Apple not leading anymore?

[Kulfon]

It is very hard to write a post that will convey my true intent as for many people anything that is said against apple is pure negativity. I will do my best, because I am not here for flames.
I have many Apple products:
1. 15 " MBP 2016 that is maxed out
2. iPad Pro 10,5"
3. iPhone 6s

I have to say that I am worried for apple products, hardware to be precise. The new MBP is a step backwards. Performance wise it is no better than 2016 but it has no ports and I am in pain when I see people with dongles. It is so unatural, so un-Apple. Typically Apple was about aesthetics and user comfort. Having dongles is totally not this.

My first iPhone was 5s, which was awesome. I moved from BBerry. Then I moved to 6s, which was a great upgrade for me! I skipper the 7 as it was identical to 6s and was waiting for the new iPhone. IPhone 8 is the same design exactly. I really see no point to pay 800 usd for the same phone that will not change anything. I had massive hopes for the X, but was seriously surprised, just like in case of MBP 2017 that it is let down.
Replacing touch id (which is awesome, easy to use, intuitive, super fast, secure) to face id, which is really strange. So weird! Promise of a true edge to edge screen and yet having this ugly notch.

I have to say that Samsung (Note 8) looks more beautiful, doesn't have the notch while offering no bazels. I think Apple is not leading the pack when it comes to the hardware and design anymore. I am sure they hate the notch themselves, but as always found a way to convince a loyal crowd that it is for the good of humanity.

IPad is still the best outthere. IPhone lost it.

 

[Technarchy]

Then don't buy it...

Speak with your dollars.

 

[Kulfon]

Then don't buy it...

Speak with your dollars.

I did not Btw, not using dollars

 

[44267547]

I am sure they hate the notch themselves, but as always found a way to convince a loyal crowd that it is for the good of humanity.

You're sure that Apple hates the Notch themselves? So you believe the design behind the Notch that contains all the necessary hardware is not inspiring to Apple and they should think like you?

 

[YaBe]

Promise of a true edge to edge screen and yet having this ugly notch.

Who promised a true edge to edge screen?

 

[Kulfon]

Who promised a true edge to edge screen?

Sorry, you are right. I was not precise. They did not. It came from rumors and built false expectations, but Apple is not to blame. It is just other phones have edge to edge without the notch. It means, it is possible.
My biggest let down is no touch id
[doublepost=1507791403][/doublepost]

You're sure that Apple hates the Notch themselves? So you believe the design behind the Notch that contains all the necessary hardware is not inspiring to Apple and they should think like you?

Do you like the notch?

 

[YaBe]

Sorry, you are right. I was not precise. They did not. It came from rumors and built false expectations, but Apple is not to blame. It is just other phones have edge to edge without the notch. It means, it is possible.
My biggest let down is no touch id

I would just like people to wait and judge later, might be that 99% of issue are confirmed, but if history suggest anything, people will fell in love with the phone, face id and the notch when they start using it.... that is for nerds, for 100% of regular user is and will be a non issue now and then!

 

[Vundu]

The Note 8 has bazels top and bottom.

Who else other than Apple is offering 3D face recognition? Over the next year or so you will see all others doing it. That to me says Apple is still leading the way is some features.

 

[decafjava]

My first iPhone was 5s, which was awesome. I moved from BBerry. Then I moved to 6s, which was a great upgrade for me! I skipper the 7 as it was identical to 6s and was waiting for the new iPhone. IPhone 8 is the same design exactly. I really see no point to pay 800 usd for the same phone that will not change anything.

I wish people would stop focusing on the external design only. Not taking issue with most of your post only that point. My upgrade from the 6 to the 7 plus was massive - the 8 has big internal changes too. Honestly most of the Samsung phones look the same to me as well.

 

[Kulfon]

The Note 8 has bazels top and bottom.

Who else other than Apple is offering 3D face recognition? Over the next year or so you will see all others doing it. That to me says Apple is still leading the way is some features.

Problem is, it is the thing I hate the most, face id

 

[44267547]

Problem is, it is the thing I hate the most, face id

How is it a problem if you don't even own the product?. If you don't like it, then don't support it. You have options with various competitors and other iPhone models.

 

[Anandc]

It is very hard to write a post that will convey my true intent as for many people anything that is said against apple is pure negativity. I will do my best, because I am not here for flames.
I have many Apple products:
1. 15 " MBP 2016 that is maxed out
2. iPad Pro 10,5"
3. iPhone 6s

I have to say that I am worried for apple products, hardware to be precise. The new MBP is a step backwards. Performance wise it is no better than 2016 but it has no ports and I am in pain when I see people with dongles. It is so unatural, so un-Apple. Typically Apple was about aesthetics and user comfort. Having dongles is totally not this.

