iPhone thread

[Neon Ignition]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-08-21-apple-now-the-most-valuable-company-of-all-time

Based on like for like numbers, Apple is now the richest company of all time. Adjusting for inflation they still have a fair way to go before they reach Microsofts peak back in 1999, however the iPad 4 and iPhone 5 are said to be around the corner which will further their profits with September reveals rumoured.

Will they reach MS's peak? The Apple brand is still very strong but the iPod line has been increasingly squeezed out by the iPhone and with Samsung gaining ground quickly on Apples iPhone, which seems to be beginning to slow down due to competition and being dogged by replacement rumours, that leaves the iPad as the star of Apples portfolio. That said, if another iPad appears it will be very close to the iPad 3's release which could dampen enthusiasm.

Personally, I think they will reach it. Their rise has been that fast that momentum should see them just about do it, though if they do I don't think they'll get much past it. Samsung seems to have hit a good groove against them and I doubt the others will leave it long before they start learning how that's been accomplished. The product design they use is tired and dated and the itunes software is pretty shoddy. Without a great revamp I think we've seen their 'peak' as other providers begin to build on the ground Android, Samsung etc have quickly made.

[EJG1980]

I saw an article the other day which said that the iPhone alone generated more income for Apple ($22.7 billion) that Microsoft's entire product range ($17.4 billion) for the quarter ended 31st March 2012. Quite the turnaround when you consider the state of those two companies in the 1990's.

[EvilBoris]

I read that too, it's terrifying.

I just read that Apple are now the most valuable company in the world.

[QualityChimp]

That's crazy talk! I can't believe just how popular iPhones are!

I was wondering if anybody could ever usurp the king from its mobile throne and then I remembered within the last decade how much has changed.

I was reading this article about Motorola phones through the ages and they really used to be synonymous with mobile phones in the early days. I'm surprised that the name didn't become the name for a mobile phone like Hoover for vacuum and Gasoline/Gas for petrol (in the US).

Then Nokia was The Daddy of the mobile market for years. I'm guessing most people on here had a Nokia at some point. They struck gold with all of their phones for years and were real innovators. I know the N-Gage flopped, but who here didn't like the idea of a proper mobile gaming phone? Heck, I still want one!

Motorola had a second wind a few years back with the Razr, which everybody seemed to want, but lack of variation meant that went quiet again.

When I was in America a few years back, everybody seemed to have a phone that flipped up to reveal a keyboard. There were even ones with celebrity branding.

In Japan, a lot of people liked clam phones and they're still popular. Maybe one of these manufacturers will find a new market in the West?

In China, the Samsung Galaxy Note is the best selling phone this year, so maybe a device that's somewhere between the iPhone and iPad, but still having mobile functionality is the way forward?

When something gets really popular, people can find that a reason to dislike it. Maybe people will get bored of the (virtually) same phone and wonder why they're paying for the incremental upgrade every time a new iPhone comes out. Maybe Apple will release one too soon to the last and customer opinion will shift from wanting to be on the cutting-edge to sticking with what they have. Maybe people will just want a change and try other brands.

A lot of the other phone makers have fingers in other pies and have a fair bit of cash to do research with, so maybe something really space-age like a transparent phone will be popular in a few years?

I'm rambling, but basically I thought Apple are unstoppable, but the mobile phone market seems to be always changing, so who knows?!

Maybe somebody like Dell will take over the market?

I wonder if Nintendo entered the mobile market how successful they'd be...

[buster_broon]

yeah i had about 5 nokia's in a row because i loved them, even bought a Nokia 7 series just because of the matrix movie lol

then i moved onto sony ericcson phones which were superior to anything nokia had and now had an iphone for 3 years (since the 3GS) and now my contract has finished will probably get an Iphone 5 - never got a 4S

[Neon Ignition]

It's usually down to who makes the next step in an affordable manner, Apple did such a great job designing the ipod that carrying it over to the iphone etc was easy and it really worked in advancing phone design onwards (as well as in their other revenue streams where similar designs worked). The problem is kind of like the one Nintendo faces with the Wii. This massive audience isn't as unfamiliar with tech as it once was and people start becoming increasingly stiffled by limited design etc. Apple has been so fussy with its patent wars for their designs that they don't have much room to maneuver without looking like they're ripping someone else off themselves (which would be ironic). I'd be astounded if the much anticipated iPhone 5 turns out to be special, the 4S feels awful compared to a Galaxy S2 let alone an S3. The trouble with the mobile phone/tech industry is it's very boom and bust focused so you've got to on top of your game in identifying trends. They need to increase iOS's functionality, sort the mess that is iTunes out as well as lighten and streamline the dull, heavy and clunky feel the iphone has too. Android's not perfect but its rapid rise shows there's gaps Apple are missing which with decling ipod sales and underperforming iphone sales it's iPad which is keeping their momentum going, but for how long?

