The Hardware is only the gateway to the Software...

[samcraig]

Look - it occurs to me after reading some reports that eventually there's only so much you can do with a redesign/adding hardware and meet expectations. That's why the current possible specs for tomorrow aren't necessarily incredible. Larger screen, more ram, faster processor, etc. Important. But at the end of the day - not as OOOH AHHH as perhaps some previous years. While those specs are important - the real differentiators has and always be the software. And if you NEED (if Apple makes it a forced issue) updated hardware to run the latest software and Apps - then they don't have to OOH and AHH you with specs - they just need to keep them competitive against other devices while they keep enhancing iOS.

Considering the above - it might be more important to OOH and AHHH with iOS then the actual phone.

 

[PhoneI]

Apple isn't selling iOS5 for $299 with a new contract though

 

[samcraig]

Apple isn't selling iOS5 for $299 with a new contract though

All Apple has to do - realistically - is up the specs each year and make tweak a bit. iOS is what will get people to switch or upgrade the phone. If they release new features that are not supported on older devices - the user has no choice. So the end user is either left with a device that is no longer really supported and/or lacking features.

Consider the reverse. If IOS stayed the same - but just the hardware changed - why would you really upgrade?

 

[PhoneI]

All Apple has to do - realistically - is up the specs each year and make tweak a bit. iOS is what will get people to switch or upgrade the phone. If they release new features that are not supported on older devices - the user has no choice. So the end user is either left with a device that is no longer really supported and/or lacking features.

Consider the reverse. If IOS stayed the same - but just the hardware changed - why would you really upgrade?

Im getting iOS5 for free anyway on my iPhone 4.

 

[samcraig]

Im getting iOS5 for free anyway on my iPhone 4.

Yes - but it might not have every feature that someone with an iPhone 4S/5 will have because it lacks the appropriate hardware. That's my point.

 

[Patriot24]

We live in an extremely materialistic society where status is important. For many, having the latest design of an iPhone that differentiates them from others is extremely appealing.

Logical or not, there are a large portion of folks who buy an iPhone on the merits of status alone. Many probably have no idea what "iOS" is if you asked them.

 

[Tones2]

Look - it occurs to me after reading some reports that eventually there's only so much you can do with a redesign/adding hardware and meet expectations. That's why the current possible specs for tomorrow aren't necessarily incredible. Larger screen, more ram, faster processor, etc. Important. But at the end of the day - not as OOOH AHHH as perhaps some previous years. While those specs are important - the real differentiators has and always be the software. And if you NEED (if Apple makes it a forced issue) updated hardware to run the latest software and Apps - then they don't have to OOH and AHH you with specs - they just need to keep them competitive against other devices while they keep enhancing iOS.

Considering the above - it might be more important to OOH and AHHH with iOS then the actual phone.

If by software you mean the O/S, I can't disagree more. Over time, most O/S's gravitate toward doing the same thing - a platform to host the applications running on it. I never understood the O/S wars issue - I have a Mac and a PC and an iPhone and have tried Androids, and I could care less about the O/S.

That said, the iOS platform certainly has MORE apps than Android at this point at least, which DOES mean something. However, it's really about which apps a person specifically needs.

As for hardware, if like PCs we as consumers actually could choose the components that go into the phone based upon what we individually wanted to spend, like screen size, amount of RAM, internal / external storage and interface options, speed of processor, etc, then hardware certainly wouldn't be an issue either. But the only thing we can choose with the iPhone is limited capacity choice and color and nothing else. So if you want a bigger screen and the iPhone doesn't give it to you, then hardware certainly becomes an issue, because the only way to get it is to switch platforms.

I certainly wish that the iPhone comes in multiple versions of hardware this time such that consumers that want to stay with the iPhone platform have some options other than switching to Android to meet their hardware needs.

Tony

 

[samcraig]

If by software you mean the O/S, I can't disagree more. Over time, most O/S's gravitate toward doing the same thing - a platform to host the applications running on it. I never understood the O/S wars issue - I have a Mac and a PC and an iPhone and have tried Androids, and I could care less about the O/S.

