[Closed] PSA: iPhone 5 Annoucement Today

It does seem Steve Job's stance on flash has proven to be a good one.

Some initial pain but now Google and even Adobe have jumped on the "no flash in mobile" bandwagon. It is now up to the content providers to do so in a way that people can actually consume. A good example is the BBC finanlly catching on with HTML 5 video. This mornings live OB by Chris Moyles may not be to everybodies taste but as an example of providing options of ways to consume the content it was a good example. Red button for the TV, flash video on the desktop website, HTML 5 on the mobile site alongside FM and internet radio.

So Steve may just have saved us from a flashy hell of splash screens, fizzing batteries and slow loading websites.

And chris moyles is saving us from the hell of his own voice. Everyone's a winner.

I have found the level of trolling between supporters of these multi-billon dollar corporations amusing and enlightening recently. In small doses. I've learnt great words new like "Shamesung" & "Samsuck" 😀 And how being a fanboi has moved from being something shameful to full-on upfront pride, and a legitimate way to label yourself. Strange times.

Anyway does the iphone 5 have a pen now?

So Steve may just have saved us from a flashy hell of splash screens, fizzing batteries and slow loading websites.

You can do all that in HTML5, too.

just for balance, I had a play with a friends S3 just now.

android is ok, screen is nice and bright. but it feels really plastiky and like it'll last 6 months at best before it starts falling apart. A bit like the iphone 3 and 3gs.

I never use cases or covers on my phone and while my 4 is starting to get a little scuffed around the edges is still in pretty good nick.

being a fanboi has moved from being something shameful to full-on upfront pride

We're reclaiming the insult, like teh gayz. 😀

(not a fanboi, but called one on a regular basis).

Anyway does the iphone 5 have a pen now?

No. Though I'm sure there are plenty of 3rd party ones available if you really want one for some odd reason.

New phones are reaching that stage too.

I think this is a very pertinent comment.

People were expecting the same level of 'wow' that the earlier models generated, but the fact is that it's now a five year old platform and everyone's largely familiar with it.

Radically changing a mature and loved system for the sake of it would likely be suicide, so the only other option is for Apple to tweak and polish the existing format, which is what they've done. They've added technology but, think about it, what technology is there to add to something that's already heavily feature-packed?

The phone market is approaching the same point that the computer market is in. PCs (Macs etc) are now "fast enough" for all practical purposes, so when Intel bring out a CPU that's 0.2GHz faster than their previous one there's about six people who actually give a toss. Manufacturers are struggling to innovate and bring something fresh to the table, because for the most part, we have everything we need now, thanks.

Seems the iPhone 5 is a disappointment to some, but realistically, what were you expecting? It's (allegedly considerably) faster, it's got a better screen, and admit it, that's all anyone actually cared about. NFC? Please.

--

A word on "fanbois" (is it just me that thinks this sounds like it should be some sort of French dessert?)

I think it's a mistake to call everyone who merely likes something a 'fanboy'. Many people like things, often passionately, [i]because they are good.[/i] For many, "you only like x because you're a fanboy" is inappropriate; it's backwards, they're a fan because they like it.

A fanboy, OTOH, is someone who likes something irrationally. The people who, even now, are sitting on the Internet making excuses and justifying every last good and bad design decision like it's the most life-affirming thing ever.

The fanboys are the people who are going "meh, who needs NFC" now it transpires that the new phone doesn't have it, but would be going "wow, NFC, that's amazing, stick that in your pipe, Fandroids!!1!" if it did. The ones who spent months going "who needs copy and paste, the iPhone is so toe-curlingly awesome that it doesn't need it" before doing a u-turn when they finally got it in a software revision. The ones who are berating features like Widgets on Android as battery-draining clutter, ignoring the fact that they're entirely optional and you don't have to use a feature if you don't like it. The ones who turn up with predictable regularity on every gods damned phone thread to tell you that whatever question you have, the solution is 'get an iPhone'.

You / we aren't all fanboys. But a select few are, and dear me but you're inordinately tedious.

People were expecting the same level of 'wow' that the earlier models generated, but the fact is that it's now a five year old platform and everyone's largely familiar with it.

Yep I think that is largely true.

