5s more of the same. Apple is treading water

[Rufuss Sewell]

Does anyone here really think the general population prefers the 4" screen to a 4.8 or 5"?

Apple is severely late to the game. I think they will correct with the 6 and offer two sizes. And I'll stick with them. But Apple continues to sell phones in SPITE of the tiny out of date screen. Not because of it.

 

[Spacial]

I don't agree that they are treading water. Apple is doing what they do best. Selling products that generate high gross profits, as well as generating lots of buzz based on Apples special relationships with selected sources like Walt Mossberg of All Things Digital / Wall St Journal. He and David Pouge are always given products in advance to assure his glowing reviews make a great early impression on potential buyers. Apple is very clever.

 

[Michael CM1]

After getting my hands (hand?) on my ant's new iPad mini, I buy the one-hand argument much more. I'm typing this with my iPad up against the side of a sofa. I also realize the extra weight of the regular iPad now.

I also use my iPhone plenty to read news articles while at restaurants, so I prefer to not use two hands. I would like a larger screen for bigger buttons, but I wonder if I would miss the one-handed use.

I'd say its all a toss-up because of how different people like us are from the crowd that really really won't care about the 5S having an A7 instead of an A6. That crowd buys A LOT of phones.

 

[Nevaborn]

Trolls suck so much.

Theyre just lazy really, saying they can do so much more on Android. You can do lots on an iOS device, and frankly promoting a gimick like conmecting to a controller is not a seller at all.

 

[atlatnesiti]

Trolls suck so much.

Theyre just lazy really, saying they can do so much more on Android. You can do lots on an iOS device, and frankly promoting a gimick like conmecting to a controller is not a seller at all.

... or promoting a gimmick like finger print scanner and dual flash, because incapable to design and produce brand new iPhone design every year

 

[abraxian]

Apple can tread water all they like, Android based phones are in the sink.

Seriously. All my family changed their phones about 2 months ago. 2 android based devices and a WP.

Get ready to see 2 Galaxy S4s and a Nokia Lumia 920 on eBay

There's just so many half baked ideas in Android. They can't commit to a single design and the lack of fluidity or consistency makes the user experience so, so dull and flawed.

 

[betabeta]

Hey Apple don't you see you are barely staying a float? please someone send them a life raft of mojo so they can innovate! Silly Apple, you are only going to make 10 billion in profit next quarter, and what they heck good is that? The 5s is just more of the same, why don't you change the OS, or add a better processor, maybe upgrade the camera, better battery, hey do something.

I wave my hand in front of my iPhone 5 tiny little screen and nothing! and just the other day I was watching a video (which I could barley see it was so small) and I looked away and the dang thing just kept playing!@#

Come on Apple Innovate! if you do maybe you can make profit like the real innovators, obviously nobody likes your tiny non innovative old crap.

 

[robanga]

Apple is doing very well in profit and financially in generally. These constant everything is doomed threads are pretty funny. Everyone wants to be the oracle that said ....see i called this two years ago, i knew.

"Gadget guys"are no longer their target market . Its the general market. Women, consumers in China. They have a massive iTunes business and apps business. Of course they are not going to beat Android in overall share, Android is made by many from Amazon to Xiaomi, many form factors and in many prices. Heck Windows phone is #2 in some countries.

Do i think they need a 5 inch phone, sure - and i bet by the end of NEXT year they will have it. That is not the end all though.

 

[matttye]

I'm immune to these kinds of threads now. There's one every year, and Apple usually beats all predictions and previous records.

 

[Italianblend]

I've tried android twice and went back to iPhone. My latest attempt was the HTC One which I really liked. Mostly for the larger screen. Unfortunately I rely heavy on iMessages and the ability to copy and paste photos onto iMessages and emails and have somewhat large jpegs sent that way. Apple does simple tasks really really well. I do however want a bigger screen.

I'm wondering, you can't send a picture as a text or an email with andriod? That sucks. I'm considering a switch to andriod but I never realized that.

 

[zedzded]

Apple is doing very well in profit and financially in generally. These constant everything is doomed threads are pretty funny.

If Apple started to struggle with Iphones sales, I don't think that would have much bearing on the financial state of the company. Even if Apple produced substandard and inferior phones for the next 3 - 5 years, people will still buy them, they don't need to innovate or produce high spec phones, they don't even need to market the Iphone. I think sales figures will steadily drop over the next few years and then flatten out.

 

[Skika]

muh screen size!

muh torrents!

inuvashion!

 

[tdream]

About half of all iPhones sold worldwide are the iPhone 4 and 4S. I'd say this debunks the "vast majority" of people wanting a bigger phone as gospel. Between bigger and cheaper, they choose cheaper. Hence the iPhone 5C.

If research indicated most people wanted a 6-inch iPhone, there would be a 6-inch iPhone.

That's hardly conclusive evidence that people prefer small screens. Econ 101 would dictate people prefer the price of these phones. If there was a phone with a bigger screen at the same price as a 4 or 4S they would choose the bigger screen.

Research shows people want a 6 inch iPhone because Apple are getting off their asses and testing it https://www.macrumors.com/2013/09/0...with-six-inch-screens-not-expected-this-year/

 

[mellofello]

Microsoft, black berry, and nokia were complacent a decade ago. They could easily just coast along on their existing properties. What could possibly go wrong?

