I like the X cycle, because the new form factor is fun.
But the XS cycle get some amazing new technology sometimes.
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You don't have to justify to us! lol
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On a typical 2-year cycle would you rather be on "X" or "XS"?
- Thread starter jonhoy
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I like the X cycle, because the new form factor is fun.
But the XS cycle get some amazing new technology sometimes.
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You don't have to justify to us! lol
X, because sure the XS may be faster, but I won't have to wait another year for the major features.
I was originally on the XS cycle, but when the iPhone 5 came out I *knew* that was what I HAD to have, because of the LTE and design alone, so I switched to the X cycle and upgraded early.
Sure, the 5S got a fingerprint sensor, but I got the iPhone 6, and my 5S friends are going to have to wait another year to catch up!
I was originally on the XS cycle, but when the iPhone 5 came out I *knew* that was what I HAD to have, because of the LTE and design alone, so I switched to the X cycle and upgraded early.
Sure, the 5S got a fingerprint sensor, but I got the iPhone 6, and my 5S friends are going to have to wait another year to catch up!
I prefer being on the S cycle. The wait is hard sometimes, especially from the 3GS to 4S (the retina screen was such a leap for me).
2GB RAM? No one outside of Apple knows if they are upping the RAM this year. I certainly hope they double the RAM- but we will see.
Since in my country contracts are not that common (and we definitely don't upgrade for 199$ every 2 years, not even close to that price), I usually buy the phone if I think it's worth.
I currently own an iPhone 5, and a love it. Why I didn't buy the 6? Because I didn't find the upgrade to be as good as I would like it to be, even though I know the iPhone 6 is probably the best phone out there. I measured the pros and cons and decided to wait for the 6s.
If I buy the 6s, then I will upgrade whenever I think the new iPhone is worth that upgrade.
I currently own an iPhone 5, and a love it. Why I didn't buy the 6? Because I didn't find the upgrade to be as good as I would like it to be, even though I know the iPhone 6 is probably the best phone out there. I measured the pros and cons and decided to wait for the 6s.
If I buy the 6s, then I will upgrade whenever I think the new iPhone is worth that upgrade.
I'm already on the s cycle, so the 6/6 Plus release was inconsequential to me. And I already prefer the 4" screen size, so I'm not exactly in a hurry to switch out to a larger screen.
The big dilemma for me is whether I intend to go with a two-year upgrade cycle when the "6s" comes out presumably in September. My phone's unlocked and paid in full, so any upgrade's not tied to an arbitrary timeline. Even if the "6s" has huge performance increases and introduces a very useful feature or two (like the 5s did with the A7 processor and Touch ID), I still might wait another year and upgrade when the "7" comes out.
If I were to pick one or another, I would still go with the s cycle, simply because it maximizes the hardware performance within the established form factor, and carries over most of the other components. By carrying over stuff like the wireless chips, the new model would use components that have already had a year to work out any issues with the drivers.
The big dilemma for me is whether I intend to go with a two-year upgrade cycle when the "6s" comes out presumably in September. My phone's unlocked and paid in full, so any upgrade's not tied to an arbitrary timeline. Even if the "6s" has huge performance increases and introduces a very useful feature or two (like the 5s did with the A7 processor and Touch ID), I still might wait another year and upgrade when the "7" comes out.
If I were to pick one or another, I would still go with the s cycle, simply because it maximizes the hardware performance within the established form factor, and carries over most of the other components. By carrying over stuff like the wireless chips, the new model would use components that have already had a year to work out any issues with the drivers.
Do you guys think Apple has considered abandoning this numbering scheme, solely to keep the Galaxy S line from pulling ever further "ahead" of the iPhone in numbering? (Right now, they're at parity -- iPhone 6 / GS6 -- but if Apple sticks with the plan, it'll be iP 6S / GS7; iP 7 GS8; iP 7S GS 9... etc.)
Obviously, Apple watchers understand how things work; but I could see concern around how a "higher number sounds more advanced" to a casual consumer.
Of course, if Apple is locked into a product plan that involves redesigning the phone only every 2 years (to save $$$), I can't see them changing that just for this reason. But I'm sure the numbering issue has at least been discussed among marketing folks in Cupertino.
Obviously, Apple watchers understand how things work; but I could see concern around how a "higher number sounds more advanced" to a casual consumer.
Of course, if Apple is locked into a product plan that involves redesigning the phone only every 2 years (to save $$$), I can't see them changing that just for this reason. But I'm sure the numbering issue has at least been discussed among marketing folks in Cupertino.
Btw, to address the main question -- I have a 5C, so not on any "cycle"... but I'm sympathetic to the "work out the bugs / add more goodies" appeal of the "S" cycle, even though it is chicken-and-egg to some extent.
I also like the fact that, with an "S" phone, ppl would have to look closely to tell that you have the latest model, as opposed to having a phone that may be (at least) a year old... and I personally like that measure of "inconspicuous consumption." I think it's cool when I see someone using an older phone, even if I may prefer to actually have a newer phone! (Of course, no offense to those who take pride in showing off the latest & greatest.)
I also like the fact that, with an "S" phone, ppl would have to look closely to tell that you have the latest model, as opposed to having a phone that may be (at least) a year old... and I personally like that measure of "inconspicuous consumption." I think it's cool when I see someone using an older phone, even if I may prefer to actually have a newer phone! (Of course, no offense to those who take pride in showing off the latest & greatest.)
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If anything, Apple has shown that they follow their own timeline for implementing new features. They've established a clear pattern where the more radical architectural changes occur occur with the s cycle, while the big peripheral component changes occur alongside the styling changes.
I think there are some legitimate engineering reasons as well. Just look at where the bugs have cropped up with the recent iPhone and iOS updates. Right now, the most common issues seem to occur with the 6/6 Plus, with a lot of these bugs dealing with wireless connectivity and lagging. In both cases, you're dealing with new components -- the first Wireless-AC chip in an iPhone, and a new graphics spec. Presuming that Apple irons out these bugs, they will become non-issues with the "6s" because those components carry over.
With the 5s, the biggest launch issue was crashing and the "white screen of death." Early on, the 5s crashed twice as often as the 5. This is likely because of the new 64-bit code base, while the 5 largely carried on with the same code base as before. At the same time though, the 5s did not have the wi-fi connectivity issues that the 5 had at launch, because the two models shared the same comm chip and Apple had a year to iron out the bugs.
With this pattern, it would seem that the "6s" won't have the same bugs as the 6/6 Plus. However, any new bugs could crop up depending on how radically Apple chooses to design the A9 chip.
Do you guys think Apple has considered abandoning this numbering scheme, solely to keep the Galaxy S line from pulling ever further "ahead" of the iPhone in numbering? (Right now, they're at parity -- iPhone 6 / GS6 -- but if Apple sticks with the plan, it'll be iP 6S / GS7; iP 7 GS8; iP 7S GS 9... etc.)
Obviously, Apple watchers understand how things work; but I could see concern around how a "higher number sounds more advanced" to a casual consumer.
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Higher numbers are always better. Look at Microsoft, jumping straight to Windows 10.
Apple could jump a couple and come out with the iPhone X. That would make it much better than the Galaxy S.