My first iPhone was 5s, which was awesome. I moved from BBerry. Then I moved to 6s, which was a great upgrade for me! I skipper the 7 as it was identical to 6s and was waiting for the new iPhone. IPhone 8 is the same design exactly. I really see no point to pay 800 usd for the same phone that will not change anything. I had massive hopes for the X, but was seriously surprised, just like in case of MBP 2017 that it is let down.
Replacing touch id (which is awesome, easy to use, intuitive, super fast, secure) to face id, which is really strange. So weird! Promise of a true edge to edge screen and yet having this ugly notch.

I have to say that Samsung (Note 8) looks more beautiful, doesn't have the notch while offering no bazels. I think Apple is not leading the pack when it comes to the hardware and design anymore. I am sure they hate the notch themselves, but as always found a way to convince a loyal crowd that it is for the good of humanity.

IPad is still the best outthere. IPhone lost it.

I understand. You had high expectations from Apple. Something from cutting edge technology. Like totally revolutionary and new. Right from iOS to Hardware. Relax and take a step back.

You are not the first one to tell me all this. All my friends have been saying the same thing. But then I asked them what do you want in a cutting edge smartphone? and nobody had any answer to it besides the design.

I agree there is a lack of design changes on iPhones. But trust me it's justified and a perfect bet of gamble played by Apple.

---

I use to buy Sony Ericsson, in fact my 1st Mobile phone was Sony Ericsson T-200. It was great until Sony split with Ericsson. Still I was using Sony because personally I loved their OS & design.
But then I had huge complaints with Android. The phone use to heat up just by using normal apps in a while. The Sony phone had 20MP but still there was no contest in front of Apple iPhones Camera. The lag after using few months on Android was a big pain and at that time iPhones were so smooth and lag free.

Finally I bought iPhone 6, I am very much late to the Apple party but I have to say, it nails down all the good damn phones in the world. The reliability is exceptional. I can trust Apple iPhones whatever feature they throw to me. Every feature of iPhones works flawless. It doesn't mislead. A 20MP camera has noise in a daylight photo and a 12MP iPhone Camera has superb clarity shows that Apple is so ahead against their competitors. I use iPhones for gaming and it just doesn't heat up at all. That same game my friend had in his Samsung Android and it heat up in 10mins.

There are many features that comes late on iPhones. Like File Manager (Finally?), Waterproof (Sony was the first one), Qi Wireless Charging (Samsung was the first one) etc. But when Apple comes with it, it's bang on. There can't be any fault. That much trust Apple has given to me. Same with the Mac, I love it. I used Windows before and when I switched to Mac like 10 years before, Wow! so flawless and amazing durability of hardware. There is quality material, great reliability no error or virus at all. There is a peace of mind with Apple.

Now coming back to your question. No company in the world will try to showcase their cutting edge technology all of it in that same year. Every business company wants to earn money. They won't bet everything and earn little while they are already investing huge amount of money specially when they buy startups company for their future features. PrimeSense was the company bought by Apple for Trudepth Technology (Face ID). It cost money.

Also The Chips that Apple make are tremendously fast (http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/new...hip-beat-samsunng-galaxy-s8-oneplus-5-1751598). In fact the A11 Bionic chip has the same speed what MacBook Pro does (https://www.macrumors.com/2017/09/13/a11-bionic-chip-geekbench-scores/) Now this is brilliant stuff.
It's like iPhone now has at least PC like Hardware and it's just a matter of time when the OS builds up to it. Also the AR requires the correct Chip to work flawless. That's why the Chips of every iPhone from 6/7/8/10 are just getting better and better. Even the battery life from 6 to 7 has been a tremendous change.

Such powerful device, Face ID which is a revolutionary feature and I'm just waiting to see how the Third Party apps are going to make use of it just like they did with Touch ID. iPhones are getting incredibly faster without having less RAM & GB compared to Android Smartphones which has 6GB RAM & etc. All are far way from iPhones when it comes to operating speed.

It shows how Apple is so much into the practical stuff rather than marketing stuff. They still use 12MP camera and there are so many Youtube videos where iPhones like iPhone SE has been used for Filming and they are just brilliant.

In short, most of the features or design you see on Android phones are just not reliable. Samsung came up with Face unlock and it was a flop. Why? because anybody could just place a photo in front of the camera and unlock the phone. But that's not with Apple. The trust, reliability, durability, quality is what Apple can only give you in this smartphone market and that I can bet on it. I've seen many Android phones and they just lack the reliability to another extent. One of the core reason is Android OS. It's an open source and it just doesn't work the way iOS does. The control of Apple over iOS has made the OS so stable and everything just works like magic.

