Live Coverage of Apple's 2013 iPhone Media Event

[CFreymarc]

Overall impressions ...

* Mostly as expected. Classy move hiring Elvis Costello. Probably the easiest and shortest gig he has worked in years.

* Been told that the musicians they hire are there for the day doing performances for press and Apple personnel into the early evening. Lunch at the loop will be fun today!

* Surprised with the standard cases for both the 5C and 5S. Some nice in Apple store impulse buys. Not as sharp as the third parties.

* Notice no black frame like the iPhone 5. They are returning to the iPhone 4S style.

* This continual motion sensor complements nicely with the extended background processing APIs in iOS 7.

* What is the logic to determine if you are driving with your iPhone? If it works such that it determines an automotive speed via the sensors / GPS and you are paired to a car to lock out app, that is not reliable. Could easily be a passenger using the iPhone and not the driver.

* The holes in the 5C cases follow a lot of current Asian pop culture graphics and art.

* Very curious on the adaption of the fingerprint sensor on the 5S over using the PIN codes.

* If they make this Touch ID mandatory, it is a big mistake. There are lots of case that cover the button where this is not an option.

I've worked on embedded systems of fingerprint scanners and it is a very fickle technology. Love to see their false-positive and false-negative rating. The sub-dermal scanner is a nice approach you can do with capacitive touch and the right signal processing.

The jailbreak, hardware hacking community will be all over this. What used to be niche of a black box fingerprint cloning boxes where a silicone appendage was electrically meshed with a embedded metallic grid to synthesize fingerprint scans will get larger exposure.

This is a fun one!

 

[CausticPuppy]

Am I the only one that is happy about the 5s?

I'm thrilled with it. The problem is the internet whiners who are expecting massive year-over-year updates, completely forgetting that cell phone contracts (in the US) are 2 years.

This is a HUGE update over the iPhone 4S! iPhone 5 owners, just hold on until the iPhone 6 comes out, you'll get your chance to be excited.

But then the internet whiners will complain that it's not that much better than the 5S.

 

[b_scott]

If you're flush with cash, that's correct.

no, it's always correct. If you are in a position to need a phone, $100 is affordable for anyone - considering your first month will cost you almost that.

 

[MalusSylvestris]

I know megapixels arent everything but 8mp?? WTF?

Do you understand what megapixels means? Increasing the file size of the photo does not increase the quality of what is captured. There is NO BENEFIT whatsoever to having more than 8mp in a phone camera. The camera is not physically large enough to provide that resolution.

 

[Zellio]

I'm thrilled with it. The problem is the internet whiners who are expecting massive year-over-year updates, completely forgetting that cell phone contracts (in the US) are 2 years.

This is a HUGE update over the iPhone 4S! iPhone 5 owners, just hold on until the iPhone 6 comes out, you'll get your chance to be excited.

But then the internet whiners will complain that it's not that much better than the 5S.

If this is huge I'd imagine Android would make you flip out.... Although I'm guessing you'll just accuse me of being on Samsung's payroll now.

 

[b_scott]

I also forgot... FREE iWork is actually a big deal. That's useful (to me).

That's only if you buy a 5C/5S right?

 

[CausticPuppy]

* This continual motion sensor complements nicely with the extended background processing APIs in iOS 7.

This also hints at what's to come in the "iWatch".

 

[No5tromo]

I approve the new iPhone 5s's. I'm not so sure about the 5c, it's not the plastic that bothers me, it's the color choices that make it look like a cheap toy. iOS7 is just ugly, looks-wise will feel dated pretty soon but features-wise it's on the right path.

 

[ghanwani]

No 802.11ac is a big surprise/letdown.

 

[samcraig]

Quoad core on a phone is an overkill too, but it's innovation when samsung does it.

Who is saying it's innovation. I would say the same thing about Octocore (quadcore is old news lol) For gamers perhaps it's of interest.

what difference would the end user see and notice on an os like ios? or is it aimed more at developers??

No idea. Again - I'm not a gamer or use my phone for photoshop/movie rendering - so 64bit to me seems like overkill. On a tablet perhaps more justified - but even then - no interest from me.

 

[Zellio]

No 802.11ac is a big surprise/letdown.

They need a reason for you to buy the iphone 6 duh

 

[kobalap]

This was the least "magical" keynote I've ever seen. Bye iPhone, Hello Galaxy.

Yes, if you want examples of magical keynotes, head for samsung. Two examples:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMr5gywv0zM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NfRis0Fdn4

In both cases, I can't understand what they heck they are talking about.

