That's actually great because 3GS will keep Apple iOS engineers and app developers in check to optimize their software, instead of blindly relying on faster hardware.
No, it just gimps all software because it CAN'T take advantage of the new hardware.
Quote:
Ever wonder why console games keep getting better and better on the same hardware years after the hardware debut, but the same cannot be said for your PC? Because the developers have a stable and unchanging hardware that they can (or rather, forced to) optimize for.
No, it's because games have to be made with five year old, archaic hardware on the consoles in mind. Consoles hold back PC games so much that it's beyond laughable.
I recently lost my perfect condition 64GB iPhone 4S.
Things are a bit tight this month, so I couldn't afford a new 4S or even a 4.
I considered getting a "cheap" Android with the following requirement: It had to run Android 2.3.
I found that there was no such thing as a "cheap" non-contract Android that ran 2.3 in Hong Kong. The absolute cheapest were no-name Chinese made clones that still cost US$125.
I wouldn't have been happy with Android anyway.
I picked up a used 32GB 3GS in very good condition for US$200. An 8GB iPhone 4 would have cost me at least $300, which was out of my budget.
It was absolutely the right choice. Upgrade iOS, restore from backup, and I had 90% of the exact functionality of my lost phone, albeit MUCH slower. All the same apps and all the same connectivity with my heavily invested iTunes infrastructure. No Siri or WiFi tethering, crap camera (comparably, though I consider the 4S camera to still be crap). But it was my phone with my software and all my contacts and calendars and notes and everything else in the exact same place as before. Try that with a 3 year-old Android!
The slowness was bothering me a bit, but I was planning on holding out until the next iPhone came out in October.
Fortunately, my 4s was turned in to the Police and I got it back. Now I'm using the 3GS as a permanent iTunes remote and living room gadget.
But make no mistake. The iPhone 3GS is a WAY better phone for someone who already uses iTunes and has apps than any Android, much less a cheap Android.
By the way, has anyone tried a ZOMM or other bluetooth proximity alarm? I don't EVER want to lose my phone again.
Oh... and I believe the fact I got my $850 phone back was due to karma. I have found two phones within the last year that I've successfully gotten back to their rightful owner. Pay it forward, if you will.
No, it just gimps all software because it CAN'T take advantage of the new hardware.
Since when did Apple hold back software on new hardware because they had to support old hardware? Apple excels at putting out new software features on latest hardware only. Try explaining to iPad 2 owners why they don't have voice dictation.
Optimizing software for older hardware is at a much lower level; it's things like memory management, file I/O, library routines, etc. It's not "gimping" the software.
No, it just gimps all software because it CAN'T take advantage of the new hardware.
No, it's because games have to be made with five year old, archaic hardware on the consoles in mind. Consoles hold back PC games so much that it's beyond laughable.
True. Without straying too far off topic, the state of the art stalled to be compatible with Xbox. Still, Epic produced a sweet tech demo for UE4 on the PC, but it'll be years before mainstream games look like that.
I don't buy the theory that older iOS hardware holds back games though. When iPad (3) shipped, a number of games were updated for retina display and the new graphics chip and ended up leaving iPad 2 owners complaining. Developers don't seem to be holding back.
This is absolutely what Apple needs to do if they want to grow by 100 % for yet another year. A $299 iPhone 3GS (plus a $399 iPhone 4) will put immense pressure on the Android name brands. Their flagship phones already sell for $200 less than the latest iPhone. Now they'll have to go even lower.
Of course an iPhone 3GS is not perfect, but is the 11" MBA with a 64 GB SSD perfect, is the screenless iPod shuffle perfect? The point is that you still get most of the benefits of the Apple ecosystem for a more affordable price.
Even better for Apple would be introducing a fresh industrial design for their cheap phones instead of just using the old design from 2008/09. Sales would explode. It might hurt the desirability of their more expensive phones, though.
