of this feature will be pounded into the media as a solution that will be embraced and exalted by the user. This is not a feature that will be copied overnight by others with a "total solution" in mind as part of the total selling package Apple just offered.
This and other features of camera improvements and apps will make the user experience with the cloud (also not yet understood or experienced as a tool by the consumer) the best out there for the upcoming fall selling season - which BTW, is a very important period.
did you notice the fast roll out of phones to the market this time? Apple has been ramping up for this over many months. What we see today has been well thought out when it comes to timing for a consumer electronics product introduction. Do you think any of apple's competitors have new iPods, tablets, computers or phones that together will slam the overall market during the upcoming selling season. Do you think any other venders have inventory ramped up and sold into retailers all over the world that will stand up to Apple's planned sell in of any of these product categories listed? Have you walked into a retail store lately to look at what is being presented by competition? It is really sad, tired and still very confusing.
If one is evaluating apple as a company that may be losing market growth to Andoid - then making an assumption that it is important somehow as an investment idea to consider then that would be really dumb. It is near impossible to invest in the Android OS as an investor. Whose stock would one buy that is making money and growing YOY at the pace of Apple? Who has an OS that will sync between all devices for applications that consumers use each and every day? Who has a solution that equals the "total solution" of what apple presents to the consumer, enterprise and the developer right now? HP? MSFT? SamSnug? HTC? NOK?
So when all the sell off of apple stock and recent off subject upsetting news that is really not news at all settles down - Who do you think will have a solution that pays the best return for the next 3 months, 6 months or one year? The idea that others are going to steal shelf space from Apple at retail and therefore slow YOY growth at apple's sales or bottom line profit is ludicrous. The approach taken by others in a total organized marketing way might better be described as Chaos. If you can tell me what the key offering is of any competitor for the Christmas selling season by model i will find that amazing. Apple has the iPhone in good better and best. They have the iPad in good better and best.. they have the iPod in good better and best and they have the computer in the same good better and best. Now, what does HP, MSFT, SamSnug, SNE, HTC or NOK have? I can only think of a mess of products lacking any kind of reasonable expectation en mass and ready for the entire marketing mix of consumer electronics that is necessary. I see instead a Product of the month special "B2G1F" rotating through the months as key retail promotions. One week it will be SamSnug, the next MII and the next HTC. And that is just fine, unless you want to invest in that as a future and risk capitol buying their stock. If you want to do that, you might consider the company that actually plans out a total solution in their quarterly and seasonal marketing efforts that includes making a profit - that would be Apple.
Comments
Spot on.
It's even worse than you suggest. In the UK, they haven't even started the bidding for the rights to the LTE bandwidths! It'll be years before we have an LTE network, but people still moan they don't have the antenna. 'Morons' in the right word.
This is a world phone now, and the hard reality is that LTE is not coming this year, or even next year, or even the year after that in many of Apple's core markets. It's a complete white elephant at the moment.
This isn't an earth-shattering update, but those days are gone. The iPhone 4 made the phone feature complete. From now on it'll be about more speed, better software and a few bells and whistles adding each year. People want Apple to reinvent the phone every summer, it's madness.
As for lacking 'panache', so do the launches from almost all tech products. Apple stood out in the past by having that panache. Without Steve Jobs, perhaps that's gone now but that doesn't make Apple's launch any worse than their competition's.
Yes, yes, yes.
People forget that AAPL always dropped back down after the RDF faded away. ALWAYS.
The only think that keeps it up is earnings and projections. And those are only going to get better.
Panache?
PANACHE?
Ok, I've yet to hear the whiners say precisely what this release SHOULD have been.
Bigger screen?
Great, needlessly fracture developers into doing apps for a 4 inch screen that will be to small on the millions of devices already out there.
4G?
Right... more data charges for higher data use over a network that isn't even deployed yet.
Digital Wallet?
Again, show me more than a handful of retailers that offer that.
Teardrop shape?
Get serious.
Some people really need to get lives.
+1 and here here!