They seem to have gone down the the thinner, lighter route in an attempt to differentiate themselves [i]a little[/i] from the growing army of Android handsets, the headliners of which seem to be heading down the bigger is better route.

Time will tell if that pays off or not.

Either way, competition is good!

ones who are berating features like Widgets on Android as battery-draining clutter

Hey I resemble that remark! 😀

FWIW I wasn't [i]"berating"[/i], just saying they are not something I'd particularly use. If I want to know the news headlines I'd rather just launch the BBC News app than sit for 5 minutes reading a tediously scrolling ticker-tape of headlines that the other 99% of time I completely ignore (while it pointlessly eats my data and drains my battery for no reason).

To me the real "fanbois" are the ones who show up on threads about rival operating systems just to talk trash and slag off the "sheeple". 🙂

Wasn't directed at you, other than it reminded me. If it's something you wouldn't use then fine, but suggesting it's a disadvantage because of that is mental. Surely it's always better to have a choice?

To me the real "fanbois" are the ones who show up on threads about rival operating systems just to talk trash and slag off the "sheeple".

Agreed. Bored now.

suggesting it's a disadvantage because of that is mental

hmm.. didn't intend to suggest that. Just meant to point out why I don't crave it. Windows PCs have had "widgets" since Active Desktop on XP and I don't think I've ever used them, other than idly clicking on the odd photo in the Vista/7 photo frame.

Clearly if some folk like it then fair play and yes choice is a good thing.

Again, wasn't directed at you. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

But most (all?) smartphones these days can act as mobile hotspots - so 4G in phone = 4G for laptop, tablet or any other wifi/bluetooth device in range.

Doesn't that "eat batteries"?
I want 4g built into a laptop.

Doesn't that "eat batteries"?
I want 4g built into a laptop.

It undoubtedly will - but you could always plug the phone into your laptop whilst using it, thus not draining the phone battery and not really draining the laptop battery any more than built-in 4G would, and negating the need to buy a new laptop.

I would agree with your definition on fanbois Cougar, and if you venture somwhere like engadget then the sheer number of them is frightening! Seriously, a lot of these people are grown men.
But if you roast them with garlic they are magnifique, or even flambéed fanbois with a cognac....delicious

Having just bought a new phone with a cheap contract to suit my needs, I find it staggering that people pay so much for a product that didn't appear to offer any real advantages over what I've got (Samsung Galaxy Ace). I had looked at iphones, but i could not see why they have to cost so much over other brands. The visual interface looked slicker, but I don't see how that really gives an advantage to using the phone itself. It seemed to me that it was mainly a case of style over substance, at a huge premium just for the Apple brand. the cheapest deal was £20 per month for an older iphone 3, and nowhere near my contract in terms of minutes and texts. The closest deal was £31 a month, and the iphone 3 isn't as good as my current phone in my opinion. It's memory isn't expandable, whreas mine is with SD cards, and it can't be used as a portable storage device like my Samsung. Other features such as the camera and wifif are inferior too. Which makes me wonder why so many people favour the iphone range over other, often superior devices.

Same could be said about most of us and wanting the latest bike/frame/groupset/wheelset/accessory really.

for me it was apparent longevity and continued support of iphones

ive had a few smart phones before and no sooner is it made as support was discontinued, updates never came and it was down to a band of hardcore on the xda dev forums to work on the OS

result - buggy shitty phones that i hated.

by the time they stopped supporting my partners iphone 3g it was already years and years old and had had its moneys worth many times over which made it a no brainer for me.

cost so much over other brands.. a huge premium just for the Apple brand.

Hmm.. people keep saying this, but as pointed out earlier it is roughly the same price as its direct competitor the Samsung Galaxy S3 (£529 for a 5 vs £499 for the S3).

camera and wifif are inferior too.

In what way?

Well. This was a nice thread we had once. Still, to get to 8 pages before people started throwing their own poo at each other is quite the achievement

I find it staggering that people pay so much for a product that didn't appear to offer any real advantages over what I've got

Next up, Jaguar vs Kia in both having 4 wheels that roll on tarmac, yet one costing more than the other shocker...

(I have to admit, I've only skim read the previous 8 pages so apologies if I'm repeating something that's already been said..)

