Apple's iphone hardware team - What have they been doing for 16 months?

[autigerMark]

Given how large Apple is as a company and that the iphone accounts for nearly half of their total revenue, I am assuming that the iphone hardware team probably numbers in the thousands. Heck, apple is about to build a new campus that will house 13,000 employees, in addition to their current campus, and other offices nationally and internationally.

My question, if we are indeed about to be introduced to only a spec bumped iphone "4S", what do you think all these people have been working on for 16 months? Do most of them do research and patent related stuff while only a relatively small number of people design the exterior of the iphones? Do you think they are currently working on iphones that are say, up to 5 generations away from release?

 

[knck out]

i highly doubt were going to ONLY a 4s this year, the last iphone came out 16 months ago, and for apple to drop just a 4s this year would be stupid as the "4s" could be designed in 2 months...not 16

The main reason apple came out with the 3gs was because they were still ahead of the competition, but now the competition has caught up and some have even passed Apple

so if apple doesnt have a revamp then there screwed cause next year when they do come out with the ip5 the competition will have destroyed them

Android markets grew 50% in the last year and with ICS coming they will grow even more apple cant afford just a 4s

also why would they prouce 30 million products by the end of the year for just a 4s....they truly couldnt plan on selling all 30 million if it was just a minor update

 

[jca24]

i highly doubt were going to ONLY a 4s this year, the last iphone came out 16 months ago, and for apple to drop just a 4s this year would be stupid as the "4s" could be designed in 2 months...not 16

The main reason apple came out with the 3gs was because they were still ahead of the competition, but now the competition has caught up and some have even passed Apple

so if apple doesnt have a revamp then there screwed cause next year when they do come out with the ip5 the competition will have destroyed them

Android markets grew 50% in the last year and with ICS coming they will grow even more apple cant afford just a 4s

also why would they prouce 30 million products by the end of the year for just a 4s....they truly couldnt plan on selling all 30 million if it was just a minor update

I totally agree. As for the iPhone hardware team, who knows how many people are working on the iPhone at any given time. But one thing I do know is some of those people are working on the 6, 7 and 8.

 

[Frenchjay]

Playing Angry Birds

 

[vitzr]

My question, if we are indeed about to be introduced to only a spec bumped iphone "4S", what do you think all these people have been working on for 16 months?

Since it's a low stress class, Steve Jobs has been personally training them on how to hold the new model.

 

[na1577]

They're probably working on the sixth iPhone. I imagine the fifth generation iPhone hardware was finished months ago, and they've already moved onto the next product. iOS 5 is probably the reason we're still waiting.

 

[batting1000]

"Apple's iphone hardware team - What have they been doing for 16 months?"

Perfecting the antenna, proximity sensor, iOS 5, and making it so the A5 chip doesn't overheat.

 

[AIP5]

They're probably working on the sixth iPhone. I imagine the fifth generation iPhone hardware was finished months ago, and they've already moved onto the next product. iOS 5 is probably the reason we're still waiting.

Yup, mostly agree with you. Although, I'd say the delay is most likely because of iCloud rather than iOS 5. With 7 betas, you'd think they nailed the iOS part down. But to release iOS 5 (even GM), I'd think they need iCloud up and running with a fresh start.

And the reason for iCloud being released now and not June/July... I guess maybe it took them a while to build that massive data center?

As for the iPhone hardware team... I'd definitely say they're working on the 6th version right now. iPhone 5 is definitely in mass production right now, so they've moved on.

 

[oiuh151]

Food for thought: It was delayed for the software and not the hardware.

 

[tahoeroscoe]

i disagree. I think there is a very small team of super intelligent, focused, creative designers and hardware engineers that design the phone. If you employ literally the best of the best it doesn't take very many people to come up with a lot of great ideas. If you hire a bunch of mediocre people then you have to filter out the good ideas from the rest of the crap and things get muddled.

If the iphone were announced in June, then i could understand Apple applying an intel like tick/tock product schedule where every other year is a new model followed by a spec bump, but since it has been so long without an update i can't understand them just doing a spec bump.

I'm expecting some major product announcements, and probably not just limited to the iphone.

 

[Moyank24]

Going to bars and trying to remember to take the prototypes with them when they leave.

 

[rockyroad55]

i highly doubt were going to ONLY a 4s this year, the last iphone came out 16 months ago, and for apple to drop just a 4s this year would be stupid as the "4s" could be designed in 2 months...not 16

The main reason apple came out with the 3gs was because they were still ahead of the competition, but now the competition has caught up and some have even passed Apple

so if apple doesnt have a revamp then there screwed cause next year when they do come out with the ip5 the competition will have destroyed them

Android markets grew 50% in the last year and with ICS coming they will grow even more apple cant afford just a 4s

also why would they prouce 30 million products by the end of the year for just a 4s....they truly couldnt plan on selling all 30 million if it was just a minor update

I definitely agree. I think the processor was already developed when the iPhone 4 was released. I'm thinking the larger screen might happen and I could understand the longer wait time if that was the case.

 

[Yumunum]

Working on the iPhone 6...

