"There is...one more thing..."

[Patriot24]

So I've been thinking about how the keynote might play out given what we know (or think we know, or don't know...). IMO Apple is in a perfect position at this point to announce "iPhone 5" as "one more thing".

At this point there is almost a universal belief that iPhone 4s is real and will be announced. There is debate about whether or not there will be a redesigned iPhone 5, but generally everyone believes the 4s exists from what I have seen.

This sets up a keynote where they can introduce iOS 5, some iPods, and iPhone 4s. Just as everyone thinks it is over and 4s is all we are getting, "there is...one more thing..." - a redesigned iPhone 5.

From a marketing perspective, this sets up the thinking that Apple released two new handsets that are better than the preceding iPhone 4, rather than it sounding like they threw out a cheapo model and a new whiz-bang unit. This is an important distinction. If they can say "our 4s model is at least on par with all of the new Android handsets and the 5 model blows them all away", that is a powerful message.

"Oh and by the way, pre-orders are going to be available tomorrow and units available next week."

This one is a little more dreamy, but I assume that they have been putting their time to good use. Other than possible production delays, you would assume that they have been cranking out units for a month or two now. There is no real reason to have a 2-week lead time that I can see if the units are there.

The only thing is that I'm not sure Tim Cook will carry on the "one more thing". That was definitely a Steveism. We'll see.

Thoughts?

 

[McGiord]

My thoughts are just questions:
- What will be the features of the 4s?
- What will be the features of the 5?
- Differences between them and the current Androids?
- Differences between them and the soon to be released Androids?

 

[ntrigue]

Which begs the question, did "one more thing" leave with Steve Jobs? I do however, like your thinking. As a 3GS owner, I will not buy an iPhone 4S.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

The only thing is that I'm not sure Tim Cook will carry on the "one more thing". That was definitely a Steveism. We'll see.

Thoughts?

It seems like for the last few events, Steve didn't actually ever say "One more thing". I feel like Tim will want to make his own mark and catchphrases and stuff rather than saying "Hey, I'm exactly the same as Steve Jobs was!" Not that Steve Jobs was bad or anything, but just that no one of real substance wants to be someone else.

 

[drewsof07]

"there is...one more thing..." - a redesigned iPhone 5.

"Oh and by the way, pre-orders are going to be available tomorrow and units available next week."

Thoughts?

This isn't the way Apple, or any other company traditionally does things. Bring out two products that compete against each other. It makes little sense to me for them to say "Hey, here's the new iPhone 4S..." "...And we're outdating it already by introducing the iPhone 5 a few minutes later!"

This is going to be like the 3GS refresh. Minor speed bumps.

 

[kmanmx]

This seems pretty unlikely, to release an entire new iphone under the "One last thing" would be quite extreme. But it wouldn't be totally impossible.

But yes - I like to think that whatever they do announce, will be available for near immediate release, 2 or 3 days. Though it would be a logistical nightmare to keep this quiet, someone is going to spot these millions of iPhone in transit pre iPhone announcement, which would ruin it. So as much as i want it to happen, i think it will be the usual 2 to 4 week wait.

 

[DeaconGTG]

Which begs the question, did "one more thing" leave with Steve Jobs?

Yes. In fact the reason why there will be no announcement until October is because Tim is still working on his trademark phrase.

"We got another thing comin'!"

"Not so fast my friend!"

"How do you like dem Apples?"

 

[Patriot24]

My thoughts are just questions:
- What will be the features of the 4s?
- What will be the features of the 5?
- Differences between them and the current Androids?
- Differences between them and the soon to be released Androids?

My guesses would be:

4s = A5, better battery, 8GB, 8MP camera
5 = A5, better battery, 16/32 GB, LTE, larger screen (3.7" or 4"), RAM bump, 8MP camera, new design, possibly NFC

You can probably draw conclusions from those specs how they would match-up against current and future Androids.

----------

This isn't the way Apple, or any other company traditionally does things. Bring out two products that compete against each other. It makes little sense to me for them to say "Hey, here's the new iPhone 4S..." "...And we're outdating it already by introducing the iPhone 5 a few minutes later!"

This is going to be like the 3GS refresh. Minor speed bumps.

I think the competition point is fair. My only aside to that is that they can easily distinguish between the two products by price. If the 4s is $100 on contract and the 5 is $300, they can easily claim that the two devices are not meant to compete with each other.

From a competitive standpoint, I don't see how Apple can go with mere speed bumps and compete with the LTE-enabled Androids at this point.

 

[ArztMac]

Chronology of iPhone's history:

iPhone
iPhone 3G
iPhone 3GS
iPhone 4
iPhone 4s

Simple actually. There won't be an all-new iPhone 5 this year, that's for certain... There is no need to invest in an all new design with more expensive components when people will just as likely stand in line to get a faster 4s. Not in the current msrketplace that offers Apple barely any competition at all.

