rbnetengr

I thought that the Galaxy Flip would be a good idea, but I guess the market thought otherwise.  Being an iPhone user, I expected Apple to make a folding iPhone that would have the form factor of an iPhone when opened, and would flip down vertically to be half the size.  With a small outside screen for quick viewing of things without opening the flip. But the reality is that it would just make using the device more of a hassle.

I have some coworkers who have the Galaxy Fold, and one who has the Google Pixel Fold.  The people with the Galaxy Fold talk about a variety of longevity issues, including screen cracking at the fold, or the sound not working when the phone is flipped open.  And when I watch them use the device, much of the time they don't open it up and just use the outside screen.

It is interesting that the smartphone market has matured to the point where it is no longer necessary to replace the device annually because the new smartphone has such incredible leaps in technology and features.  So now they need to come up with new and quirky form factors to diversify the device selection and cater to a few more niche buyers?  I don't know what the stats are for folding smartphone sales, but based on the numbers of them I see in the wild, I imagine the numbers are quite low compared to traditional smartphones.

So if Apple finally succumbs to having a "me too" folding iPhone, it will likely be too expensive, will not sell in sufficient quantities, and will be cancelled after a year.

dk49 said:

The fact that they only kept iPhone 15 Pro in the list indicates that there might be many core AI features exclusive to iPhone 16. It's probably the first time that a major ios feature is only available on the latest iPhone. 

Siri was a new feature with the iPhone 4S that was not backward compatible.  It had been an app in the App Store prior to Apple acquiring the rights to it.  Then it was removed as a standalone app and only available in iOS 5 and the iPhone 4S.

i think FaceID was also a new feature that was not backward compatible with all the iPhones using TouchID (only available on iPhone X).  And TouchID was a new feature that required the TouchID enabled Home button.

So this isn't the first time they introduce a forward looking app that isn't supported by previous models.  And probably the only reason it will be supported by the 15Pro/Max is because they want people using it the day that the iOS 18 Public beta is released, and for a large installed base to use it on their 15Pro/Max when iOS 18 is officially released.  There won't be many iPhone 16s out in the wild to show off the new AI features.

I was the owner of a 4S (Siri),  a 6 (it had something new and unique, like Force Touch screen) and iPhone X (FaceID), and now a 14 Pro (Dynamic Island).  With this history of buying new models for the first year release of some breakthrough features, I can say that the improvements made to the following year iPhones made my iPhones feel dated, even though I hung onto them for a long time.  My advice: wait for iPhone 17 if you really want Apple AI features.

I never understood the motivation behind such a huge undertaking as building a passenger vehicle.  Even though Apple has more wealth than Elon Musk, and could more easily finance the development of such a vehicle, the target market is just too small to make it viable.  Ten years ago there were very few EVs on the market, the technology was developing in leaps and bounds, and the early products were quickly outdated.

Now, the EV market is currently at a stage where most of the early adopters have owned an EV or two, and some have owned succeeding generations of EVs.  And there are many more players in the EV industry, with China pushing to dominate the market, at least outside the USA.

But the EV market is suffering from huge value depreciation, and flattening or declining sales.  It is definitely not the time for a novice automotive startup company like Apple to bring a $100k+ EV to a stagnant market, especially since the technology development cycle means they need to freeze a design in order to produce it.  The biggest changes coming in the next few years relate to battery composition and capacity, so coming out with an expensive vehicle using “old” lithium ion battery technology, just prior to new designed vehicles with solid state batteries (or something else more advanced) would really kill most sales potential for an Apple Car.

And don’t ignore all of the safety standards, environmental standards, sales, service, support, etc., associated with any passenger vehicle.  They would be starting from ground zero here as well.

I really can’t justify an iPad Air or Pro based on my uses for a tablet, and I desperately need to replace my iPad Gen 5.  But the Gen 9 and Gen 10 iPads are just deficient in enough areas to not be desirable to me.  Apple seems to limit some features on these basic iPads (no USB-C, or compatible with Apple Pencil 1, keyboard limitations, display resolution, etc.) that I am really hoping that the Gen 11 iPad will have all of the essentials that I seek in order to replace my Gen 5 iPad and last me for another 5-6 years.

nzmac said:

Why does this dude have is watch upside down on his left wrist.  Makes it hard for the right hand to use the controls. 
#fail

I use my watch the same way.  With the crown and button facing my wrist, I accidentally engage the buttons when I am wearing gloves and working out in the gym.  Having the controls on the other side prevents this from happening.

I am right handed and have no trouble using the controls in this way.  It took a few times to get used to it, and then it became completely normal for me.