Losing it's appeal

[WRXiceman]

Hi all,

Would like to start off by saying that I own an iPhone 5 and have owned a few others before. I consider them to be the best mobile phones on the market.
In my opinion they have the best quality feel to them and operate superbly.

But... lately I think they're starting to loose some of that appeal to me.

If Apple will announce the 5S and it's only a minor upgrade, I may change to a different manufacturer.

After seeing the HTC One and the new Sony Xperia Z1, the competition is definitely upping their game and their devices are impressing me more than iPhones at the moment.

I think the only reason I still have my 5 is because of iMessage. All my friends and work colleagues are part of many group chats which is extremely convenient.

I'm really hoping that Apple pull something out the bag on September 10th to convince their loyal customer base to stick with them. Make it worth our money.

 

[user-name-here]

Cant please everybody.

Apple caters to a specific user, apparently you yourself admit you probably aren't one of them anymore.

If you mainly are impressed by spec wars, phablet screen sizes, and are bored with the iPhone then by all mean switch to something that gives you that new toy feeling.

Me personally I can't wait for the new iPhone 5S to come

 

[WRXiceman]

Cant please everybody.

Apple caters to a specific user, apparently you yourself admit you probably aren't one of them anymore.

If you mainly are impressed by spec wars, phablet screen sizes, and are bored with the iPhone then by all mean switch to something that gives you that new toy feeling.

Me personally I can't wait for the new iPhone 5S to come

I understand that.
I think a 4.8" screen would be perfect on an iPhone.
I'm not too fussed about specs to be honest, as long as the phone works flawlessly and feels slick.

I am excited to see what the iPhone 5S will bring to the table.
I just hope it's worthy of an upgrade.

 

[verpeiler]

This iMessage necessity must be an US thing... In Europe people use different messaging apps because the market is more diverse, more people use android/wp. I personally prefer whatsapp over iMessage.

 

[eawmp1]

Would like to start off by saying that I own an iPhone 5 and have owned a few others before. I consider them to be the best mobile phones on the market.
In my opinion they have the best quality feel to them and operate superbly.

But... lately I think they're starting to loose some of that appeal to me.

If Apple will announce the 5S and it's only a minor upgrade, I may change to a different manufacturer..

I'm not too fussed about specs to be honest, as long as the phone works flawlessly and feels slick.

You contradict yourself.

So how DO you improve on "the best quality feel....operate superbly."

The form factor is a rectangle touchscreen phone. All changes hereforth will be evolutionary and incremental, until some major revolution in human-device interface. If your iPhone 5 meets your needs, why upgrade (unless you are that spec-concerned latest and greatest guy)? And if the upgrade doesn't impress you, you'll change platforms? Enjoy Android.

 

[Lucille Carter]

Hi all,

Would like to start off by saying that I own an iPhone 5 and have owned a few others before. I consider them to be the best mobile phones on the market.
In my opinion they have the best quality feel to them and operate superbly.

But... lately I think they're starting to loose some of that appeal to me.

If Apple will announce the 5S and it's only a minor upgrade, I may change to a different manufacturer.

After seeing the HTC One and the new Sony Xperia Z1, the competition is definitely upping their game and their devices are impressing me more than iPhones at the moment.

I think the only reason I still have my 5 is because of iMessage. All my friends and work colleagues are part of many group chats which is extremely convenient.

I'm really hoping that Apple pull something out the bag on September 10th to convince their loyal customer base to stick with them. Make it worth our money.

You need to start looking at other phones now as if you are expecting a huge upgrade surprise, you are wasting your time.

I assume you have been around long enough to know what the "S" means.

 

[maflynn]

The advantages of HTC and more so Samsung is they roll out many designs. Take Samsung with various S4 flavors, the S3 is kicking around and the Note III was just unveiled. Since one size does not fit all, we have vendors on the android side producing products offering the consumer a wider selecting.

I myself think a Note III sized iPhone may be successful, yet at the moment Apple has a single phone.

I think the ecosystem that apple provides (iTunes/icloud/app store) are superior to what Google has but I think providing consumers more choices is a good thing.

To put it another way, apple is not losing its appeal as much as its lack of choices is constraining them compared to others - just my opinion

 

[javisan]

Hi all,

Would like to start off by saying that I own an iPhone 5 and have owned a few others before. I consider them to be the best mobile phones on the market.
In my opinion they have the best quality feel to them and operate superbly.

But... lately I think they're starting to loose some of that appeal to me.

If Apple will announce the 5S and it's only a minor upgrade, I may change to a different manufacturer.

After seeing the HTC One and the new Sony Xperia Z1, the competition is definitely upping their game and their devices are impressing me more than iPhones at the moment.

I think the only reason I still have my 5 is because of iMessage. All my friends and work colleagues are part of many group chats which is extremely convenient.

I'm really hoping that Apple pull something out the bag on September 10th to convince their loyal customer base to stick with them. Make it worth our money.

I completely understand you as I and a growing group of other users feel this way.

