Biggest company in the world can't redesign and release a new phone in 16 months

[BaldiMac]

lets see how MR will handle the load on iOS 5 launch day when iPhone 4 users realize they can't use Siri on their phone. Wonder how many threads will be created just from this issue

What does that have to do with whether the iPhone is more fragmented than Android phones?

 

[shelbymayer]

yet PC's outsell Macs by a large margin still.

and the iPhone 3GS, and iPhone 4 will not get Siri.

Canadian carriers can't even get Siri on their iPhone 4S neither.

Thats quite a bit of fragmentation. Sorry but Apple can't make that claim anymore of Android being 'fragmented' any longer, as they do the same thing.

Also, good luck with the iPhone 4 battery life on iOS 5. Won't be as good as iOS 4 in terms of battery life.

im glad someone commented on the whole fragmentation thing! I agree with you 100%! Apple DOES fragment.

OS4 was released for the 3G and made it practically unuseable...and even then it was a stripped down version of OS4 that ended at 4.2.1 (if I remember correctly)...I hate to see what will happen to the 3GS on OS5 (a phone that will still be produced)...add in apps that get updated to run on version 4.3.x and all those people with 3G's are left in the dark...SIRI is a major selling point of the 4S and OS5 and it won't be available for the iphone 4 running OS5....how is this not fragmentation?

 

[chandra.hp]

The iPhone 4 wowed just about everyone (even some die-hard Android fans). It offered arguably the best smartphone experience money can buy from just about every angle. It even had a record high customer satisfaction rates. Why would anyone want to drastically step away from that design after just one generation?

The 4S takes the iPhone 4 and improves almost everything about it.
Better process
Better GPU
Better camera
Better antenna system
A new OS
SIRI
and faster downlink for people who can get HSDPA

The only significant things they left out were a larger screen and LTE. But those two things meant compromise in device profile and/or battery life. To that I say no thank you.

Count me in for two 4Ss on Sprint.

 

[Rob Mclovin]

Why is anybody comparing cars to phones? Phones are cheap. Phones, for most people, can be purchased every year or so. Cars are at least 20 times as expensive as phones, and therefore cannot be purchased every year or even every 5 years for most people.

That's why a design on a phone happens much faster than it should or does on a car.

The only reason i compared a phone to a car was because the OP brought it up in the first place.

 

[aohus]

What does that have to do with whether the iPhone is more fragmented than Android phones?

because Apple is fragmenting the user experience?

They're definitely adding a lot of confusion as to what works and doesn't on your phone.

iPhone 4 users are going to complain about battery life being worsened with iOS 5.

iPhone 4 users going to complain about the lack of Siri support.

iPhone 4S users in Canada going to be upset that it won't be supported with Canadian carriers at launch.

Point is that consumers will be confused, as fragmentation is taking place at the phone level.

im glad someone commented on the whole fragmentation thing! I agree with you 100%! Apple DOES fragment.

no problem. I'm just tired of Apple enthusiasts talking fragmentation this and that, when its taking place on Apple products from the iPhone 3GS and up, both at a hardware/software level.

 

[benfilan]

shut up.

If you don't like it, don't buy it.

 

[BaldiMac]

because Apple is fragmenting the user experience?

They're definitely adding a lot of confusion as to what works and doesn't on your phone.

iPhone 4 users are going to complain about battery life being worsened with iOS 5.

iPhone 4 users going to complain about the lack of Siri support.

iPhone 4S users in Canada going to be upset that it won't be supported with Canadian carriers at launch.

Point is that consumers will be confused, as fragmentation is taking place at the phone level.

Yes. That has happened with every new iPhone. That's the point of releasing new hardware. It can do new stuff.

It is far, far worse on Android.

 

[aohus]

Yes. That has happened with every new iPhone. That's the point of releasing new hardware. It can do new stuff.

It is far, far worse on Android.

worst on android when it comes to developer support. this is why

1) Google has admitted to this problem, and are working to correct the growing fragmentation

2) Ice Cream Sandwich will drastically improve developer support for Android phones and tablets.

3) Android isn't fragmented to the point that if you're on Android 2.2, some of those 2.2 phones won't get action support. All 2.2 devices comes with voice actions. Not the case with iOS 5, where its tacitly removed depending on the iPhone iteration you own, without really letting Apple consumers know.

I mean, isn't that kind of a big deal, if you're releasing a new phone with iOS 5, and 'forget' to tell everyone that Siri feature will only work on the latest phone only? For a vertically integrated company like Apple, I would have expected better.

 

[fertilized-egg]

3) Android isn't fragmented to the point that if you're on Android 2.2, some of those 2.2 phones won't get action support. All 2.2 devices comes with voice actions. Not the case with iOS 5, where its tacitly removed without really letting Apple consumers know.

I mean, isn't that kind of a big deal, if you're releasing a new phone with iOS 5, and 'forget' to tell everyone that Siri feature will only work on the latest phone only?.

