# So... what does Apple need to do?



## Guy Rowland (Jan 16, 2013)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/10614300

So their share price has plummeted by a quarter in a quarter, and they've slashed the sales projections for the iPhone 5 (cutting parts orders in half). Whereas they once looked invincible, they now look vulnerable. It's hard to see the iPhone 5 as anything but a disappointment.

Recently my 3GS went on the blink, and I seriously looked at getting a new model. I saw a jump to a 4, a slightly smaller jump to a 4S (but still nice thanks v much) but was totally ambivalent about the 5 (and the new connector is a drawback as it doesn't fit into existing peripherals). I guess what goes for me goes for a lot of folks - it just does't have that must-have status, it's phenomenally expensive while the competition has really got its act together.

The article above is worth a read for points regarding their business practices that have backfired too. So what do they need to do to stay at the top of their game? And what would you like to see in an iPhone 6?

(in the meantime, my lovely 3GS gets repaired tonight, complete with iOS and Google Maps on board. Yay.)


----------



## Alex Cuervo (Jan 16, 2013)

I'm still happy with my iPhone 4. The connector on the 5 was a huge misstep, and pretty arrogant on their part. My wife's iPhone 4 is starting to malfunction from water damage, but she's willing to wait for the next iteration of the 5 before we get new phones. I think Apple's all but given up on the map program (I love the GUI, if only the maps were accurate!) now that Google released a maps app.

Also, what Apple _really_ needs to do is update Logic! Everything else can wait. :wink:


----------



## dpasdernick (Jan 16, 2013)

The IPAD MAXI will totally reinvent them. A 42" IPAD that comes with Apple's first foray into clothing... IPants... Cool, hip polydenim blend with, you guessed it, oversized 42" pockets to store your new cool IPAD MAXI. 

OR maybe the IPC... It's a cheap old PC but it's frickin' white man and your so dang cool if you have one you won't be able to stand yourself.

OR and operating system called Aardvark/Zebra that encompasses all of the animal kingdom. Screw those snowy lions and cougarhogs...

As they say, once you hit the top there's nowhere to go but down...


----------



## dgburns (Jan 16, 2013)

I think I'll remember 2011-12 as the "Apple product as accessory to everything else" era.I remember every MI product at Namm had an ipad angle to it.Hopefully people will get over the whole"there is an app for THAT".whatever THAT is.I know people who got hundreds of them there APPs,only to trash them later in a spring cleaning binge.

(typed on my ipad)
...oops


----------



## Nick Batzdorf (Jan 17, 2013)

Guy, I think you're making some assumptions that aren't a slam dunk (or maybe I should say a sixer for you Brits  ).

My wife and I both upgraded our iPhone 4s to iPhone 5s (because it's free - you put your iPhone 4 on Craigslist for the same price as the 5, and get calls in literally 15 minutes). And I don't understand what all the complaining is about. The 5 has considerably faster internet, a bigger screen (which actually does make a difference - especially for an app I'm working on with a partner  ), and it's noticeably faster. Plus the headset is way better - the headphones are good enough to listen to now, but more importantly the mic is much better and people don't keep asking you to repeat yourself. The new connector hasn't turned out to be an inconvenience, and if it does then we'll just have to buy adapters (the ones with charging and data only are inexpensive; it's only the full-featured Apple one that's $29). We did wait for the Google Maps app - which is great - but other than that I think this is all much ado about nothing.

Of course the iPhone 5 is only an incremental upgrade, and I wouldn't have paid to upgrade from the 4. But that's only because the 4 is good, not because the 5 is lousy. That's why they're selling them by the millions. 

The rumor about parts orders may or may not mean anything. One theory is that they're getting higher yields and don't need to order as many displays.

What I'm really trying to say is that there are hundreds of articles about Apple, all saying different things, and I don't see any reason to assume that this one is any more valid than any other person making guesses.

Now, maybe this article is right, but their stock is still way above where it was a year ago. Sure Android is catching up; that was always expected.

Meanwhile the iPad is still way ahead of everything else.


