Sept 10 Apple Event Thread - iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, iOS7

[HotHotHeat]

Originally Posted by ken0042

What I think Apple should have done is:

- Discontinue the 4 and 4s
- Keep the 5s as the flagship device. $699 unlocked
- Keep the 5 as the "secondary" device. $499 unlocked
- Use the 5c, but have it contain the 4s CPU and guts, but keep the 5/5s screen size. $299 unlocked

They would have had their high and medium end, had a good device for under $500, and would have been able to grab some of the Android sub-$300 share.

Apple has stated numerous times that they aren't market share oriented. When a company releases a new version of a product annually, and always increases volume of sales, what would be the attraction to moving into a low priced market? The confusion here is that rumor sites speculated that the iPhone 5c was a low cost iPhone. It isn't, it's a colorful iPhone targeted at Asian markets.

The posts in this thread are in large cost focused. Those users want two things, a cheap phone and a cheap plan. They also don't spend money on digital purchases once using the phone. Again, not Apple's focus.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Yellefan

It has changed, iPhone 5 and up will work on Wind now.

If I can get confirmation that it will work on a 5s that may be the way to go.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Anduril

Only one who will be flexible is Virgin where you could go on their lower tier plans (Silver/Gold) and just pay an adjusted upfront cost.
That being said, you go from paying $200 on a $70/mth (platinum) to $500 with a $40/mth (gold)

Of course you'll have to crunch the numbers of the plans you'd be interested in versus buying outright and keeping your current plan.

Could also go with Silver with pay per use data for $35/month as I know my wife doesn't used even 100 gb per month and I'm probably no more than 250.

[Zarley]

Originally Posted by HotHotHeat

Apple has stated numerous times that they aren't market share oriented. When a company releases a new version of a product annually, and always increases volume of sales, what would be the attraction to moving into a low priced market? The confusion here is that rumor sites speculated that the iPhone 5c was a low cost iPhone. It isn't, it's a colorful iPhone targeted at Asian markets.

The posts in this thread are in large cost focused. Those users want two things, a cheap phone and a cheap plan. They also don't spend money on digital purchases once using the phone. Again, not Apple's focus.

Agreed. Competing on share is what destroyed Apple after Jobs left the first time (along with too many product lines). I would be surprised if they make that mistake again.

The 5C allows them to market a "new" phone at a slightly lower price point, rather than offering the previous yer's model at that price level. Going any lower and eating into margin would not be smart and would also dilute the prestige smartphone product position in the market that Apple currently enjoys. I don't think the 5C will be huge in Apple's established high-income markets, but it is a strategic move to improve their position in emerging markets.

[Anduril]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

Buy a $199 Nexus 4 which is unlocked. Goto Wind and get a $30 unlimited data and talking plan.

8GB model is out of stock and no longer being stocked. Luckily the 16GB is still around for $50 more.

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Could also go with Silver with pay per use data for $35/month as I know my wife doesn't used even 100 gb per month and I'm probably no more than 250.

Definitely. I believe you'll be paying $550 on a silver but again you'll have to do the calculation since I can't quite remember off the top of my head.

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

If I can get confirmation that it will work on a 5s that may be the way to go.

Haven't heard anything about that other than a AWS model for T-Mobile.

[OldDutch]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

If I can get confirmation that it will work on a 5s that may be the way to go.

I believe you need to order a AWS version of the iPhone. Not sure if the new one will be like the Nexus 4 and include every band all in one model. If not, that 5s you are buying will only work on Wind, so if you don't like it there isn't anywhere else to take it.

Plus, you will be stuck on 3G speed not LTE.

Honestly, in the cheap and good category nothing really beats a Nexus 4 if you are signing up on Wind. At least you can take that to another carrier if Wind doesn't work for you.

[oilyfan]

When comparing the locked iphone 5s to the unlocked Nexus 4 (or similar) you have to also consider that you can sell your iphone after a year or so for quite a bit, compared to resale value of other phones. I have done this twice and come out pretty good.

