If you were Apple and working on the iPhone 5.

[cyks]

Who's to say they haven't?

Ignoring the before mentioned reasons of Apple not caring about what people think, us≠ the majority of people who will buy the product, and Apple already pegging down the design years in advance, there are other, equally important reasons...

If 2-3 months were enough time for Apple to do a full redesign if needed, it'd also be enough time for any other company to create and market that product as their own.... after all, Apple's denial of it being theirs would make it fair game, right?

If they were to add a slight error or mistake in it's design, it wouldn't be an accurate presentation so what people thought of it wouldn't matter... unless it was a minor cosmetic error and not a mistake or change in it's design - eg. mirroring the logo so the bite is on the wrong side.

 

[eastercat]

Considering apple doesn't use focus groups, as someone posted up thread, it's somewhat difficult to believe that apple would test their designs in groups like this.
If you want to see the designs that badly, figure out a way to work for apple.

 

[PapaStu]

There isn't a point in posting leaked designs other than for the 'fans'. As said a bunch of times, by that point the phone internals are set, parts are being ordered and produced for mass production. Leaking the design a few months out will just get the trolls to troll, the others to say OMG <3 and any wow/surprise factor to be burned a few months before the device hits (not that it hurt the iPhone 4). It won't kill sales as the iPhone is still printing money, but any early views give others time to adapt and change their devices.


Apple releases once a year, HTC/Samsung/Moto and others crank out new devices every 3 or so months. That could lead to a whole phone cycle earlier to adapt to the new tweaks and thats a gimmie to the competition that doesn't need to happen. Besides, we've got enough potential mockups to cover any general tweak they'd be doing apart from a massive redesign.

 

[Muro]

Muro, I don't think you quite understand how Apple works. Apple doesn't care about what end users think when designing a product. They never have. They don't use focus groups they don't use surveys. Apple is one of the only, if not the only company to work like this.

If they did listen to all the traditional channels of input that companies use for putting together new products then there products would end up like other companies. Features that half work and hardware that was ok but not great because they had ten different people wanting ten different things from said feature or piece of hardware. This goes along with why it takes Apple so long to implement some changes to iOS. They don't release it until they think something is ready. They do it their own way, take their time and usually do a very good job.

Apple comes up with an awesome design, knows it is an awesome design and tells us that this is the product we want to buy. In the last few years they have had a damn good track record with this approach.

Oke, true I didn't knew that thanks for your explanantion, now I like Apple even more!

 

[VulchR]

I think it unlikely Apple floats designs in the way suggested by the OP. However, we can't be sure focus groups aren't used by Apple, for presumably there would be nondisclosure agreements if focus groups were used.

 

[Geckotek]

I would say "no"
Such an approach wouldn't yield any real meaningful data

I agree. Also, Apple is unlike most consumer electronics companies. They have an extremely loyal following. Also, they have a very high level of confidence in their own designs. They do not look for public approval, instead they design in such a successful manner that they drive the design decisions of competing devices.

So no, I never believe that any leak is Apple being sneaky and trying to get public reaction. This may be the way other companies work from time to time (but still not sure that's the case) but I'm confident it's not how Apple operates.

 

[RafaelT]

However, we can't be sure focus groups aren't used by Apple, for presumably there would be nondisclosure agreements if focus groups were used.

Yes we can.

http://www.edibleapple.com/steve-jobs-on-why-apple-doesnt-use-focus-groups/

http://www.pragmaticmarketing.com/publications/magazine/6/4/you_cant_innovate_like_apple

What else does Apple do differently?

If you read the various interviews that Jobs and Jonathan Ive (Senior Vice President, Industrial Design at Apple) have given over the last few years, you’ll find a few specific trends:

1. Apple does not do market research. This is straight from Jobs’ mouth: We do no market research. They scoff at the notion of target markets, and they don’t conduct focus groups. Why? Because everything Apple designs is based on Jobs’ and his team’s perceptions of what they think is cool. He elaborates:

“It’s not about pop culture, and it’s not about fooling people, and it’s not about convincing people that they want something they don’t. We figure out what we want. And I think we’re pretty good at having the right discipline to think through whether a lot of other people are going to want it, too. That’s what we get paid to do. So you can’t go out and ask people, you know, what’s the next big [thing.] There’s a great quote by Henry Ford, right? He said, ‘If I’d have asked my customers what they wanted, they would have told me ‘A faster horse.’’’

Said another way, Jobs hires really smart people, and he lets them loose—but on a leash, since he overlooks it all with an extremely demanding eye. If you’re seeing visions of the “Great Eye” from J.R.R. Tolkien’s books, then you probably wouldn’t be too far off. Here’s the way their simple process works:

 

[chrono1081]

First of all this "newbie" has a name, you can speak to me directly instead of referring to me in the third person.

