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Beeplance

macrumors 68000
Jul 29, 2012
1,564
500
Exactly. The awkward dimensions serve only to increase its feeling of cheapness and fragility. Had they kept the 3.5 inch/glass build and added the LTE radio, RAM, and A6 chip I'd probably be a happy iPhone user still.

I think the number of people who wants Apple to increase the size of the screen after 5 years is more than the number of people who wants it to remain at 3.5".
 

Zerilos

macrumors 6502a
Dec 18, 2012
903
24
So why bother with a computer that allows you to customize the look and feel of the OS? Is your rationale that most people don't care if the buy a pc, but don't know how to use it? Why then would someone willfuly purchase an S3 or Note2? Battery life is better and price is the same as an iphone 5.
Just because you believe people don't care, doesn't make it so. But you are right that iOS is simple and designed for use by those not tech savy. Notice I did not say dumb o stupid. I have a doctor (phd type doctor) who is a tad older than me and he was asking my opinion about which smartphone he should buy (this will be his first and although he is a very smart person, he is not tech savy.) He liked my S3 a lot, but I steered him towards the iPhone 4S or 5. It was the right thing to do, even though I know he will be using a sub-par OS for those of us whom are more tech savy.

As I hinted to, there is a portion of the market that will not find iOS as adequate to meet their needs, and I totally get that; however you suggested that if iOS 7 wasn't a significant upgrade over 6 then people would start jumping ship. From what i can tell, most people won't really care. The examples I mentioned were anecdotal, but the fact of the matter is if most people were dissatisfied with limits of iOS then the iPad Mini wouldn't be crushing the competition like it is. There are lots of quality tablets running ICS and JellyBean, but people are lining up to pay more for a device with a SD screen. Again, the customization that's possible via android appeals mainly to a niche (but fanatical) group of individuals, but IMHO the average person really doesn't care. Ironically, the best selling Android tablet (the kindle Fire) has most of the Android features removed and is actually more restrictive than iOS. Android is a quality OS and I'm glad Google is pushing Apple as hard as it is. The competition that has result is benefiting everyone (RIM employees excluded) and things will only get better. I suspect that you and I agree on most things, I just take exception to the Phandroid belief that iOS is on the ropes because it just isn't true.
 

siiip5

macrumors 6502
Nov 13, 2012
395
0
As I hinted to, there is a portion of the market that will not find iOS as adequate to meet their needs, and I totally get that; however you suggested that if iOS 7 wasn't a significant upgrade over 6 then people would start jumping ship. From what i can tell, most people won't really care. The examples I mentioned were anecdotal, but the fact of the matter is if most people were dis...

Shortened for brevity

You have me confused with another poster. I never said anything about ios7 or people jumping ship.
 

Zerilos

macrumors 6502a
Dec 18, 2012
903
24
Exactly. The awkward dimensions serve only to increase its feeling of cheapness and fragility. Had they kept the 3.5 inch/glass build and added the LTE radio, RAM, and A6 chip I'd probably be a happy iPhone user still.

Obviously no design is going to please everybody, but IMO the 5 feels neither cheap nor fragile. Maybe my opinion on this matter has been influenced by the tests indicating that the 5 is in fact less fragile than the 4 and 4s.

----------

You have me confused with another poster. I never said anything about ios7 or people jumping ship.

Sorry. I thought you were the person I originally responded to.
 

Fed

macrumors 6502
Jul 7, 2012
409
0
Liverpool.
I think the number of people who wants Apple to increase the size of the screen after 5 years is more than the number of people who wants it to remain at 3.5".

I totally agree with this comment. The iPhone portfolio consists of one phone with different degrees of performance - boring. Apple have the perfect opportunity to introduce, in the same way as their MacBook line, a 'Pro' variant.

Having said that, even if they were to introduce a new iPhone line with a much bigger screen (>= GS3), larger battery (sacrifice thinness, which I literally couldn't care less about) and expandability ports (never happen, they'd rather please the media lobby than consumers) - there's still the problem of an aged operating system.

Apple have been sloppy in far too many areas. But as I commented at the start of the thread, their audience has changed. They'd rather introduce below-market upgrades and role in profit, than actually invent.
 
Last edited:

tensiondeadache

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 18, 2012
158
3
Southern California
"Obviously no design is going to please everybody, but IMO the 5 feels neither cheap nor fragile. Maybe my opinion on this matter has been influenced by the tests indicating that the 5 is I'm fact less fragile than the 4 and 4s."


Fair enough, my opinion on this matter has been influenced by the fact that the iPhone 5 I owned bent after three weeks.
 

JoeG4

macrumors 68030
Jan 11, 2002
2,828
494
$650 unsubsidized.
not available subsidized on my carrier
other carriers charge ~$70/mo minimum for a line with a subsidized iphone.

*facepalm*
 

Tinmania

macrumors 68040
Aug 8, 2011
3,528
1,016
Aridzona
Root your iPhone and install gestures and you'll never use that one button ever.

Only problem is iOS limitations and the price. Too many workarounds to do things android can do.
The "just jailbreak" argument for iOS is dead. You can't jailbreak any current iOS devices--or even those a generation back (sometimes two generations back). The suggestion to jailbreak at this point in time is essentially meaningless.

Meanwhile I had the instructions to root my Nexus 4 before I even had it--and I got it in the initial round of shipments. If I bought an iPhone 5 when it came out back in September as I almost did I would still be waiting for a jailbreak. Just as I am for my iPad 3 on iOS 6, only that is now over nine-months-old. As far as I am concerned jailbreaking is dead. Put a fork in it.




Michael
 

Wide opeN

macrumors 68000
Aug 27, 2010
1,763
1,035
Georgia
Even when you jailbroke your iPhone it was still limited to the core functions of iOS.

Ex. I might have been able to tweak something like icon placements or a keyboard but it still followed the layout of the keyboard or only the placement of icons on the grid.

In other words Customization is built into Android's DNA (no pun intended) whereas iOS is restrictive by nature... jailbreak or not.

I've held the iPhone 5 and the only new feature is better color saturation. :eek:
 

thejadedmonkey

macrumors G3
May 28, 2005
9,156
3,265
Pennsylvania
  1. Made by Apple
    I just hate that the iPhone is made by Apple, and everything that Apple represents. For a desktop that never leaves my desk, or a laptop that gets put into a sleeve, it's one thing to make a thin and fragile device. For something that gets man-handled every single day, it's not. And maybe some of you would point me in the direction of AppleCare, but I had it for a laptop, and the experience was so piss poor, I wouldn't risk my sole form of "outside communication" on it.

  2. 1 Button
    The home button. Press once to go home, unless you're already home, then press to search. But double-press in an app isn't search. I think you can triple press, too. And lets not forget about long press. Why not just make 3 buttons, like, you know.... every other Smartphone OS? (I sort of like that it's physical though)

  3. Too Small
    How shall I count thee inches. One, two, three... done? I'm not a fan of the phablets, but maybe make it a hair or two wider. It was never large, and now that everyone has 5" tablets pressed up against their faces, it feels downright small.
 
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