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Apple announces Iphone 5

19K views 113 replies 40 participants last post by  TKG26 
#1 ·
#6 ·
Obviously they are still selling well. Not everyone wants or needs cellular connectivity in their portable media player, nor wants to lug a tablet everywhere. The Touch isn't meant to compete with a tablet, so comparing pricing between the two is somewhat irrevelant.
 
#24 ·
The problem is there will be several new Android phones (including a new Nexus phone and new flagship models from Samsung and HTC, among others) long before there is another iPhone release.

That said, I'm not entirely sure what everyone was hoping for, from a hardware perspective. The real innovation these days seems to come on the software level, from both Apple and Google/OEMs. The big problem in my mind is that iOS 6 doesn't seem like anything special, at least not on the same terms as previous iOS releases.

The only thing that really stands out to me is the lack of NFC. I was disappointed that the iPhone 4S didn't have it. NFC may not be especially useful right now (although I find many great uses for it) but by the time your three-year contract for the iPhone 5 is up, I'd bet NFC payment systems will be very common.

Obviously they are still selling well.
I'm not sure that they're selling especially well, but they're selling enough to justify the cost of bringing them to market (for now) and I'm sure Apple doesn't want to potentially concede any more market share to Android right now.
 
#8 ·
Im not sure how well that iPad would fit in their pocket while walking to school, listening to music on the bus or just riding a bike. There is still a huge market for portable audio players. $299 Touch vs $519 for an iPad... much easier to justify a Touch for Christmas than an iPad for the "average" parent.
 
#11 ·
Not sure why you took my post as being antagonistic..? I was generalizing that in my opinion a lot of kids enjoy listening to music on the move where the iPad doesn't fit into that activity too well. Seeing that your post questioned why Apple was still investing in the Touch I thought that was a fairly valid point.
 
#16 ·
It is pretty tough to get excited over the iPhone5 vs a Samsung S3, especially for a new entrant.

For me, I'm heavily invested in the ecosystem because I'm an early adopter and Apple was years ahead of the competition, but if I were just entering the market now, I don't think Apple would be a "clear choice".
 
#22 ·
I have no doubt that this phone will sell, and maybe even in record numbers initially; but in the long-term things don't look promising. As others have stated, this seems more a way to keep current iOS users happy, while doing nothing to convert Android users.

It seems that this is the device people were waiting for.....last year (when the iPhone 4S was announced). As such, it already seems like an older phone. Given that we aren't likely going to see an update until next September, I can easily see iPhone market share dropping even more over the next year.

It is their most amazing iPhone yet....but that doesn't mean much when they've got serious competition.
 
#23 ·
Well, at least it's on par with the best Android phones on the market (all things considered). It'll be better on some points, worse on others. I suspect that the GPU in the A6 will be more powerful than the GPUs that are used by current high-end Android phones, so games will probably play better on the iPhone 5.

The industrial design is top-notch and a number of people have locked themselves into the iOS ecosystem. Unless the prospective customer wants a particular feature that the iPhone 5 doesn't have, I don't think it's a bad choice for anyone. And it would be a great choice for some people.

Competition is good.
 
#25 ·
<meh>

I have the 4S and don't see a compelling reason to upgrade yet.

The extra 1/2 inch only gives you another row of icons. The other differences in the camera etc are nice but in my situation don't warrant an early upgrade.

I do think it might entice the 3GS and iPhone 4 crowd to upgrade though.

Now lets see what they have in store for the iPhone 6 <g>.


ND
 
#26 ·
Posted by TorontoColin:
That said, I'm not entirely sure what everyone was hoping for, from a hardware perspective. The real innovation these days seems to come on the software level, from both Apple and Google/OEMs. The big problem in my mind is that iOS 6 doesn't seem like anything special, at least not on the same terms as previous iOS releases.
Exactly my thoughts. I think the iPhone 5 (especially the black one) is a gorgeous device. It stacks up rather well against anything else out there on the hardware side. The A6 chip, battery life, incredible camera(s), etc...

iOS 6 is in my opinion the Achille's tendon in this equation. I was really hoping for a revamping of the interface and the feel of the OS, which for all intents and purposes is 5 years old. It doesn't do the phone justice.

Having said that, I'm all in with in this ecosystem and I don't see any reason to migrate to something else. As a matter of fact, I'll gladly upgrade my iPhone 4 (not a 4S) even if call reception was the only reason to do it. I'm sure a lot of people are in the same boat, which is why it will sell extremely well.
 
#27 ·
Every new iPhone release is the one day of the year (I'm starting to think Google sends reminders to every activated Android phone) when more than half the Android fan base feels compelled to post in Apple threads an opinion that the new iPhone is an overpriced nothing, that it's old technology that existed in Android phones from 10 years ago, that they are glad they already purchased the latest Android flagship and how Apple is going down the drain. Some even still complain that they are surprised that it has no memory card, replaceable battery and Adobe Flash, but these are isolated cases due to erroneously copying and pasting from their original posts from 2007.

