How YOU want the iPhone to be Versus how Apple wants the iPhone to be

[lordofthereef]

"I wasn't blown away" "I expected more" yet they seemingly become mute after the statement.

Ok, I'll bite. From the physical unit I expected something more than an elongated phone. If you are going to make the phone bigger, I would expect ratios to remain the same. The way rumors have them, it's pretty terrible IMO. But who knows, maybe I will be wowed by some new feature that utilizes this extra slab of screen real estate.

As far as iOS6....
I'd love for us to actually be able to add widgets to the widget bar/ notification center. You know, something more than the 5 (or so) stock widgets apple gives you. This would have been a good place for wifi toggles if there ever was one.

Public transit in maps would be great. Fancy flyover is awesome to impress friends. Other than that, it has less functionality for me (and I bet MOST people) than a transit map would.

Being able to put more than 12* apps in a folder would be great too. In fact, allowing folders within folders would be acceptable. While I am on the subject, being able to change the folder icon would be helpful. All folders basically look the same. I am not talking full on theming. I am talking like taking something like the angry birds icon and slapping it on a games folder. We can even keep the lovely border so that it's easily distinguishable as a folder rather than a single app.

Deleting "worthless" apps that come preloaded would be an awesome feature rather than having to dump them in a trash bin folder (or using a jailbreak tweak to make them invisible). And if we ever wanted them back, a quick iTunes sync or download again from iTunes would work just fine. For me those worthless apps include stocks, compass, and notes.

That's just a few things off the top of my head. To be quite frank I really REALLY was expecting to be able to do more with widgets in this release. Instead, they added a quick tweet and facebook post widget and that's it.

This "customers don't know what they want" is one of those powerful sounding sentences that Steve liked to sling around to get people repeating it like some Apple mantra. The educated customer certainly knows what he wants. And plenty of what he wants was available as a jailbreak tweak/tool/app long before Apple implemented it. But I know... the difference is "Apple did it right".



*I think the number is 12... I don't remember, jailbreak does this for me

 

[mrsir2009]

I'm fine with the iPhone as long as there's a jailbreak

 

[Carl Sagan]

No major annoyances other than things like I'd like to set the camera to default to the camera app of my choice.

 

[Calidude]

I'm fine with the iPhone as long as there's a jailbreak

Yeah I was on that boat too for the longest time. If there wasn't a jailbreak option, a lot of people would have left the iPhone a long time ago. Jailbreaking releases a lot of the steam.

 

[monkeylui]

The iPhone is no longer what I want it to be, so next week i'm buying the galaxy s3. I love apple & love my iPad & MacBook, but the phone not so much anymore.

 

[labman]

I have jb since my 1st iphone and I will jailbreak till my last one so I think their is your answer..

 

[Calidude]

The iPhone is no longer what I want it to be, so next week i'm buying the galaxy s3. I love apple & love my iPad & MacBook, but the phone not so much anymore.

Good for you. This is how everybody should be. Once a company is getting too fat off its customers and not providing a rich experience, we simply jump ship and give our money to somebody else.

I'd take a look at the HTC One X as well. That one is very iPhone like and people are starting to customize that pretty well.

 

[Kyotoma]

Let's start with Steve Jobs' own words on this subject.

"You can't just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they'll want something new."

"It's really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them."

How many times have bloggers and pundits and "consumers" said Apple was doing it wrong? Pretty much every time Apple releases a product...

We've been down this road with the iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad...Apple has been right thus far and the Internet experts have always been proven wrong.

I trust Apple, and if the day comes when I don't trust Apple anymore, I'll buy something else. Life is that simple.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Also, Calidude, no offense, but your really need to retire these kinds of polls. They are never worded properly and are overly biased in both answers.

 

[nuckinfutz]

Lordofthereef.

I like some of those suggestions. I don't care about deleting standard apps but at least let me hide them.

Scrolling folder for storing more apps would be nice.

 

[Calidude]

Also, Calidude, no offense, but your really need to retire these kinds of polls. They are never worded properly and are overly biased in both answers.

How would you redo this poll? I'm curious.

