Waiting for iPhone 6

[iforbes]

Is it me or does the hype for iPhone 5 seem muted compared to previous releases? While most would agree that this is an incremental upgrade, the new A6 processor is most welcome. Ives, on the other hand, really phoned it in this time. (Pun intended)

What we're waiting for is a fresh new design. Some have speculated Apple will be making use of their "liquid metal" technology to produce something curved like a 3G. Personally I find that model much more pleasant to hold.

I'm looking forward to being amazed all over again by the iPhone 6.

Since you asked, it's just you.

 

[bunnicula]

Isn't the speed referring to the spec upgrades? So the 5s could easily be given a faster processor (maybe finally quad core) and that alone would justify the 's' tag.

Thank you. My point.

 

[stuffradio]

The next phone will not be the 5s and here is why.

the "s" in the iphone 4s stands for Speed.


And the next iphone will not get a speed upgrade because 4g is going to "LTE"

LTE stands for LONG TERM EVOLUTION.

Long Term...

That means they are going to be using 4g lte for awhile.

So we will NOT get a speed upgrade on the next Iphone.


Hence they will not call it the 5s




The 4s got a speed upgrade over the 4.

It got 4g over 3g

The Iphone 5 is getting a speed upgrade over the 4s

Its called 4g LTE




4g and 4g LTE are not the same, 4g LTE is Faster.

There wont be a 5s because there wont be a new upgrade to 4g LTE

Its LONG TERM EVOLUTION.


There wont be a 5s

Who are you talking to? Also, are you seriously arguing the same thing the iPhone 6 users were trying to argue? Of course they will have an iPhone 5S.

 

[bunnicula]

It seems we do. I use this definition of incremental:

"increasing gradually by regular degrees or additions"

It seems to me that the iPhone 5 is the iPhone 4S, but it has these improvements: -

- Thinner, redesigned body.
- Slightly (0.5") longer screen.
- Improved camera.
- Improved processor.
- Improved audio.
- LTE (improved network connection).
- The saturation of the screen has been changed.
- New cable connector (not sure if this is really an improvement, I suspect they only used it because it allows the iPhone to become thinner/smaller).

8 new features, which will certainly improve the existing iOS experience, but don't really bring anything new to the table. That is the very definition of incremental in my opinion.

The iPhone 5 isn't a 4s any more than the 3G was an Original iPhone.

 

[matttye]

The next phone will not be the 5s and here is why.

the "s" in the iphone 4s stands for Speed.


And the next iphone will not get a speed upgrade because 4g is going to "LTE"

LTE stands for LONG TERM EVOLUTION.

Long Term...

That means they are going to be using 4g lte for awhile.

So we will NOT get a speed upgrade on the next Iphone.


Hence they will not call it the 5s




The 4s got a speed upgrade over the 4.

It got 4g over 3g

The Iphone 5 is getting a speed upgrade over the 4s

Its called 4g LTE




4g and 4g LTE are not the same, 4g LTE is Faster.

There wont be a 5s because there wont be a new upgrade to 4g LTE

Its LONG TERM EVOLUTION.


There wont be a 5s

It was the US networks that coined the term 4G to describe HSPA+ networks, but technically LTE isn't even 4G compliant yet. LTE is known as a 4G technology pretty much all around the world, but only in the US are HSPA+ networks known as 4G. HSPA+ isn't a great deal faster than HSPA in my experience and isn't worthy of being called 4G!

I agree. I'm amazed that people find the 5 to be such a minor upgrade. I expect many of them want useless gadgets and a flashy new look.

As I explained in my above post, I see it as a minor upgrade because it will be used in the exact same way as the existing iPhone. Everything is improved, but there's nothing that will change to experience.

An example of something that changed the experience of my Galaxy S3 is NFC, which enables me to use NFC tags to simplify tags. I don't use NFC for payments in shops as it's not supported over here yet, but it will be useful for that also when it is supported.

