1. the_sleuth's Avatar
    New iPhone Risks Same Old Same Old

    by Geoffrey A. Fowler
    Wall Street Journal
    Monday, October 3, 2011

    Can the iPhone bring sexy back?

    With more than 128 million iPhones sold since 2007, the device's ubiquity has created a marketing and design challenge for Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL - News): how to wow consumers in a maturing smartphone market where many alternatives now look and feel like Apple's gadget.

    That's a challenge Apple will have to address Tuesday, when the company is widely expected to unveil a fifth-generation iPhone.

    Apple has been working on an iPhone that is thinner and lighter with an improved eight-megapixel camera but details otherwise are unclear.

    Now the question is, what features will be sufficient to dazzle consumers. For years, Apple has won converts in part because of the freshness of the iPhone's design and software capabilities that didn't exist elsewhere.

    Apple: Where Is the Pre-iPhone Love? - MarketBeat - WSJ

    The company now faces tougher competition from smartphones using Google Inc.'s Android software, which also feature full-screen touch displays and access to thousands of apps. Some phones even out-flank the current iPhone: Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc.'s Droid Bionic has an eight-megapixel camera and access to high-speed, fourth-generation wireless networks. Android accounts for 43% of the U.S. market for smartphone operating systems, while Apple has 28%, according to Nielsen Co.

    Apple still is the biggest producer of smartphone handsets.

    Some surveys have suggested that consumer demand remains strong for the iPhone, which was last refreshed in June 2010. A survey by ChangeWave Research in July found that 46% of consumers planning to buy smartphones in the next 90 days would choose an iPhone. Demand could be bolstered in the U.S. by the expected agreement by Sprint Nextel Corp., the country's third-largest mobile carrier by subscribers, to sell the handset.

    Even though many consumers expect Apple to keep coming up with new designs, "there has to be a point where the expectations outrun the abilities," said analyst Roger Kay of Endpoint Technologies Associates.

    Unlike in previous years when Chief Executive Steve Jobs unveiled a new iPhone model to a big audience in downtown San Francisco, Apple this time is holding a smaller gathering at its Cupertino, Calif., headquarters. Mr. Jobs resigned as CEO in August, succeeded by Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook.

    [More from WSJ.com: Investors Sing a New Tune � 'Won't Get Fooled Again']

    Surprising people with design could be particularly tough for the iPhone 5.

    "Industrial design is important, but in these small packages we are starting to bump into the laws of physics," said Tim Bajarin, a consultant with Creative Strategies Inc. "You aren't going to do anything that I would consider radical in design and still get this feature set and function."

    Software is even more important now to differentiate the iPhone, Mr. Bajarin said.

    Apple in 2009 upgraded its 3G model iPhone with a 3G S model by tweaking internal components and emphasizing software enhancements. The company wanted to signal to consumers that software is an important part of the phone's evolution, according to a person familiar with Apple's thinking.

    But Apple also faces competition in smartphone software. Apple in June previewed the capabilities of its next-generation mobile operating system, including a messaging service called iMessage and wireless storage and music syncing through the iCloud service. Similar features already are offered elsewhere, including through Research In Motion Ltd.'s Blackberry and Amazon.com Inc.'s digital music store.

    One potential trick up Apple's sleeve: software developed at Siri Inc., a start-up Apple bought last year that makes a voice-activated personal assistant, analysts said. Apple has kept mum about its plans for Siri.

    Apple has conquered product fatigue before. The company's iPods in 2001 revolutionized the way people listened to music. By 2004, when the iPod was in its third generation, Apple introduced a smaller version, the iPod Mini. In 2005 Apple reinvented the iPod again, introducing the even smaller Shuffle, with flash memory and no screen.

    Apple's internal processes are set up to avoid incrementalism in its products, the person familiar with Apple's thinking said. The company doesn't interview consumers about what they want in the next generation of products; instead, Apple challenges its designers to come up with dramatic visions for what products can do.

    Some designs have missed the mark. The Power Mac G4 Cube personal computer that Apple unveiled in 2001 featured an unusual square design. But many models developed cracks in their cases. Later that year, Apple said the product would be put "on ice."

    Jeremiah Warren, a 19-year-old filmmaking student in Dallas, said he plans to upgrade his iPhone as soon as the new one becomes available.

    "Apple has caught me with the 'magic' of the phone, not the technical specs," he said.

