As much as moving from a biannual form factor clock will reduce the urgency of upgrading, it also has some real benefits. Note that any benefits to customers also benefit the company in the long run by building loyalty and good will.
1. longevity. ... 2. shortages. ... 3. luxury. ... 4. authenticity. ... It's easier to seem genuine when updates are less frequent or proclaimed as significant.
Personally, I hope these rumors are true as I bought them a couple months ago and so ordered an SE to replace my 6 on the assumption that I won't have serious buyer's remorse in September.
On the surface this all kinda makes sense, EXCEPT, not everybody is in sync with a 2 year release cycle, let alone a 3 year one. Moreover, keeping your other devices in sync as well (in order to have cross-support of new features), complicates the matter
Does Apple really think it has the luxury of skipping a whole year in order to include a new form factor and internals? Samsung's GS7 Edge is gorgeous and readily available this year. Huawei, LG, Sony and other also won't be sitting still for another 15 months. As someone who purchases a new iPhone each year, this may be the first time I pass on buying the new model. Guess my money will be going instead towards the MacBook Pro with Skylake chips.
Which is better as your iPhone should last a good 3-4 years anyway.
I want to punch somebody in the face when I read comments from someone that wants:
- IR blaster - LED indicator - Gesture controls - 4K display (for a smartphone? wow...) - Dual lens camera - Water proof (what are you doing with your $700 phone, geezus, water resistance is fine) - SD card (introduce malware? no thanks) - Removable battery (plastic back panel)
Because the only thing that matters is what YOU want right? And everyone who wants something you don't need deserves a punch in the face? Apple doesn't need fans like you who make them look bad.
I can't believe that people think an even slower upgrade cycle is a good idea. The answer to all of this peak iPhone nonsense and talk of market saturation is to INNOVATE FASTER, not to slow down the rate of innovation. People will buy a new phone if it does amazing new things or is dramatically better, whether they already own an older model iPhone or not.
I want to punch somebody in the face when I read comments from someone that wants:
- IR blaster - LED indicator - Gesture controls - 4K display (for a smartphone? wow...) - Dual lens camera - Water proof (what are you doing with your $700 phone, geezus, water resistance is fine) - SD card (introduce malware? no thanks) - Removable battery (plastic back panel)
Because the only thing that matters is what YOU want right? And everyone who wants something you don't need deserves a punch in the face? Apple doesn't need fans like you who make them look bad.
Yes. And yes. And yes.
Let's try it your way. Conversely, I should believe the thing that matters to me is what others want.
I don't believe you really mean that. You're most likely a rational person. So what's going on here, a little bit of white knighting I think.
Forms of expression. I know you know what those are. You're not oblivious. If I had said that I've punched people for wanting some features, then I'd understand your opposition. But to posture up an altruistic position like that is kinda silly, c'mon son.
I'm sure Apple's team would love to know how passionate people are about their likes/dislikes on a scale of 0-10, with one extreme end of the scale being whatever you like to artistically enhance, including "Makes me want to punch somebody."
If you want to defend the features you want, you have all the freedom to do so. But don't make it into some moral posturing.
I'm not sure how that would help me. I tend to sleep, every night, like some slacker...and my poor phone has nothing better to do but sit on the charger while I laze it up. So, not sure how < 1 day battery helps me.
I'm amused to this comment in response to me saying that multi-day battery life would be a significant feature. Let me give you a scenario: you're going on a trip. You have a ~5 hour flight, not much to do on the plane other than to read on your phone or listen to podcasts, and when you're at your destination, you're going to be doing lots of GPS navigation because you have no idea how to get around in a city that you're new to.
I've done this many times.
I end up having to bring a external battery that I keep my phone plugged into on the plane and/or at the airport, and possibly (if I'm taking a rental car) a adapter so I can charge my phone in the car. Sometimes where I'm going I'm taking a cab/uber, or public transit, or a combination. All these things I need to use my phone for. I usually even use the electronic boarding passes these days, where (again) I'd be screwed if my phone battery gave out early.
