Phil Schiller Says iPhone Was 'Earth-Shattering' Ten Years Ago and Remains 'Unmatched' Today

[ackmondual]

The problem I have with comments like this is that I wonder why 'better value' is important.

If I go out to buy to buy shirt or a shoes, I buy the ones that I like and nothing else. If there are shoes that are half the price but look a bit more weird, the rational man would say that those shoes are far better value. But in the end, I only want the shoes I really like, and if they cost twice as much, I'll buy those.

That's kinda how I feel about the iPhone. I could probably live my life quite happily owning a Galaxy or Huawei, but for me that's not an option. I just like the iPhone better and I don't see why I should leave it for something else. Even if that something else is cheaper that doesn't really matter to me, I use my phone daily, and for more than 2 years, from that perspectve a few hundred dollars in two years isn't that much. I simply like the iPhone better, it's my digital life, I'd gladly pay a little extra to have my digital version of me to be something I truly like.

YMMV. If someone's buying a new iPhone every year, or 2, then those extra costs do add up. And for some Apple products, you can find yourself paying up to thousands and thousands of $ more vs. other viable alternatives.

It does truly come down to preferences. I'm sure most of us here could afford to pay $50 for a 12oz can of soda. However, most of us wouldn't. We have some things we can spend more money on, whereas other areas we could easily afford to save money. Apple products are simply another consumer product that some folks are willing to overspend on, vs. others who decide it's time to move away from it.

I myself am still amazed that a $220, used, LG G4 phone works so well, but feels like a $650 phone (although IIRC, this was the MSRP a year ago), and amongst those, I've used a Samsung Galaxy s2 and s4, and read plenty about iPhones.

 

[RickInHouston]

Phil Schiller is talking out his sss.

 

[dominiongamma]

This old man needs to go and let a younger person with fresh ideas to come in.

 

[tech4all]

So, am I the last one on MacRumors who isn't either a competitor-paid troll or a really unhappy person who anxiously waits for each new article so they can post something about how terrible Apple is?

Honestly, the value of this forum is getting close to rock-bottom.

Take a look at the buyer's guide and you'll see why. The Mac Pro isn't exactly a great value. And that's just one example.

 

[teejaysyke]

Unmatched? Is that because even entry level Android phones have more features and innovation than yours at this point?

 

[Defthand]

Doing more with conversational interface than anyone else? Uh, the Siri app was more functional before Apple acquired the dev team. Just my opinion, but no, Apple is not doing more than anyone else. Heck, the original dev team's new Viv is testimony that Apple isn't doing more than anyone else.

I agree. I suspect Apple bit off more than it can chew trying to develop their AI in-house. They uncharacteristically shared a portion of their R&D findings with the world recently; obviously to solicit, or earn use of, open-source research.

I realize that any AI is a monumental achievement but, ultimately, Siri’s performance and value to me has been underwhelming. Honestly, I wouldn’t miss it.

 

[sleepydinosaur]

Sensors that can integrate with Siri so she knows when the phone is being held (and therefore a display can be read) vs when she is set down on a surface and therefore needs to respond audibly to a query. I think the phone already has that ability to communicate to Siri in such a way but if it does, it's not working for me.

I would also like her to somehow not mangle every other clearly uttered sentence so badly as she does. Actually, she used to transcribe my words very well but her accuracy has fallen off dramatically in the past few months and I don't know why.

I also would like compatibility with VR in much the same way Samsung works with Oculus. I know that's a battery killer and a niche use so I understand why people and Apple would NOT want this, but for me, the ability to access VR worlds on my smart phone does feel revolutionary, perhaps because I'm the generation that first experienced digital gaming in the very basic form of the game "Pong" so VR seems so incredible to me, because I have experienced first hand how far we've come.

I'd like integration with my automobile so I can unlock my car with my phone. I think that capability exists but I don't have it yet.

Going much further beyond 2017, I'd like to be able to aim my iPhone at myself or my pets and detect simple ailments like with a Star Trek tricorder.

HAHAHAHA Love it! maybe a feature where I can point it at my daughter to see if she is telling the truth about having homework?

I basically agree with you but I doubt the peanut gallery would consider those "Revolutionary" features. Personally, I'd love Siri to know my habits better and to anticipate things I di every single day like muting the ringer when I get to work (and subsequently un-mute when I leave), only play downloaded tracks from my phone when not in Wi-Fi (unless I elect otherwise) and things like. Which I fully agree aren't revolutionary.

