iPhone 5 - to be announced today

[southstand1882]

You are just making this up right ? you have no proof ?

I can find out for sure, my mate who I have previously worked with can run a report on that and find the exact figures for the company he works for (he works on the tmob side of EE). Fairly sure its not iphone in terms of %. As far as smart phones go HTC were very poor at one stage, no idea of recent figures though.

The only proof I have is anecdotal evidence

I know of so many people (friends and colleagues, and to a certain extent strangers) that either carry around cracked iPhones, or have Facebooked advice on getting a repair

I have not seen the same with other manufacturers

To be fair, most of my friends are not very technical, so the chances are higher

But I would be very interested in getting official figures. Please include the phone models too, as it would be unfair to skew the numbers if there is a deliberately cheap / early model with known issues, that has since been replaced

 

[ArcspacE]

Meh

 

[P.D.]

Bar a few small things its pretty much just been a bigger screen they have put on in 2 years. That to me is really poor.

don't know why they made it lighter, had a good weight before which made it feel premium.

From the new phones I've seen will most likely get a Nokia lumia 920. I've always thought Nokia have the best designs and cameras.


Oh and on the broken screen thing if my memory is correct just about every decent manafacturer now uses gorilla glass which is supposedly indestructable or near to it but Apple use different tech hence the broken screens.

 

[Ginolius]

The dock adapter is a rip off... 30 quid for an adapter is insane.

Looks like a decent improvement though, not revolutionary but all round its slightly better than the 4s which is all they need to do to sell buckets of them. Not going to convert many away from other ecosystems but they don't really need to. Important thing for apple is it will look better to average Joe alongside the Android behemoths in the shop now with the 4" screen.

No nfc is a strange ommission though, the next 12 months its going to get a serious roll out by the networks, guess it will be the 5s improvement. Only major screw up for me is the letter boxing of non optimised apps, something that jobs said apple would never accept when they released the retina display.

New lumia looks like the most innovative phone out soon for me, if that lives up to the previews I may well be giving that a try.

 

[ArcspacE]

Design-wise - it was always going to be hard to improve upon a timeless form, defining an archetypal product, which has been blatantly ripped off (and finally received legal protection/compensation for it) for 2 years now and pretty much set the smart-phone industry standard. Personally I felt the 'form' would only change in the next 2 year cycle - i.e. 2014

Feature-wise - I haven't stuided iOS6 in details but looks solid from a first glance. Apple have set their own bar very high in the past, with consumers expecting 'revolutionary' features at every release. The BBC article from page 1 made some very good points on that.

 

[Crawley]

So you are basing this on 1 person you worked with.

As I just said in my previous post, I could find out exact figures for broken phones under warranty or insurance. There is no problem with iphones. It just seems like the usual anti iphone lot (for whatever reason this may be) are trying to pluck faults out of the air. And to add my individual story - I dropped an iphone down some office stairs, went quite some distance... picked it up with no damage other than a slight scuff.

And funnily enough, the company you mention (HTC) have the poorest reputation in terms of quality of handset. I could get stats if you really wanted it, but dont take my word just google it, sure it was on watchdog or something.

But yeah I expect everyone has seen more cracked iphones than HTCs, because more people probably own a iphone... who has a HTC these days ? Its apple or samsung.

No. That was one example. Had you bothered to read my post just before that, I stated that I had seen dozens of iphones with cracked screens, but don't recall ever having SEEN a cracked HTC or Samsung. That's all. Personal experience. Which is all that the majority of us can base our opinions on.

And that last comment.......who owns HTC these days?...............blimey...........maybe I have selective sight or something, but i see countless HTCs in use on a daily basis. Indeed, in my quite large office I know that there is a split 50/50 between iphones and HTCs.

However, as others have said on here, it all comes down to personal choice. And my choice is HTC, which suits my needs and I like the OS.
If you prefer iphones, so be it. Hardly world changing, is it?

 

[spursman17]

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.

So people can be brandished with the news of an apple product release but are not allowed to comment on it?

This is not your board, anything posted is open to opinion so please don't tell people what they can and can't do.

As for the product, I'm still waiting for justification on why apple deserve all this pre-release coverage? So I've seen features of a bigger screen, a minor camera software upgrade and a new chip. Upgrades common with all manufacturers on a new release.

Now as for my opinion on the product my view is justified. I'm a programmer by trade and familiar with development for mobile devices. From my experience a huge chunk of iPhone owners have minimal technological skills and understanding yet are quick to slate a competitors product without reason.