----------



## Guy Rowland (Jan 17, 2013)

Aye, all fair points Nick. It does feel like there's been a lot of incremental releases though... incremental is good (I waited til a 3GS cos that was the first one I perceived as having sorted a lot of core issues for me even though there was nothing radical about it), but at some point I think they need something more spectacular. Dunno what though - perhaps its just not possible in today's more competitive market.

I didn't realise the points in that article were contentious regarding the stock orders etc.


----------



## kgdrum (Jan 17, 2013)

Yesterday my wife's old non-iPhone died,she was about to replace it with another of the same and Verizon had the 4s for $99 instead of $79 To replace her crappy LG non-smart phone, so she got the 4S.
The 5 would have cost $199,we both figured the 4s at a $20 up charge was a decent deal.
The 5 might be better but I prefered spending less on the phone at this point.
I think we can all agree without these subsidies these phones are just too much $$$.


----------



## Nick Batzdorf (Jan 17, 2013)

Well, you pay for the subsidy over the life of your 2-year contract. To me that means the service should be cheaper if you don't take the subsidy.

I wish this were all much more transparent. And that you weren't forced to buy more service than you need under threat of facing an exorbitant bill if you go over your allotment.


----------



## germancomponist (Jan 17, 2013)

Apple should invent the perfect money printing machine.


----------



## Guy Rowland (Jan 23, 2013)

Hmm, looks like that advance report was on the right lines - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21172259 . Shares fall and markets disappointed.


----------



## Guy Rowland (Jan 24, 2013)

This is a very interesting article from an Apple stock holder - http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree ... c-weakness

I bought my son a new Android phone for Christmas, the snappily titled Hauwaii C300. It's incredible. A bigger, better screen than my 3GS, very fast and snappy, takes microSD cards. Cost - £99 with no contract.

Charles Ferguson identifies the failure to connect with a low cost market as the biggest strategic weakness. I see Apple's position - "we could slap our logo on a ton of stuff and make money, but we want to protect the brand". I think that will become increasingly untenable, simply because the lower end of the market is now getting too good. Really - is the iPhone 5 THAT much better than the humble C300? Answer - no. And it is, over 2 years, something like 4x the price. And casually looking round the reviews, even at the top end, the iPhone is no longer the handset of choice. Others have overtaken.

2 things now really bug me about Apple's direction. One is the cost. The second is the closed nature of their products. I like the pros of that - stability of systems etc - but I think the cons are now outweighing them. I think they'd get away with the latter if they addressed the former.

One more thing - I think the designer chic is perhaps wearing thin. However gorgeous they look out of the box, people know the reality that they need to put a big battery case over it to make it through a day's use, and the gleaming finish tends to get scuffed up.


----------



## snowleopard (Jan 27, 2013)

Who knows, but I happen to be one who believes that if Steve Jobs were still alive and at the helm we would be seeing more innovation from Apple. We would likely see an Apple iTelevision of sorts coming soon, and Jobs would have found a way to turn the corner on making websites with Broadcasts "channels" for watching TV shows, movies and such through the web easier. There are some leaps that need to be made from turning the corner on making that happen that Jobs could do that Tim Cook likely cannot. 

I also believe the integration between iPhones, iPads and Apple TV are currently clunky. It's almost neanderthal the way it "works". Jobs had the mind to make it integrate with both functionality and elegance. I'm not sure Cook and the current heads at Apple can pull that off. But there is still so much potential there. 

This industry is ruthless in it's "innovate or die" mindset, and despite the head of steam and success Apple has had in the past, I believe that if Cook and the board and leaders at Apple cannot take that risk, they will be passed up and even left behind if not careful. They're teetering on being just another high-tech company as is. Is that bad? Not really. But it's not Apple, the Apple we have grown accustomed to in the past.

