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That "smoke and mirrors trickery" is actually called "a quality product." So much so that even the lowly 3GS has outsold most new Android devices. When you make only one (or at most two) phones, and the competition makes an ocean of them, your paltry two models had better be damn good. And we've seen that they are.

Maybe when the competition decides it's time to get serious about the User Experience and adopt a vertical business model, controlling the experience right through from cradle to grave, they can achieve what Apple does with their "smoke and mirrors."


"Quality and performance" are the reasons for the sales volume. When you sell only two phones against hundreds (if not more) of competing devices at all price points, nailing quality and performance is an absolute necessity.

I really don't think it's the quality or performance of an iPhone that sells so many of them. Are they decent phones? Yes. Are they better than all the other smartphones out there? Highly debatable, and really comes down to personal preference.

iPhones sell because of the logo on the back. That logo does not represent as you said, "quality and performance", it represents a fashion statement. iPhones are "cooler" then other phones out there, just as iPods are to their competition. There's nothing inherently wrong with iOS, but there are other mobile OS's with a decent amount of more features and better ones, and vice versa. The average consumer is pretty unlikely to really compare say, iOS and Android side by side. What they do is use one or the other and pick that one. Or possibly, try neither and pick the one of which the marketing appeals most to them. Which Apple is insanely good at, hence the smoke and mirrors.

Point is, whether or not the iPhone really is a quality product, is mostly irrelevant to its sales. It could be a worthless piece of junk, and it would still make a tidy profit for Apple. It's a shiny, sleek looking phone that a well known high end electronics company has cleverly marketed the hell out of.
 
I really don't think it's the quality or performance of an iPhone that sells so many of them. Are they decent phones? Yes. Are they better than all the other smartphones out there? Highly debatable, and really comes down to personal preference.

iPhones sell because of the logo on the back. That logo does not represent as you said, "quality and performance", it represents a fashion statement. iPhones are "cooler" then other phones out there, just as iPods are to their competition. There's nothing inherently wrong with iOS, but there are other mobile OS's with a decent amount of more features and better ones, and vice versa. The average consumer is pretty unlikely to really compare say, iOS and Android side by side. What they do is use one or the other and pick that one. Or possibly, try neither and pick the one of which the marketing appeals most to them. Which Apple is insanely good at, hence the smoke and mirrors.

Point is, whether or not the iPhone really is a quality product, is mostly irrelevant to its sales. It could be a worthless piece of junk, and it would still make a tidy profit for Apple. It's a shiny, sleek looking phone that a well known high end electronics company has cleverly marketed the hell out of.

This entire post is completely opinion based, and it is your opinion alone. I don't enjoy you putting words in my mouth and I don't think others enjoy it either. To be honest it would seem that your post, which is not based on facts what-so-ever, stands only to suggest that you need to justify the popularity of Apple products in your own mind.

The average consumer is pretty unlikely to really compare say, iOS and Android side by side. What they do is use one or the other and pick that one. Or possibly, try neither and pick the one of which the marketing appeals most to them. Which Apple is insanely good at, hence the smoke and mirrors.

Also it isn't always good practice to assume everyone who buys a luxury product such as a smartphone does so without doing some research. A typical buyer of these items are more intelligent than this.

Personally I choose iOS for their ecosystem. Their synergy between all of my devices and software offerings is more favorable to my lifestyle. If I could have this same software on another hardware I would honestly consider it. If the logo on the back says Samsung, HTC, or Motorola it would not matter as long as I could have my ecosystem. It is just convenient that Apple makes great hardware for their software.
 
I really don't think it's the quality or performance of an iPhone that sells so many of them. Are they decent phones? Yes. Are they better than all the other smartphones out there? Highly debatable, and really comes down to personal preference.

iPhones sell because of the logo on the back. That logo does not represent as you said, "quality and performance", it represents a fashion statement. iPhones are "cooler" then other phones out there, just as iPods are to their competition. There's nothing inherently wrong with iOS, but there are other mobile OS's with a decent amount of more features and better ones, and vice versa. The average consumer is pretty unlikely to really compare say, iOS and Android side by side. What they do is use one or the other and pick that one. Or possibly, try neither and pick the one of which the marketing appeals most to them. Which Apple is insanely good at, hence the smoke and mirrors.

