Why is Apple so damn stubborn to never include notification LED in its iPhone brand?

[DiggityBiggity]

Darn it! Why won't Apple put a NuBus connector on iPhone??

Another false analogy... Some of you need to take a logic and reasoning course. I own a 4S, I have a 6+ on order, but someone from the outside would think I'm attacking your religion here. The LED blinker HAS MERIT. It isn't some old outdated piece of tech, it's USEFUL!!!

 

[scaredpoet]

It only works if your phone is plugged in...

Actually.... no.


But even so: If I'm putting it down knowing I'm going to leave it there, maybe I should be plugging it in. Using Siri handsfree should be as much of a learned behavior as is checking to see if an annoying LED light is flashing at you. Or you can use more conventional means. The choice is yours.

ALSO: Why do I want my phone constantly using the microphone and listening to me? Have we learned nothing from Edward Snowden?

The time to put the tinfoil hat on has long past, so you can stop with the scaremongering. If you are truly scared that Siri is listening to you, and you honestly think that you can stop any true Snowdenesque privacy intrusion by simply "telling" Siri that you don't like it because it scares you, you are delusional.

Why have Siri handsfree? For the same reason we have our phones with GPS, cameras and motion detection. For the same reason we have it checking our heart rates and other biometric functions. For the same reason it scans for our fingerprints. The same reason it will store our credit card numbers and authorize payments for us. The same reason you have a smartphone at all: Convenience.

If you want to truly avoid having a device do any of that, you need to give up using a smartphone entirely. Whether it blinks an LED at you or not. The Big Bad Government doesn't need Siri to listen in on you if it truly wants to.

 

[appleii.c]

You're missing the point... we're talking about simplicity. Seriously, after a long day at work (I stand all day... I'm not a fat slob like you imply) sometimes I just wanna relax.



...keep making excuses for Apple, it's insane you can't see this is a real "issue" people care about

Whoa whoa.. I wasn't implying that YOU were a fat slob. Sorry if it came off that way. The photo is actually a shot from the movie Wall-E. In the future everyone becomes obese and lazy from (I assume) inactivity due to technological advances. Didn't mean it as a personal shot to YOU, rather what we could be becoming as a society.

I'm sure it's a very important issue to you. And that's fine, but to ME it's not. That's why they have options out there. Android, Windows, iOS. We choose the one that has the important features for each of us. There is no such thing as the perfect phone for everyone. If there were, I'm sure you would buy it.

I agree with another poster, Apple is not into "Throwing everything into one product". If they were, it wouldn't be Apple. Look at their laptops. no vga, no hdmi, no more firewire, no DVD, no ethernet... For me, the more you add, the more there is that could possibly go wrong. (I can see it now... #LEDgate).

 

[TomTomHatesCats]

So what's the point in implementing a hardware change it if the overwhelming advice in here is to turn it off?

I don't think the advice is to turn it off, but to actually use it because there's a chance you might grow to like it. Having used the feature, many of us have, after all.

The feature is hands-free, visual, invisible to those that don't want it, and will save battery.

If you still don't like it, then yea, turn it off.

 

[scaredpoet]

The LED blinker HAS MERIT. It isn't some old outdated piece of tech, it's USEFUL!!!

If it has merit to you, take a stand and use a different platform. Apple listens most to the sounds of cash changing hands and cards being swiped. If you're not buying their products, and it's clear that a blinking light is the reason why, then they'll most likely add it.

Until then, as long tens of millions of people line up to buy the new phone for weeks on end, Apple will continue to believe they are satisfying enough people that it's not necessary.

 

[diamond.g]

If it has merit to you, take a stand and use a different platform. Apple listens most to the sounds of cash changing hands and cards being swiped. If you're not buying their products, and it's clear that a blinking light is the reason why, then they'll most likely add it.

Until then, as long tens of millions of people line up to buy the new phone for weeks on end, Apple will continue to believe they are satisfying enough people that it's not necessary.

So true, so so true.

 

[Small White Car]

This is the argument I don't understand from the nay group. Isn't it the exact answer? If you don't like it, turn it off. None of us here has every iPhone feature turned on at all times, right?

