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How "In tune" is Apple with the competition?

brando123b

brando123b

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 22, 2010
182
41
I'm over on Engadget looking at the CES updates. CES isn't even until tomorrow and 4G superphone after superphone is rolling out of ATT and Verizon. Big screens, dual core processors, 1080p video, 8MP cameras, new OS...it is a full on android assault.

Now we have Apple with very little "Buzz" right now. The VZW iPhone rumors are in full gear but with no proof and no real "news" there is little for most tech blogs to pick up on.

There are certainly a devoted army of Apple fans that are going to dismiss the android storm happening at CES and in the general marketplace. You have to look at a larger picture, the general public and take their point of view.

No official iPhone release. No word from Apple or Verizon. Android is EVERYWHERE. If I was Apple I would be concerned about all of the potential iPhone owners who are going to be converted by this 4G fanfare.

Does Apple sweat during this time? Worried that they are coming out with a whimper instead of a bang for 2011? Or are they so cocksure that the iPhone is the magical unicorn that all are waiting for they can sit back and relax?

Ideas?:eek::apple:
 
brando123b said:
If I was Apple I would be concerned about all of the potential iPhone owners who are going to be converted by this 4G fanfare.
Click to expand...

The people who care about (or even know about) CES are a very small number of people.

Yes, they're influential people, but that means they're smart. That means they understand that the current 4G phones out there aren't much different than at&t's fastest 3G.* They understand that the new iPhone will come out in June and so worrying about it in January doesn't do anyone any good. They understand that Apple is a good choice for most of their friends and families and will continue to recomend it to many people they know even if they, personally, use something else.

In short, no, don't worry about it.


* No, we don't see real world speeds as fast as at&t claims, but what makes you think you'll ever see Sprint's top speeds either? I assume that sort of over-confident bragging affects them all equally.
 
Small White Car said:
The people who care about (or even know about) CES are a very small number of people.
Click to expand...

Lets see, Major phone manufacturers, all cellular providers, industry professionals and tech reporters all attend CES. (you're right no one cares)

What world are you from? That statement is so far from the truth it's almost hysterical.
 
JD914 said:
What world are you from? That statement is so far from the truth it's almost hysterical.
Click to expand...

Go take a poll. Seriously.

I have 12 people in my office and without even asking I can PROMISE you that 8 of them have no clue. So at best I'm running at 33% here, and I suspect that of the remaining 4 I'll get 2 for 'yes' and 2 for 'no' which would bring me down to 16%.

Is this guesswork? Yeah, but I know these people pretty well.

Also, I work in an office where people use Macs for a living all day. So the real world results are likely to be even lower than in here.

I'd consider less than 16% to be a small number, yes.
 
Small White Car said:
Go take a poll. Seriously.

I have 12 people in my office and without even asking I can PROMISE you that 8 of them have no clue. So at best I'm running at 33% here, and I suspect that of the remaining 4 I'll get 2 for 'yes' and 2 for 'no' which would bring me down to 16%.

Is this guesswork? Yeah, but I know these people pretty well.

Also, I work in an office where people use Macs for a living all day. So the real world results are likely to be even lower than in here.

I'd consider less than 16% to be a small number, yes.
Click to expand...

CES isn't a family event if you don't know :rolleyes:
 
Listen, if you don't care about the Android OS, then all this "competition" means nothing.

Think back before iOS.

Did you like your phone or smartphone?
Did you like its features?
Did you like your carrier?

Steve has said it in many interviews: Apple will progress in the manner that they see fit. The smartest ones are usually the most quiet, until they surprise you. They certainly did that with the iPhone and again with the iPhone 4. They'll do so again this year. Developers will continue to create for lucrative and stable platforms. People should and will vote with their wallets. Brand loyalty comes from brand satisfaction. Have faith. Apple will continue to do what they do best - make great products for a great user experience.
 
I don't think Apple are in touch with the competition much, but I also don't think that it's hurting them. With the rise of every other phone being labelled an "iPhone killer", I think the competition are watching Apple's move then trying to outdo it. Apple seem to be locked away by themselves making the iPhone as good as possible. Had they reacted to the competition, the iPhone would have HDMI, USB ports, hardware keyboard, removable storage, etc. But because they don't care about these things (or have implemented better solutions such as airplay), it doesn't really bother them that a new LG phone is a quad core phone.

