iPhone 11 Pro Apple's lack of innovation. Spot-on article.

[Abazigal]

You're confused, the stock price is not an indication of innovation.

It is simply that the market anticipates good sales. Good sales is not an indication of a good phone, it is simply that people are upgrading (not buying) in higher numbers, the time is right for more to do this than in recent launches where numbers were significantly down.

I will say there is a difference between innovation, and meaningful innovation.

What Apple has done here is improve the iPhone in ways that are meaningful to the end user. Better camera, improved battery life, faster processors, everything is better in some way. Perhaps by themselves, none of those improvements are revolutionary. But it’s a solid list of year-over-year improvements, and the sales results show that consumers agree.

Second, I think people are forgetting that Apple sells more than just smartphones. Part of me wonders if all these companies are coming up with all sorts of weird designs for smartphones because they have no presence in the wearables market. They can only double down on smartphones, and rely on questionable hardware features and form factors to get around what is pretty much a nonexistent software and services portfolio.

Third, the allure of Apple products has always been its ecosystem, made possible by Apple's outstanding design and integration. While these benefits aren't limited to the latest iPhones, Apple has rolled out a bevy of new software features and services that further add value, from Apple Arcade to Apple Card.

While some may point to examples like folding phones or even the latest Essential phone leak, and try to hand wave it away as "at least someone is trying", it's a moot point to me because it's not meaningful innovation that I can actually use. In the very least, I would argue that the main reason why Apple isn't doing a folding phone (to my knowledge) is because they already have the Apple Watch, and feel that AR glasses would be more practical.

So from what I can see, Apple is still innovating. Not all its innovations can be found directly on the iPhone, but that doesn't mean it doesn't benefit the iPhone user.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Apple may not be first with the hardware but they are often innovative in its application. They often have a practical real life use for the hardware before they put it into their devices. They won’t put it in just for the sake of it.

 

[Jimmy James]

People want innovation that doesn’t exist.

Apple reinvented the smartphone, yes. They didn’t invent it.

Apple reinvented headphones with airpods. That’s as much innovation as the iPhone was but it’s hardly recognized. They’ve changed the way I do everything that requires audio. But they didn’t invent wireless audio.

Apple reinvented the smart watch. They didn’t invent it.

See the theme? People are looking to relive something that never really happened in the first place.

 

[movieator]

Innovation is such an overused/misused word these days.

 

[HEK]

This constant clamor for “innovation” gets a bit redundant and tiring. Lets take a critical look at it.

Way back when, prior to the original iPhone we had, in my opinion reached a pinickle in the then current offerings. Phone were basically just that, phones. Texting was really the only other use. Pagers had pretty much been replaced and phone size had gone from bag phones ( remember those, I had one ) to things like Moto Razor and blackberrys. Music was on a seperate device And all other computing was done in laptops and desktops and we went along happy as clams.

The portable communication device we saw on StarTrek was in our hand and it was great. A sort of plateau had been reached. There were evolutionary steps but pretty much the playing field was level.

Along come Apple with a touch screen device, an input output system with color display, that integrated our music player, phone, camera, text and mail all in one device. The touch screen made the device revolutionary and truelly innovative.

It didn’t matter the original iPhone was rather crippled, slow and didn’t really offer a viable device till the third model. Along with when subsidy pricing made it viable for everyone. Everyone copied it or went under.

Move ten years down the road and we are once again at a point where the playing field is again pretty much level. Multiple companies offering premium products virtually doing same thing. We all hold a full fledged computer in our hands now. That happens to have a phone app. Music, video, cameras, still and video. 4K screens, mail, text, internet, gps, all day battery, one device virtually welded to our hand. It’s not unreasonable today to get by with this single hand held computer for most daily chores.

Then we here, ”but where is the innovation?”. I submit you are holding the innovation in your hand. It just happened over a period of time. those who want further “innovation” please suggest a more efficient interface than a touch screen. I don’t see anything other than direct device to brain interface being an improvement.

Folding screens, or AR glasses, things like this are not innovative. If you want innovative here is an idea. A device that doesn’t lock up, ever fail to do a task and writes it own software updates continuing to become more useful. And repairs or heals itself when damaged. An organic computing device. Now that would be innovative.

