iPhone 5

[mithrilG60]

meh, it is what it is. There's nothing particularly revolutionary about any of the new Droid phones either. They are all rectangular devices with glass faces that can place phone calls, provide internet/navigational services and act as a gaming platform.

Apple's realised that the mobile device field has matured to the same point as the PC market in many ways.... it's target customer doesn't care about the technical specs of their phone just as they don't really care what the proc speed and ram cache level is of their PC; they care about apps, familiarity, branding and that it just works when they want it to. That's what the iDevices will be about for the next several generations. Droid hardware makers will continue appealing to the techno-geeks like they always have by claiming the latest and greatest hardware. but Droid itself will soon too realize that all the hardware on the market is now so advanced that it's almost immaterial to the phone experience.

[Chainsaw13]

Originally Posted by mithrilG60

meh, it is what it is. There's nothing particularly revolutionary about any of the new Droid phones either. They are all rectangular devices with glass faces that can place phone calls, provide internet/navigational services and act as a gaming platform.

Apple's realised that the mobile device field has matured to the same point as the PC market in many ways.... it's target customer doesn't care about the technical specs of their phone just as they don't really care what the proc speed and ram cache level is of their PC; they care about apps, familiarity, branding and that it just works when they want it to. That's what the iDevices will be about for the next several generations. Droid hardware makers will continue appealing to the techno-geeks like they always have by claiming the latest and greatest hardware. but Droid itself will soon too realize that all the hardware on the market is now so advanced that it's almost immaterial to the phone experience.

Very nice summary. I have a 4 and thought about upgrading IF the new 5 was a big step beyond what I currently have. I just don't see it. Since I bought my iPad I use the phone less so the 5 needed to really to offer a lot more than it has. That's ok, more money left for cigars.

[floydpink]

I've got a couple offers for $200 for my current iPhone 4, so I will be getting a free upgrade and definitely see benefits in the 5 over the 4, like faster processor and bigger screen.

Nothing overly exciting, but enough to make me jump.

[Sauer Grapes]

Originally Posted by mithrilG60

Watched the event, pretty much a yawn. The days of revolutionary launches with the iPhone/iPad/iPod are behind us. All 3 are mature products so the version changes will now be evolutionary instead to ensure the brand and revenue streams remain unruffled.

Big upgrade from a 3Gs, decent enough from a 4, certainly not worth it if you have a 4s....

Originally Posted by floydpink

I've got a couple offers for $200 for my current iPhone 4, so I will be getting a free upgrade and definitely see benefits in the 5 over the 4, like faster processor and bigger screen.

Nothing overly exciting, but enough to make me jump.

Pete has it correct. We will get our phones factory unlocked (the wife's 4 and my 4s) and then sell them to pay for most of the upgrade, if not in its entirety.

As long as you can get the subsidized price and you don't mind the contract extension, you can pretty much do the same every time. I'm more or less still using the same money I used for the original iPhone.

[mithrilG60]

Originally Posted by Chainsaw13

Very nice summary. I have a 4 and thought about upgrading IF the new 5 was a big step beyond what I currently have. I just don't see it. Since I bought my iPad I use the phone less so the 5 needed to really to offer a lot more than it has. That's ok, more money left for cigars.

I bought my wife and I 4s' at full retail from the AppleStore last year. We both travel internationally a couple times a year so being able to buy and use local SIM's wherever we are is huge, the Vodaphone kiosk will be the first or second stop in the Auckland airport this Sunday for example. We're both due for a contract renewal next Feb and unless they're given to us free there's zero advantage to paying $200 for a carrier-locked iPhone 5. If thry're free I'll take them and sell them on Craigslist and continue to use our 4s'.

[mmblz]

Originally Posted by mithrilG60

it's target customer doesn't care about the technical specs of their phone just as they don't really care what the proc speed and ram cache level is of their PC;

i don't follow. iPhone 5 basically is just incremental bumps to various specs - screen size, thinness, battery life, speed... functionally though, it's hardly different than the last go around...

seems to me that the only reason to release this is if customers DO care about specs...

[mithrilG60]

Originally Posted by mmblz

i don't follow. iPhone 5 basically is just incremental bumps to various specs - screen size, thinness, battery life, speed... functionally though, it's hardly different than the last go around...

seems to me that the only reason to release this is if customers DO care about specs...

lol, the real reason to release this is because Apple needs to keep their revenue stream stable and growing. Make a couple minor changes that don't really matter so you've got something to spin in the marketing and Bob's your uncle.

The average customer has zero idea what half those buzzwords really mean, and they can't necessarily tell the difference between the one's they do recognize. People are will buy this iPhone because it's new and many held off on upgrading from the 4 to the 4s because like the 4s to 5 it was a very incremental upgrade.

I realize this is pure comedy and probably staged for effect, but last night's Jimmy Kimmel sums the average smartphone buyer perfectly. This is why I say hardware specs are pretty much irrelevant now:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=rdIWKytq_q4