This article is dedicated to my friend Hailey...who's is adjusting to her "new" iPhone 4...
A couple weeks ago...Apple announced it's much anticipated iPhone 5c and 5s. In the same breath they also put an "obsolete" label on their much vaunted iPhone 5. This has been the most short lived iPhone in the company's history. It was only in production for a little less than 12 full months. Now this obsoleted iPhone 5 is disappearing off the store stock shelves like bottled water 24hrs before a hurricane hits land.
If you take the time to watch the 3 videos, you too will see the difference in company approaches to the consumer, ie potential new iPhone buyers, as well as previous owners. Isn't a commercial video on new high end technology suppose to wow people with it's practical uses and not try to beat them over the head with tidbit information on 64 bit this or 64 that, and fingerprint this or that? Frankly speaking there aren't even any apps yet developed that can even maximize the 64 bit technology right now anyway. And by the time there is in a few months to a year down the road, the phone will be halfway through it's life cycle and well on it's way to becoming obsolete, right Apple? Most soccer moms and sports dads could care less about 64 this or that. They just wanna know - does it work?
Check this out: the battery on the new 5s, is the same size battery of the original iPhone 5. Huh?? Every smartphone maker has been steadily increasing the size and energy capacity of their batteries. What gives Apple? Thanks for the half a billions apps Apple...but they tend to use up the battery power that you will not increase for me. Where is the love?
Now as far as the iOS7 is concerned, I've had two college males tell me that it looks very "girlie" or "kid like". I've had one businesswoman/friend tell me that some of the icons are now harder to read on iOS7. But it's otherwise pretty much the same old iPhone. One Apple criticism of Android, was that it was a fractured market. That the software operated differently from one phone manufacturer to another, and one software update to the next. Well guess what folks...iOS7 now operates differently from one iPhone to the next because of hardware capacity. Starting with the iPhone 4, then 4s, and 5, 5c, 5s, certain functionalities of the operating system will be lost on all phones prior to the 5 line. That also includes iPads. If you're still using an iPad 1 and 2 or iPhone 3g or prior - good luck! Though it is nice that folks can still use some of their old iPads and iPhones with this iOS7, this now sounds like the beginnings of a "fractured" Applesphere to me?
To the captains at the iPhone steering wheel...if you wanted to make an audience capturing phone...you should have stepped away from your surveys and polls. You are not truthfully addressing the concerns of the "willing to buy an iPhone" masses. Here are their issues:
1. People would like a replaceable battery or a larger battery - so that they don't have to run from wall socket to wall socket at school, home and work.
2. People would like a little variety in screen size. 4 inch screens - no matter how "clear" are still harder to view for people over 40. There are people who actually like larger screens and aren't afraid to use two hands to text.
3. Lastly, stop boring people to death about the minutiae details inside the technology. People who buy a Mercedes don't care about the mechanical details under the hood. They just want to enjoy the pleasure of the smooth ride and gossip about the new "ahead of the pack" bells and whistles.
Apple, it's time to turn the tables and jump on the Samsung ""variety and practical use" bandwagon and make a couple devices that everyday people, feel that functions around their less than "tech smart" everyday lives. If you learn to do that...you will see a more avaricious increase in your buyers and take a big bite out of the Android giant's market share.
Just saying.
10/31/13 Update: Just as I've predicted, the iPhone 5c and 5s sales have tapered off and haven't really broken any new ground for Apple. Just read for yourselves.
A couple weeks ago...Apple announced it's much anticipated iPhone 5c and 5s. In the same breath they also put an "obsolete" label on their much vaunted iPhone 5. This has been the most short lived iPhone in the company's history. It was only in production for a little less than 12 full months. Now this obsoleted iPhone 5 is disappearing off the store stock shelves like bottled water 24hrs before a hurricane hits land.
I delayed in blogging here because I wanted to read, observe, and privately debate with friends how this whole thing is playing out. At this point in time I think it's safe to say that even among iPhone users that I know, this new iOS7 and iPhone 5c and 5s - are duds. Apple may be touting "sellouts" and "highest selling" numbers in their history, but the truth to those facts are that they simply opened this phone to a bigger market on day 1 - China - as well as the US and Europe. In the past they had never opened in China the same time they opened in Europe and the United States. Therefore, it only makes sense that they would sell more phones in the first couple of weeks of this huge opening??
However, I don't think that they will gain any new ground in the Smartphone Wars. I haven't seen much more added to this phone that going to drastically increase Apple's 15% stake in the world wide smartphone market. I see Google (read that as predominantly Samsung) maintaining it's smidgen under a 70% stake in the world wide smartphone market. After 7 years of badmouthing Android phone makers for making cheap plastic phones, Apple has now bit the "lower our production cost" bullet and jumped into "make your phone with plastic" production line with the iPhone 5c. The 5s still has the classic aluminum and glass body.
Now don't get me wrong here. When I said that the phones were duds, I didn't mean that the phones themselves are poorly made or lacking sophisticated software. Nope. Not at all. What I'm saying here is that these devices didn't spur the imaginations of people. They just appear (superficially) to be simple rehashes of the same thing.
