First Time Not Excited

ugcop said:

For all of those who keep harping on how innovative Apple was with the iPhone let me remind you that it wasn't Apple.

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Thank you for reminding us that the Apple iPhone wasn't created by Apple. Perhaps next you could remind us also that black is white, and jog our memories about the sky being the opposite of blue, I'm sure we've all forgotten.

It was visionary Steve Jobs. That vision no longer exists in the company. Need I say more?

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Visionary Steve Jobs (tm) is indeed dead. Luckily the many other hundreds of creative people involved in the actual conception, design, and engineering of the iPhone and its software still cling to life, and long may that remain so.

ugcop said:

LG, Nokia, Motorola, Rim and HTC all have talented people. It doesn't take much to hire talented engineers but without a vision these talented people are useless.

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As all the above (and particularly Samsung) demonstrate.

sand_man said:

Tell you what will force you to upgrade sooner, wear and tear on the 5. My only criticism of the 5 is that it ages badly, where the 3gs has a pretty bullet proof design.

That aside I think you will be blown away by it.

I would say though, if you upgrade so seldom treat yourself to the 5s.

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I might just do that. It all depends on what they bring to the plate on Sept 10th. I'm certain that the 5 is actually sufficient to meet my needs, but as you say, since I don't plan to upgrade a again for years I might go all out this time.

scoop2mylue said:

i have been on board with the iPhone since day 1 paying $599 in 2007. Every yr. i have upgraded to get the newest model this year i am seriously thinking about holding out. The "S" models have been a total fail if you think about it adding a few new features that really doesnt justify using an upgrade on, even tho the current iPhone i think is at its best design it is damn near impossible to keep it in like new conidition naked. i seriously think if i wasnt so invested into apple and the iPhone that i would switch to an android device as i dont think apple will ever be the same without Steve Jobs. Apple now has let android bypass them and anything they do know would be just coping android.

Just my Rant on how I see things

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Don't take this the wrong way, but I get a chuckle out of people complaining about a Job-less Apple. This great argument normally includes the, "I'm switching to Android" statement...which everyone knows is manned by Steve himself.

After reading this entire thread, I think a lot of people are missing the point of Apple. While I long for a new whiz-bang innovative iPhone that blows the world's socks off, many here have already pointed out that the market is becoming saturated with what a phone can do.

HOWEVER, Apple is now heavily involved in Cloud computing and services. I have an iMac, MBP, iPad, Apple TV, and iPhone.

There is a seamless integration between all of them, and that integration is getting better every year. Some significant integration to consider when thinking of hardware/software:
iMessages across all devices
Calendars
Contacts
Photos
Notes
Bookmarks
Reminders
Reading lists

You make a change to one, and it is almost instantaneously applied to all your devices. I mean, if I take a photo its waiting for me on my iMac and MBP as soon as I sit down at my desk. Same with everything mentioned above.

iTunes in the Cloud. You purchase any content, and it is available on all your devices immediately. With Apple TV, it can be streamed via computer/iDevice. Didn't buy a song through iTunes, uses iTunes Match, and again...it's available everywhere!

Have some Airport Expresses? If so, you can stream the same iTunes song to multiple rooms simultaneously from a computer running iTunes by using the Apple Remote app on your iPhone.

Back to Mac? Need a seamless and secure way to access your computer remotely?

When Mavericks comes out. Seamless Map integration to plan routes and then have it available on you iPhone without connecting any wires. iWork in the Cloud will be available soon. Ask Microsoft how much their 360 software costs.

There are many, many more examples than just these. Yes, this is a hardware thread and the WOW factor associated with Apple's next iPhone. However, when people complain about innovation, it is really troubling that the focus is strictly on the iPhone itself, and not on the powerful Cloud capabilities Apple has thoughtfully integrated into all their products. Yes, the phone market is not going to drastically change until some revolutionary new tech is discovered. Until that time, its the seamless way the phone can integrate with your other computing devices to enhance your life that are is of importance.

So I'm going to give away all the above items because I don't get a 7" screen, weird keyboards, widgets, or 24MP camera? Really?

Apple... said:

I don't understand how you can get "bored." It's a phone. Seriously? What do you really need?

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I think that people have become desensitized to the pace of product releases and want faster and faster evolution. 20 years ago, I remember how slow product cycles were, and how slow information travelled. I got most of my computer info back then from huge volumes of Computer Shopper catalogs.

Also, people need to remember that there are multiple Android handset makers all with different release schedules, so new Android devices are released all the time.

Apple is only one company. They can't match the sheer volume of new models.

ET iPhone Home said:

You need to understand, unlike you, who may be practical and functional, some of us are different, and want something new, different, and unique. We're the group of people that bring change to our world in terms of visual appearance. It's all about the makeup of people from a psychological artistic standpoint. We want the next iPhone to be progressive in appearance and a 4.3 or 4.7 inch. screen won't be so bad either.

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I read on Ars Technica that there was some kind of usability study that concluded that a 4.3" display was the biggest that the person of average hand size could use without a speed penalty. Screens larger than that made people take more time to complete tasks.

I do want Apple to make things better. I love the fluidity and effortlessness of iOS 6 on the iPhone 5, but there are things that could be done better. A better keyboard, and a more damage resistant exterior are places to start. I want see Apple really push on features that make the phone more useful and easier to use.

Has anyone even CONSIDERED that Apple lets some stuff leak that people might not be excited about, but they could have something totally awesome or different from what you thought ready to ship when they announce it?

KentuckyHouse said:

Android has come a LONG way since those days.

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I really really hope you are right. I've been using a Samsung S2 for 2 years (had a company iPhone4 previously but changed jobs), and I have NEVER been so underwhelmed with a phone in my life.

The thing is so bad I want to stab myself in the eye with a rusty knife every time I use it.

iPhilPHX said:

but it is still just a phone.

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No, it's not. It's a powerful computing device that happens to be able to make phone calls.

Excited for any smartphone..Nope. Not the word I would use. But I'm glad the S model is coming out, and hope it's slightly better than the 5. Not wider unless Apple found a way to make it with the 4.3 inch screen using the exact same form factor

As far as I can tell, when people start these these threads, what they mean by "exciting" is larger screen. Personally, i don't want a radical redesign of the iPhone, but I do want a 4.5" screen. My iPhone does pretty much what I want it to, just wish the screen were larger and mobile payments were a legit option.