There's another issue, and one people don't want to talk about: Apple has never made any of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" lists. They are nowhere near companies like SAS, Google, Adobe, NetApp, etc. Talk to current or former employees, they are proud of the cachet of having "Apple" on their resume, but most are not of what the job was actually like. Apple has been able to avoid criticism on this, or survive it as it were, because they frequently top the "most admired companies" lists. But as that changes, so will the desire to work there. If Apple can't share it's insane success better with employees, they run the risk of paying the price for it. It was said about Jobs that along with being a ruthless businessman he didn't share enough with employees, and didn't start a "Steve Jobs Foundation". His defenders and biographer noted that part of the reason was that Steve was sick the last several years of his life. I can understand that. But there's no reason why Cook & company can't remedy this just the same.


----------



## Udo (Jan 31, 2013)

FYI, a lot of Apple's "innovation" comes from very small companies, who are forced to sign draconian NDAs. Some walk away, e.g. the company that developed a cameras and related technology used in motion sensing input technology, now used by MS in their Kinect.

Also, Apples success over the past 15 years is to a large extent due to designer Jonathan Ive, a Brit who is heavily influenced by Dieter Rams (designer of many Braun products in 1950's and 60's). That influence is clearly visible when comparing some of Braun's products with Apple's, e.g. iPod, iMac, PowerMac G5 and MacPro.


----------



## Nick Batzdorf (Jan 31, 2013)

For perspective: they just had the fourth most profitable quarter of any company in history.

Somehow I don't think they're all through.


----------



## NYC Composer (Jan 31, 2013)

Nick Batzdorf @ Thu Jan 31 said:


> For perspective: they just had the fourth most profitable quarter of any company in history.
> 
> Somehow I don't think they're all through.



Two words-China Mobile. Instant stock jump-...mmmm...I'd guess 7-10%.

The beauty part of it is that no one will know whether they cut a good deal or a bad one, since neither will ever disclose terms. Regardless, 700 million potential new customers?
You betcha.


----------



## Nick Batzdorf (Jan 31, 2013)

It may just be Chim rubbing off on me, but I'm very cynical about both the highs and the lows. I can't help thinking there's manipulation going on:

http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2013/01/29/ ... man-sachs/


----------



## NYC Composer (Jan 31, 2013)

Nick Batzdorf @ Thu Jan 31 said:


> It may just be Chim rubbing off on me, but I'm very cynical about both the highs and the lows. I can't help thinking there's manipulation going on:
> 
> http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2013/01/29/ ... man-sachs/



Stock market manipulation and greed make the government look like pikers.

Michael Lewis is one of the funniest and smartest writers in America, and "The Big Short" is absolutely required reading, not to mention tremendously enjoyable.


----------



## Guy Rowland (Jan 31, 2013)

Nick Batzdorf @ Fri Feb 01 said:


> For perspective: they just had the fourth most profitable quarter of any company in history.
> 
> Somehow I don't think they're all through.



Hmm. I read an amazing insider tale of HMV, the company that recently went into administration here in the UK, called Why Companies Fail - http://www.philipbeeching.com/2012/08/w ... f-hmv.html . Over a decade ago when they were at the peak of the crest of their wave, making vast easy profits and they were told that their business was vulnerable if they did not address the coming market changes (downloads, online retailers, supermarkets). The companies response was to bawl them out. 10 years later, the company is finished.

That's why markets have been cooling. Of course its not over, but folks can see the changes in the market, and so far Apple have not responded. China is interesting - can Apple adapt its product line / image to fully exploit that market?


----------



## NYC Composer (Feb 1, 2013)

Let's assume that Apple continues to innovate even slightly. Let's assume a measly 10% take rate on iPhones, and 5% on iPads.

75 million more phones per year. 37 million more iPads. Not to mention the ancillary income of apps, iTunes, accessories.

Think that would affect the stock? Even if profit margins shrink some, how could there not be growth?


----------



## Guy Rowland (Feb 1, 2013)

NYC Composer @ Fri Feb 01 said:


> Let's assume that Apple continues to innovate even slightly. Let's assume a measly 10% take rate on iPhones, and 5% on iPads.
> 
> 75 million more phones per year. 37 million more iPads. Not to mention the ancillary income of apps, iTunes, accessories.
> 
> Think that would affect the stock? Even if profit margins shrink some, how could there not be growth?



Ask RIM.

