No, we're just seeing enough stuff lately that we're beginning to question the reason for it. I sure hope you're right and we're just imagining it to be a change, or that if it really is a change, it's just a temporary hiccup.
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'iPhone 6s' Logic Board Suggests 16GB Base Model and Updated NFC Hardware
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No, we're just seeing enough stuff lately that we're beginning to question the reason for it. I sure hope you're right and we're just imagining it to be a change, or that if it really is a change, it's just a temporary hiccup.
Apple doing what they can to ensure a good user-experience is immaterial, or that 16 GB vs 32 GB is immaterial to user-experience?
As long as they have options for people who need them, the storage space in the least expensive iPhone is immaterial to user experience since it supplies the same great user experience to people, like me, who don't need more storage as the other options do for the people who need more.
I gave my old iPhone 5 to my father and he is using around 4GB of the 32GB. Seeing how he doesn't need much storage why don't Apple move the lower tier of storage to 8GB? They could save even more money then, which would be right up your street. I suppose many millions of users could somehow cope with 8GB.
As long as they have other options available they are "doing what they can to ensure a good user-experience"
There has always been the option to get, usually, last year's iPhone with 8GB storage. I've never chosen that option because I need 16 GB. I currently have about 3GB unused. If, in the future I need more than 16GB I will acquire a 64MB iPhone. Since my needs are satisfied with the 16GB iPhone, I have the same great user experience as people who have the 64GB or the 128GB phones.
Don't forget that even when Samsung and HTC etc devices came with 16GB of onboard flash storage, the manufacturers still saw fit to add removable storage options and people could save all of their photos & videos to cheap removable SD cards. If the user ever ran out of storage they could upgrade their SD card at any time. So even back then in 2012/2013/2014, Apple was off the pace with their rigid and non-upgradable paltry storage allowances.
Now; when premium Android devices come with 32GB flash storage, much more RAM, better screens, wireless charging, genuine multitasking and of course major software customisation, Apple are in grave danger of losing their status. If I was in the market for my first smartphone and understood specs etc, I wouldn't be looking at iPhones. I would consider them to be overpriced and quite old fashioned.
What any other manufacturers put in their devices is immaterial to a discussion about Apple, it always has been.
I don't think so. If other manufacturers offer a great product then what's to stop people jumping ship? Too many people appear happy for Apple to sit on their laurels and concentrate on their bank balance. They have to appeal to new smartphone owners too you know, not just stuffy old Appleheads who've been immersed in Cupertino's products for decades.
I'm not opposed to options. I'm just saying the options should be 32, 64, and 128, as 16 isn't going to be enough for the majority of users. And, that most users (especially newly gained ones) aren't going to know how much storage is enough. (And, that for $9, it shouldn't be worth the risk to Apple to take that chance.)
And, are you saying that you think most users know how much the OS takes up, and how much modern apps use, and are generally aware of which model they actually need to be buying?
When I've looked at iPhones (not making the sales rep aware of what I know), I generally get advice like, 'well if you take a lot of photos or video you might want more storage' and that level of info. They don't generally say, 'Well, if you only use a couple of apps that don't store data locally and browse the web, and manage your storage carefully, then you'll probably be OK with 16 GB.'
And the more 'informed' reps will bring up the cloud as a solution, which it just isn't really at this point, due to Apple's incompetence at cloud, but also horrible data plans from the telcos.
I'm sure Apple Inc is touched by your obsessively repeated concern about their future sales. Perhaps you should see if they will put you in charge of product development.
Note, I said *ensure*... not just *hope* all the users researched enough to realize how much they would actually need.
All you seem interested in is their bank balance. At least my reasoning aims to keep it accruing dollars longterm!
It's hard to find last years iPhone with 32 GB storage, let alone 8. At most stores, it's either 5s w/16 (if available) or a 6 w/16 or 64.
So long as Apple holds their reputation... if they lose that, people who might have bought Apple based on it, might start weighing specs in more heavily, especially if they got burned by Apple selling them an under-spec'ed device on the last go-around.
So people are stupid?
You'll stop buying the iPhone because it offers a 16gb option?
I think you're projecting. Go buy an Android phone.
Stupid is too strong a term... maybe some are. I'd probably go for uninformed, or maybe just want a smart-phone, have heard Apple is a great company, and here's the phone (enter telco here) wants to sell me.
I mean, 90+% of computer users supposedly used to use Windows. If they were all stupid, the world would probably be in even worse shape. I've met a lot of very intelligent Windows users (over my years in IT and consulting) who clearly didn't make a good OS choice. I think the economics term is 'rational consumer.' Let's just say that most of the criteria aren't very well met in our current culture. That's not the same as stupid, though.
Why would I stop buying the iPhone because it offers a 16 GB option? I think you've totally missed my point on that one. I think my point was that people who buy an sub-capable product from a trusted company might not trust that company so much in the future and might go elsewhere. It's not as simple as 'the market.' The market is WAY more horribly complex than 'a product is selling well, so it must be right.'
