Will this be the year for software, not hardware?

[v0lume4]

Given the many rumors over the last few months, it seems a fair guess that the iPhone 7 (or whatever it's called) this year will largely remain similarly designed to the iPhone 6 and 6S. There may be a few odds and ends that are different, but the base design will remain similar. With that said, who here thinks that Apple will bring their A-game this year with software? We've seen the rumors of Apple opening up the Siri SDK (thank goodness), which will be a big deal in and of itself. But perhaps they have some other goodies up their sleeve with iOS 10, since I doubt they can sell tons of iPhone 7's soley based on hardware. On the other hand, iOS 10 and the next iPhone could be lackluster. Who's really to say before September.

Thoughts?

 

[Andres Cantu]

I also have a similar opinion. Seems like this will be another iOS 7 and 5s kind of year: focus more on software than hardware.

Certainly wouldn't be such a bad thing considering how buggy iOS has been lately.

 

[Channan]

I really hope so! I don't plan on buying the next iPhone since I'm very happy with my iPhone SE, so I would love to see an exciting iOS release. Even if I was buying the next iPhone, I don't find the hardware lacking (just the design) but there are still several software features I want to see added to iOS.

 

[0000757]

I also have a similar opinion. Seems like this will be another iOS 7 and 5s kind of year: focus more on software than hardware.

Certainly wouldn't be such a bad thing considering how buggy iOS has been lately.

How was the 5s not a focus on the hardware??

It was the first 64-bit phone to hit the market, it introduced touch ID and made fingerprint scanners mainstream, and started to make true tone dual LED flashes popular again (something even larger manufacturers haven't quite done yet).

The 5s is not a good example for a software focus. The 3GS is, though. It had a faster GPU and a slightly better camera but for the most part most of what made the 3GS amazing was the software.

 

[lordofthereef]

It's an interesting question. Surely we will need some hardware feature that sets the next phone(s) apart from the rest. That may be as simple as Siri, which didn't really have hardware limitations outside of what Apple decided to impose to sell more hardware.

Yes, that is somewhat opinion, but it's based largely on the ability to get Siri working on an iPhone 4 with proper jaikbreak hacks employed.

 

[Sunny1990]

We need more software optimization than any new hardware it's already upto the mark for now

 

[Andres Cantu]

How was the 5s not a focus on the hardware??

It was the first 64-bit phone to hit the market, it introduced touch ID and made fingerprint scanners mainstream, and started to make true tone dual LED flashes popular again (something even larger manufacturers haven't quite done yet).

The 5s is not a good example for a software focus. The 3GS is, though. It had a faster GPU and a slightly better camera but for the most part most of what made the 3GS amazing was the software.

True, I should say not focused on hardware design for the 5s and 7.

 

[12vElectronics]

Id take that. There's zero issues with the hardware of my 6+ but it could def use some software work.

 

[emilioestevez]

Just give us a damn night mode option already.

 

[lordofthereef]

Just give us a damn night mode option already.

What is it you're looking for here?

 

[cababah]

Id take that. There's zero issues with the hardware of my 6+ but it could def use some software work.

Haha good one

 

[12vElectronics]

Haha good one

It's true. My phone has great hardware. Updated iOS and software will make it better

 

[cynics]

Software doesn't sell iPhones especially considering older devices will be getting iOS 10 as well.

Plus wasn't iOS 9 and OS X El Cap supposed to be Apples focus on software? Bring back the speed and nimbleness of their mobile and desktop software like it had in the past. Load of horse**** imo. iOS 8 and Mavericks still perform better.

 

[nia820]

I hope it is. Because it is definitely not going to be year of hardware.

Hopefully ios 10 will allow us to final choose default programs and a file Explorer would be nice as well.

 

[maxsix]

I really hope so! I don't plan on buying the next iPhone since I'm very happy with my iPhone SE, so I would love to see an exciting iOS release.

Skipping over iPhone 7 is likely to be a very wise move.

Expecting anything exciting from Apple seems excessively optimistic. With a massive pile of cash, Apple is lacking motivation.

 

[cola79]

I fear there will be neither the one nor the other.

Apple still hasn't brought his older software solutions like Apple Pay or wifi calls worldwide, only in a very few markets.

Their other services lack the variety and quality of Google, which is much ahead of Apple. If it's about maps, or cloud services, or even mail and web browsing.

Their phones focus on people who are feared of technology and who want to keep it simple.

The only advantage they offer is security, but sadly the customer does not care.

I don't see Apple having a good future over the next years. Only when the first big security mistake happens to Google customers there will be a change.

Cook can't foresee markets, he just copies what was established by others. He's got no eye for customers wishes and does only care about stock holders. Otherwise he would improve hardware quality and get rid of software bugs.

 

[v0lume4]

It's hard to say. Like a few of the other posters have mentioned, given Apple's track record over the past couple of years, I wouldn't put it past them to have a relatively tame year, both with hardware and software. Apple's been coasting for a while, now. On the other hand, the software rumors typically are much slower to trickle out (if at all) than hardware rumors.

Hopefully ios 10 will allow us to final choose default programs and a file Explorer would be nice as well.

Could you imagine? That would be the day!

 

[ABC5S]

I fear there will be neither the one nor the other.

It will be both, not neither the one or the other. Of course it will be in the eye of the beholder as to how much of it being software and hardware. Apple did move the auditorium to a larger one for this event, and I cannot see them doing so for nothing.