    But some other gadget lovers will wait and see. "Most of my friends roll their eyes about the constant upgrades they feel pressured to spend money on," said Guy Burns, a 41-year-old designer in San Francisco, who has no immediate plans to upgrade.

    Write to Geoffrey A. Fowler at [email protected]

    new-iphone-risks-same-old-apple-wsj: Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance
    10-03-11 03:58 PM
  2. recompile's Avatar
    I've been saying this for a while now. The iPhone 5 will be just another mundane update.

    What is Apple offering current iPhone 4 users that will compel them to upgrade? The display is likely to be identical, possibly a much-needed ram upgrade, rumor has it we'll see a better processor. (Not exactly exciting. Specs don't matter, after all.)

    iOS 5 promises to greatly improve notifications -- finally making that feature competitive with my BB 7290. Of course, iPhone 4 users will also be getting iOS 5, so that's out.

    Ah, voice search! That's rumored to be an iPhone 5 only feature! A shame just about everyone has had that feature for a while now, either built-in or through an app...

    It looks like Apple is playing catch-up with this release. Unless they have something really unique to offer, I expect this launch will finally put an end to the hype. It will sell incredibly well, no doubt, but we're not going to see any lines around the block this time. (Just like the embarrassing Verizon iPhone launch.)
    10-03-11 04:25 PM
  3. louzer's Avatar
    4G will be a game changer.
    10-03-11 04:34 PM
  4. laurah2215's Avatar
    Actually, I know many people who are itching to get their hands on the iPhone 5, and most of them own the 3 or 4 currently. It's like us Berry Addicts who have OS 5 or 6 and want the latest or greatest even though we just got the newest a year or two ago. I'm not sure they suffer from fatigue at all, but are just as, if not more, addicted than us.
    LazyStarGazer likes this.
    10-03-11 04:56 PM
  5. terreos's Avatar
    Plenty of apple fans will want to get the new Iphone. For most of us we may not see the point but, look at a BlackBerry and then look at the previous generation. Alot, of the same can be said for our phones. "Well it's such a minor upgrade you might as well wait." Heck there are users holding out for QNX BlackBerry devices. It's personal wants and needs. I wanted the Bold 9930 so I bought one. If someone wants the new Iphone they should get it. I think it's that simple regardless of what the press has to say.
    10-03-11 05:03 PM
  6. rollingrock1988's Avatar
    Shocker!!!!
    10-03-11 05:09 PM
  7. Economist101's Avatar
    IWhat is Apple offering current iPhone 4 users that will compel them to upgrade?
    Swing-and-a-miss. The idea is not to convince current iPhone 4 users to upgrade; it's to sell iPhones. This means some iPhone 4 users, some iPhone 3GS users, and even some iPhone 3g and original iPhone users, as well as users coming off of contracts from other phones.

    iOS 5 promises to greatly improve notifications -- finally making that feature competitive with my BB 7290. Of course, iPhone 4 users will also be getting iOS 5, so that's out.
    This kind of torpedoes your "what will make iPhone 4 users upgrade" argument, since if Apple really want to encourage upgrades, they'd probably not make iOS backward compatible.

    Unless they have something really unique to offer, I expect this launch will finally put an end to the hype. It will sell incredibly well, no doubt, but we're not going to see any lines around the block this time. (Just like the embarrassing Verizon iPhone launch.)
    This iPhone launch is the biggest iPhone launch thus far. Remember that there are 70+ additional phone carriers since just last year, and CDMA is now supported. As for the iPhone 4 launch on Verizon, that was a different deal, as it was a mid-cycle addition. Of course it was still the biggest smartphone launch in the history of Verizon, but hey, let's not get caught up in the facts.
    LazyStarGazer likes this.
    10-03-11 05:23 PM
  8. trsbbs's Avatar
    I think the Droid will hit the wall before the IPhone.

    Also, I just looked at a pic of the aluminum IPhone. I hate to say it but it looks extremely good.
    Like WOW good.

    Come on RIM!