Basically, I don't see where there's much if any revolutionary features to add at this point.

 

[Defthand]

If you ever thought it was irritating to sit in the restaurant where all of your friends are busy texting, Instagramming their food and updating FB status to "OMG havin' so much fun with my girlz LOL", imagine all those people TALKING to their devices at the same time.

I wouldn’t worry. People have lost the ability to speak.

 

[lewismayell]

The only reason we still buy iPhones is because we're stuck in the Apple ecosystem, every year we wait for the keynote only to be disappointed by the "new" features, **** Phil Schiller

 

[mtcowdog]

iPhone was earth-shattering in 2007. Yep. Hard to imagine today, but that's completely true. But iPhone's position today is so very tight with the competition. I remember hearing Apple was 5 years ahead with the iPhone when it was first released. Now they are consistent and mostly at the top among vicious competition. Could they have kept their lead? I don't know. But at some level I think they chose the short term profit stream over the risk of innovation.

 

[LordVic]

The problem I have with comments like this is that I wonder why 'better value' is important.

If I go out to buy to buy shirt or a shoes, I buy the ones that I like and nothing else. If there are shoes that are half the price but look a bit more weird, the rational man would say that those shoes are far better value. But in the end, I only want the shoes I really like, and if they cost twice as much, I'll buy those.

That's kinda how I feel about the iPhone. I could probably live my life quite happily owning a Galaxy or Huawei, but for me that's not an option. I just like the iPhone better and I don't see why I should leave it for something else. Even if that something else is cheaper that doesn't really matter to me, I use my phone daily, and for more than 2 years, from that perspectve a few hundred dollars in two years isn't that much. I simply like the iPhone better, it's my digital life, I'd gladly pay a little extra to have my digital version of me to be something I truly like.

Value doesn't mean cost.

Value is an intangible that is going to always been individual. Just like you find value in the design of your shirt, than that's acceptable

So a "better value" to some one else may entirely be up to someone else's personal preference. And to them, cost might be an important factor.

It doesn't have to be for you.

 

[apolloa]

Thanks for adding your complaint.
[doublepost=1483994887][/doublepost]

Of course you'd say the same thing if Apple released a Pet Rock.

Oh I think the name 'iRock' would suit the pretentiousness of some Apple fans quite well....

 

[jav6454]

Other smartphones had GPS that could actually do turn by turn, install applications, support 3G, good quality cameras ( for the time ) etc etc.

Only thing iPhone could do well was a nice interface. Other aspects were pretty hohum.

I'm not saying otherwise. You are. Jobs' keynote focused on the easiness of any task vs what people were used too back then.

Just recall how Apple tackled voicemail, SMS and basic apps (hell even YouTube) vs what the industry did. SMS used to be a clunky mess, voicemail you had to call in, watching YouTube? Goodluck if your phone did not support flash or had the capacity to.

 

[Glassed Silver]

"I'm so glad the team years ago set out to create Siri -- I think we do more with that conversational interface that anyone else..."

I'm a bit confused by this part of his quote. Is he somehow giving credit to Apple for creating Siri or is he giving credit to the team of devs that actually created Siri? If it's the latter, okay. Those guys did do nice work. If it's the former, then revising history is probably not the best way to make a point.

Doing more with conversational interface than anyone else? Uh, the Siri app was more functional before Apple acquired the dev team. Just my opinion, but no, Apple is not doing more than anyone else. Heck, the original dev team's new Viv is testimony that Apple isn't doing more than anyone else.

It goes to show just how unfit his commentary is for tech blogs and news with a critical readership.

Your average soccer mom sneezing at "buying an Android" will suck it up and that's enough. The Fox News, CNN etc... coverage is where it's at.

However, unlike some I don't think that this kind of low-key dishonesty is going to pay off long-term.

More critical folks like us are the ones giving shopping advice, buying tech as presents, fixing ordinary people's things, especially as Apple Stores aren't located in everyone's city, not by a long shot!

I do very much love my new iPhone I got last week, but I'm still kind of surprised it ever got to the point where I legitimately had to say that an older iPhone would suit me better then "whatever new is out there".

That's one of the things that I always loved about the iPhone. If you got used to something you had no fear of losing it.
Screen-size options aside (if you do like smaller) pretty much anything got improved upon or at least remeained.

I've heard a lot of Android users say "I loved feature xyz in my last phone, too bad I couldn't get that with this one".