Point is, whether or not the iPhone really is a quality product, is mostly irrelevant to its sales. It could be a worthless piece of junk, and it would still make a tidy profit for Apple. It's a shiny, sleek looking phone that a well known high end electronics company has cleverly marketed the hell out of.
Very well said!

It's very refreshing to see someone such as yourself with an intelligent, well though out response, express it so eloquently.

I like Apple products as much as the next person, but know what they are capable of. When they falter, because of what appears on the outside to be nothing more than negligent coasting along, then I speak out.

Just where was the testing and quality control checks during the business of designing and shipping the iPhone 4? The number of faults beyond just Antennagate I find totally unacceptable.

A very revealing fact, is just weeks after the Antennagate uproar, Apple advertised for, and hired antenna specialists. Why AFTER the fact? Why not deal with the problem _before_ foisting off a bad product on the public?

Once again, the follow up iPhone 4S, brings us Batterygate. Is this Apple's best work? Absolutely not, I know better.

I've been a very loyal Apple customer buying laptops & desktops in multiples since my first PowerBook 170 in 1991.

Why should I remain silent during this time of questionable Apple performance?

They are continuing to represent themselves as the "Premier" computer and smartphone maker, and as such it's their duty to deliver on their claims of "it just works".

If it's just works, how does one explain away the litany of problems? Simple really, their cult like followers do it for them.

Apple has work to do. Those who don't believe that, have their heads in the sand.
 
Very well said!

It's very refreshing to see someone such as yourself with an intelligent, well though out response, express it so eloquently.

I like Apple products as much as the next person, but know what they are capable of. When they falter, because of what appears on the outside to be nothing more than negligent coasting along, then I speak out.

Just where was the testing and quality control checks during the business of designing and shipping the iPhone 4? The number of faults beyond just Antennagate I find totally unacceptable.

A very revealing fact, is just weeks after the Antennagate uproar, Apple advertised for, and hired antenna specialists. Why AFTER the fact? Why not deal with the problem _before_ foisting off a bad product on the public?

Once again, the follow up iPhone 4S, brings us Batterygate. Is this Apple's best work? Absolutely not, I know better.

I've been a very loyal Apple customer buying laptops & desktops in multiples since my first PowerBook 170 in 1991.

Why should I remain silent during this time of questionable Apple performance?

They are continuing to represent themselves as the "Premier" computer and smartphone maker, and as such it's their duty to deliver on their claims of "it just works".

If it's just works, how does one explain away the litany of problems? Simple really, their cult like followers do it for them.

Apple has work to do. Those who don't believe that, have their heads in the sand.

You seem to have a real love hate relationship with Apple. To be honest I never thought I would call someone an iSheep, but you seem to be blindly buying their products both past, present, and future, and yet seem to have the most complaints about their quality. If you don't like it so much then stop buying them? Or would that hurt your personal vendetta and reasoning to post here?
 
Food for thought.

Here are a few of my thoughts.

1) I am not here to argue or insult you. That's my truth.

2) I _do_ respect you, and your position even when it differs from mine.

3) I have a lot of passion for Apple and have been a very, very loyal ongoing customer since 1991.

4) I have purchased many new PowerBooks, PowerBook G3's & G4's, MacBook Pros, Quadra's, Several Generations of PowerMacs, and Mac Pro's.

5) My point is not to brag, but rather to reveal my commitment, experience and loyalty to Apple... even when they have not always been up to par. I am not a fair weather Mac Enthusiast.


It's obvious that you are also quite passionate about Apple.

So at the end of the day, there's no point in responding point by point to your post.

I'd rather share a mutual respect for each others position. Celebrate the fact that we both really like Apple and their products.