I think what Apple is doing is actually very sensible. OK, there is no amazing headline new feature, but it's precisely because of this that the iPhone 5 will [i]probably[/i] be so good. I was never convinced that the rumors of the bigger screen would be good, thinking it would just make it weird - but in slide 1 Apple showed that having the slightly longer screen actually makes the useful parts of the screen sit in your hand better. People are/were complaining about lack of NFC. I have never even seen anywhere I can use NFC in the UK so far! The camera didn't get a massive upgrade - it's already ridiculously good for how teeny it is, a lot of the time it takes a better quality photo than my real camera does.

But what, from early reports, the iPhone 5 seems to have done is almost the Apple mantra - it all works together even better than the previous one did. My iPhone 4S already is WAY more powerful than I need, and to be honest, the 4 and 3G probably were too - it is a phone after all. But each one added that wee increment of how everything fitted together and it does make the experience better and better. At the end of the day, most people couldn't give a monkeys about the specs, they just want it to work well and do what they want. I haven't got any personal experience with Android phones, but people I know who have them do seem to have to fight the OS some times to do stuff. There are some reasonably big limitations in iOS, but if you just recognise what they are and accept they are there then there are some pretty easy get-arounds.

All in all, I can imagine the iPhone 5 will be rather spiffing to use. Am I clamouring over it? No. Will I upgrade when I can. More than likely yes.

My 2p anyway.

Which makes me wonder why so many people favour the iphone range over other, often superior devices.

This might help.

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/samsung-galaxy-ace-930912/review

It's like comparing a budget PC to a high end workstation. You pay a premium for the latter, but superficially they both will do the same thing.

People are/were complaining about lack of NFC. I have never even seen anywhere I can use NFC in the UK so far!

Live her in Oz now, so I suspect it's coming.

My main point back on page 1 was more if

I think what Apple is doing is actually very sensible. OK, there is no amazing headline new feature

Why did they feel the need to saturate the press for a launch of something that was a small upgrade.

Mostly I've just had enough of serious news organisations drooling over something they are not allowed to touch and parroting a spec sheet out as if it's an end to world poverty, the discovery of electricity and a cure for cancer.

my 2p

It's like comparing a budget PC to a high end workstation. You pay a premium for the latter, but they both will do exactly the same thing.

I was comparing my phone to the iphone 3, which i accept is an older model. A more accurate analogy would be comparing a high-end workstation from a few years ago with a current budget laptop, maybe. Other than screen resolution, many other features on the ipohme 3 seem inferior to those on the Samsung. Whcih makes me wonder why a contract is so much more expensive for the iphone, when the Samsung is better. i accept the latest iphone may be better, but the iphone 3 isn't.

I cannot see any genuine justification for the iphone 3 being so much more expensive than my Samsung.

yeah but the iphone 3 is obsolete first around in 2008 and discontinued totally in 2010 so how can it CURRENTLY be more expensive than your new phone.

id hope in the 2 years since that samsung have managed to catch up with that at least.

I was comparing my phone to the iphone 3, which i accept is an older model.

So you're comparing a phone released in 2009 (3GS) to one released in 2011 (Ace)?

Seems legit.

Why did they feel the need to saturate the press

i think you'll find the press saturated itself...

I've just had enough of serious news organisations drooling over something they are not allowed to touch

The Register being [i]"not allowed to touch"[/i] at the London iPhone 5 launch where there was [i]"large Apple Store table covered in the new products"[/i] for the journos to play with:

[img] [/img]
-- http://www.reghardware.com/2012/09/13/first_look_apple_iphone_5_hands_on_review/

😀

cannot see any genuine justification for the iphone 3 being so much more expensive than my Samsung

Demand. No one wants the Galaxy Ace. Few will even have heard of it. Simple as that.

By the way, t[url= http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/cheap-iphone ]he cheapest iPhone 3Gs contract I can find is O2 100mins/3000txts/100MB for £18.50 a month[/url].

Though obviously a more sensible route would be to pickup a 2nd hand or refurb model for considerably less and then go for a sim-only or PAYG contract.

[b]kelvin[/b] - Member
I want 4g built into a laptop.

I much prefer that solution, one contract on my phone (it could be 4G), fast download available in a small device whenever I need it and I can tether/personal hotspot it to my laptop/tablet whatever when I need it. It's cheaper and easier to upgrade the phone/modem when technology improves than changing a laptop.

i think you'll find the press saturated itself...