[Russic]

It's incredible how things don't change. When Jobs was around every announcement was boring and lacking innovation (remember when the iPad was just a big iPod Touch?). People who enjoy the Apple ecosystem continue to be excited while people who don't like to discuss how they'll die soon. If you think they're suddenly screwed because competitor phones are more advanced and cheaper, you obviously don't recall when these things didn't shoot video or have the ability to cut and paste. Since I started buying Apple products in 2004 every single thing I've bought was snarked at because I could have gotten "more for less". I just can't believe year after year people keep saying "ok... now they're screwed for sure!".

As for my personal opinion on the phone, it'd be cool if the 5C was cheaper, but Apple doesn't want to sell to price-conscious people. Somebody who wants to spend $200 on their unlocked phone isn't their target consumer and that strategy is working out for them.

The 5C looks awesome to me. While the fingerprint scanner is the main feature here, the camera is what interests me the most. By keeping the pixel number the same (thank f'n god), and embiggening the sensor, the photos it takes are going to be very hard to match. Light-adjusting panoramas (which are even a pain in the ass with DSLR's and Photoshop), 120 fps slo-mo at 720p, burst mode that combines multiple photos, and all the other crap I forgot are massive additions to the camera.

[Galakanokis]

A write that probably sums up a few peoples feelings on Apple and the iphone.

http://www.thestreet.com/story/12033...-iphones.html#!

Personally I don't care either way, Android or ios. To be honest I am finding the whole cell phone genre kind of boring. It is really only hardware specs that are changing and changing very little. Will 64bit even work with 1GB of RAM? Isn't it only really needed/used to take advantage of plus 4GB? Feels a lot like PC's of old, just bigger, smaller faster is all we are getting. Don't see any real game changers on the horizon.

[kermitology]

Originally Posted by Burninator

I believe they have fixed that now.

http://winsupersite.com/windows-phon...ccount-support

Wow.. that came about a WEEK ago or so when I was able to update.

[jdso]

Does anyone know if iOS7 will have camera features similar to the HTC One? Specifically wondering about something similar to Zoe or the auto montages that the HTC One has.

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by Galakanokis

A write that probably sums up a few peoples feelings on Apple and the iphone.

http://www.thestreet.com/story/12033...-iphones.html#!

Personally I don't care either way, Android or ios. To be honest I am finding the whole cell phone genre kind of boring. It is really only hardware specs that are changing and changing very little. Will 64bit even work with 1GB of RAM? Isn't it only really needed/used to take advantage of plus 4GB? Feels a lot like PC's of old, just bigger, smaller faster is all we are getting. Don't see any real game changers on the horizon.

Sums up some feelings but certainly doesn't validate them. Hardware is only half the battle. Windows 8 has approximately 10 apps for it. I used it for a week, it was frustrating, good potential but it can't do basic things that the iphone can (like play .wav files). Lumina 620 is not their competitor.

The fingerprint sensor thing is going to come down to how easy it is to use and implement. I have it on my lenovo and it doesn't work very well so I just resort to typing in my password. Also, saying "you meant the same thing I had in 2007 on my laptop" is ridiculous.....16GB of space...I had that on my desktop in 1999.

But at the end of the day, apple is probably going to maintain their user base but probably won't be recruiting any entry level buyers any time soon, but maybe they don't care, since people looking for a free phone won't buy many apps or music.

[Regulator75]

[sun]

Originally Posted by Galakanokis

A write that probably sums up a few peoples feelings on Apple and the iphone.

http://www.thestreet.com/story/12033...-iphones.html#!

Personally I don't care either way, Android or ios. To be honest I am finding the whole cell phone genre kind of boring. It is really only hardware specs that are changing and changing very little. Will 64bit even work with 1GB of RAM? Isn't it only really needed/used to take advantage of plus 4GB? Feels a lot like PC's of old, just bigger, smaller faster is all we are getting. Don't see any real game changers on the horizon.

Yikes, that was a terrible article. Really really blatant click-bait drivel. Only finished reading it for the lols.

Were nerds on the internet predicting Apple's demise when the ipod was released? "My Creative nomad jukebox has SIX GB. The ipod only has FIVE. If Apple's latest claim to fame is copying Creative, then they're in trouble. Sell AAPL"

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by HotHotHeat

Apple has stated numerous times that they aren't market share oriented. When a company releases a new version of a product annually, and always increases volume of sales, what would be the attraction to moving into a low priced market?