NEVER BEEN AN iPHONE USER CONCERN.

R.I.P. Headphone jack, but as long as I need it, this iPhone 6s Plus will be a great daily driver.

HOWEVER, make no mistake, I do NOT think the iPhone is unmatched. I'm quite disappointed to see Apple being so complacent.

Glassed Silver:mac

 

[Savor]

The iPhone was 7 years ahead of its time in 2007. 2014 and it was behind the times. Because colour options and missing features isn't innovation. It's desperation.

More like five years ahead of its time as what Steve said back in 2007. By 2012, Android really started to mature with Jelly Bean's Project Butter and better hardware. The first iPhone was revolutionary because the OS was so slick compared to anything out there. Multi-touch was amazing when we first saw it. Android manufacturers caught up years ago once going 4.7" or beyond and 1080p became standard by 2013 while Apple was still stuck with a 4" 640p iPhone 5s.

The only thing unmatched is the price

I am all Apple, Macbook PRO iPad, iPhone ... 'till a few weeks ago, when my beloved 6s died on me (water hazard). I just did not want to spend top dollar on an outdated device like the iPhone 7. So I gave the Galaxy Edge 7 a chance ...
Just WOW. The Hardware is WAY better than the Apple stuff: Battery, Camera, Display, this is so much better and it's 2/3rd of the price of an iPhone 7! Yeah, Schiller, the Apple Marketing Comanche, did not expect anything else from him...

Looks like my first step away from apple.... And btw., pay your damn taxes already you thieves ...

Apple's biggest seller are iPhones but it is also the ones with the highest failure rate.

2010

2016

According to the study global data security firm Blancco Technology Group, iOS devices had a 58 percent failure rate while Android smartphones reported an overall failure rate of 35 percent in the second quarter of 2016.

It is the first time that Apple's devices have a lower performance rate compared to Android, Softpedia reported.

iPhone 6 had the highest failure rate of 29 percent, followed by iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

For this, the study revealed the device failure rates by operating systems, manufacturers, models and regions.

In the first quarter of 2016, Android smartphones had an overall failure rate of 44 percent.

"Samsung, Lenovo, and LeTV were among the manufacturers with the weakest performance and higher failure rates. Samsung scored 26 percent in failure rate, while Motorola just 11 percent," the findings showed.
_

You see why I am very picky with the phone brands just like computer brands? I have stated before that the only phone brands I can trust are the pioneers - Motorola and Nokia. Moto is only at 11%. They make them tough. I will throw in LG because they are the only ones still offering removable battery although that could change this year with the G6 and their skin isn't something I like. Motorola and Nokia have been making phones for decades. Samsung and Apple have been the phone game for much shorter and Samsung hasn't sat on that throne for that long ever since Nokia's Trojan horse CEO gambled on the losing platform called Windows Phone.

Apple,

Please get back into desktop computing. Stop messing around with the iToys for all the little boys and girls with low self-esteem trying to look cool when every schmuck inside a bus with a minimum wage job already owns an iToy and when Apple's most popular product (iPhone 6/6 Plus, 100M sold) have a failure far higher than MacBooks. Nothing special owning an iPhone. Every damn d-bag owns one working at McDonald's. It felt special maybe that first year and never again after that once they dropped it to $199 with contract or when iPhone 4 went to Verizon. You want durablilty? Get Panasonic. Their Toughbooks and point and shoot cameras have the lowest failure ratings.

Gawd, I miss Panasonic and Nokia. I preferred Panasonic over Sony at almost everything. And I prefer Nokia over Samsung with phones by a colossal margin. Apple is better at desktop computing, their roots. Their product reliability in mobile is now questionable in both hardware and software. Does Tim really believe iOS' 58% failure can replace OS X and have the iPad Pro kill off the MacBook Air and PC in general? Get real.

The top two global phone sellers (Samsung, Apple) are like betting on the wrong horses no different than me trusting Lenovo, HP, Dell, and Gateway with their PC.

Television - Samsung, LG
Services - Google (why I prefer Android)
Mobile - Motorola, Nokia, LG
Tablets - Apple
Computers - Apple (esp laptops)
Digital Cameras - Panasonic, Canon, Nikon
Consoles/Handhelds - Sony, Nintendo

Balance your products because they each have a forte in areas but weaknesses in others.