It's such a complex market, who knows where it will all go. But take a look at these pretty pictures:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_ope ... rket_share

Android sales running at approx 5x iOS, worldwide. Two years earlier they were neck and neck. That is a phenomenon. Not saying that Apple are dead, but it doesn't take a terrific leap of the imagination to see that they face major challenges.

Again, I go back to an earlier point. My son's Android phone is £99, no contract. It's slick, fast, has a great screen bigger than my 3GS and you can just put in an SD card to update the memory. It even looks pretty good (not super designer, but its perfectly slick looking). That was unthinkable 2 years ago - Apple were in another league then. It's very simple - the world has caught up, and is doing it cheaper and open source. Add in terrible blunders like Apple Maps which show that the USP of "it just works" isn't as infallible as it once was, and it's a serious problem.

It just feels to me that we're looking at Apple's crest of the wave. I nearly bought an iPhone 5 when my 3GS was broken... sure it was very nice, but it wasn't £1k nice (the cost over 2 years). I got mine repaired for £20 instead. Oh, and I think the 3GS looks nicer than the 4 or 5... less like a razor...


----------



## NYC Composer (Feb 1, 2013)

Guy Rowland @ Fri Feb 01 said:


> NYC Composer @ Fri Feb 01 said:
> 
> 
> > Let's assume that Apple continues to innovate even slightly. Let's assume a measly 10% take rate on iPhones, and 5% on iPads.
> ...



FWIW-I still have an Apple 3g! Had to replace a screen cause I dropped it with no case. That's it for hardware problems...for about 4 years. In that amount of time a good friend has gone through 4 Blackberries, and my brother has gone through three-because of crappy builds.

Hey, anything can happen in the world of hip and cool-but Apple has a helluva business still. So does Samsung. I tried to invest in it, can't in the American exchanges.


----------



## germancomponist (Feb 1, 2013)

Nick Batzdorf @ Fri Feb 01 said:


> For perspective: they just had the fourth most profitable quarter of any company in history.



It's very easy to get if you, on another continent, do people exploit massive, almost enslaved.


----------



## choc0thrax (Feb 2, 2013)

What Apple should do is release a product that appeals to heterosexual men. 

Don't worry though , Apple will bounce back once that Steve Jobs biopic starring Ashton Kutcher comes out.


----------



## Revson (Feb 3, 2013)

If you are into photo and video, the upgrade from iPhone 4 to 5 is worth it for the camera capabilities alone. At Christmas, I saw my sister's video and pictures taken on the John Muir trail using her iPhone and was stunned. Like Ansel Adams in color! They must have some software-based enhancement going on in the background to take point and shoot photos this good. My iPhone 4 isn't in the same league.


----------



## cc64 (Feb 3, 2013)

For starters, Apple needs to send me the iMac i ordered on december 21st.

Maybe my memory fails me but it's been a long time since Apple did such an amateur move. They should have just kept selling the old model till they were ready to mass produce the new models. It's been like 3 months now that you just can't buy an iMac?

Claude


----------



## George Caplan (Feb 3, 2013)

i sold my apple stock recently so i can buy a house. the stock price has fallen but it will recover and rise again as sure as night follows day.


----------



## Caedwallon (Mar 9, 2013)

What does Apple need to do? Stop their current bombardment of bullshit and misleading marketing. It's getting old. They're holding the industry back. Apple has been pulling lame stunts since the later iterations of the iPhone 3. My interest in the company has steadily waned due to their unacceptable business antics.

They don't have much success outside the U.S; it's actually worse than what you see in the media.


----------



## chimuelo (Mar 9, 2013)

Now that Garage Band works better than Logic, sell EMgaic/Logic to Korg.


----------



## EastWest Lurker (Mar 9, 2013)

chimuelo @ Sat Mar 09 said:


> Now that Garage Band works better than Logic,



It doesn't.


----------



## Ed (Mar 9, 2013)

Nick Batzdorf @ Thu Jan 17 said:


> Guy, I think you're making some assumptions that aren't a slam dunk (or maybe I should say a sixer for you Brits  ).



What the hell is a sixer?