Siri is a feature, not an API for developers to use. The problem with fragmentation is that some apps might work with one phone that has a 4.6" screen, but will look funny when you try to run it on a 2.8" Android, even if they are using the same version of OS, and often those phones don't run the same version of OS even when they are released about the same time.

AFAIK Apple never made any claim of Siri being available on iOS 5 and strictly restricted to 4S so while I can understand the frustration of users, I don't really see how it has anything to do fragmentation.

 

[aohus]

Siri is a feature, not an API for developers to use. The problem with fragmentation is that some apps might work with one phone that has a 4.6" screen, but will look funny when you try to run it on a 2.8" Android, even if they are using the same version of OS, and often those phones don't run the same version of OS even when they are released about the same time.

AFAIK Apple never made any claim of Siri being available on iOS 5 and strictly restricted to 4S so while I can understand the frustration of users, I don't really see how it has anything to do fragmentation.

im fully aware, which is why Google is working on fixing fragmentation, or at least reducing it on their platform.

most consumers are going to assume that whatever was presented of the iOS 5 yesterday for iPhone 4S, most users are going to assume it will work on their iPhone 4. To come out and say, Apple didn't really say that explicitly, is toying with semantics here.

Its like this. you're sitting on a bus, and a guy next to you has the iPhone 4S. You have your iPhone 4. Your experience with iOS 5 will not be exactly the same as the guy next to you. Thats a form of fragmentation, within iOS 5 itself. I don't see how you not understand that. Fragmentation doesn't have to imply that its a developer side issue only. You can fragment the customer base as well in terms of user experience.

Now, I am definitely not saying that the iPhone 4S is bad. In fact, its a great phone. If you're just some joe schmo walking into a carrier store, and he sees that iPhone 4S. He is going to like it.

Its the folks that are following gadgets/tech industry that will be upset.

Personally, the iPhone 4S will trump other cameras for many months to come, at least until new iPhone comes out. iPhone 4S got the basics right. Better camera, fixed antenna, faster processor, better video playback than its competitors.

 

[Maverick1337]

I don't really care about it downloading faster because that's AT&T's part. I have an iPhone 4 and I have never passed 3 mbps.

 

[woodekm]

I honestly believe that Apple pulled the whole late "iPhone 4S" thing to get all of the carriers on the same "new" phone cycle. Amongst other things.

 

[BaldiMac]

worst on android when it comes to developer support. this is why

1) Google has admitted to this problem, and are working to correct the growing fragmentation

2) Ice Cream Sandwich will drastically improve developer support for Android phones and tablets.

3) Android isn't fragmented to the point that if you're on Android 2.2, some of those 2.2 phones won't get action support. All 2.2 devices comes with voice actions. Not the case with iOS 5, where its tacitly removed depending on the iPhone iteration you own, without really letting Apple consumers know.

I mean, isn't that kind of a big deal, if you're releasing a new phone with iOS 5, and 'forget' to tell everyone that Siri feature will only work on the latest phone only? For a vertically integrated company like Apple, I would have expected better.

Whatever. You made a point. Your point was wrong.

iPhone fragmentation is not anywhere near the problem as Android fragmentation. From a developer perspective or from a consumer perspective. The interface is different. The available hardware is different. The available apps are different. The update schedule is different.

If an app is designed to take advantage of a dual-core processor, it isn't going to magically work well on a single core processor because it is Android.

 

[Maverick1337]

Biggest company in the world can't even use photoshop correctly.

http://www.apple.com/iphone/ Look at the pictures of the iPhone 4S & around the edges u can see white corners as the pic is cropped.

 

[destroyboredom]

Can you imagine Ford or BMW saying "here's a great new car that can do all these amazing new things, but er its going to look exactly the same as the one we were selling you a year and a half ago....er please still buy it right?"

It would never happen, what on earth were Apple thinking?....they are notorious for drip dripping out each tiny technological advancement in order to maximise profits but keeping with the smaller screen while all other smartphones are going 4"+? keeping a phone made of glass?....

Mental.

Ummm this happens all the time. BMW doesn't change the look of the 3 series every year, or ford, or any car company. Terrible analogy.

 

[nitemare]

so your telling me the big 3 car mfgr completely redesign their cars every year? hmm lets take the best selling muscle car as an example here the Ford Mustang thats been the #1 muscle car for 48yrs now. last complete redesign was 2005. slight tweek in 2010 and then late 2010 and this year new power options like the new 5.0liter engine. did it stop ppl from running out and buying it? no so stop your whining and if you dont like it dont buy it simple as that.

 

[Calidude]

Get out of my thread, gearheads. The car analogy is ridiculous.

 

[hexonxonx]

As someone who has bought every iPhone model since 2007, I can honestly say I am excited about the 4S. Yes, I have an iPhone 4 and will be upgrading to a 4S in a month.