However, I don't think that they will gain any new ground in the Smartphone Wars. I haven't seen much more added to this phone that going to drastically increase Apple's 15% stake in the world wide smartphone market. I see Google (read that as predominantly Samsung) maintaining it's smidgen under a 70% stake in the world wide smartphone market. After 7 years of badmouthing Android phone makers for making cheap plastic phones, Apple has now bit the "lower our production cost" bullet and jumped into "make your phone with plastic" production line with the iPhone 5c. The 5s still has the classic aluminum and glass body.
Now don't get me wrong here. When I said that the phones were duds, I didn't mean that the phones themselves are poorly made or lacking sophisticated software. Nope. Not at all. What I'm saying here is that these devices didn't spur the imaginations of people. They just appear (superficially) to be simple rehashes of the same thing.
Apple/iPhone fanatics - stop where you are. Read no further. You like what you like and there's no telling you any different. Okay. So why read any further? I'm writing an unbiased commentary here based on conversations with friends, coworkers and family who are also iPhone users. Most of you will not see things with an open mind, so just click to the next blog.
Externally on the two new iPhones, there's the new colors, the plastic case on the 5c and the typical aluminum backing on the 5s, which comes in the hot selling gold color among other nice new choices. I even watched six minutes the presentation given by the person in charge of showing these two new iPhones - especially the iPhone 5s. His name is not important and I certainly do respect his professional and company success. However, during the six minutes or so of the video that I watched, and as he kept explaining and talking about the new, groundbreaking 64 bit architecture and the unbelievable new speeds of this advance system - I kept asking myself "how does everything he's talking about sound to the average, non computer literate, non advance tech caring crowd that Apple would now like to attract away from Android and the leftovers from Blackberry and Windows?" At that exact moment, I wanted to gather such people and put them all in a room. I'm sure you could hear a pin drop in such an imaginary room, as soon as you started asking them about 64 bit technology.
Let me simply put it this way. I have three video links. First is the introduction of the iPhone 5s. Next is the introduction of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (just skip to the 1:34 spot to see it's practical use). And then Lastly, last spring's introduction of the Samsung Galaxy S4.
Let me simply put it this way. I have three video links. First is the introduction of the iPhone 5s. Next is the introduction of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (just skip to the 1:34 spot to see it's practical use). And then Lastly, last spring's introduction of the Samsung Galaxy S4.
If you take the time to watch the 3 videos, you too will see the difference in company approaches to the consumer, ie potential new iPhone buyers, as well as previous owners. Isn't a commercial video on new high end technology suppose to wow people with it's practical uses and not try to beat them over the head with tidbit information on 64 bit this or 64 that, and fingerprint this or that? Frankly speaking there aren't even any apps yet developed that can even maximize the 64 bit technology right now anyway. And by the time there is in a few months to a year down the road, the phone will be halfway through it's life cycle and well on it's way to becoming obsolete, right Apple? Most soccer moms and sports dads could care less about 64 this or that. They just wanna know - does it work?
Check this out: the battery on the new 5s, is the same size battery of the original iPhone 5. Huh?? Every smartphone maker has been steadily increasing the size and energy capacity of their batteries. What gives Apple? Thanks for the half a billions apps Apple...but they tend to use up the battery power that you will not increase for me. Where is the love?
Now as far as the iOS7 is concerned, I've had two college males tell me that it looks very "girlie" or "kid like". I've had one businesswoman/friend tell me that some of the icons are now harder to read on iOS7. But it's otherwise pretty much the same old iPhone. One Apple criticism of Android, was that it was a fractured market. That the software operated differently from one phone manufacturer to another, and one software update to the next. Well guess what folks...iOS7 now operates differently from one iPhone to the next because of hardware capacity. Starting with the iPhone 4, then 4s, and 5, 5c, 5s, certain functionalities of the operating system will be lost on all phones prior to the 5 line. That also includes iPads. If you're still using an iPad 1 and 2 or iPhone 3g or prior - good luck! Though it is nice that folks can still use some of their old iPads and iPhones with this iOS7, this now sounds like the beginnings of a "fractured" Applesphere to me?
To the captains at the iPhone steering wheel...if you wanted to make an audience capturing phone...you should have stepped away from your surveys and polls. You are not truthfully addressing the concerns of the "willing to buy an iPhone" masses. Here are their issues:
1. People would like a replaceable battery or a larger battery - so that they don't have to run from wall socket to wall socket at school, home and work.
2. People would like a little variety in screen size. 4 inch screens - no matter how "clear" are still harder to view for people over 40. There are people who actually like larger screens and aren't afraid to use two hands to text.
3. Lastly, stop boring people to death about the minutiae details inside the technology. People who buy a Mercedes don't care about the mechanical details under the hood. They just want to enjoy the pleasure of the smooth ride and gossip about the new "ahead of the pack" bells and whistles.
Apple, it's time to turn the tables and jump on the Samsung ""variety and practical use" bandwagon and make a couple devices that everyday people, feel that functions around their less than "tech smart" everyday lives. If you learn to do that...you will see a more avaricious increase in your buyers and take a big bite out of the Android giant's market share.
Just saying.
10/31/13 Update: Just as I've predicted, the iPhone 5c and 5s sales have tapered off and haven't really broken any new ground for Apple. Just read for yourselves.
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