Phones How does Apple do this?

[b166er]

Most companies do this. Look at the 2013 version of a car VS the 2012.

Simply put, millions of people are in the market to buy at this very second that were not interested a year ago. That will always be the case. Millions of people who bought the iPhone 5 didn't buy the 4S. A lot did, for sure, because a lot of us have phone ADD and buying a phone is a lot cheaper than buying a car, but you get my point.

At any given moment there will be millions waiting, cash in hand (or willing to rack up credit card debt), that weren't ready during your last release. Doesn't matter if you're selling phones, fridges, TV's, or much anything else.

 

[Night Spring]

]Yea I get that. They are not going to make 3 different iphones one that is good, one that middle of the pack, and one budget friendly. They know better than that I will agree with that. I just don't they they take enough the chances and play it way to conservative with updating the iphone. Why can't they change the design each year? As I have stated before they have the following to do this.

They could, but they don't have to. People are still buying iPhones in record numbers even in the "S" years. And as other posters have pointed out, not changing the design every year saves Apple money. Why should they change a strategy that is working?

But perhaps you are thinking that if Apple did change designs every year, they might sell even more phones than they do now. That could very well be. But I'm kind of glad that they don't do that. I mean, it's good to step away from a mentality of having to upgrade your phone every year. My iPhone 5 is working perfectly well, and it'll continue to work well for another year, or even two. If the 5S has a feature I really want, then I'll upgrade, but if not, there's no pressure to upgrade just to get the latest design. I think it's great that a company is willing to not do that extra shove to get users to upgrade. Well, sometimes they do a shove by adding software features, like the 4S getting Siri when the 4 didn't. Fortunately we had the 3S and had skipped the 4, so that was a no-brainer for us! And then when the 5 came out, I was going to skip it, but my partner decided he wanted to upgrade, and once I held one in my hand, I had to have it.

But the point is, whether the next iPhone is a 5S or 6, we don't HAVE TO upgrade. Sometimes we do, and sometimes we don't. And not having to go through the drama each year of upgrading phones -- well, I'm glad whenever Apple makes the decision to skip a year easier.

 

[bmac4]

the big carries all offer it ..at&t/sprint/Verizon. For $199 plus an upgrade fee of $250 and extending out another 2 years, they will let you upgrade an iPhone every year. At&t let's you keep your unlimited plan when doing this. Verizon makes you pay full retail to keep unlimited.

Yea that is what I thought.

 

[Fernandez21]

Yes there are iphones everywhere on contract, but why do you think carriers like At&t offer a $250 fee to upgrade early on iphone rather than make you pay full price. No other phone maker let's you do that. Apple knows a lot of people upgrade early and they want to cater to those people.

Um, that offer isn't exclusive to apple devices, it's at&t's standard early upgrade fee and can be used with whichever device you want. Also, at&t is the only one that does that.

 

[bmac4]

Um, that offer isn't exclusive to apple devices, it's at&t's standard early upgrade fee and can be used with whichever device you want. Also, at&t is the only one that does that.

Some one just pointed out that Sprint and Verizon do the same thing. Also I have tried on several occasions to upgrade early on other devices and At&t says that the iphone is the only device they allow that on.

 

[ChrisTX]

What carrier are you on?

AT&T

the big carries all offer it ..at&t/sprint/Verizon. For $199 plus an upgrade fee of $250 and extending out another 2 years, they will let you upgrade an iPhone every year. At&t let's you keep your unlimited plan when doing this. Verizon makes you pay full retail to keep unlimited.

I guess I just never looked, or thought to ask.

 

[Fernandez21]

Some one just pointed out that Sprint and Verizon do the same thing. Also I have tried on several occasions to upgrade early on other devices and At&t says that the iphone is the only device they allow that on.

Huh, that's weird. I've been offered early upgrades before on other phones, just this past summer I was offered an early upgrade on any phone and that they would waive the $250 of anything other than an iPhone.

Also never knew the other carriers started doing that too.

 

[bmac4]

Huh, that's weird. I've been offered early upgrades before on other phones, just this past summer I was offered an early upgrade on any phone and that they would waive the $250 of anything other than an iPhone.

