Has Apple changed, or is this industry "spent"?

[aperry]

After buying the first five iPhones (original through 4S) and the first three iPads (1-3), this is Apple's second major product announcement in a row where I just don't feel compelled to buy what they're selling. I'm a bit bored by the iPhone 5, the iPad 4 and the Mini. They're solid products, probably top of their class, but I think Apple is running out of ways to work people into a frenzy. At least certainly that's the case for me.

And before you ask "well what did you expect to see?" The answer is "I don't know". But I've never really known in the past either, yet they've been able to build something that I realized I really needed/wanted. But not recently. Is this a change in Apple, or is this industry just "spent" when it comes to innovation in these product areas? I'm not seeing anything all that amazing in the competition either, but that's pretty much par for the course with most of those guys.

 

[poloponies]

After buying the first five iPhones (original through 4S) and the first three iPads (1-3), this is Apple's second major product announcement in a row where I just don't feel compelled to buy what they're selling. I'm a bit bored by the iPhone 5, the iPad 4 and the Mini. They're solid products, probably top of their class, but I think Apple is running out of ways to work people into a frenzy. At least certainly that's the case for me.

And before you ask "well what did you expect to see?" The answer is "I don't know". But I've never really known in the past either, yet they've been able to build something that I realized I really needed/wanted. But not recently. Is this a change in Apple, or is this industry just "spent" when it comes to innovation in these product areas? I'm not seeing anything all that amazing in the competition either, but that's pretty much par for the course with most of those guys.

As far as the tablet market goes, it's still in a growth phase, so Apple's trying to appeal to new buyers. I don't doubt that they'd love it if you upgraded, that's not the essential market focus at the moment.

 

[Red05]

I've bought the iPhone, 3GS, 4, 4S and 5 (often paying full retail since I was already locked in a contract), as well as the iPad 2 and 3, and the only time I truly felt buyer's remorse was when I bought the 4S. That upgrade simply was not worth it so, while I hopped on the iPhone5 (and have no remorse about that whatsoever) I am hesitant to buy each and every iteration of these products - especially now that I know the product release cycle is much smaller than it used to be. I'll probably get the iPad4 but there's no way I'm getting a mini since the mini2 with retina display will be on shelves around April.

 

[cambookpro]

I agree about the iPads, but the iP5 is a great phone. Much bigger jump than 4 -> 4S.

I think the iPads will now go to a more Mac-like schedule though, so people will upgrade every couple of years or so, rather than every time like the phone.

 

[aperry]

I agree about the iPads, but the iP5 is a great phone. Much bigger jump than 4 -> 4S.

I think the iPads will now go to a more Mac-like schedule though, so people will upgrade every couple of years or so, rather than every time like the phone.

Yeah, I can see the iPhone 5 being a bigger jump compared to 4S, but the only thing I'm even slightly interested in is the larger screen and I've seen those large screens on competing products for years so it's not really knocking my socks off. And people like me hoped the 4S was just "buying time" for Apple to make something really great in the iPhone 5. I just don't think it's that great.

I agree with your second comment. I find myself wondering if this is becoming more akin to laptops and desktops. We'll continue seeing spec bumps and trivial changes to design and form factor, but the exciting innovations will be far less frequent.

 

[Scarpad]

Your not going to see a mini with retina in april, its apparant Apple is lining up their launches to launch all their upgrades at the same time of the year in Oct, we'll see a refresh then of all product lines, the short window on Ipad 3 was so they could do that. We'll like get Retina next go around in OCT

 

[Felasco]

After buying the first five iPhones (original through 4S) and the first three iPads (1-3), this is Apple's second major product announcement in a row where I just don't feel compelled to buy what they're selling.

aperry, I think you're on to something important, something much bigger than Apple.

As example, consider television. When I was a kid, people sat around tiny black and white screens filled with static, and were mesmerized, fascinated. But look what's happened since. The content producers are getting desperate and resorting to ever weirder and stupider shows to keep our attention.

As example, consider the Net. In the 90s, just having a website, any website, made you some kind of awesome cool NASA scientist super nerd guy. These days, the fastest way to bore cute girls at a party is to try to tell them about your website.

This same movement towards burnt out jadedness is happening with electronics too.

Imho, the underlying problem, which we see in all the realms above, is that it's much easier to create a fancy delivery device than it is to consistently create compelling new content for that device.

Delivery device makers try to overcome that problem with a lot of gaudy hoopla about their device, but in the end it's like trying to get all whipped up psychologically about a toaster. In the end, nobody really gives a @#$%&.