Why would I go buy an Android? I'm a long-time Apple user who actually puts quite a bit of time into being 'in the know' on this stuff. I'm saying that the typical consumer who doesn't pay such close attention, if burned by one company, will likely switch to another.
The amount of people who buy iPhones increase every year. Obviously the idea that people are going to get burned by Apple and leave isn't happening.
Yep, and you won't see that cause and effect instantly. That's why it's better to do it right instead of just riding the wave of past success and hoping...
That doesn't mean it can't ever, or won't ever happen. The competition's premium smartphones look sleeker - they don't have yesteryear bezels, they have three times the RAM, twice the base flash storage amount, super-Amoled screens, true multitasking, split screen multitasking etc etc. This would mean very little if Apple continued to put out butter-smooth, slick and beautiful devices. Sadly though, the specs *do* matter if they're insufficient and Apple's skimping is finally beginning to show. Going with 1GB of RAM for the iPhone 6 was absolutely a generation too far. If they go with 16GB of storage in September then that too will absolutely be a generation too far. How many penny pinching stunts will the public allow them to pull?
Personally, one more lousy device off them and I'm done. 12 months with the craptastic 6+ and the poopshow that is iOS8 have put Apple into the last chance saloon so far as I'm concerned. I'm just one voice and one wallet but I can't be the only person out there who is growing disillusioned with iPhones. Apple need to seriously step up their game before that famous name is ruined by beancounters.
Who CARES what specs are on Android phones? Geez the tech community is the worst I have ever seen.
"We want Feature X that exists in Android devices."
Apple adds Feature X.
"Apple is copying Android devices!!!!"
We do not need 32GB of RAM in our phones. The fact that Apple has 1GB of RAM is nearly all of their devices and has amazing Apps shows how horrible Android is for needing 3GB+ RAM.
If Apple starts putting more RAM in their devices, it will cause more fragmentation with developers. As a developer, I like knowing how much RAM is available to use across ALL devices.
Why is it so damn hard for people to get it. You buy the device you NEED. We cannot change Apple's minds. You honestly think they will see our posts and say: "Wow, we never, not ONCE, EVER thought of adding more RAM to our devices. Nice idea! You realized something that none of our staff was able to."
Frankly, I am sick of this. People have demanded features in iOS 9 and OS X 10.11. When they demoed it, people then said they were copying other companies.
If you want your iPhone to have every possible component and specs as an Android phone, get an Android phone. There is no need to turn this into desktop PCs with millions of combinations which causes developers to throw up their hands and leave. I buy an iPhone for its OS and the connection to my Mac. I do not care what RAM it has, or what processor it has. This isn't a desktop PC that I am buying to run games at 4K resolution where I need specific processors.
Some developers are smart, they know that some people have the 16GB model and try their hardest to get their app size as low as possible. Sometimes it is still a few GB, but knowing the configuration is important to software development. When you throw more RAM on a device like this, some developers will choose to ignore it because the previous iPhones do not have that extra space.
If they add more RAM, which they probably will since the iPad Air 2 has more RAM, then fine. But to say 1GB is horrible is, again like your 16GB argument, false. It works out well. There are amazing games and apps out there that get by with just 1GB. The fact that you have to actually look around to find the RAM specs shows that it is not really important. If you program something for an iPhone, you are coding something for 1GB of RAM.
Did you guys ever think of THAT? Do you honestly want to turn this into a PC style app system? Developer created a program called X, want to play it? Sorry, you need the iPhone 6S with 2GB of RAM minimum.
2GB or more makes sense on an iPad, which is why the Air 2 has it. But for PHONES?
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It's *because* I care that compels me to object to recent decisions by Apple! I agree with every example you've given, these are areas where Apple is superior to its competition. The fact is only Apple has an integrated eco system; it's unique. So when Apple decides to triple the resolution of the 6+ vs. the 5S and keep the same amount of RAM, and that results in a user experience inferior to the 5S, I object. Obviously the 1 gig of RAM was left to provide an incentive to buy the 6S in the future. The same goes for the decision to keep 16 gigs, it's done to provide an incentive to pay $100 more and get 64 gigs of storage. Again, I object!
Apple can do whatever they want, and I have no doubt the results of these decisions will mean Apple makes higher profits than they otherwise would. Yet limiting the user experience to upset the product and make more money is only going to get you so far. In the long run Apple may detract from their brandname and turn off those loyal to them. If these marketing decisions are going to be a substitute for innovation, the company that was Apple is no more. Hence, the concern about limiting the device to 16 gigs. Apple may sell more iPhones then before (for now), but I'll be skipping each generation until they provide me with one that has 32 gigs.
And is my concern limited to the iPhone? No! IOS 8 was the least reliable IOS Apple has ever released. It was a significant decline in quality. It does appear Apple is focusing on quality with IOS 9, but the results of that remain to be seen. Also, look at what's happened to the iPad. It has a significantly lower profit margin than the iPhone. As a result, when Apple puts in these awesome specs like 2 gigs of RAM and a faster processor, it's like a girl dressed for a prom date and no place to go. As an example, the iPhone 6+ 5.5 inch screen has more icons on it than the 10 inch iPad Air 2 screen. The iPhone has extra keyboard functions in landscape that the larger iPad screen lacks. And who says the iPad should even *have* a screen filled with icons? It is a different device after all!