Also never knew the other carriers started doing that too.

I just asked them a month ago if they would upgrade me early for the note 2, and they told me I would have to pay full price if I wanted it. They said I could get the early for $250 more.

 

[mattopotamus]

Um, that offer isn't exclusive to apple devices, it's at&t's standard early upgrade fee and can be used with whichever device you want. Also, at&t is the only one that does that.

It use to not be iphone exclusive, but it is now. They will only let you upgrade early to an iphone. Now if you are within 6 months of being able to upgrade there is some wiggle room, but the $250 upgrade fee is exclusive to the iphone on ATT

 

[Fernandez21]

It use to not be iphone exclusive, but it is now. They will only let you upgrade early to an iphone. Now if you are within 6 months of being able to upgrade there is some wiggle room, but the $250 upgrade fee is exclusive to the iphone on ATT

Interesting. I did not know that, thanks.

 

[Ungibbed]

I like the S models because its like a perfected version of the non S with better software.

Look at the 4 vs 4S vs 5 software wise. The 4S got Siri, the 4 didn't. Then the 5 came out and got navigation and the 4S did as well. Actually the 4S got all the software the 5 has.

A slightly taller screen and LTE. Easy for me to pass on. I'll likely get the 5S depending on software upgrades.

I still had a 3G for AT&T for my personal phone while my work phone was my trusty BlackBerry 9700 on T-Mobile.

My brother in law waited in line to get the 3GS and so we compared. Many advantages of the 3GS were under the hood with video recoding and editing as well as a 32GB model. The other change was the controls for volume on the headset and overall speed improvement in operation and games. The real advantage the 3GS had was a autofocus camera which should have been on the 3G since my BlackBerry was killing my old 3G when it came to various needs for autofocus with a LED flash.

We both had Wild West Pinball and his played like butter and my old 3G had the occasional stutter making it more difficult to plan a shot for hitting various goals.

The iPhone 4 came and went while I was exited about the new display and better camera but I waited for the 4S and was very glad I did. All the under the hood improvements and a 8MP rear camera with HDR, much faster graphics chip and improved antenna design.

As much as I want the iPhone 5, T-Mobile model with the AWS 1700 MHz band for 4G speeds, I can't help but wait to see how the 5s will improve upon the original iPhone 5.

Either way, the moment you buy a new phone it's already obsolete out of the box in most cases. The 4S has been a great phone with a nicely balanced CPU and GPU and iOS updates that still make it a viable phone but for those who must feel the need to have the latest device would be smart to wait with the latest game Apple has been playing with its consumers.

iPad S models next?

 

[bmac4]

I still had a 3G for AT&T for my personal phone while my work phone was my trusty BlackBerry 9700 on T-Mobile.

My brother in law waited in line to get the 3GS and so we compared. Many advantages of the 3GS were under the hood with video recoding and editing as well as a 32GB model. The other change was the controls for volume on the headset and overall speed improvement in operation and games. The real advantage the 3GS had was a autofocus camera which should have been on the 3G since my BlackBerry was killing my old 3G when it came to various needs for autofocus with a LED flash.

We both had Wild West Pinball and his played like butter and my old 3G had the occasional stutter making it more difficult to plan a shot for hitting various goals.

The iPhone 4 came and went while I was exited about the new display and better camera but I waited for the 4S and was very glad I did. All the under the hood improvements and a 8MP rear camera with HDR, much faster graphics chip and improved antenna design.

As much as I want the iPhone 5, T-Mobile model with the AWS 1700 MHz band for 4G speeds, I can't help but wait to see how the 5s will improve upon the original iPhone 5.

Either way, the moment you buy a new phone it's already obsolete out of the box in most cases. The 4S has been a great phone with a nicely balanced CPU and GPU and iOS updates that still make it a viable phone but for those who must feel the need to have the latest device would be smart to wait with the latest game Apple has been playing with its consumers.

iPad S models next?

I just think Apple should make the original designed phone better with half the improvements that they give the s model. They already have the bigger processor why did they not use it in the iPhone 5? I just feel like they hold back on stuff so they can put it in the S model.