 

[ryanwarsaw]

Yeah, at no point did I not dispute Apple's Dominant position in sales. I am not one fo those people who didn't think the iPhone didn't shake up the industry. it did. Absolutely was "earth breaking" or whatever verbiage you wish to apply.

Simple put, while in 2006/7 there were other manufacturers playing with the same ideas, Apple was really the first to make those ideas reality. There are many reasons for this, From their secrecy to lack of legacy phones / tech that they had to continue. Apple was able to focus it's undivided attention to ensuring they got their overall package out first. And they did it in typical Apple style. Take a "geeky" idea that doesn't have broad consumer appeal, put it in a fancy and beautiful package, and sell it as something "magical"

it absolutely shook up the landscape.

and it IS one of the best phones you can buy today.

but to claim that the iPhone today is "unmatched" is the argument. it's disingenuous and purposely ignores that from a technology standpoint, Apple's iPhone does not stand ahead of the pack anymore. it's right in the fight with a dozen other manufacturers who are all offering some form of parity product. each devices has slight variances to differentiate itself, But there's nothing about the iPhone that makes it overwhelmingly stand above and beyond everything else.

There's also the confusion thinking that sales = Quality. sales and popularity is not an indication of quality. Profits are also not an indication of quality, but only a metric of differences between sales revenue and expenses. (again, i'm not saying anything about Apple's iPhone quality, i'm just saying repeating the sales and profit as some magic proof of Apple's quality is not valid as there's no direct causation. Lots of bad quality stuff has sold amazingly. Just look at all the "pop" music we listen to everyday. nsync wasn't exactly a pinnacle of music quality or creativity )

Okay the iPhone is the best phone available to buy today. It can't even be argued because I am unwilling to argue. Try refuting that.

 

[LordVic]

"I'm so glad the team years ago set out to create Siri -- I think we do more with that conversational interface that anyone else..."

I'm a bit confused by this part of his quote. Is he somehow giving credit to Apple for creating Siri or is he giving credit to the team of devs that actually created Siri? If it's the latter, okay. Those guys did do nice work. If it's the former, then revising history is probably not the best way to make a point.

Doing more with conversational interface than anyone else? Uh, the Siri app was more functional before Apple acquired the dev team. Just my opinion, but no, Apple is not doing more than anyone else. Heck, the original dev team's new Viv is testimony that Apple isn't doing more than anyone else.

Schiller has always worded stuff this way Intentionally to provide ambiguity

He doesn't mind people taking the implication that Apple invented Siri. But it's worded in such a way that he doesn't actually say it, so he's not actually claiming it.


To be fair. Even jobs often talked this way. It's marketing at its most manipulating. How to convince the world of something without having to stand behind a claim.

 

[TBN27]

Unmatched is too broad, broken down into categories yes it's unmatched and hell no it's not unmatched. Reliability. Arguably yes it is unmatched. Software support. Absolutely unmatched. OS features and phone features arguably it's behind. So it can't match others depending on how you look at it. Camera quality, it's middling so not it's not unmatched tech support, virtually unmatched. It's hard t say for Apple to look back to the beginning to make the phone more sophisticated and feature rich like android smartphones but the fact is the current iPhone is beyond what it was. Apple is going to have to copy feature to add features albeit more useful or convenient along with making it reliable to be unmatched again.

 

[dumastudetto]

Oh I think the name 'iRock' would suit the pretentiousness of some Apple fans quite well....

At least we're doing it on an Apple orientated site. I often wonder why some people are still posting on news articles when their post history is literally hundreds upon hundreds of posts criticising Apple products, the Apple executive team, and the people on here who love using Apple products - day after day after day.

If I felt the same way about Apple as some of the critics on here, I would not waste another moment posting on MacRumors. I'd go find new products that serve my needs, join new communities of people who use these new products I've chosen, and move on with my life.

I certainly wouldn't line up on MacRumors each day waiting for news articles to arrive so I can start blasting away with silly comments that include the tired old keywords like 'courage' and 'can't innovate my ass' still believing doing this is original and clever.

 

[LordVic]

Okay the iPhone is the best phone available to buy today. It can't even be argued because I am unwilling to argue. Try refuting that.

There can be no debate / argument if one side is unwilling to even listen nor sonsider the opinion of someone they don't agree with.

So while I cannot argue your premise of "the best smartphone today", I can argue the premise of being closed minded to opinions other than your own. One does not have to accept another's opinion as their own, but when confronted with opposition, one should never ignore that the opposing side has merit to their point.