 

[AppleHaterLover]

tell that to people standing in the 3 mile long line at Apple Fifth Avenue at launch

 

[AustinIllini]

I disagree almost entirely with this author's premise.

 

[fokmik]

I think the U1 chip could be a big thing in the future...it is starting from the iphone 11
I see the mini innovation the package itself, the best battery camera and power in one package
Remember, we came from the worse battery life among the best, to the best...it really shows the optimisation+A series+mah battery what can do...i don't think there is any 4000mah smartphone out there that can beat the 11 pro max
So in just 1 year, we went from worse battery life in the segment to the best, we still got the top tier performance, among the best camera, the best compromise with the frost glass that no longer show unlimited fingerprints,finally 18W charger....so Apple in just 1 year made the biggest jump for the consumer

 

[EM2013]

What exactly is innovation? Adding 8GB of ram and usb c?

 

[44267547]

What exactly is innovation? Adding 8GB of ram and usb c?

But would face ID be considered innovation? I think it is. Innovation is looked at like something of a feature that we’ve never seen before, it adds the possibility of changing the spectrum of technology moving forward, that’s why I used face ID as an example here. In My opinion, Face ID is the only innovative feature Apple has introduced in the last five years with the iPhone.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I don’t buy anew iPhone because of innovation as it’s an established product, I know what I need to do with it. iPhones have been pretty stagnant in terms of innovation for a few years now and most consumers are drawn by aesthetics, hence why the iPhone is more colourful these days. Sales and popularity don’t indicate significant innovation.

The watch is more innovative as it’s a newer concept and that’s where the excitement and buzz seems to be these days. There’s still new technologies coming that are interesting to the consumer.

 

[bushman4]

With all the patents that Apple gets and the money spent on R & D
It’s surprising that Apple fails to innovate in a bigger way
While Apple has gone into selling services for the iPhones they create they should never forget the iPhone is their #1 product and if their number one product starts to sag services will also

 

[Abazigal]

Here is another article I found which I feels also verbalises my thoughts very well.

https://birchtree.me/blog/i-want-an-exciting-phone-or-an-appreciation-for-iteration/ I Want An “Exciting” Phone: or An Appreciation for Iteration

The iPhone boasts a number of nice iterative improvements from last generation, sport a great mobile OS and support some of the best third party apps in the ecosystem.

And to most people who view and treat the smartphone as a tool, that represents a good enough upgrade for them.

It also ends with this statement.

“Just because it’s not the flashiest phone in the world (although I’d contend this thing is gorgeous) doesn’t mean it’s not also the best phone for many people and you certainly don’t need to feel guilty or embarrassed for liking it.”

 

[Freakonomics101]

Apple has shown plenty of innovation. People are confused in thinking there is no innovation at Apple.

The innovation that is evident is showing in the metrics I mentioned above.

But you have to agree it slowed down after the 6s, minus the iPhone X. The Xs was a huge disappointment, IMO. Then the REMOVAL of 3D Touch with this year’s models. Battery life and camera are both great but the camera can only be so great, as mentioned. Then what? Reverse charging and on screen Touch ID? Both aren’t really that interesting. After that... then what? They MIGHT bring the iPhone 4 design back in 2021.. I’d love that but there’s only so much Apple can change. But they’re slow with updates. I’m not a fan of it. That’s why more and more are not upgrading annually anymore. Myself included. The iPad Pro can’t get much better either. OLED in the iPad? Yeah right. That would be so expensive. They’d pass along the costs to us, which would easily make the price of the base Pro to (my guess) $1,200. Not worth OLED as their current LCD displays are awesome.

They’re late with the ultra wide camera as well, I agree with that. They’re dragging everything out as much as they can and it’s not a very profitable move. Investors are not happy with how things are being ran. Everyone thinks “Cock” (lmaoooo).... Cook should be fired. It’s time. Put someone else in charge and implement some change.

It is very likely I’m sticking with my current iPad and iPhone I own now for at least 2 years. The hardware already makes these devices so incredibly powerful and iOS doesn’t make a dent with it all. I only upgraded to the 11 Pro from the X because of the battery life and camera. Removing 3D Touch was not necessary. I’ve adjusted to Haptic but still miss 3D Touch. Would’ve been nice to see the iPhone 4 design as well but they’re dragging that out too, if they’re even doing that.

