I wasn’t planning to write a post today, but given the hype around the iPhone 5 I wanted to say a few words.
Firstly, I will openly admit, I am an Apple Fan Boy. I have an iPhone 4S a Macbook Pro and a iPad (original). Mrs Scot also has a 4S and ‘the new iPad’. We have an abundance of Apple chargers at the foot of our bed – 4 to be exact.
Let me start by saying why did they change the adapter? I fully understand that the old port is getting on for ten years old and that new connectivity options (WiFi, bluetooth, 3G, 4G etc.) mean that many of these pins end up redundant. This has royally pissed me off… Personally I am not too badly affected; I don’t own any docks or many peripherals. I just think it is a bad decision. Why change a good thing? So what if half the pins are redundant… It worked and a lot of people have some cool accessories – some of which cost £100s – that they would rather not buy an adapter for or upgrade.
Secondly, Tim Cook is no Steve Jobs. I have made it clear that Steve Jobs was one of my icons, but bias aside Time just doesn’t even begin to fill Steve’s shoes. Did anyone else see the mistake Apple made earlier by updating search results before the products were released? How embarrassing.
As for the mediocre technological upgrades… I am not all that impressed. My iPhone 4S will suffice for the time being. I will be swapping my £40+ per month tariff for a sim-only all-you-can-eat data type contract come January when my contract finishes.
Apple better watch out.. they once dominated the market with a market share of 18.8% for 2Q year, with Samsung coming in a close second at 17%. 2Q 2012 indicate Apple’s market share as 16.9%, with Samsung a whopping 32.6%. Perhaps Apple will turn this around with outrageous sales of the iPhone 5?
This may come across as a anti-Apple post; it is not intended this way. For the first time I am not very impressed with the progress that the company have made. Combine this with the bad press of ‘bullying’ Samsung into paying $1Bn over a patent and more recently suing an online Polish grocery for copying their logo… Apple’s image is undoubtedly starting to change.
Anyone else got any opinions on the future of Apple?
Interesting take on the iPhone5. I would say that I have to agree with many of your points, mainly their image. They’re starting to look more and more like a schoolyard bully who is upset because of the thought they’re losing a little bit of control.
That said, my wife is an Apple disciple and I am sure we’ll be buying it for her once our contract is up in January.
John S @ Frugal Rules recently posted..Yes, I Know…Another Personal Finance Blog
Hey John… it was a pretty bold post! I am probably going to be in the exact same situation with my wife too 😉
I think the future is still very bright for Apple. You’re right that Tim Cook is no Steve Jobs, but until someone can come out with a product that can match or better Apple I think they are fine.
Sean @ One Smart Dollar recently posted..Investing in Growth Funds
Sean.. I must admit I do agree with you. If I held any Apple stock I wouldn’t be selling it. I think I am just a little underwhelmed for the first time in a long time. That said their marketing of the iPhone 5 already looks amazing! Let’s face it, Apple products are fashion icons!
I am also extremely annoyed they changed the charger. The best thing about it was that it was so versatile between all of their products. If my friend has a different version I can still lend her the charger….. I love apple, but that wasn’t a good move.
Janine recently posted..5 Things couples should do before moving in together
That is a good point actually. This will be a pain in the butt when I visit friends / go on holiday etc. The original cable had almost become something that most people would stock in their house… like asking somebody to borrow an hdmi cable – almost everyone has one! I see the converters are £25!!!!
Amen.
Elle P. recently posted..A little tidbit about saving on auto insurance
I’m a bit annoyed about the connector thing. I have a nice Bose sound system that won’t connect as nicely now. I guess Apple will say you should upgrade it and use Airplay, but this thing cost me over £200!
I have never had an Iphone, but I do hate upgrades for the most part. If I like a product, I usually want to keep it and there is always something I don’t like if I am forced to change. Maybe someday I’ll get one and have a better prospective.
I think Apple manage their upgrades relatively well… they almost always accomodate for their older products in OS upgrades and they will try and produce some sort of an adapter to retrofit existing hardware. There is nothing worse than loving a product and it becoming obsolete and being forced to change!
This is a good discussion regarding the future of Apple. I don’t exactly see what their future would be, but I hope they will change for the better and I guess the absence of Steve Jobs is the reason why these changes happen. That man is very different and nothing compares his greatness.
Danyelle Franciosa recently posted..Allkind Joinery Brisbane – Upholding a Proud Tradition
Perhaps Tim Cook will steer the company in a completely different direction… Can’t help but feel that he is living in Steve’s shadow until he does!
I think I read somewhere around Steve’s death that he’d left as much as 5 years worth of R&D for new products to be released under his watch…so the fortunes and direction of the company over the next few years should be interesting without him as the visionary.
Drew @ ObjectiveWealth recently posted..Can’t Work Or Won’t Work?
I am willing to bet he is crying out from above at the stupidity of the website leak… That was never part of his vision!