If it weren't for the iOS I would have left when the iPhone 5 was released. Ignore others comments, they're blinded by their love and devotion to Apple to automatically praise every new crappy update made to it (be it "S" or "new generation") and criticize everyone who has constructive criticism for Apple.

If I were running Apple, I would have had two iPhone models since about two years ago. A 4.7 inch or 5 inch "iPhone" and a 3.5 or 4.0 inch "iPhone Mini" for those people here who can't handle or need a bigger phone, both with the same power and features, the only difference being screen size. It would have been a win win for everybody. Many people who I know who have switched would not have switched if this existed. And many current Android users who only use Android because of the screen size in the devices would also change.

Unfortunately, since Apple has us tied up in the ecosystem, it very hard to just leave, but slowly, with their stagnation in the iPhone product line, they're leaving us with no other option. The problem is fanboys will gladly line up to purchase every crappy update as they will do next week. Others will just upgrade knowing the new product is a joke, but, they have no other option since they want to continue using the iOS and their current devices are too slow. If these continues, Apple will not alter the iPhone product line "gameplan" since they have no need to.

Only when sales stagnate or markedly drop, will Apple wake up and release a device worthy of the praise and buzz they receive.

 

[TC03]

Can people stop making these threads already?

The reason that you're bored is because it's going to be the seventh iPhone keynote. The seventh, eighth or ninth keynote is always less appealing than the first, second or third.

Second, keynotes have never been that special after the first. iPhone 3G: same iPhone, different back with added 3G (yay). iPhone 3GS: faster and better camera (yay). iPhone 4: new device but was nothing new due to extensive leaks. iPhone 4S: same phone, different internals. iPhone 5: new externals, but was already leaked. Etc.

The loss of appeal has nothing to do with Apple but all to do with you. Or are you still as excited for your birthday as you were when you were 7 or 8? I think not. People grow up, they get used to things, the excitement stops. Nothing new here, no reason to open a thread about it.

Cheers.

 

[Italianblend]

I think that the ios itself is just looking stale. I know we're getting ios 7, and it looks brighter and nicer, but really, it's still just an app launcher. I don't see any live info on the main screen.

So, not so much the phone, but the software that's being run on it. I think Apple doesn't tax its processors as much as the andriod devices. This can be good for lag issues, but it's really lacking in the features dept.

 

[bransoj]

The advantages of HTC and more so Samsung is they roll out many designs.

The flip side is that all the different designs can cause their own issues along with all the different flavours of Android. Seem to be a lot of Apps come to iOS first as developers can easily code knowing the OS and the screens. Start throwing in different OS's and different screen sizes and things start getting complicated. For example the Sky Go live TV streaming app seemed to take an age to come to Android and even then it was only certain versions and phones i believe.

The thing with Apple is as much the whole Apple tie in as much as just using a phone on its own. I've only a small part with 2 iPhones in the house and an iPad but its easy to share things between them and use iTunes with them. Start throwing in Macs, Apple TV etc and its a very polished experience.

The other side of this is that innovation on phones is starting to reach a level where phones have everything that is really going to be useful and purposeful. The only real next step is going to be better batteries at some point or whatever they go to to power the phone. Short of turning them into swiss army knife devices with implements on the back its now just going to be a case of changing how they look, screen sizes and chips to run them in the main. Apple seem to be refining their devices as much as anything else.

 

[aneftp]

Can people stop making these threads already?

The reason that you're bored is because it's going to be the seventh iPhone keynote. The seventh, eighth or ninth keynote is always less appealing than the first, second or third.

Second, keynotes have never been that special after the first. iPhone 3G: same iPhone, different back with added 3G (yay). iPhone 3GS: faster and better camera (yay). iPhone 4: new device but was nothing new due to extensive leaks. iPhone 4S: same phone, different internals. iPhone 5: new externals, but was already leaked. Etc.

The loss of appeal has nothing to do with Apple but all to do with you. Or are you still as excited for your birthday as you were when you were 7 or 8? I think not. People grow up, they get used to things, the excitement stops. Nothing new here, no reason to open a thread about it.

Cheers.

Sorta of correct. Despite leaks. iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 were new design changes along with new screen resolutions.

I don't think apple meant to have any design changes for the iPhone 3G. But the aluminum back of the original iPhone cause Apple to put the plastic back for better cellular reception on the 3G.

The 4S was a major major surprise. People forget everyone was expecting the "iPhone 5" to be released in 2011. And when the 4S was released people were shocked it wasn't the 5.

But the iPhone 5 and now the "5S" have been fully leaked. Maybe it's cause Steve Jobs has died and Apple is more forgiving or purposely allowing leaks to happen. I don't know.

 

[nefan65]

At some point all phone manufacturers will be faced with the same issue. Samsung is holding a special conference to address poor sales of the S4. In fact most of the negative comments about the S4 are "It's not that much different than the S3".

HTC added front facing speakers. It's a nice feature, but I wouldn't call it "innovative". I think the current financial woes of HTC reflect what most people think of HTC, IMO.

At the end of the day, it's really up to YOU to decide what's best for YOU. It's a phone, a tool, and really nothing more. Get the best tool to do the job. Luckily there's plenty of options for everyone.