Opinions are great aren't they?
That is why some see the glass as half full and others half empty

Exactly. I'm an optimist believe it or not. I just think Apple are playing it a little bit too safe.

 

[bunnicula]

Who are you talking to? Also, are you seriously arguing the same thing the iPhone 6 users were trying to argue? Of course they will have an iPhone 5S.

I agree. They'll have a 5s unless they go totally off the rails. If so, I'd think 6 is the last thing they'd name the next phone.

 

[thuchu1]

It seems we do. I use this definition of incremental:

"increasing gradually by regular degrees or additions"

It seems to me that the iPhone 5 is the iPhone 4S, but it has these improvements: -

- Thinner, redesigned body.
- Slightly (0.5") longer screen.
- Improved camera.
- Improved processor.
- Improved audio.
- LTE (improved network connection).
- The saturation of the screen has been changed.
- New cable connector (not sure if this is really an improvement, I suspect they only used it because it allows the iPhone to become thinner/smaller).

8 new features, which will certainly improve the existing iOS experience, but don't really bring anything new to the table. That is the very definition of incremental in my opinion.

My question is always, what do other phone manufacturers do that is radically different from phone to phone that makes it seem like Apple is playing it safe. Really what changes could have been made to make this phone feel anything more than incremental.

-Changing the screen size apparently isn't a big change, so who cares if it gets larger in both directions
-We've gotten used to Apple making things almost impossibly thinner and lighter, so this isn't an upgrade
- The architechture is more than enough (does your phone actually ever freeze up and go too slow on a 1+ GHz dual-core processor?)

What would Apple have needed to do that other manufacturers do to make the bored consumers more excited without sacrificing smaller, lighter or faster (which aren't good reasons to call it an upgrade apparently)?

Processor run with cheetah blood?
Screen that dynamically changes size just because sometimes it wants to be inconvenient to operate with one hand?

 

[reputationZed]

Every single feature they announced is incremental/catching up. Would you not agree?

Everything about the new iPhone is improved but there's nothing really new there.

True, but I do not see that as a bad thing. New, for the sake of new, does not neccessarily make for a better product, and in fact is often a step backwards in terms of usability. For me a faster processor and LTE add value. Niether could be considered inovative but still offer tangible benefits over what my iPhone 4 had to offer. Incremental advances should lead to a more refined product, revolutionary advances often mean starting over from scratch, and in some ways require you to take a step backwards.

 

[matttye]

The iPhone 5 isn't a 4s any more than the 3G was an Original iPhone.

The 3G's only improvements (from memory) were 3G/HSPA support and an A-GPS chip.

One could argue that the addition of A-GPS was a significant upgrade. Much more significant than any of the upgrades in the 5, considering it enabled people to navigate with their phones.

 

[MacDawg]

An example of something that changed the experience of my Galaxy S3 is NFC, which enables me to use NFC tags to simplify tags. I don't use NFC for payments in shops as it's not supported over here yet, but it will be useful for that also when it is supported.

Until NFC is widely available for use in practical ways the only reason for it is to brag and say "my phone's got NFC"

Adding things for the sake of adding them isn't really helpful to my experience

If NFC is changing your experience... great, but for the majority of users, they don't even have a clue what it is

"My phone is better than yours, its got NFC"
"What is it?"
"Dunno, but I've got it and you don't... nah, nah, nah, you need to catch up"
"Have you ever used it?"
"No... but who cares, I've got it and you don't"

Silly really

 

[Powrie]

Explain the 3G/3GS. Speed isn't just about the network.

The 3GS's Network was a little faster then the 3G

The S still stood for network speed.

It was supposed to be faster all around yes. But it was also faster downloading apps and web browsing.

 

[appswipe]

It seems we do. I use this definition of incremental:

"increasing gradually by regular degrees or additions"

It seems to me that the iPhone 5 is the iPhone 4S, but it has these improvements: -

- Thinner, redesigned body.
- Slightly (0.5") longer screen.
- Improved camera.
- Improved processor.
- Improved audio.
- LTE (improved network connection).
- The saturation of the screen has been changed.
- New cable connector (not sure if this is really an improvement, I suspect they only used it because it allows the iPhone to become thinner/smaller).

