iPhone 7's Lack of 'Compelling' Features Convinced Most Galaxy Note7 Owners to Stay With Samsung

[A MacBook lover]

well it isn't true as it will be a new design, glass back, wireless charging

just because there will likely be two lcd phones doesn't mean it won't be new design

It will likely be:

Super Awesome Glass LED Edge to Edge iPhone 8 (Limited by supply constraints)
Cheaper iPhone 7 + 7 Plus
Super beefed up ultra refined 7S + 7S Plus (to back up limited iPhone 8 stock)

Sounds like a beefy lineup

 

[aajeevlin]

What do people expect more in a phone?

Maybe a more fundamental level of improvement. Throw a good amount of their cash into research. I won't mind a super high capacity battery ( > 1 week), or a 1-2 days battery with super fast charing. Make an effort on the screen so we don't have to worry about cracked screen all the time. USB C would be nice.

 

[Juicy Box]

Siri is very reliable. She never fails my queries, although maybe I'm a light user of that? And the right third-party case ensures than iPhone has the rest of those features. So your list is moot in my mind.

When Siri was introduced, I thought it was the future, and had so much potential.

Fast-forward a few years, and I am cursing out Siri on a weekly bases because it cannot understand simple directions, searches stuff on the internet that it should be able to do, and asks me to look at my phone with almost every query.

IMO, Siri was a big deal at one point, now it is a gimmick like the TV infomercial products.

 

[5105973]

I think the reason people are confused by Apple retaining the headphone socket in the new MBP is because of the outright condemnation of the same socket by Apple executives when the iPhone 7 was announced.

If they genuinely feel it's that bad and outdated, wouldn't you expect them to remove it from all of their new product releases?