Why the lack of official prepaid iPhone options in the US?! Why do you have to go through hoops to use a GoPhone SIM w/iPhone -- greedy phone companies and not enough alternative iPhone carriers yet (like T-Mobile)...
So if 3GS continues, will anyone buy it if they end iOS updates for it? I would not. If it gets iOS 6.x then people may consider it...
I'm going to take the opposite stance. I don't think this is happening. The 3GS is just too old. You can get better hardware on free crappy Android handsets these days for starters. And what happens when the 3GS DOESN'T get iOS 6 in a few months and begins losing app compatibility and support? Especially if the new iPhone does change screens and dimensions... Maybe it happens with 8GB 4.
Remember... we're talking about developing markets... and phones you pay full price for and then pay-as-you-go for service. Your point about getting a free handset does not apply here.
Anyway... there might be some people who want an iOS phone but who live in a developing market.
A $300 Android phone might not be better than a $300 iPhone 3GS to some people.
I don't really keep up with those kinds of phones... what is a good $300 Android phone in those kinds of markets?
And again... that is $300 to buy the phone outright... not a subsidy...
I wonder if Apple considered doing a minor spec bump - slightly faster processor, slightly better screen. To further extend the life and to make sure it can play wider assortment of games
The iPad2 that is currently being sold has a new processor, which is a 28nm version of its original processor. This was a technology test but gives a 16 hour battery life for playing videos. I would think that revving the processor on the 3GS and doubling the DRAM would let the phone remain viable for a few more years, without adding significantly to the minimum profitable price.
Remember... we're talking about developing markets... and phones you pay full price for and then pay-as-you-go for service. Your point about getting a free handset does not apply here.
Anyway... there might be some people who want an iOS phone but who live in a developing market.
A $300 Android phone might not be better than a $300 iPhone 3GS to some people.
I don't really keep up with those kinds of phones... what is a good $300 Android phone in those kinds of markets?
And again... that is $300 to buy the phone outright... not a subsidy...
Here is a link to the ZTE Nova 4.0 V8000 which is relatively impressive. In fact, seeing this smartphone I can't understand why anyone would pay more money for virtually any Android smartphone. While I don't believe this smartphone competes well with iPhone 4S, it isn't designed to compete with the iPhone 4S.
Comments
Quote:
Originally Posted by JCE10
That's actually great because 3GS will keep Apple iOS engineers and app developers in check to optimize their software, instead of blindly relying on faster hardware.
No, it just gimps all software because it CAN'T take advantage of the new hardware.
Quote:
Ever wonder why console games keep getting better and better on the same hardware years after the hardware debut, but the same cannot be said for your PC? Because the developers have a stable and unchanging hardware that they can (or rather, forced to) optimize for.
No, it's because games have to be made with five year old, archaic hardware on the consoles in mind. Consoles hold back PC games so much that it's beyond laughable.
I recently lost my perfect condition 64GB iPhone 4S.
Things are a bit tight this month, so I couldn't afford a new 4S or even a 4.
I considered getting a "cheap" Android with the following requirement: It had to run Android 2.3.
I found that there was no such thing as a "cheap" non-contract Android that ran 2.3 in Hong Kong. The absolute cheapest were no-name Chinese made clones that still cost US$125.
I wouldn't have been happy with Android anyway.
I picked up a used 32GB 3GS in very good condition for US$200. An 8GB iPhone 4 would have cost me at least $300, which was out of my budget.
It was absolutely the right choice. Upgrade iOS, restore from backup, and I had 90% of the exact functionality of my lost phone, albeit MUCH slower. All the same apps and all the same connectivity with my heavily invested iTunes infrastructure. No Siri or WiFi tethering, crap camera (comparably, though I consider the 4S camera to still be crap). But it was my phone with my software and all my contacts and calendars and notes and everything else in the exact same place as before. Try that with a 3 year-old Android!
The slowness was bothering me a bit, but I was planning on holding out until the next iPhone came out in October.