Oh and why the same design language every time? well Android use to gamble with huge changes in it's OS before. If you go back they use to completely redesign their OS. Some use to love that fact but many thought it's just not our taste. While Apple doesn't feel like betting into this gamble. If it's working then why not just go with it. I would say this is more personal choice. I myself love changes and who doesn't but then if it works then I'm ok with it. I do feel that even iPhone X design is a lot like old iPhones, just the front is different but then again, Apple doesn't want to gamble on that part and they are more focused on features that makes the iPhone the best smartphone in the world

 

[Newtons Apple]

Threads like this show up after every new iPhone is released.

 

[Kulfon]

To be very honest, my expectations are low. Apple was for professionals in the future and it is about emoji these days see where this is going?
No ports on the new MBP which forces people to carry dongles, but they have added the emoji bar.
With the X, I would get it even with the notch, had they kept the touch id. Screen is great, camera good too. Touch id is a big selling point for me. Convenience, security.

I understand. You had high expectations from Apple. Something from cutting edge technology. Like totally revolutionary and new. Right from iOS to Hardware. Relax and take a step back.

You are not the first one to tell me all this. All my friends have been saying the same thing. But then I asked them what do you want in a cutting edge smartphone? and nobody had any answer to it besides the design.

I agree there is a lack of design changes on iPhones. But trust me it's justified and a perfect bet of gamble played by Apple.

---

I use to buy Sony Ericsson, in fact my 1st Mobile phone was Sony Ericsson T-200. It was great until Sony split with Ericsson. Still I was using Sony because personally I loved their OS & design.
But then I had huge complaints with Android. The phone use to heat up just by using normal apps in a while. The Sony phone had 20MP but still there was no contest in front of Apple iPhones Camera. The lag after using few months on Android was a big pain and at that time iPhones were so smooth and lag free.

Finally I bought iPhone 6, I am very much late to the Apple party but I have to say, it nails down all the good damn phones in the world. The reliability is exceptional. I can trust Apple iPhones whatever feature they throw to me. Every feature of iPhones works flawless. It doesn't mislead. A 20MP camera has noise in a daylight photo and a 12MP iPhone Camera has superb clarity shows that Apple is so ahead against their competitors. I use iPhones for gaming and it just doesn't heat up at all. That same game my friend had in his Samsung Android and it heat up in 10mins.

There are many features that comes late on iPhones. Like File Manager (Finally?), Waterproof (Sony was the first one), Qi Wireless Charging (Samsung was the first one) etc. But when Apple comes with it, it's bang on. There can't be any fault. That much trust Apple has given to me. Same with the Mac, I love it. I used Windows before and when I switched to Mac like 10 years before, Wow! so flawless and amazing durability of hardware. There is quality material, great reliability no error or virus at all. There is a peace of mind with Apple.

Now coming back to your question. No company in the world will try to showcase their cutting edge technology all of it in that same year. Every business company wants to earn money. They won't bet everything and earn little while they are already investing huge amount of money specially when they buy startups company for their future features. PrimeSense was the company bought by Apple for Trudepth Technology (Face ID). It cost money.

Also The Chips that Apple make are tremendously fast (http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/new...hip-beat-samsunng-galaxy-s8-oneplus-5-1751598). In fact the A11 Bionic chip has the same speed what MacBook Pro does (https://www.macrumors.com/2017/09/13/a11-bionic-chip-geekbench-scores/) Now this is brilliant stuff.
It's like iPhone now has at least PC like Hardware and it's just a matter of time when the OS builds up to it. Also the AR requires the correct Chip to work flawless. That's why the Chips of every iPhone from 6/7/8/10 are just getting better and better. Even the battery life from 6 to 7 has been a tremendous change.

Such powerful device, Face ID which is a revolutionary feature and I'm just waiting to see how the Third Party apps are going to make use of it just like they did with Touch ID. iPhones are getting incredibly faster without having less RAM & GB compared to Android Smartphones which has 6GB RAM & etc. All are far way from iPhones when it comes to operating speed.

It shows how Apple is so much into the practical stuff rather than marketing stuff. They still use 12MP camera and there are so many Youtube videos where iPhones like iPhone SE has been used for Filming and they are just brilliant.

In short, most of the features or design you see on Android phones are just not reliable. Samsung came up with Face unlock and it was a flop. Why? because anybody could just place a photo in front of the camera and unlock the phone. But that's not with Apple. The trust, reliability, durability, quality is what Apple can only give you in this smartphone market and that I can bet on it. I've seen many Android phones and they just lack the reliability to another extent. One of the core reason is Android OS. It's an open source and it just doesn't work the way iOS does. The control of Apple over iOS has made the OS so stable and everything just works like magic.

