iOS 7

nspindel

When you're actually using data, wifi is much more power friendly. But when you're not connected to wifi and you have wifi on, the phone is constantly looking for a wifi connection, which is a power drain.

Drenis

AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »

I actually have a very strong opinion on all the patent lawsuits and the whole circus surrounding that. I don't feel like going all in at the moment, but my opinion boils down to this: If I come up with an original idea or a radical change to an existing category of product I should be able to patent that CONCEPT for x amount of time. I had the idea or at least the talent to bring it all together, I put all the money into R&D, I took the big gamble on bringing the product to market...I should be rewarded for that. Unfortunately the real world doesn't work like that, and since you can't do that you end up having to sue for stupid crap like the slide to unlock feature.

That's EXACTLY what happened with the iPhone. I've yet to meet a reasonable person who wouldn't agree that the iPhone was an original, the first of it's kind, and a revolutionary product. And you've got Google involved in the development of the original product, in the form of Schmidt sitting on the board while all this was happening and in the form of some Google apps like Maps being developed. Then, a year it's out you have Google coming forward with Android. It took Apple several years to build the iPhone, Google had Android devices in a year, which means either that the people at Google are ridiculously more intelligent or that they stood on the shoulders of the Apple R&D and made changes to create their own product.

That doesn't seen fair to me. I don't understand all the legal stuff involved, but it just doesn't seem right. It's a helluva lot easier to take something that someone else has already created and change or improve it, it's much more difficult to come up with the idea in the first place.

But again, Apple can't sue on the grounds of "hey that's not fair!". So they end up having to sue on stupid technicalities like how a phone is unlocked and the fact that the corners of icons are rounded. Are those absurdly stupid things to sue for? Absolutely, and I'm sure they know it, but hey what else are you gonna do?

I'm not saying that nobody else can ever make a product like theirs. That's absurd and if we thought that way then everyone would be driving the same car. But if I come up with an idea or product I should at least get a year or two out of it. Clearly I'm in the minority since that's NOT the way things work, but that's my $.02

Great post man. It seems more and more companies are taking what seems like an original idea for one platform and slightly incorporates it into their ecosystem as something to efficiently help THEIR platform. I agree Apple started and built something great. But that was how long ago? People and things evolve. So should technology. What's next for iOS and Apple as we know it when it comes to the iPhone? I myself am taking a chance on something brand new because it works for me and I have faith in the direction. I am also hoping that more competition will net a wider variety of users for each platform.

John Megadeth wrote: »

Zen Master Megadeth here with some helpful teaching.

Everyone--read the following phrases (including the natural pauses that follow each):

It's.

An operating system.

For.

A phone.

Now, take a deep breath and exhale. Repeat those phrases to yourself once or twice. If you feel the urge to write it down so you don't forget, feel free to do so.

Now that you've committed this statement to memory, apply it to your daily thought process. Replace operating system and phone with other nouns, as necessary.

Namaste.

Unfortunately, consumers don;t see it this way. Nor do they care. They want a device that works, doesn't freeze or run like ****. Does what they need it to, be it Netflix, messaging, Skype, mobile gaming, etc etc... Every phone can do the basics but excel at different things on their own for different folks.

To make a long story short, iOS is dated. the iPhone is dated and is in need of a revolutionary addition or change (Maybe the iPhone 5S or 6?) And people buy into that platform because they have the biggest market share, everyone has one or wants one. And Apple is solid. It's really preference that steers consumers away from that platform. I'm sure iOS7 will bring new people in for the old ones trying other stuff. Me and you may be educated to look at it as JUST a OS and JUST a device. But to some they could care less, other would slam Apple as their devices can;t touch what you get from the Android offerings and that's important to some!

markmarc

As a teacher with an iPad cart in my room I was very disappointed that iOS7 still doesn't have multi-user login. Like most schools we have multiple users on the same iPad during the course of a day. Life would be so much easier if this was imbedded into the OS.

BlueFox

While I am sure Apple is testing like crazy, I wonder how many people will be trashed when they start trying to upgrade millions of unique phones. I might hold off for a bit when this is released.

I also dislike the new icons. They look like they were designed for children. A mixture of the current design with modifications would have been more preferable. Keep the good, and remove the bad. A simple example is the current yellow notepad is perfect for its job, while the current bookshelf for news is stupid. Now everything is over simplified with wussy colors.