    Tim
    10-03-11 05:30 PM
  9. chiefbroski's Avatar
    Come on people, its the iphone. People love that ish. It'll sell better than any other phone regardless. Bahahahah...doesn't have push email, bbm or convenient buttons so its not for me

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    10-03-11 07:25 PM
  10. avt123's Avatar
    Come on people, its the iphone. People love that ish. It'll sell better than any other phone regardless. Bahahahah...doesn't have push email, bbm or convenient buttons so its not for me

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    It does have push email, it just does not support every email provider like BIS does. Anything on EAS or hotmail, gmail, yahoo and a few others are push.
    10-03-11 07:29 PM
  11. Crucial_Xtreme's Avatar
    Product fatigue?? Seriously? The new iPhone will break the old iPhone 4's record of 1.7 million devices sold on it's first 3 days of availability... Product fatigue my ****. <--- I said but t not the other word.
    UrbanGlowCam and avt123 like this.
    10-03-11 07:42 PM
  12. lotuslanderz's Avatar
    Then there's this (although it could apply to any ecosystem):

    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/02/th...jobs.html?_r=1


    MIKE DAISEY, one of the great solo storytellers of contemporary theater, has traveled the world performing sharp, polemical and extemporaneous monologues about Amazon.com, national security, James Frey and a host of other subjects. He brings his latest piece, “The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs,” to the Public Theater from Oct. 11 through Nov. 13.


    Half of the show profiles Mr. Jobs, Apple’s former chief executive, the brilliant micromanager who acknowledged in 2004 that he was battling pancreatic cancer. The other half describes Mr. Daisey’s trip to Shenzhen, China, where he posed as a wealthy businessman to infiltrate factories where Apple products and other electronics are made. He says he witnessed inhumane conditions and interviewed workers outside of factories who said they were as young as 12.

    Mr. Daisey spoke by phone recently with Catherine Rampell about what defines a “tech geek” and how his exposure to Chinese factories has changed his relationship with his beloved iPhone. These are excerpts from that conversation.

    Q. How did you first become interested in Apple and Steve Jobs as the subject for a monologue?

    A. I’ve used their products my whole life and have been deeply influenced by Steve Jobs, the way many people have, because he is so associated with his design. The way he sort of dominates Apple means that it really feels like you’re having a conversation with him when you use the devices. I’ve wanted to talk about Apple for a long time, but I don’t do monologues unless there’s something compelling in collision with something else in my life. There was nothing really to talk about until a couple years ago, when I started reading and learning about the working conditions in southern China and investigating the supply chain.

    Q. In the show you say that Mr. Jobs is not really a “tech geek.” What do you mean?

    A. I mean that he’s far too charismatic to be really what we traditionally think of as a tech geek. He’s more of a showman, a salesman. There’s a lot more of Barnum in him than there is Spock.

    Q. There’s a certain theater that comes with Apple product announcements and the entire experience of the Apple store. What do you think of Mr. Jobs as an artist?

    A. Well I think that he’s tremendously effective as an artist in that sense. However, it’s deeply unfortunate that he sold out his ideals.

    This is someone who had an opportunity to transform the world with these devices and then did. He started as someone whose devices were forged out of piracy, and today it’s the most locked-down computer company in the world. As a capitalist I’m sure that it’s very attractive. But if we’re talking about him as an artist, I’d say that he completely lost track of his ideals.

    Q. Have you softened the show because it might feel callous to criticize a man who has serious health problems?

    A. The idea that [Mr. Jobs] could pass away is a tremendous distraction from the really essential story. To be truthful, it’s difficult to know that we are so hungry to be distracted from the unfortunate and uncomfortable situation we’ve created for ourselves with China, with our labor, with all of our manufacturing, that we will grasp at whatever it takes to not talk about it.

    Q. Did conditions in these factories surprise you?

    A. I’d expected conditions to be bad, to be worse than I’d ever experienced, and I’ve lived a relatively comfortable life. What was shocking to me was the level of dehumanization built into the systems that have been put into place by American corporations in collusion with suppliers.

    Q. Many Americans resent that China is “stealing” our manufacturing jobs. What do you think about those concerns now that you have experienced firsthand what some manufacturing conditions are like?

    A. Let’s be clear. The manufacturing jobs are the way they that they are because we’ve chosen to collude with a fascist country, to strip away the labor conditions that so many thousands fought and died for to make possible. It’s not a function of manufacturing. They’re a function of our decision to strip away essential human rights.

    Q. One of the implications of your show is that consumers should think more critically about the devices they buy. But there may not be a more ethical competitor to turn to. How do you hope your show will change viewers’ choices as consumers?

    A. The situation we find ourselves in is not terribly different than it was for the organic food movement in the 1950s, an era when the idea that food should not be treated with pesticide was bizarre because people didn’t even understand why you wouldn’t want your food in a can.

    In other words the act of making people think about these issues is a revolutionary act because no one is thinking about them.