As for "no longer an Apple device..." Do you mean the act of adding a function that some people want, and can be invisible to those that don't, makes the phone less Apple-like? How does that take away from Apple's build quality and UI?

Have you ever scrolled down this entire list and taken the time to understand what each and every check-mark does? It makes for an exciting afternoon.

And yes, I'm telling you that if the iPhone ever reaches that point it will no longer be an "Apple product" in the way that people mean when they say that.

Again, I have no problem with LEDs. But in my time here I've heard hundreds of features that people say Apple should "just make an option." Each and every one of those ideas is fine by themselves, but they can't all be added to the iPhone without changing what an iPhone is all about.

 

[Surf Monkey]

Another false analogy... Some of you need to take a logic and reasoning course. I own a 4S, I have a 6+ on order, but someone from the outside would think I'm attacking your religion here. The LED blinker HAS MERIT. It isn't some old outdated piece of tech, it's USEFUL!!!

It wasn't really meant as an analogy. It was meant as a joke. Because the notion that Apple is going to add a notification light to iPhone is just about as absurd as the notion that they'd add a NuBus connector. Apple's notification strategy is screen based, not light based. Simple as that. Y'all can go ahead and stop pining for 1998 now.

 

[macduke]

My wife's mom is deaf and wishes the iPhone had that. She just bought an iPhone 6, her first iPhone. Her older phones had the notification light. I showed her how to turn on the flashing alert, but if the phone is on it's back it doesn't do much good when you're across the room. It also doesn't continually alert her. This isn't a problem for a hearing person because they usually hear the notification when it comes in and know they need to eventually respond. The deaf person had to be looking right at the device when the alert comes in, unless it's flipped over and the room is dim enough for the light to fill the room with the flash. I thought it would be clever to have the LED between the two recessed volume buttons on the iPhone 6, and hide it behind a material like they do on the MacBook Pro that hides the green webcam light. Make it pulse slowly like the old MacBook lights. It could be classy.

 

[TomTomHatesCats]

Have you ever scrolled down this entire list and taken the time to understand what each and every check-mark does? It makes for an exciting afternoon.

And yes, I'm telling you that if the iPhone ever reaches that point it will no longer be an "Apple product" in the way that people mean when they say that.

Agreed, nobody wants their iPhone settings screen to look like Windows. But, come on, that's not how the settings screen looks on Android either.

I get that you're projecting a worst-case scenario, but that is missing the point of what the LED proponents are saying: LED is a simple and helpful feature using old-skool tech that, on its own, doesn't seem to take the skin off anyone's back if they don't want to use it.

You've said LED is not a big deal to you, and it obviously wasn't a deal-breaker for me since I didn't return my iPhone when I found out it didn't have it. Still, I remain surprised.

 

[Supermallet]

Using Siri is better than an LED light in that Siri will tell you what notifications you have and read them to you. It's not as good as an LED light in that it uses more battery (turning on the screen, using data connection and audio output vs a single low power light).

It also only works when plugged in or when leaving the screen on. An LED light would work independently of those.

 

[DiggityBiggity]

Actually.... no.

Wait, wait wait... I have to TRICK my phone into letting me do this? Yeah... that's "simplicity" at its finest...

But even so: If I'm putting it down knowing I'm going to leave it there, maybe I should be plugging it in....

Oh, so "I'm using it wrong"? Is that right?

The time to put the tinfoil hat on has long past...

And now I'm a conspiracy theorist.... so you attack me ad hominem as to attack my character and make me out to be crazy, thinking this will lend credence to your argument, when it only diminishes it.

 

[yaboyac29]

If it has merit to you, take a stand and use a different platform. Apple listens most to the sounds of cash changing hands and cards being swiped. If you're not buying their products, and it's clear that a blinking light is the reason why, then they'll most likely add it.

Until then, as long tens of millions of people line up to buy the new phone for weeks on end, Apple will continue to believe they are satisfying enough people that it's not necessary.

same thing can be said about the larger screen a few years ago, and look what happened.