Well, until they release the iWatch

[randombs]

I don't know any iPhone owners who upgrade every time a new one is out. In contrast, people I know who do want the latest phone rarely have iPhones. Or they will, but then they'll have a Samsung Whatever. It's probably because I've never been into phones that much that I have never been amazered when I get a phone(except with the iPhone) but I'm pretty sure the types who buy the latest Apple Whatever would have no problem with a shortening of the gap since the last one because their brains will tell them it's just fine.

A mate recently upgraded to a 4S from his 3GS(like I did) and mentioned how there was no 'new phone' feeling because the iPhone(specifically iOS) is basically the same as it's always been, just certain things are nippier on the 4S than the 3GS(and the screen). I get what he means but I actually prefer it this way - no learning curve, no wondering where such-and-such option has been moved to.

Maybe I'm in a minority in that what I like about them is that they don't change much. I'm much more interested in what goes on behind the scenes - one thing they're doing with iOS6 is incredible; apps will be able to route their audio to each other internally, which blows my mind.

If all they do is make them faster and faster with more ram, I'll be perfectly happy.

[EJG1980]

I'm the same, I like the fact that iOS interface stays pretty much the same each time, with new features added and speed boosts from new hardware. I don't care about the OS too much anyway, it's the apps that make the phone useful.

[randombs]

Last night I had a USB dongle soundcard connected to my iPad with the mic in going to my iPhone's headphone socket. I was running an app called Loopy and recording loops from the music on the phone. It was glorious.

I dunno what Android phones are like for things like this but when I was umming and ahhing over whether to get an iPad, most of the apps I wanted to use didn't have Android versions(or they did but they were still in alpha).

I'm no stranger to buying dead hardware(see: Saturn, Dreamcast) but hopefully Apple'll hold out for a while!

[koopatroopa90]

I don't know any iPhone owners who upgrade every time a new one is out.

I do know a few, ironically normally people who can't actually afford it!

Personally I had the 3GS and upgraded to the 4 as, Siri aside, I could see little difference between the two models. Sure, the 4S is probably a bit nippier but then the 4 is substantially faster than the 3GS for me to not give a hoot.

Assuming my 4 holds out mechanically, I probably won't upgrade until they do something like break the texting speed (as they did with the 3GS). Unlike the 3GS the 4's camera and screen res are decent enough to still last a few years I should think. Roll on the 5S!

[EvilBoris]

I'm not convinced what else they can even add over the 4s.

They've removed both google maps (which has been replaced with a far inferior Apple maps app) and the YouTube app in Ios6. Immediately we have lost functionality, sure apple maps has turn by turn navigation and real time traffic info, but it's not a replacement for my trusty TomTom app and the always amazing google maps.

The camera can get a few more megapixels , but that isn't worth writing home about. Siri can probably be made to work better by software and no doubt we will get a faster more efficient set of processors.

They screen is now taller, meaning it won't fit in my satnav dock. Even if it was the same size, they have changed the dock connector so it's incompatible, along with the numerous apple USB cables I have dotted around for Charging.

My iPhone 4 has a with out power button and home button, so it needs replacing, but I'm actually not that hopeful that the iPhone 5 will be quite as revolutionary as its predecessors.

[randombs]

I don't mind about the dock connector because, while these other companies have chopped and changed over the years(notable exception being Ericsson for sticking with their connector for ages), Apple has kept exactly the same one since the 3rd-gen iPod in 2003.

Completely forgot about removing Google Maps in iOS6. I wonder if Google will release it as a regular app on the App Store? I hope so, because I've heard the Apple replacement isn't as good. Had no idea about YouTube. I really like the YouTube app. Only downside to it is if I open it when I don't have any internet connection(wifi or 3g) it forgets my login and I have to re-enter it. I bought ProTube which is good but it doesn't play the HD videos. Mind you, I find the YouTube app always plays in HD and there's no way I've found to change it. The other thing I don't like is the video info isn't selectable so I can't open or copy links or other info.

Suppose I'll have to just move on but I probably won't get iOS6 straight away(only thing I'm interested in really is the inter-app audio routing and I'll have to wait for my apps to support it anyway)

[EvilBoris]

Nokia did the same thing too, they had the same charger cable for years and years and they randomly changed it.
I guess the sheer size of the connector must hamper certain products a little, the new Ipod Nano is probably going to benefit from it.


Google has a general purpose app which includes google maps at the moment, but Apple might pull out the old clause in their monopoly clause which says that no app on the app store that replaces existing functionality is allowed.

[CMcK]

No such thing as Google Maps on iOS at present. It was an Apple app using Google supplied maps. The new Maps app looks stunning. Its vector based and looks very quick in operation.
The You Tube app is being removed as the deal Apple and Google struck has now expired. Besides You Tube videos work well from within Safari anyway.
And the less Google on devices the better.
Apple should buy DuckDuckGo and Wolfram Alpha to create their own search engine.

[EvilBoris]

I was reading it was vector based, but when I used it, it was still loading in tiles and was very slow.

Google have offered Vector maps for ages, it's obviously that Apple didn't want to use them and are now claiming their map app is sooo much better,