So, giving that, and a closed minded position, it's reasonable to asses that your own opinion isn't based on a standpoint that has taken all considerations into affect, since that closed minded individual has not in fact listened to others respective viewpoints.

Thus, evidences that if one were to say such a thing, without also saying why they think so, than their opinion cannot by nature be taken as objectively true, and I am clear to say, that the iPhone is in fact NOT the best phone you can buy today


So. Refuted

 

[JosephAW]

The real question is if I plug in the original iPhone into my 2016 MBP will it sync with MacOS?

 

[DeepIn2U]

Apple Inc,

It took me a couple years, and I've bounced back and forth - due to work obligations and tech support for the end user, but I'm gratefully thank ful for introducing the iPhone! I STILL get chills.

Special thanks to Scott Forstall for winning the challenge that Steve Jobs placed on him and that other guy from iPod fame (but he's also to thank as well for great music in our pockets).

Jobs was won over at initial scolling, I was won at: Web, real HTML email, real applications and multi-touch!

Today ... loving my iPhone 6S and will upgrade just about every year out of pocket.

PS: funny thing work now is going over to iOS as a standard LMAO imagine that!

iOS won over the enterprise that Apple has sought so long and hard for ... iPad entrenched deeply (Aviation replacing HUGE binders of printed text - saving printer costs and environment, efficiencies for searching and using documentation).

Apple what's next?
Hosted macOS on the cheap for anyone still not figuring out iOS can replace the desktop or finding limitations.

 

[apolloa]

At least we're doing it on an Apple orientated site. I often wonder why some people are still posting on news articles when their post history is literally hundreds upon hundreds of posts criticising Apple products, the Apple executive team, and the people on here who love using Apple products - day after day after day.

If I felt the same way about Apple as some of the critics on here, I would not waste another moment posting on MacRumors. I'd go find new products that serve my needs, join new communities of people who use these new products I've chosen, and move on with my life.

I certainly wouldn't line up on MacRumors each day waiting for news articles to arrive so I can start blasting away with silly comments that include the tired old keywords like 'courage' and 'can't innovate my ass' still believing doing this is original and clever.

Off you go then.... how old are you?

 

[DeepIn2U]

It's mind-boggling that Siri has been around on the iPhone for nearly six years and hasn't gotten much smarter in ways that would actually be beneficial to me. I hope they eventually develop a Siri standalone app and APIs that allow people to specify third-party applications Siri should use for directions, weather, etc.

It would also be nice if we could use a standalone Siri app to develop complex workflows that could then be triggered with a simple voice command. If Apple does something like this, Siri will be head and shoulders ahead of the competition instead of lagging further and further behind.

EDITED Quote:

For me I'd like Siri to have some built in local API's that it can use and developers as well. With Siri enabled some functions for the local assistant are gone and Siri is useless without data connection for the following:
Date
Time
Volume
Launching any application (after all our apps are local, launching should work)
I don't need to be connected to internet for:
* Taking local Notes
* viewing a cached web page in reader mode
* viewing pictures saved on the device
* typing a text message to be sent when cellular connectivity is gained (BBOS/BB10/ some Androids can do this, why not iOS?)
* compass - is there a 'magnetic north' that can work without a data connection?
* webpage address that can refresh to connect and resolve when connectivity is gained?
* music playback (Playlists/Track Selection/Genre Selection - all cached songs on iPhone/iOS)
* Dictation for typing a document entry?

I'm sure a few of these can be done locally. Plus with local items already on the device Siri can be much more efficient at looking for results vs using data for feedback/answer.
Example:
'Siri what is the time, and day of the week?'
- Siri answers using a local data and API
'Siri what time is it in Alcapulco?'
- Siri can calculate timezone and provide the time. If I can choose a timezone locally when setting up date/time, then Siri shouldn't require data either. Siri could answer 'The time is approximately ...'
Another command:
"Siri, set a reminder to call 'mom' when I reach *work*' or '100 King Street West, Toronto ON'.
Work = can previously be saved so when Siri does get a data connection can update the reminder with proper coordinates/location and sound off, or specific address not previously saved can do the same. Maybe even provide walking/driving directions if the updated data connection shows you've past the mark.

intelligence for an assistant is always based off relevance.

 

[Bacillus]

EarthShattering Phil? Let us move a bunch of icons at the same time - as we asked for, for 10 years
And then move yourself