iOS 11 a foreshadow of an underwhelming 10 year iPhone release?

[rtomyj]

I was more excited for iOS to be discussed during WWDC than any previous iOS. There has been so much hype about "iPhone 8" and what could be of it, that I thought for sure we'd be blown away with Apple FINALLY modernizing the OS. I get it, it works, but each passing year iOS lags further and further behind Android's feature list.

After watching the keynote and seeing what Apple has up its sleeves for iOS 11, I'm a bit skeptical that the iPhone 8 (or whatever they'll call it this fall) will live up to the hype that people are making it out to be. For three years now, Apple has delivered consistently unremarkable updates to iPhone. If this year's iOS preview is any indication of what's coming, I think we're all in for a disappointing September\October.

I hope I'm wrong.

One of androids new features coming next month is Notification Badges... I think Apple is fine and shouldn't be worried.
[doublepost=1497459718][/doublepost]

Do you take that approach to everything in life? If you're unhappy with politics in the country, do you move to another country, or try to push for change (vote)? If you're dissatisfied with your job, do you just quit, or do you go to your boss and ask for more challenge\change? If you check into a hotel and the room doesn't have something you want in it, do you just leave the hotel, or do you talk to the front desk?

The "if you don't like it, go away" argument is tired and silly. Get some new material. If you don't hold the makers of the products you buy to a standard, what incentive do they have to improve on a product? Competition drives the market, but consumers ultimately have to have expectations, or the competition will fill the customers' wants.

But thanks for your utterly amazing response. It contributed so so much.

I think moving from one phone to another is easier than any of those. If it doesn't work for you leave and be happy somewhere else.

 

[LoveToMacRumors]

I was more excited for iOS to be discussed during WWDC than any previous iOS. There has been so much hype about "iPhone 8" and what could be of it, that I thought for sure we'd be blown away with Apple FINALLY modernizing the OS. I get it, it works, but each passing year iOS lags further and further behind Android's feature list.

After watching the keynote and seeing what Apple has up its sleeves for iOS 11, I'm a bit skeptical that the iPhone 8 (or whatever they'll call it this fall) will live up to the hype that people are making it out to be. For three years now, Apple has delivered consistently unremarkable updates to iPhone. If this year's iOS preview is any indication of what's coming, I think we're all in for a disappointing September\October.

I hope I'm wrong.

Apple is going to give Dark mode exclusively for iPhone 8, and it will excuse all the bad decisions for the previous IOS..

 

[swarlos]

One of androids new features coming next month is Notification Badges... I think Apple is fine and shouldn't be worried.

LMAO yeah oh what a new and exciting feature!!! /s

If you ask me Android O is way more underwhelming then iOS 11. If you go to the Android developer page and look at the major features for O it’s only four, FOUR!

Notification channels
PIP
Autofill
Adaptive Icons

Plus the other tiny little APIs

But that’s it! LOL. Wow so impressive

Oh oh yeah forgot they added the battery percentage next to the battery man what progress and innovation!

 

[Lobwedgephil]

Do you take that approach to everything in life? If you're unhappy with politics in the country, do you move to another country, or try to push for change (vote)? If you're dissatisfied with your job, do you just quit, or do you go to your boss and ask for more challenge\change? If you check into a hotel and the room doesn't have something you want in it, do you just leave the hotel, or do you talk to the front desk?

The "if you don't like it, go away" argument is tired and silly. Get some new material. If you don't hold the makers of the products you buy to a standard, what incentive do they have to improve on a product? Competition drives the market, but consumers ultimately have to have expectations, or the competition will fill the customers' wants.

But thanks for your utterly amazing response. It contributed so so much.

You are complaining about being bored with iOS because you can't put the icons where you want or a weather widget on your home screen. Thankfully their is a product that allows you to do that, you don't have to switch countries, or post long mindless posts complaining about it, you can easily switch to the product that seems like it will work much better for you and your boredom.

Do I wish iOS had some more features, of course, everyone does and everyone want to see continued improvement and evolvement of the ecosystem. You bash improvements that apple makes as not for you, that is fine. "If you don't hold the makers of the products you buy to a standard, what incentive do they have to improve on a product?" So you think that your posts hold Apple to a standard and will change things, good luck.

There is a difference between wanted a product to improve and mentioning where you think improvements could be made, and your approach.

 

[red41]

OP in this thread: "Stop liking the things I don't like!!!"

 

[electronicsguy]

The people who complain about the same thing year after year, certainly do not think Apple listens to them, online or through the feedback tool.