----------



## Scrianinoff (Mar 9, 2013)

dpasdernick @ Thu 17 Jan said:


> The IPAD MAXI will totally reinvent them. A 42" IPAD that comes with Apple's first foray into clothing... IPants... Cool, hip polydenim blend with, you guessed it, oversized 42" pockets to store your new cool IPAD MAXI.
> 
> OR maybe the IPC... It's a cheap old PC but it's frickin' white man and your so dang cool if you have one you won't be able to stand yourself.
> 
> ...


You have my vote for the funniest post of the month!


----------



## Nick Batzdorf (Mar 9, 2013)

]quote] What the hell is a sixer?[/quote]

A six. Sorry, it's been 45 years since I was in school in England and played cricket.


----------



## Guy Rowland (Mar 15, 2013)

Well, whatever it is that Apple need to do, it's not this ridiculous-sounding technology in the Galaxy S4:



> In a widely anticipated move, the company unveiled the most eye-catching feature of the new phone. It has pioneered the "smart scroll and smart pause" feature. The facing camera on the handset monitors users' eye movements and behaves accordingly. Tilting the phone while looking at it will scroll web pages and it can even pause a video if a user looks away.
> 
> After weeks of teasing, Samsung unveiled a phone it is promoting as "moving beyond touch". With a simple wave of the hand, Minority Report-style, the phone will move a web page or a photograph.



http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/20 ... g-tracking

This instantly brought to mind the late, great Douglas Adams, and this passage from the Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy:



> A loud clatter of gunk music flooded through the Heart of Gold cabin
> as Zaphod searched the sub-etha radio wavebands for news of himself. The
> machine was rather difficult to operate. For years radios had been
> operated by means of pressing buttons and turning dials; then as the
> ...



In 1979, Douglas Adams could not only conceive of this idea, but also that it was fundamentally flawed.


----------



## Daryl (Mar 15, 2013)

Guy Rowland @ Fri Mar 15 said:


> Well, whatever it is that Apple need to do, it's not this ridiculous-sounding technology in the Galaxy S4:


All this stuff is ridiculous to me. On my phone I can make calls, send texts and play Snake. More than enough features. :lol: 

What is even more funny though, is that Samsung's share price went down because they announced something new and innovative. Obviously they should just have done nothing, if the wanted their share price not to fall. Just goes to show that this whole financial market thing really is cr*p (sorry George...!).

D


----------



## Ellywu2 (Mar 15, 2013)

Daryl @ Fri Mar 15 said:


> Guy Rowland @ Fri Mar 15 said:
> 
> 
> > Well, whatever it is that Apple need to do, it's not this ridiculous-sounding technology in the Galaxy S4:
> ...



That sounds like it is going to be utterly, utterly annoying. 

Also, the British term is to be 'hit for a six'!


----------



## Reegs (Mar 15, 2013)

Did anyone else watch the announcement video for the new galaxy? They hired a terrible emcee, or created a terrible persona for him. Tried too hard to distance themselves from Apple and it felt like a bunch of highschoolers wrote the script and directed the thing.

Live orchestra though!

I think some of the features on the S4 are groundbreaking and will force Apple to make some alterations to the next iPhone.
1) Auto-translate. Very, very cool. And easy to tack into Siri.
2) 2-Way Photo/Video chat. Mostly software changes.
3) More NFC tech
4) Gloved hand control


----------



## George Caplan (Mar 16, 2013)

Daryl @ Fri Mar 15 said:


> Guy Rowland @ Fri Mar 15 said:
> 
> 
> > Well, whatever it is that Apple need to do, it's not this ridiculous-sounding technology in the Galaxy S4:
> ...



dont be sorry daryl. if youre not happy with shares and prices i would advise dont buy any. me? ive been heading down to goldmans while im here and visiting and they tell me its busy to fair right now. markets are up up up. always good.

when a company announces anything that sounds really good the market makers look at the bottom line. you can make billions of $ annual profit but if its not as much that they thought it would be youll have your share price go down. you can make a billion $ loss but if the market thinks the loss is less than they expected your share price will go up. everything is generally factored in already. not much gets under the radar. but when it does you have to be ready.
go figure. :lol:


----------



## Nick Batzdorf (Mar 16, 2013)

Darryl wrote:



> All this stuff is ridiculous to me. On my phone I can make calls, send texts and play Snake. More than enough features.