Seriously, I think that the only way an Android fan can be impressed by a new iPhone is if it has a 5.35'' amoled screen with even more inaccurate colours, cheap plastic case and a big SAMSUNG sign on the front. And run the latest Android. Therefore discussing with them the hardware merits of a new iPhone is pointless. To me the only good screen for portable device made by Samsung is the one on the initial batches of the third iPad.

IMO the screen on iPhone 4 and 4S was and still is better than any other phone, and if iPhone 5 is an improvement, it's an even more clear winner. At least until I get to see the one on Nokia Lumia 920, which also sounds promising. Doubling the CPU speed is good for future-proof gaming, because the 4S is as snappy as it gets. Elongating but preserving the width of the screen is just what the doctor ordered for having more useful space while still being able to use with one hand. I will have to hold my final judgement for the look and feel until at least the 21st, but from reviews and pictures, it seems that it is reaffirming the position of the iPhone as an icon of style and industrial design. There's really nothing more to wish for hardware-wise at this point. NFC, just like previously 3G and LTE, will be implemented by Apple when (and if) the time is right - demand is enough and the technology is perfected to meet Apple's standards for user experience. As for the other technological buzz - wireless charging - Apple will probably also wait and see how it pans - it may take off, may just as well go nowhere. In both cases kudos to Nokia for pioneering the feature, Apple may have to eat crow on this one.

Software. I have a feeling that something is missing here. As if a big step has been missed, because the Apple TV distribution model is still being held back by traditional cable providers. Last year I was expecting that with the new Apple TV services iPhone 5 would be the hub, enabling you to watch every show or TV channel available any time on any Apple device anywhere, with the same exquisite Apple user-friendliness, but apparently it is a no-go this year, so there seems to be an emptiness, nothing really disruptive in iOS 6. The consolidation of the iOS system is just incremental, nothing of iMessage, FaceTime or AirStream proportions from the past. It still remains the most pleasant ecosystem, though, and it will surely attract millions of new members.

And some outright criticism - if Siri in iOS 6 still knows nothing about restaurants in Canada, I will declare it the biggest Apple flop of all times.
 
#28 ·
IMO the screen on iPhone 4 and 4S was and still is better than any other phone.
Better in what way? The pixel density of the 4S is high, other high-end android phones are all in the same ballpark on this number (and the density is higher on the Lumia 920, apparently). The competitive phones also have a higher number of total pixels. And that is a number that matters at least as much as the density of the pixels - and it's an area where the 4 and 4S are way behind.
 
#32 ·
I also have a iPad 3, as well as multiple 30" monitors for my computer. I love large displays.

With that in mind, I want a smartphone with a display which is large enough that normal web pages are usable on it, while not being so large that I don't take it with me everywhere.

I think the ~4.5" smartphone display hits the mark here.
 
#33 ·
I think the ~4.5" smartphone display hits the mark here.
I'm not saying that this is not the case, just that it's a choice based on how the manufacturer feels what their potential customers would prefer as a reasonable compromise against comfortably holding it in the hand. There are people with different hand size and finger length. If Apple felt that a 4.5'' display is really the sweet spot, they would have a 4.5'' display on the first iPhone back in 2007. Whatever the answer to this question is, bigger phone screens have nothing more advanced about them and the iPhone has nothing to "catch up" with.
 
#34 ·
Is there any reason why Apple can't make 2 different sizes of the latest iPhone? Why not give customers a choice? Clearly with the high number of large-screen Android phones sold there is a market for these. They will soon be 2 sizes of the iPad after all.
 
#35 · (Edited)
The iPhone 5 is a good phone in its own respects but its not an android killer and it wont gain Apple much market share against android, however it will likely let them maintain what they have.

Its including things such as a larger screen and a 16:9 aspect ratio which have been available on Android and Windows Phone 7 phones for a longtime. Its processing power is twice that of the 4S bringing it in line with the Galaxy S3, HTC One X, Lumia 920, and most other high end phones.

The iPhone 5 offers an excellent screen in terms colour accuracy compared to the Galaxy S3 however the HTC One X offers excellent colour accuracy for people on the android side. Also phones such as the HTC Rezound and the Sony Xperia S offer 342 PPI which is higher then the iPhone however anything above 300 PPI it becomes difficult to compare pixel density with the naked eye.

It will do well with current Apple users wanting to upgrade, however it wont convert Android Users over, it will be a mixed bag on users who don't have a smartphone depending on their preference and personal needs.
 
#36 ·
It will do well with current Apple users wanting to upgrade, however it wont convert Android Users over, it will be a mixed bag on users who don't have a smartphone depending on their preference and personal needs.
Exactly. As there isn't really much that will steer current Android users away, Apple is going to have to work hard to get new users onboard. Now that Samsung and HTC have started running advertisements for their flagship phones, Apple won't be able to rely on advertising alone anymore.

I'm also thinking it would have been wise for Apple to have included the dock adapter in the box, as that is bound to cause some annoyances when they buy a speaker dock or other accessory and wonder why it won't work with their latest iPhone.
 
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