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During the question and answer portion of today's financial earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook explained why the company has been slow to put products out in 2014, pointing towards the company's attention to detail and its desire to "perform at a really high level of quality" that Apple's customers expect.

Cook noted that Apple did not ship the first MP3 player, smartphone, or tablet, but he said that the company did release the first "acceptable" and "modern" smartphone, tablet, and MP3 player when it launched the iPhone, iPad, and iPod.

iphone5s5c.png
"We care about every detail and it takes us a bit longer to do that. That's always been the case," he said. "It means more to us to get it right than to be first."

Cook pointed towards examples in the marketplace where the clear objective was to be first, possibly referring to Samsung and its poorly received Galaxy Gear smart watch. Apple customers "want great, insanely great," said Cook, and "that's what we want to deliver."

According to Cook, Apple has many products in the pipeline that the company is excited about, but it is not yet ready to "pull the string on the curtain." He did say, however, that Apple has expanded the number of things the company is working on behind the scenes.

Article Link: Apple CEO Tim Cook: It 'Means More to Us to Get it Right' Than to Be First
 

sualpine

macrumors 6502
May 13, 2013
497
513
But, but, Samsung. But but, extra features...
But, but... Android can this and that...
 

AppleAlex!

macrumors member
Aug 28, 2011
77
54
UK
So no iWatch yet Tim?

Guess Ill go back to my cave, wake me up in a few years
(I completely agree with the way Apple approach new product markets, much like they have before. Its not being the first, its being the best)
 

zmanfx

macrumors newbie
Sep 6, 2010
9
1
Los Angeles
This is very evident. This is why I like Apple's things. They take their time and get it right. Unlike Samsung who will rush **** products to market, and then nobody ends up using them because they are gimmicks or unusable to start out with.
 
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keysofanxiety

macrumors G3
Nov 23, 2011
9,539
25,302
iBand (or whatever the iWatch is going to be called) is a certainty. They've been hinting and hinting, and with Nike pulling out of the market after they saw the iWatch, it must be something insanely great.
 

zmanfx

macrumors newbie
Sep 6, 2010
9
1
Los Angeles
"It means more to us to get it right than to be first"

iOS 7 would like a word with you.

iOS 7 has been the most exciting release in a long time for me. And I love it. If you let it... will grow on you. Problem is people a lot of times refuse to accept change, even if it's for the better. They immediately discredit it for garbage.
 

Mildredop

macrumors 68020
Oct 14, 2013
2,478
1,510
As someone who doesn't particularly like Apple anymore (only my MacBook Air has held on whilst my iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Airport etc etc have all been replaced by non-Apple brands), I think this is where Apple continues to win. Keep the doors closed, keep working away and only release something when it's perfect.

There were other touchscreen phones before the iPhone, there were other tablets before the iPad, there were other music players before the iPod, but Apple got it right.
 

ElTorro

macrumors 6502
Jan 23, 2013
273
2
Getting it right first, like Maps, iOS7, and iPhone 5C?
Time to take a good, hard look in the mirror, Tim!
 
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vomhorizon

macrumors 6502a
Sep 24, 2013
952
68
"It means more to us to get it right than to be first"

iOS 7 would like a word with you.

If that standard were used for software, then every software (OS) ever made would not pass the test, since every software requires upgrades, bug fixes, patches and improvements..As far as a device launch is concerned, apple has built itself a reputation of crafting amazing devices first time around. Its all about being appreciated for it by its "customer/potential customer base"..and Apple certainly enjoys that..People look at the NEXT product launch from apple because apple has a "history" of introducing awesome products that while not "first" or category "creators" definitely shaped the category into the mainstream consumer direction, and exploded the size and scope of these categories..Who would have thought that portable Mp3's would be such a lucrative business? or apple would sell over 200 million ipads in 4 years..
 

Renzatic

Suspended
iOS 7 has been the most exciting release in a long time for me. And I love it. If you let it... will grow on you. Problem is people a lot of times refuse to accept change, even if it's for the better. They immediately discredit it for garbage.

I don't get all the hate over iOS7, either. Yeah, some of the icons do look a bit cheesy, and it was a little chuggity on my iPhone 4, but 7.1 fixed most of the problems of the latter, and now it feels like a solid update.

Like anything, it could be better, but it's hardly OMG THEY RUINED IT FOREVER!
 

JHankwitz

macrumors 68000
Oct 31, 2005
1,911
58
Wisconsin
"It means more to us to get it right than to be first"

iOS 7 would like a word with you.

Tim was talking about new products, not software updates. I find iOS 7 to be working great for me. Considering the hundreds of features being provided, I can't think of one that is so ill conceived or problematic that I would consider switching.
 

kagharaht

macrumors 65816
Oct 7, 2007
1,407
956
One just needs to take a look how S5 Fingerprint Access works to understand what TC is talking about. Rather than follow, Apple develop TouchID to work amazingly well. Specially with 7.1.1 update. Suddenly accessing a locked smartphone is no longer an inconvenience. Apple implementation of fingerprint access to a locked smartphone is just perfect and incredibly fast and easy.
 

the-msa

macrumors 6502
Oct 24, 2013
425
210
apple does something first: woohoo, yeah innovation, this changes everything

apple is slow: it means more for us to get it right than be first

Suddenly accessing a locked smartphone is no longer an inconvenience.

the real stonishing thing here is that unlocking smartphone the classic way has suddenly become an "inconvenience".
 

vomhorizon

macrumors 6502a
Sep 24, 2013
952
68
One just needs to take a look how S5 Fingerprint Access works to understand what TC is talking about. Rather than follow, Apple develop TouchID to work amazingly well. Specially with 7.1.1 update. Suddenly accessing a locked smartphone is no longer an inconvenience. Apple implementation of fingerprint access to a locked smartphone is just perfect and incredibly fast and easy.

Agree. Face time also comes to mind as an amazingly well executed feature.
 

proline

macrumors 6502a
Nov 18, 2012
630
1
Getting it right first, like Maps, iOS7, and iPhone 5C?
Time to take a good, hard look in the mirror, Tim!
It's funny you had to cite three very successful products with very bright futures used by tens of millions, in the case of the 5C, or hundreds of millions in the case of Maps and iOS 7. All three of those projects decisively accomplished their primary missions- Maps brought turn by turn to iOS without having to turn over user data to Google and destroyed Google Maps' mobile market share, iOS 7 provided Apple the fresh start they desperately needed and will only grow better with time, and the 5C improved Apple's profit margins in the mid-range helping to keep their profits up in an era of slowing growth and increasing pressure on margins.

What cook was of course referring to was half-hearted garbage like the Galaxy Gear which will soon be erased from history, even from the Samsung Museum...
 

Nunyabinez

macrumors 68000
Apr 27, 2010
1,758
2,230
Provo, UT
Congratulations on recycling the most well-known complaints. I'd bet my left nut that you've never even used Final Cut Pro 7, let alone FCP X.

Why are you even here?

Yes, I find the highlight of my day is visiting websites dedicated to fans of Apple products and hearing people habitually complain about problems that are long since solved.

I don't mean to imply that Apple is perfect and I engage in plenty of criticism when it is deserved, but the "Cut and Paste" bashing really gets old.
 
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