While it's good that they have competition, I don't think they're focussed solely on Android and WM7.
 
-aggie- said:
We don't need 4G.
Click to expand...

Not sure if your post is more tongue in cheek, but, I'll take it as if you're serious.

I have to respectively disagree with that statement. With the increase reliance on the web, cloud computing, faster bandwidth is key.

I have yet to meet a person who when presented with the option of having some device/computer/product run faster deny the option. People love faster, newer better products, even if they don't need them. T-Mobile, Sprint, VZW are all working feverishly at rolling out their 4G networks in 2011. If they didn't think there was a market for such, they'd not be spending billions and billions.

Just look at the move to 3G, if we didn't need 4G, then we really didn't need 3G but we all flocked to devices that were 3G capable when we had the option.

AT&T is behind the curve quite a bit and by inference, Apple.
 
Apple is doing just fine.

News has it that Android's latest OS offering nicknamed "Honeycomb" will require dual-core processors. While the new Motorola Atrix has one, even the upcoming Samsung Infuse doesn't, and neither does every other existing Android phone out there.

Android is Windows Mobile all over again: fragmented with all the different hardware configurations, manufacturers who'd rather build a new smartphone than support their current customer base with OS updates, and multiple carriers who have the last say on whether or not they'll even approve it for mass distribution. That triple threat was Microsoft's undoing - I'm not even sure they've learned their lesson with Windows Phone 7.

Look - we've had a decent and steady progress of hardware changes over the years. The only ones left out are from four years ago with the original iPhone 2G, with the original 3G with a mixed bag.

But, wait until Honeycomb comes out and you'll have millions of end-of-line, incompatible, non-upgradable, and/or abandoned single-core and slower or insufficient devices, making the end-users feel abandoned by their carrier, manufacturer, and Google, altogether.

Meanwhile, Apple has and will continue to push the iOS hardware and software in decent harmony. Slow and steady wins the race.
 
No widgets, no notification system, text ring tone the same, small 3.5" screen. If you don't think the iPhone 4 is a bit out of date, your just an Apple sheep no offense. My sister has the iPhone 4, and compared to my Nexus-S, it just feels old and boring, no real customization.

My Brothers and I, are big tech geeks, we build are own custom pc gaming machines, we love to tinker with gadgets, etc...We all bought the iPhone1 when it first came out, and man that phone back in 2007, seemed like it came from the future out of StarTrek, it was bad ass cool. Fast forward to 2011, and now all I see with iPhone's are Moms' and Grandmas, and most the tech geeks I know, moved onto Android or WinMo7. Seriously it is funny, how the iPhone has become the generic smartphone now. I see more non techie people have it now.

The iPhone5 better be a big step forward. I want dual core, a larger screen, widgets, and notification system, if it gets all that, I might go back. But then it will be competing against the EVO-2, and Nexus-3.0 this summer.

Competition is good for the end consumer.
 
maflynn said:
Not sure if your post is more tongue in cheek, but, I'll take it as if you're serious.

I have to respectively disagree with that statement. With the increase reliance on the web, cloud computing, faster bandwidth is key.

I have yet to meet a person who when presented with the option of having some device/computer/product run faster deny the option. People love faster, newer better products, even if they don't need them. T-Mobile, Sprint, VZW are all working feverishly at rolling out their 4G networks in 2011. If they didn't think there was a market for such, they'd not be spending billions and billions.

Just look at the move to 3G, if we didn't need 4G, then we really didn't need 3G but we all flocked to devices that were 3G capable when we had the option.

AT&T is behind the curve quite a bit and by inference, Apple.
Click to expand...


AT&T is not as far behind the curve as you think. They have rolled out an HSPA+ network that is bigger than T-Mobiles, using the same 21mbps tech. It's currently live, and as soon as we get some phones that can access it, we'll be seeing the better speeds. Many were announced today.
 
brando123b said:
I'm over on Engadget looking at the CES updates. CES isn't even until tomorrow and 4G superphone after superphone is rolling out of ATT and Verizon. Big screens, dual core processors, 1080p video, 8MP cameras, new OS...it is a full on android assault.

1 Now we have Apple with very little "Buzz" right now. The VZW iPhone rumors are in full gear but with no proof and no real "news" there is little for most tech blogs to pick up on.

