Editorial: Where does Apple take iOS next?

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  • Reply 121 of 163
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member


    Originally Posted by exbusfish View Post

    Is there any reason that iPhone, iPad, AppleTV and Mac OSX apps cannot work together?  Share data, last saved state, act as a controller (ala remote app for iOS for AppleTV).   We see the WiiU as  a commercial flop, but that is not due to the software, which is quite neat. 


     


    Not at all. And who sees the WiiU as a "flop"?!





    Originally Posted by exbusfish View Post

    I disagree.  Having iOS apps on my AppleTV sounds like a great idea, especially where you can use the iOS device as a controller and content is displayed through  AppleTV.


     


    See, you can already do that. But the UI should not be there. They can't work the same.

  • Reply 122 of 163
    Apple iOS has got to do something. I decided to switch to Android when the iPhone 5 came out. It was like Apple: We're taking away Google Maps. And I'm like: My Google Maps on MY phone that I pay for? OK Apple I don't like your attitude, I'm off to Android. Then OMG, suddenly iOS didn't matter. I had NFC, wireless charging, widgets and a phone that has performed quite admirably (NEXUS 4).

    I'd willingly go back to iOS if it was cutting edge. But man, it's boring and don't get me going on the software design. More Bladerunner - less 1950s Station Wagon. I want the future!
  • Reply 123 of 163

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by MacBook Pro View Post





    This is already the case as you noted.


    But the remote is only one very small isolated example.  Where is the Apple app that allows you to use the iPhone as a remote for the Mac?  Other cross-use examples?

  • Reply 124 of 163

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


     


    Not at all. And who sees the WiiU as a "flop"?!


     


    See, you can already do that. But the UI should not be there. They can't work the same.





    They do: http://www.ubergizmo.com/2013/03/gamestop-nintendo-wii-u-sales-disappointing/


     


     


    Quote:


    The sales of the Nintendo Wii U have been a topic of interest for many gamers as it’s obvious the company is having some trouble getting people to pick up its “next-gen” console. With only 64,000 units sold last month, it’ll only be just a few short weeks until we hear how terribly it did in March, but GameStop’s President Tony Bartel gave us a glimpse into how exactly the console is doing in its stores.


     


    “I still think that there is tremendous opportunity from a consumer standpoint, that they do not understand the tethered tablet, the way that the gameplay worked. I think that the marketing has not broken through the level that it needs to, and in spite of efforts of our team to really talk about that, and educate consumers about that, I think that we still have an education process we need to go through. More importantly, I think where you’re really going to see Wii U take off is when there is a strong first-party title, that’s what we’ve always seen. And the fact that we really did launch without a strong first-party title, I think we’re seeing the ramifications of that today.”



     


    I dont think that using AppleTV as a content creation device makes sense, but why can't it be a gaming device.  Showing content via AirPlay is a great step forward, but it is not enabled in every app yet nor is it as plug and play as it could be.  Think of your iOS and Mac household working in concert together where you dont have to think about which device you use, but your investment in apps, movies, music as well as documents and pictures are there and available.

  • Reply 125 of 163
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by tundraboy View Post


    But all that hardware, will it continue selling as well if they came with Windows and Android?  They make money through hardware sales but those sales occur because of the OS (i.e. software).  OS-X and iOS are Apple's primary differentiating feature, or in marketing talk, unique selling proposition.



    If iPad min was plastic with a cheaper build quality would it have sold as well as it did?  I think it's the whole package that is the differentiator.  If Macs had the same build quality as Acer PC's would they still sell as well as they do because of OS X?  I doubt it.  The best thing about iOS is the wealth of great 3rd party apps.  Many of which are better than Apple's apps.  My podcast app of choice is not Apple's, it's Downcast.  And many people use Chrome, GMail and Google maps over Apple's offerings.  Hopefully Apple s committed to doing something about this.  The changes to their Podcasts app is a start.

  • Reply 126 of 163
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member


     


    Every new console has a dearth of games at launch, meaning a dearth of sales. These people have worse memory than me.






    Showing content via AirPlay is a great step forward, but it is not enabled in every app yet nor is it as plug and play as it should be.



     


    You mean.

  • Reply 127 of 163
    alfiejralfiejr Posts: 1,524member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mrrodriguez View Post



    Please don't knock widgets. Knock the implementation not the feature.



    And iPhone already has a widget. Anyone who's ever listened to music on an iPhone and wanted to skip a song has used a widget. It's that thing in the lockscreen that allows you faster access to the controls of the music app. Implemented correctly they are a nice addition to any mobile device.


    exactly. actually, the the double button press/slide left bottom control pane collects several key UI controls in one place: orientation lock, brightness, media playback, AirPlay, and volume, plus a Music app shortcut. i use it often.


     


    the one new control pane like that i would also use a lot would present some connectivity settings that are now two/three steps deep in the Settings app. WiFi and Bluetooth mainly. since you need to access them anytime you connect to a different network or accessory. (AirPlay is already built in/available to all apps directly) otherwise, i don't think any more widgets are really needed. many apps act just like a widget anyway, in terms of presenting multiple external feeds updated constantly. or even internal info about what your iDevice is doing.