Arrogant pronouncements like that also had people thinking the IPhone 6S/6s Plus was going to get OLED displays after Jony dissed the LCD screens as outdated when he introduced the Apple Watch. Missteps like that with bold pronouncements that sneer at technology they end up using and reusing make customers think Apple management is losing the plot. It's a shame because the iPhone 7/7plus, at least, is actually worth owning and Apple has done it a disservice with Phil and Jony's shooting off their big mouths.

~~~~~~~~

As to those of us who went with the Note 7, the reasons are many and varied as to why we stayed with Samsung.

First off, it was almost impossible to get an iPhone 7plus at the time of the recalls. And most people did not want to get the smaller iPhone 7 after having a phone with a display as large and unprecedentedly specced out as the one on the Note 7 had been.

Secondly, Samsung had offered amazing deals on that Note 7 to begin with and deals with the Devil to stay on. In our case with AT&T for the price of ONE Note 7 plus about $200, we got two Note 7s, two top of the line ultra fast 256 GB SD cards to supplement the 64 GB onboard storage. You got amazing specs on the phone itself and stylus functionality you really need to try to appreciate. You also got a generous assortment of dongles to help anticipate every need. Some people also got free Gear watches with LTE capability. (We did). Others got all that AND VR headsets. Plus Samsung actually pays you honest to goodness credits to use Samsung Pay. Good lord it's such a different paradigm going with Samsung over Apple.

Anyway, those of us used to Apple shaking us down for every little extra feature wanted to keep our freebies. Then Samsung had the carriers offer us $100 to stay with Samsung. In our case, hubby got to get the S7edge for less than we paid for the Note 7 AND we got my S7 Edge for FREE!

I was all set to get the iPhone 7 after enduring two recalls and having the S7 loaner and my second Note 7 overheat on me, but I was not ready to shell out another $800 or $900 at that point when they waved the free gorgeous silver S7 Edge in my face and $100 bill credit. I was getting paid to take a free phone, folks.

Meanwhile this forum was full to bursting with bad news and grumbling about iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus complaints. I wasn't liking the initial iterations of iOS 10 on my SE, either.

Duh! Of course I stayed with Samsung.

Android Marshmallow is really damned good, too. So is Nougat. I kept on experimenting and got a deal on the HTC 10. Another amazing android phone.

Time passed. My husband and I got better acquainted with the joys and frustrations of Android. He started showing fatigue over having to babysit rogue processes that drained his S7 edge battery. So I urged him to try the iPhone 7 plus since it was available now. We weren't expecting he would even like it. But he ended up loving it.

So much so that he bought me the matte black 256 GB iPhone 7 Plus for Christmas even after buying me the black S7 I put on my wish list.

I love both phones. With my new S7 I got the latest free VR headset and it's so much fun! Free wireless Samsung EarPods came with it. They keep popping out of my ears and ending up in the sofa cushions and they sound tinny. At least I didn't have to pay to find out what a pain in the tail totally wireless earbuds are.

My iPhone 7 Plus is wonderful so far. It defies all the negativity I've seen on this forum about it. I am not saying the negativity was unwarranted. We had friends who got defective iPhone 7Pluses and returned them for Note 7s. But it seems like these later production runs have worked out some of the issues. I have yet to check for holding on videos but all the other problems I've heard about on the forum like uneven or yellow displays seem to be absent.

These article headlines and click bait stories will never be able to give the full picture. The truth is just too complicated and boring to be summed up in a tweet or a headline. They can be good guides on general trends. But if you're truly curious about a product, keep an open mind and give it a try. Never be a sheeple.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

To use iPhone-dependant features of Apple Watch, all you need is an iPhone on the same wifi network as you. So if your phone is charging in the next room, you will receive calls on your Watch.

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT204681
[doublepost=1483025236][/doublepost]

Suit yourself. Then why tether your head to what is sometimes in your pocket, sometimes on the desk charging, sometimes in your jacket?

Sorry, my point seems to be taken to literally. I wasn't narrowly focused on just listening to music. In general, watch users need their iPhone with them. If it is with them and they want to listen to music, they would jack into the phone, thus not needing a physical jack on a watch.

I'll clarify the same in my original post with an edit.

 

[thekeyring]

You can even fist bump an Android to transfer files. Now that's innovation my ass.

No, that's a gimmick. You can transfer files super fast on iPhone, even when lacking an NFC ship.

 

[CaryMacGuy]

I LOVE my iPhone 7 Plus but I can't say that if I didn't get it, I would be missing out on a lot. The camera is absolutely awesome in the new phone and I like the darker color and more feedback from the taptic engine. In my opinion, the 3D touch features from the 6s Plus was a bigger game changer for me day-to-day than anything in the iPhone 7 Plus. Hopefully the 2017 offerings will blow my mind.

 

[ksnell]

Okay now what did we learn here, Apple...

 

[Paul Dawkins]

Maybe a more fundamental level of improvement. Throw a good amount of their cash into research. I won't mind a super high capacity battery ( > 1 week), or a 1-2 days battery with super fast charing. Make an effort on the screen so we don't have to worry about cracked screen all the time. USB C would be nice.

Translation: I have no idea, but i will scream anyway.

 

