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Seems like so many posters here are completely missing the point of what he is saying, which oddly enough... reinforces his point.

He is not saying that Blackberry has it right and Apple has it wrong. You have to remember, Blackberry was the Apple of it's time. People were nuts over it. The term "crackberry" wasn't invented by them, it was an observation by the public as a whole. Even our US president had to have a custom blackberry because he refused to give it up. They innovated and then some. The were considered virtually untouchable.

But the point he is making is that regardless of all of this, they stood still too long, and he gives tremendous credit to apple for basically stepping it up and kicking their @$$. Nobody thought it was even possible until Apple stepped up and made it happen. But now, as most people (even here) tend to agree, it is apple who is standing still.

RIM has NEVER been in Apple's position....even at the height of the Blackberry's success...Rim is doing what untalented rappers do...start a beef to get attention
 
I realize there are some new features that Apple could incorporate in iOS.

But how much of this perceived "staleness" is just because of the identically-shaped icons arranged in a regular grid pattern? Or animated background stuff behind the icons? Is this what we're fighting against?

I don't think that's it. It's not "perceived" staleness; iOS is stale.

The icons are fine. It's the way iOS stores, files, lack thereof, that's at issue. iOS was originally built for a device to mostly consume content -- recall independent apps were not even in the initial discussion; Apple touted "web apps" until devs complained loudly. Today, esp. with the iPads, iOS is very much a content creation device, and Apple has even alluded to the iPad as being the eventual replacement for desktops and laptops, which Jobs called "trucks."

A content creation device though needs a more robust OS with true multi-tasking, and easier ways to search and store files,
 
In my opinion, the problem is that the tablet and the smart phone market has matured, and therefore there's not much to "revolutionize" about it. At this point, it's more about implementing steady evolutions than searching for sheer innovations, and that applies both to hardware and software.

I just dont think there's much room for crazy innovations.
 
Why is the pressure solely on Apple to innovate? What about the rest of the industry, why are they sitting on their asses waiting for something to copy and imitate.
Actually, one only has to look back to Microsoft for this. While I don't agree with everything they've done with Win8, their tablet/phone interface... somebody there did indeed get off their asses and push something else "out there".

Talk about a bunch of hypocrites. At least Apple have innovated on more than one occasion. What about you guys pointing the fingers.
Hypocrisy and recycling other innovations is what continues to build the world. And blatant theft of ideas is what spurs a never-ending cycle of new innovation.

That and we consumers are fickle (and slightly stupid). We don't know what we want until somebody tells us. :)
 
At some point, it makes a lot of sense to have an interface that is predictable and usable. You don't always want to "innovate" just for the sake of changing. iOS may seem a little bit static, but its functions are predictable and intuitive.

That said, of course there's always room for improvement, but let's not forget that Samsung and all of the others have copied and built upon an interface that Apple basically invented.
 
Blackberry (RIM) said the same thing a few years ago. We saw how well that worked out. Sure you're comfortable and familiar with iOS and that's fine. If it works for you it works for you. I mean there were around 80 million Blackberry users when the company was at it's lowest of lows a year or so ago, people obviously still liked the "old" Blackbery. The problem arises when the larger marketplace expects and looks for more. Whether it's gimmicky or functional, consumers will look for what appears better and newer and start buying it. If Apple is still using the iOS design a few years from now, users like you may still hang around but many others will see "greener pastures" and jump to other devices. And in many businesses the wider audience makes up more of the success/fail ratio than the core group of users.

The reason Blackberry suffered and maybe ultimately failed, was not failure to innovate. is was failure to keep up with the times. This is why I ask, what SHOULD the UI do? Apple is not at risk of falling into the same fate as BB. They don't need to always innovate. Google didn't innoveate with a mobile OS, Samsung didn't innovate with a smartphone. They mostly just kept current and are both extremely successful. Now, if the industry advances, and the iOS UI fails to, at the very least, "keep up". Sure they will fail, as BB has, as Windows did in the mobile market. There is much much more to apples UI than the look and shape of the icons.

But I'm asking a serious question... what do they need to do to "freshen" the UI and keep it ahead of the competition? How is it falling behind?
 
Apple's answer to your question is iCloud.

I have iCloud. It doesn't do that. I can send pictures to someone...but I need a computer to set that up. Can't send documents or other bits of information.

