iphone – Kev's Development Toolbox

September 8, 2016

iPhone 7 – where’s the innovation?

The iPhone 7 is probably going to be noticed more for what Apple has removed, rather than the faster processor and improved dual lens zoom camera, since this is the first iPhone without a headphone jack.

Apple is notable for removing features on their new products though – laptops and desktops (iMac) with no floppy drive, and then later, no optical drive (MacBook Air).

PCMagazine added this perfect statement:

People who want iPhones don’t want them because of the spec sheets. They want them because of iOS, third-party iOS apps, Apple’s service and support network, and the community effects of Apple-only systems like iMessage.

Apple has succeeded so well at creating desirable products, that if they announced an iPhone 8 today with no new or additional features over the just announced iPhone 7, people would still buy it, just because it’s “one better”.

September 25, 2012

Would Jobs have released the iPhone 5?

Given the amount of issues that new iPhone 5 users are having with their new phones, I don’t believe Jobs would have let the new iPhone in it’s current state go out to stores. It’s just not ready. Sure, all new products have teething issues, but the iPhone 5 right now seems to have more than it’s share.

The new Apple Maps app is clearly not ready for primetime. Not only should it have a beta banner across the screen, it should also have a warning flashing on the screen every time you open the app: “Caution! Do not use for real world navigation! Maps shown by this application are for entertainment purposes only!”.

The Amazing iOS 6 Maps has some of the best screenshots so far. Some are just incredible, they’re almost art forms in their own right. Someone could had painted these scenes and put them on display in a gallery… and made good money from them too. Here’s some of my favorites:

It’s almost too easy to make fun of the hilarious screenshots right now because there’s just too many funny examples.

And not too mention the list of other issues that are coming up – CNET has a list of reported issues right now, including:

Needless to say, I’m pretty sure Jobs would not have let this product go out the door. Sure, the issue will get resolved in time, but this product is not currently worthy of it’s Apple logo.

September 12, 2012

iPhone5? Nothing to see here, move along.

I can’t help think that today’s iPhone 5 announcement was a major let down. Where’s the innovative new features, Apple? Where’s the must-have new cool stuff that’s prompting us to run out to the Apple store right this minute?

So it’s lighter, thinner, faster. Ok, so it’s an incremental improvement over the 4S. Isn’t this the same thing that people said about the 4S (I did anyway)? We were expecting the iPhone 5 at the last iPhone announcement and just got the 4S. They didn’t really add anything earth shatteringly new for the last update. And now for this latest announcement, this new iPhone is more like an iPhone 4.5 rather than an iPhone 5.

I’m sorry Apple, but I think you’re losing your edge. Rather than bringing revolutionary products to the market this is an incremental improvement over what we already have. Sure, there’s going to be the faithful who just have to upgrade because it’s the new iPhone, but for must people, I don’t see anything here that’s a significant draw. There was rumors that NFC support would be included, and I was curious if it was then how Apple was going to dust it with their magic pixie dust and put a spin on it to get the whole world to buy into the magic of NFC-based Google Wallet style cashless transactions – I was curious because Google have been dabbling in this area but it hasn’t exactly caught on yet. I was kind of hoping Apple would take this concept for a spin and tell us how we can no longer live our lives without this time saving new innovation… but sadly, no. Nothing new to see here, move along.

The thing that still mystifies me is how Apple uses Samsung to supply it’s iPhone processors (as it has done for most prior versions and iPads too). You’d think given Apple’s lawsuits against Samsung for infringing on Apple’s patents that they wouldn’t bite the hand that feeds it, so to speak, but surprise surprise… who manufacturers and supplies the magical new A6 processor in the iPhone 5? Samsung.

March 29, 2012

Apple sued over false advertising for Siri

About time. I’ve seen people trying to use Siri to get it to do things just like in the tv ads, and 9 times out of 10 it never works as you’d expect. Gives comic relief as everyone sniggers while said user is repeating themselves in a variety of different ways trying unsuccessfully to get it to work just like the ads and then giving up, yes, but working as in the tv ads? No. Far from it.

Android has always had support for voice actions, and while it’s more simple in that it uses simple recognized commands (‘navigate to [place name]’), and least it works the majority of the time.