Some days I feel like ditching Apple

[epicrayban]

Wouldn't surprise me since they implemented the same thing on both iPad Pro models. Not sure I see as much benefit on a smaller device but wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

Yeah, who knows. Maybe it'll be just for the Plus "Pro"?

Four is a lot, which I guess is nice. But two speakers should be standard. Something both Samsung and Apple need to figure out in their flagship smartphones. They don't necessarily have to be front firing either, in my opinion.

 

[epicrayban]

BTW, I'm not sure why some people are dismissing the importance of design. Design isn't just aesthetics. It's form factor too.

How else do you explain a comfortable to hold/use device, or the ability to fit a 5.5" screen into such a small package for a phablet? Among other things that design impacts.

Design matters. It did when Apple was the best at it. And it does now even when Apple may not be the best at it anymore. Just because the rumored iPhone 7 leaks hint that Apple isn't making as much progress in design as the competition so far has doesn't mean design is suddenly unimportant.

The fact is, the iphone has plenty of room for design improvements. It is a near 2 year design language. To see they might stretch it to three years is disappointing. Especially given what the competition is doing.

 

[gotluck]

4 speakers and I can't get a notification light?!

 

[epicrayban]

4 speakers and I can't get a notification light?!

Dream on! That's probably a relic of the past to Apple (think blackberry). If they introduce some sort of always on display feature it might be more forgivable.

I love my notification light.

 

[epicrayban]

Does Apple ordering more production of iphone 7 mean anything?? Genuine question. Maybe Tim Cook is going to deliver on his hype? Obviously he knows what we don't. To come out and hype the iphone like that, and then to back it up by ordering more than analysts estimated?

Could be a good sign, right? Or am I reading too much into it?

 

[jamezr]

Does Apple ordering more production of iphone 7 mean anything?? Genuine question. Maybe Tim Cook is going to deliver on his hype? Obviously he knows what we don't. To come out and hype the iphone like that, and then to back it up by ordering more than analysts estimated?

Could be a good sign, right? Or am I reading too much into it?

I hope he backs up his words with something great! But then ordering extra iPhone shells and not using them is probably cheaper than the stick tanking. Maybe he is just propping up the stock price?

 

[Wildo6882]

Does Apple ordering more production of iphone 7 mean anything?? Genuine question. Maybe Tim Cook is going to deliver on his hype? Obviously he knows what we don't. To come out and hype the iphone like that, and then to back it up by ordering more than analysts estimated?

Could be a good sign, right? Or am I reading too much into it?

At first I saw it as a sign. Then the cynical part of me thought: "well, their stock prices have been dropping, this would be a good power play to get investors interested again." So I honestly don't know what to think at this point in time.

 

[epicrayban]

At first I saw it as a sign. Then the cynical part of me thought: "well, their stock prices have been dropping, this would be a good power play to get investors interested again." So I honestly don't know what to think at this point in time.

Me neither. Just crossing my fingers.

It's basically down to the iPhone 7 and the HTC Nexus for me this year...

 

[Wildo6882]

Me neither. Just crossing my fingers.

I hear ya. I'm doing the same. But I can't help but feel a little left behind with Apple right now. Heck, they don't even have the best camera anymore. I'm hopeful as a tech fan that they make something great, as any competition is good for all of us (it's the same reason that I'm hoping the HTC 10 ends up being a success).

 

[jamezr]

Me neither. Just crossing my fingers.

I wonder if we will get any hints at WWDC June 13–17? There are a lot of conflicting rumors out right now.

 

[epicrayban]

At least we are starting to see more believable hints that the 2017 iPhone will be interesting.

And am I reading it right? Apple has already ordered 5.8" OLED displays from Samsung? Does that mean the Plus model is gaining in screen size? Or... is the display indeed going to include the Touch ID fingerprint scanner built into it?

https://www.macrumors.com/2016/05/23/oled-supplier-increased-orders-2017-iphone/

OLED Supplier Sees Fourfold Leap in Orders as Apple Gears Up for 2017 iPhone

 

[grahamperrin]

if we will get any hints at WWDC

I assume so.

 

[epicrayban]

http://9to5mac.com/2016/05/24/apple-siri-hardware-device-echo-competitor/

Report: Apple planning Siri SDK for WWDC as it builds Amazon Echo/Google Home hardware competitor

 

[epicrayban]

Mossberg: Can Apple win the next tech war?
As phone sales slow, can the company pivot to AI?

http://www.theverge.com/2016/5/25/11765624/walt-mossberg-apple-wwdc-2016-siri-ai-bots

first, Apple's history with cloud-based services in general has been weak and inconsistent. Second, Apple has done shockingly little to capitalize on its lead with Siri. And third, Apple's steadfast devotion to privacy and lack of a search service or social network means it doesn't have the range and volume of data its competitors hope to use to power personalized, actionable AI capabilities.

 

[jamezr]

Mossberg: Can Apple win the next tech war?
As phone sales slow, can the company pivot to AI?

http://www.theverge.com/2016/5/25/11765624/walt-mossberg-apple-wwdc-2016-siri-ai-bots

first, Apple's history with cloud-based services in general has been weak and inconsistent. Second, Apple has done shockingly little to capitalize on its lead with Siri. And third, Apple's steadfast devotion to privacy and lack of a search service or social network means it doesn't have the range and volume of data its competitors hope to use to power personalized, actionable AI capabilities.