 

[adnbek]

As we all get prepared to see Apple reveal a new iPhone, and most of us believe it will be the 5s. I have a question. How does Apple sell millions upon millions of iphones, and then a year later release an S model that sales millions upon millions? No other phone manufacturer does this. The S model is aways just a spec bump with a couple of features Apple says the old phone can't do. Last year we had Siri that no other Apple device had at the time. I am a huge tech guy that loves having the latest and greatest, but even when I had my iphone 3g I saw no reason to get the 3gs. I waited until the 4 came out. Now someone in the forum told me that the only reason they has the S models was because there old iphones broke and were out of warranty. I can understand that upgrade.

Beyond the fact that the phone looks just like the older model. If you are like me with At&t you have to pay the upgrade fee plus $250 to upgrade early to an iphone. I just cannot see paying $450 on contract each year for an S model.

No other phone manufacturers have this practice. They always give us a bit of design up at the least. Let's look at the galaxy phones. Each galaxy S model has been a design change, and up until the S4 it has been a pretty big one. I understand none of these phones are as popular as the iphone, but still the companies that make them at least update the look of the phone.

Why does Apple do this? What makes you guys that do upgrade each year want to have the new S model? It kind of makes me think Apple holds out on some of the specs on the first redesign model, and them puts it all into the S model. Makes people want a new phone. I like Apple and understand a lot of what they do with the iphone, but this just kind of blows my mind. I guess more so the customers that buy into this than Apple. Apple is selling millions of each of these iphones why would they stop making S models?

I believe most people upgrade every 2 generations. Some go from 3G to 4 to 5, others go from the 3Gs to 4s to 5s. Nothing surprising about that.

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I just think Apple should make the original designed phone better with half the improvements that they give the s model. They already have the bigger processor why did they not use it in the iPhone 5? I just feel like they hold back on stuff so they can put it in the S model.

Every tech company has newer tech already in the pipeline to use on their later products. This isn't unique to Apple. And some is deliberate while some is simply a cost issue.

You're only now realizing this? And why does it bother you? Since it's so predictable, why not just only buy the S models and ignore the first releases?

 

[bmac4]

I believe most people upgrade every 2 generations. Some go from 3G to 4 to 5, others go from the 3Gs to 4s to 5s. Nothing surprising about that.

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Every tech company has newer tech already in the pipeline to use on their later products. This isn't unique to Apple. And some is deliberate while some is simply a cost issue.

You're only now realizing this? And why does it bother you? Since it's so predictable, why not just only buy the S models and ignore the first releases?

Good question. I guess I always get excited about the new design and don't think about the fact that the S model is always going to going to be the better model,and I would say the model that Apple should have released the first time. I do understand they can't release everything in the first model, but why not reward the people that buy the first model with feature that the S model get? It seems like the new design is just catching up with the last S model. There is really never anything new added to the new design.

 

[adnbek]

Good question. I guess I always get excited about the new design and don't think about the fact that the S model is always going to going to be the better model,and I would say the model that Apple should have released the first time. I do understand they can't release everything in the first model, but why not reward the people that buy the first model with feature that the S model get? It seems like the new design is just catching up with the last S model. There is really never anything new added to the new design.

I honestly don't know where you're going here with these 2 sentences. You say why can't the first model get what the S model will get. Exactly what's the point of the S model then?

You're not making any sense to me especially with that 2nd sentence. Every generation comes with a spec bump. The 3GS got a spec bump from the 3G, the 4 got a spec bump from the 3GS, the 4S got a spec bump from the 4.

So what exactly do you mean by "nothing new" with the first models? They come with spec bumps the same way the S models do, so define "nothing new" because I'm not getting it.

 

[bmac4]

I honestly don't know where you're going here with these 2 sentences. You say why can't the first model get what the S model will get. Exactly what's the point of the S model then?

You're not making any sense to me especially with that 2nd sentence. Every generation comes with a spec bump. The 3GS got a spec bump from the 3G, the 4 got a spec bump from the 3GS, the 4S got a spec bump from the 4.

