When will the media and public's love affair with the iPhone end?

[nrm5110]

Every Apple lover is holding their breath hoping the 6 won't be another flop. The 5s of well be nicer than the 5 but by that point I think only die hard fans will be holding on and others will be waiting to get a look at the iphone 6 and probably moving on.
Apple can only pull a rabbit out of a hat at this point. Otherwise only small children and older adults will be their costumer base because of simplicity.
I hope they pull through just because they are American.

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Google is american

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[Ry]

I agree that Android is doing better because there are cheaper options but if Android sucked as an os people wouldn't buy them. The fact that Samsung is pretty much single handedly taking on Apple says a lot right now as to where Android is. Apple needs a bigger phone and a cheaper phone. Just selling off old iPhone 4's and 4s's isn't enough. The limited selection with the high price point is good for fans but not good for the majority of consumers. The iphone has a lot of status to it so when someone has last years model their status is diminished and they end up complaining about their phone or making excuses. Android has so many more phones that the status thing isn't quite as rampant among the average consumer but because the hardware is at the top if the heap on Android people still get the status boost for less money. For example someone who can't afford the iPhone 5 can choose to buy a dated iPhone 4s and lose status and make excuses or buy a S3, Note 2 or a nexus 4 with the latest and greatest and be able to do more and still brag about it. It's the 10/10/80% rule. 10 will be fans for Apple regardless and 10% will be fans of Android regardless but there are 80% that are in the middle. These are the swing vote so to speak. Once the market figures out that you can get the same or better experience for less the 80% will swing one way or the other. Apple has had this in their favor for a long time but things are now changing and the 80% are talking.

Android is out playing Apple just like Microsoft did. The iPhone 5s will be a mediocre upgrade which will only give Android more momentum. Apple is digging very deep in their think tank right now because the iP6 needs to be a game changer. If its more of the same I think it will be very much a repeat of the RIM situation. They will need to play catch-up and because Apple doesn't put out 10 top tier phones a year like Android manufacturers they may never be able to catch up.

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I'm not sure why people think Apple needs a bigger phone and a cheaper phone. 4" is fine. 3.5" served them well (and continues to serve them well). Selling new versions of the older model keeps their margins above average. I'd imagine over time their supplier costs go down for the older models. That's good business. Especially in terms of on-contract prices, Apple has a model at all of the key price points. On contract, the 16GB iPhone 5 is pretty much the same price as the 16GB Galaxy S III.

People need to get over this status thing. If anything, I'm starting to see Galaxy S III owners look down a bit on older Android devices but whatever. That's probably what Samsung wants.

Sure - Samsung is their main competition right now in terms of hardware. But really, it's no competition when Apple has ~70% of the profits (vs. Samsung at ~20%). Apple is doing it while shipping less actual hardware. Please let me know when Samsung gets to 50%. That's when things get interesting.

That "80%" of swing consumers? I'd bet a huge number don't care about the "advantages" of Android as a platform over iOS.

The demise of Apple has been greatly exaggerated.

 

[Ry]

Every Apple lover is holding their breath hoping the 6 won't be another flop. The 5s of well be nicer than the 5 but by that point I think only die hard fans will be holding on and others will be waiting to get a look at the iphone 6 and probably moving on.
Apple can only pull a rabbit out of a hat at this point. Otherwise only small children and older adults will be their costumer base because of simplicity.
I hope they pull through just because they are American.

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another flop? lol.

As Apple employees swim in a Scooge McDuck pile of money.

 

[Ry]

Google is american

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He's probably referring to Apple vs. the other Android OEMs (Samsung, LG, etc - non-American companies).

 

[Ry]

Even the higher end androids are cheaper. Galaxy S3 goes on sale all the time to as low as 50 dollars at my job. The lowest I've seen a new iphone is the 5 now at 150 at best buy. They are usually steady at 200. So many people come in and get a galaxy at 50 because it's an an awesome device and it's cheaper along with the razr maxx being free at best buy right now... That being said if the 5 were 50 or a dollar tons of people would be buying them as they're flooding us now with the 150 deal.

I say all this to say that android IS cheaper and it's part of the reason they have the biggest market share.

The RAZR MAXX is last year's model. Yet Apple's strategy of using their previous two models as their cheaper offerings isn't good enough. lol

 

[Ry]

Actually I don't think a cheaper phone will help Apple. It has to do with the sophistication of the phone and impactful updates.

iPhone appears to be stagnating because it caters well for new users but people who really live on their phone need more.

Android 4 has got things pretty well because it's good out of the box for new people to smartphones but in just a few days after rooting I'm doing amazing things and I'm not talking just trivial customisation.

I keep mentioning Swype as an example it's quite good and can't imagine why Apple hasn't implemented it. I can't believe l can type this fast on a phone. And this is only 4.0.4, Nexus 7 with 4.2 Swype is better.

This is very different from Microsoft because Android does have some real taste and innovation, it is improving in fun and surprises.


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I'd argue that iOS reached maturity with version 3.0 (back in 2009). That's part of the reason why iOS is certainly starting to show it's age right now.