Yet the recent rumors of some innovation focused on the iPad are only taking place because Apple is rumors to be releasing an iPad Pro, a device that no doubt will have a higher profit margin than current iPads. Based on what I've seen, once the iPad Pro has been released and bolstered profits for Apple, the iPad platform will likely be ignored again. Is this the trend we want to see at Apple?
Say what you will about Steve Jobs, he recognized his customers paid for a premium product, and he realized it was important to continue to impress his customers with unexpected innovation, big and small. I've defended Tim in the past, but now I must say I'm very concerned about decisions he has recently made. And I am concerned, not because I don't give Apple credit where credit is due, but because I *do* give Apple credit, and I don't want to see the company fail to be the same company in the future that it was in the past.
Let's not be so "understanding" about Apple releasing a flagship device with 16 gigs of storage for the 5th year in a row. Let's be outraged. Let's challenge Apple and say, "Apple, you've lost your way!"
Agreed... I don't care too much what specs are on Android phones, I care that iPhones have sufficient specs to do the job (i.e.: what's expected of a smart-phone during it's life-span). And, since some people *do* shop based on specs, it wouldn't be a bad idea for Apple to somewhat keep tabs on what the competition is doing.
Who said we need 32 GB of RAM? We'd be liking 2 GB! 1 GB gives a reasonable user-experience, so far, but 2 GB should probably be the current target and would be better for multi-tasking (i.e.: apps wouldn't have to refresh so much).
Well, then as a developer, you're already screwed, as some Apple devices have 512K, some 1GB, some 2GB. But, I'm not sure why a developer would care if new devices had 2 GB. Newer devices are always going to have more RAM, CPU, GPU, etc. than old devices... any good developer knows how to deal with that and decides accordingly. No one is talking about making iPhones with all sorts of varying specs here!... in fact we're mainly talking about *storage* which is rather irrelevant to development (and if anything, more is better).
Yes, Apple *was* more efficient with their RAM usage, but there is a limit to how far that gets pushed.
And, the reason Android doesn't have as many apps is due to a lot of reasons... it isn't because they included more RAM. First, there aren't that many Android users, so there won't be so many developers. Second, the field of possible devices is a mess, as is OS fragmentation. Third, no good App store and eco-system Apple has. Fourth, the OS pretty much sucks... devs want their apps on a good platform, at least initially.
Well, that would be nice if everyone was a tech-aware as you and I, huh? The problem is that the average person isn't. They'll buy the 16 GB phone and then complain or not buy again if they feel they get burned by Apple. For less than $10, that's not a chance Apple should take.
And, no, I'm not sure Apple reads these forums, but if the user base makes a big enough fuss, maybe they'll take note eventually. And, I'm sure there were lots of internal debates... the question is whether user-experience consideration won out, or whether the beancounters won. It sure looks like the latter... and if so, we long-time Apple users are trying to sound the alarm.
So, you have an iPhone 5c, huh? Or, you can get really good used deals on iPhone 4. Give me a break. We're talking about enough storage here to have an average number of apps and actually, within reason, use the built-in camera or apps like Podcasts or Music.
Is that do damn hard to get?
For a developer, you're playing awfully fast and loose with how you talk about RAM. My parents (fairly tech illiterate) often confuse RAM and storage too.... hmm.
If you haven't noticed, App sizes have gone WAY up in the last few years... I'd guess by around 4x on average. Much of this is due to Retina screens. And unless I'm missing something, it seems like everything has gone Retina, so I don't expect App sizes to start shrinking any time soon.
And yes, as I said above, good developers are going to have to be conscious of older devices and their limitations, and make the decision how far back they intend to be compatible. Raising the base iPhone from 16 GB to 32 GB isn't going to make that much difference to the future of backward compatibility, but it will make a huge difference to the user-experience of the average iPhone buyer.
The two generations older iPhone 5 multitasks not just better but WAY better than the 6+. It hits it out of the park when it comes to that one, for me essential, smartphone feature. When Apple changed from 32Bit to 64Bit with the iPhone 5S they should have upped the RAM right there and to not do so even one generation after that is nothing short of pathetic. 64Bit devices use more RAM, and bigger screens use more RAM still due to there being no dedicated VRAM. Consequently, the 6+ ends up having MUCH less available RAM than the iPhone 5.
What happened to 'incremental updates'? This one issue has caused a monumental downgrade in performance for those of us who like to multitask. If you're happy with 4S multitasking in 2015 then that says more about your usage patterns than anything else. Just because you're happy with one-app performance it doesn't mean that everyone else is. I got used to being able to use my iPhone 5 in a certain way and for my 6+ to not be able to keep up has been a disaster for me. It's the one reason I truly loathe my current iPhone. A lack of RAM has rendered it completely unsuitable for my needs.