Jony Ive Remains 'Eager to Create' and 'Completely in Awe' About Creative Process

[dilbert99]

You are not correct on this at least in the US. The iphone 5 when released was $399 on contract for 64GB. That's on contract. Probably $799 off contract. That is not doubling in 6 years. In fact 6 years later based on my estimated $799, the price of a Xs max seems reasonable.

It was actually 125% increase
62% was Apple and 63% was currency fluctuation. I put the figures in an earlier post.
So even though the more than doubling was not Apple completely they still increased prices 62%.
Doing this at the same time as international currencies fall against the dollar is a crass move.

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...-sales-estimates.2151702/page-5#post-26743998

 

[Peperino]

They are so tired they've driven Apple sales to an all time high. Q4 revenues were $63B, their biggest Q4. 2018 revenues were two and half times higher than revenues in 2011, the year Jobs died.

Revenues are up because they increased the prices like crazy.
If you look at the actual units sold, iphones were about the same, iPad decreased 6% and Macs down 2%.
Yes, revenues are up, though they are not selling more.

I wonder why they had to discount the prices in Japan. Users are getting tired of prices that are expensive beyond ridiculous.

• T2 chip
It doesn't just drive meh features such as the TouchBar, it's substantially upgraded the security of every Mac it's been incorporated. But wait, there's more!
- It also encrypts internal SSDs in real-time, and makes enabling FileVault ( a process that used to take up to a day) instantaneously.
But wait, there's even more!
- It encodes H.265 video at speeds as much as 10x faster than Intel CPUs (more than twice as fast as fastest iMac Pro).

I can care less about the T2 security if it increases the prices outrageously and make my computer disposable. So much for Apple caring about environmental policies.
If the interal SSD is dead (which they often do), then you end up with a dead computer that only Apple can fix. Another way to squeeze more money out of its users. If you later want to upgrade the internal you can't either.

The new Mac mini is a powerhouse, that's many times faster than the old one because it uses custom SSD/Memory controllers. Its SSD read performance is as fast as the top of the line iMac Pros. It's SSD write performance on the 1TB is slightly faster! Memory is user upgradable, and because it still has the same size high quality case, it can easily replace the old mini at hosting services. Finally, it has the T2 chip which means it has far better security, real time SSD encryption/FileVault, and encodes H.265 15x faster than the 2014 Mini.

No one doubts the Mac mini is a Powerhouse. And it is great that they let you upgrade the RAM. Though you and Apple are missing the point. The Mac mini used to be an entry level computer to convert users to the Apple ecosystem. Now at $799.00 raising the price by almost 70% is not an entry level computer anymore.
It is way overpriced for any entry level....

Again, it is delivering with 128GB which in 2018 is kind of an insult, especially if it intends to be a powerhouse and even more especially if they are raising the price by 70%. One more time, I can care less about the T2 chip, if it makes my computer non-upgradable, and disposable. Furthermore, they are forcing you to use their extremely ridiculous SSD upgrade prices (2 to 3x more expensive than drives in the market that are top).

Lighter, thinner, retina screen, touchID, T2 security and real time encryption. And that's a fast SSD, not the cheap slow ones other pc makers foist on you. The 128Gb is an option for those who don't need storage (schools!). And if they raised the price to start with a fast 256Gb SSD, you'd likely complain about the higher price.

Users do not care how lighter or thinner it is anymore. They care about many other things like battery life, connectivity and price. You can see why the Macbook Pro 2016 was a complete failure so much so that 5 days after they discounted the entire line of adaptors.
I wonder why, the fastest product category Apple has is the adaptors/dongles.
One more time, you are still making excuses of why they are delivering a computer with 128SSD at a 20% increase.
with barely any innovations whatsoever. Adding a retina display is NOT innovation.

And regardless of what you think, many more people agree with my post (30) than with yours.
Which tells you how Apple users are tired of Apple ripping them of with overpriced products with barely no innovation.

 

[tromboneaholic]

No one doubts the Mac mini is a Powerhouse.

cool

 

[I7guy]

It was actually 125% increase
62% was Apple and 63% was currency fluctuation. I put the figures in an earlier post.
So even though the more than doubling was not Apple completely they still increased prices 62%.
Doing this at the same time as international currencies fall against the dollar is a crass move.

