I'll be "that guy".... (iPhone 6)

So, now that the iPhone 5 is old news, what do you guys think the iPhone 6 will bring to the table?

I'm gonna say NFC for sure this time...
Credit Card storage for Passbook
USB 3.0 support (seriously, that's not even mentioned this time around for the "lightening" port?)
4 axis gyro (because why stop at three?)
More Colors
I mean, what else can they do at this point, since it seems like everything is about catch up and improve upon? I'd reckon it's time for a major overhaul of the UI, especially now that iTunes has gotten a facelift.

And speaking of iTunes, do we know if has been rewritten in native Coco? If not, why? Inquiring minds want to know!

Yep, I'm "that guy".

I'd say auto-upgrade is just around the corner.

30 seconds after the keynote closes, they debit your bank account and two guys in black suits and sunglasses show up at the door and swap out your phone (willing or otherwise).

I think this quote from a BBC article (here) sums up my thoughts nicely:

To use a car analogy, six years ago the iPhone was like a sexy new flagship model from BMW or Porsche. Today it's a Toyota Camry. Safe, reliable, boring. The car your mom drives. The car that's so popular that its maker doesn't dare mess with the formula.

Click to expand...

It's hard to say that the iPhone is truly exciting anymore. Each incremental update is so uninspired that I'm not even sure "evolutionary improvement" is a valid label to apply to the tech. Wow, the screen is now 4" at a resolution of 1136 x 640 (326ppi). Super, the Galaxy Nexus is 1280x720 (316ppi) and the Lumia 920 is going to be 1280x768 (332ppi). Congrats on catching up. 8 megapixel camera? Great, you managed to stay right in the thick of things with the high end phones. New connector? Really, how many average consumers (who make up the bulk of the user base) are really going to care? New maps application? Please someone prove that it is somehow leagues better than anything else. LTE? Great, you're catching up to phones that are 9 - 12 months old.

It's still a solid phone but it's "lead" over other phones is shrinking daily. Apple needs to do something with this phone the next time around or we'll end up with a phone that continues to be indistinguishable from previous models and competitors. Say what you will about Android or WP7/8 but at least companies that use that software actually try to do things with their phones from model to model. Regardless of whether or not they make changes for the better, at least they aren't taking last year's model and stretching it as far as humanly possible.

At least (finally), they realized that sticking with the 3.5" screen was a stupid choice.

For a company that prides itself on being revolutionary, they sure don't seem to push the iPhone hard enough to warrant "revolutionary status" anymore.

Let the fun responses begin.

So what would be truly sexy . . . a Linux phone???

Razormac said:

So what would be truly sexy . . . a Linux phone???

Click to expand...

We already have those.

I don't need "sexy" in a phone. Let's assume that I needed 98% of the features in a smartphone for a minute (call and text is all I need). If I were in the market for an iPhone right now, you'd have to be the best salesperson at the store to convince me to get an iPhone 5 over an iPhone 4(s). Nothing, and I truly mean nothing, in the iPhone 5 makes it infinitely better than an iPhone 4(s). In fact, part of me was hoping that this keynote was an elaborate April Fools joke (September Fools?) with one of the execs proudly saying at the end "Surprise, that was all a joke. Here's the real iPhone 5 with features that would actually make people want to upgrade."

If Apple is trying to stay ahead of the competition, they're not working very hard. Take some risks or run the risk of becoming the "Camry" that the author in the quote I provided above suggested. At an absolute minimum, give iOS a facelift and differentiate it from previous versions:



Fixing the interface certainly won't fix the problem. This picture though exemplifies the problem with the iPhone and Apple - the phone's evolution is stagnant and Apple is resting a little too much on its laurels.

I'm fairly certain that if I gave an average consumer an original iPhone and an iPhone 4s, they'd have a hard time differentiating the two.

vansmith said:

I think this quote from a BBC article (here) sums up my thoughts nicely:It's hard to say that the iPhone is truly exciting anymore. Each incremental update is so uninspired that I'm not even sure "evolutionary improvement" is a valid label to apply to the tech. Wow, the screen is now 4" at a resolution of 1136 x 640 (326ppi). Super, the Galaxy Nexus is 1280x720 (316ppi) and the Lumia 920 is going to be 1280x768 (332ppi). Congrats on catching up. 8 megapixel camera? Great, you managed to stay right in the thick of things with the high end phones. New connector? Really, how many average consumers (who make up the bulk of the user base) are really going to care? New maps application? Please someone prove that it is somehow leagues better than anything else. LTE? Great, you're catching up to phones that are 9 - 12 months old.