I'd like to have a battery that's large enough that's large enough to handle that sort of a day, where I'm on my phone all the time. In this scenario I need to charge my 6 Plus twice during the day!
I can't believe that people think an even slower upgrade cycle is a good idea. The answer to all of this peak iPhone nonsense and talk of market saturation is to INNOVATE FASTER, not to slow down the rate of innovation. People will buy a new phone if it does amazing new things or is dramatically better, whether they already own an older model iPhone or not.
Because technology always marches ahead at a steady, predictable cadence, right?
Not even Apple can continue to push technology at a steady pace forever. No one ever has in any product market. Look at the situation on the PC side of the house: the market is plenty saturated and to the point where upgrading every 2 to 3 years has changed to 5 or greater. Why? The average customer doesn't need the extra capability. Heck, my home computer is a 2010 iMac with internal SSD: works great for my needs and I plan to keep it for hopefully another 2 years at least.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I think we're hitting a plateau in computer tech right now. Get comfy.
How does that attract buyers when nearly everyone uses headphones that have the normal jack?
Substitute any previous abandoned port in the above sentence.
By offering something much better which starts to move us away from the ancient "normal" jack, alongside a way for people to still use their old hardware.
Better in what way? Yes I understand what Lightning port headphones can do, but there are plenty of tradeoffs. The headphone jack has been with us for so long because it's 1) universal, 2) simple, and 3) reliable. Apple replacing that with a proprietary connector that requires an adapter for billions of headphones to work is not my idea of innovating, nor is it elegant.
Besides, if there was such a great market for "better" sound through the Lightning port, you'd think there'd be plenty of them available and lots of people buying them. There aren't, but they do exist, so those who want to spend the money for the perceived benefit can have at it. But for most everyone out there, current headphones work just fine, and work on a far larger cross section of equipment.
Keep in mind: my original comment is aimed at this year's iPhone release and how eliminating the headphone jack would most likely hurt sales. On the 2017 iPhone, which is expected to have a new chassis and who knows what else, eliminating the headphone jack may very well be a feature to attract sales.
I doesn't take one year to design a phone. It takes 2-3 years. If Samsung were to copy anything they would have had to know about it at least a year ago.
it takes that time to design a phone, yes. it takes little time to crap something out.
Nonsense. It didn't take Apple 3 years between models when Steve Jobs was around, and each iteration was seen as a major, almost revolutionary improvement at the time.
Some observations: 1) some here seem to equate a new exterior design with a significant upgrade. Apple isn't stupid and know a lot more about who buys phones and when then the readers of this humble site. I'm always up for a new external shell but let's not get too superficial, the phone itself may be packed with new technologies. 2) the fact is that a lot of people are holding onto their phones for longer, the number of us who upgrade every year is small. If you come from a 5s next year this next phone will be impressive. 3) 2017 is the 10 year anniversary of the launch of the iPhone so a dramatically new phone body will be part of a massive 2017 campaign about reinventing the smartphone.
People are holding on to their phones longer because the new models haven't been innovative enough, or have delivered the wrong innovations, to entice them to upgrade.
As much as moving from a biannual form factor clock will reduce the urgency of upgrading, it also has some real benefits. Note that any benefits to customers also benefit the company in the long run by building loyalty and good will.
1. longevity. By making it clear that the phone is valuable and useful for more than two years, it makes it easier for consumers to justify holding their phones for longer. Satisfied customers may not make for immediate sales increases but they do increase the likelihood that there will be sales in the future. Simply on a "daily" basis, keeping a phone longer makes it cheaper. Also, for some portion of customers, the fear of purchasing later in the cycle should be eased if they have less concern about being a generation behind (noting, of course, that the larger technical leaps have often been in the S years).