2 There are certainly a devoted army of Apple fans that are going to dismiss the android storm happening at CES and in the general marketplace. You have to look at a larger picture, the general public and take their point of view.

3 No official iPhone release. No word from Apple or Verizon. Android is EVERYWHERE. If I was Apple I would be concerned about all of the potential iPhone owners who are going to be converted by this 4G fanfare.

4 Does Apple sweat during this time? Worried that they are coming out with a whimper instead of a bang for 2011? Or are they so cocksure that the iPhone is the magical unicorn that all are waiting for they can sit back and relax?

Ideas?:eek::apple:
Click to expand...

1 - How is this different that Apple has ever operated? I mean, I can see how it's clearly hurt their sales in iPods, computers, iPads, and phones, but certainly nothing new.

2 - "Dismiss" is an interesting word there. I personally don't care about android or what they're doing; I'm never going to buy one anyway. Sure, the phones may work for you, but I buy things that work for me If you want a fragmented OS over a multitude of devices that's only claim is "It runz teh Andr0id" then go for it. Healthy competition is good for everyone, however Apple products aren't just about the parts, it's how all those parts work seamlessly together. In a similar way, I don't really care about what MS does on the XBOX 360. Sure, it works for some people, but I prefer my PSWii setup and don't see a substantial reason to switch.

3 - See 1. This is nothing new from Apple, and announcement months before they release the phone will hurt AT&T, Verizon, and Apple. I'd rather see tested, proven technology on my phone for true 4G, not every cell carrier claiming they have 4G when none of them actually do.

4 - With a current market cap at $300 billion, I doubt Apple is shaking that much. I'm not going to dig into car analogies, they never turn out well, but the market is big enough that no one really "loses." Are they worried that they only have ~7% of the computer market locked down? I doubt it. If you knew anything about Apple they don't really "relax" on the products. Sure, they're not all great (Apple TV, Time Capsule, original iMac) but they're a progressive company who's not just sitting around counting their money and not innovating.
 
Apple understands the competition very well. They also understand that chasing every fad, every widget, every i/o port, etc isn't what separates devices from each other.

iOS is by far the most integrated mobile experience out there for the average user. The app store is stupid simple to use, is secure, and basically free of malicious apps. Upgrades to OS come directly from apple, not having to depend on the carrier / manufacturer. Peripheral devices are ubiquitous, available at any store. Quality software comes to iOS first (usually), and pricing is fair.

Android is like Windows. There are many manufacturers, and they are all in a race to the bottom. They all glom their clumsy UIs onto what is a pretty good underlying OS, but the UI additions usually hurt, not help the product. Battery life is wildly inconsistent across devices, and carrier limitations vary as well. Want 2.3? Tough, until the carrier or device manufacturer decree it... if ever. How much do you really know about that app you just downloaded? Did anyone screen it? Why can't you turn off those apps that you don't use?

Yes, Android will sell more devices. Yes, they will have dual cores first, and they will have HDMI outputs, etc. At the end of the day, those things are they only thing they have to differ from each other. Meanwhile, apple will continue to steadily refine and improve iOS, battery life, screen quality, build quality, etc...

If you're worried about always having the "fastest" or most "feature packed" phone, Android is for you. If you want quality, consistency, and overall usability, iOS may be the right bet.

Nice thing about having choices... we can all pick what works best for us.
 
kre62 said:
AT&T is not as far behind the curve as you think. They have rolled out an HSPA+ network that is bigger than T-Mobiles, using the same 21mbps tech. It's currently live, and as soon as we get some phones that can access it, we'll be seeing the better speeds. Many were announced today.
Click to expand...

When did it go live from my understanding At&t is 80% done, that was in November. I do agree with At&t will be ahead of everyone when they do light up their network it will be the biggest 4G network in the US and At&t is going to roll out LTE next year. HSPA+ will be the fall back.
 
brando123b said:
Does Apple sweat during this time? Worried that they are coming out with a whimper instead of a bang for 2011? Or are they so cocksure that the iPhone is the magical unicorn that all are waiting for they can sit back and relax?
Click to expand...

Well, let's think back. What do we remember about big tech events in January 2010?

I have one indelible memory of CES 2010: Steve Ballmer jumping up on stage to demo the HP Slate, a groundbreaking tablet device that would run Windows and bury alive the rumored Apple tablet. There was also talk of a Microsoft product called Courier. And of course, 2010 was going to be the Year of Android.