It's still a solid phone but it's "lead" over other phones is shrinking daily. Apple needs to do something with this phone the next time around or we'll end up with a phone that continues to be indistinguishable from previous models and competitors. Say what you will about Android or WP7/8 but at least companies that use that software actually try to do things with their phones from model to model. Regardless of whether or not they make changes for the better, at least they aren't taking last year's model and stretching it as far as humanly possible.

At least (finally), they realized that sticking with the 3.5" screen was a stupid choice.

For a company that prides itself on being revolutionary, they sure don't seem to push the iPhone hard enough to warrant "revolutionary status" anymore.

Let the fun responses begin.

Click to expand...

Probably not the response you'd expect from me, but I agree completely.

I'm starting to think Apple's lost its mojo.

cwa107 said:

Probably not the response you'd expect from me, but I agree completely.

I'm starting to think Apple's lost its mojo.

Click to expand...

Well, that's no fun. In that case, "OMGZ, teh new iPHone!!1! It's greater than all the competition, it blew my mind and it is clearly better than any phone ever made."

vansmith said:

We already have those.

I don't need "sexy" in a phone. Let's assume that I needed 98% of the features in a smartphone for a minute (call and text is all I need). If I were in the market for an iPhone right now, you'd have to be the best salesperson at the store to convince me to get an iPhone 5 over an iPhone 4(s). Nothing, and I truly mean nothing, in the iPhone 5 makes it infinitely better than an iPhone 4(s). In fact, part of me was hoping that this keynote was an elaborate April Fools joke (September Fools?) with one of the execs proudly saying at the end "Surprise, that was all a joke. Here's the real iPhone 5 with features that would actually make people want to upgrade."

If Apple is trying to stay ahead of the competition, they're not working very hard. Take some risks or run the risk of becoming the "Camry" that the author in the quote I provided above suggested. At an absolute minimum, give iOS a facelift and differentiate it from previous versions:

View attachment 17935

Fixing the interface certainly won't fix the problem. This picture though exemplifies the problem with the iPhone and Apple - the phone's evolution is stagnant and Apple is resting a little too much on its laurels.

I'm fairly certain that if I gave an average consumer an original iPhone and an iPhone 4s, they'd have a hard time differentiating the two.

Click to expand...

van, I've been watching this thread with interest and have already posted elsewhere, particularly about the ergonomics and some other gripes I had with the 4.

I couldn't help noticing that you have 'Settings' set up as 'Einstellungen' in your image of iOS5 and it reminded me of a well researched phenomenon I once studied way back in 1982.

It is called the Einstellung Effect and here is an extract from Wiki :

"The Einstellung effect occurs when a person is presented with a problem or situation that is similar to problems they have worked through in the past. If the solution (or appropriate behavior) to the problem/situation has been the same in each past experience, the person will likely provide that same response, without giving the problem too much thought, even though a more appropriate response might be available. Essentially, the Einstellung effect is one of the human brain's ways of finding an appropriate solution/behavior as efficiently as possible. Note, however, that although finding the solution is efficient, the solution found might not necessarily be the most appropriate solution."

The full read is here Einstellung effect - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Most certainly food for thought I think.

EDIT I just checked the Apple Store UK...."from £529" or $851 USD ahemmm..no thanks.

cwa107 said:

Probably not the response you'd expect from me, but I agree completely.

I'm starting to think Apple's lost its mojo.

Click to expand...

vansmith said:

Well, that's no fun. In that case, "OMGZ, teh new iPHone!!1! It's greater than all the competition, it blew my mind and it is clearly better than any phone ever made."

Click to expand...

Well, I think you're both wrong!


Actually, I don't, but decided Van would shrivel up without a bit of conflict. Honestly, the only real upgrade to me was the larger screen. My eyes are old enough to see that as a benefit. On the otherhand, I almost never use my phone as a mini-iPad anymore, so I am seriously considering sticking with my iPhone 3Gs until forced to upgrade to stay current on OS. And, since they said iOS 6 would be supported on 3Gs, I'm covered.