Fortunately, my 4s was turned in to the Police and I got it back. Now I'm using the 3GS as a permanent iTunes remote and living room gadget.
But make no mistake. The iPhone 3GS is a WAY better phone for someone who already uses iTunes and has apps than any Android, much less a cheap Android.
By the way, has anyone tried a ZOMM or other bluetooth proximity alarm? I don't EVER want to lose my phone again.
Oh... and I believe the fact I got my $850 phone back was due to karma. I have found two phones within the last year that I've successfully gotten back to their rightful owner. Pay it forward, if you will.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
No, it just gimps all software because it CAN'T take advantage of the new hardware.
Since when did Apple hold back software on new hardware because they had to support old hardware? Apple excels at putting out new software features on latest hardware only. Try explaining to iPad 2 owners why they don't have voice dictation.
Optimizing software for older hardware is at a much lower level; it's things like memory management, file I/O, library routines, etc. It's not "gimping" the software.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JCE10
Since when did Apple hold back software on new hardware because they had to support old hardware?
We're not talking about Apple.
True. Without straying too far off topic, the state of the art stalled to be compatible with Xbox. Still, Epic produced a sweet tech demo for UE4 on the PC, but it'll be years before mainstream games look like that.
I don't buy the theory that older iOS hardware holds back games though. When iPad (3) shipped, a number of games were updated for retina display and the new graphics chip and ended up leaving iPad 2 owners complaining. Developers don't seem to be holding back.
Of course an iPhone 3GS is not perfect, but is the 11" MBA with a 64 GB SSD perfect, is the screenless iPod shuffle perfect? The point is that you still get most of the benefits of the Apple ecosystem for a more affordable price.
Even better for Apple would be introducing a fresh industrial design for their cheap phones instead of just using the old design from 2008/09. Sales would explode. It might hurt the desirability of their more expensive phones, though.
Why the lack of official prepaid iPhone options in the US?! Why do you have to go through hoops to use a GoPhone SIM w/iPhone -- greedy phone companies and not enough alternative iPhone carriers yet (like T-Mobile)...
So if 3GS continues, will anyone buy it if they end iOS updates for it? I would not. If it gets iOS 6.x then people may consider it...
Remember... we're talking about developing markets... and phones you pay full price for and then pay-as-you-go for service. Your point about getting a free handset does not apply here.
Anyway... there might be some people who want an iOS phone but who live in a developing market.
A $300 Android phone might not be better than a $300 iPhone 3GS to some people.
I don't really keep up with those kinds of phones... what is a good $300 Android phone in those kinds of markets?
And again... that is $300 to buy the phone outright... not a subsidy...
3GS is just too old and lacks the hardware needed. It will hurt iOS development and app development if anyone caters to the 3GS.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Oak
This is a great strategy
I wonder if Apple considered doing a minor spec bump - slightly faster processor, slightly better screen. To further extend the life and to make sure it can play wider assortment of games
The iPad2 that is currently being sold has a new processor, which is a 28nm version of its original processor. This was a technology test but gives a 16 hour battery life for playing videos. I would think that revving the processor on the 3GS and doubling the DRAM would let the phone remain viable for a few more years, without adding significantly to the minimum profitable price.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Scrip
Remember... we're talking about developing markets... and phones you pay full price for and then pay-as-you-go for service. Your point about getting a free handset does not apply here.
Anyway... there might be some people who want an iOS phone but who live in a developing market.
A $300 Android phone might not be better than a $300 iPhone 3GS to some people.
I don't really keep up with those kinds of phones... what is a good $300 Android phone in those kinds of markets?
And again... that is $300 to buy the phone outright... not a subsidy...
Here is a link to the ZTE Nova 4.0 V8000 which is relatively impressive. In fact, seeing this smartphone I can't understand why anyone would pay more money for virtually any Android smartphone. While I don't believe this smartphone competes well with iPhone 4S, it isn't designed to compete with the iPhone 4S.