iPhone losing its consumer buzz...

[davistld01]

Ive never considered myself a fanboy, but have had every iPhone incarnation since the Gen1 model...which was arguably the last really amazing iPhone. Yeah it was much slower than my current 5...but the metal case that mimicked the computer lines was beautiful and almost jewel-like. It felt amazing in the hand, and was a work of art.

Since that model, and the incredible excitement & expectation that Apples marketing strategists created...with each new model release the buzz has gotten less & less, to a point where there is really little or no real hyped media excitement surrounding the Sept. 10th announcement of new Apple products.

Frankly, I'm not at all excited about the upcoming "5s" and certainly not the pop-colored "5c". They are just pathetically poor "new" devices that only offer tiny tech improvements over last years devices yet still command higher prices than most other smartphones on the market. Apple knows that, historically speaking, they will still sell all they can make even with such lackluster innovation & improvement.

I believe the public is getting smarter. I believe the post-Jobs Apple is in for a shock this go-round. I predict sales at an all-time low as most people will hang onto their current "5" and simply update to OS7 when it's released.

The magic is over...and it's sad.

 

[Lucille Carter]

I have to admit that the hype is not quite as strong as it used to be but Apple is now having to fight for it users where they used to be on the top with little to worry about!

There will be plenty of buzz the next 30 days.

 

[skyking517]

For some reason I feel the need to chime in on this one. I work for a carrier partner and this will be my 4th iPhone launch. Right now we are slowwwwwwwww. This is very typical before an iPhone announcement. People are definitely waiting for these new phones to launch, older folks (grand parents) are definitely trending towards iPhones, thanks to their children and grand children and seem very excited about the 5C. The 5S is also going to sell well, but were all scratching our heads about the current 5. Of course they tell us nothing, and I get my rumors here on this site and a few others, but judging by our traffic and the fact I have seen this before every launch, I think it's gonna do just fine.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I was wondering when someone was going to write about how the upcoming iPhone was going to be a huge disappointment. Frankly I am surprised we haven't got millions of threads about this very issue? Nice read.

 

[thedeske]

It's easy to get bored with iPhone "pick your poison" hype each year, but many of us get one and expect the improvements to help in one way or another (Camera?)(OS?) and they typically do.

Agree, it's not as exciting as the first one you buy, but then, what is?

 

[kilcher]

I would imagine a big part of it is this is an off year. Incremental upgrades. And most people don't feel they need a better version of the iPhone 4S or 5. They're that good. Just wait and see what the buzz is like next year.

All that being said, Samsung, regardless of what you think of their devices or business tactics, has done an amazing job in swaying public opinion (or at least the perception of swaying public opinion) toward their devices.

 

[Interstella5555]

So owning one phone is enough to comment on the failure of the rest? Also, who really cares? apple's not going out of business, and I for one would enjoy the return of not having everyone and their mom just hopping on the bandwagon because they're shiny.

 

[Xerotech]

Wonder when Apple will release something significantly innovative that the competitors can't copy in less than a year.

They had a lead with the retina macbooks.
No decent touch screen compared to an iPhone upon its announcement.
All those Motorola Xooms and HP tablets failed compared to the iPad. Nowadays, their touchscreens are flawless like the iPad.
Stuff like this is what set Apple apart from it's competitors. Samsung releases 90,000 features with its new phone, but they don't work quite well.

Due to the nature of competitors catching up the hype has died down a lot. Once upon a time competition actually increased companies to compete harder pushing out the best products possible. Now it's all about lawsuits and 'protecting' a obsolete feature or a required patent to even design a phone itself! I understand that there is only so much Apple can do. However, I never envisioned an iPhone, iPad, slim TVs, high speed internet, etc.

 

[tekno]

So owning one phone is enough to comment on the failure of the rest? Also, who really cares? apple's not going out of business, and I for one would enjoy the return of not having everyone and their mom just hopping on the bandwagon because they're shiny.

This is how I feel. I left iPhone because I fancied a change and I've found android to be excellent.

But probably the main reason I don't want to go back is that EVERYONE has an iPhone (and won't shut up about them) - kids, the unemployed, grand parents, shop workers, bin men, my 57 year old spinster neighbour.

The iPhone isn't as special to me as it once was. Apple's massive sales are, for me, a massive turn off.

 

[MJD Dawg]

So owning one phone is enough to comment on the failure of the rest? Also, who really cares? apple's not going out of business, and I for one would enjoy the return of not having everyone and their mom just hopping on the bandwagon because they're shiny.