I’m stuck due to the ecosystem. I’m not parting ways with my Apple Watch. No way in hell. 2-3 day battery life with all settings enabled by default on a single charge plus with all it does. Can’t go wrong with that. Such a higher value vs Fitbit’s similarly designed watch. Same with my iPad Pro 11” and Apple TV. My iPad is now my laptop. Does everything I used my MacBook Air for. I can text and call on my iPad. Same with the Apple Watch. It’s all very convenient. All need the iPhone to work at its full potential. I don’t upgrade iPhones annually anymore so the 11 Pro fits my only desire... which is battery life. Main reason why I upgraded from my Qualcomm X. Thankfully the 11 Pro has very similar signal reliability as the X but the Pro’s chip isn’t throttled down like the Qualcomm chip was. I wasn’t happy about that but speeds were still good enough for everything.

Also, their media services are set to die. They’re worthless, IMO.

 

[Mr Retina]

At the end of the day in 2019 and beyond these phones do and will all take great take photos/video, make phone calls, and have all the same apps that you use every dang day. It’s pretty much a matter of OS preference at this point Android or IOS. There is a wall for this tech and the drastic changes are getting smaller and smaller, while the minor changes are getting bigger and bigger with chipsets and features like deep fusion.

 

[Abazigal]

But you have to agree it slowed down after the 6s, minus the iPhone X.

I think people are forgetting that Apple sells a lot more than just a smartphone.

Just this year alone, they launched a bevy of streaming services. You now have Apple Music, apple news, Apple Arcade, Apple Card and (soon) Apple TV+. All of which add value to all your existing apple products, not just the latest iPhone. Just imagine - you can sign up for a credit card from within your iPhone and not only get approved, but also be able to use it within minutes. No need to wait for the physical card to be mailed to you. What other bank can do this? How is that not innovation, much less innovation which takes full advantage of Apple's tight integration between hardware and software?

Then you have iOS 13 which brought dark mode, an updated UI, improvements to the shortcuts app, continued performance improvements, updates to numerous stock apps, and swipe keyboard.

The iOS App Store is home to many great apps like overcast, Apollo, fantastical, bear, Tweetbot and things which are iOS-only.

All these come together to improve the manner in which I interact with my iPhone, even if they don't have anything to do with the hardware directly.

Then there is the new Apple Watch with the always-on-display and updated AirPods, which also add vale to the iPhone.

The reality is that people are holding on to their smartphones longer, and not upgrading as often, and Apple is adjusting their update cycle to take this into consideration. I don't see Touch ID coming back to the iPhone (not because I don't think Apple can get it to work, but because it goes against the whole point of Face ID removing a layer of interaction between you and your device). Reverse wireless charging is a gimmick (it's slow and you can't use your phone while it is charging some other device). You lost 3D Touch but gained better battery life in exchange.

I mentioned it in a post above, that maybe iPhones are getting boring, and to me, it's a good form of boring. Between the better cameras and longer battery life in the latest iPhones, while the improvements may be less in quantity, they make up for in quality. I daresay these alone will be worth way more to customers than gimmicks like reverse wireless charging.

Apple has basically given users what they asked for.

 

[LeeW]

You now have Apple Music, apple news, Apple Arcade, Apple Card and (soon) Apple TV+. All of which add value to all your existing apple products

Do they 'add value' to your existing products when you have to pay to receive them? A different view on what adding value to the consumer means I guess.

Just imagine - you can sign up for a credit card from within your iPhone and not only get approved, but also be able to use it within minutes. No need to wait for the physical card to be mailed to you. What other bank can do this?

I can do that in UK right now, not just credit cards, current accounts, I can apply for a loan and have the money in my account in 3 hours, all from any phone.

Not trying to be argumentative but things like this have been about long before Apple got interested in it. Although Apple whilst they have provided this 'opportunity' they are entirely dependant on 3rd parties to actually provide the service.

 

[dantracht]

Do they 'add value' to your existing products when you have to pay to receive them? A different view on what adding value to the consumer means I guess.



I can do that in UK right now, not just credit cards, current accounts, I can apply for a loan and have the money in my account in 3 hours, all from any phone.