 

[Sedrick]

How would you redo this poll? I'm curious.

You didn't ask me, but I think you just needed an option between the two extremes. Something like: Apple does enough right that I keep coming back, though I would like more control...

Good for you. This is how everybody should be. Once a company is getting too fat off its customers and not providing a rich experience, we simply jump ship and give our money to somebody else.

I'd take a look at the HTC One X as well. That one is very iPhone like and people are starting to customize that pretty well.

This is why I bought a used iP4 off eBay after my 3GS gave up the ghost last year. I was sorely dissapointed that apple hadnt gone 4", and I wasn't going to reward them with my money, so I gave it to someone else and went with used.

 

[sulpfiction]

Two major features that a lot of people take for granted now are MMS and copy and paste. Both of those came after users bitched up a storm.

These features were never overlooked and apple didn't wake up and implement them after we started bitching. I really don't know why it took so damn long, but it wasn't something that was "missed".

 

[Calidude]

You didn't ask me, but I think you just needed an option between the two extremes. Something like: Apple does enough right that I keep coming back, though I would like more control...

We need to distinguish between the two camps.

Besides, the 2nd option, although not stated, assumes that you'd be able to work with what has been done already.

 

[monkeylui]

Good for you. This is how everybody should be. Once a company is getting too fat off its customers and not providing a rich experience, we simply jump ship and give our money to somebody else.

I'd take a look at the HTC One X as well. That one is very iPhone like and people are starting to customize that pretty well.

Thought about that. But no SD card slot & no ICS (I'm pretty sure). Unacceptable.

 

[Calidude]

Thought about that. But no SD card slot & no ICS (I'm pretty sure). Unacceptable.

ICS is there but its Sense 4.0 ICS. You're right about the SD card being gone though.

 

[xAnthony]

I always enjoy viewing your asinine polls.

 

[myawn]

Keyboard, please

For the most part I love the iPhone and think the decisions Apple has made are the right ones.

However, I don't share the obsession with thinness. For any given set of functionality, a lighter and thinner design is better -- but if you're tossing out useful features just so the next model can be lighter and thinner, that's not the trade-off I would choose.

I may be in the minority, but I'd jump at the opportunity to buy an iPhone with a slide-out (or fold-out, or whatever) physical keyboard. The iOS software keyboard is the best software keyboard I've ever used -- and utter crap compared to a physical keyboard.

I'd also probably be satisfied if someone worked in a nice bluetooth keyboard into a case design, like what's available for the iPad -- I'm sure I can't be the only person who would buy such a thing.

I'd gladly pay extra, and be OK with added weight and thickness, to have a keyboard that can be used for accurate typing at normal speeds, and can be used by feel.

Maybe Microsoft could make one based on their Surface cover design .

 

[Vegastouch]

For the most part I love the iPhone and think the decisions Apple has made are the right ones.

However, I don't share the obsession with thinness. For any given set of functionality, a lighter and thinner design is better -- but if you're tossing out useful features just so the next model can be lighter and thinner, that's not the trade-off I would choose.

I may be in the minority, but I'd jump at the opportunity to buy an iPhone with a slide-out (or fold-out, or whatever) physical keyboard. The iOS software keyboard is the best software keyboard I've ever used -- and utter crap compared to a physical keyboard.

I'd also probably be satisfied if someone worked in a nice bluetooth keyboard into a case design, like what's available for the iPad -- I'm sure I can't be the only person who would buy such a thing.

I'd gladly pay extra, and be OK with added weight and thickness, to have a keyboard that can be used for accurate typing at normal speeds, and can be used by feel.

Maybe Microsoft could make one based on their Surface cover design .

Im the opposite. I thought the iPhone keyboard was awful and dont want a physical keyboard. But love the many options for keyboards that Android has.

 

[blairh]

The problem I have with the iPhone is that it is evolving at a snail's pace with respect to hardware. I've wanted a larger screen for quite some time (roughly 2009). So now we will most likely be getting a 4" screen this fall, which is great, and yet I think a 4.3" or 4.5" display would be better.