I think you're missing my point, which is that a superior product is available cheaper than one which seems to attract a lot of unjustified hype.

http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/mobiles/iPhone-finder

I can find no reason why the iphone3 is so much more expensive. I'd be interested in hearing any explanation though.

My phone is £170 without a contract. My contract is £180 over two years. The iphones are around £300 upwards, no? I just think it's a bit of a rip-off that companies are charging such a premium just because it's an iphone.

Demand. No one wants the Galaxy Ace. Few will even have heard of it. Simple as that.

This is the bit I find interesting. Why is the demand for an inferior product so high that companies can get away with charging so much? In other words, why are customers so foolish? Is it really all down to marketing? I'm really glad no-one wants the Glaxy Ace, as it means I get to have a really nice phone at a fraction of the cost.

In responce to 4G for iPlayer use above

I watched Mo Farrah win the 10,000 on my iPhone 4S (3G) whilst at beach volley ball - point being it was fast enough whilst being used in a busy location. In fact due to commuting I watched quite a bit of live Olympics that way. You don't need 4G to stream iPlayer live.

@mikeconnor - it's supply and demand, many more people want the iPhone. IMO they want it because it's a better product. I've yet to see another phone/platform which is better, we made the very unfortunate mistake of trying the early Google/Android phone and it was so dire we threw it away after 3 months and went back to a cheap Nokia till we could upgrade the contract.

By the way, the cheapest iPhone 3Gs contract I can find is O2 100mins/3000txts/100MB for £18.50 a month.

That's £11 pounds a month more than my superior contract. I get 250 minutes, unlimited texts and 500mb data for £7.50. And a better phone.

@mikeconnor - it's supply and demand, many more people want the iPhone. IMO they want it because it's a better product.

I had an iphone 3. This Samsung is way better. Faster, more features and it hasn't crashed yet, unlike the iphone whcih crashed several times in the first few days I had it/ I sold it on after just two weeks, because I didn't think it was at all worth the money (I bought it second hand).

Is there any actual proof that the iphone is a 'better' rpoduct, or is it merely subjective opiniion?

its all subjective but since you have your blinkers on ill fit mine as well.

I don't think which is 'better' really matters. It's all about what you want and what you'll use it for. They both might do equally what you require, so buy which one you want. It's a just phone with fancy features wether an iPhone or an Android phone.

I've worked with Apple products for over 20 years, I like them, mainly because I use them everyday in working and living life so I'm used to them. I'm not a fan of PC's, buts that because I've always worked with Mac's. But that doesn't mean that PC are rubbish. They do pretty the exact same thing, just what you prefer working with. All the PC V Mac and iPhone V Android agruments that always happen all seem pretty pointless to me, see which suits you best, which you prefer and buy and what you want. Pretty simple.

Well your experience seems to vary quite considerably from that TechRadar review mike, which uses words like "stilted" and "farcically slow". Perhaps that's why folk were put off?

But yes I agree that the prices for the 3Gs do seem waaaaaay high. But that's demand for you. Anyone with any sense wouldn't buy a 3Gs like that when they could probably get a 2nd-hand/refurb 4 for cheaper.

But the market has to cater for people with no common sense too.

[i][b]I had an iphone 3. [/b][/i]This Samsung is way better.

Is there any actual proof that the iphone is a 'better' rpoduct, or is it merely subjective opiniion?

In terms of hardware to hardware, then its' probably not the best.

In terms of the iPhone 'ecosystem' (which I know is a bit of a buzzword, but it does actually now make sense), then yes I would say, and most 'official' sources would say, that it is better. The ease with which apps, data, etc are accessible, shareable, and above all usable, seems to be a lot better than Android, Windows etc. This is where Apple really excel and their hardware/software integration is widely regarded as second to none.

Having said all that, of course if it doesn't do something you need to do then it might be garbage to you, but I don't think anyone can say that the iOS system is not a massive success - even if you think it's crap.

I don't get why grown men talk so much drivel whenever there is a choice of 2 competing platforms!

Just for the record, my SNES is miles better than your Megadrive!