8 new features, which will certainly improve the existing iOS experience, but don't really bring anything new to the table. That is the very definition of incremental in my opinion.

The real test is to pretend this is an Android phone. IF Samsung released the S4 with these exact same updates then nobody out here would say "Whoa, they're getting a major upgrade" and would lean more on calling it "incremental" and unimpressive.

So arguing whether or not people out here consider it incremental is a waste of time because it's upgrade season and very few people are going to admit that they're buying "shiny" more than they're buying "useful". (Thats not a slam, As unimpressed as I am then Ive still got two preordered just because it's good enough to buy).

 

[matttye]

My question is always, what do other phone manufacturers do that is radically different from phone to phone that makes it seem like Apple is playing it safe. Really what changes could have been made to make this phone feel anything more than incremental.

-Changing the screen size apparently isn't a big change, so who cares if it gets larger in both directions
-We've gotten used to Apple making things almost impossibly thinner and lighter, so this isn't an upgrade
- The architechture is more than enough (does your phone actually ever freeze up and go too slow on a 1+ GHz dual-core processor?)

What would Apple have needed to do that other manufacturers do to make the bored consumers more excited without sacrificing smaller, lighter or faster (which aren't good reasons to call it an upgrade apparently)?

Processor run with cheetah blood?
Screen that dynamically changes size just because sometimes it wants to be inconvenient to operate with one hand?

NFC is a very useful feature when implemented in a way like some Android phones have embraced it.

I've got little NFC stickers dotted around my house that do various things. You could stick one in your kitchen to open a recipe app/website, you can stick one in your car to enable bluetooth, start your music player, etc. These sorts of features change the way the phone is used for the better.

Other than NFC, I guess I really would have just liked to have seen bigger changes with the software.

True, but I do not see that as a bad thing. New, for the sake of new, does not neccessarily make for a better product, and in fact is often a step backwards in terms of usability. For me a faster processor and LTE add value. Niether could be considered inovative but still offer tangible benefits over what my iPhone 4 had to offer. Incremental advances should lead to a more refined product, revolutionary advances often mean starting over from scratch, and in some ways require you to take a step backwards.

You have a valid point. I wasn't expecting a revolutionary advancement though, just something a little more substantial. The way I see it is that the iPhone 4S can do everything the 5 can do, just more slowly.

 

[MacDawg]

The real test is to pretend this is an Android phone. IF Samsung released the S4 with these exact same updates then nobody out here would say "Whoa, they're getting a major upgrade" and would lean more on calling it "incremental" and unimpressive.

So arguing whether or not people out here consider it incremental is a waste of time because it's upgrade season and very few people are going to admit that they're buying "shiny" more than they're buying "useful". (Thats not a slam, As unimpressed as I am then Ive still got two preordered just because it's good enough to buy).

I don't want my phone to be a Swiss Army Knife chock full of things I will never use
Actually, having too many bells and whistles and useless features make it less useful to me than having a phone that does what I need for my work flow

Every one of the upgrades to the iPhone is useful for me
I would rather use a precision tool designed for the job I do than a Swiss Army Knife

 

[matttye]

Until NFC is widely available for use in practical ways the only reason for it is to brag and say "my phone's got NFC"

Adding things for the sake of adding them isn't really helpful to my experience

If NFC is changing your experience... great, but for the majority of users, they don't even have a clue what it is

"My phone is better than yours, its got NFC"
"What is it?"
"Dunno, but I've got it and you don't... nah, nah, nah, you need to catch up"
"Have you ever used it?"
"No... but who cares, I've got it and you don't"

Silly really

My post actually described why I find NFC useful (although it had a typo) - I have NFC tags to simplify things. You can buy NFC stickers that you stick to things and program the phone to perform tasks when you scan the tag.

That's not me saying "My phone is better than yours, its got NFC," it's me saying "NFC is useful because..." and actually explaining it.