 

[mellofello]

 

[jakeOSX]

i see these posts often. and as a gadget geek myself, let me ask OP a question: what is it you think the iphone is missing?

mostly I have heard 'screen size', which to me is asthetic. someone may want a 6-inch phone. i don't. so when you say they aren't innovating, then what are you asking? what are you thinking that the iphone should have?

personally, i think the front facing camera is a crime, it should be at least as good as the iphone4's camera at this point. but that's not innovation, that's just preference.

is it because the body looks the same? we need to change the appearance every few months to be 'innovative'? i think the iphone 4 was amazing looking, and prefer it over the 5. but, again, preference.

here is something i would like. make a 'documents' gallery, like we currently have a photo gallery. let me keep PDF's, docs, pages files, whatever, there. and then let me access them at will by any other app. i don't need a file system, i just need to be able to edit something in my dropbox.

is THAT innovation? i doubt it. that's just applying one idea to another file type.

let Siri work better between commands. Siri, what time is the football game tonight? 'Redskins and Eagles play at 7.' Please email that to my dad. "what would you like to say to your dad?" connect those two so she knows i mean 'that' is the search she just did.

not sure that is innovation either.

so, rambling message aside, i ask again. what innovations are you searching for? what has been inovated elsewhere that you are looking for?

ps. controller API's are in iOS7, so i suspect that will show up soon.

 

[bp1000]

i agree OP but isn't being a gadget man always like this.

The iPhone was awesome when it launched and it got better pretty much each release.

Hardware evolution is much quicker than software so we have plateaued on our devices. I'm sure we will see NFC interaction and payment in the near future but apple isn't going to put this on until there is actually a demand to use it (i.e. shops have the technology to take payment, banks etc)...


I'm also the opposite of this post. I'm a "gadget man" too, i love messing with electronics, Android appealed to me because of the customisation and personalisation of their oS. HTC and Samsung have always tried to have a faster processor, more memory and bigger screen in their phones... they seem to wait until apple release their iphone then just release something bigger and better.

I began to realise this isn't really the ideal vision a gadget man looks for. When i bought the iphone i fell in love with its simplicity and attention to detail, everything has pretty much been thought through and anything missing usually quickly fixed or added. Now Android does have elements of this but everything seems thrown together without much thought.

 

[DravenGSX]

I agree with the OP here. I have been a staunch iPhone advocate since the first release and have upgraded every year since. I have spent a lot of time with jailbreaking and customizing on the phones throughout the years. I am also a "gadget guy" and an engineer in the tech industry.

I'm, frankly bored with them now. While I think that the jump to the iPhone 5 from the 4S was the most dramatic yet, it just wasn't quite enough. I don't know what the answer is or what they need to innovate to make it more interesting.

There are a few reasons why I haven't jumped to the HTC One already. First is the screen size. One handed operation is important for me. I don't want a 5" screen and I don't understand why anybody else wants to hold a phablet up to their ear to talk. These things are still phones! The second is that I'm already invested in the Apple ecosystem and share things like PhotoStream and iMessage with my family. I would miss that terribly.

Hopefully Apple has something for us today that nobody can see coming ... but I doubt it.

 

[Kurfer]

After getting my hands (hand?) on my ant's new iPad mini, I buy the one-hand argument much more. I'm typing this with my iPad up against the side of a sofa. I also realize the extra weight of the regular iPad now.

I also use my iPhone plenty to read news articles while at restaurants, so I prefer to not use two hands. I would like a larger screen for bigger buttons, but I wonder if I would miss the one-handed use.

I'd say its all a toss-up because of how different people like us are from the crowd that really really won't care about the 5S having an A7 instead of an A6. That crowd buys A LOT of phones.

If you're complaining about the weight of an iPad you need to do less Internet and more exercise. Seriously get your ass to the gym and lift some heavy ass weights that's embarrassing you should be ashamed of yourself. It's time to box up those my little ponies and become a man.

 

[suprakc]

Apple Treading Water

No there not. You're jealous because you just signed a new contract with some lame galaxy device and your looking for relief.

 

[Fireblade]

"S" stands for "S"ame.

 

[takeshi74]

Apple is no longer designing phones for us. They are making phones for everyone.

They always have made phones for everyone. Nothing has changed except your perception. If they couldn't market to the masses then they would actually be treading water.

Microsoft, black berry, and nokia were complacent a decade ago. They could easily just coast along on their existing properties. What could possibly go wrong?

...and that's a tired old argument made against every company out there on every discussion forum out there. Where are the numbers that back your claim that Apple is treading water? So far all we have is hyperbole and your preference.

 

[mantan]

It's called 'feeding the monster'.

Apple is more concerned (rightfully so for their shareholders) in continuing to find new markets to sell products. The idea that the iPhone is a 'special' device as the OP suggested is laughable. Apple was more interested in hooking kids (and mom/dad) with 8 gig iPhones and (now the 5c)...it's volume, not niche.

While the OP and his group of buddies may not be interested - my 16 year old daughter and all theri freinds can't wait to get a 5c. Apple sees is things in terms of units sold...not just trying to appeal to a 'hip' audience....

 

[intentional]

Just think. In about 200 days from now, this iPhone, everyone will have forgotten about.

 

[Preed08]

LOL at dude saying hes a musician, yet uses android ...
ANy musician worth their beans would know that the iOS is a killer mobile music solution..