Oh and why the same design language every time? well Android use to gamble with huge changes in it's OS before. If you go back they use to completely redesign their OS. Some use to love that fact but many thought it's just not our taste. While Apple doesn't feel like betting into this gamble. If it's working then why not just go with it. I would say this is more personal choice. I myself love changes and who doesn't but then if it works then I'm ok with it. I do feel that even iPhone X design is a lot like old iPhones, just the front is different but then again, Apple doesn't want to gamble on that part and they are more focused on features that makes the iPhone the best smartphone in the world

 

[jabingla2810]

I have to say that I am worried for apple products, hardware to be precise. The new MBP is a step backwards. Performance wise it is no better than 2016 but it has no ports and I am in pain when I see people with dongles. It is so unatural, so un-Apple. Typically Apple was about aesthetics and user comfort. Having dongles is totally not this.

Promise of a true edge to edge screen and yet having this ugly notch.

I have to say that Samsung (Note 8) looks more beautiful, doesn't have the notch while offering no bazels. I think Apple is not leading the pack when it comes to the hardware and design anymore. I am sure they hate the notch themselves, but as always found a way to convince a loyal crowd that it is for the good of humanity.

IPad is still the best outthere. IPhone lost it.

Dongles are a byproduct of getting rid of old tech/IO.

Some Apple has ALWAYS done. Thats never changed, so this isnt new at all. Perhaps your opinion on it has changed though?

And Design is how something works, not how it looks, and from that point of view Apple seems to be the only phone maker taking Design seriously.

One Example: Samsung has a full screen Design, but they have replicated the home button with software.

Instead of using software to replicate a hardware button, Apple have thought about what a buttonless phone means. They have Designed the software experience to be in tune with the hardware.

Apple gets criticised for preferring Form over Function, but the Notch is an example of Function over Form. The Notch is honest design that is a by product of fitting in the hardware to make Face ID possible. They could hide the notch by making the top of the screen black, but why create a phone without bezels only to add them back with software?

 

[rctlr]

Do you mean BEZELS ?
Something like bezels does not phase me, I think it's just a fad.
The headphone socket is a bugbear for me. A decent set of bluetooth headphones are upwards of £/$/€350 and now that it's now becoming more popular to not have the socket it's a concern.

 

[Janichsan]

The new MBP is a step backwards. Performance wise it is no better than 2016 but it has no ports and I am in pain when I see people with dongles. It is so unatural, so un-Apple. Typically Apple was about aesthetics and user comfort. Having dongles is totally not this.

Still that nonsense.

Do you really all forget the first iMac from 1998? The one were Steve Jobs threw out virtually all legacy ports in favour of USB? There weren't even dongles back then. You were left with a heap of completely incompatible peripherals if you came from an older Mac.

The dongles are a minor nuisance, nothing more.

 

[Ries]

Dongles are a byproduct of getting rid of old tech/IO.

Some Apple has ALWAYS done. Thats never changed, so this isnt new at all. Perhaps your opinion on it has changed though?

And Design is how something works, not how it looks, and from that point of view Apple seems to be the only phone maker taking Design seriously.

One Example: Samsung has a full screen Design, but they have replicated the home button with software.

Instead of using software to replicate a hardware button, Apple have thought about what a buttonless phone means. They have Designed the software experience to be in tune with the hardware.

Apple gets criticised for preferring Form over Function, but the Notch is an example of Function over Form. The Notch is honest design that is a by product of fitting in the hardware to make Face ID possible. They could hide the notch by making the top of the screen black, but why create a phone without bezels only to add them back with software?

Apple sued to make fun of external stuff like dongles.

http://s.newsweek.com/sites/www.new...2011/10/1007-1013/apple-ads-fe27-hard-way.jpg

 

[Sir Ruben]

I remember when Mac's no longer had cd/dvd drives and I couldn't imagine not having one. Fast forward to 2017, I have had an iMac for 3-4 years and I have NEVER once needed nor missed not having a drive.

Also the S8 has bigger bezels top and bottom. The notch gives the iPhone X an identity now that the home button has gone. Without that there would be nothing from the front to determine what it is. Personally I like the notch even and am not bothered in the slightest by it. I don't even notice its there.