BLAH BLAH BLAH APPLE IS RELEASING 3.5/4" DEVICES AND MILLIONS ARE SOLD.

ya well, now they released even bigger displays and broke records while doing it.

if they installed an LED light in the ring of the touch ID sensor, it would be a welcomed feature by millions.

 

[DiggityBiggity]

Whoa whoa.. I wasn't implying that YOU were a fat slob. Sorry if it came off that way.

Apology accepted! My apologies for taking it the wrong way. The internet is excellent at leaving out tone and therefore context sometimes.

I'm sure it's a very important issue to you.. That's why they have options out there... We choose the one that has the important features for each of us...

I agree, and this feature is NOT a deal breaker. I love my iPhone, I just LOVE this feature and have wanted it since I picked up the 4S from my Motorola Droid.

For me, the more you add, the more there is that could possibly go wrong. (I can see it now... #LEDgate).

I agree with you, this is a feature however I would PERSONALLY (imho) love to see them implement... #LEDGate and all

 

[1984world]

After all the hardware features of the iphone 6 plus, imho the only hardware feature missing (aside from a larger battery and maybe better front camera) would be an LED light. At work I carry my phone in my front breast pocket of my vest, and I don't have the sound on. I don't want to pull it out for every email, message, etc. but if I had an LED light on the top (like various blackberry and android phones do) then I could, say know when one of my kids text messages me and then I would bother to answer.

Seems to be a simple feature, a cheap feature, and something some of us would want, and those that wouldn't want it, could simply turn it off. Outside of bigger screen and 128 gb, it was the only remaining major hardware feature I was hoping for this year. Not a deal breaker by any means, but would be pretty nice icing on the wicked cake.

 

[mib1800]

I just think some of you are just defending apple irrationally.

A LED can be hidden without a blemish on the casing. I think some of you have never look at a phone with LED. On the s5 note3/4 you can only see it when it lit up. Otherwise it is invisible.

LED notification is a simple and effective way to quickly check whether you have notification. You can preset which notifications will lit up the LED.

 

[DiggityBiggity]

It wasn't really meant as an analogy. It was meant as a joke. Because the notion that Apple is going to add a notification light to iPhone is just about as absurd as the notion that they'd add a NuBus connector. Apple's notification strategy is screen based, not light based. Simple as that. Y'all can go ahead and stop pining for 1998 now.

Just as absurd they would ever make a screen larger than 5"... oh, wait a second.... Oops!

1998? Absurd.

----------

if they installed an LED light in the ring of the touch ID sensor, it would be a welcomed feature by millions.

Exactly

 

[Surf Monkey]

Just as absurd they would ever make a screen larger than 5"... oh, wait a second.... Oops!

1998? Absurd

Disagree. In my opinion iOS has been significantly constrained by the small iPhone screen since day one. I can't speak for anyone else but I've been calling for a bigger screen all along.

Is the iPhone significantly constrained by not featuring an LED notification light? I don't think so and I doubt many people would disagree with me.

 

[DiggityBiggity]

I just think some of you are just defending apple irrationally.

A LED can be hidden without a blemish on the casing. I think some of you have never look at a phone with LED. On the s5 note3/4 you can only see it when it lit up. Otherwise it is invisible.

LED notification is a simple and effective way to quickly check whether you have notification. You can preset which notifications will lit up the LED.

THIS!!! Common sense, wow... Thank you!!!

Seems to be a simple feature, a cheap feature, and something some of us would want, and those that wouldn't want it, could simply turn it off.

Yuuppp.... Sounds about right!

----------

Is the iPhone significantly constrained by not featuring an LED notification light? I don't think so and I doubt many people would disagree with me.

I think the battery is significantly STRAINED by having to always light up the screen (the biggest drainer of battery) whenever a notification comes in... or every time I have to turn the screen on to make sure I don't have a notification. Something an LED would solve VERY simply...

 

[scaredpoet]

Wait, wait wait... I have to TRICK my phone into letting me do this? Yeah... that's "simplicity" at its finest...

As is an really annoying LED light that tells you nothing about why it's flashing.

Oh, so "I'm using it wrong"? Is that right?

No more than not having an LED is "buidling it wrong."