I suspect once millions of people get the upgrade there will be a backlash, and Apple will offer a 'traditional' skin, and the new skin. In fact, that should be an option from the start. Better yet, let there be a variety of choices for each icon so the user can customize their interface.

Syndil

Appearance customization/skinning should be a basic feature of any OS, IMO.

And instead of a home screen cluttered up with icons, why not show something useful, like a detailed weather forecast or a summary of my next calendar appointment?

And why not a variety of hardware platforms to choose from while we're at it, too. You know, the choice of a physical keyboard, different screen sizes, etc.

If only there was a phone that fit all of this criteria...

AsSiMiLaTeD

If you want all those things then go buy an android device. What's so hard about that? Why do you feel the need to post that? Do you really think that there are still people out there who don't know about the options on the market?

Apple has a certain idea about the way things should look and work, and the integration of software and hardware has always been the core of their business. If you don't like that approach then there are other options on the market.

They have their design principles and are going to build what they think is the best product. If people like it then they'll buy their devices, if they don't then they won't. It's really that simple.

BlueFox

Don't be so defensive about Apple. Everybody has a right to an opinion regarding any product. Especially, if they buy one thing and the vendor decides to change what somebody purchased. Kind of a bait and switch thing.

Also, now that Steve Jobs is gone, Apple will be changing. They currently are working on various size and color phones to compete with Samsung. They can still make great products, but the user will decide how it looks. Not some autocrats who think they know what is best.

Don't take this as Apple bashing. I love my iPhone, iPad, and iPods.

AsSiMiLaTeD

Sorry, it doesn't work like that. You guys get to say your piece, I get to say mine, simple as that.

Apple isn't 'changing' anything, you can choose whether or not you like the new interface and what you want to upgrade. Bottom line, I bought a device that had an advertised set of features at that time, at no point was anything ever promised to me in terms of future additional features. If I choose, I can continue to use that product with the same software and in the same state as was promised to me when I received it. When Apple FORCES people to upgrade then come back and we'll talk. The bait and switch analogy is absurd and does not apply here.

I hear what you're saying about being able to choose interfaces and icons and such, and it ain't gonna happen anytime soon. That just goes against everything they do, it adds a layer of complexity in utilization that they generally have always stayed away from. Offering a phone in a different color is one thing and they've done that with iPods for some time and would make sense. Having the kinds of choices in the software you're talking about adds complexity and my bet is they won't do it anytime soon, even though I would personally like to see it added. ONLY time will tell which one of us is right.

I'm not some Apple fanboy who's blind to the outside world. Every product ever created in the history of everything has it's deficiencies and limitations, and I'm fully aware of the limitations of every Apple mobile device. Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, and yes even the great and powerful WebOS all have their own set of deficiencies and limitations. It all boils down to what your needs and wants are, and what compromises you're willing to make.

The problem with Apple is that you simply cannot have a thread about anything Apple without remarks like those from Syndil, whereas I've seen multiple Android threads for example survive without those. So I'm being defensive because people are overly argumentative when it comes to Apple stuff.

Syndil

Sheesh, I didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition. I was merely replying to BlueFox's point.

BlueFox

Syndil wrote: »

Sheesh, I didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition. I was merely replying to BlueFox's point.

Don't blame me.

AsSiMiLaTeD

Syndil wrote: »

Sheesh, I didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition. I was merely replying to BlueFox's point.

Given the content of your post and your history on the topic of anything Apple I have a hard time believing that.

Syndil

WebOS has its faults. It doesn't even have a homescreen--no widgets, no icons, just blank wallpaper and a launcher bar. Unless you leave an app open that's all you see when you unlock it.

And Android, it's got some serious problems when it comes to performance and stability. On a low-end phone like I'm using now, it's almost unusable.

But this is an Apple thread, isn't it?

Strong Bad

I won't pick on anything specific (or try not to), but at what point does a smartphone get too big? I hear "other" smart phone manufacturers and users tout theirs as having a larger screen than the iPhone. Apple has the ability to build a larger iPhone. Heck, why not just throw cellular features into the iPad mini and use that as your cell phone / smartphone? It's not hard for these companies to make things bigger, but again, at what point does the device become too large and cumbersome? Apple is already making the 15" Macbook Pro with a Retina display. Why not create a 15" smartphone with retina display? The ability to create something a certain size is not the issue, being cumbersome and inconvenient is.