Tm Cook's approach to the release did seem to be a bit lack-luster (haven't watched it yet, but followed along with a couple live blogs that commented on how quiet the room was). But I have to say that when the Schiller and the guys started rolling through the upgrades my mouth fell open. I have never owned an iPhone and haven't wanted to because of the data charges. But I have to say that this phone is worth every penny and made me want one even though I do 95% of my computing on my iPad 2. 1080p? The lens? The enhancements of ios5 and integration with iCloud? And, last but not least, 14Mbps download? How is it that Schiller can come right out and say this phone achieves the currently-being-deployed 4G speeds on the already-rolled-out 3G network and no one bothers to remember that? Maybe Apple should have just said, "Sure, it's 4G." Or, better yet, maybe the analysts should look at the telecoms and revue their stock based on the false promotion of a supposed 4G network which is actually 3.5G.
The release felt like a significant update to me. Exactly what I would have expected for a release one year after a major redesign. They don't need to change the form factor after only one year. These Android devices with larger screens are actually lower resolution. If you want a bigger screen, buy an iPad.
The graphics performance in this thing is killer, btw. There is no Android device that comes close. So long portable game players...
Do people still think analysts know what they're talking about? If so, I have a bridge to sell yah
Pretty sure they have no clue why either Apple iOS or Android devices sell.
The single feature that was keeping me from considering the 4S was rumors of a body redesign. I LOVE the iPhone 4's design.
Now it looks like I'll be ordering on Friday for the camera and processor.
Listen folks. 2007 was a game changer with the iPhone. So was the iPad.
We know you want dancing fairies every year, but that's not the real world.
Get used to it. For the forseeable future, this is the kind of upgrade you're going to be seeing. The stock will still kill because of sales, not RDF pixie dust.
The competitors will continue to throw features at the wall to see what sticks and use them in bullet point comparisons, but the bottom line remains the top-to-bottom integration and quality.
Maybe y'all should start DOING SOMTHING with your devices instead of just fetishizing them.
The iPhone 4 physical design is like nothing else on the market. It's worth keeping around and I'm glad Apple didn't release something that looked like a tiny iPad. Moving from glass and stainless steel to aluminum would, to me, be a step backwards.
Keeping the same shape doesn?t make it be ?seen? that way by actual phone buyers, considering that the ancient 3GS design is the second-best selling smartphone!
Android, judging by the ads, is all about hype: 12-year-old macho robot fantasies, and bullet-point specs aimed to mislead.
What the iPhone delivers is substance?real talk time, real quality app selection, real reliable/secure operation, real automatic full backups, real media/music integration, real OS updates that the carriers/hardware makers can?t interfere with.
I?ll take that over ?panache? please
I would suggest that the people who think that the new iPhone needs to be visibly different should paint racing stripes on theirs and tell their friends that it's the new, ultra-secret iPhone GT.
...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?
Believe it or not, it was worse - much worse. You'd have thought Apple was torturing puppies and stealing candy from babies. The complaints were endless - and Apple's demise was regularly predicted.
At least this time, we don't have to hear "Apple's going to go bankrupt because of this".
How does one become an analyst? Do you just need a blog and a bad opinion?
They get fired from their real jobs for being incompetent.
So they are saying: iPhone is going down because someone might come out with something almost equivalent next year.
Someone came out with something more than equivalent (and in some ways superior) months ago. The phone coming out on October 11th will trump the iPhone 4S in every way, including screen res (1280x720).
This is why analysts are disappointed. The iPhone 4S is not going to be the class leader like all other iPhones were, by a good margin. It's starting out behind.
+1 and here here!
Tm Cook's approach to the release did seem to be a bit lack-luster (haven't watched it yet, ...
I did, and to be truthful, I think some of the criticisms are valid on that point.
The first THIRD was devoted to self back-patting. That was a bit much.
The next section was a rehash of iOS 5 features we already knew about (and of course the new greeting cards app. My god... how did that get into a keynote?)
2 schmaltzy films, and finally a really good demo of the phone itself.
I think the 4S is a good phone and appropriate release.
I think the show was a bit of a mess... could have been done in 45 minutes tops.