 

[ap3604]

"Apple's iphone hardware team - What have they been doing for 16 months?"

Perfecting the antenna, proximity sensor, iOS 5, and making it so the A5 chip doesn't overheat.

Agreed batting, especially on making sure the A5 chip doesn't overheat (hard to do for a dual core with such little space).

I try to think of this update as evolutionary instead of revolutionary so I don't get dissapointed, but if the iPhone doesn't have a near 4 inch screen I might just go with Nexus Prime...

 

[autigerMark]

Playing Angry Birds

LOL!

In all seriousness though I know that no one posting on macrumors is an apple engineer or insider, but thought I'd post the question anyway for sake of discussion.

 

[Savor]

They could also be thinking of other frontiers like getting more focused into the television industry.

Apple has the mp3 and tablet market on lock. They can still get away selling expensive computers. They still make the most profits in the cell phone industry providing the best ecosystem and apps.

Every market can get saturated at some point. I think the next iPhone will be similar to the 3G->3GS just by hearing that the latest iPod touch won't be much of an upgrade either. We will just have to wait and find out in less than two weeks. I can't expect Apple to reinvent the wheel every time. But who knows if they have something surprising up their sleeve? You have to keep your imaginations in check though. Our imaginations tend to always be greater than the actual product.

 

[TM WAZZA]

I think some of us are being ignorant. Changing the internals of the iPhone isn't all that smooth as you think. You think that they'll just take out A4 and swap it with A5 and be done with it? It's not that simple. There's a complicated engineering behind that.

 

[AIP5]

I think some of us are being ignorant. Changing the internals of the iPhone isn't all that smooth as you think. You think that they'll just take out A4 and swap it with A5 and be done with it? It's not that simple. There's a complicated engineering behind that.

I agree with you. I've heard plenty of people say that the 3G to 3GS upgrade was a phenomenal upgrade on the internal. But here's the thing. Because the masses (us) don't get to see the internals of a phone, or how the phone was designed and how it was built, we cannot value and appreciate the work put into it. What we can see is the external design. If there is something externally that is noticeably different from a previous iPhone, then it is something that the masses can see and appreciate.

 

[Dwalls90]

Working on the iPhone of 2012 as well as the model(s) for this year, like every year

 

[tahoeroscoe]

I agree with you. I've heard plenty of people say that the 3G to 3GS upgrade was a phenomenal upgrade on the internal. But here's the thing. Because the masses (us) don't get to see the internals of a phone, or how the phone was designed and how it was built, we cannot value and appreciate the work put into it. What we can see is the external design. If there is something externally that is noticeably different from a previous iPhone, then it is something that the masses can see and appreciate.

That is a very valid point. Most users don't evaluate detailed tech specs. At the level Apple is currently operating at (most valuable company on the planet, ON THE PLANET, thats just crazy to think about!) they have to consider mass market appeal.

 

[AndrewR23]

No idea, but I stopped caring about the next iPhone the day it wasn't announced (early June something)

Apple makes a phone that is a terrible phone. Its awesome at anything else but being a reliable phone.

Now its 16 months, nothing. If they did not change the design, that is a huge mistake in my opinion.

 

[Savor]

Opening up Apple Stores including ones in China where population is in the BILLIONS.

Apple won't make this into a "spec war" vs Android manufacturers. How could Apple possibly win at having the most advanced specs in a phone when they only release a new one ONCE per year and most of the Android makers happen to be iPhone suppliers themselves? We have companies like Samsung, LG, Qualcomm, Nvidia, Texas Instrument, and Marvell who are all part of the Android Open Handset Alliance and all provide components for different smartphones. Sammy supplies the chip, LG manufactures the screen, and Sony will provide the camera module for the next iPhone.

 

[ap3604]

At the level Apple is currently operating at (most valuable company on the planet, ON THE PLANET, thats just crazy to think about!) they have to consider mass market appeal.

I saw that in the news and almost threw up

Seriously? I mean I know the iPhone is a great invention but to be worth more than oil companies like Exxon Mobile that are the backbone of our industrialized civilization? Wow...

 

[Reach9]

Given how large Apple is as a company and that the iphone accounts for nearly half of their total revenue, I am assuming that the iphone hardware team probably numbers in the thousands. Heck, apple is about to build a new campus that will house 13,000 employees, in addition to their current campus, and other offices nationally and internationally.

My question, if we are indeed about to be introduced to only a spec bumped iphone "4S", what do you think all these people have been working on for 16 months? Do most of them do research and patent related stuff while only a relatively small number of people design the exterior of the iphones? Do you think they are currently working on iphones that are say, up to 5 generations away from release?

If we just see a 4S, then clearly they stopped caring about the 5, and the 6 will be the redesigned, LTE iPhone.

I know what i'll do when i get the LTE iPhone.. i'll turn LTE off, and stick to 3G.

 

[ap3604]

I know what i'll do when i get the LTE iPhone.. i'll turn LTE off, and stick to 3G.

Same here, LTE battery management is the only way to truely live without fear of needing to constantly charge your phone...