Let's see if you say that in three or four months, after something I know a whole lot about comes out.


----------



## NYC Composer (Mar 16, 2013)

Nick Batzdorf @ Sat Mar 16 said:


> Darryl wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Oh no-not the iPenis??


----------



## Nick Batzdorf (Mar 16, 2013)

That's certainly an important feature, but no. And not the iVagina either.


----------



## Daryl (Mar 16, 2013)

Nick Batzdorf @ Sat Mar 16 said:


> Darryl wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


My Nokia is over 9 years old and in that time it has cost me a total of £160, so I doubt that 3 or 4 months will make much of a difference to my view.

D


----------



## Nick Batzdorf (Mar 16, 2013)

It's a computer as well as a phone, Daryl. That's the part that's interesting for musical applications.

Now that we're off the subject, Google Glasses gives me the creeps.


----------



## chimuelo (Mar 16, 2013)

Well AAPL employees are the most motivated workers I have ever seen outside of a Concrete crew getting to split 5% of a Bonus for topping off a 64 story tower before schedule and under cost.
My crew won once in 18 years, but when it comes in one chunk like that it's a blessing.
Wish I would have bought stock instead of paying our house off.
Biggest mistake I ever made... :evil: 

If I would have bought Apple stock like my Bro suggested,..
I coulda been a contender... :cry:


----------



## Daryl (Mar 17, 2013)

Nick Batzdorf @ Sun Mar 17 said:


> It's a computer as well as a phone, Daryl. That's the part that's interesting for musical applications.


Sounds dreadful to me. When I'm doing music I don't want to be phoned, and when I'm on the phone I don't wan to be typing scores. :wink: 

TBH I'm not really interested in smart phones. As far as I'm concerned having one is for everyone else's convenience, rather than mine. The only reason even to have a mobile is that it is useful to be contactable when meeting up with a friend, in case one of us is delayed. Apart from that, I have no use for it.

D


----------



## Guy Rowland (Apr 23, 2013)

Annual results out today. Here's the Guardian's take on the malaise:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/20 ... -lost-bite


----------



## j_kranz (Apr 23, 2013)

Nick Batzdorf @ Sat Mar 16 said:


> Let's see if you say that in three or four months, after something I know a whole lot about comes out.



Nick must have been hinting at iBeetle:

http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/04/22/ ... il-ibeetle

~o)


----------



## Nick Batzdorf (Apr 23, 2013)

It's the iRectal Insert™, which monitors your colon and knows in advance when you'll have to go to the toilet so that you can schedule around it.

This came up in a thread that Alex started on Facebook.


----------



## madbulk (Apr 23, 2013)

Apple needs to buy back a ton of its stock.


----------



## Nick Batzdorf (Apr 23, 2013)

And that's what they're doing.


----------



## madbulk (Apr 23, 2013)

Nick Batzdorf @ Tue Apr 23 said:


> And that's what they're doing.


Usually when I have an good idea, it's because I've just read it.


----------



## Tanuj Tiku (Apr 24, 2013)

I have the iPhone 4S, it's a really nice phone but I am not sure what else I would want it to do apart from some annoying simple changes I hope apple will make.

I don't understand why they charge more for small storage upgrades? No SD card.....whhhattt!!

There is no file storage system, no folders. I cannot simply download files and send them. It's really a funny restriction. 

But I admit apps work better on iPhone, don't know why but they do. It's snappy and works well.

I have the iPad as well and have found very little use for it. Similar problems. No USB port, no file storage structure, I cannot simply download or forward or store information.

Very limiting.

I am a PC guy and these are the only two apple products that I own.

I like the whole cloud thing...don't ever need to back up again. That's cool and the biggest reason I am not going to leave the iPhone is because I don't want to learn another OS just to make calls and do some social networking and reading on he phone. Also I hate contacts migration onto another system.


Tanuj.