    Q. Have you bought any new Apple products since putting together this show?

    A. I haven’t. I can’t undo the truth, and so I find myself making do with the devices that I have.

    There’s a hunger in very controlling companies like Apple to create planned obsolescences sooner rather than later, so it will become more and more difficult to stay functional. As a consequence I’m going to have to make some decisions in time.

    Q. But I take it you still own Apple products you had bought before researching this show.

    A. If I throw them away, I’ll just have to find another device made the same way in order to continue being in conversation with people. Like right now we’re both talking over the telephone, the guts of which were probably made in Shenzhen.
    10-03-11 07:43 PM
  13. sleepngbear's Avatar
    I've been saying this for a while now. The iPhone 5 will be just another mundane update.

    What is Apple offering current iPhone 4 users that will compel them to upgrade? The display is likely to be identical, possibly a much-needed ram upgrade, rumor has it we'll see a better processor. (Not exactly exciting. Specs don't matter, after all.)

    iOS 5 promises to greatly improve notifications -- finally making that feature competitive with my BB 7290. Of course, iPhone 4 users will also be getting iOS 5, so that's out.

    Ah, voice search! That's rumored to be an iPhone 5 only feature! A shame just about everyone has had that feature for a while now, either built-in or through an app...

    It looks like Apple is playing catch-up with this release. Unless they have something really unique to offer, I expect this launch will finally put an end to the hype. It will sell incredibly well, no doubt, but we're not going to see any lines around the block this time. (Just like the embarrassing Verizon iPhone launch.)
    Users like my wife who have had a 3Gs for well over two years will be jumping on whatever Apple rolls out tomorrow. You have to remember that most users -- in the US anyway -- don't get to upgrade every year, so while this may be a boring incremental upgrade from the last version, it'll be a pretty big step up for many ... and you can be sure it'll still be a source of envy for those that are between upgrades.
    10-03-11 07:53 PM
  14. rickkel's Avatar
    Wow this is a very powerful interview. I noticed my new Torch 9850 is made in Mexico. I wonder how the conditions compare to the workers in China. My Ford Fusion Hybrid was also made in Mexico. I think I'd rather be supporting their economy rather than China's, but hopefully the conditions at those plants won't be in the next documentary on HBO...
    10-03-11 08:10 PM
  15. rickkel's Avatar
    Users like my wife who have had a 3Gs for well over two years will be jumping on whatever Apple rolls out tomorrow. You have to remember that most users -- in the US anyway -- don't get to upgrade every year, so while this may be a boring incremental upgrade from the last version, it'll be a pretty big step up for many ... and you can be sure it'll still be a source of envy for those that are between upgrades.
    You are correct. I have gotten no less than four emails from websites like CNET asking if I'd like to be on the "latest news" email list for the iPhone 5. I forecast that there will be campers outside of Apple stores - the kool-aid has been consumed, thus the product must be purchased...
    10-03-11 08:13 PM
  16. sleepngbear's Avatar
    I think the Droid will hit the wall before the IPhone.

    Also, I just looked at a pic of the aluminum IPhone. I hate to say it but it looks extremely good.
    Like WOW good.

    Come on RIM!

    Tim
    I tend to agree with this. I just read an article last week (and I'll be damned if i can find it at the moment) suggesting that Android's rapid market share rise may be short-lived. In an admittedly unscientific 'study', the author described a common sentiment among current Android users that will be coming up for renewal in the next six months indicating a strong likelihood that they'll be switching to something else. That sentiment was much less prevalent among iPhone users, and BlackBerry users fell somewhere in between. Again, this was the result of very informal inquiries and unscientifically gathered, but it did involve a sampling of over 100 users of various wireless devices. It's not something I'd take to the bank, but it's definitely something I'll be following over the next six months.
    10-03-11 08:16 PM
  17. the_sleuth's Avatar
    Alas, the event will not be magical. Steve Jobs will not be presenting. Everyone already knows what will be iPhone 5's specs and design. And Jobs presented iOS 5 this past summer.

    Tim Cook will land with a thud at his first CEO presentation. I can hear the crickets now... of course it will sell better than ice cream during a hot Cali summer afternoon.

    Watch, the bloggers will be doing a post-mortem of the event by tomorrow evening. As to how the event was not the same without the Wizard Jobs.