So what exactly do you mean by "nothing new" with the first models? They come with spec bumps the same way the S models do, so define "nothing new" because I'm not getting it.

OK so what I am saying is. Look at the iPhone 4. Good phone, but the 4S was much better. It added siri which the iPhone 5 got as well. What I am saying is the S models always seem to get the new features, and the new design model gets spec bumps, but no exclusive features. The S model always gets what the new model has. Why can't the new design have exclusives?

 

[Night Spring]

OK so what I am saying is. Look at the iPhone 4. Good phone, but the 4S was much better. It added siri which the iPhone 5 got as well. What I am saying is the S models always seem to get the new features, and the new design model gets spec bumps, but no exclusive features. The S model always gets what the new model has. Why can't the new design have exclusives?

I think maybe because marketing wise, the new design *is* the "exclusive." S models get new features to entice people to upgrade. New design is already an enticement, so no need to further back that up with exclusive features.

 

[bmac4]

I think maybe because marketing wise, the new design *is* the "exclusive." S models get new features to entice people to upgrade. New design is already an enticement, so no need to further back that up with exclusive features.

Yes I guess so, but with the design of the iPhone 4 and 4s not being that much different than the 5 it was not that big of an exclusive to me. I do understand what Apple is doing. I just wish that they would push the limits more than just an S model. With the sales the way they are I guess they don't have to.

 

[bmac4]

The answer to this question is very simple:

The vast majority of smartphone owners upgrade when their carrier allows them, which is generally every 18 months or so - therefore Apple is targeting all those who have had a 4S for almost two years with the 5S.

Those who upgrade every year (those who would be on the 5 after having a 4S) are doing so for various reasons, so Apple gets them as well.

There are more than enough iPhone users in these targets without catering to those who are upgrading on the 3G - 4 - 5 cycle.

This could change in the future, but I don't see any issue with the way it is now. It's not like there are any HUGE hardware features that MUST be added ASAP.....

As others have mentioned, it also likely saves Apple some money and helps supply line efficiency (even though generally every iPhone model is tweaked quite a bit internally - from new components, to different arrangements etc.).

You may think they are using the same components/design, but they aren't.

so I know this has nothing to do with this quote, but I know we have had this discussion before. I saw the gizmodo and Engadget reviews of the HTC One today. Seemed to have a lot of good things to say. Seemed they limed the battery too which was what I was worried about with that phone.

With that said it seems this year is going to bring some brilliant android devices. We both know what Apple is going to bring to the table with the iPhone 5s. The iPhone 5s will most likely be one of the fastest devices if not the fastest. I am pumped to see what happens, and think android is really bring it. I have you read the reviews? You think these android phones can ready do some sales number damage?

Oh and btw got my nexus 4 today.

 

[jrswizzle]

so I know this has nothing to do with this quote, but I know we have had this discussion before. I saw the gizmodo and Engadget reviews of the HTC One today. Seemed to have a lot of good things to say. Seemed they limed the battery too which was what I was worried about with that phone.

With that said it seems this year is going to bring some brilliant android devices. We both know what Apple is going to bring to the table with the iPhone 5s. The iPhone 5s will most likely be one of the fastest devices if not the fastest. I am pumped to see what happens, and think android is really bring it. I have you read the reviews? You think these android phones can ready do some sales number damage?

Oh and btw got my nexus 4 today.

The GS4 will undoubtedly be a sales success - and I hope HTC gets the credit they deserve by way of great sales for the HTC One (my future Android of choice).

I agree - I think there are plenty of great smartphones out there, and the average consumer wouldn't go wrong choosing any of them. The key is to find what fits your work flow and use case the best.

 

[bmac4]

The GS4 will undoubtedly be a sales success - and I hope HTC gets the credit they deserve by way of great sales for the HTC One (my future Android of choice).

I agree - I think there are plenty of great smartphones out there, and the average consumer wouldn't go wrong choosing any of them. The key is to find what fits your work flow and use case the best.

I am just glad android is getting their act together. I want to see Apple pushed more have to work for sales. I am not saying Apple did not have to work hard to make a great iPhone, but you and me both know android up until last year did not have a phone that came close to competing with the iPhone phone to phone.