But now on the other hand... while iOS isn't breaking any new ground, it IS stable as a rock, and some of the minor improvements have made certain tasks a bit more convenient to run. For example, notification center and utilizing apps from within it is a nice touch.

And while I'd say that both the Symbian and Android platforms are ahead of the curve, past where Apple is with things like NFC and wireless charging etc, I'd also like to note that Nokia is on the cusp of oblivion, and the Android platform has two large shortcomings: 1. The really obvious market fragmentation and 2. Their App Market/apps

Fragmentation is quite a serious issue for Google. They have little to no control over the handsets and the software that reaches them. The manufacturers have way too much say and power in that regard. If Google doesn't take the reins at some point, this will forever be an issue. And as far as apps goes, lets be real. While I do feel that Google makes THE best map application (you'd have to have used it on a Google phone, not on the iPhone to know this), aside from that... Apple dominates in terms of native app practicality, functionality and stability.

The app store in and of its self kills the Droid market where security, navigation and stability are concerned. If Apple didn't do what it does so well, I wouldn't even think twice about going back to an Android phone. Let's also not forget that the iPhone has THE best camera on a smartphone, unless you want to deal with Symbian and use a Nokia handset? No thanks. The Galaxy S3 is quite nice, as is its camera, but it doesn't quite match up fully.

So, it's kind of a toss up I guess. But until I get my hands on the new phone, I doubt I'd be able to make a decision.

Doug

You guys make some interesting points. Most of which I totally agree with. Looks like I'll be waiting longer for a new phone. The iPhone 5 is old news for sure. So many leaks and not innovative or ground breaking.

pendlewitch said:

van, I've been watching this thread with interest and have already posted elsewhere, particularly about the ergonomics and some other gripes I had with the 4.

I couldn't help noticing that you have 'Settings' set up as 'Einstellungen' in your image of iOS5 and it reminded me of a well researched phenomenon I once studied way back in 1982.

It is called the Einstellung Effect and here is an extract from Wiki :

"The Einstellung effect occurs when a person is presented with a problem or situation that is similar to problems they have worked through in the past. If the solution (or appropriate behavior) to the problem/situation has been the same in each past experience, the person will likely provide that same response, without giving the problem too much thought, even though a more appropriate response might be available. Essentially, the Einstellung effect is one of the human brain's ways of finding an appropriate solution/behavior as efficiently as possible. Note, however, that although finding the solution is efficient, the solution found might not necessarily be the most appropriate solution."

The full read is here Einstellung effect - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Most certainly food for thought I think.

EDIT I just checked the Apple Store UK...."from £529" or $851 USD ahemmm..no thanks.

Click to expand...

'Tis not my home screen - that's the result of a Google image search.

Perhaps Apple keeps applying the same solutions to problems over and over. Now I have a word for it!

Razormac said:

Well, I think you're both wrong!

Click to expand...

Me wrong? Surely you are mistaken.

Razormac said:

Actually, I don't, but decided Van would shrivel up without a bit of conflict.

Click to expand...

Life is boring if everyone agrees!

I will hit you with one and I am not joking. I hate android OS. I have messed with it over and over and do not like it at all. Sorry. IOS works better.

Windows 8 touch looks better by far than Android OS but I have not had the time to really mess with it.

dtravis7 said:

I will hit you with one and I am not joking. I hate android OS. I have messed with it over and over and do not like it at all. Sorry. IOS works better.

Click to expand...

I'm not as concerned about mobile operating systems. In fact, I don't really care. The only reason I use Android devices is because they were cheaper (I got a fairly decent Android 4.x phone for $30 on a $25/mo plan).

Each platform has its strengths as weaknesses. iOS is fairly nimble and easily upgraded but lacks the customization and openness of Android (for me, as someone who's developed Android apps, this actually matters). Does iOS work better? Sure, for some, but it's certainly not universal (much like Android as the best tool certainly isn't a given).

My problem with iOS lately is the lack of any real change. I realize that the mantra "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" has some value but at some point, you need to shake things up. iOS feel old and Apple's complete monopoly on unique and innovate development no longer exists. You can see this in Apple's adoption of trends in the market that it didn't adopt first (pull down notifications and a larger screen for the iOS devices).