I don't think Apple per se is making any mistakes. They will set iPhone sales records with 4" and LTE this fall. But personally, I wish they would make advances with their iPhone hardware faster.

That's why I'm excited to demo the SIII this week. That's why I'm researching the LG 4X HD. Yes, Android still has its issues (vague OS update schedule, the Android edition of an app can be inferior at times, other things), but its made serious strides in the past 12 months alone (ICS, Google Play, great displays).

 

[Alameda]

My biggest is for Bluetooth mouse support in Keynote for iPhone and iPad. Every time I import a presentation, especially a PowerPoint, it needs to be edited on the device. While I'm amazed that the touch interface can perform all of the editing tasks of Keynote, it is insanely difficult and would be far easier with a mouse.

 

[onthecouchagain]

I've been unhappy with iOS since 5, and now that 6 hasn't affected me in the way I was hoping it to, the boat is really sailing for me and the iPhone. I've already switched to a GSM Galaxy Nexus and am convinced now that ICS is the superior OS on almost every front (particular in the areas that matter to me: keyboard, mail, browsing, ease of use -- yes, believe it or not, once you set it all up and customize it the way you want, ICS is more usable than iOS).

Having said that, Apple is always on my radar (also own Macs, and the latest iPad), and I'm just as eager to see what they unveil this Fall as anyone.

But to answer the OP, definitely detaching myself from the Apple path for my smartphone.

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The iOS software keyboard is the best software keyboard I've ever used

Im the opposite. I thought the iPhone keyboard was awful and dont want a physical keyboard. But love the many options for keyboards that Android has.

I agree with Vegastouch, the keyboard is one of the most desperately needed areas of improvement for iOS. It constantly misses keys when you begin to thumb even remotely fast. Which then lead to typos, and inadvertent autocorrections.

I mean, the iOS keyboard gave birth to the whole "Damn You iPhone Auto Correction" internet phenomenon. It's dreadful to use, and I was shocked no improvement, at all, was mentioned for iOS 6.

 

[eastercat]

I didn't vote in this poll, because it's poorly worded. The world is not black and white, yet your poll doesn't reflect the shades of gray that inform purchases. It's simplistic and rather immature, imnsho.
There's no option that reflects views like mine: I don't think apple is perfect, but with jb they're my best option.

It's a shame the iPad is actually the market leader in its class and not the iPhone.

They're both market leaders. iPhone is still, or one of, the top selling smartphones. Yes, android is more ubiquitous, but iphone is still a top seller when compared against individual phones.

 

[onthecouchagain]

The problem I have with the iPhone is that it is evolving at a snail's pace with respect to hardware.

One could make this same argument in respect to software too. iOS' [intentional] incremental updates are frustrating too.

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I didn't vote in this poll, because it's poorly worded. The world is not black and white, yet your poll doesn't reflect the shades of gray that inform purchases. It's simplistic and rather immature, imnsho.
There's no option that reflects views like mine: I don't think apple is perfect, but with jb they're my best option.

That more or less sounds like option 2, dude.

 

[monkeylui]

For the most part I love the iPhone and think the decisions Apple has made are the right ones.

However, I don't share the obsession with thinness. For any given set of functionality, a lighter and thinner design is better -- but if you're tossing out useful features just so the next model can be lighter and thinner, that's not the trade-off I would choose.

I may be in the minority, but I'd jump at the opportunity to buy an iPhone with a slide-out (or fold-out, or whatever) physical keyboard. The iOS software keyboard is the best software keyboard I've ever used -- and utter crap compared to a physical keyboard.

I'd also probably be satisfied if someone worked in a nice bluetooth keyboard into a case design, like what's available for the iPad -- I'm sure I can't be the only person who would buy such a thing.

I'd gladly pay extra, and be OK with added weight and thickness, to have a keyboard that can be used for accurate typing at normal speeds, and can be used by feel.

Maybe Microsoft could make one based on their Surface cover design .

There is a Bluetooth case that does that. I think it's in thinkgeek.com

 

[TroyBoy30]

after having a gsm gnex since it came out, i cant wait to go back to the iphone. the grass is browner on the other side