Of course, all those who loved the design of the iP4 will be as pleased with this phone as their last, but for all those who didn't buy the iP4 because of how it looked, this 4S version won't have them spending money with Apple, even if they are loyal customers. They'll just wait for the iP5. And as for existing iP4 owners, they can't buy it either because they're still locked into contracts. By the time their contracts end it won't be so long until the iP5 comes out so fewer will go for the iP4S.
Have to feel sorry for Tim Cook though, with the release of iOS5 previewed at WWDC to give Steve lots to say as a final 'send off' the only major change was for Siri, and that's not a fast burner curiosity, it's a wait and see how it goes feature. Most people just think it'll be no different to the 1990s voice controlled car phones, allowing you to dial and do a few other things. I think those at Apple allowed themselves to get too worked up over this software feature and thought it would persuade the masses they had a new phone. In effect all Apple have done is paint a 'go faster' stripe on an old model.
I'm sticking with my iP3G until they sell phones that do not have glass backs, that do have curvy edges, and I don't care if the spec is unchanged internally. And if they persist with this current design type, I'll just keep my 3G until it breaks and then look around to see what other phones are available that suit my hand and eye better. Bricks are for houses, not phones.
We downloaded it and its great.
Spot on.
It's even worse than you suggest. In the UK, they haven't even started the bidding for the rights to the LTE bandwidths! It'll be years before we have an LTE network, but people still moan they don't have the antenna. 'Morons' in the right word.
This is a world phone now, and the hard reality is that LTE is not coming this year, or even next year, or even the year after that in many of Apple's core markets. It's a complete white elephant at the moment.
This isn't an earth-shattering update, but those days are gone. The iPhone 4 made the phone feature complete. From now on it'll be about more speed, better software and a few bells and whistles adding each year. People want Apple to reinvent the phone every summer, it's madness.
As for lacking 'panache', so do the launches from almost all tech products. Apple stood out in the past by having that panache. Without Steve Jobs, perhaps that's gone now but that doesn't make Apple's launch any worse than their competition's.
The only mistake Apple perhaps made here was unveiling iCloud in the summer. People aren't factoring that in to the new release. It's going to be hugely convenient for iOS users but because they heard about it months ago it isn't adding gloss to this release, as it may have otherwise done.
In the end, who cares? Most of us can see through the hype and see what a superb phone the iPhone is. I don't need it put on a turntable with a leggy blonde draped over it to make me buy it.
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.
Agreed. Some people and analyst are just moronic.
It is a smart move from a business perspective but nonetheless, it's a disappointing move after making us wait for so long. This is what happens when you keep raising the bar. People have expectations.
I think Apple can afford to offer more models in their lineup especially in the high end price point where the new Samsung Galaxy 2 is really superior in terms of lightness and thinness. Heck, a new color would have been a good enough differentiator from the current iPhone 4 model.
I have the iPhone 3G and I am definitely gonna wait until the next one comes out. As much as I like the new features, the phone looks the same and why will I lock myself in another 3 year contract (in Canada) with an old design? Superficial? Absolutely !
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.
Had Apple released the iPhone 4S back in June not many people I know would have complained, but to be 4 months later than usual and then show off a "S" model....... Well what did Apple expect? They screwed up plain & simple.
Still, as a 3GS owner it's good enough for me so I'll be pre ordering on Friday.
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.
Someone came out with something more than equivalent (and in some ways superior) months ago. The phone coming out on October 11th will trump the iPhone 4S in every way, including screen res (1280x720).
This is why analysts are disappointed. The iPhone 4S is not going to be the class leader like all other iPhones were, by a good margin. It's starting out behind.
Some people just don't get it.
For a sliver of people for whom the device itself is a near sexual fetish, yes... you need to pile one features and change the design every other week. Android's great at that.
Go have fun with it.
but for the 95% of customers (you know, the people who actually pay for things) change for change's sake is NOT a feature. What is a feature is end-to-end seamlessness, and NOBODY comes close to Apple for that.
The most important number in the entire presentation was the customer satisfaction rate.
That's worth more than ANY bullet point feature out there.