    Product fatigue?? Seriously? The new iPhone will break the old iPhone 4's record of 1.7 million devices sold on it's first 3 days of availability... Product fatigue my ****. <--- I said but t not the other word.
    Last edited by the_sleuth; 10-03-11 at 08:28 PM.
    10-03-11 08:24 PM
  18. chiefbroski's Avatar
    It does have push email, it just does not support every email provider like BIS does. Anything on EAS or hotmail, gmail, yahoo and a few others are push.
    True dat, bro. It just doesn't push my government email or my university email. But yeah, true.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    10-03-11 09:31 PM
  19. dalton4L's Avatar
    (Not exactly exciting. Specs don't matter, after all.)
    Uhhh... yeah they do.

    Apple buys their processors from Samsung and then tweaks them to interact smoothly with the OS even further increase their capabilities, and because of that, you can expect the new iPhone to be the fastest phone on the market seeing as how the iPhone 4 can keep up pretty close with quite a few dual-core phones today.
    10-03-11 10:00 PM
  20. recompile's Avatar
    Uhhh... yeah they do.
    Of course they do! I was purposefully parroting Steve Jobs for rhetorical effect.
    10-03-11 10:11 PM
  21. TheScionicMan's Avatar
    Users like my wife who have had a 3Gs for well over two years will be jumping on whatever Apple rolls out tomorrow. You have to remember that most users -- in the US anyway -- don't get to upgrade every year, so while this may be a boring incremental upgrade from the last version, it'll be a pretty big step up for many ... and you can be sure it'll still be a source of envy for those that are between upgrades.
    The funny thing is that when RIM comes out with similar incremental upgrades, its bashed as nothing more than a "refresh"... Apple's "new" device will be magical...

    Wow this is a very powerful interview. I noticed my new Torch 9850 is made in Mexico. I wonder how the conditions compare to the workers in China. My Ford Fusion Hybrid was also made in Mexico. I think I'd rather be supporting their economy rather than China's, but hopefully the conditions at those plants won't be in the next documentary on HBO...
    It was most likely Assembled in Mexico. Most of the parts are still made in the same conditions in China. They have enslaved their people to become a superpower...

    I tend to agree with this. I just read an article last week (and I'll be damned if i can find it at the moment) suggesting that Android's rapid market share rise may be short-lived. In an admittedly unscientific 'study', the author described a common sentiment among current Android users that will be coming up for renewal in the next six months indicating a strong likelihood that they'll be switching to something else. That sentiment was much less prevalent among iPhone users, and BlackBerry users fell somewhere in between. Again, this was the result of very informal inquiries and unscientifically gathered, but it did involve a sampling of over 100 users of various wireless devices. It's not something I'd take to the bank, but it's definitely something I'll be following over the next six months.
    I've been saying that for a while now. It's just now been 2 years since Android hit the market and it will be interesting to see how much churn occurs once those contracts start expiring. Most Android owners don't have the high-end, super powerful phones and many are stuck on old versions of Android that doesn't always give the best experience.
    10-03-11 11:15 PM
  22. mrsadkins9399's Avatar
    Alas, the event will not be magical. Steve Jobs will not be presenting. Everyone already knows what will be iPhone 5's specs and design. And Jobs presented iOS 5 this past summer.

    Tim Cook will land with a thud at his first CEO presentation. I can hear the crickets now... of course it will sell better than ice cream during a hot Cali summer afternoon.

    Watch, the bloggers will be doing a post-mortem of the event by tomorrow evening. As to how the event was not the same without the Wizard Jobs.
    Tim Cook did the Keynote for the 3GS when Steve Jobs was recovering from his liver transplant.
    10-03-11 11:40 PM
  23. louzer's Avatar
    It's looking like there's going to be two phones. And it appears that Apple did a very good job keeping the design secret. Previous pics must just be design alternates. The actual pics just leaked. From the looks of them, it looks like Apple hit this one out of the park!
    AZ87 likes this.
    10-04-11 12:23 AM
  24. LazyStarGazer's Avatar
    Actually, I know many people who are itching to get their hands on the iPhone 5, and most of them own the 3 or 4 currently. It's like us Berry Addicts who have OS 5 or 6 and want the latest or greatest even though we just got the newest a year or two ago. I'm not sure they suffer from fatigue at all, but are just as, if not more, addicted than us.
    Laurah, you have something that is quite rare around here.
    Objectivity. (AKA, common sense).
    10-04-11 04:46 AM
  25. avt123's Avatar
    True dat, bro. It just doesn't push my government email or my university email. But yeah, true.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    Yea maybe one day all platforms with have a server system set up like RIM so everything will be push.
    10-04-11 07:14 AM
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