Second: Apple plants an iPhone 5 picture on the web in the form of a mock-up (as in not official/fake) to measure the reactions of the endusers(the masses) before it goes in production. Is this a clear enough explanation to you?

Third: I'm Dutch as in, English is not my native language so my sentences and word use can be awkward, misplaced or wrongfully chosen sometimes. Don't kill me for that.

----------



Pfff...god bless you man

I had no idea your native language was not English. I think you write it very well. Better than many English speaking people I know.

As to your question Apple relies on surprise and it works. They build up hype by being so secretive, and when the product arrives its available almost immediately, and then people rush out to get one. I completely admit that I do this. Their products are always very well designed and thought out and I'm always excited to see what they have up their sleeves.

 

[Gjwilly]

I showed the leaked pics of the iPhone 4 to all the fanboys here at work and every single one of them thought it looked ugly and un-Apple-like. They absoluely refused to believe that they were genuine.

"Apple would never make that."
"Too boxy."
"Too industrial."
"Too fragile."
"Not organic enough."
"Too many seams."

And then Jobs revealed it on stage and they all fell in love.

Leaked pics will not give Apple any kind of meaningful feedback.

 

[Muro]

I had no idea your native language was not English. I think you write it very well. Better than many English speaking people I know.

As to your question Apple relies on surprise and it works. They build up hype by being so secretive, and when the product arrives its available almost immediately, and then people rush out to get one. I completely admit that I do this. Their products are always very well designed and thought out and I'm always excited to see what they have up their sleeves.

Thanks for your compliment ;-)

By your reply and from others also in this thread I now can see how Apple indeed works and to be honest, not trying to act like a slimy fanboy, I find it particularly cool they don't give a .... about targetgroups and such and just build devices based on what they think is practical to work with, define it's esthetic beauty and determine their own electronic Zeitgeist.

It's probably farfetched but if they ever would made the jump to make devices for home electronics. I think the probability is large they would take over this sector also and leaving competitors like Samsung behind thinking "Hey wait a minute this was not the idea, this is our territory!"... "Oh yeah, up yours this is what happens when you mess with us in the Techsector, crosselling leechers, just stick with your combimagnetrons and dishwashers" Before people start bashing me for being critical on Samsung. I now they deliver a lot of good things to the techindustry like screens and such but let them stick by just doing that. For more and better competition I hope therefor Nokia will step back in the game and not with WP7 but with an own OS. Last time i saw that Meego on the N9 it looked pretty decent.

 

[BlindMellon]

I showed the leaked pics of the iPhone 4 to all the fanboys here at work and every single one of them thought it looked ugly and un-Apple-like. They absoluely refused to believe that they were genuine.

"Apple would never make that."
"Too boxy."
"Too industrial."
"Too fragile."
"Not organic enough."
"Too many seams."

And then Jobs revealed it on stage and they all fell in love.

Leaked pics will not give Apple any kind of meaningful feedback.

You absolutely nailed it. Apple could leak pictures of a turd and everyone that slams it will be first in line release day once it has the unicorn dust sprinkled on it.

 

[AIP5]

I don't think Apple would put up a "leaked" picture on its own site, but I feel like they do similar sorts of things though. All these "leaks" or rumors that we hear about that the new iPhone (a larger screen or the A5, etc) probably originate within Apple. The reason why they do this could be anyone's guess, but I feel like they do so just to see what kind of buzz it gets out. Now whether or not they respond to it by modifying the product... that's doubtful. But at least they can see how people respond to the rumors so far.

But then again, as someone else pointed out, the criticism from the "leaked" iPhone 4 pictures never stopped Apple from releasing the iPhone 4... so I guess Apple doesn't work like other corporations do.

 

[jonrando]

I mend this like from Apple's perspective not your own. What would you do when you were Apple producing the iPhone 5 and liked to know the opinions of the endusers. Would you use the strategie of dropping pictures of your prototype on the web in the form of a mock-up so people won't think it's the real deal and by this way measure the reactions on your protype.

Peoples reactions may / will differ from the mockup to the real thing so it would be an inaccurate "experiement", if you will.

 

[Sedrick]

If you were Apple and making a device where a pretty lot of people are anxious about what it will look like and where the stakes are that high, especially now. Wouldn't you want to know the reactions/responses on this device of the people who are going to use it and I don't mean testers?

Well that depends if I was working on a iPhone 4 refresh or a newly designed iPhone 5. The former, I might be inclined to keep to the shadows and lay low after the release. The latter, I might be chuckling at all the rumors flying and how everyone's going to be blown away by the new design..