Edit: In fairness, documents is because there's so few apps that support iCloud. Still, I can't sit with a friend or family member and transfer information from one iOS device to another in a few seconds without using horribly dated methods - ie. email, messaging, etc..
 
I can remember Mr. Jobs saying the iphone was five years ahead of the next competitor five years ago....

yep, it has been. and now theyre catching up...and smartphones will become a commodity tech item much like laptops. who cares about laptops anymore? nobody. because everybody caught up. except in recent news as apple updates chasis and displays and everybody else follows suit.

that being said, nobody else as a light, thin, sleek metal unibody mobile enclosure? only apple that i know of. who released high-density mobile displays 3 years ago? apple. etc etc... apple adds features, the rest copy.
 
pffft*

When you design for utmost clarity and simplicity in user interfaces, it's tough to change the interface just to make it "different"... diluting clarity and simplicity. Red herring motivation. That's where we sometimes get bloatware on home pcs, right?

What are they supposed to do? Make all the icons circular? Make them wiggle differently when moving? A different ("innovative") but less direct path to accessing your phone's features is not better somehow.

Rather, give me magical hardware innovation. Like embedded payment chips a la Japan, curves, a transparent phone body,.......lasers! I can see why Apple is poking around the wristwatch concept.
 
Bb10

For now, BB has nothing to offer on this front - let's wait and see if he is turning the company around and introduces some real innovation, and than he might earn the right to say something about this topic - for now, BB is still a fail.

I tend to disagree. I have been using iOS since it came out but switched 2 weeks ago to BB10. Granted the BB10 is not as fluid as iOS but the build quality (not just the perceived quality) and solid battery combined with the complete shoddy quality of my iPhone 5 made me switch.

2 weeks in I start to see advantages of BB10. I still miss some of my apps but from a strict business point of view; it's cheaper, more solid, easier to expand, works with most SW's and has a lot better security if wanted (BES is not a must but exists)

I'm happy with it and Apple will have to come with some serious stuff to make me switch again.

PS: I tried android and WP8 as well but BB10 is by far better for my purpose
 
Blackberry never had innovation so they don't know what it means.

Yes, Apple needs to step it up but BB should be the last one to throw a shot.

Have you even used a BlackBerry 10 before? In my opinion It offers the most innovated and intuitive mobile experience ever. Everyone else is still doing icons and widgets.

So I think they have innovated with BB10, the keyboard & multi-tasking experience is the best currently. QNX is pretty powerful, and the fact that you can run Android apps & games on the platform is a big plus. It has real-multi-tasking, as you can have multiple applications and games running at the same & switch between them with ease.

iOS is falling behind, and most people are starting to agree. Why else would Apple had updated their ad campaign close to the release of the new Samsung phone?
 
I think it's a ballsy comment by Heins, but hey, to each their own I guess.

The UI may be stale as he claims, but it works for me.

However, the new BB software does have some neat features for its camera and the main screen housing up to date realtime info accessible with a swipe.
Related to that, the Z10 did have a crappy battery from all accounts upon launch which has now been fixed with a software update.

They also tout their new adaptive texting feature which does seem neat, but for how I use my iPhone (mostly at home or in private), I simply don't text. I use Siri and although she may not be perfect, I rarely touch the keyboard.

Could iOS better different or better? Sure. Does it work? For me it does.

Do I think Apple can 'innovate'? Definitely. No doubt there.

Heins is just trying to drum up some interest. After all, all press (negative or positive) is press and exposure lol
 
Are you for real? Ummm BB invented the smartphone. Nobody remembers this? If you worked for a business its probably easier to remember.

I used to love my BB pearl until the iphone came out and changed the game.

What he is saying is absolutely right Apple inovation has slowed down considerably and he even admits his company did the same with the history repeating itself comment.

I wouldn't say BB has surpassed Android or Apple with its latest OS and Z10 but its at least somewhat caught up and come a long way from where they were.

I think part of the problem is that smart phone technology is getting pretty maxed out innovation wise.

Hopefully iOs 7 or at the latest ios 8 give ios a nice refresh.

BB didn't invent the smart phone. There where several phone running that crappy windows OS early on also.
 
I'm perfectly happy with the direction Apple is going. No one else is really doing anything innovative in my mind, we've hit a wall where nothing is really all that extraordinary.

My iPhone 4S running iOS 6 runs just fine and I'm never thinking of something it's missing. If it is missing something, I bet there's an app out there already to cover it for me. I think they focus more on a basic framework so others can build on top of it.