My main gripe with Apple at the moment is that they are pushing prices to the absolute maximum of what they can get away with. In the case of the iPhone X (screen aside), it doesn't really offer anything spectacular to justify such a high price tag. Their pricing models in general are designed to maximise profit, but unfortunately its to the point where it's getting too expensive and will exclude a lot of previous Apple owners. That for me goes at odds to Apple's wholesome, inclusive, love and accept everyone, politically correct image. How's about driving costs down so that as many people as possible can continue to enjoy Apple's products?

Anyway , it is what it is. I may still get the iPhone X because I am in a position to afford it and I really enjoy Apple products, but deep down I know that Apple is really beginning to take the pi$$.

 

[DNichter]

That's fine, it's an age old discussion that will never have a firm answer. Some people feel that Apple is leading when it comes to technology, some people feel Samsung is leading in innovation. Either opinion is fine. The way I see it, the only thing Apple was late on was OLED.

 

[Kulfon]

Great discussion, folks.
Here is my biggest complain. I could change my opinion, even though I do not think so, but touch id is a much more safe and convenient way. I am certain it will work much faster to unlock a phone with touch id. If they wanted to get rid of home button, they could still integrate touch it with the screen. I think it was not possible tehnically and this is why they came up with this face id. I am sure they tried to keep touch id and failed.

 

[DNichter]

How can you be so sure Touch ID is superior without even trying Face ID? Seems very shortsighted.

 

[johannnn]

It is so unatural, so un-Apple. Typically Apple was about aesthetics and user comfort. Having dongles is totally not this.

Was it user comfort when they removed the dvd drive? When they made it impossible to open up their products? When they removed the replaceable laptop battery? When they made all firewire accessories unusable? When they made all 30 pin connector accessories unusable? When they changed from magsafe to magsafe 2?
The list can be made way longer.

You give a specific example about the lack of ports on the MBP. The three first revisions of the MBA had 1 USB port. I remember because I owned it (2008/2009).

Apple wants sexy products. You will get "user comfort" if you play Apple's game. Right now it includes wireless tech (e.g. bluetooth earphones instead of wired earphones, and AirDrop/iCloud instead of USB drives/external storage drives).

IPhone 8 is the same design exactly. I really see no point to pay 800 usd for the same phone that will not change anything.

If I could define the new generation with a single word, it would be superficial. iPhone 8 is a BEAST. Ties a MBP in benchmarks.
But you don't want it because it looks the same as last years model...

 

[barkomatic]

It is very hard to write a post that will convey my true intent as for many people anything that is said against apple is pure negativity. I will do my best, because I am not here for flames.
I have many Apple products:
1. 15 " MBP 2016 that is maxed out
2. iPad Pro 10,5"
3. iPhone 6s

I have to say that I am worried for apple products, hardware to be precise. The new MBP is a step backwards. Performance wise it is no better than 2016 but it has no ports and I am in pain when I see people with dongles. It is so unatural, so un-Apple. Typically Apple was about aesthetics and user comfort. Having dongles is totally not this.

My first iPhone was 5s, which was awesome. I moved from BBerry. Then I moved to 6s, which was a great upgrade for me! I skipper the 7 as it was identical to 6s and was waiting for the new iPhone. IPhone 8 is the same design exactly. I really see no point to pay 800 usd for the same phone that will not change anything. I had massive hopes for the X, but was seriously surprised, just like in case of MBP 2017 that it is let down.
Replacing touch id (which is awesome, easy to use, intuitive, super fast, secure) to face id, which is really strange. So weird! Promise of a true edge to edge screen and yet having this ugly notch.

I have to say that Samsung (Note 8) looks more beautiful, doesn't have the notch while offering no bazels. I think Apple is not leading the pack when it comes to the hardware and design anymore. I am sure they hate the notch themselves, but as always found a way to convince a loyal crowd that it is for the good of humanity.

IPad is still the best outthere. IPhone lost it.

I think that in terms of design, Apple may be going for a signature look now that they won't change dramatically. The iPhone X to me looks like it trying to be a shiny Rolls Royce.

The iPhone X looks like a classy, beautiful phone to be sure, but purely in terms of design I agree that the Note 8 is far sleeker. The Note does have slim bezels at the top and bottom, but they don't detract from the design like the notch does on the iPhone. If they can get the fingerprint sensor under the screen in the next generation, they will be competitive with FaceID--even though FaceID is very advanced.

 

[PhoneI]

To be very honest, my expectations are low. Apple was for professionals in the future and it is about emoji these days see where this is going?
No ports on the new MBP which forces people to carry dongles, but they have added the emoji bar.
With the X, I would get it even with the notch, had they kept the touch id. Screen is great, camera good too. Touch id is a big selling point for me. Convenience, security.

I have a new Macbook Pro and I don't carry a single dongle. Hmm, maybe I'm special.