 

[Interstella5555]

Who cares? If your phone isn't doing what you want get new one.

 

[javisan]

Who cares? If your phone isn't doing what you want get new one.

Please post the link where we can buy an iOS PHONE with a screen around 4.7 - 5 inches.

And please don't say use an iPad Mini. It is not a phone, is too big to be a phone, and does not fit in my pocket nicely.

The current iPhone is really the iPhone Mini, if you are content with that, great! But please accept that there are others that want a bigger screened iPhone, and expect a lot more from Apple. Nothing wrong with that.

I could care less about they keynotes, leaks, etc. I just want them to realize that one size does not fit all. At first it was ok, but not anymore, not in late 2013.

 

[JH-]

This iMessage necessity must be an US thing... In Europe people use different messaging apps because the market is more diverse, more people use android/wp. I personally prefer whatsapp over iMessage.

This is 100% true. At the company where I work most of the international employees use some form of messaging app and barely text. All the domestic employees love their iMessage. It's almost impossible to get people to move in my experience.

 

[Interstella5555]

Please post the link where we can buy an iOS PHONE with a screen around 4.7 - 5 inches.

And please don't say use an iPad Mini. It is not a phone, is too big to be a phone, and does not fit in my pocket nicely.

The current iPhone is really the iPhone Mini, if you are content with that, great! But please accept that there are others that want a bigger screened iPhone, and expect a lot more from Apple. Nothing wrong with that.

I could care less about they keynotes, leaks, etc. I just want them to realize that one size does not fit all. At first it was ok, but not anymore, not in late 2013.

I didn't tell you to buy an OS device, I told you to buy a phone that works for you. God know why someone would want a 6" phone, which again, I didn't say to get, and if you're really wed to the idea of getting a larger screen you should probably go that route. Considering there have been 5 phones that are smaller than the 5 I'm not sure how you can claim it as a mini either.

 

[Jimmy James]

The iPhone is better than ever. I can do more with it than ever, more easily. It has more appeal for me than ever.

Whether you find other phones even more appealing is another matter..,

Sorry to bring logic to the conversation.

 

[javisan]

I didn't tell you to buy an OS device, I told you to buy a phone that works for you. God know why someone would want a 6" phone, which again, I didn't say to get, and if you're really wed to the idea of getting a larger screen you should probably go that route. Considering there have been 5 phones that are smaller than the 5 I'm not sure how you can claim it as a mini either.

That's the point that you fail to see. I, and many others want a slightly bigger iPhone, not another phone.

But don't worry, I don't expect you to understand that.

Again, if you are content with what is and what will be made available next week, great for you!

 

[user-name-here]

That's the point that you fail to see. I, and many others want a slightly bigger iPhone, not another phone.

I want to win the lottery, that doesn't mean I'm going to whine about it until it becomes reality.

Deal with reality and pick the best option available.

 

[cynics]

This iMessage necessity must be an US thing... In Europe people use different messaging apps because the market is more diverse, more people use android/wp. I personally prefer whatsapp over iMessage.

I've noticed this too except from over here. Maybe it's because there are so many iPhones here it's just more convenient. If I'm texting someone with something other then an iPhone I just use normal SMS.

 

[DariusX]

Another thread like this lol.

I am an iPhone user and I do pay close attention to other companies' phones. While the latest offerings from the competition offers certain features that outshines the iPhone, I always look back and realize that in the end, the iPhone is the most well-rounded phone. Take the S4 as an example, it may have a nice screen and an octa core, yet when I run flipboard on it, it is 3x slower than my iP5.

 

[MJD Dawg]

I hear you OP.

No doubt there is some frustration at the perceived lack of innovation because Apple does have us by the short and curlies to a certain extent. But innovation on these forums tends to become a philosophical debate that cannot be won. Both sides of the debate can make valid points and be right.

But I do admit to being frustrated at how slow Apple tends to move (others might call it Apple having patience) with respect to providing new features for the iPhone.

For example, while the phone may be a tad big for my liking, Sony's new Xperia Z1 is completely waterproof and can be submerged in water to a depth of 1.5 metres for up to 30 minutes. Based on the number of threads on these boards about iPhone water damage and the dropping of iPhones in toilets, what iPhone user wouldn't appreciate a feature like this for their expensive and shiny toys?

Just seems like Jony and Company are more focused on chamfered edges and slimness than trying to actually add new and practical features to iPhone.

 

[garmin]

My biggest fear of switching to Android was that they wouldn't have all the apps that I use for iOS.

I just decided to search Google Play and discovered that ALL of the apps I used are on Android.

Some of them are even updated.

 

[Interstella5555]

That's the point that you fail to see. I, and many others want a slightly bigger iPhone, not another phone.

But don't worry, I don't expect you to understand that.

Again, if you are content with what is and what will be made available next week, great for you!

Sorry, I don't throw my money at a new phone every year, it's just a phone. It's also not hard to understand. You want iOS and you want a bigger screen. One of those is clearly a bigger priority, so stick with the one that's more important to you. But buying something and then continuing to bitch about how it doesn't fit your needs? That's just doesn't make sense.