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...-sales-estimates.2151702/page-5#post-26743998

I’m not dealing with currency fluctuations, so I’m going with what was previously posted. iPhone 5 64 gb was $849 off contract, Xr costs $749. It’s a decrease for a phone that 6 years later wipes the floor with the iphone 5.

 

[ThunderSkunk]

SJ, Jony, and Phil were Apple's creative troika.

Scott Forstalls creativity (and filter) has also become somewhat glaring in its absence. While people were quick to identify him with skeuomorphic Ui’s and fire flaming arrows at him, his design sensibility seemed to favor universally recognizable minimally intrusive iconography (rather than floating text that you have to read scattered all over the place), and pushing for minimizing the number of taps and screens from the home screen to as few as possible. Pretty basic concepts to keep the functionality simple, clear, fast and efficient. As soon as he was out, in crept the hidden functionality, unintuitive and inconsistent tap behavior, wasted space, and unnecessary multiple screens to do simple tasks. Jobs and Forstall seem to have both been most effective as sharp razors for cutting through BS.

 

[dilbert99]

I’m not dealing with currency fluctuations, so I’m going with what was previously posted. iPhone 5 64 gb was $849 off contract, Xr costs $749. It’s a decrease for a phone that 6 years later wipes the floor with the iphone 5.

Well I go by the price I pay and that has more than doubled for me.
Apple knows the currency in most countries has weakened but still carried on increasing prices.
Still a 125% increase for me to buy the best iPhone then and now.

 

[I7guy]

Well I go by the price I pay and that has more than doubled for me.
Apple knows the currency in most countries has weakened but still carried on increasing prices.
Still a 125% increase for me to buy the best iPhone then and now.

The "best" phone is different and the comparison is against an equivalent phone. For me the price has actually declined to buy an equivalent phone.

 

[sideshowuniqueuser]

I didn't read all the comments, but wow, the entire first page of "most liked posts" did not have a single positive comment! Jony Ive, you have ruined your legacy, and are now a viciously hated man by all the people who love the Apple that SJ created, but you and TC are now killing.

 

[tromboneaholic]

I didn't read all the comments, but wow, the entire first page of "most liked posts" did not have a single positive comment! Jony Ive, you have ruined your legacy, and are now a viciously hated man by all the people who love the Apple that SJ created, but you and TC are now killing.

Look at the post history of the majority of negative commenters.

They have never owned an Apple product and only post negative comments.

Then ask yourself why they are spending so much time commenting and liking in a forum that focuses on products they don't own.

 

[Peperino]

Look at the post history of the majority of negative commenters.

They have never owned an Apple product and only post negative comments.

Then ask yourself why they are spending so much time commenting and liking in a forum that focuses on products they don't own.

That is simply NOT true. Me and many of the posts, are from long time Apple users that are extremely tired of Apple overpriced and underspec new products. I personally have been using Apple for over 20+years.
And these new products and prices are beyond ridiculous. Cook greed and lack of innovation is beyond belief.

Instead of looking for lame excuses that the posts are from non Apple users, it might be actually better to ask why so many long time Apple users are complaining so much and have Apple do something about it. Many of us have been voting with our wallets and not upgrading as often as we used to.

Do you ever wonder why, Apple is sales have been going down (Mac Sales and Ipads) and iphones are stalled?

 

[ipponrg]

That is simply NOT true. Me and many of the posts, are from long time Apple users that are extremely tired of Apple overpriced and underspec new products. I personally have been using Apple for over 20+years.
And these new products and prices are beyond ridiculous. Cook greed and lack of innovation is beyond belief.

Instead of looking for lame excuses that the posts are from non Apple users, it might be actually better to ask why so many long time Apple users are complaining so much and have Apple do something about it. Many of us have been voting with our wallets and not upgrading as often as we used to.

Do you ever wonder why, Apple is sales have been going down (Mac Sales and Ipads) and iphones are stalled?

Careful. Some people will try to explain to you how much value ASP means to a consumer.

 

[I7guy]

...Do you ever wonder why, Apple is sales have been going down (Mac Sales and Ipads) and iphones are stalled?

No. Apple is making their devices last longer. I am still using my ipad 2, probably should get a new one, but it still serves me. Apple is doing the opposite of "planned obsolesence" the side-effect are less hardware sales. I believe that is their goal, less hardware dependence and more revenue from services.