I don't think iOS is bad. In fact, I quite like it. That said, it needs to grow a little. Like I said, Apple has been much too conservative with the evolution of iOS. When one of your top 10 new features for a major release is Facebook integration, you've hit an innovation roadblock. When another one of these features is panorama pictures that I can get on my cheap $30 phone, you've hit an innovation roadblock. When the new iOS device to accompany the release has, as one of its major features, a larger screen, you've hit a roadblock. When you introduce LTE as a major new feature, something that has been available in phones for months, you've hit a roadblock (and you're just playing catch up). This is my major concern - Apple isn't playing the game hard enough anymore. From where I sit, the iPhone 5 will sell well but more so because Apple can market products better than anyone else and not because the phone is magnitudes better than any other phone.

I don't know what Apple has to do to be so much better technically than anyone else but I do know that they aren't in that spot anymore.

I wonder what Van will do when everything goes Mobile touch OS?

It's coming. Microsoft in fact if you read everything they are saying is pushing windows 8 on devices and is saying it ail be that way.

Poor Van, he will have to Touch program his Linux! No more terminal, just touch!

dtravis7 said:

It's coming. Microsoft in fact if you read everything they are saying is pushing windows 8 on devices and is saying it ail be that way.

Click to expand...

That's not different than Apple's push for the adoption of the "post-pc" device.

But my friend Van, ML is still a true Desktop OS with a few IOS features you can either use or not use. Not so with Windows 8. I have used every version of Windows 8 here.

As long as OSX keeps it's desktop, I am all for it.

Everyone is going Post PC though. I hope at least there remains some linux distros after all this with a true desktop interface!

vansmith said:

I don't think iOS is bad. In fact, I quite like it. That said, it needs to grow a little. Like I said, Apple has been much too conservative with the evolution of iOS. When one of your top 10 new features for a major release is Facebook integration, you've hit an innovation roadblock. When another one of these features is panorama pictures that I can get on my cheap $30 phone, you've hit an innovation roadblock. When the new iOS device to accompany the release has, as one of its major features, a larger screen, you've hit a roadblock. When you introduce LTE as a major new feature, something that has been available in phones for months, you've hit a roadblock (and you're just playing catch up). This is my major concern - Apple isn't playing the game hard enough anymore. From where I sit, the iPhone 5 will sell well but more so because Apple can market products better than anyone else and not because the phone is magnitudes better than any other phone.

I don't know what Apple has to do to be so much better technically than anyone else but I do know that they aren't in that spot anymore.

Click to expand...

Indeed. And although I am a believer in "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", and I agree that iOS is far and away more stable than Android, and the even the best Android apps lack the polish of the worst iOS apps, there is considerable room for improvement.

What I find most troubling with iOS is in navigating it. I guess it was different back in the day when the OS was first designed and there were maybe 50 "must have" apps for the platform. Nowadays, my screen is just littered with icons. And adding another row (ala iPhone 5) doesn't make this any better either. Yes, you can group them into folders, group them into screens, etc. But that's a lot of management that I just don't want to do on my phone - it's time consuming, tedious and you have to maintain your decided upon structure. Sure, you can search, but then you have to start typing... which is another shortcoming of these devices.

There has to be a better way...

vansmith said:

That's not different than Apple's push for the adoption of the "post-pc" device.

Click to expand...

I think Apple coined the term, but it's a bit of a stretch to say they're pushing it. If anything, it's been welcomed with open arms by the consumer market in general.

I could write a book on the "why", but in general I don't think the PC hit the mainstream until about 1995 when the WWW gained mass adoption. Now that the WWW is accessible in a hassle-free, portable/pocketable and accessible device like the iPad, the PC is getting left behind like the VHS was abandoned for the DVD.

Don't get me wrong - geeks like us will always rock a PC, I just think the market will shrink and those who reluctantly adopted the PC (as opposed to enthusiasts) will move on.

Now that the WWW is accessible in a hassle-free, portable/pocketable and accessible device like the iPad, the PC is getting left behind like the VHS was abandoned for the DVD.

Click to expand...

I have to agree. I just purchased a blue tooth keyboard from Amazon for my iPad 3 and it's great! I actually turned off the iMac last night and used the iPad on my wireless at home to navigate and do the forums. I would not have been able to do that for very long using the on screen keyboard.

The whole point is that my iPad with this new keyboard can (in my opinion) replace a notebook computer for many but not all things.