Well we don't have any scientific evidence, it's just hearsay. maybe apple did hear their complaints, but decided not to change it for their own reasons. there are many things that people have been saying that Apple has implemented. for example: flac support

 

[CTHarrryH]

I'll bet if you added up the new or changed features already in IOS11 it is probably among the largest list. Many, many changes - some may not yet be available on the phone.
But what do people complain about - the look of the icons and arrangement of icons. Do you folks buy a fancy looking watch that doesn't tell time?

 

[Michael Goff]

I happen to think iOS 11 had some great, needed, changes. Everything I expected if they can fix the bugs.

 

[KittyKatta]

I can't think of any releases in the past which have been even a small surprise when it comes to final release. If Apple were to do anything even remotely "big" it would negate the whole purpose of 4 months of developer releases so developers could ready their apps.

IOS 11 is one of the biggest surprises that Apple has ever made. Not because anything in there is groundbreaking (or even logical), but because Apple actually showed some support to a long ignored platform.

So, the chances of a real “surprise” between now and iPhone 8 just isnt going to happen. Apple just isnt that kind of company.

 

[kmj2318]

I'm not sure I see the logic

 

[kerrikins]

If this year's iOS preview is any indication of what's coming, I think we're all in for a disappointing September\October.

I hope I'm wrong.

Apple tends to alternate focusing on hardware and software. iOS 7 was launched alongside the iPhone 5C and 5S, small bumps to the hardware line while the software completely changed. This year we're looking at a fairly big update to the hardware but modest changes to the software.

 

[C DM]

Apple tends to alternate focusing on hardware and software. iOS 7 was launched alongside the iPhone 5C and 5S, small bumps to the hardware line while the software completely changed. This year we're looking at a fairly big update to the hardware but modest changes to the software.

Many would say that 5s was quite a significant hardware bump, even though externally not as much changed (although even there TouchID was kind of a big thing too). In other respects, despite iOS 7 bringing a new look to the OS, quite a few would say that iOS 8 potentially brought more changes as far as how it opened up iOS compared to what it was like up until then, it's just that those changes weren't as immediately visible on the surface compared to a UI redesign.

 

[jonnyb098]

I can't think of any releases in the past which have been even a small surprise when it comes to final release. If Apple were to do anything even remotely "big" it would negate the whole purpose of 4 months of developer releases so developers could ready their apps.

Hmmmm....they hid force touch on the 6S from iOS betas, as they did with the amazing 7 plus camera. What exactly do you need this year to knock your socks off?

 

[C DM]

I can't think of any releases in the past which have been even a small surprise when it comes to final release. If Apple were to do anything even remotely "big" it would negate the whole purpose of 4 months of developer releases so developers could ready their apps.

Siri, TouchID, 3D Touch, ...

 

[tjleonard]

Let me get this straight...this entire thread about Apple and iOS features, and the only "feature" pointed out is a vague "customization" in its settings?

I am bigger on hardware right now. An S8 looks beautiful, but I don't want to switch because I prefer iOS. I only think about it for the hardware.

 

[jeremiah256]

A young bull and an old bull are on the top of a hill. Below, there are 100's of cows grazing. The young bull says, "Hey, let's run down there and get a cow!" The old bull says, "No, let's walk down and get them all."

Apple has proven time and time again to be that old bull. Have I been disappointed now and again? Yes. but in my almost decade relationship with Apple, they are easily hitting the 90% mark in providing a great user experience and meeting my requirements. They take their sweet time doing it, but in the end, I'm pretty happy with the solution they've come up with.

They solved UI issues with mp3 players. They provided geeks access to a user friendly Unix computer that didn't look like a slab of concrete. They solved the problems with smartphones not working well with the internet. They provided a computing device that was so simple to use, I wouldn't doubt siblings joined together to 'Office Space' their parents old PCs due to the "honey, how do you..." service calls they used to receive. I just replaced a non-Apple wireless headset with BeatsX and my god was the user experience simple.

So you will find many here that don't agree that Apple is stagnant. I've been with them since the original iPod and the iBook G3. And WWDC 2017 was in the top three WWDCs I've ever watched.

 

[epca12]

They could announce software features with the release of the iPhone 8, they've done it with hardware in the past

 

[martint235]

I never understand these threads. Does my phone work? Yes. Does it do what I want it to do? Yes. Will IOS11 be better than IOS10? Almost certainly. Will I therefore be disappointed? No.

If your phone doesn't do what you want it to do and there is another phone that does, it is really simple to switch (it's not comparable to moving country because you don't like the Govt). And if so many people want the features you're craving and they all switch to the other phone, Apple will be more likely to take notice than just cos someone complains on a forum.