I know it's a different situation, but not that long ago the same thing was said about RIM.

 

[Evnor]

I know it's a different situation, but not that long ago the same thing was said about RIM.

True and look what happened to Nokia.

Five years ago people would have laughed hard if someone would have mentioned that Nokia´s business in mobile phones is doomed. Same could happen to Apple as well.

 

[Interstella5555]

True and look what happened to Nokia.

Five years ago people would have laughed hard if someone would have mentioned that Nokia´s business in mobile phones is doomed. Same could happen to Apple as well.

Except unlike Nokia Apple has multiple product lines to support itself.

 

[Italianblend]

You have to also realize that for most of us, our first iphone was our first smartphone.

Now several years later, we aren't amazed that we have pocket computers anymore. I need an upgrade, but am not nearly as excited as when the 4S came out.

 

[MJD Dawg]

You have to also realize that for most of us, our first iphone was our first smartphone.

Now several years later, we aren't amazed that we have pocket computers anymore. I need an upgrade, but am not nearly as excited as when the 4S came out.

Very true.

Although my first true "smartphone" was my Palm Treo.

I still have a soft spot for that phone and it's stylus.

 

[Spacial]

Apples major competitive advantage went away with the passing of Jobs, it cannot be replicated by anyone else. He was the master of hype. Now that Apple largely wasted the bulk of 2013, they've got some catching up to do. They'll be fine.

 

[scott99]

Ive never considered myself a fanboy, but have had every iPhone incarnation since the Gen1 model...which was arguably the last really amazing iPhone. Yeah it was much slower than my current 5...but the metal case that mimicked the computer lines was beautiful and almost jewel-like. It felt amazing in the hand, and was a work of art.

Since that model, and the incredible excitement & expectation that Apples marketing strategists created...with each new model release the buzz has gotten less & less, to a point where there is really little or no real hyped media excitement surrounding the Sept. 10th announcement of new Apple products.

Frankly, I'm not at all excited about the upcoming "5s" and certainly not the pop-colored "5c". They are just pathetically poor "new" devices that only offer tiny tech improvements over last years devices yet still command higher prices than most other smartphones on the market. Apple knows that, historically speaking, they will still sell all they can make even with such lackluster innovation & improvement.

I believe the public is getting smarter. I believe the post-Jobs Apple is in for a shock this go-round. I predict sales at an all-time low as most people will hang onto their current "5" and simply update to OS7 when it's released.

The magic is over...and it's sad.

I agree somewhat. I have said this, and I will continue to say this, the big jumps by Apple on the iPhone are usually not the in between models (the "S's"), it's usually when the number jumps (every 2 years). When the 3G came out, was the 3Gs that much different ? Not really. BUT, 3G to 4 was a HUGE jump, in design, in chipset, in screen, etc. The 4S wasn't a HUGE jump from the 4, BUT 4 to 5 saw some major things people wanted, bigger screen, slight change in design, but huge change in chipset, and of course 4G/LTE. They usually correspond with the release of major iOS's (for example iOS 5,6 & 7).

I don't expect the 5S to be a major jump from the 5, BUT, the 6 will be a major jump from the 5 and 5S, probably a different design, obviously faster chip, etc. I only get excited for an Apple iPhone event every 2 years. Who the hell am I kidding, I love Apple's events no matter what they are.

Android phones are getting exciting as well, but the only phones I like almost as much as the iPhone are the Samsung Galaxy S3 and S4. But they don't have anything I really want in them that would make me jump from the iPhone.

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Apples major competitive advantage went away with the passing of Jobs, it cannot be replicated by anyone else. He was the master of hype. Now that Apple largely wasted the bulk of 2013, they've got some catching up to do. They'll be fine.

I truly agree with this. Apple lost their magic with the passing of the great Steve Jobs, man I miss him at these events. He was worth watching. Same with Bill Gates leaving Microsoft as CEO. They lost their magic.

 

[scott99]

Very true.

Although my first true "smartphone" was my Palm Treo.

I still have a soft spot for that phone and it's stylus.

I had the Palm Treo 700p. Liked it a lot, but once I got my iPhone in my hands, man what a difference, just head and shoulders better, though it couldn't do some things the Treo could do at the time. Still have a place in my heart for the Treo 700p though.