Google jumped ahead of everyone else with Google Home demonstrated at I/O

 

[epicrayban]

I think the biggest advantage of Google Home is Google itself. Mossberg touches on this:

Apple's steadfast devotion to privacy and lack of a search service or social network means it doesn't have the range and volume of data its competitors hope to use to power personalized, actionable AI capabilities.


I think this will be the biggest hurdle. How will Apple market such a device when their stance and rhetoric about privacy are so staunch? Can an assistant device serve you that well (or as well as Google) without compromising privacy? It'll be interesting to see.

 

[I7guy]

I think the biggest advantage of Google Home is Google itself. Mossberg touches on this:

Apple's steadfast devotion to privacy and lack of a search service or social network means it doesn't have the range and volume of data its competitors hope to use to power personalized, actionable AI capabilities.


I think this will be the biggest hurdle. How will Apple market such a device when their stance and rhetoric about privacy are so staunch? Can an assistant device serve you that well (or as well as Google) without compromising privacy? It'll be interesting to see.

To me that is their biggest advantage. Privacy means more than harvesting every bit of my digital data.

 

[jamezr]

I think the biggest advantage of Google Home is Google itself. Mossberg touches on this:

Apple's steadfast devotion to privacy and lack of a search service or social network means it doesn't have the range and volume of data its competitors hope to use to power personalized, actionable AI capabilities.


I think this will be the biggest hurdle. How will Apple market such a device when their stance and rhetoric about privacy are so staunch? Can an assistant device serve you that well (or as well as Google) without compromising privacy? It'll be interesting to see.

Exactly! to make this kind of automation and home assistant work there has to be data gathering from a multitude of sources and meta data. I think the public in general is ok for their data to be gathered for this kind of feature. People don't realize their data is gathered anyway.

 

[epicrayban]

Exactly! to make this kind of automation and home assistant work there has to be data gathering from a multitude of sources and meta data. I think the public in general is ok for their data to be gathered for this kind of feature. People don't realize their data is gathered anyway.

Either that or Apple's home automation system just won't be as good. Mossberg touches on it more in the article. He has a great point.

It'll be interesting to see how they position and market such a device. Personally, I have little interest myself in such a system. Not until it gets better, more affordable, and can actually influence more things in my house (aka I'd have to get my house updated with Nest-like devices, etc.). Just not ready to put money into such a thing yet.

Still, interesting to see how the big players are "pivoting toward A.I." like Mossberg writes. I predict Google will have the advantage.

 

[jamezr]

Either that or Apple's home automation system just won't be as good. Mossberg touches on it more in the article. He has a great point.

It'll be interesting to see how they position and market such a device. Personally, I have little interest myself in such a system. Not until it gets better, more affordable, and can actually influence more things in my house (aka I'd have to get my house updated with Nest-like devices, etc.). Just not ready to put money into such a thing yet.

Still, interesting to see how the big players are "pivoting toward A.I." like Mossberg writes. I predict Google will have the advantage.

technology is a beautiful thing! We have all watched futuristic movies where a person walks into the home and they are greeted with some form of A.I and they interact with that A.I and readily have access to all sorts of information. They get access to news and current events to control of the homes resources. I can't wait for this....bring it on Google!

 

[Zaft]

Im alittle new to this amazon echo, so I can tell it tO order pizza and it will?

 

[oldmacs]

So do I. The upgrade path from my iPad 2 is overpriced as hell ($1350 for an equivalent specced iPad Pro 9.7) and its not even the best Apple can do (missing the big Pro's 4GB of ram). $1350 is $100 more than what I paid for my Macbook Pro in 2012, and an iPad is not going to last as long as a Macbook Pro.

 

[Tinmania]

To me that is their biggest advantage. Privacy means more than harvesting every bit of my digital data.

And privacy meant more to the people who resisted the telephone, to those afraid of the cell phone, and to those who feared the internet. So you do have company.



Mike

 

[jamezr]

So do I. The upgrade path from my iPad 2 is overpriced as hell ($1350 for an equivalent specced iPad Pro 9.7) and its not even the best Apple can do (missing the big Pro's 4GB of ram). $1350 is $100 more than what I paid for my Macbook Pro in 2012, and an iPad is not going to last as long as a Macbook Pro.

Then the rumors are Apple will make the next gen MBPs into something like the macbook. Make it thinner with USB type C port to to charge it like the current macbook. If they do away with all the current ports just to make it thinner.....i won;t be upgrading anytime soon. My rMBP 13 from 2015 will have to last me a while.
[doublepost=1464191994][/doublepost]

And privacy meant more to the people who resisted the telephone, to those afraid of the cell phone, and to those who feared the internet. So you do have company.



Mike

LOL....to those people....

 

[oldmacs]

Then the rumors are Apple will make the next gen MBPs into something like the macbook. Make it thinner with USB type C port to to charge it like the current macbook. If they do away with all the current ports just to make it thinner.....i won;t be upgrading anytime soon. My rMBP 13 from 2015 will have to last me a while.

I hate that idea. They better quit calling it pro if they do that. Honestly, people yelling for a 'thinner macbook pro' just want a macbook Air with a retina display and a power bump.. because the results are the same either way - compromised performance, less ports etc.

The Retina Macbook Pro has already put form above function for me too much to consider it, let alone what the rumours are suggesting the new one will be. Sticking with my wonderful mid 2012 Macbook Pro 13 inch (Non Retina) for as long s possible.