The other event that comes to mind was Apple's January 27 unveiling of the iPad, which was promptly derided as just a big iPod touch.

So how did all that play out? It was indeed a big year for Android, though by year's end the platform seemed to be sprouting so many branches that the word "fragmentation" became one of the most commonly used expressions in the tech press.

The HP Slate finally shipped in November/December, with an initial production of 5,000 devices delivered to enterprise customers at a price tag of $800. Demand from disgruntled would-be customers forced HP to restart production, resulting in a whopping 9,000 of these devices being shipped.

The Courier was killed in its vaporware cradle.

We'll have to wait a couple more weeks for Apple's quarterly earnings call to learn how well the iPad actually sold, but recent analyst estimates are over 12 million units, and this may be conservative.

That was before the iPhone 4, the revamped iPod line, and the new MacBook Airs. Even the "hobby" product, Apple TV, sold more than a million units.

All in all, not a bad year for the team that took a pass on CES. I can't imagine they're really sweating profusely right now.
 
Solid insight. I personally love when Apple walks all over the competition with sales numbers and customer satisfaction that no others can match.
 
Apple beats to the tune of their own drum and pass off technological advancements until it becomes viable to them.

I can see them sticking to the single-core A4 chip (with a faster clock speed), the same basic design of the iPhone 4, and possibly slightly increased resolutions for the camera sensors (but still topping out at 720p for recording). If we're lucky, they'll include HSPA+ compatibility, so it can be branded 4G along with AT&T/T-Mobile's initial definition of 4G.
 
Folks, the stuff that was shown at CES last year still isn't out this year. I remember one CES where a guy was showing off a smartphone that ran Windows XP, it was up and running and everything, never saw it again. The Android storm is ABSOLUTELY coming (which is good folks! The original iPhone was the de facto standard therefore it didn't need to be much, but when Android came out, Apple started innovating. I'm rooting for Android because it will only make the iPhone better, or, if all else fails, still give me a superior device!) but, Apple will innovate, as if they have to, up until VERY recently the iPod was the inferior mp3 player to the MUCH lower priced competition, but they still sold.

Still, only a small SMALL number of what you see at CES will be on shelves ANYTIME soon.

-John
 
I'm no expert and certainly no "insider", but I think Apple is incredibly aware of their competition, which is what allows them to stand out from the crowd so effectively and create products that are seemingly more valuable and special than the rest. The biggest clue that Apple is aware of their competitors is that they go to great lengths to be recognized as different. If they had no idea what was going on in the world, they would be creating products that everyone else is already making.

And another thing, they aren't showing up in a big way at CES whereas other major competitors are. By doing nothing, their standing out. And then at a time that suits them, when no competitors have anything on the table (or have already showed it off) they'll come in and market the hell out of it.
 
brando123b said:
I'm over on Engadget looking at the CES updates. CES isn't even until tomorrow and 4G superphone after superphone is rolling out of ATT and Verizon. Big screens, dual core processors, 1080p video, 8MP cameras, new OS...it is a full on android assault.

Now we have Apple with very little "Buzz" right now. The VZW iPhone rumors are in full gear but with no proof and no real "news" there is little for most tech blogs to pick up on.

There are certainly a devoted army of Apple fans that are going to dismiss the android storm happening at CES and in the general marketplace. You have to look at a larger picture, the general public and take their point of view.

No official iPhone release. No word from Apple or Verizon. Android is EVERYWHERE. If I was Apple I would be concerned about all of the potential iPhone owners who are going to be converted by this 4G fanfare.

Does Apple sweat during this time? Worried that they are coming out with a whimper instead of a bang for 2011? Or are they so cocksure that the iPhone is the magical unicorn that all are waiting for they can sit back and relax?

Ideas?:eek::apple:
Click to expand...

With every release of some type of competition to an Apple product threads like this always appear. Its long known that Apple updates the iPhone in the summer and not before. And like every year, there will be lines for the iPhone way longer than any android device, the iPhone will sell an enormous amount, and people will be very happy with their purchase.

Apple takes the time to make something special that a lot of people like and does very well in the mobile department each year. The iPhone is still ahead of Android and Apple has 1 device for sale verses the roughly 70 handsets running Android. That right there speaks volumes.
 
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