But to be fair, the product they are introducing is such an epic fail that only a con artist could explain why anyone should pay any money for them.

 

[Dmunjal]

Apple is now being run by an accountant and not a technologist/visionary anymore. Very sad.

 

[b_scott]

No 802.11ac is a big surprise/letdown.

I have had an AC router for a year - but I see no reason to need AC in a phone. Give me reasons, if you have any.

 

[unobtainium]

Apple is now being run by an accountant and not a technologist/visionary anymore. Very sad.

Where were you during the 3GS keynote? You know Steve Jobs was behind that, right? Apple's tick-tock strategy is straight out of his playbook.

 

[CausticPuppy]

If this is huge I'd imagine Android would make you flip out.... Although I'm guessing you'll just accuse me of being on Samsung's payroll now.

I have a Galaxy S3 for work; if nothing else, it's at least better than my Blackberry was. I'm not new to Android.

Not a fan of Samsung at all, especially after my EPIC 4G disaster. Samsung has a history of abandoning their "last year" phones as far as updates when the Next Big Thing comes out. New version of Android coming out? Yeah, good luck ever getting that on a 12-month old phone unless you root it... and as a "family man" now with actual responsibilities I don't have time to keep messing with my gadgets to make them work right.

 

[Outrigger]

1080p Screen (even at the same size).

to have 1080p screen at the same size? You really don't know how screen resolution and scaling works. I suggest you google why it won't work on the iphone.

 

[b_scott]

Apple is now being run by an accountant and not a technologist/visionary anymore. Very sad.

iOS7 is a complete redesign and Steve Jobs has been dead two years so had nothing to do with it.

 

[hakuna-matata]

No. none at all

 

[apolloa]

Hmm first impression of the Touch ID are not very good, I can enter my passcode just as quick and it doesn't seem to be accurate either:

http://youtu.be/9-ppMRFcDWk

Also the new shutter button just looks plain daft and odd placed above the new home button.

 

[Rogifan]

Wow the Verge actually had nice things to say about the 5C. Says the plastic feels "far better" than Samsung and LG phones.

http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/10/4714074/apple-iphone-5c-hands-on-pictures-video

 

[KPOM]

Boo, who cares about a cheap iphone that is no better than the old one they are still selling.

NO LAPTOPS! what! this is getting ridiculous, now. two keynotes down and no haswell retinas, yet a shady mac pro peak? what the hell. Like a tonne of people it's getting hard to wait knowing they are likely to cull the non retina MBP too. I don't want to buy an AIR ok.

Really we all want 128GB iphones etc and larger flash drives apple. Honestly it's one of the only things holding me off buying a current gen!

Please apple just give us a little more space for profession full time laptop etc work.

The laptops will be at a separate event in a month or so when Mavericks is ready.

As for the 5C, it's mostly for middle markets, and potentially China. I think the reason for the stock price hit is mostly that it wasn't a bit cheaper.

I'm a bit surprised they didn't release a 128GB version, particularly since 64-bit apps will be bigger. However, I'm not surprised they didn't release a larger version. For starters, Apple isn't the kind of company that just throws something together quickly (like Samsung with their heavy wristwatch that requires daily recharging). They may be working on a bigger phone, but the 5S will sell well enough so that they don't "need" to release a bigger phone for now. I'd rather they get it right than use us as guinea pigs for designs.

 

[CausticPuppy]

64 bit doesn't excite me. It seems overkill on a phone. I could be wrong. But Nothing I do on a phone really warrant that kind of power. Maybe on a tablet.

Think games. Think AirPlay. Think big screens. Now imagine your iPhone as a controller.

Also, remember universal apps; there may not be anything to warrant that kind of power yet, but give developers a chance, they'll find a way!

 

[nia820]

I really want to get the 5s. I'm really liking the scanner on home button. But the screen is too damn small. For the past 2 years I've been using phones with at least a 4.2 inch screen. At one point I had a note 2. I'm not saying it has to be the size of a note. But 4.7 screen would be nice as an option.

 

[MiamiC70]

This event sucked almost ZERO surprises, ZERO energy or buzz around it and the "new" releases were crap.

I am underwhelmed with the "new" features of the iPhone 5s and the fact that an new iPad retina, iPad Mini retina and Apple TV (software at least) were not announced is sad. WTF, are the new MacBook Air's with Haswell updates or maybe retina displays?

I am starting to really question why I should even care anymore. I just do not see anything compelling from Apple for years now. I guess I will stick with my iPhone 4s and iPad Retina and late 2011 MBA for another year :/