In our own ways, we both want to see them do the next right thing, and produce the world class products they are capable of.

Cheers… :)
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)



Who the **** knows what a gs2 is?

I'm pretty sure its a La Marzocco Espresso Machine but hey you could probably ask the barista next to you in line.
 
I thought the ad was dead-on. I'm on my second iPhone (a 3gs) but I've been considering a Samsung Galaxy II S for about a month (contract is up in two more weeks).

Really, the only things keeping me from definitely jumping over are that it would be much easier to upgrade to another iPhone, rather than move everything over to Google/Android, which isn't a good reason at all, and SIRI. Not sure if SIRI is worth it when I compare the many advantages the Samsung has over the 4S.

And yes, I've played with them both, co-workers of mine have one each. I'm still deciding.
 
This ad shows how fanboys tend to get hurt by a simple ad. All companies mock each other, Apple does exact same thing and don't even deny it.
 
I thought the commercial was rather funny.

Lets face it...the stereotype is pretty well acknowledged.

Apple = creative barista (lol)
Android = geek

While it is misleading for Samsung to bring up battery life, their comments about 4G and large screens are well warranted.

Remember people...competition is good; fanboyism is bad.
 
What I find interesting is that even while lampooning them, Samsung is acknowledging in their own commercial the demand and desirability for Apple products. When have we ever seen line-ups outside Samsung retailers for their newest phone or tablet?

So right. Nothing more to say really is there? Except maybe to acknowledge that Samsung even ripped off the iPhone design too.

Very sad.

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I thought the commercial was rather funny.

Lets face it...the stereotype is pretty well acknowledged.

Apple = creative barista (lol)
Android = geek

While it is misleading for Samsung to bring up battery life, their comments about 4G and large screens are well warranted.

Remember people...competition is good; fanboyism is bad.

So is trolling and dictating how people should behave.
 

You throw these links in at every opportunity you can, aren't you tired of it yet? If you're going to use them, at least use them where they actually make sense. Customer satisfaction != best smartphone.
 
It's harder to say "Samsung Galaxy S II" than it is to say "Apple iPhone 4S"……

Really? Is there so much difference between "Ass, too" and "For Ass"...?

----------

I thought the ad was dead-on. I'm on my second iPhone (a 3gs) but I've been considering a Samsung Galaxy II S for about a month (contract is up in two more weeks).

Really, the only things keeping me from definitely jumping over are that it would be much easier to upgrade to another iPhone, rather than move everything over to Google/Android, which isn't a good reason at all, and SIRI. Not sure if SIRI is worth it when I compare the many advantages the Samsung has over the 4S.

And yes, I've played with them both, co-workers of mine have one each. I'm still deciding.

I switched from an iPhone to the Galaxy S2 and never regretted that decision even for a second. The Galaxy S2 is the much better phone and Android is the much better software platform -- FOR ME.

Siri... Yeah, a cute little feature with A LOT of marketing behind it. But it's actually a feature that Android phones have had for YEARS now, even in different varieties. Just without the marketing tam tam behind it, which is probably why most people don't even know that their Android phones also have outstanding voice recognition software included.

Downoad the FREE SpeakToIt software on an Android phone and you even have a custom personal assistant with an actual face and not just a voice. Or use one of the other also free alternatives.

Really, Siri is nice, but not a black magic voodoo killer feature. Other mothers have beautiful daughters, too, as we say here in Germany.
 
I love this commercial.

Here is a touch of Apple supremacy at its finest though via an attached image.
 

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I really don't think it's the quality or performance of an iPhone that sells so many of them. Are they decent phones? Yes. Are they better than all the other smartphones out there? Highly debatable, and really comes down to personal preference.

iPhones sell because of the logo on the back. That logo does not represent as you said, "quality and performance", it represents a fashion statement. iPhones are "cooler" then other phones out there, just as iPods are to their competition. There's nothing inherently wrong with iOS, but there are other mobile OS's with a decent amount of more features and better ones, and vice versa. The average consumer is pretty unlikely to really compare say, iOS and Android side by side. What they do is use one or the other and pick that one. Or possibly, try neither and pick the one of which the marketing appeals most to them. Which Apple is insanely good at, hence the smoke and mirrors.