That said, the iOS platform certainly has MORE apps than Android at this point at least, which DOES mean something. However, it's really about which apps a person specifically needs.

As for hardware, if like PCs we as consumers actually could choose the components that go into the phone based upon what we individually wanted to spend, like screen size, amount of RAM, internal / external storage and interface options, speed of processor, etc, then hardware certainly wouldn't be an issue either. But the only thing we can choose with the iPhone is limited capacity choice and color and nothing else. So if you want a bigger screen and the iPhone doesn't give it to you, then hardware certainly becomes an issue, because the only way to get it is to switch platforms.

I certainly wish that the iPhone comes in multiple versions of hardware this time such that consumers that want to stay with the iPhone platform have some options other than switching to Android to meet their hardware needs.

Tony

I don't disagree. But I think you missed the nature of my post. It's not the UI that I refer to. It's the feature set.

For example - the new hardware update might be "meh" - but people will buy it because there will be SOFTWARE features that will not run on their current phone.

Apple has said they will only support iOS updated for two versions (I believe I read that on this site). That means that Apple is "forcing" people's hands after about 3 years to get a new phone regardless if they even want ALL the latest features that the software provides. Meanwhile - along the way - some features will not be supported by legacy devices.

Again - this is why they really don't have to WOW people with specs - they just need to comparable to the marketplace.

 

[0x000000]

I actually cannot remember the features of either iOS 2, iOS 3, iOS 4 and frankly I don't know or really care what's so different about iOS 5. Even if I did know once, features like multitasking or copy & paste were either so ridiculous or underwhelming, that I forgot right away.

And I'm definitely the most technophile guy amongst all iPhone owners I know. I cannot imagine my friends and relatives to even remotely care about any new features iOS has in store for them. I believe most of them wouldn't even notice if I installed iOS 3 on their iPhones.

It's all about the hardware.

 

[aztooh]

We live in an extremely materialistic society where status is important. For many, having the latest design of an iPhone that differentiates them from others is extremely appealing.

Logical or not, there are a large portion of folks who buy an iPhone on the merits of status alone. Many probably have no idea what "iOS" is if you asked them.

While this certainly does apply to many people out there, lets not act like it's everyone.

There are a great many of people who do not like the ergonomics of the iPhone 4...it's a brick. I like iOS, and would like to stick with it. I don't have a iP4 and will not be getting whatever comes next if it maintains the same shape.

Size/shape/ergonomics of a mobile device are very important features of a mobile device.

And really, I don't see carrying around an iPhone as a 'status symbol' anymore. On contract, all high end devices are basically within $50 of each other. If there was no subsidized pricing and seeing an iPhone meant you know that person paid $700 or whatever for it...then yeah.

 

[Patriot24]

While this certainly does apply to many people out there, lets not act like it's everyone.

There are a great many of people who do not like the ergonomics of the iPhone 4...it's a brick. I like iOS, and would like to stick with it. I don't have a iP4 and will not be getting whatever comes next if it maintains the same shape.

Size/shape/ergonomics of a mobile device are very important features of a mobile device.

And really, I don't see carrying around an iPhone as a 'status symbol' anymore. On contract, all high end devices are basically within $50 of each other. If there was no subsidized pricing and seeing an iPhone meant you know that person paid $700 or whatever for it...then yeah.

While I agree that not everyone has the mindset described in my previous post, those of us that are more concerned with the minute details of iOS are in the minority of the larger picture.

Certainly average users are conscious of "how easy" iOS is to use, but it is far from their top area of concern.

HTC's Rhyme was built specifically for women from a hardware perspective (shape, color, and peripherals). The version of Android it will tote won't be all that different from any other Android phone out there. HTC didn't do this because women are concerned about the OS, heh.

 

[Judas1]

I use these gadgets to browse the web and consume media. Therefore it makes no difference what OS it runs, as long as it operates smoothly. But I get what you're saying. I can do all of what I want with the current hardware, so having better hardware kinda becomes pointless.