IMO Apple is in a position where it's a bit screwed at the moment. Tbh I don't blame them at all for their actions with the last two releases, because there are two things at play: caution about ruining a good thing, and a shakeup of their founder dying + a bit of complacency.
This means that they are now in the unfortunate position of being seen as 'playing catch-up'.
Apple as a company has always shown itself to be concerned about ease of use and user experience, and I think that's why they have ended up in this position as being viewed as dragging their feet. In some ways it's unfortunate - their concerns about one-handed use and comfort are perfectly legitimate, for example- something I wish more people would acknowledge. The buzz about louder screens is much louder among the tech-savvy and online than it is when you talk to the average person looking at a phone, tbh.
On the software side I am a little less forgiving, though again I do think they've been influenced by the concern about the user experience.
I'm not really surprised by the tone of the coverage - I'm going to make a bit of an odd reference, but you've only to look at Britney Spears to see that the media in general love a downfall story as much as they love a success story. A company 'on top' in terms of profit + customer service is going to be one that bloggers watch for any sign of faltering. I'll be curious to see how Apple does with the release of the next iPhone, though, because while they have a lot of opportunities for improvement, they are still unparalleled in terms of ease of use + customer service and support, and those are powerful draws for consumers.
This means that they are now in the unfortunate position of being seen as 'playing catch-up'.
Apple as a company has always shown itself to be concerned about ease of use and user experience, and I think that's why they have ended up in this position as being viewed as dragging their feet. In some ways it's unfortunate - their concerns about one-handed use and comfort are perfectly legitimate, for example- something I wish more people would acknowledge. The buzz about louder screens is much louder among the tech-savvy and online than it is when you talk to the average person looking at a phone, tbh.
On the software side I am a little less forgiving, though again I do think they've been influenced by the concern about the user experience.
I'm not really surprised by the tone of the coverage - I'm going to make a bit of an odd reference, but you've only to look at Britney Spears to see that the media in general love a downfall story as much as they love a success story. A company 'on top' in terms of profit + customer service is going to be one that bloggers watch for any sign of faltering. I'll be curious to see how Apple does with the release of the next iPhone, though, because while they have a lot of opportunities for improvement, they are still unparalleled in terms of ease of use + customer service and support, and those are powerful draws for consumers.