 

[TSX]

If apple put up a pic of a iPhone 4gs like phone, there would be alot of people switching smart phones.

 

[greygray]

It'll be awesome to see rumor-forums' feedback. You can even mention it at keynotes... "Based on your feedback in Macrumors..."

 

[AreYouIn?]

In response to the original post: I wouldn't leak a slightly modified image. I would want to keep ,y job and not risk getting fired.

 

[terraphantm]

I showed the leaked pics of the iPhone 4 to all the fanboys here at work and every single one of them thought it looked ugly and un-Apple-like. They absoluely refused to believe that they were genuine.

"Apple would never make that."
"Too boxy."
"Too industrial."
"Too fragile."
"Not organic enough."
"Too many seams."

And then Jobs revealed it on stage and they all fell in love.

Leaked pics will not give Apple any kind of meaningful feedback.

It's been a while, but from what I remember, once the high-res photos were posted by Gizmodo, the public opinion of the design seemed to improve. People did criticize them about the seams, but honestly that is the main weak point of the design. I understand why they did it, but it still would look nicer if they were able to use a solid band of metal.

 

[Agent-P]

It'll be awesome to see rumor-forums' feedback. You can even mention it at keynotes... "Based on your feedback in Macrumors..."

Haha, how bizarre would that be? But at the same time (and I'm sure we're not the only ones wondering this), I wonder if people high up in their companies (whether it's Apple, HTC, LG, whoever) read the forums that relate to their respective companies. I think I probably would just to see what people are saying.

 

[Interstella5555]

But that's working 2/3 years ahead without knowing and including what new innovations/technology will come out in the mean time.

This is the way....all technology works. Do you think that in mid-2006 Apple just decided to start building a phone and got incredibly lucky?

 

[Muro]

This is the way....all technology works. Do you think that in mid-2006 Apple just decided to start building a phone and got incredibly lucky?

That's quite some stress if you constant have to be busy with innovation. I would take a month vacation after the latest release and then graduatly, when I'm back, call everyone for a meetup a month later, where we discuss if we should start working on the new device a month or two months later. If the majority should thumb both options down, I would state: "F... it no iPhone this year"

That's also why I probably haven't fixed anything in the house yet.

 

[Interstella5555]

That's quite some stress if you constant have to be busy with innovation. I would take a month vacation after the latest release and then graduatly, when I'm back, call everyone for a meetup a month later, where we discuss if we should start working on the new device a month or two months later. If the majority should thumb both options down, I would state: "F... it no iPhone this year"

That's also why I probably haven't fixed anything in the house yet.

Again, you're just missing how technological progress works, and I agree, is probably why you haven't done any housework. More like:

Start working on initial device 3 to 4 years out
Get workable prototype 1 to 2 years out
Start working on next device midway through initial product development cycle with working on the 3rd gen when 1st gen is released.
You're correct, being innovative and on the top of your game is stressful.

It's not a 12 month cycle, and your "3 months to take time off to decide if we're entering the next cycle" is just flat out wrong and would bankrupt most companies. But good luck trying it out.

 

[Muro]

Again, you're just missing how technological progress works, and I agree, is probably why you haven't done any housework. More like:

Start working on initial device 3 to 4 years out
Get workable prototype 1 to 2 years out
Start working on next device midway through initial product development cycle with working on the 3rd gen when 1st gen is released.
You're correct, being innovative and on the top of your game is stressful.

It's not a 12 month cycle, and your "3 months to take time off to decide if we're entering the next cycle" is just flat out wrong and would bankrupt most companies. But good luck trying it out.

Dude I was just being sarcastic but thanks for your clear explanation, I truelly didn't knew it exact...learned something

 

[GameAmour.com]

If you were Apple and making a device where a pretty lot of people are anxious about what it will look like and where the stakes are that high, especially now. Wouldn't you want to know the reactions/responses on this device of the people who are going to use it and I don't mean testers?

Half of the ppl here are working for Apple and creating the hype... Apple dont need testers, everybody is already primed for the product...

 

[Sedrick]

Again, you're just missing how technological progress works, and I agree, is probably why you haven't done any housework. More like:

Start working on initial device 3 to 4 years out
Get workable prototype 1 to 2 years out
Start working on next device midway through initial product development cycle with working on the 3rd gen when 1st gen is released.
You're correct, being innovative and on the top of your game is stressful.

It's not a 12 month cycle, and your "3 months to take time off to decide if we're entering the next cycle" is just flat out wrong and would bankrupt most companies. But good luck trying it out.

How does that explain Apple saying they worked on the iPhone 4 for 18 months?