[thekeyring]

Sorry, my point seems to be taken to literally. I wasn't narrowly focused on just listening to music. In general, watch users need their iPhone with them. If it is with them and they want to listen to music, they would jack into the phone, thus not needing a physical jack on a watch.

I'll clarify the same in my original post with an edit.

Ah, no worries.

Still, I really believe that Apple could have reduced the fuss with the iPhone 7 launch if AirPods had shipped in the box with the iPhone.

Better yet: Introduce AirPods with an iPhone that features a headphone jack, then remove the jack the following year. "Everyone's using AirPods now, we don't need the port!"

 

[840quadra]

I completely pay attention and know full well about the push for USB3C as the Intel platform digital standard for audio. Had Apple jettisoned proprietary Lightning to embrace USB3C, I think the whole headphone jack ejection move would have been much more palatable for many. Instead, we have iDevices clinging to a proprietary jack while Macs favor Intel's option or 3.5mm and almost everything else in the world still using 3.5mm.

Apple doing it in iDevices was simply a major move with far-reaching ramifications for us Apple people. For the next 5+ years, we're pretty much obligated to carry at least 2 dongles to retain relatively easy connections to any audio devices we encounter... or just do without. For what exactly? What did we consumers get out of this decision?

FWIW this is just my opinion / take on the subject.

Apple was on the hunt for a smaller port on the iPhone before USB-C was ratified, and chose to skip (thank Heavens) Micro USB in favor of a robust, reversible connector of it's own. I think / hope the writing is on the wall for them to move iOS into USB-C, but they didn't want to do two big port changes on their flagship phone in the same year. Had Apple ditched the 3.5 and switched to USB-C on the Phone in a single year, I wonder how much more backlash they would have received on the changes. Once / if apple moves to USB-C on the phone, it will make another round of big waves in the peripheral market.

Perhaps they should have ripped the bandaid off in one year, as opposed to prolonging the pain, that is, if any of this happens.

 

[jashic01]

I'm glad Apple is waiting and taking their time with the redesign. Remember - Apple is ever first, but always the best.

People get upset over a headphone jack, but not over an exploding phone. And yet people question the values of Apple and not Samsung.

I would argue the dual camera / telescopic zoom is a major feature as the jump in camera quality between the 6s is quite large.

Get your head out of your ass. People weren't upset over an exploding phone? Question the values of Samsung? Meaning they intentionally made a phone with an exploding battery? There is only one company that did something intentional in the examples you provided and it wasn't Samsung.

 

[BeSweeet]

As expected, this has turned into an iPhone vs. Android thread, which I suppose makes sense.

Seriously, what "wow" features are missing from the iPhone? What does an Android alternative have over the iPhone? Please list them.

Wireless charging would be nice. A heartbeat sensor is nifty too, but if the phone had one, fewer people would probably get an Apple Watch, so... How about fast charging? And an AMOLED screen? What about paying for things at card terminals that don't support NFC, such as fuel pumps? The list can go on... Then of course there's the software. What if I want to place an icon outside of a grid? What if I want different wallpapers per home screen page? What if I want to run two apps side-by-side? Or disable animations? NFC pairing with anything other than AirPods? Yet another list that can be quite lengthy. However, software really comes down to control, which Apple continues to not provide -- at all -- to iOS users.

And no, relying on third-party accessories to achieve features doesn't count.

No, that's a gimmick. You can transfer files super fast on iPhone, even when lacking an NFC ship.

It's only a gimmick if it's a feature that you don't use or find useful, right?

 

[Exile714]

No, that's a gimmick. You can transfer files super fast on iPhone, even when lacking an NFC ship.

Lol dude, I left off the /S at the end of my post because I thought my tone was self-evident.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Ah, no worries.

Still, I really believe that Apple could have reduced the fuss with the iPhone 7 launch if AirPods had shipped in the box with the iPhone.

I mostly agree, though bluetooth is still far from challenging 3.5mm ubiquity and- I suspect- will continue to be far from it for a very long time (5+ years minimum IMO). Wired connects just about everywhere. Maybe a headphone jack in the case to act as a wired connection option for those situations where Bluetooth connections are impossible. 3.5mm cable into non-Bluetooth device, other end into case, case converts the audio to wireless to play in the buds?

Better yet: Introduce AirPods with an iPhone that features a headphone jack, then remove the jack the following year. "Everyone's using AirPods now, we don't need the port!"

Except for the corporate profit motives, I think THAT would have gone over much better. Get people accustomed to the new, THEN deprecate the old- a thoroughly proven way to "move forward" without the short-to-medium-term pain of cold turkey disruptions.

 

[bluespark]

They removed the headphone jack to make space in a tiny device - the MacBook Pro is considerabley larger than the iPhone.

Everyone knows why they did it, but that doesn't make it a good choice. If you need a DAC in-phone to use with analog headphones (as many, many people do), there isn't a good alternative to the headphone jack.

 

[69Mustang]

Consumer expectations are out of control, and this headline is total bull. Articles like this completely miss the software side of things, which DOES improve each year, even if the hardware is very similar from generation to generation.