Going with why I created this thread. Maybe if these android phones can bring it. Apple may need to do just a little more each year with the iPhone. Keep people excited cause as these android phones get better and better it will be harder for Apple.

 

[jrswizzle]

I am just glad android is getting their act together. I want to see Apple pushed more have to work for sales. I am not saying Apple did not have to work hard to make a great iPhone, but you and me both know android up until last year did not have a phone that came close to competing with the iPhone phone to phone.

Going with why I created this thread. Maybe if these android phones can bring it. Apple may need to do just a little more each year with the iPhone. Keep people excited cause as these android phones get better and better it will be harder for Apple.

Sales-wise, I don't think Android will have a phone that can go toe-to-toe with the iPhone this year either....

But as a whole, Android has been leading for quite some time. I'm not at all surprised. Samsung also has been the top Smartphone maker (at least in the US) since 2008....

People that have this "sky if falling" mentality when a report is released and Apple isn't at the top aren't really living in reality. They will never be on top - have the most market share.

 

[onthecouchagain]

I think a lot of this obsession with the alarmist attitude toward Apple is in some hope that they'll start innovating again, start playing a faster game, start offering people a little more freedom, and a little more choice.

Pointing out the competition catching up and/or surpassing them is not to mock them. Not for me anyway. I hope Apple never fails or finds their past ruin. I don't think they will, honestly.

But the point is, for Apple to wake up and react to what's happening. People want or are starting to want larger phones. Give us a choice. People want or are starting to want a deeper and more dynamic operating system. Truly make the world's most advance mobile OS advance.

That's what I hope the message is. It is to me, anyway.

 

[jrswizzle]

I think a lot of this obsession with the alarmist attitude toward Apple is in some hope that they'll start innovating again, start playing a faster game, start offering people a little more freedom, and a little more choice.

Pointing out the competition catching up and/or surpassing them is not to mock them. Not for me anyway. I hope Apple never fails or finds their past ruin. I don't think they will, honestly.

But the point is, for Apple to wake up and react to what's happening. People want or are starting to want larger phones. Give us a choice. People want or are starting to want a deeper and more dynamic operating system. Truly make the world's most advance mobile OS advance.

That's what I hope the message is. It is to me, anyway.

But what has Apple REALLY innovated? People always say that "Apple needs to start innovating again"....what does innovation even mean?

Apple took a concept (smartphone) and made it common. In the sense they revolutionized an industry - they innovated. So what do people expect now? Has Samsung revolutionized the industry? How so?

I think the cry for Apple to "innovate again" is based on a faulty definition of innovation. What people want is something different to keep their attention. Apple hasn't done much to "change the look/feel" of the iPhone, so people are bored and move on to something new/different. The consumer is fickle...

So if Apple were to completely change the look/feel of the iPhone and get people excited about it again, would that be innovation? Depends....but changing it for the sake of changing it wouldn't......

I don't think we will see another "iPhone" like innovation in the smartphone industry anytime soon - or maybe at all. Another industry will pop up and take over the tasks we used to use smartphones for. The only device that has come close to having an "iPhone-like" affect on the industry has been the Note series and the rise of the phablet/subsequent clamoring for larger screens - but even that is somewhat a niche in that not everyone wants a device that large.

Then again, I have a very specific and grandiose definition of "innovation" that requires changing the way EVERYONE does something - not just a few.

 

[bmac4]

Sales-wise, I don't think Android will have a phone that can go toe-to-toe with the iPhone this year either....

But as a whole, Android has been leading for quite some time. I'm not at all surprised. Samsung also has been the top Smartphone maker (at least in the US) since 2008....

People that have this "sky if falling" mentality when a report is released and Apple isn't at the top aren't really living in reality. They will never be on top - have the most market share.

Oh I know no android phone alone will fight toe to toe with the iphone, but with the phones coming out there is a lot of hope for android. I don't think Apple is going away or falling. I just think this might be the first year they have some true competition, and they better big their A game.

I guess what I am saying is the S model is enough this year, but I am not sure if that can continue to be enough.