Now I'm not saying apple products are not good, in fact I think they are stylish in the sense of being visually pleasing. What I would like to understand though is what makes them so far superior to deserve the attention it receives prior to release compared to their conpetitors?

 

[ArcspacE]

As for the product, I'm still waiting for justification on why apple deserve all this pre-release coverage? So I've seen features of a bigger screen, a minor camera software upgrade and a new chip. Upgrades common with all manufacturers on a new release.

Justification? It's called marketing.

Possibly has something to do with the fact they're currently the biggest company in world with a near 700 billion USD market worth and revolutionarised the smart phone industry.

 

[scaramanga]

The dock adapter is a rip off... 30 quid for an adapter is insane.

Looks like a decent improvement though, not revolutionary but all round its slightly better than the 4s which is all they need to do to sell buckets of them. Not going to convert many away from other ecosystems but they don't really need to. Important thing for apple is it will look better to average Joe alongside the Android behemoths in the shop now with the 4" screen.

No nfc is a strange ommission though, the next 12 months its going to get a serious roll out by the networks, guess it will be the 5s improvement. Only major screw up for me is the letter boxing of non optimised apps, something that jobs said apple would never accept when they released the retina display.

New lumia looks like the most innovative phone out soon for me, if that lives up to the previews I may well be giving that a try.

I can't believe there is no NFC either.

I would have upgraded to that, but a bigger screen? Meh. Don't watch a lot of video and don't really want a bigger phone (that's what rules out an S3 for me).
Faster processor? Meh. Don't game and my 4 is never sluggish
Slightly better camera? Meh.

There's nothing from the iPhone 5 that will change what I do or how I do things so I'm unlikely to upgrade - I just can't see the point. NFC would mean I didn't need to take a wallet when going around the corner to a takeaway or popping out for cigs, a bigger screen is not enough to change all my connectors etc.

 

[Spursman]

I sit on the first row of the upper tier. Lady next to me dropped her iPhone into the lower tear. It fell on someone head and then to the floor. She had a case round it and the phone was perfectly fine!

 

[ArcspacE]

NFC in 12 months at the earliest apparently.

They ve described it at this stage as 'creating a solution to a problem which doesn't exist'

 

[Ginolius]

I can't believe there is no NFC either.

I would have upgraded to that, but a bigger screen? Meh. Don't watch a lot of video and don't really want a bigger phone (that's what rules out an S3 for me).
Faster processor? Meh. Don't game and my 4 is never sluggish
Slightly better camera? Meh.

There's nothing from the iPhone 5 that will change what I do or how I do things so I'm unlikely to upgrade - I just can't see the point. NFC would mean I didn't need to take a wallet when going around the corner to a takeaway or popping out for cigs, a bigger screen is not enough to change all my connectors etc.

Yeah, I like the bigger screens, but it's very much a personal preference and so far cooks boast that they can fit an extra line of icons in doesn't make me sit up and take notice. I'm sure it's a lovely screen but letter boxed apps? Really...

The processor boasting is something android makers got a lot of stick for a few years ago and seem to have learnt not to do it. That apple conference wasn't really very 'apple-like' to me, I'm not their biggest fan but they do hype things fantastically usually, this time round it seemed like ticking boxes 'bigger screen, faster processor, thinner, lighter, battery...' Where's the innovation, or at least where's claims of innovation - amazons conference last week beat them at their own game imo.

Nfc has got so much potential in terms of commerce and connectivity that it seems crazy they've not gone with it. It's been massively underused since debuting in the nexus s 2 years ago because not enough people had compatible phones but with the networks now pushing it (to get their own wallet format out there) as well as developers, windows and android manufacturers they could find themselves missing out should it take off like I expect.

I believe jobs would have gambled on nfc, and then claimed credit when it took off. Right now apple will be playing catch up in 12 months time, and it's frustrating as if apple has supported it everyone would have gained as it would have taken off even faster.

 

[GLENROYID]

Im getting it on release day, fudge the hateRzzzZ

 

[ArcspacE]

NFC isnt as refined, imv - hence the commment about potential. Im sure they ll explore that segment to its maximum when the market is ready

 

[NovTHFC]

Bar a few small things its pretty much just been a bigger screen they have put on in 2 years. That to me is really poor.

don't know why they made it lighter, had a good weight before which made it feel premium.

From the new phones I've seen will most likely get a Nokia lumia 920. I've always thought Nokia have the best designs and cameras.