No, my Atari Jaguar pwned both of them. 64bit* and all that.

edit: (*)that's a 68k CPU iirc and 64bit GPU.

There's next to nothing in it. I can do everything on my android that anyone can do on their iOS. It's a matter of preference.

END OF STORY.

my Atari Jaguar pwned both of them

Ahh there was a [i]"could have been good"[/i] console!

I remember playing Tempest 2000 and Alien vs Predator for many happy hours:
[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

http://www.atariage.com/system_items.html?SystemID=JAGUAR&ItemTypeID=SCREENSHOT

its all subjective but since you have your blinkers on ill fit mine as well.

I don't have any blinkers on. If I did, I probably would have bought an iphone.

I don't have a problem with the iphone at all, just curious as to how so many people are willing to pay over the odds for them when other comparable and sometimes better products are available. I use Macs and PCs, and I prefer the way Macs work. Personal preference, nothing to do with one being 'better' than the other.

In terms of the iPhone 'ecosystem' (which I know is a bit of a buzzword, but it does actually now make sense), then yes I would say, and most 'official' sources would say, that it is better. The ease with which apps, data, etc are accessible, shareable, and above all usable, seems to be a lot better than Android, Windows etc.

I can't find any actual objective 'proof' of this, merely a lot of subjective opinion. I am finding my Android phone more intuitive and easy to use than I did my iphone. This is my own subjective opinion. I have no particular allegience to any brand, unlike some people, so i will chose what suitds me best, in terms of use and economy. The iphone would be a foolish choice for me personally. As yet, I'm struggling to see why anyone would pay a lot more for a product that is no better and in some regards actually inferior.

But the market has to cater for people with no common sense too.

I think this is really the essence of it all. People being seduced by mythical benefits rather than actual ones. I applaud Apple for their ability to market products so effectively, they really are the best by a long way on that score.

There's next to nothing in it. I can do everything on my android that anyone can do on their iOS. It's a matter of preference.

END OF STORY.

Again, more common sense. The evangelical ramblings of some folk are akin to religious fervour. Perhaps they need to go to church more often.

I use Macs and PCs, ....nothing to do with one being 'better' than the other.

Now a Dyson is a cool vacuum cleaner. Beats all the rest cos you can see everything spinning round and round. And far superior for sucking up the 5p coins from down the back of the sofa and fishing them out of the tub afterwards.

* (actually most are really a laptop in a different case, but that's another story)

Jamie

Would that look be from a photo taken using a 'MySpace angle' while riding ones bike?

I know shocking isn't it? To think someone on a biking website rides a bike! 😯

the iphone whcih crashed several times in the first few days I had it

Sounds like it was broken to me. Hardly a basis for a fair comparison.

I am finding my Android phone more intuitive and easy to use than I did my iphone. This is my own subjective opinion.

's pretty much where I'm coming from too. We've a mix of Apple and Other technologies in the house, and for all the much-lauded Apple 'experience' I simply don't get on with it.

iOS is supposed to be the peak of user-friendly intuitiveness, yet whenever my OH hands me her iPad to play with I'm ready to defenestrate it inside of about ten minutes. I'm sure it's the perfect system for many people (otherwise they wouldn't have sold, and continue to sell, so damn many); however, it would seem that I'm not one of those people.

I wonder idly, and this is sincerely not meant to be a derogatory comment, whether iDevices are perhaps more intuitive to people with a less technical bent. As someone immersed in various tech daily, I find them frustrating. I think when push comes to shove, I'm just not Apple's target audience.

iDevices are perhaps more intuitive to people with a less technical bent.

I think this is probably true and is certainly one of the reasons Apple stuff sells well.

People tend to bang on about limitations and Apple's walled gardens meaning they can't do X, Y and Z - but if you put those points to many Apple users then they go "Yeah but why would I want to do any of those things?"

It's not the only factor though. I am a tech head too. I write embedded software systems for a living so I'm likewise [i]"immersed in various tech daily"[/i].

I'm well aware of Apple's restrictions, but to be honest I'm quite happy with most of them. I really don't want to be faffing about rooting devices or flashing custom firmware images - I get more than enough of that at work.

I think Apple is probably a lot like Microsoft in this respect. If you just accept their way of doing things then everything is fine. If you fight against you'll find yourself continually frustrated and annoyed.

iDevices are perhaps more intuitive to people with a less technical bent.