     


    some point to OSX widgets as a reason why iOS should have widgets too. but actually, OSX widgets are really much more like iOS apps - simple single purpose functions - but of course designed for a mouse, not touch, UI. i just wish Apple would let me put them/open them up on the regular desktop in a window instead of forcing them into a desktop overlay that interrupts whatever else i am doing.

  • Reply 128 of 163
    alfiejralfiejr Posts: 1,524member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by exbusfish View Post


    I dont think that using AppleTV as a content creation device makes sense, but why can't it be a gaming device.  Showing content via AirPlay is a great step forward, but it is not enabled in every app yet nor is it as plug and play as it could be.  Think of your iOS and Mac household working in concert together where you dont have to think about which device you use, but your investment in apps, movies, music as well as documents and pictures are there and available.



     


    many comments address how iOS needs some kind of physical game controller. the best article i've seen on this topic a few months ago at iLounge:


     


    http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/duo-games-duo-gamer/


     


    the key point in this very good overview is: "No universal game controller support has been built into iOS, so developers need to add support to their games one at a time."


     


    That is the key flaw that Apple really needs to solve with iOS 7. once there is a game UI standard built into iOS, many companies like Logitech will design generic control hardware for iDevices. like snap-in magnetic frames that hold them with the buttons and joysticks outside.


     


    Apple TV never needs to be more than an AirPlay big screen link for iOS games. and as far as i know, any iOS app can access AirPlay out now, if the developer wants to. and it's pretty much plug-and-play for me. there are a few quirks with some apps, like automatic but wrong aspect choices. not sure where the glitch lies for that - could be the TV's auto settings too.

  • Reply 129 of 163
    alfiejralfiejr Posts: 1,524member


    finally, the "holy grail" UI improvement i would love to see in iOS 7 is some kind of biometric master password interface. voice, face, fingerprint, whatever. fussing with passwords is far an away the #1 big pain in the butt in my entire digital life. the first company to introduce a foolproof automatic individual recognition UI throughout its entire OS for everyones' apps will conquer the world.

  • Reply 130 of 163
    Panoramas are in the iPhone 4S, too.
  • Reply 131 of 163
    misamisa Posts: 827member
    lerxt wrote: »
    Not clear what new revenues a larger screen would generate? Enormous is the answer. EVERYONE in Asia is going for larger screen Samsungs. I filled in a form the other day where everyone in my "workgroup" had to put the model number of their phones and tablets. I was the only one out of 15 who had an iphone or ipad. Everyone else had Samsung stuff. This wasn't the case a year ago. Asia loves bigger mobile devices.

    Not sure where you get that idea. I can go outside on any day (and my city is like mostly Asians) and you'll basically see nothing but iPhones. No blackberries, no dumbphones, no Android alternatives.

    Like it feels embarassing now to use anything that isn't a smartphone. That's the point. If you're not using an iPhone, you're basically "don't get it" and get treated like you treat your grandma with technology. I know my grandma won't touch a computer, and my mother won't use the PC if she doesn't have to. 10 years ago, older people were still hanging on to analog bag-phones when 2G TDMA phones were mostly the norm out here.

    Each country has their own domestic cell phone companies. EU has Nokia, US has Apple and Motorola, Canada has Blackberry. China has Huawei, Korea has Samsung and LG, Japan has Sony-Ericcson. In those markets their domestic phones are a lot more visible. However the build quality of the iPhone is far superior to anything anyone else has put out. If you buy an iPhone you can easily keep it till the battery wears out, where as all these asian brands will probably die while still under contract with the carrier. In countries without carrier subsidies, these cheaper huawei and LG phones are disposable.
  • Reply 132 of 163
    drblankdrblank Posts: 3,385member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    Wait, how was the XServe a 'flop'? They sold it for 9 years.


     


    I'm liking just about everything else here. In before Gatorguy's prediction of "how many pages this piece will drum up on a weekend".



     


    Apple didn't want to spend the resources necessary to get the XServe platform to garner enough Enterprise business, so they just relegate it for small workgroup/small business, which it does just OK.  Most businesses are using either Windows or Linux these days as that's what the IT people know and are familiar with.  it's unfortunate, but Apple just decided the iPhone and iPad product line was going to be more fruitful (no pun intended) than the XServe line.


     


    It's kind of difficult to bring out a server platform that doesn't support Windows and Linux these days.  Sad, but true.

  • Reply 133 of 163
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by lkrupp View Post


     


    Not a chance. The new mantra for anything coming from Apple is "yawnnnn." From tech blogs to stock analysts, to the troll cadre right here on AI, nothing Apple does anymore is worth a plug nickel. The troll talking point of "iOS feels old and stale" has permeated the tech universe. You read it on every blog, a falsehood that has taken on a life of its own and has become true by simple repetition.


     


    All you have to do is look at @ ankleskater's reply to your post. It's all a big joke now to these types.



     


    I have no need to look at "ankleskater's" posts. I blocked him awhile ago and don't miss the trolling a bit.