The cheap, 3rd world countries model will be the 3GS at an "unbelievably low price"...

Save this post and check back in 2 weeks. You'll be surprised.

 

[Thetonyk123]

My guesses would be:

4s = A5, better battery, 8GB, 8MP camera
5 = A5, better battery, 16/32 GB, LTE, larger screen (3.7" or 4"), RAM bump, 8MP camera, new design, possibly NFC

You can probably draw conclusions from those specs how they would match-up against current and future Androids.

----------



I think the competition point is fair. My only aside to that is that they can easily distinguish between the two products by price. If the 4s is $100 on contract and the 5 is $300, they can easily claim that the two devices are not meant to compete with each other.

From a competitive standpoint, I don't see how Apple can go with mere speed bumps and compete with the LTE-enabled Androids at this point.

I think they'll just have a 5 and no 4s. The iphone 4 would be the cheaper model then

 

[Patriot24]

There is no need to invest in an all new design with more expensive components when people will just as likely stand in line to get a faster 4s. Not in the current msrketplace that offers Apple barely any competition at all.

I see value in history as well, but I don't think that is the entire story.

We have constantly heard Apple state that they refuse to "rest on their laurels". That combined with the traction that Android has gained makes it hard for me to believe that they spend 16 months putting an A5 in an iPhone 4 and are going to go head-to-head with LTE-enabled monsters from HTC, Motorola, and Samsung.

 

[Reach9]

Chronology of iPhone's history:

iPhone
iPhone 3G
iPhone 3GS
iPhone 4
iPhone 4s

Simple actually. There won't be an all-new iPhone 5 this year, that's for certain... There is no need to invest in an all new design with more expensive components when people will just as likely stand in line to get a faster 4s. Not in the current msrketplace that offers Apple barely any competition at all.

The cheap, 3rd world countries model will be the 3GS at an "unbelievably low price"...

Save this post and check back in 2 weeks. You'll be surprised.

It doesn't make sense actually.
Apple doesn't name or create things for random reasons. The company has intense competition, i really don't understand what you're talking about. I believe you mean to say that Apple has created such a following, that enough people will buy their products regardless.

iPhone original = iPhone 1
iPhone 3G = iPhone 2
iPhone 3GS = iPhone 3
iPhone 4 = iPhone 4, with iOS 4 and A4 processor
iPhone 5 = iPhone 5, with iOs 5 and A5 processor

You have to realize that the iPhone 3GS was named as a placeholder because it made no sense to go from an iPhone 3G to an iPhone 3, marketing wise. Consumers want to see more things added to the device, and name.

If Apple names the next iPhone 4S, then this is how it'll be:

iPhone 4 = iPhone 4
iPhone 4S = iPhone 5
iPhone 5 = iPhone 6
iPhone 5S = iPhone 7
iPhone 6 = iPhone 8
iPhone 6S = iPhone 9
iPhone 7 = iPhone 10
etc.

There is something really wrong with this naming structure, and i will be shocked if Apple continues it. I can see them calling the next iPhone, the iPhone 5 or another name, but not 4S. That would imply that the iPhone 4 is slow..which it clearly is not.

 

[antster94]

Yeah, can't see 4S happening purely because 4 is fast enough already.

 

[cyks]

My guesses would be:

4s = A5, better battery, 8GB, 8MP camera
5 = A5, better battery, 16/32 GB, LTE, larger screen (3.7" or 4"), RAM bump, 8MP camera, new design, possibly NFC

You can probably draw conclusions from those specs how they would match-up against current and future Androids.

To properly compete, they'll need to be larger than 16/32 GB.

Androids may not store more out of the box, but with inexpensive cards they can double or triple their storage on the fly.

 

[iZeeshan]

I'm banking on a brand new phone.

I mean, it's been 16 months since the last iPhone update, it cannot just be a minor spec upgrade. That's something Apple does after, let's say, 6 months.

I think we'll see the iPhone 5 being released for sure. They have to start competing with 4G speeds anyway because there's a lot of Android phones out there that offer 4G and I myself even switch over if there's no 4G on the next iPhone.

 

[ajcadoo]

This isn't the way Apple, or any other company traditionally does things. Bring out two products that compete against each other. It makes little sense to me for them to say "Hey, here's the new iPhone 4S..." "...And we're outdating it already by introducing the iPhone 5 a few minutes later!"

This is going to be like the 3GS refresh. Minor speed bumps.

They are going to market the 4S as a value model with spec bumps. and the iphone 5 will be marketed as the latest and greatest.

I wouldnt be surprised if the 4S is priced remarkably low. I remember watching WWDC11 and I was shocked when that $29.99 popped up on the screen. it was something that caught me off guard.