I dunno if you are including Macbooks etc in there - but I photographed a software developers/IT consultants conference recently, and the number of Macbooks there was crazy. At a rough guess I would say 90% of the laptops were Mac - a high percentage of them Macbook Airs. Lots of iPhones too. And these people were highly paid professional geeks.

By the way - yes 'fanboys' of Apple are annoying - but for every annoying Apple fanboy there seems to be at least one 'anti-fanboy' who loves going on about how [i]all[/i] Apple users are idiots suckered by marketing hype, and how their phone is so much better.

Why do non-Apple users seem to feel the need to justify why they don't own an iPhone etc?

In a link someone posted earlier there was a quote from someone saying about the iPhone 5 'I wouldn't touch Apple products with a bargepole'. Whatever your preferences, you may say they are too expensive or whatever, unless you are fairly irrational you'd have to admit any of the recent models of iPhone or iPad is a pretty good piece of kit (as is a Samsung Galaxy).

The "religious" hatred does seem at least as strong as the "love".

MyFitnessPal app got updated yesterday and I spotted this comment on [url= http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/mike/view/iphone-version-3-4-now-available-search-your-favorites-list-passcode-lock-and-more-420800 ]their blog[/url]:

when will android get there update ? As not everyone in the world who uses this great app uses iPhone, as iPhone is way over rated & not upto date with the times !!!!!!

He's seriously complaining that his up-to-date Android doesn't have the latest up-to-date app while the not upto date iPhone does??? WTF? 🙄

Missing the bigger picture there son.

(I saw similar comments on the recent Endomondo iPhone update, despite the fact they had updated the Android version just days before)

If you want to know why iphones are so expensive, read Steve Jobs biography.

Basically you are paying for one mans obsession and legacy. Fortunately for us the mainstream has caught up with Mr Jobs / Mr Jobs innovation isn't as far ahead as he would have alluded to.

Like it says up there - Its a Smartphone. It does the same as other smart phones.

One of the worrying things that has come out of this launch is the sheer number of different standards/technologies that may be refered to as 4G.

Its mental.

We had just got to the stage where any phone would work on any network, anywhere in the world, none of the Dual/Tri/Quad band crap that we had back in the day. But with 4G all of that has gone in the bin. Just in the UK there will be 2 (or 3?) competing versions that may need different phones, go globally and its even worse.

Yep, as well as the multiple LTE frequencies, the 5 has to support GPRS, EDGE, EVDO, HSPA, HSPA+, and DC-HSDPA - as well as 802.11a, b, g and n of course.

😯 No wonder people glaze over...

Quite a good little article here on it:

[url= http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/09/the-iphone-5-is-boring-and-amazing/ ]The iPhone 5 is Boring and Amazing[/url]

In terms of the iPhone 'ecosystem' (which I know is a bit of a buzzword, but it does actually now make sense), then yes I would say, and most 'official' sources would say, that it is better. The ease with which apps, data, etc are accessible, shareable, and above all usable, seems to be a lot better than Android, Windows etc.

Not sure about the apps and data bit, and definitely disagree with the user-friendliness bit, but it's certainly true about the after-market stuff you can get (like cases, speakers and what-not).

I photographed a software developers/IT consultants conference recently, and the number of Macbooks there was crazy. At a rough guess I would say 90% of the laptops were Mac - a high percentage of them Macbook Airs.

That's one of the reasons I'm thinking about a Mac, it seems that finally a group of people who aren't hipsters or designers are using them... I'm a sheep, but I only follow my flock 🙂

Quite a good little article here on it:

A little more verbose and eloquently than I managed, but that's about what I was trying to say earlier.

They make an interesting point at the end, and one I'd agree with.

[i]"it’s probably going to remain that way for the foreseeable future."[/i]

I think that's the way the iPhone is headed. It'll be revised and iterated, and what people have in their heads as the anticipated Next Big Thing won't be the iPhone X, it'll be the iSomethingElseEntirely.

I think that's the way the iPhone is headed. It'll be revised and iterated

Yep. No one is really blown away by iPods anymore - despite how revolutionary mp3 players were back in the day.

The same is slowly happening to smartphones.