 

[tromboneaholic]

Do you ever wonder why, Apple is sales have been going down (Mac Sales and Ipads) and iphones are stalled?

I have a 2011 15" MacBook Pro, a 2013 27" iMac, and a 2014 iPad Air 2. They all work fine. Actually they work great.

I would have replaced my MacBook a few years ago, but the iPad does 90% of what I needed a portable computer for in the past. I imagine that is the case for a lot of Apple customers.

When I need to replace my computer, I will buy another Mac, maybe next year when the new Mac Pro comes out. I don't mind paying a little more if I can get more use out of it than I would another brand.

 

[Peperino]

No. Apple is making their devices last longer. I am still using my ipad 2, probably should get a new one, but it still serves me. Apple is doing the opposite of "planned obsolesence" the side-effect are less hardware sales. I believe that is their goal, less hardware dependence and more revenue from services.

That does not make sense at all. In order to make more money on service you want to expand the marketshare. So by having more people that use Apple products, the more the revenue from services it will be.
Though Apple is just doing the complete opposite. Increasing the prices all across the product line so less people are able to afford Apple products and alienating long time Apple users with disposable, low specs, non-upgradable computers, will only make Apple sell less hardware and have less people using their services.
[doublepost=1543113670][/doublepost]

I have a 2011 15" MacBook Pro, a 2013 27" iMac, and a 2014 iPad Air 2. They all work fine. Actually they work great.

I would have replaced my MacBook a few years ago, but the iPad does 90% of what I needed a portable computer for in the past. I imagine that is the case for a lot of Apple customers.

When I need to replace my computer, I will buy another Mac, maybe next year when the new Mac Pro comes out. I don't mind paying a little more if I can get more use out of it than I would another brand.

I am like you. Still using my Macbook pro2012. Although I wanted to upgrade, in 2016, I did not, since the new Macbook Pro was a disaster. And I needed to buy 2 laptops for my kids. I ended up buying the older model since the 2016 was a failure (keyboard, problems, battery, bad design, etc).

The point is that many users that want to upgrade they are not doing it since the new products are overpriced and under spec.

 

[dilbert99]

The "best" phone is different and the comparison is against an equivalent phone. For me the price has actually declined to buy an equivalent phone.

Equivalent is all subjective, I was going by the top of the line iPhone then and the top of the line iPhone now, which I think is a fair comparison.

 

[I7guy]

Equivalent is all subjective, I was going by the top of the line iPhone then and the top of the line iPhone now, which I think is a fair comparison.

This is another “talking point “ to be disagreed on. The spread between low and high, then and now is vastly different. But to each their own.

 

[dilbert99]

This is another “talking point “ to be disagreed on. The spread between low and high, then and now is vastly different. But to each their own.

Its a hard one to agree on because then, 5 was a single device, now we have the XR XS and XS Max.

 

[I7guy]

Its a hard one to agree on because then, 5 was a single device, now we have the XR XS and XS Max.

Each of us can argue until the cows come home; the universe will do what it wants.

 

[dilbert99]

Each of us can argue until the cows come home; the universe will do what it wants.

I wasn't arguing on the last post, just pointing out why we differ in opinions

 

[I7guy]

I wasn't arguing on the last post, just pointing out why we differ in opinions

The difference in phones from low to high in 2012 was about $300. In 2018 is about $1000. 1 model 3 memory sizes in 2012 vs 4 models and associates memory sizes.

Lost sight about what this really has to do with Jony Ive except to say the landscape in 2018 has changed. Where the least expensive iPhone in 2018 ($449)is lower than the least expensive iPhone ($649) in 2012. Why not compare the lowest to the lowest to be fair about the comparison?

 

[dilbert99]

The difference in phones from low to high in 2012 was about $300. In 2018 is about $1000. 1 model 3 memory sizes in 2012 vs 4 models and associates memory sizes.

Lost sight about what this really has to do with Jony Ive except to say the landscape in 2018 has changed. Where the least expensive iPhone in 2018 ($449)is lower than the least expensive iPhone ($649) in 2012. Why not compare the lowest to the lowest to be fair about the comparison?