  • Reply 134 of 163
    macbook promacbook pro Posts: 1,605member
    exbusfish wrote: »
    But the remote is only one very small isolated example.  Where is the Apple app that allows you to use the iPhone as a remote for the Mac?  Other cross-use examples?

    Why must Apple create every app for iOS? Android gets a pass on virtually every feature function as very little functionality is native but Apple must provide every feature and function natively?
  • Reply 135 of 163
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member


    Originally Posted by Alfiejr View Post

    …the first company to introduce a foolproof automatic individual recognition UI throughout its entire OS for everyones' apps will conquer the world.


     


    There's the rub, eh?





    Originally Posted by MacBook Pro View Post

    Why must Apple create every app for iOS? Android gets a pass on virtually every feature function as very little functionality is native but Apple must provide every feature and function natively?


     


    I think part of it is, "Oh, Android doesn't have it? Add it yourself!" compared to "Apple doesn't have that; they better add it."

  • Reply 136 of 163
    leighrleighr Posts: 253member
    tbell wrote: »
    I also think Apple was dumb by not allowing turn by turn on older iPhones, like the 3GS and 4. Google's app does, and now those users are probably using Google's app. 

    It was actually Google that wouldn't allow turn-by-turn in their 'co-owned' Google Maps App, which is why Apple in the end had to make their own Maps app and give Google the flick. They were purposely holding back features that they were building into the Android version.
  • Reply 137 of 163
    tsun zu wrote: »
    <span style="color:rgb(24,24,24);font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;line-height:18.1875px;">Hello Edge,</span>

    <br style="color:rgb(24,24,24);font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;line-height:18.1875px;">
    <span style="color:rgb(24,24,24);font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;line-height:18.1875px;">1. No easy system-wide sharing:I am not sure what you mean by this. I can share most of the things (pics, videos) through email, twitter, facebook, icloud, photo stream etc. It also have system wide Facebook and Twitter integration.</span>

    <br style="color:rgb(24,24,24);font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;line-height:18.1875px;">
    <span style="color:rgb(24,24,24);font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;line-height:18.1875px;">2. A keyboard that does not change to capital letters when hitting shift key (only small shift key lights up): It does. One tap on the shift key will Capitalize the next letter. If you double tap the shift key, all following characters will be CAPITALIZED.</span>
    <br style="color:rgb(24,24,24);font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;line-height:18.1875px;">

     
    <span style="color:rgb(24,24,24);font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;line-height:18.1875px;">3. Too small of screen for my old man eyes (ok, this is hardware, not iOS): Its an Hardware issue</span>
    <strong style="color:rgb(24,24,24);font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;line-height:18.1875px;">. Also the iPhone has the best size in my opinion. However, different people may have different requirements, so a bigger (or even smaller) screen can suit others.</strong>
    <br style="color:rgb(24,24,24);font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;line-height:18.1875px;">

     
    <span style="color:rgb(24,24,24);font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;line-height:18.1875px;">Is it too much to ask for these few improvements to iOS? No</span>


    <span style="color:rgb(24,24,24);font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;line-height:18.1875px;">I mean really, Android solved each of these complaints years ago. </span>
    <strong style="color:rgb(24,24,24);font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;line-height:18.1875px;">I don't think these are problems to most people. As I pointed out, two of the three things you mentioned is already available in iPhone and the third is also subject to debate, not an automatic "deficiency".</strong>
    <br style="color:rgb(24,24,24);font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;line-height:18.1875px;">

     

    1. By system-wide sharing, I assume he means sharing between apps, ie if I have a photo in the photos app I want to open in Camera+, I can't do this via the OS. I need to open the Camera+ app and import it.

    2. He means that they keyboard doesn't give an indication of whether you're typing in capital or lowercase, ie the keyboard always displays capitals whether or not shift or shift lock is pressed.

    3. Oh well.
  • Reply 138 of 163
    I hope iOS will allow two apps to run side by side so you can view two at once. Now that there are so many iPads out there, this would be a handy feature. The Touch and phone screens are so small the functionality of it was questionable but not now since there are iPads on every corner.
  • Reply 139 of 163
    macbook promacbook pro Posts: 1,605member
    frxntier wrote: »
    1. By system-wide sharing, I assume he means sharing between apps, ie if I have a photo in the photos app I want to open in Camera+, I can't do this via the OS. I need to open the Camera+ app and import it.

    2. He means that they keyboard doesn't give an indication of whether you're typing in capital or lowercase, ie the keyboard always displays capitals whether or not shift or shift lock is pressed.

    3. Oh well.


    1. Camera+ has access to the Camera Roll if enabled.

    2. Except that the keyboard does provide an indication of uppercase and lowercase.

    See the difference is that Android is so deficient in so many areas that ridiculous workarounds must be created apparently.
  • Reply 140 of 163
    macbook promacbook pro Posts: 1,605member
    thomas g wrote: »
    I hope iOS will allow two apps to run side by side so you can view two at once. Now that there are so many iPads out there, this would be a handy feature. The Touch and phone screens are so small the functionality of it was questionable but not now since there are iPads on every corner.

    What is the use case?
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