I think that's good in a way though. There is a Jony (seriously, does he realise he's missing some letters?...) Ive quote from the video of the iPhone 5 apparently where he says:

When you think about your iPhone, it’s probably the object that you use most in your life. It’s the product that you have with you all the time. With this unique relationship people have with their iPhone, we take changing it really seriously. We don’t want to just make a new phone, we want to make a much better phone.

Which I think rings very true. A lot of people equate better with introducing some fancy new technology. Which is true up to a point if said technology genuinely introduced something novel and useful (i.e. the whole touchscreen smartphone thing to start with), but not if its just there for the sake of spec top-trumps. The iPhone is the longest I've ever had a phone which basically works the same - gone are the days of having to get your head round new button configurations and crazy new technologies. The thing just works and the novelty has completely and utterly gone. I couldn't care whether it's the fastest or whatever out there as long as it does what I want it to slickly. Which it does. And to be fair, so do a lot of Android phones. At the end of the day it just comes down to what you 'bought into' first and whether you are happy with it. If you are then success! If not, then there are two other very good options to try.

Speed 12 - Yep, agreed.

I would like to reverse my positive opinion on the new Nano. Checking it out up close on the verge and ars, it actually looks like a crappy knockoff with a UI designed by a drunk toddler.

[url= https://plus.google.com/u/0/107464946668215159377/posts/MwS8XU8Lk7v ]iPhone 20[/url]

I purchase Apple products because they're innovative, high functioning and dependable ... in my experience, which is why I'll be acquiring the iPhone 5.

personally I'm an android fan and will go for an SIII in a few months. However, I spotted a rather good deal on iphone4s here

http://www.mobiles.co.uk/refer.aspx?refer=cust1381872
the deal is:
Apple iPhone 4S 16GB Black
Best deal on Three Free Apple iPhone 4S 16GB Black
iPhone Ultimate Internet 100 £31 (24 months)
£31.00 [b]effectively £25.19 monthly[/b] (with cashback)
With 100 mins + 5000 texts
PLUS Unlimited of data usage

or the same but 500 mins for £27 something. It looks a good deal to me so I htought I'#d post it up.

the link BTW is a customer referal link (if youuse it, I get cash 😀 ). I bought my current phone with them (Desire) nearly 2 years ago and can confirm they've been fine to deal with and getting the cashback payments a doddle. they are part of carphone warehouse, cheques come out from them.

I'm still going for an SIII though

[url= http://www.appy-geek.com/Web/ArticleMobile.aspx?regionid=4&articleid=4303873 ]oops[/url]

Posted from a Desire rooted to WildMild

iDevices are perhaps more intuitive to people with a less technical bent.

My mum has a smartphone, and uses it too. Remarkable.

It's Android, and it cost her about £120 sim free I think.

It's both a positive and a negative that there are so many Android devices and manufacturers. It means that you can get slower smaller screened devices for peanuts (in smartphone terms) but also that there are loads of devices for app developers to support.

Sky Go didn't work on my Motorola Atrix. Well, it probably would have, but Sky would not let me try.

Along similar lines, a really good idea for Apple (imo) would be a range of different types of iPhone. A big screened one like a Note, a really small one, a rugged one, a cheap one etc.

Or, if that's too complicated, just bring out different colours. You know a hell of a lot of people will change just for that. And then, when that's done, bring out some beautiful patterned ones. Cheap to do and it'll sell.

Manufacturers are struggling to innovate and bring something fresh to the table,

Yep.

Chromebooks, tablets including the Windows ones, 11.6" sub notebooks... what else?

I like my iPhone, I find it more intuitive than android, though admittedly my experience stops at 2.3. Iphones are more expensive but IMO they last better than other manufacturers, you can get out of warranty replacements for £129 if it does die or you kill it and you get more money for it when you sell it on. It's not bad as an overall ownership proposition.