I have been waiting for a huge capacity increase and I finally have it! Not only that, the camera will be the best camera I own. My digital Sony camera is only a 3.4 MP and I haven't bought a new one to replace it in almost 12 years.

Also, I don't care about the screen size. Why do I need a bigger screen? The iPhone screen is perfect and I don't want a bigger phone to put in my pocket. If I wanted a bigger screen I would get an iPad. This is a phone. Anyone remember phones in the early 90s? I do. My first phone was a Panasonic and it's only function was to make calls and could store 100 numbers.

People complaining these days sound like a bunch of spoiled brats who think they are entitled to everything. Waahhh no bigger screen, my phone looks the same wahhhh.

 

[Apple...]

It's about the software, stupid.

 

[aohus]

Whatever. You made a point. Your point was wrong.

iPhone fragmentation is not anywhere near the problem as Android fragmentation. From a developer perspective or from a consumer perspective. The interface is different. The available hardware is different. The available apps are different. The update schedule is different.

If an app is designed to take advantage of a dual-core processor, it isn't going to magically work well on a single core processor because it is Android.

you're obsessed with comparing Android to iOS, and you keep writing the same thing over and over again. Android fragmentation. Yes, its an issue. Yes, fragmentation is higher on Android than Apple because, duh, they work with a many, many carriers, and many handset manufacturers, etc. And Google is actively working out reducing fragmentation.

You're just having a hard time admitting that fragmentation is, and has been taking place on iOS. You really don't have to be defensive about it. All OS'es have issues with fragmentation.

I can care less who is right or wrong, something you seem to care much about. I'm just laying out what many others are seeing.

Call it what you will, but an iOS5 experience on iPhone4S will be different than iPhone4 on iOS5, in terms of feature, battery life, etc. This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. Its not that big of a deal. I was just surprised that Apple fragmented within iOS5, so that iPhone 4S will get a certain feature, but iPhone 4 user won't, yet its the same operating system version. Shrug. Go figure.

 

[nitemare]

Get out of my thread, gearheads. The car analogy is ridiculous.

how is the car analogy ridiculous? it works on so many levels although most people upgrade their every 3-4yrs and not every yr like iPhone owners. and as someone thats upgraded iPhones every year since the iPhone came out i think this upgrade is a great one. 8mp camera, new voice command (cant wait to try that using that while driving with BT)

 

[BaldiMac]

you're obsessed with comparing Android to iOS, and you keep writing the same thing over and over again. Android fragmentation. Yes, its an issue. Yes, fragmentation is higher on Android than Apple because, duh, they work with a many, many carriers, and many handset manufacturers, etc. And Google is actively working out reducing fragmentation.

You're just having a hard time admitting that fragmentation is, and has been taking place on iOS. You really don't have to be defensive about it. All OS'es have issues with fragmentation.

I can care less who is right or wrong, something you seem to care much about. I'm just laying out what many others are seeing.

Call it what you will, but an iOS5 experience on iPhone4S will be different than iPhone4 on iOS5, in terms of feature, battery life, etc. This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. Its not that big of a deal. I was just surprised that Apple fragmented within iOS5, so that iPhone 4S will get a certain feature, but iPhone 4 user won't, yet its the same operating system version. Shrug. Go figure.

You appear to have gotten lost. I have no problem acknowledging that the iPhone platform is fragmented. Of course it is. That is the point of releasing new hardware. I've said that before.

You are the one that implied that the iPhone now has the same fragmentation problems as Android.

Here is what you said:

Thats quite a bit of fragmentation. Sorry but Apple can't make that claim anymore of Android being 'fragmented' any longer, as they do the same thing.

You are wrong.

 

[nitemare]

Call it what you will, but an iOS5 experience on iPhone4S will be different than iPhone4 on iOS5, in terms of feature, battery life, etc. This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. Its not that big of a deal. I was just surprised that Apple fragmented within iOS5, so that iPhone 4S will get a certain feature, but iPhone 4 user won't, yet its the same operating system version. Shrug. Go figure.

why would that surprise you? theyve done that with with every new hardware release.
Voice control=3g
video camera= 3gs
flash and total redesign=4

im sure there are more features that i left out but those are the ones that just popped into my head

 

[aohus]

You appear to have gotten lost. I have no problem acknowledging that the iPhone platform is fragmented. Of course it is. That is the point of releasing new hardware. I've said that before.

thank you for admitting this.

fragmentation is fragmentation. Not everyone will have the same iOS5 experience between iPhone4/4S users.

 

[Globetrotter]

You appear to have gotten lost. I have no problem acknowledging that the iPhone platform is fragmented. Of course it is. That is the point of releasing new hardware. I've said that before.

You are the one that implied that the iPhone now has the same fragmentation problems as Android.

Here is what you said:


You are wrong.

He's right and wrong

Apple shouldn't be selling three phones, 2 of which cannot perform their flagship feature. Either drop the 3GS, or stop confusing people.

On the other hand, it's nothing like Android - which is like trying to talk to twelve people at the same time.