Ignorance to what NFC is does not make it any less of a good feature. A lot of people probably don't know what LTE is either.

 

[MacDawg]

My post actually described why I find NFC useful (although it had a typo) - I have NFC tags to simplify things. You can buy NFC stickers that you stick to things and program the phone to perform tasks when you scan the tag.

That's not me saying "My phone is better than yours, its got NFC," it's me saying "NFC is useful because..." and actually explaining it.

Ignorance to what NFC is does not make it any less of a good feature. A lot of people probably don't know what LTE is either.

Your explanation post actually came after mine
And I do understand how you are using it, and I said that is good for you

And my "my phone is better than yours" was not directed at you specifically
But to those who DO make that accusation with no substance, and there are plenty

I do see how NFC is valuable to you, but likely not important to the majority of users YET
There may very well come a time when NFC is a standard for payments and other things
At that time, it may be a valuable addition to the iPhone
Currently, I and the majority of users, do not see the value in adding it

 

[bunnicula]

It was the US networks that coined the term 4G to describe HSPA+ networks, but technically LTE isn't even 4G compliant yet. LTE is known as a 4G technology pretty much all around the world, but only in the US are HSPA+ networks known as 4G. HSPA+ isn't a great deal faster than HSPA in my experience and isn't worthy of being called 4G!



As I explained in my above post, I see it as a minor upgrade because it will be used in the exact same way as the existing iPhone. Everything is improved, but there's nothing that will change to experience.

An example of something that changed the experience of my Galaxy S3 is NFC, which enables me to use NFC tags to simplify tags. I don't use NFC for payments in shops as it's not supported over here yet, but it will be useful for that also when it is supported.



Exactly. I'm an optimist believe it or not. I just think Apple are playing it a little bit too safe.

It'll be used in much the same way as I used every iPhone since the 3G (Original was slowish for web browsing unless I was on wifi).

Which is what I expected. I would've liked NFC and/or fingerprint unlock on this phone, but they were just "nice to haves".

I think Apple is playing it smart. For every person who'd be salivating over a complete overhaul, there would be a person who hated it and swore the company had gone to hell with no Steve Jobs at the helm. This update makes sense.

 

[725032]

Is it me or does the hype for iPhone 5 seem muted compared to previous releases? While most would agree that this is an incremental upgrade, the new A6 processor is most welcome. Ives, on the other hand, really phoned it in this time. (Pun intended)

What we're waiting for is a fresh new design. Some have speculated Apple will be making use of their "liquid metal" technology to produce something curved like a 3G. Personally I find that model much more pleasant to hold.

I'm looking forward to being amazed all over again by the iPhone 6.

OP you're obviously justifying not buying a 5... Your financial issues are not a forum matter

 

[mcman77]

It seems we do. I use this definition of incremental:

"increasing gradually by regular degrees or additions"

It seems to me that the iPhone 5 is the iPhone 4S, but it has these improvements: -

- Thinner, redesigned body.
- Slightly (0.5") longer screen.
- Improved camera.
- Improved processor.
- Improved audio.
- LTE (improved network connection).
- The saturation of the screen has been changed.
- New cable connector (not sure if this is really an improvement, I suspect they only used it because it allows the iPhone to become thinner/smaller).

8 new features, which will certainly improve the existing iOS experience, but don't really bring anything new to the table. That is the very definition of incremental in my opinion.

Well put!

Opinions are great aren't they?
That is why some see the glass as half full and others half empty

That is more than an opinion, he used the exact definition and backed it with facts.

You're response it moot and irrelevant to topic.

 

[matttye]

Your explanation post actually came after mine
And I do understand how you are using it, and I said that is good for you

And my "my phone is better than yours" was not directed at you specifically
But to those who DO make that accusation with no substance, and there are plenty

I do see how NFC is valuable to you, but likely not important to the majority of users YET
There may very well come a time when NFC is a standard for payments and other things
At that time, it may be a valuable addition to the iPhone
Currently, I and the majority of users, do not see the value in adding it

You quoted my explanation post in your reply so it must have been posted before yours

Fair enough. I find it very useful but it won't be for everybody.