I could be wrong but I don't remember Apple announcing the iPhone 5 or the iPhone 4S and then not delivering.
Its the pundits and the analysts who create these expectations, have them confounded and then blame Apple as if they had set them in the first place.
But its OK. Android will catch up "early next year with [Siri]" - on the word of "someone who knows".
So early next year is when? By my calculations it could be between 1 January and 31 March. So it could be 6 months from now who knows? So that's not really competing at all is it?
In the meantime Apple will be selling iPhones by the truckload.
I wonder how much this guy gets paid for this garbage?
THAT depends on what the definition of "best" is.. Apple is a consumer electronics company. They changed their name many years ago (see retail stores). Apple develops "total solutions" that revolve around and inside their hardware - which make the consumer friendliest solution available for a "life cycle" of the "total solution" package presented. (see new offerings of yesterday)
The new phone is the best they could do with the technology available and there fore offered. The compromise of not offering one thing (being a #5 body style or a service provider offering that uses to much energy or is not yet available on one chip or.. etc etc. is a business decision made by apple that tells us what they CAN offer today).
The new feature of a humble "personal assistant" for example is being mocked rather than being covered as it will ultimately be accepted by apple users. The simple use of this feature by asking the first question that one wants to know with a fast resulting answer will be an epiphany of sorts in the mind of the consumer. THIS IS GOING TO BE A MAJOR KEY ADVERTISED FEATURE THIS FALL. The advertising of this feature will be pounded into the media as a solution that will be embraced and exalted by the user. This is not a feature that will be copied overnight by others with a "total solution" in mind as part of the total selling package Apple just offered.
This and other features of camera improvements and apps will make the user experience with the cloud (also not yet understood or experienced as a tool by the consumer) the best out there for the upcoming fall selling season - which BTW, is a very important period.
did you notice the fast roll out of phones to the market this time? Apple has been ramping up for this over many months. What we see today has been well thought out when it comes to timing for a consumer electronics product introduction. Do you think any of apple's competitors have new iPods, tablets, computers or phones that together will slam the overall market during the upcoming selling season. Do you think any other venders have inventory ramped up and sold into retailers all over the world that will stand up to Apple's planned sell in of any of these product categories listed? Have you walked into a retail store lately to look at what is being presented by competition? It is really sad, tired and still very confusing.
If one is evaluating apple as a company that may be losing market growth to Andoid - then making an assumption that it is important somehow as an investment idea to consider then that would be really dumb. It is near impossible to invest in the Android OS as an investor. Whose stock would one buy that is making money and growing YOY at the pace of Apple? Who has an OS that will sync between all devices for applications that consumers use each and every day? Who has a solution that equals the "total solution" of what apple presents to the consumer, enterprise and the developer right now? HP? MSFT? SamSnug? HTC? NOK?
So when all the sell off of apple stock and recent off subject upsetting news that is really not news at all settles down - Who do you think will have a solution that pays the best return for the next 3 months, 6 months or one year? The idea that others are going to steal shelf space from Apple at retail and therefore slow YOY growth at apple's sales or bottom line profit is ludicrous. The approach taken by others in a total organized marketing way might better be described as Chaos. If you can tell me what the key offering is of any competitor for the Christmas selling season by model i will find that amazing. Apple has the iPhone in good better and best. They have the iPad in good better and best.. they have the iPod in good better and best and they have the computer in the same good better and best. Now, what does HP, MSFT, SamSnug, SNE, HTC or NOK have? I can only think of a mess of products lacking any kind of reasonable expectation en mass and ready for the entire marketing mix of consumer electronics that is necessary. I see instead a Product of the month special "B2G1F" rotating through the months as key retail promotions. One week it will be SamSnug, the next MII and the next HTC. And that is just fine, unless you want to invest in that as a future and risk capitol buying their stock. If you want to do that, you might consider the company that actually plans out a total solution in their quarterly and seasonal marketing efforts that includes making a profit - that would be Apple.
Who cares about 4G speeds? Remember you're still limited (most of us) to 2GB. All 4G will do is help you burn through that in a week.
SO true.