----------

It doesn't make sense actually.
Apple doesn't name or create things for random reasons. The company has intense competition, i really don't understand what you're talking about. I believe you mean to say that Apple has created such a following, that enough people will buy their products regardless.

iPhone original = iPhone 1
iPhone 3G = iPhone 2
iPhone 3GS = iPhone 3
iPhone 4 = iPhone 4, with iOS 4 and A4 processor
iPhone 5 = iPhone 5, with iOs 5 and A5 processor

You have to realize that the iPhone 3GS was named as a placeholder because it made no sense to go from an iPhone 3G to an iPhone 3, marketing wise. Consumers want to see more things added to the device, and name.

If Apple names the next iPhone 4S, then this is how it'll be:

iPhone 4 = iPhone 4
iPhone 4S = iPhone 5
iPhone 5 = iPhone 6
iPhone 5S = iPhone 7
iPhone 6 = iPhone 8
iPhone 6S = iPhone 9
iPhone 7 = iPhone 10
etc.

There is something really wrong with this naming structure, and i will be shocked if Apple continues it. I can see them calling the next iPhone, the iPhone 5 or another name, but not 4S. That would imply that the iPhone 4 is slow..which it clearly is not.

Maybe iPhone 4+?

 

[msb3079]

So I've been thinking about how the keynote might play out given what we know (or think we know, or don't know...). IMO Apple is in a perfect position at this point to announce "iPhone 5" as "one more thing".

At this point there is almost a universal belief that iPhone 4s is real and will be announced. There is debate about whether or not there will be a redesigned iPhone 5, but generally everyone believes the 4s exists from what I have seen.

This sets up a keynote where they can introduce iOS 5, some iPods, and iPhone 4s. Just as everyone thinks it is over and 4s is all we are getting, "there is...one more thing..." - a redesigned iPhone 5.

From a marketing perspective, this sets up the thinking that Apple released two new handsets that are better than the preceding iPhone 4, rather than it sounding like they threw out a cheapo model and a new whiz-bang unit. This is an important distinction. If they can say "our 4s model is at least on par with all of the new Android handsets and the 5 model blows them all away", that is a powerful message.

"Oh and by the way, pre-orders are going to be available tomorrow and units available next week."

This one is a little more dreamy, but I assume that they have been putting their time to good use. Other than possible production delays, you would assume that they have been cranking out units for a month or two now. There is no real reason to have a 2-week lead time that I can see if the units are there.

The only thing is that I'm not sure Tim Cook will carry on the "one more thing". That was definitely a Steveism. We'll see.

Thoughts?

I like this thinking. BUT... the main problem would be pricing and disk size. If they announce an iPhone 4S with 8GB for $99 and pretend there's nothing else... well we know it's coming at some point. But if they truly "trick" people and have an iPhone 4S in different sizes and at the same price.. well then, the iPhone 5 would have to cost more.

 

[Reach9]

I hope to god that there's an iPhone 5. If there is "One More Thing.." and it's the iPhone 5, then god it might be one of the best presentations in recent history.

 

[sulpfiction]

Chronology of iPhone's history:

iPhone
iPhone 3G
iPhone 3GS
iPhone 4
iPhone 4s

Simple actually. There won't be an all-new iPhone 5 this year, that's for certain... There is no need to invest in an all new design with more expensive components when people will just as likely stand in line to get a faster 4s. Not in the current msrketplace that offers Apple barely any competition at all.

The cheap, 3rd world countries model will be the 3GS at an "unbelievably low price"...

Save this post and check back in 2 weeks. You'll be surprised.

Considering I disagree with everything u just said, I will for sure save this post, so you have some words to eat come announcement day.

Put me on record as saying there will be a jaw dropping, completely redesigned iPhone 5. No way Apple is going to rest on the laurels of the iPhone 4, give it a spec bump and ride it out for another year. Ur crazy. If the only thing coming was a 4S, I believe we would have had it by now. And if it is true that Apple changed the release cycle to coincide with the fall ipod event, (which makes total sense) they knew full well that the "delay" would stir things up in the smartphone world. Every tech site on the web is anxious, speculating, searching for leaks, drumming up rumors, and talking almost daily about Apple and their next iPhone. Just for that reason alone, Apple would cause a lot of disappointment in the tech community by releasing another iPhone 4. Apple knows this. They may have only changed the release cycle, but it doing so they are also going to reward us BIG TIME for the extended wait. Apple is getting more attention & publicity then ever before because of this "delay". The eyes of the smartphone/tech world are all glued on Apple anxiously awaiting what's coming. And what's coming is not ony a spec bumped 4. Bet the house on it!

