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iPhone 5 - to be announced today

From the beeb.

Somewhere up there, I can hear Steve screaming.

Back in 2006 I launched a blog where I pretended to be Apple CEO Steve Jobs. My alter ego, "Fake Steve," had a good run, but I shut it down in January 2011 when it became apparent that Jobs was in poor health. Nevertheless, even now, I'm constantly wondering what Steve would think about whatever Apple is doing.

This week it's the iPhone 5. Everyone pretty much accepts that Apple will introduce it, and there have been so many leaks that everybody pretty much seems to know what it's going to be. Word is it will look a lot like the last two versions of the iPhone, except a bit thinner and a bit taller, with upgraded guts and a refreshed operating system.


Samsung's Galaxy S3 is outselling the iPhone 4S in some countries
If that's correct, I imagine Steve is not happy. First of all, he'd be furious about the leaks. Steve liked surprising people.

More important, is this really the best we can expect from an outfit that claims to be the most innovative company in the world? This is the sixth version of the iPhone, and the user interface still looks almost exactly like the original iPhone in 2007.

The hardware on the iPhone has been the same for two years, since the iPhone 4 and 4S were virtually identical.

Now, having had two years to plot and scheme, Apple's renowned designer Jonathan Ive has replaced the tiny 3.5in (8.9cm) screen with a slightly-less-tiny 4in (10.2cm) screen? Wow. Knock me over with a feather. What do you do with the rest of your time, Jony?

This is what happens when a company is too cheap to invest in research and development. Did you know that Apple spends far less on R&D than any of its rivals - a paltry 2% of revenues, versus 14% for Google and Microsoft?

No wonder the Android platform, where new models appear every week, now represents 68% of the smartphone market, up from 47% a year ago, while Apple slid to 17% over the same period.

In case you're bad at maths, let me work that out for you: Android's market share is now four times that of Apple. Four times!

Worse, despite all its bluster about innovation, Apple has become a copycat, and not even a good one. Why is Apple making the iPhone bigger? To keep up with the top Android phones.


Apple's stock has hit new heights under chief executive Tim Cook
(Phones that, mind you, Apple fanboys ridiculed at first.)

The problem is that the new iPhone won't really give you much more screen real estate than the old one. Worse, it looks ridiculous.

Apple also has become a copycat in tablets. Jobs once said the iPad's 9.7in screen was the perfect size, and smaller tablets made no sense. Then the Android camp had success with 7in tablets like Amazon's Kindle Fire and Google's Nexus 7, and now Apple supposedly will announce its own smaller iPad in October. Talk about thinking different!

What else is there to complain about?

Um, Siri still doesn't work. The oft-rumoured Apple TV doesn't exist yet, presumably because media companies won't let Apple take over their business.

The latest batch of Apple ads were such embarrassing garbage that Apple had to take them down from YouTube. Apple's new guy in charge of retail launched a plan to lay off workers and boost profits, then had to walk it back when people pointed out that this was stupid.

The big $1bn (£650m) patent "victory" over Samsung made Apple look like a bully, and also raised awareness of how good Samsung's latest products are.

Last month, Samsung's Galaxy S3, with its huge 4.8in screen, outsold the iPhone 4S in the United States, the first time any smartphone has outsold the iPhone in the States.

Apple got where it was by taking bold risks. Now it has become a company that copies others and plays it safe.

A company that once was run by a product visionary now is run by a number-cruncher - chief executive Tim Cook, whose claim to fame involves running an efficient supply chain and beating ever lower prices out of Asian subcontractors and component suppliers.

To use a car analogy, six years ago the iPhone was like a sexy new flagship model from BMW or Porsche. Today it's a Toyota Camry. Safe, reliable, boring. The car your mom drives. The car that's so popular that its maker doesn't dare mess with the formula.


Steve Jobs co-founded Apple in 1976. He stepped down as chief executive in August, 2011.
Apple seems less interested in blowing people away than it is in milking profit out of the existing lineup. At this Cook is doing marvellously well.

Sales are booming and will top $150bn this year, with net profit margins of nearly 30%. That's incredible in any business, but qualifies as a miracle when you're selling consumer electronics hardware.

Apple has more than $100bn in cash. Its market value of $632bn makes it the biggest company in the world, bigger than any company in US history.

That's great for Apple's shareholders. But for customers, who cares? In terms of products, Apple has become the one thing it should never be. Apple has become boring.

Somewhere up there, I can hear Steve screaming
 
Knew we would be ripped off though



From £529

Pre-order online from 14 September.

Or buy at your favourite Apple Retail Store
starting at 8:00 am on 21 September.
 
Hi everyone, just thought I'd let all the Apple fans know that the iPhone 5 is being announced today. \o/

So what's everyone hoping to see included and what would it take for you to move from your current phone to an iPhone 5?

When typing whilst using the internet, move the search button away from the space bar as it is currently right next to it and you constantly hit search instead of space by mistake.
 
Not that big of an update but these days it's more about iOS than it is the hardware. Faster, bigger, better is always good though.

Love the people who come in here and tell me that the iPhone is no good and I shouldn't buy one etc. what does it matter to you? In my opinion, you are more sad than those you label fan boys.
 
Not that big of an update but these days it's more about iOS than it is the hardware. Faster, bigger, better is always good though.

Love the people who come in here and tell me that the iPhone is no good and I shouldn't buy one etc. what does it matter to you? In my opinion, you are more sad than those you label fan boys.

Nothing wrong with sticking with a brand, whether it's Apple, Samsung or whoever if you believe that they consistently make good products. No different to somebody who would always buy a Sony tv for example (I prefer Samsung but each to their own) because you know that Sony are a good brand, even if they make expensive products.
 
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Another Apple release and another year of over-the-top media coverage and attention.

Their products are nothing more than fashion item for the sheep in society. If you're not seen with one then you're not cool.

So what have they added this year? A bigger screen? Try the Galaxy. 4G capability? Try Samsung, HTC, Nokia who already have it. Better camera? Nope same 8mp but with slightly better night time capture. Better battery? Nope 8 hours, less than most competition (even with this super efficient chip)...

Now no offence to the fanboys as you are entitled to your opinion but seriously why do they deserve this much attention and how is their products so much better than their competition?
 
Another Apple release and another year of over-the-top media coverage and attention.

Their products are nothing more than fashion item for the sheep in society. If you're not seen with one then you're not cool.

So what have they added this year? A bigger screen? Try the Galaxy. 4G capability? Try Samsung, HTC, Nokia who already have it. Better camera? Nope same 8mp but with slightly better night time capture. Better battery? Nope 8 hours, less than most competition (even with this super efficient chip)...

Now no offence to the fanboys as you are entitled to your opinion but seriously why do they deserve this much attention and how is their products so much better than their competition?

You sound like the tossers who used to come into the Apple store to complain about Apple. It's an Apple thread! Go to the Samsung one to complain, I really couldn't give two bricks if you think I'm a sheep. I can't use a Samsung phone to watch stuff on my Apple TV or use it with iTunes in the cloud. An iPhone makes the most sense for me. If it doesn't for you, awesome! Good stuff...it's great we have choice in the world. But for the sake of those of us who do like and use Apple products...just give it a rest.
 
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