Because I look at things differently to you.
I am looking at it from being a customer of the 5, I had the top of the line iPhone.
In 2018, I refuse to give Apple what they are asking for the top of the line iPhone.
I think the market agrees.
Share price has dived 25%
Prices in Japan are being reduced.
People are complaining more than ever before.

By the way figured out what was wrong with my iPhone 6. It cut out last Saturday at 20%.
It had a blue smearing down the screen the was slightly visible.
I arranged a genius visit for Saturday past and took my phone out of the case and the screen had popped out slightly.
Yes I guessed it, a swollen battery.
That is the second swollen battery I have had with Apple.
I dug out all the repair authorisation emails that I had and took them along with me.
This is the rap sheet, I'll include only iPhones:
3 iPhone 4:
iPhone 4 replaced due to camera issues
iPhone 4 replaced due to home button failure - OOW $179

3 iPhone 5:
iPhone 5 replaced due to sim/battery issues
iPhone 5 replaced due to swollen battery - OOW $119

3 iPhone 6:
iPhone 6 replaced due to camera
iPhone 6 replaced due to camera
iPhone 6 replaced due to swollen battery $40 OOW - know issue repair program for iPhone 6 batteries, fee waived because of above rap sheet, either that or the assistant likes the Scottish accent or friendly demeanor.

So was able to give my wife this replacement iPhone 6 while I got a new XR, which while take some getting used to
its a lot larger and not easy to hold in one hand.
The lack of home button is a bummer and will take getting used to, it takes more time to open an XR than it does an iPhone 6. If the phone was locked with an app already open and you want a different app, seems like I need to

1. press on the bottom of the screen to turn it on
2. swipe up to unlock while looking at screen
3. swipe up to get to home screen.

The phone is 50% heavier and 20% thicker which will take some adjusting to.

The setup didn't go too smoothly took about 5 hours elapsed to restore two phones and 1 watch. The watch took several attempts. This is also including time to restore secure tokens and the like which don't restore from backups on to different devices.

The face unlock will take some getting used to too, can't have it sitting down on a table or sofa arm, have to prop it up for it to get your face.

I really don't know why Apple just won't make a phone the same size as the 6. I guess I'll adjust. Perhaps when I get a case it won't be as slippery and be easier to hold.

Then there are things like no percentage on battery, its all the little things that this model means you have to adjust.

Rant over, I guess I will get used to all the little things...

 

[tromboneaholic]

Because I look at things differently to you.
I am looking at it from being a customer of the 5, I had the top of the line iPhone.
In 2018, I refuse to give Apple what they are asking for the top of the line iPhone.

It's fine if that's how "you" look at it, but it's not the standard metric used for comparison

I think the market agrees.
Share price has dived 25%
Prices in Japan are being reduced.
People are complaining more than ever before.

The price in Japan is a carrier subsidy that requires a 2-year contract. The models sold in Japan are specific to the country, so they can't be moved to different markets as easily. Record iPhone sales in the last quarter in Japan are taking sales away from this quarter.

Apple isn't a quarter-by-quarter company, and in the long term the stock will recover and continue to grow. Here is what Apple said at their most recent earnings call:

We sold 46.9 million iPhones during the quarter, with growth of 20% or more in several markets, including Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden Norway, Chile, and Vietnam. Customer satisfaction with iPhone continues to be outstanding and it's the highest in the industry. The latest survey of US consumers from 451 Research indicates customer satisfaction of 98% for iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus combined, and among business buyers who plan to purchase smartphones in the December quarter, 80% plan to purchase iPhones.

The lack of home button is a bummer and will take getting used to, it takes more time to open an XR than it does an iPhone 6. If the phone was locked with an app already open and you want a different app, seems like I need to

1. press on the bottom of the screen to turn it on
2. swipe up to unlock while looking at screen
3. swipe up to get to home screen.

1. The screen turns on as you raise it up to use it.
2. You can turn off the feature that requires you to look at the phone.
3. After you swipe up, your thumb is hovering over the screen to hit a target. Before it was resting on the home button so you would need to add an extra step (4) to move your thumb off the button and up to the screen (like a swipe does in one step).

The setup didn't go too smoothly took about 5 hours elapsed to restore two phones and 1 watch. The watch took several attempts. This is also including time to restore secure tokens and the like which don't restore from backups on to different devices.