Oh and on the broken screen thing if my memory is correct just about every decent manafacturer now uses gorilla glass which is supposedly indestructable or near to it but Apple use different tech hence the broken screens.

False on the Gorilla glass for Apple as they do use it. You drop any phone from a fair distance and more often than not the screen will break. Ive dropped my 4 several times without a case and it has never broken.

Even if you do break it, Apple customer service is up there with the best. Ive known of a load of people outside the warranty window and Apple have replaced it free of charge.

Also I don't know what more people expect from the iPhone, theres not an awful lot more you can do to it, as they had it pretty much nailed with the iPhone 4. I think people we're expecting a built in projector.

Everyone bangs on about the S3's power etc, but really is all that needed? Not once in my 2 years of ownership of my iPhone has it ever slowed down, in doing any task, nor has it let me down.

 

[scaramanga]

NFC isnt as refined, imv - hence the commment about potential. Im sure they ll explore that segment to its maximum when the market is ready

NFC is plenty refined enough for me. Most of the places that I want to be in & out quickly (coffee shops, takeaways, convenience stores, etc) all accept NFC payments.

I can get an NFC card from Natwest but it still means taking my wallet with me (unless I take the card separately and risk damaging it), whereas my phone is within reach 24 hours a day. Although that's not lifechanging, for someone who cares about the cut/fit of their clothing as much as I do not needing to carry a wallet is enough for me to choose one phone over another.

Now, as soon as somebody comes out with NFC cufflinks it won't matter which phone I have.

 

[Ginolius]

NFC isnt as refined, imv - hence the commment about potential. Im sure they ll explore that segment to its maximum when the market is ready

Of course theyll put it in the 5s, but that just means theyre letting other companies do all the leg work. That BBC article is looking fairly accurate, a distinct lack of innovation it seems. NFC has been ready and secure for years now, what's lacking is the infrastructure out there to use it to its full potential and that needs a company or multiple companies to go out and make it happen. The networks are doing it, banks have laregely done it, other handset makers are doing it, so apple appear to be waiting for them to finish ,making it an even more widespread and accepted technology and then they'll join in - probably claiming it was their idea to begin with ;-)

 

[ArcspacE]

Of course theyll put it in the 5s, but that just means theyre letting other companies do all the leg work. That BBC article is looking fairly accurate, a distinct lack of innovation it seems. NFC has been ready and secure for years now, what's lacking is the infrastructure out there to use it to its full potential and that needs a company or multiple companies to go out and make it happen. The networks are doing it, banks have laregely done it, other handset makers are doing it, so apple appear to be waiting for them to finish ,making it an even more widespread and accepted technology and then they'll join in - probably claiming it was their idea to begin with ;-)

How is that for a change!

This is an endless debate, I suppose

- feature included - overhyping a rather simple feature!
- feature not included - why the hell not!

 

[Fhtagn]

No you're right and I use both Skype and Dropbox a lot. Lately though, I've switched to using FaceTime more as it doesn't require setting up a meeting on Skype. I can just call my parents and if they're on WiFi, we can chat. If not I'll try again later.

Dropbox I use a lot and love it. However, it would never replace iCloud. It wouldn't keep my iPad, 2 Macs and iPhone in sync because it can't do that. Dropbox is fantastic at what it does, but what it does is fairly limited.

Not sure where you get 25gb free though? I've only got 2.9gb

I don't know, according to Google it works a charm to sync your things with iOS on Dropbox. Maybe Dropcbox and iCloud sync different things? I don't usually need my phone, tab and laptop to be in sync, so I'm not going to go on about this.

I have a HTC One X, I think that the free 25GB comes if you buy a new HTC, whether it's just the One X/S/V or other phones also I'm not sure about.

 

[scaramanga]

I don't know, according to Google it works a charm to sync your things with iOS on Dropbox. Maybe Dropcbox and iCloud sync different things? I don't usually need my phone, tab and laptop to be in sync, so I'm not going to go on about this.

I have a HTC One X, I think that the free 25GB comes if you buy a new HTC, whether it's just the One X/S/V or other phones also I'm not sure about.

iCloud is just a little more "phone aware".

You can chuck a load of files at a dropbox and anything syncing will receive them. iCloud is online storage for contacts, calendars, etc too. Lately some apps have started to use iCloud data, so for example the app my dad uses to save all his passport numbers etc is synced to his iPad when he enters them in his iPhone. That doesn't work with Dropbox as it's an encrypted data source.