 

[EM2013]

I never understand these threads. Does my phone work? Yes. Does it do what I want it to do? Yes. Will IOS11 be better than IOS10? Almost certainly. Will I therefore be disappointed? No.

If your phone doesn't do what you want it to do and there is another phone that does, it is really simple to switch (it's not comparable to moving country because you don't like the Govt). And if so many people want the features you're craving and they all switch to the other phone, Apple will be more likely to take notice than just cos someone complains on a forum.

It's as simple as that.

 

[stulaw11]

You are not being very specific. I have both a Pixel and GS8+ on my desk, I don't see what customizations you're so concerned about? I find ARKit, the iPad improvements, and apps on my iPhone 7+ to be leaps and bounds better than anything on my Android phones. I spend most of the time inside apps, so having a 4 by X grid to not be an issue. I use spotlight get to most apps, find it far more efficient. What are you, SPECIFICALLY, hoping they add/change?

I agree Ive played the grass is greener game with the GS5 back in the day and it was not greener. It cured the boredom factor but introduced a host of other issues like monitoring running apps like a hawk so they did not suck RAM and battery, bugs, rooting, freezes/restarts, etc.

The grass may be greener for boredom but certainly not for daily use to have something reliable. Get a cheap Android tablet (the 8" HD) to tinker with on the side, you can root and load new versions of stock android via XDA even on the cheap Amazon Fire tablets for about $79 right now. Not loosing much once you realize the grass is not greener.

But this convo has been beaten to death over the years already, and posting on Macrumors is not going to make Apple blink to change.

 

[robbietop]

I was worried about the 7 being underwhelming given how 10 had basic 3D Touch enhancements and added Siri support for third party apps.
But then they announced the actual hardware and I realized that a new speaker system, enhanced Taptic engine, and dedication to wireless connections has been a far better reaching feature use by me than the iMessage or Siri stuff in iOS 10.
I honestly think Apple is hiding some new software feature with the new hardware coming. Maybe the iPhone will get true multitasking or drag and drop at the Apple Fall Announcement. We could be seeing deeper integration of Watch and Phone Touch ID into Mac OS as well as maybe even opening Touch ID up with a Secure Enclave/Wallet API Kit.

Plus, with the A11 chip most certainly building on the already ridiculous A10, we could see the iPhone actually outperform a Core i3 or even low end i5 this year. That opens all the iPad enhancements from the 10.5 to the phone.

I see ProMotion 120hz auto-rating refresh displays on OLED with HDR. The Phone has been built up as the ultimate reaching of the iPhone 2g's vision ten years ago.

This is the year when Apple can truly say that the iPhone and iPad have eclipsed the PC and have begun to reach their full potential as the personal computer of Star Trek and Star Wars. And With AR Kit, God knows what else is coming in the iPhone 8.

It's underwhelming because everything leaks. Think about if we had no idea what was coming. Zero leaks. That's why Apple is claimed to "not innovate" anymore. It's really hard to "innovate" when your innovation leaks 9 months before you announce it.

As an engineer, i was always told innovation is perception. As long as no one expects it, you've innovated.

 

[chriscrowlee]

Siri, TouchID, 3D Touch, ...

10 years, 3 features, wow.

 

[Racineur]

Agreed. Did they watch a different presentation? I was really impressed. Finally a file browser. Multitasking improved. If all you want is customization for coloring and stuff, you are never going to get that with Apple. Look at the Mac. You can't change the themes or colors to near the degree you can with Windows and Linux.

I used to root and jailbreak. I have had so many Android phones, etc. Now that I am needing my stuff to just work the same way every day and I have plenty to do, I don't want/need to change colors/icons/etc. If you do, Apple will never be for you. They don't want to deal with that level of customization in any of their operating systems. Not iOS, macOS, tvOS, etc.

Well said. I understand the customization buzz but I have the same message for its devotees: there's an Os tailored for you and you know his name. DaveOP sums it all when he says "I don't want/need to change colors/icons/etc. If you do, Apple will never be for you. They don't want to deal with that level of customization in any of their operating systems"

 

[CTHarrryH]

People forget things like a faster processor, more RAM, higher resolution screen, better camera, etc. We don't really have any idea what will be in the new iPhones or what all of IOS11 contains.

 

[Racineur]

People forget things like a faster processor, more RAM, higher resolution screen, better camera, etc. We don't really have any idea what will be in the new iPhones or what all of IOS11 contains.

Right. That's why I think it's time to remove the word "phone" from these devices. The ability to place a call is now one among all the other functions. Now, taking pictures, doing Facebook and sending messages is the prime use for these devices. When was the last time you read a review of a smartphone including voice clarity, quality of the sound. Samsung get it right when naming its phones.