 

[JMC08]

Chronology of iPhone's history:

iPhone
iPhone 3G
iPhone 3GS
iPhone 4
iPhone 4s

Simple actually. There won't be an all-new iPhone 5 this year, that's for certain... There is no need to invest in an all new design with more expensive components when people will just as likely stand in line to get a faster 4s. Not in the current msrketplace that offers Apple barely any competition at all.

The cheap, 3rd world countries model will be the 3GS at an "unbelievably low price"...

Save this post and check back in 2 weeks. You'll be surprised.

You are so off on this. The iPhone 5 will be happening, with at most a one month delay

 

[drewsof07]

They are going to market the 4S as a value model with spec bumps. and the iphone 5 will be marketed as the latest and greatest.

I wouldnt be surprised if the 4S is priced remarkably low. I remember watching WWDC11 and I was shocked when that $29.99 popped up on the screen. it was something that caught me off guard.

----------



Maybe iPhone 4+?

How does it make any sense for apple to dump R&D $$ into TWO models at the same time??

 

[Bartboy919]

Which begs the question, did "one more thing" leave with Steve Jobs? I do however, like your thinking. As a 3GS owner, I will not buy an iPhone 4S.

I'm in the same boat. In the age of of LTE android phones, I don't want to be stuck on last years hardware with a proc bump and a stupid camera update.

 

[Slip Jigs]

So I've been thinking about how the keynote might play out given what we know (or think we know, or don't know...). IMO Apple is in a perfect position at this point to announce "iPhone 5" as "one more thing".

At this point there is almost a universal belief that iPhone 4s is real and will be announced. There is debate about whether or not there will be a redesigned iPhone 5, but generally everyone believes the 4s exists from what I have seen.

This sets up a keynote where they can introduce iOS 5, some iPods, and iPhone 4s. Just as everyone thinks it is over and 4s is all we are getting, "there is...one more thing..." - a redesigned iPhone 5.

From a marketing perspective, this sets up the thinking that Apple released two new handsets that are better than the preceding iPhone 4, rather than it sounding like they threw out a cheapo model and a new whiz-bang unit. This is an important distinction. If they can say "our 4s model is at least on par with all of the new Android handsets and the 5 model blows them all away", that is a powerful message.

"Oh and by the way, pre-orders are going to be available tomorrow and units available next week."

This one is a little more dreamy, but I assume that they have been putting their time to good use. Other than possible production delays, you would assume that they have been cranking out units for a month or two now. There is no real reason to have a 2-week lead time that I can see if the units are there.

The only thing is that I'm not sure Tim Cook will carry on the "one more thing". That was definitely a Steveism. We'll see.

Thoughts?

Marketing 101 - introduce the next model without making the previous one seem like junk. Keep everyone happy.

Apple - Microsoft - Adobe. They all produce products and software in new releases containing new features we all know could have easily been available sooner.

MS is the worst offender, because their previous releases WERE crap (Windows ME, Vista) and they just had to admit it that yes, that was junk. Sorry bout that. But at least they don't come out with a new OS every year.

Ok neither does Apple, just new versions of iPhone and iPad. Adobe would like to come out with a new CS every year, they probably would if they could.

Where does this end, when will they start being a little more reasonable? Im happy with the iPhone 4, but I'm going to want the next one. They make me want it. They dangle the carrot just enough. Sure, I'll load iOS 5 and it will most likely run well, but there will be a few "unavailable" features.

They let me use GarageBand on iPad one, but not iMovie. It would work, just not as well, but they're concerned that I get the optimal experience. No iMovie for you! Too bad, sorry that iPad one wasn't even built to run the very next gen of apps. Go buy the new one.

How about new hardware every two years, that can handle two major OS revisions. Then charge for the updates. Free OS upgrades seem good on the surface, but not when the hardware can't handle it.

Either slow this whole thing down, or offer reasonable exchange programs. No eBay, VL or Gazelles.

 

[cyks]

How does it make any sense for apple to dump R&D $$ into TWO models at the same time??

Simple. They got one of them for free.

Not wanting to risk another bar incident, they designed and tested the inner workings of the 5 in the case of the 4.

Once heat issues were resolved, they moved into the new case...but figured, with the R&D already spent, may as well upgrade the 4 to save money (can buy more processors and cameras in bulk).

 

[AIP5]

I hope to god that there's an iPhone 5. If there is "One More Thing.." and it's the iPhone 5, then god it might be one of the best presentations in recent history.

Don't worry my friend. There'll definitely be an iPhone 5. Tim Cook can't afford to only release an iPhone "4S." With this being his big debut onto the world stage, he has to go big, and deliver big.

Besides, if they weren't going to release the redesigned iPhone 5, they would have shot down the current and quite persistent rumors of a redesigned iPhone 5 a long time ago. Just like they did about an early September event. And about WWDC being software only.