Just read this last page, couldn't be arsed to read through all the waffle, and speed12 sums up my attitude perfectly, there's really nothing much to add to it. I got so frustrated getting a new phone that the reviews promised was the absolute bleeding edge of phone tech, only to find it was so badly flawed as to be almost unusable. N95 anyone?
When I got my iPhone 3G I could have wept with relief; at last a phone that did what I wanted without having to check with the user manual to figure out what arcane sequence you had to go through on the shonky OS just for a simple function. That continues to hold true, and there are several things on the 5 I'm thrilled about, and those are new camera functions.
Having 64Gb instead of my current 32 for OS maps in Viewranger means I can get the whole of the UK on my phone, which is cool!
I still don't understand why I'd want to 'root' a brand new phone to get it to do something it ought to do already.
But hey, that's just me. And I don't care. 😀

You were conspicuous in your absence on this thread, sir.

When you think about your iPhone, it’s probably the object that you use most in your life. It’s the product that you have with you all the time. With this unique relationship people have with their iPhone, we take changing it really seriously. We don’t want to just make a new phone, we want to make a much better phone.

Jony got his script from the marketing department...

Yep I'm sure they both work fine.

As above though you can have many shapes, sizes, speeds, colours and configuration of android to suit you not two.

I never had a problem with my N95, incidentally. Did loads of things other phones didn't do at the time, and cost me nowt. The only thing it wasn't was slick.

Ah.. maybe that's it.. Apple tapped into a market of people who were too thick to operate anything else! Genius!

Having owned Android phones for a while and owning a Touch, having access to an iphone4s and recently acquiring an iPad3 I'm genuinely surprised people think ios is the more intuitive.

Having spent hours trying to get the Google Play Store set up properly on the Mother-in-laws cheapy Android tablet I'm genuinely surprised people think Android is more intuitive! 😀

I absolutely love my iPhone, it's quite probably the best 'thing' I've ever owned in my entire 39 years. I tried android, it was shite, the apps were utter shite, and I can't see myself ever making the switching mistake again. Don't particularly like Apple, but love my iPhone.

Loddrik,what do you mean when describing the Android apps as utter shire.No problems with mine on my Defy.

[img] [/img]

I was hell bent on getting an iphone this upgrade, until I played with the 4s in the shop versus the HTC I eventually got and the Samsung. It's horse for courses, but I (personally) find Android more intuitive than IOS (and I have an ipod touch so I'm no stranger to the format)

What troubles me more about Apple products are the lengths they go to. the phones in the shop were locked down, they werent allowed to open a box to let me have a go with one. Having also read a review on the latest Macbooks, which you can't even upgrade the RAM beyond 2gigs without ripping the thing down to its component parts It makes me wonder what they're playing at.

The tech is behind most other products on the market, although a comment on Wired yesterday made me laugh "Apple don't have to tell you what RAM is in the phone, they just need to show you a video of it working and that proves it works"........er, no, I need to know what I'm paying for.

Anyhoo, i'm enjoying my HTC, and I'm paying £10 less a month on a comparable tariff to what I would have taken had it been the iphone (and the phone was free)

the phones in the shop were locked down, they werent allowed to open a box to let me have a go with one.

In an Apple Store??

[img] [/img]

Yeah.. locked down...

Apple = innercity/town centre college cool.

Or those wanting something that they flash/show hoping their friends think they are 'in'.

I bet there isnt a Guardian reader under 40 who doesnt own a ipad/iphone.

For everyone else its the content of the product FIRST. Not what others think....

Real Graphic Designers are allowed off the above^

How insightful you are, Hora. If only similar themes had been expounded on over the previous 10 pages.

I have a sudden affinity with Go Outdoors staffers.

Apple = innercity/town centre college cool.

If you're 12

Or those wanting something that they flash/show hoping their friends think they are 'in'.

If you're 12

I bet there isnt a Guardian reader under 40 who doesnt own a ipad/iphone

? A large percentage of my friends, associates and colleagues have iPhones, a small amount of those, me included, read the guardian.

What does thus even mean?

For everyone else its the content of the product FIRST. Not what others think....

Are you sure people didn't just buy the first iPhone because it was excellent, and have stuck with it. My dad has a random HTC, it's awful. I don't judge him on that though, it might be fantastic to him. We don't really have a conversation on it.

Real Graphic Designers are allowed off the above^

Why, how? Eh?

Having also read a review on the latest Macbooks, which you can't even upgrade the RAM beyond 2gigs without ripping the thing down to its component parts It makes me wonder what they're playing at.

What review was that?

[url= http://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/specs/ ]http://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/specs/[/url]