I use iCloud sync and never have to restore from backups. If you turn on "Health" all you health data, achievements, and activity from the watch are synced.

I make a backup to my computer between major iOS updates, but then I restore the phone as new and let everything sync to it seamlessly. The only thing I need to do is download third party apps, but I like starting with a fresh phone and deciding what apps I have been using lately. It keeps it uncluttered, and I think it helps me avoid a lot of the issues people seem to have that don't do clean installs.

 

[I7guy]

Because I look at things differently to you.
I am looking at it from being a customer of the 5, I had the top of the line iPhone.
In 2018, I refuse to give Apple what they are asking for the top of the line iPhone.
I think the market agrees.
Share price has dived 25%
Prices in Japan are being reduced.
People are complaining more than ever before.

By the way figured out what was wrong with my iPhone 6. It cut out last Saturday at 20%.
It had a blue smearing down the screen the was slightly visible.
I arranged a genius visit for Saturday past and took my phone out of the case and the screen had popped out slightly.
Yes I guessed it, a swollen battery.
That is the second swollen battery I have had with Apple.
I dug out all the repair authorisation emails that I had and took them along with me.
This is the rap sheet, I'll include only iPhones:
3 iPhone 4:
iPhone 4 replaced due to camera issues
iPhone 4 replaced due to home button failure - OOW $179

3 iPhone 5:
iPhone 5 replaced due to sim/battery issues
iPhone 5 replaced due to swollen battery - OOW $119

3 iPhone 6:
iPhone 6 replaced due to camera
iPhone 6 replaced due to camera
iPhone 6 replaced due to swollen battery $40 OOW - know issue repair program for iPhone 6 batteries, fee waived because of above rap sheet, either that or the assistant likes the Scottish accent or friendly demeanor.

So was able to give my wife this replacement iPhone 6 while I got a new XR, which while take some getting used to
its a lot larger and not easy to hold in one hand.
The lack of home button is a bummer and will take getting used to, it takes more time to open an XR than it does an iPhone 6. If the phone was locked with an app already open and you want a different app, seems like I need to

1. press on the bottom of the screen to turn it on
2. swipe up to unlock while looking at screen
3. swipe up to get to home screen.

The phone is 50% heavier and 20% thicker which will take some adjusting to.

The setup didn't go too smoothly took about 5 hours elapsed to restore two phones and 1 watch. The watch took several attempts. This is also including time to restore secure tokens and the like which don't restore from backups on to different devices.

The face unlock will take some getting used to too, can't have it sitting down on a table or sofa arm, have to prop it up for it to get your face.

I really don't know why Apple just won't make a phone the same size as the 6. I guess I'll adjust. Perhaps when I get a case it won't be as slippery and be easier to hold.

Then there are things like no percentage on battery, its all the little things that this model means you have to adjust.

Rant over, I guess I will get used to all the little things...

Your entitled to your opinion but it’s not my thought processes. To each their own. Apple provides a better phone than a 5 at a lower price than the 5.

As far as your repairs:
- 3 iPhone 4; self inflicted damage ionly and one is in service
- two 5s; no repairs both in service
- iphone 6 self inflicted damage
- 6s no issues
- 6s+ No issues
- 2 iphone 7 no issues
- 3 MacBook airs no issues
- 7+ no issues

You have what is called bad luck.

 

[dilbert99]

As far as your repairs:
- 3 iPhone 4; self inflicted damage ionly and one is in service
- two 5s; no repairs both in service
- iphone 6 self inflicted damage
- 6s no issues
- 6s+ No issues
- 2 iphone 7 no issues
- 3 MacBook airs no issues
- 7+ no issues

You have what is called bad luck.

There is no such thing in this world as luck.
The odds of having such a stream of failures goes to show that Apple has some issues with quality control.
Its just as well that it is easy to get things replaced.

 

[tromboneaholic]

There is no such thing in this world as luck.
The odds of having such a stream of failures goes to show that Apple has some issues with quality control.
Its just as well that it is easy to get things replaced.

Apple sold 218 million iPhones last year.

If 99% were perfect and only 1% had a defect, they would still have sold more than 2 million defective iPhones.

That doesn't mean there is a quality control issue, but I agree it's good that Apple makes it easy to get things replaced.