----------



## George Caplan (Apr 24, 2013)

id be surprised if we ever see that high price again. i was happy in the end to get out at over $400 per couple or so months ago. but then i had a reason and it wasnt because i thought apple was on the brink. its not on the brink but you have to factor in many things not least steve jobs.


----------



## Guy Rowland (Jun 15, 2013)

Well... I might be about to eat my words.

iOS7 looks very nice indeed from the promos, and I think a conceptual leap forward was overdue. Furthermore, they've price-dropped the iPhone 5 (in the UK, Three are doing a very good deal on the 64gb version, with 4G coming later this year on their network).

Must admit, I'm tempted again. When I started this thread, the 5 looked like a very expensive damp squib, but the new OS and price point are winning me over.

Any reviews of the 5 here from VI-C owners?


----------



## SamGarnerStudios (Jun 15, 2013)

I love my 5, but it's my 1st iphone so I can't speak to it's upgrade over previous phones. But it was a huge upgrade to previous phones I've had. It works, its fast, had 0 issues with it. Even though it's a new connector and incompatible with the other apple cable, if companies never upgraded their cables we'd still be using VGA and USB 1 cables. It's not like you have to buy a new cable since you get one with the phone, you just have to buy an additional cable if you want more flexibility. That is no different than the previous cable; if you wanted another cable you had to buy it. Fortunately if you bought enough apple products you ended up having a ton of extra cables laying around.

But it's a great phone. I saw some commercial the other day for some phone where if you look away the phone stops playback of your video. There's no way that would work properly lol, that would be so annoying.


----------



## Guy Rowland (Jun 15, 2013)

SamGarnerStudios @ Sat Jun 15 said:


> I love my 5, but it's my 1st iphone so I can't speak to it's upgrade over previous phones. But it was a huge upgrade to previous phones I've had. It works, its fast, had 0 issues with it. Even though it's a new connector and incompatible with the other apple cable, if companies never upgraded their cables we'd still be using VGA and USB 1 cables. It's not like you have to buy a new cable since you get one with the phone, you just have to buy an additional cable if you want more flexibility. That is no different than the previous cable; if you wanted another cable you had to buy it. Fortunately if you bought enough apple products you ended up having a ton of extra cables laying around.
> 
> But it's a great phone. I saw some commercial the other day for some phone where if you look away the phone stops playback of your video. There's no way that would work properly lol, that would be so annoying.



Yeah, it was probably that Samsung thing - the new features on that looked ridiculous. Apple are full of hype obviously, but I respond more to the "we're making it easier and quicker to use" hype than "we're packing 5,000 new absurd gimmicks into it" hype.

Glad the 5 is performing smoothly - my old 3GS is crawling along now I've filled the thing up. I'm talking myself into this upgrade pretty damn fast.


----------



## Guy Rowland (Jun 21, 2013)

Well, is this humble pie? UK network Three cut the price of the phone and tarrif, have 4G upcoming on the network for free and the iOS7 video sure is preedy, so I went for the 64gb iPhone 5. And I'm totally smitten, madly in love with the thing.

I knew my 3GS had gotten slow and creaky, that it was stuffed to the brim with music etc, but I hadn't perhaps appreciated how that had tainted my whole experience of Apple. Although - of course - the whole interface and design is very familiar and often identical to what I already had, the actual experience is transformational. Sure the screen is nicer (most appreciated in Kindle), the phone is better and all that good stuff, but it's the speed and the responsiveness that make it a joy. Everything is smooth, instant, effortless. I'd abandoned Safari years ago for the much quicker if erratic Opera Mini on the 3GS. Here Safari goes like lightning.

So for me Apple did the right thing. They've dropped prices and given the UI a major overhaul to look super slick and - supposedly - be even quicker and more intuitive. That'll do for me, as it turned out. I don't want a super-big phone as they feel kinda ridiculous, and that new Samsung thing's features looked so gimmicky and absurd that it pushed me right back into the clean simplicity of Apple. I do hope this will last me many years and that the performance stays as good as it is now.

Now they just gotta sort out their environmental and ethical track record...


----------