Not trying to be argumentative but things like this have been about long before Apple got interested in it. Although Apple whilst they have provided this 'opportunity' they are entirely dependant on 3rd parties to actually provide the service.

Agree with you again my friend. I don't see this as "innovation" as much as Apple's take on something that, in another form, already exists.

 

[Furman]

This article is nonsense. My gosh, what else does Apple need to do to amaze us? I guess haters will always hate.

 

[LeeW]

Agree with you again my friend. I don't see this as "innovation" as much as Apple's take on something that, in another form, already exists.

I have been using Revolut for nearly 2 years, not sure if it is available outside of the UK, not a credit card, a current account, totally app-based, takes less than 5 minutes to set up. What is innovative about that when it came out? Interbank currency rates, crypto, virtual credit cards can be issued for every transaction you want, set up vaults to share funds with others, transfer money to others in seconds, the list goes on. Oh yeah, metal cards? Yup, if you want one they offer metal cards as well. I found it funny that everyone was in awe when Apple announced that like nobody else was not already offering them.

There are credit cards available too on other providers, I just don't need them.

Maybe in other countries, the Apple Card is something special but for the UK it is at the back of the pack.

 

[adrianlondon]

A couple of weeks ago, I upgraded my 6S to the 11. It's great! I'm loving FaceID, as TouchID wouldn't work when my fingers were slightly wet or, in the dry Winters here, when they were too dry.

It doesn't bother me in the slightest how much of an upgrade the 11 is from the XR, as when the XR came out I had no interest in upgrading my 6S.

I believe most people who are upset at the lack of "innovation" on each new hardware release are those who upgrade their phones religiously even though their current one is fine. Sure, these people are great for the economy and Apple's share price (disclaimer: I own no Apple shares mores the pity), but they sure do moan about stuff that shouldn't be important to most people.

 

[LeeW]

I believe most people who are upset at the lack of "innovation" on each new hardware release are those who upgrade their phones religiously even though their current one is fine.

Yes, there is truth in that, significant numbers upgrade no matter what on every release so nothing seems that much of an 'improvement' on the last. Go from a 6 to an 11 and you will see big differences.

The reality though is that at best guess more than 85% of iPhone users are Jon and Jane Doe, it's a phone, its new and that is all that matters. They don't think 'where is the innovation here?', they just expect it to better than the last but won't try and prove that.

 

[Dirtydutch]

But would face ID be considered innovation? I think it is. Innovation is looked at like something of a feature that we’ve never seen before, it adds the possibility of changing the spectrum of technology moving forward, that’s why I used face ID as an example here. In My opinion, Face ID is the only innovative feature Apple has introduced in the last five years with the iPhone.

Let’s not forget its FaceID technology that literally no other company was able to implement even close to as effectively as Apple has. Hence why most abandoned and use the hole punch in there screens rather than a notch.

 

[pika2000]

Apple's newest iPhone relies on cameras to hide its lack of innovation

Apple, the company that created the modern-day smartphone, is relying on technology customers are already extremely familiar with, like cameras, and taking a backseat when it comes to smartphone innovation. Could the company's dedication to familiar technology be a benefit to the iPhone lineup?

www.cnbc.com

And yet people still flock to the iPhone. To his credit, Jobs did warn us about Cook. It was a rather reluctant appointment.

An article about nothing written by a digital video producer, with education in film producing. No background in the slightest about tech. Sure.

 

[gavroche]

Apple's newest iPhone relies on cameras to hide its lack of innovation

Apple, the company that created the modern-day smartphone, is relying on technology customers are already extremely familiar with, like cameras, and taking a backseat when it comes to smartphone innovation. Could the company's dedication to familiar technology be a benefit to the iPhone lineup?

www.cnbc.com

And yet people still flock to the iPhone. To his credit, Jobs did warn us about Cook. It was a rather reluctant appointment.

This is all nonsense. The market is too mature to see any radical or extreme changes. It's like going to buy this years newest car model and expecting it to have something last years model does not have.
At this point, incremental improvements to each component is about the best we can expect.
Same thing happened for desktop computers for those of us old enough to have been buying them in th e80s and 90s. They had huge performance strides. Now each year brings a minute processor edge.