I'd argue that Android reached maturity with version 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (back in 2011). In terms of UI going forward, I really don't see Android needing to go through any dramatic changes. I'm actually expecting the next named version of Android (K) to still be a 4.x product.

And I'd argue that Apple hasn't implemented a Swype like keyboard because they say they designed the iPhone for comfortable one-handed use.

 

[sr2012]

And I'd argue that Apple hasn't implemented a Swype like keyboard because they say they designed the iPhone for comfortable one-handed use.

They broke it with the iPhone 5 though. You can't reach the top nav bar in most situations with one hand.

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[Ry]

They broke it with the iPhone 5 though. You can't reach the top nav bar in most situations with one hand.

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I can see less-than-average sized hands having trouble reaching a top left back button if they were holding the phone with in their right hand but the center notification shade shouldn't be a problem.

But still, the keyboard is in the same place at the bottom so typing with one hand would be similar to the older models.

 

[anon(94115)]

And it isnt like they went to a 5 inch device

 

[tewest86]

One X+, Galaxy S3, Note 2, Nexus 4, Optimus G, Droid DNA, and the Razr HD are not free phones. Sure those cheap phones may pad the sales at bit but let's not ignore the Galaxy S3 and Note 2 for Samsung at least are selling in large amounts. One other thing some of those cheap phones are just older phones that were the best or have some niche feature like the Rugby Pro or a slider. This time next year the Galaxy S3 and Note 1 could easily be one of those cheap phones.


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And none of those are outselling the iPhone. HTC is barely hanging on. And it's been proven numerous times that Samsung reports phones shipped. Not phones sold to actual people in their hands. So I don't believe the SG3 has outsold the iPhone. They maybe out shipped Apple. I have a minor in math. I can make statistics fit my agenda. But they're sitting on shelves.

 

[tewest86]

Every Apple lover is holding their breath hoping the 6 won't be another flop. The 5s of well be nicer than the 5 but by that point I think only die hard fans will be holding on and others will be waiting to get a look at the iphone 6 and probably moving on.
Apple can only pull a rabbit out of a hat at this point. Otherwise only small children and older adults will be their costumer base because of simplicity.
I hope they pull through just because they are American.

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Exactly which iPhone was a flop? Was it the one that sold millions in an hr or what?

 

[_X_]

All of these things are things that make the iPhone a better platform for non-technical users.


You are kidding yourself if you believe that there are no real advantages to the iPhone for many people.

I would never wish iTunes even on my worst enemies.

The issues you listed are valid issues for some but frankly a very poor reason not to recommend Android. Further more they are not issues for most people but only a very small minority. Assuming most non-techies have a large iTunes collection, use Macs, and have exchange mail servers is a bad assumption.

Phone have a tradition of not having to be tied to computers to use them, Android does an excellent job of not having to tie your device to PC to get things done. You want music buy it from the play store and it will automatically download to your phone when you play it. Playlist is synced on the server so any android device can use them.

I've seen plenty non techies use Android with great success it's really not hard to use.

When i make recommendations,I don't make valley blanket assumptions,i find it the need of the person and then make the appropriate recommendation.

Which gets to your last point, that is spot on, but it applies to all platforms not just Apple.


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[Mellimel22]

And none of those are outselling the iPhone. HTC is barely hanging on. And it's been proven numerous times that Samsung reports phones shipped. Not phones sold to actual people in their hands. So I don't believe the SG3 has outsold the iPhone. They maybe out shipped Apple. I have a minor in math. I can make statistics fit my agenda. But they're sitting on shelves.

Lol dude Google it sgs3 outsold the ip5 and guess what the way things going the note 2 is probably gonna match the sgs3 soooo

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[MrMLK]

The issues you listed are valid issues for some but frankly a very poor reason not to recommend Android. Further more they are not issues for most people but only a very small minority. Assuming most non-techies have a large iTunes collection, use Macs, and have exchange mail servers is a bad assumption.

I don't know where you got this list of assumptions, but nothing in my post assmed that most non-techies have a large iTunes collection, use Macs, and have exchange mail servers. I didn't say anything about Macs and my point about exchange mail servers would be the same if I was talking about someone with a Gmail account and a Hotmail account. And finally, I wasn't talking about iTunes specifically, just that my experience has been that despite the occasional crash, iTunes is a much easier way for most people to keep their content organized on the phones then drag and drop.

Phone have a tradition of not having to be tied to computers to use them,

Actually, this could not be farther from the truth. Feature phones has a tradition of not being tied to computers to use them. But, until fairly recently, the only way to get content onto a smart phone was to sync via a computer. All of these cloud solutions all originated in the last year or so. Before that it was all drag and drop or custom applications on a computer.

Android does an excellent job of not having to tie your device to PC to get things done. You want music buy it from the play store and it will automatically download to your phone when you play it. Playlist is synced on the server so any android device can use them.

It does indeed provide an excellent job. In fact, I am in the process of moving my music to the cloud to take advantage of it. But most people (including everyone I know or have ever spoken to) currently have their music on their computer, and not in the cloud. Going computer->cloud->device is not that complicated, but it is much more complicated then computer->itunes->device.

