franklinjackcon

There are two different business models that seem to be getting blended into one in this article. "Good-enough gear" could arguably apply to midrange phones or if you think they are below the bar set by Apple, then flagships of Samsung and Huawei. They do 90% of the job of an iPhone and I assume most people on here would agree with that, it's the extra 10% that they are will to pay a 30% premium for.

Then there's the second business model of getting gear/services out to their users before they are ready. This is where the Fold fits in. This isn't some good enough product at a discount, it's new form factor at a premium. Apple wouldn't put such a device on the market until it's better but Samsung will and hopefully the early adopters realise that.

These editorials always seem to suggest that Apple's way is the right way but the world is better having both types of companies. It's not a zero sum game, technology keeps going up every time any tech company releases something new a bit flaky or something old but better.

Cesar Battistini Maziero said:

The experience on iOS is far superior. 

The lack of problems and freezing is what makes iPhone great. 

My mon has a seven, and it's still blazing fast!

I can't speak for Huawei but flagship Samsung phones don't freeze. They might have burned in the past but freezing is not a problem. I have an S8 which isn't much newer than your mother's seven and have had zero problems with it.

AppleExposed said:

Anecdotal but:

It's hard to believe the rival numbers are accurate. I was at a Wal-Mart* waiting for the bathroom to open(janitor was cleaning) and just for fun decided to look at peoples wrists. Apple Watches everywhere I looked.  There were at least 2 Apple Watches in my view at all times during the 5 minute wait). I even saw 3 teens at the self checkout and 2 had an Apple Watch but I couldn't see what the other was wearing but she had an iPhone and it looked like all 3 had a Watch. The only non-Apple Watches I saw were about 3 analog ones compared to about 10 Apple Watches. It's not uncommon in the States to see couples or groups of friends all with Apple Watches on.

Rarely do you see an android watch but sometimes you'll see a fitbit.

In my experience here is the watch popularity in the past 3 years:

1. Apple Watch

2. Analog Watches

3. Fitbits

4. Android spyware

P.S. Tim can't innovate Apple died with Steve Jobs the Watch is too expensive and Health is a gimmick yada yada.

*Another reason Wal-Mart is ignorant for not supporting ApplePay.

Keep in mind that there are people like me that have Garmin watches that they only wear during exercise. When I bump into other runners they are usually wearing Garmin but I don't see them on the street as much. Also, judging by the names on the list, I'm guessing these are global figures. In much of Asia and Europe, Apple isn't anywhere near as dominant as they are in the US. Usually when I see people wearing Apple Watches where I live, they are tourists or American immigrants. And then there are plenty of kids wearing cheap knock offs

22july2013 said:

I guess Philips, Eve and all the rest of these companies think that people who walk near my home are all honest and would never steal it. I think I'll wait until a model comes out that is hard to see. Better yet, it should be camouflaged to look like something common, eg, maybe a lightbulb (which would also provide the power if it was a real lightbulb in a socket.) But I wouldn't expect anything actually innovative like that to come from them.

Depending on where you plan to put it, you could put it inside a bird house, perhaps one that doesn't look worth stealing. I'm guessing most crooks aren't driving around looking for bird houses.

henrymelton said:

I would have appreciated the following information:  Bluetooth or WiFi and range of signal.  And battery type and life.

I believe it's zigbee - no wifi or bluetooth - and needs the Hue bridge. Two AA batteries included, which last two years. There's a battery meter that you can view in Hue Essentials.

I want to see these assistants understanding fairly basic home automation tasks better. I could go into my Hue or Nest app and set up a timer or a schedule but i want to be able to ask my assistant simply "Turn on the heating now and turn it off in 30 minutes" or "turn on the front light at 10pm for an hour" the more gear i get, the more i need a central management system that uses voice for ad hoc requests

Or maybe it's already possible. I mostly use Google home, have Alexa but don't use it and stopped using Siri