My iPhone 5 is an excellant device. Does everything that I need and want. It's a great size as it fits perfect in my front pocket.

Apple has NOT lost their edge either! They revolutionized the smart phone industry, showed the tech world what people want and will buy and made an awesome design. Alot of companies simply reverse engineered what Apple created, then figured out how to build it. This whole thing about Apple not having brought out anything innovative is hogwash as well. If you're not an Apple device owner, then you don't see the other things that Apple has done, non device related. The changes to iCloud, iTunes, OSX, iOS and all that integrating into one another. 2 features I love that they've integrated into OSX are iMessage and Facetime. HUGE HUGE convenience when sitting in front of my 27" iMac. iPhoto is another. As a photographer, I can edit my photos on my Mac, then open iPhoto and create albums then put photos into the album. iCloud pushes these changes instantly out to my other devices. I now carry my portfolio on my iPhone and iPad.

I will say that i'm not familiar with other smartphone OS's, so I don't know of their feature set. If all you have to tout is having a larger screen than the iPhone, then thats not very innovative.

Drenis

Strong Bad wrote: »

I won't pick on anything specific (or try not to), but at what point does a smartphone get too big? I hear "other" smart phone manufacturers and users tout theirs as having a larger screen than the iPhone. Apple has the ability to build a larger iPhone. Heck, why not just throw cellular features into the iPad mini and use that as your cell phone / smartphone? It's not hard for these companies to make things bigger, but again, at what point does the device become too large and cumbersome? Apple is already making the 15" Macbook Pro with a Retina display. Why not create a 15" smartphone with retina display? The ability to create something a certain size is not the issue, being cumbersome and inconvenient is.

My iPhone 5 is an excellant device. Does everything that I need and want. It's a great size as it fits perfect in my front pocket.

Apple has NOT lost their edge either! They revolutionized the smart phone industry, showed the tech world what people want and will buy and made an awesome design. Alot of companies simply reverse engineered what Apple created, then figured out how to build it. This whole thing about Apple not having brought out anything innovative is hogwash as well. If you're not an Apple device owner, then you don't see the other things that Apple has done, non device related. The changes to iCloud, iTunes, OSX, iOS and all that integrating into one another. 2 features I love that they've integrated into OSX are iMessage and Facetime. HUGE HUGE convenience when sitting in front of my 27" iMac. iPhoto is another. As a photographer, I can edit my photos on my Mac, then open iPhoto and create albums then put photos into the album. iCloud pushes these changes instantly out to my other devices. I now carry my portfolio on my iPhone and iPad.

I will say that i'm not familiar with other smartphone OS's, so I don't know of their feature set. If all you have to tout is having a larger screen than the iPhone, then thats not very innovative.

Couple things I want to touch on.

1. Screen size - I agree with your question about what constitutes a phone that is too big. I am one of those people that look at the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and ponder WHAT THE HELL would anyone buy that device for? It's so massive that it feels like a tablet to me at that point. My current phone (BlackBerry Z10) has a 4.2" screen and I find it's the sweet size. It's like the iPhone5 but wider. I also wouldn't want a device ANY larger then what I have now. It would be too big for my tastes. I've seen a guy having a conversation on a Note 2 and the device looks funny against the guys head. Too big IMO.

2. Apple Ecosystem - If you could take your second paragraph and change your scenario to replacing all your Mac computers with Windows in your home and try to efficiently use the Apple ecosystem, you would find it's not as slick or smooth as it is when you have the entire Apple ecosystem. It's fact that iTunes for example runs better on Mac then Windows everyday and any day. And that will never change. Sure, for you and what you have, Apple is great but if consumers made a drastic switch to Windows from Mac OSX, those conveniences vanish or are much more difficult to get the same "experience".

AsSiMiLaTeD

Agreed with your point on the Apple ecosystem Drenis. The whole ecosystem is one of the major draws to their products, at least for me. And as you start to remove Apple products from the mix, that ecosystem becomes less and less effective and less of a buying factor. Honestly, if you take all my other Apple gear away (computers, iPads, ATVs) that would probably remove enough of my reasoning and change the game enough for me to switch over to my HTC One as my primary phone.

Thankfully for me though I get to keep my Apple gear...