2. shortages. Apple has had a high class but significant burden - the demand for new phones at launch has been crushing. Balancing tooling and manufacturing line demands to cover the massive launch sales and yet not be idle on a more normalized basis must be unbelievably hard. By taking away some of the "newness", perhaps Apple can smooth out its production. I'm sure there was plenty of overtime and airfreight associated with the shortages (which we have even seen with the SE, most recently).
3. luxury. As Apple expands into luxury goods, suggesting the long-term appeal of certain designs makes good sense as it has been a bit self-contradictory to hold up a design as outstanding and then ditch it two years later. I think the SE is an example of this. There can still be modest changes from time to time (polished v matte edges on the SE) with large changes less frequently under this approach. Note that the Mac line seems to follow this approach also.
4. authenticity. By limiting the frequency of changes, it increases the credibility of future claims of big changes. In other words, if every year is "all new", it's hard to say "no, really, this year is SUPER new." It's easier to seem genuine when updates are less frequent or proclaimed as significant.
Personally, I hope these rumors are true as I bought them a couple months ago and so ordered an SE to replace my 6 on the assumption that I won't have serious buyer's remorse in September.
You can rationalize anything if you try hard enough. By your logic, why not go to a 4 year upgrade cycle? Or 5 year?
As much as moving from a biannual form factor clock will reduce the urgency of upgrading, it also has some real benefits. Note that any benefits to customers also benefit the company in the long run by building loyalty and good will.
1. longevity. By making it clear that the phone is valuable and useful for more than two years, it makes it easier for consumers to justify holding their phones for longer. Satisfied customers may not make for immediate sales increases but they do increase the likelihood that there will be sales in the future. Simply on a "daily" basis, keeping a phone longer makes it cheaper. Also, for some portion of customers, the fear of purchasing later in the cycle should be eased if they have less concern about being a generation behind (noting, of course, that the larger technical leaps have often been in the S years).
2. shortages. Apple has had a high class but significant burden - the demand for new phones at launch has been crushing. Balancing tooling and manufacturing line demands to cover the massive launch sales and yet not be idle on a more normalized basis must be unbelievably hard. By taking away some of the "newness", perhaps Apple can smooth out its production. I'm sure there was plenty of overtime and airfreight associated with the shortages (which we have even seen with the SE, most recently).
3. luxury. As Apple expands into luxury goods, suggesting the long-term appeal of certain designs makes good sense as it has been a bit self-contradictory to hold up a design as outstanding and then ditch it two years later. I think the SE is an example of this. There can still be modest changes from time to time (polished v matte edges on the SE) with large changes less frequently under this approach. Note that the Mac line seems to follow this approach also.
4. authenticity. By limiting the frequency of changes, it increases the credibility of future claims of big changes. In other words, if every year is "all new", it's hard to say "no, really, this year is SUPER new." It's easier to seem genuine when updates are less frequent or proclaimed as significant.
Personally, I hope these rumors are true as I bought them a couple months ago and so ordered an SE to replace my 6 on the assumption that I won't have serious buyer's remorse in September.
You can rationalize anything if you try hard enough. By your logic, why not go to a 4 year upgrade cycle? Or 5 year?
Actually, why not? Eventually smart phones reach a level of maturity, just like other devices. Or do you replace your laptop, TV, washing machine etc every year?
Actually, why not? Eventually smart phones reach a level of maturity, just like other devices. Or do you replace your laptop, TV, washing machine etc every year?
It’s not about replacing it every year; it’s about having a reason to do so.
Apart from the redesigned rMBP's that are definately coming it seems, I also hope they pretty much upgrade or redesign almost their entire product lineup for introduction this Fall to make up for the probably rather lacklustre iPhone upgrade. How about a redesigned Mac Mini in the form of a shrunken Mac Pro available in all the iPhone colours, or a redesigned slimmer iMac that finally gets rid of the traditional hard drive and a 5th-gen TV with a more powerful SoC and support for UHD and HDR etc...that would make an interesting keynote despite the iPhone.
Actually, why not? Eventually smart phones reach a level of maturity, just like other devices. Or do you replace your laptop, TV, washing machine etc every year?
