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

[editor]

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

Oh you already know the actual list price? Fantastic. Where did you see it advertised?

 

[8ball]

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

Instinctively I feel the same way as you on the removable batteries front, but I think that's an age thing, and removable batteries aren't coming back.

 

[editor]

Instinctively I feel the same way as you on the removable batteries front, but I think that's an age thing, and removable batteries aren't coming back.

I know they're gone for good and it's a shame as I'd gladly accept a slightly thicker phone. Oh well.

 

[8ball]

I know they're gone for good and it's a shame as I'd gladly accept a slightly thicker phone. Oh well.

Yeah, I end up with a thicker phone anyway due to the massive armoured case I keep it in.

 

[editor]

Yeah, I end up with a thicker phone anyway due to the massive armoured case I keep it in.

And that's another daft thing. People spend a fortune on a phone that's all about style, but then have to stick a case on it so it looks crap.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Oh you already know the actual list price? Fantastic. Where did you see it advertised?

£5 to the server fund says it’ll be in that ballpark.

Premium product, new tech, etc

 

[8ball]

And that's another daft thing. People spend a fortune on a phone that's all about style, but then have to stick a case on it so it looks crap.

Or just be VERY careful. Or have a phone with a permanently cracked screen.

There are phones out there specifically designed to be really tough, but they're a bit niche.

 

[editor]

£5 to the server fund says it’ll be in that ballpark.

Premium product, new tech, etc

Even if that fantasy figure you've plucked out of thin air for the LOLZ happens to be anywhere near the price, it will soon come down anyway. But if you think the public won't warm to folding phones, you'll be as wrong as Steve Jobs when he insisted that phablet phones will never catch on.

 

[8ball]

Even if that fantasy figure you've plucked out of thin air for the LOLZ happens to be anywhere near the price, it will soon come down anyway. But if you think the public won't warm to folding phones, you'll be as wrong as Steve Jobs when he insisted that phablet phones will never catch on.

Tbf - not sure I've seen many 'phablets' when out and about.

 

[cheesethief]

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

I would not buy a phone at that price, it's just silly. However, as a foldable phone will be genuinely revolutionary - irrespective of whether it impresses you or not - there is a justification for a significant premium. Contrast that with churning out a "new" model phone that's basically the same as its predecessor, albeit with a bigger screen & a few more frills, for the same price as a really nice 55" TV... that is just madness.

 

[strung out]

Or just be VERY careful. Or have a phone with a permanently cracked screen.

There are phones out there specifically designed to be really tough, but they're a bit niche.

Tbf, you don't need to be VERY careful. I've had my iPhone 8 for over 12 months now, and not used a case or a screen protector. I'm not particularly careful with it, just don't drop it.

 

[8ball]

Tbf, you don't need to be VERY careful...just don't drop it.

edit:

In just under 3 years of smartphone ownership:

Knocked out of hand by people gesticulating in pub: 3 times
Flung across room when I just wanted to extract from pocket: estimated around 10 times
Dropped: more times than Robbie Williams
Dropped and inadvertently kicked into road: about 5, maybe
Trodden on: 3 or 4

(I have mild dyspraxia - so if you take the piss it's rascism!)

 

[editor]

Tbf - not sure I've seen many 'phablets' when out and about.

You can't be looking very hard. Perhaps you can't even see your own phone!

Current phablets typically have a diagonal display measurement between 5.1 inches (130 mm) and 7 inches (180 mm), [assuming a 16:9 aspect ratio.[13] In comparison, most flagship smartphones released in 2016 have a screen size of around 5 in (130 mm), with larger versions of mainstream flagships (such as iPhone 7 Plus, Pixel XL, and Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge) using 5.5 in (140 mm) displays.
In 2017, LG, Samsung, and Apple each began to produce flagship smartphones (LG G6, Samsung Galaxy S8, and iPhone X) with displays taller than the conventional 16:9 aspect ratio used by the majority of devices, and diagonal screen sizes in line with those of phablets. However, in these cases, the sizes of the two devices are more compact than 16:9 aspect ratio devices with equivalent diagonal screen sizes

 

[8ball]

You can't be looking very hard. Perhaps you can't even see your own phone!

Maybe it's something popular down in 'that London'.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

In just under 3 years of smartphone ownership

I've got butter fingers and the only thing that saves my own phone is the leather case giving it a bit of bounce when I have dropped it.

 

[keybored]

Knocked out of hand by people gesticulating in pub

People shouldn't be looking at their phones in pubs anyway. Knocking phones out of people's hands in pubs should be lauded, indeed a new "pub sport" with some kind of scoring system, leagues etc.

 

[8ball]

People shouldn't be looking at their phones in pubs anyway. Knocking phones out of people's hands in pubs should be lauded, indeed a new "pub sport" with some kind of scoring system, leagues etc.

I wasn't looking at it - just walking with it in my hand.

 

[8ball]

You can't be looking very hard. Perhaps you can't even see your own phone!

A week later and nothing more than a few "slightly big" phones spotted.

As opposed to:

 

[editor]

A week later and nothing more than a few "slightly big" phones spotted.

As opposed to:

The Apple Reality Distortion Field is strong with you today.

 

[8ball]

The Apple Reality Distortion Field is strong with you today.

 

[editor]

This is a really good piece of analysis:

Five reasons why Apple is ending unit sales reporting of Mac, iPhone, and iPad

 

[8ball]

It is kind of interesting.
And quite long.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

£5 to the server fund says it’ll be in that ballpark.

Premium product, new tech, etc

1800 dollars, which will mean the same in pounds. I reckon I was close enough

 

[UnderOpenSky]

I know it's a really picky detail, but I do a lot of long distance running, and many of the running packs I've got have got pretty dinky pouches for phones. It's a bit of a squeeze for the iPhone 8 already, so it's important to have a phone that I can use on my 20+ mile runs. The extra few millimeters could make a big difference, so will need to do some testing.

Salomon Skin Pro 15 holds my smartphone nicely in one of the places for bottles. It's elasticated so don't worry about it dropping out and it's well placed to access for checking the map.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Indeed it is but it’s not just Apple, the age of the smartphone is over. The next stage of computing is slowly coming into view...


.

 

[editor]

Eek!

Apple Kept Revenue Growth Only by Raising iPhone Prices

In 2010, you could buy a brand-new iPhone 4 for 199 bucks.

In 2014, the newly released iPhone 6 cost 299 bucks.

Today the cheapest model of the latest iPhone X costs $1,149!

The End Of Apple

 

[skyscraper101]

Reminds me of the golden age of Nokia. They had their day for a good decade. Then they just became undesirable when better alternatives came along and it was a painful decline thereafter.

I do wonder how it will play out for Apple. There surely isn't that many more things they can do to justify their massive cost anymore.

 

[editor]

Reminds me of the golden age of Nokia. They had their day for a good decade. Then they just became undesirable when better alternatives came along and it was a painful decline thereafter.

I do wonder how it will play out for Apple. There surely isn't that many more things they can do to justify their massive cost anymore.

They do have an insanely loyal user base though who will quite happily shell out way, waaaaay over the odds for their tech.

 

[skyscraper101]

I read today they may be moving Foxconn to India.

Foxconn Looks Beyond China to India for iPhone Assembly

 

[8ball]

They do have an insanely loyal user base though who will quite happily shell out way, waaaaay over the odds for their tech.

I think they have a small cadre of fanboys who will do that, some really rich people who don’t even look at prices, and a majority who would
soon be nudged in other directions if they felt they were being ripped off.