The iPhone's golden age is over, Apple will only charge fans more - Wired mag

[elbows]

Augmented Reality glasses

Yeah. They've certainly bought enough companies with specialised knowledge in enough related areas over the years. And made all the right noises about AR, and setup an AR dev and app ecosystem within the limitations of simple AR on iOS phones etc. And their bloody 'image' and 'style' probably gives them confidence that they can pull off these trickier forms of wearable computing without automatically being slaughtered by peoples sense of fashion.

I know there have probably been many examples of 'post-Steve Jobs tests' of Apples ability to still 'innovate' or otherwise wow people by now. But for me something with a very different form factor than what was around in Jobs time is the real big test for them. I am pretty neutral on the Apple Watch, which would be one example I suppose but not an exciting enough form factor to really be the great test for me. I dont know what to expect really when it comes to Apple AR, including not wanting to predict a year. If they stay true to best possible form then the first version will have several things that make the experience actually work well enough to make its mark. Some flaws too, including somes that seem silly enough for people to laugh at. But must be a lot better than, for example, the sort of turd it sounds like Magic Leap currently have on their hands.

 

[Supine]

My 6s does everything I want, has Touch ID - which is to me obviously superior to Face ID - and still runs like it was new.

Same here. When this 6 dies I'll probably just buy another one

 

[skyscraper101]

They dropped 3D Touch? I use that all the time

 

[sim667]

I recently switched to SIM only and didn’t bother upgrading. My 6s does everything I want, has Touch ID - which is to me obviously superior to Face ID - and still runs like it was new.

I guess one day it’ll die, but until then I can’t think of a single feature the newer models have that is of any interest whatsoever.

I did that, but eventually my phone just became super slow (iphone 6, and I abuse phones)

When I did go for an upgrade I found it was cheaper to actually get a credit card and by the iphone outright on that, and then stick with my sim only contract. My data/calls and sms allowance dicks on anyone elses contracts I know, and I've got a similar spec phone for less money.

 

[hendo]

I think Apple is totally taking the piss with prices now and I'm not going to have anything further to do with them. I'm defecting to the Pixel 3 when the time comes for a new phone. My iphone is covered in google apps anyway and with the arguable exception of facetime I doubt I'll miss the Cupertino offering.

 

[editor]

Peak iPhone has apparently been passed

When Apple announced that it would stop announcing quarterly unit sales numbers for its iPhones, observers speculated a whole raft of reasons — many are coalescing around the idea that the iPhone has reached peak saturation with consumers.


Consumer Intelligence Research Partners seems to have dug up new numbers to support that central thought: it reports from a survey of 500 Apple customers that as of the end of the third quarter, there were more than 181 million iPhones in active use within the United States.That’s an increase of 5 million from the end of the second quarter and represents a slowdown over the past year.

It’s estimated that iPhones from this year and last year make up 25 percent of the base — this includes 2 million iPhone XS and XS Max sold in the last ten days of the summer. 41 percent of units are three years of age or older.

In US, iPhone install base growth slows to crawl | Pocketnow

 

[skyscraper101]

The way things are going, Apple are going to have to move pretty sharpish to stop a huge defection to Samsung and Huawei et al next year. Since Samsung announced their upcoming folding phone, I have not been this tempted to switch back to Android since I ditched my Galaxy Nexus in 2014.

(subject to some rigorous real world testing and reviewing)

 

[pseudonarcissus]

41 percent of units are three years of age or older.

that's a lot of people who's phones probably don't last all day on one charge. We may be post-peak, but there's a lot of demand still likely to be out there, and switching from one iPhone to the next is so damned convenient.

 

[pinkychukkles]

Still rolling with my iphone 6+ here, from 2014... recently got the battery replaced under the cheaper Apple replacement programme which has boosted it's stamina a bit.

Sure, I would love to get a shiny new one but since I got the 6+, I've been financially constrained and, if anything, I'm using even less apps on my phone than when I first got it. What I do use it for is done adequately well enough so... no upgrade for me! Prior 2014, back in those good ole days of having more disposable income, I would cover my iphone in screen protectors, decals, cases; because I wanted to keep it in tip top condition to flog off and offset against the purchase of the new iteration each year but that all took time I no longer have either.

Have had moments of weakness and looked at the iphone upgrade programme and I financed the outright purchase of my 6+ with a new credit card that had a 0% interest deal but, again, am currently trying to reduce temptation to join the credit card carousel and reduce existing debt.

Jump ship? Naaah, not at the moment, it doesn't appeal but never say never though and I watch developments on other phones / platforms with interest.

 

[cheesethief]

The way things are going, Apple are going to have to move pretty sharpish to stop a huge defection to Samsung and Huawei et al next year. Since Samsung announced their upcoming folding phone, I have not been this tempted to switch back to Android since I ditched my Galaxy Nexus in 2014.

I disagree, I think you underestimate the allegiance that vast numbers of people have to Apple. It's more about ideology than technology. A fanaticism bordering on religion. Within the Android camp it's inherently easier to switch manufacturers because one is not tied to the limited output of only a single one. I suspect more likely Apple will see a steady decline in sales as the combination of their focus on premium products & the lack of any game changing improvements severely limits the number of those choosing to upgrade. Many Apple users with decent, but older devices will no doubt opt to stick with what they've got rather than bankrupt themselves buying the latest iPhone.

 

[skyscraper101]

I disagree, I think you underestimate the allegiance that vast numbers of people have to Apple. It's more about ideology than technology. A fanaticism bordering on religion. Within the Android camp it's inherently easier to switch manufacturers because one is not tied to the limited output of only a single one. I suspect more likely Apple will see a steady decline in sales as the combination of their focus on premium products & the lack of any game changing improvements severely limits the number of those choosing to upgrade. Many Apple users with decent, but older devices will no doubt opt to stick with what they've got rather than bankrupt themselves buying the latest iPhone.