It’s not about replacing it every year; it’s about having a reason to do so.
I'm not sure I follow. Do you mean you'd like to have a reason for an annual upgrade? I agree that for any upgrade there should be a good reason. I guess that's obvious. I have one 2009 MBP in my lineup and till now it is running smooth. I don't feel I need to upgrade this. Maybe now, when Sierra doesn't run anymore on it and retina is now de facto standard. I don't even wish to have a reason to upgrade every year. Unless of course it's x-mas every time and innovation is revolutionary, not just evolutionary.
How about a redesigned Mac Mini in the form of a shrunken Mac Pro available in all the iPhone colors
I’d love that. You could almost make the Mac Mini into a cylinder the size of a soda can. They’ve had, what, three years now to gauge the success of their central cooling system; if it really works as well as it seems it did they’re basically obligated to expand its use.
Comments
Moreover, keeping your other devices in sync as well (in order to have cross-support of new features), complicates the matter
Apple seems hell bent on further declining sales.
And yes.
And yes.
Let's try it your way.
Conversely, I should believe the thing that matters to me is what others want.
I don't believe you really mean that. You're most likely a rational person. So what's going on here, a little bit of white knighting I think.
Forms of expression. I know you know what those are. You're not oblivious. If I had said that I've punched people for wanting some features, then I'd understand your opposition. But to posture up an altruistic position like that is kinda silly, c'mon son.
I'm sure Apple's team would love to know how passionate people are about their likes/dislikes on a scale of 0-10, with one extreme end of the scale being whatever you like to artistically enhance, including "Makes me want to punch somebody."
If you want to defend the features you want, you have all the freedom to do so. But don't make it into some moral posturing.
I'm amused to this comment in response to me saying that multi-day battery life would be a significant feature. Let me give you a scenario: you're going on a trip. You have a ~5 hour flight, not much to do on the plane other than to read on your phone or listen to podcasts, and when you're at your destination, you're going to be doing lots of GPS navigation because you have no idea how to get around in a city that you're new to.
I've done this many times.
I end up having to bring a external battery that I keep my phone plugged into on the plane and/or at the airport, and possibly (if I'm taking a rental car) a adapter so I can charge my phone in the car. Sometimes where I'm going I'm taking a cab/uber, or public transit, or a combination. All these things I need to use my phone for. I usually even use the electronic boarding passes these days, where (again) I'd be screwed if my phone battery gave out early.
I'd like to have a battery that's large enough that's large enough to handle that sort of a day, where I'm on my phone all the time. In this scenario I need to charge my 6 Plus twice during the day!
Not even Apple can continue to push technology at a steady pace forever. No one ever has in any product market. Look at the situation on the PC side of the house: the market is plenty saturated and to the point where upgrading every 2 to 3 years has changed to 5 or greater. Why? The average customer doesn't need the extra capability. Heck, my home computer is a 2010 iMac with internal SSD: works great for my needs and I plan to keep it for hopefully another 2 years at least.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I think we're hitting a plateau in computer tech right now. Get comfy.
Besides, if there was such a great market for "better" sound through the Lightning port, you'd think there'd be plenty of them available and lots of people buying them. There aren't, but they do exist, so those who want to spend the money for the perceived benefit can have at it. But for most everyone out there, current headphones work just fine, and work on a far larger cross section of equipment.
Keep in mind: my original comment is aimed at this year's iPhone release and how eliminating the headphone jack would most likely hurt sales. On the 2017 iPhone, which is expected to have a new chassis and who knows what else, eliminating the headphone jack may very well be a feature to attract sales.
I agree that for any upgrade there should be a good reason. I guess that's obvious. I have one 2009 MBP in my lineup and till now it is running smooth. I don't feel I need to upgrade this. Maybe now, when Sierra doesn't run anymore on it and retina is now de facto standard. I don't even wish to have a reason to upgrade every year. Unless of course it's x-mas every time and innovation is revolutionary, not just evolutionary.