The attraction would be to keep with the times; instead of holding onto a business model that worked 5 years ago. As I said earlier, if I was in the market for a phone today it likely wouldn't be another iPhone. I don't think I'm alone. So very quickly we could go from being a 3 iPhone household to zero.

The pricing is outdated. Would you spend the same on an LCD TV today as 5 years ago? What about a laptop? Sure, the new version would be ahead of the old one in many different resects. But generally the price for electronics comes down over time. So rather than staying ahead of things, they are looking like they will wait to see if the market will flop on them.

[DownInFlames]

Originally Posted by oilyfan

When comparing the locked iphone 5s to the unlocked Nexus 4 (or similar) you have to also consider that you can sell your iphone after a year or so for quite a bit, compared to resale value of other phones. I have done this twice and come out pretty good.

I don't know if I'm going to upgrade to the 5s but considering I can get the majority of the price by selling my unlocked 5 it's tempting. I'm going to wait and see how well the fingerprint reader works and how much better the camera is before I decide.

Also consider if anything happens to your phone you can walk into the Apple store and you're very likely to get a new one free. If you spring for Applecare+ then you're guaranteed to get a new phone. Part of the premium price is for their stellar service, and I pay it gladly.

I do find it funny reading the proclamations of Apple's impending doom from people who don't understand that just because the iPhone isn't the right phone for them that doesn't mean it's not a great phone that millions of people will buy, and love. Yeah, I'd love to see a bigger screen (4.7" is perfect) and being able to change the default apps would be appreciated, but I still find myself using my iPhone more than my HTC One, which is no slouch of a phone. But I'm heavy into their ecosystem and love the integration.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by ken0042

But generally the price for electronics comes down over time.

It does? I realize I'm not a normal consumer but the new iteration of video cards, processors, consoles, etc are fairly comparable. Cars too.

[DownInFlames]

Here's a comparison of the new Space Gray vs the slate gray of the Iphone 5.



I prefer the darker slate gray, but it shows wear and tear more easily so they decided to change it.

[Galakanokis]

Originally Posted by sun

Yikes, that was a terrible article. Really really blatant click-bait drivel. Only finished reading it for the lols.

Were nerds on the internet predicting Apple's demise when the ipod was released? "My Creative nomad jukebox has SIX GB. The ipod only has FIVE. If Apple's latest claim to fame is copying Creative, then they're in trouble. Sell AAPL"

Oh, I agree a puff piece through and through. Not my opinion by any means but I do feel the pricing model is a little out of whack.

[HotHotHeat]

Originally Posted by ken0042

The attraction would be to keep with the times; instead of holding onto a business model that worked 5 years ago. As I said earlier, if I was in the market for a phone today it likely wouldn't be another iPhone. I don't think I'm alone. So very quickly we could go from being a 3 iPhone household to zero.

The pricing is outdated. Would you spend the same on an LCD TV today as 5 years ago? What about a laptop? Sure, the new version would be ahead of the old one in many different resects. But generally the price for electronics comes down over time. So rather than staying ahead of things, they are looking like they will wait to see if the market will flop on them.

New tech always comes in at a higher price point. You're literally talking about changing a product rollout strategy that has been in place for hundreds of years, through every successful company. Ever.

Sony's 85" 4K TV? 10,000+
Samsung S4? 649
iPhone 5s? 719

Sony 1080p 55"? 1300
Samsung S3? 500
iPhone 5C? 549
iPhone 4S? 450

So what is your point? Apple should price match the Google Nexus line that exists to give developers a cheap option to test their android apps on? They cant find a big enough venue to hold WWDC, so I doubt they're worried about attracting more developers (nevermind the massive gap in profitability between the two ecosystems). I also would imagine Google is under a lot of pressure from hardware makers to raise the price of the next Nexus phone. We'll find out soon.

What's lost on a lot of people here as well is that the average consumer (ie. No one here) looks at the contract price for the phone... And when they see they can get a brand new iPhone for $99, it's going to be attractive.