 

[grimmace]

I still have the iPhone 4 with OS 6.1.3. The 4s with Siri was pretty cool, but not enough for me to purchase. Then the 5 came out which was larger, but stretched one way! I still think that is cool, but I didn't purchase as it was just a disappointment to me. I felt that apple will eventually make a larger phone. Now they claim to have a finger sensor and better camera etc, and I say big deal. It is IOS7 that will make me purchase the 5s. I am sure that the iphone 4 will lag with that installed so best to get the latest for the new IOS. However, I really would like to see OPTIONS to the screen size. Most are fine with the size it is now, but simply give us something else to compare to these larger phones and all will be good.

This morning a guy came to me showing off the Galaxy S4. That is pretty nice, but android isn't quite there for me to switch, especially when IOS7 will be introduced. I suppose that is enough to get me to finally purchase a new iphone. The rest is yet just another gimmick but I'll be glad to now be in the "s" version instead of the regular, since "s" seems to always be the better. If it wasn't for this new IOS7, I would be saying goodbye to the iphone. I'm sure there are many other silent people out there with the same thoughts.

 

[Michael CM1]

Yes, I think most people with an iPhone 5 will just update to iOS 7 instead of buying a 5S.

Why? Because if you bought an iPhone 5 on contract, you have 12 months before you can buy a new phone at the $199 it costs for the lowest model 5S.

Judging by your join date, maybe you would feel more "magic" if you didn't follow every rumor filtering out about the next product. These events hold little secret if you follow the info here. It's basically a lot of confirmation of what's true and what isn't. So if you want the magic back, don't follow any rumors sites.

 

[scott99]

Also, there have been more leaks the last few years. So by the time a new iPhone comes out, we know pretty much everything about it, and the excitement is gone. Also, there is only an iPhone, not 500 phones made by 100 companies running iOS platform.

There are SO many Android phones, it's easy to hide the next newest greatest phone. Though I assume the Galaxy S5 will have the same leak problems the iPhones have.

 

[EM2013]

I believe the post-Jobs Apple is in for a shock this go-round. I predict sales at an all-time low as most people will hang onto their current "5" and simply update to OS7 when it's released.

Good luck with that so called prediction.

 

[swish2351]

I believe the public is getting smarter. I believe the post-Jobs Apple is in for a shock this go-round. I predict sales at an all-time low as most people will hang onto their current "5" and simply update to OS7 when it's released.

Oh I forgot that everyone has a 5...

I have a 4S, my 2 year contract just expired, and I'm getting a 5S, just like many other 4S owners, 4 owners, and people who want the FS

 

[jrswizzle]

Oh I forgot that everyone has a 5...

I have a 4S, my 2 year contract just expired, and I'm getting a 5S, just like many other 4S owners, 4 owners, and people who want the FS

The 4S continues to be the best selling smartphone in the world overall as it's likely well past 130 million units sold since its launch.....

Plenty of 4S owners out there ready to upgrade. Like every iPhone before it, it will break first weekend sales records and become a smash hit.

Funny people predict what you are predicting every year.....said the same thing about the iPhone 5.

 

[javisan]

The 4S continues to be the best selling smartphone in the world overall as it's likely well past 130 million units sold since its launch.....

Plenty of 4S owners out there ready to upgrade. Like every iPhone before it, it will break first weekend sales records and become a smash hit.

Funny people predict what you are predicting every year.....said the same thing about the iPhone 5.

That sounds great, everybody is free to choose and purchase what they want.

If I were in your position, I would hold my 4S for 12 more months in order to get a real update. If I were that desperate to get rid of the 4S, I would sell it an purchase a used 5 to use for 12 months and then renew my contract to get special pricing on the iPhone 6.

I had to upgrade from my iPhone 4 to the 5 because I've wanted a bigger screen ever since I had the iPhone 4 so waiting 2 years from the moment the iPhone 5 was released was too much and I knew that Apple would continue to make bull%$% "S" upgrades, so I had no other option.

 

[jrswizzle]

That sounds great, everybody is free to choose and purchase what they want.

If I were in your position, I would hold my 4S for 12 more months in order to get a real update. If I were that desperate to get rid of the 4S, I would sell it an purchase a used 5 to use for 12 months and then renew my contract to get special pricing on the iPhone 6.

I had to upgrade from my iPhone 4 to the 5 because I've wanted a bigger screen ever since I had the iPhone 4 so waiting 2 years from the moment the iPhone 5 was released was too much and I knew that Apple would continue to make bull%$% "S" upgrades, so I had no other option.

I gave up my 4S for the 5. After having used both extensively, I felt the 5 was a great upgrade over the 4S - especially since I've now sold my 5 in preparation of getting the 5S and have had to go back to using a 4S.....feels small, heavy, old and the display isn't as crisp.