I don't want every feature baked into my phone cause then you're almost forced to used that feature. Android and everyone else is trying to pack 893274982374 features into the phone that no one will really use. Features don't make a good product, a good product does.
 
I don't think that's it. It's not "perceived" staleness; iOS is stale.

The icons are fine. It's the way iOS stores, files, lack thereof, that's at issue. iOS was originally built for a device to mostly consume content -- recall independent apps were not even in the initial discussion; Apple touted "web apps" until devs complained loudly. Today, esp. with the iPads, iOS is very much a content creation device, and Apple has even alluded to the iPad as being the eventual replacement for desktops and laptops, which Jobs called "trucks."

A content creation device though needs a more robust OS with true multi-tasking, and easier ways to search and store files,

This sounds well reasoned enough. But I'm wondering if it mirrors true public perception. If the iPhone is perceived as being out-of-date to the average typical user, is it because of things like its file system setup, or is it because of lack of whiz-bang animations and things like that?

Also I think a lot of it has to do with Apple's offerings now having smaller than average size screens.

I think if Apple presented a new phone that had a little bigger screen, on par with competitors, and introduced some new jazzy eye candy, many people would go back to thinking of iPhones as being "innovative." I'm not arguing that that's what iPhone needs, or that such an iPhone is automatically better, I'm just talking about the consensus perception, which at the moment is tilting against Apple.
 
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But it's not pick up and play. Nowhere near. Even I've had to look up how to do a couple of things when I first got my iDevices.

Well, I guess we'll have to disagree. As the Chief Geek in both my circle of friends and my family and extended family, I've never not known any one who hasn't picked up an iOS device and not known instantly do to with it. Even my 1 y.o. nephew knows how to find and launch his favorite apps. If a baby can do it how much more intuitive could it get?

I will admit when you get into the nitty gritty of the system preference it can get overwhelming, but not sure how you solve that w/o just getting rid of being able to make those choices.
 
I don't think that's it. It's not "perceived" staleness; iOS is stale.

The icons are fine. It's the way iOS stores, files, lack thereof, that's at issue. iOS was originally built for a device to mostly consume content -- recall independent apps were not even in the initial discussion; Apple touted "web apps" until devs complained loudly. Today, esp. with the iPads, iOS is very much a content creation device, and Apple has even alluded to the iPad as being the eventual replacement for desktops and laptops, which Jobs called "trucks."

A content creation device though needs a more robust OS with true multi-tasking, and easier ways to search and store files,

Is it possible that it's not meant to be a "Content-creation" device , but an entertainment / content-consumption device? It does that, and does it well. Apple has never aimed to be a one-for-all solution. they cater to their niche consumer. I use an iPad, I use pages, numbers, reminders, safari... all my files are stored in their cloud. My content is stored in their cloud, or on my home network (used with appleTV).

The market dictates what direction technology and devices go. And there are plenty of good content creation devices out there in a tablet form, but few are buying them. Or at the very least, if you look at web stats, few are using them.
 
Apple sued samsung over the copying of thier devices yet nothing said to BB over the Z10 is almost identicle
 
. Maps has totally destroyed my ios experience as I am traveling globally 95% of the year.. Might be getting the new Samsung

Sounds more like your inability to use the App Store to get anyone of a couple dozen apps or Safari to get on the google maps website is what really ruined things. Not Apple changing their map service.
 
Hey dude, I get it that you're throwing Molotov cocktails at fireproof fortresses to take the focus off your inadequacies but you should really look behind you.

YOUR HOUSE IS ON FIRE!

House-Fire.jpg
 
Sounds more like your inability to use the App Store to get anyone of a couple dozen apps or Safari to get on the google maps website is what really ruined things. Not Apple changing their map service.

To an extent yes, and if Apple allowed you to change the default map app I would agree completely. Until Apple allows you to say you want app X to be for maps and app Y to be for email and so on, any change they make to their defaults can really hurt the experience.
 
RIM has NEVER been in Apple's position....even at the height of the Blackberry's success...Rim is doing what untalented rappers do...start a beef to get attention

I guess you really don't see how much your comment reinforces his point. And if you really believe Blackberry was not in Apple's position, then maybe you just weren't paying attention at the time. They very much were. Maybe not in terms of cash, but in terms of cutting edge communication devices that the entire world vainly attempted to copy and had an unprecedented and feverish fan-base (just like people here with apple)...
 
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