I've seen plenty non techies use Android with great success it's really not hard to use.

I've said exactly the same thing. It isn't that hard to use. For many things it is easy to use. But, for some things, it just isn't as easy as on an iPhone. That doesn't mean it isn't doable, or that people couldn't adapt. But some people don't want to adapt. They want the simplest solution out there.

When i make recommendations,I don't make valley blanket assumptions,i find it the need of the person and then make the appropriate recommendation.

Neither do I. That's why I don't assume that iOS or Android is the perfect solution for anyone. Which is why (to drag this thread back to its original discussion) I don't think the success of the iPhone is solely due to hype. I think that its because, for some people the iPhone is a better solution.

 

[Mellimel22]

And the sgs3 was sold out for a while too and look at the n4. It sold out quick because of HIGH DEMAND. Not a free one lol

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[MrMLK]

Lol dude Google it sgs3 outsold the ip5 and guess what the way things going the note 2 is probably gonna match the sgs3 soooo

Well, to be fair, the iPhone 5 wasn't even out yet, so its not really fair to compare them.

Perhaps you meant to say that it outsold the iPhone 4s. Which was still an accomplishment, but given that the S3 was a new device, and most people who wanted an iPhone were waiting for the iPhone 5 rather then the year old 4S, its not quite as big an accomplishment as you make it out to be.

Now, if the S3 outsells the iPhone 5 in this quarter, that will be a huge deal.

 

[badbrad17]

I'm not sure why people think Apple needs a bigger phone and a cheaper phone. 4" is fine. 3.5" served them well (and continues to serve them well). Selling new versions of the older model keeps their margins above average. I'd imagine over time their supplier costs go down for the older models. That's good business. Especially in terms of on-contract prices, Apple has a model at all of the key price points. On contract, the 16GB iPhone 5 is pretty much the same price as the 16GB Galaxy S III.

People need to get over this status thing. If anything, I'm starting to see Galaxy S III owners look down a bit on older Android devices but whatever. That's probably what Samsung wants.

Sure - Samsung is their main competition right now in terms of hardware. But really, it's no competition when Apple has ~70% of the profits (vs. Samsung at ~20%). Apple is doing it while shipping less actual hardware. Please let me know when Samsung gets to 50%. That's when things get interesting.

That "80%" of swing consumers? I'd bet a huge number don't care about the "advantages" of Android as a platform over iOS.

The demise of Apple has been greatly exaggerated.

Apple can continue to do what they have been doing in the name of making money, but once a person goes to Android it is hard to get them back onto a smaller phone. I know it happens both ways, but right now big is what people want. It doesn't matter if it's right or wrong for you or I. The 4" iPhone has and will serve some people well as long as the person wants a smaller phone. The reality is that not everyone does. iPhone isn't giving their customers any choice in the matter so people are going else were. The numbers would not be so huge if that wasn't the case. My wife has been going on about getting an iPhone. We went to the store and I showed her 3 Android phones then I walked over to the iPhone 5. I didn't say anything. She looked at it and said "what's this"? I said the iPhone 5. She said, "wow! it's so tiny". I said ya. She walked away and said, you can pick out the best phone for me. I don't think I can type on a phone that small.

The reality is that there is a definite buzz going on right now with people opting to not choose Apple for a lot of reasons. Whether it be price, small size, boring OS, or all the bad legal crap. 2 years ago this was not the case and Android had very little to offer over an iPhone, but now there is serious competition. For the record those stats of Apple having 70% were from 2011. A year has made a huge difference. I bet we are definitely getting closer to the 50% market now. When was the last time you heard Apple going on about how many iPhone 5's they've sold? The went off about the first 5 days then nothing.

I agree about the status thing, but it's a reality. We love talking about the newest thing we've purchased. It'd no different that a woman flaunting her Coach purse etc. Jewelry and fashion are part of status and electronics are no different.

I believe that the 80% market does care. They are spending a lot of money of money are going to look at a number of options which are again, size, value etc. When the sales person says "ya the SGS3 is a great phone and it's bigger and cheaper, many of the people will buy it. 2 years ago that wasn't the case.

 

[tewest86]

And the sgs3 was sold out for a while too and look at the n4. It sold out quick because of HIGH DEMAND. Not a free one lol

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The N4 is sold out because of quantity. You actually think Google sold millions of N4's on launch day. I bet they only had a few hundred thousand to sell.

 

[badbrad17]

The N4 is sold out because of quantity. You actually think Google sold millions of N4's on launch day. I bet they only had a few hundred thousand to sell.

Lol. Riiiight.

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[tewest86]

After all this, I still don't understand discussing another phone company in the Samsung forum. I came here when I had my SG3 and a still visit. You will never see this type of thread on imore. Android has its pluses and iOs has its pluses. When I weighed my options, I went back to the iPhone. Everyone makes their own choices. I love my iPhone even more now that google released their map app last night. Now I have my Android maps on my iPhone. It has voice nav and all. Lol.