Point is, whether or not the iPhone really is a quality product, is mostly irrelevant to its sales. It could be a worthless piece of junk, and it would still make a tidy profit for Apple. It's a shiny, sleek looking phone that a well known high end electronics company has cleverly marketed the hell out of.

Boom. Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a winner. Round of applause please.
 
I thought the ad was pretty spot on. And in MY opinion - it's ok to not find it funny or amusing. But for people to get irate, annoyed or some other visceral response towards Samsung or be so defensive about their iPhones/Apple says a lot more about them then about the ad.

my .02
 
Customer satisfaction != best smartphone.

That is the only measure that actually makes sense. At the end of the day, it all comes down to one simple thing: customer satisfaction. That is all that matters - that is where the rubber hits the road. It's where all the features, numbers, stats - all that technology actually comes together and is put to the ultimate test, whether it all actually works the way it should when PEOPLE use it.
 
That is the only measure that actually makes sense. At the end of the day, it all comes down to one simple thing: customer satisfaction. That is all that matters - that is where the rubber hits the road. It's where all the features, numbers, stats - all that technology actually comes together and is put to the ultimate test, whether it all actually works the way it should when PEOPLE use it.

Best smartphone is completely subjective. Yes you can do surveys - but at the end of the day "best smartphone" is the one that is best for the individual - not group.

the BEST smartphone for you is not necc. the BEST smartphone for me. And if only 10 percent (for example) of the people consider one phone to be the best and are satisfied with it doesn't make it any less the BEST for me (for example).

Again - all subjective. Marketing points for sure. But subjective.
 
That is the only measure that actually makes sense. At the end of the day, it all comes down to one simple thing: customer satisfaction. That is all that matters - that is where the rubber hits the road. It's where all the features, numbers, stats - all that technology actually comes together and is put to the ultimate test, whether it all actually works the way it should when PEOPLE use it.

That measure makes absolutely no sense in the context you used it (the question posed was will Apple build the best smartphone ever, you used customer survey awards to say they already have).

You can try to justify it all you like, it doesn't make it so. Winning customer satisfaction surveys means exactly that, you keep your customers happy more than other companies (within the context of the survey). Having a quality product (which the iPhone is) helps, but your logic is flawed. Please show me the evidence in these surveys that indicates they make the best phone (edit - just to be clear I don't believe there is a 'best phone', everyone has their own needs and should buy accordingly).

Its perfectly possible that a company can make an inferior product but still provide the best level of service. A prime example is O2. They won best overall broadband provider in the UK this year based on customer surveys, but I can assure you they are not the best provider in the UK.
 
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What I find interesting is that even while lampooning them, Samsung is acknowledging in their own commercial the demand and desirability for Apple products. When have we ever seen line-ups outside Samsung retailers for their newest phone or tablet?

The return/exchange line after the galaxy tab 10.1 launch in NYC was pretty long .. IIRC the iPad 2 16GB wifi models went out of stock pretty quickly around the same time :)
 
Best smartphone is completely subjective. Yes you can do surveys - but at the end of the day "best smartphone" is the one that is best for the individual - not group.

the BEST smartphone for you is not necc. the BEST smartphone for me. And if only 10 percent (for example) of the people consider one phone to be the best and are satisfied with it doesn't make it any less the BEST for me (for example).

Again - all subjective. Marketing points for sure. But subjective.

When there's no arguing with customer satisfaction results (consistent, year to year), then just call everything "subjective" and move on.
 
When there's no arguing with customer satisfaction results (consistent, year to year), then just call everything "subjective" and move on.

Do you agree or disagree that the BEST smart phone is subjective because it ultimately comes down to the individual user?
 
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