What I will say is that anybody that's constantly delving into settings to enable/disable settings like bluetooth and WiFi would find NFC VERY useful if it was implemented on iOS like it is on Android, with support for NFC tags.

It'll be used in much the same way as I used every iPhone since the 3G (Original was slowish for web browsing unless I was on wifi).

Which is what I expected. I would've liked NFC and/or fingerprint unlock on this phone, but they were just "nice to haves".

I think Apple is playing it smart. For every person who'd be salivating over a complete overhaul, there would be a person who hated it and swore the company had gone to hell with no Steve Jobs at the helm. This update makes sense.

Apple is very smart. I think they're holding features back for a future version. Nobody would have declared that Apple had gone to hell if they added NFC. It would be there for those who wanted it, and those who didn't want it wouldn't have to use it.

Apple has said that they're not sure whether NFC is a solution to any existing problem, but clearly with Visa, Mastercard, McDonalds, Starbucks, Post Office and a number of other massive companies rolling out support for it, it's set to become a standard.

 

[Gibonz]

If the 6 was something like this, Id defo trade up from my 4S...

 

[bunnicula]

You quoted my explanation post in your reply so it must have been posted before yours

Fair enough. I find it very useful but it won't be for everybody.

What I will say is that anybody that's constantly delving into settings to enable/disable settings like bluetooth and WiFi would find NFC VERY useful if it was implemented on iOS like it is on Android, with support for NFC tags.



Apple is very smart. I think they're holding features back for a future version. Nobody would have declared that Apple had gone to hell if they added NFC. It would be there for those who wanted it, and those who didn't want it wouldn't have to use it.

Apple has said that they're not sure whether NFC is a solution to any existing problem, but clearly with Visa, Mastercard, McDonalds, Starbucks, Post Office and a number of other massive companies rolling out support for it, it's set to become a standard.

Oh, I agree re: NFC. I was speaking more about those who wanted an entirely new form factor (eh? A triangle or something? What do they expect?) and an OS overhaul.

That would not have been smart. I also believe they're holding back some stuff for the next phone. They tend to test additions for a very long time. That's probably why the iPhones are generally so solid.

 

[terraphantm]

The 3GS's Network was a little faster then the 3G

The S still stood for network speed.

It was supposed to be faster all around yes. But it was also faster downloading apps and web browsing.

When did apple say the S stood for network speed? It stood for overall speed. By far the biggest difference when it came to using the 3GS was its overall usability, even on wifi.

That said, I'm not sure they can justify a 5S. The hardware is fast enough that a simple speed boost won't offer a worthwhile upgrade. And as you said, network speed increases are useless at this point (though they can add VoLTE maybe). So I think the next iPhone may have to be a proper upgrade. It'll all depend on the sales of the iPhone 5 i suppose (which IMO would be better termed iPhone 4SL based on its lack of major upgrades)

 

[matttye]

Oh, I agree re: NFC. I was speaking more about those who wanted an entirely new form factor (eh? A triangle or something? What do they expect?) and an OS overhaul.

That would not have been smart. I also believe they're holding back some stuff for the next phone. They tend to test additions for a very long time. That's probably why the iPhones are generally so solid.

I personally would prefer a wider screen. I can just about use my S3 with one hand and that's 4.8". I just struggle to reach the top left hand corner without shifting the phone in my hand. The S2 with 4.3" screen was easily usable with one hand.

Aside from that I'm not sure there's really anything wrong with the iPhone. You either love or hate physical home buttons. They don't really bother me.

An LED notification light would be good.

What I really want to see improve is the software.

 

[MacDawg]

That is more than an opinion, he used the exact definition and backed it with facts.

You're response it moot and irrelevant to topic.

There is no "exact" definition
And yes, it is ALL opinion, his, mine, and um, yours