Not every platform or design choice is for everyone. Each user must decide for themselves if a feature, or lack thereof, is so against their philosophy that they shouldn't use that platform. Is iOS right for you? You should decide for yourself. But the likelihood that Apple will bend on this is nill.

And now I'm a conspiracy theorist....

You are the one who brought up Edward Snowden in a thread about whether a single LED should be on the iPhone or not. Not anyone else.

so you attack me

No, I'm not attacking anyone, and your attempt to make this personal isn't going to fly. I'm keeping the discussion on topic by pointing out that Edward Snowden and all of those implications are irrelevant to the discussion. If you wish to debate the merits of LED notifications, stick to the facts. Don't bring government surveillance into this, because it has no place here.

----------

same thing can be said about the larger screen a few years ago, and look what happened.

Precisely. So maybe people need to leave if the lack of an LED indicator is that bothersome to them. Teach apple a lesson, just like they did with bigger displays. Put your money where your mouth is, because the action isn't going to happen attackin people here.

 

[MisakixMikasa]

If it has merit to you, take a stand and use a different platform. Apple listens most to the sounds of cash changing hands and cards being swiped. If you're not buying their products, and it's clear that a blinking light is the reason why, then they'll most likely add it.

Until then, as long tens of millions of people line up to buy the new phone for weeks on end, Apple will continue to believe they are satisfying enough people that it's not necessary.

You can say that too all the hanged made to iPhone recently. Wether allowing third party keyboard or widgets to larger screen.

I still remember people saying exactly same thing when people calling for larger screen. "Als long as millions of people still buying iPhone, Apple will never produce larger iPhone." "Who need widgets, no one needs third party keyboard, as long as millions still buying iPhone, you will never get widgets/third party keyboard!"

 

[opfreak]

As is an really annoying LED light that tells you nothing about why it's flashing.
.

It tells you something occurred.

What does a black screen tell you?

 

[swy05]

I just think some of you are just defending apple irrationally.

A LED can be hidden without a blemish on the casing. I think some of you have never look at a phone with LED. On the s5 note3/4 you can only see it when it lit up. Otherwise it is invisible.

LED notification is a simple and effective way to quickly check whether you have notification. You can preset which notifications will lit up the LED.

Itll be included in a future version and all of a sudden, the flock will praise to the heavens how innovative Apples way is.

Notice a trend?

 

[TomTomHatesCats]

As is an really annoying LED light that tells you nothing about why it's flashing.

FYI, on Android, the color & blinking pattern indicates the type of notification (missed text, missed call, etc.).

----------

It tells you something occurred.

What does a black screen tell you?

In addition, if implemented, even a black screen (no LED flashing) would tell you something. No missed notifications.

 

[DiggityBiggity]

As is an really annoying LED light that tells you nothing about why it's flashing.

It tells you something occurred. What does a black screen tell you?

Thank you opfreak, exactly. It tells you EVERYTHING you need to know... "Hey, look, a notification"... btw, there could easily be options on how it functions, or not allow it to function at all...

You can say that too all the [changes] made to iPhone recently. [Whether] allowing third party keyboard or widgets to larger screen.

I still remember people saying exactly same thing when people calling for larger screen. "[As] long as millions of people [are] still buying iPhone, Apple will never produce [a] larger iPhone." "Who need widgets, no one needs third party keyboard, as long as millions [are] still buying iPhone, you will never get widgets/third party keyboard!"

Exactly... Why are people holding Apple to some "G-D like" stature where they can do no wrong... and then when they finally implement a change, "Boom!" it's a real "step forward" and incredibly "innovative"!

----------

Itll be included in a future version and all of a sudden, the flock will praise to the heavens how innovative Apples way is.

Notice a trend?

Exactly... I LOVE Apple products... but some of their users are absolutely iSheep like the Fandroids love to point out.

----------

FYI, on Android, the color & blinking pattern indicates the type of notification (missed text, missed call, etc.).

----------



In addition, if implemented, even a black screen (no LED flashing) would tell you something. No missed notifications.

This, this and this!!! Someone with a brain!! Thank you!!!