Perhaps so, but I'm speaking as an iPhone user myself and I'm largely happy with iOS and I've seen little design innovation from Samsung, Google etc which has made me even consider jumping ship in the last few years.

This is primarily due to the general lack of innovation however. There's still not enough in my view to distinguish the Note or Pixel from the iPhone and so I just stick with iPhone because that's what all my family have so I use it to Facetime, and it syncs better with my macbook. But who knows. Perhaps I'm over egging the market value of this. I know its the most interesting thing I've seen in a long while of phone design.

 

[keybored]

Augmented Reality glasses

iPhone users have had this technology for some time.

 

[editor]

Peak iPhone has passed then. I'm glad to see their plan to just keep on charging more and more backfire.

According to the Wall Street Journal’s unnamed sources cited this morning, Apple has cut production orders for all three new iPhones that were announced in September. That’s the iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max, and iPhone Xr. Same sources cited by the WSJ said that the reason behind Apple’s decision was the iPhone maker’s difficulty in properly anticipating and predicting the exact number of handsets and components it needed.

Another important factor to consider is the fact that there’s apparently a “lower-than-expected demand for the new iPhones”, claims the report. Apple surprised its investors when it forecasted lower-than-expected iPhone sales predictions for the upcoming holiday season, and Christmas quarter.

Apple cuts production orders for all new iPhones | Pocketnow

 

[skyscraper101]

Lower than expected because can anyone really name what the new features are on these new ones, that the last new ones didn't have?

Surely the main reason to upgrade now is because your current phone is slowing down rather than some must-have feature on the new models.

 

[editor]

Lower than expected because can anyone really name what the new features are on these new ones, that the last new ones didn't have?

A higher price. That was a major new feature.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

It's OK, Samsung will soon release their not pointless at all folding phone for an entirely reasonable £2K and all will be fine with the world.

 

[8ball]

It's OK, Samsung will soon release their not pointless at all folding phone for an entirely reasonable £2K and all will be fine with the world.

Folding phone, you say?

 

[editor]

It's OK, Samsung will soon release their not pointless at all folding phone for an entirely reasonable £2K and all will be fine with the world.

Is it 'pointless' like the 'phablet' smartphone category that Samsung created to the derision of many iPhone fans, which Apple then went on to copy wholesale?

They got it right with larger phones and if they can deliver the form factor, they'll get it right with folding phones too, and Apple will, no doubt copy that too. I'd love a folding phone.

 

[skyscraper101]

The Samsung F will be pricey and gen 1 looking sure, but folding screens are the future.

 

[8ball]

I'd love a folding phone.

I think I had one of those about 15 years ago.
It was ok.

 

[editor]

I think I had one of those about 15 years ago.
It was ok.

Come on. Don't play silly buggers.

 

[8ball]

Come on. Don't play silly buggers.

I think I'm a little late to that party.

edit: but more seriously, I think the flexible screen tech is a solution that is still searching for a problem at this stage (outside certain niche uses that won't really pull the money in). I expect there to be more than a few issues with the first gen of these things, looking at that render. Maybe a 'nice to have' if it was a lot cheaper and you were super-careful with it, but the price would need to come down quickly.

It would have to be quite incredibly thin too, or once you've put a case on it, it would be a bit thick for a pocket, and once you're carrying a bag, you might as well have a phablet or tablet.

You never know, though, I was sceptical that the iPhone would take off the way it did in the first place.

 

[skyscraper101]

There's not much innovation to be found in mini tablets or current form factor phones, yet they're getting more expensive. Hence the drop in interest in the current crop of high end phones. The most interesting thing currently happening is the massively competitive Chinese models like xaiomi which are by far outpricing Samsung, Google and Apple in the market.

Meanwhile, there's only one direction screen innovation is going for mobiles and tablets of the future, and that's foldable.

 

[8ball]

Meanwhile, there's only one direction screen innovation is going for mobiles and tablets of the future, and that's foldable.

Well, of the immediately foreseeable future of things that are not already partly rolled out at this point in time.

 

[editor]

There's not much innovation to be found in mini tablets or current form factor phones, yet they're getting more expensive. Hence the drop in interest in the current crop of high end phones. The most interesting thing currently happening is the massively competitive Chinese models like xaiomi which are by far outpricing Samsung, Google and Apple in the market.

Meanwhile, there's only one direction screen innovation is going for mobiles and tablets of the future, and that's foldable.

The only other really exciting innovation I see going on is Google's camera tech which is phenomenal. I hope it creeps into mainstream cameras ASAP too.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I was given an iphone by work - I don't see what the fuss is about. It's just a phone, and not a terribly reliable one at that.

 

[8ball]

The only other really exciting innovation I see going on is Google's camera tech which is phenomenal. I hope it creeps into mainstream cameras ASAP too.

Outside the bounds of 'screen stuff',I suppose the "bread-and-butter" improvements like 5G and better battery life could lead to a few possibilities in more incremental kind of way.

 

[skyscraper101]

Outside the bounds of 'screen stuff',I suppose the "bread-and-butter" improvements like 5G and better battery life could lead to a few possibilities in more incremental kind of way.

True. Both of these things will be very welcome.

 

[editor]

True. Both of these things will be very welcome.

The obsession with thinness and style at the top end has long overridden genuinely useful things like a bigger battery or removable batteries.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Is it 'pointless' like the 'phablet' smartphone category that Samsung created to the derision of many iPhone fans, which Apple then went on to copy wholesale?

They got it right with larger phones and if they can deliver the form factor, they'll get it right with folding phones too, and Apple will, no doubt copy that too. I'd love a folding phone.

But don’t forget that £2K price “feature”.