Seriously, what "wow" features are missing from the iPhone? What does an Android alternative have over the iPhone? Please list them.

I think you're the one missing the point. The article points to parity in smartphones. When someone can take a $200 phone, regardless of OS, and do pretty much anything a $7-8-900 flagship can do, there's really nothing compelling driving a person to change or upgrade. Consumers don't give two flips about W1 chips, new A10's, Continuity, iOS 10.3.1.4.1.5.9.2.6.5.3.5, or any other under the hood changes. Nor should they. That's for tech nerds to argue about in forums. You're asking about wow features. There are none. You're asking about Android alternatives features that are better. There really are none. That's the point.

 

[raybo]

That's because people need and use the headphone jack. Schiller said it took courage to remove the headphone jack, yet I can no longer listen to music with my headphones and have it charging. Also if it took courage, why did they include it in the new MacBook Pro?

Many people who use external speakers for their PC or laptop still plug them in. For the iPhone, Bluetooth headphones/earbuds are getting to be more mainstream. For a pocket device like a phone, the fewer openings, the less chance of infiltration, and the fewer mechanical parts, the less repairs. I've had to do a Q-tip cleaning of my iPhone headphone jack a few times...

 

[itsmilo]

I only bought the 7 Plus because i wanted the bigger phone and got it 120€ cheaper from a friend buying it in the US for me. I don't even see much of a difference compared to pictures taken on my iPhone 6 and those "portrait mode" pictures are disappointing (beta i know). Quality looks kinda crappy and i barely ever see the effect?

3D Touch i never use as i always forget its there. (Grew up on iPhones without it so it is a big change to my work flow and since the iPad does not have it it is even less intuitive to learn / remember)

I like the new Home Button / faster Touch ID. Though i hate not being able to unlock it with gloves in the winter. They need to add a way to bring up the passcode screen by swiping or something.

 

[Paul Dawkins]

Many people who use external speakers for their PC or laptop still plug them in. For the iPhone, Bluetooth headphones/earbuds are getting to be more mainstream. For a pocket device like a phone, the fewer openings, the less chance of infiltration, and the fewer mechanical parts, the less repairs. I've had to do a Q-tip cleaning of my iPhone headphone jack a few times...

Pocket lint gets in and then when you connect something it gets pressed and blocks the signal and you can lose sound or controls, then if you can figure it out you can go crazy for days trying to find out why it doesn't work.

Happaned to me more than once.

 

[Bacillus]

What do people expect more in a phone?

It's just unimaginable that - given their size and perspective - all Samsuncks/Jepples are unable to bring zillions of people anything more than a temporary escape from charging cradle to charging cradle.

 

[Zwhaler]

I'm glad Apple is waiting and taking their time with the redesign. Remember - Apple is ever first, but always the best.

As an Android user who switched to the Note II back when Apple was still making 4" phones, when has that really been the case overall? Apple wasn't the first to make phablets, and when they did, they definite weren't the best. The iPhone 6 was okay but pretty lame due to being overly large for a 5.5" display, an average camera (remember the 6 vs 5S threads complaining about the noise reduction), no OLED panel, and 1GB RAM? Here we are over 2 years later with nearly the same exterior design (except the 7 is slightly thicker, taller, wider, and heavier than the). The dual cameras are nice but not enough to outweigh all of the other aging design elements.

So they weren't first, nor are they the best, overall at least. In some categories yes. Touch ID, definitely. Camera, maybe. Processor speed, ok why not. (My S6 edge+ is plenty fast but I'll obviously hand it to Apple here to give them something). Screen? No way. They are finally trying to catch up in the screen department and won't (if the rumors are true) for almost a year. And even then we are talking about (most likely) Samsung displays, which their phones have had for so long and will likely continue to have better panels in that department. When Apple releases an edge display, Samsung will probably have foldable (in addition to 3rd and 4th generation edge displays for their own devices) and of course nearly bezel-less displays.

 

[RedOrchestra]

When someone can take a $200 phone, regardless of OS, and do pretty much anything a $7-8-900 flagship can do, there's really nothing compelling driving a person to change or upgrade.

I was just in Europe for 2 months and android smartphones are the OVERWHELMING choice for users, for exactly that reason ... actually that goes for Canada as well ... when I see an iPhone it's invariably a 5s or less.

Hell a basic 7 with tax is over a $1,000.

 

[NT1440]

I completely pay attention and know full well about the push for USB3C as the Intel platform digital standard for audio. Had Apple jettisoned proprietary Lightning to embrace USB3C, I think the whole headphone jack ejection move would have been much more palatable for many. Instead, we have iDevices clinging to a proprietary jack while Macs favor Intel's option or 3.5mm and almost everything else in the world still using 3.5mm.

Or bluetooth....

 

[Fiachers]

I think the reason people are confused by Apple retaining the headphone socket in the new MBP is because of the outright condemnation of the same socket by Apple executives when the iPhone 7 was announced.

If they genuinely feel it's that bad and outdated, wouldn't you expect them to remove it from all of their new product releases?

Radically different use cases.

When a headphone jack is considered "pro"... (with no optical out, might I add)