iPhone 5

[ethanm]

I've never had a problem with speed on my phone. It can stream baseball and load tweets plenty fast for me. Hopefully the battery life makes a big jump for the 6 next year.

 

[ChetB]

x-post:

TUAW has a pretty good live stream of the event:

http://www.tuaw.com/2013/09/10/september-2013-apple-event-liveblog-the-new-iphone-party/

Highlights so far:

—iOS 7 coming Sept 18
—iWork apps (Pages, Numbers, Keynote, iPhoto, iMovie) to become free downloads
—iPhone 5C (A6 chip; 5 colors + cases; plastic with "no seams, part lines or joins"; $99 or $199, with contract)
—iPhone 5S (new A7 chip, black, silver, or gold; 64-bit; 2x faster CPU; new motion processor for fitness tracking; improved camera; fingerprint ID; $199–$399, with contract)
—iPhone 4S becomes free with contract.

 

[otc]

I wonder if the colored cases were a rush-job to compete with the moto x's customization options.
Kind of weird how it says "non" through the holes (seems like something Steve wouldn't have allowed on an 1st party accessory)

 

[javyn]

MOTO X 4 LYFE!!!!

 

[Jr Mouse]



I wonder if the colored cases were a rush-job to compete with the moto x's customization options.
Kind of weird how it says "non" through the holes (seems like something Steve wouldn't have allowed on an 1st party accessory)

I doubt anything Apple does these days is in reaction to a Motorola product. Even when this product is being pushed by Google. Apple's got their eyes set on Samsung who is the only Android partner making any real profit right now.

Case is ugly. I wonder how those holes feel pressed up to your hand? Can't imagine it will be that comfortable.

 

[ethanm]

It seems as though Apple has ditched austerity and gone back to colorfully tacky. I hope this doesn't permeate into the computers as well.

 

[otc]



I doubt anything Apple does these days is in reaction to a Motorola product. Even when this product is being pushed by Google. Apple's got their eyes set on Samsung who is the only Android partner making any real profit right now.

Case is ugly. I wonder how those holes feel pressed up to your hand? Can't imagine it will be that comfortable.

I dunno, there has got to be some reason they are pushing that ugly crap as a 1st party (its not like there aren't a billion other accessory makers that can make a silicone case).

The moto x is pretty slick, has been riffing on apple's lack of choice, and is able to push the fact that it was actually assembled in texas as opposed to "designed in california" (of course all the internal parts are from asia, but there are plenty of clueless consumers). Definitely the most apple-like android phone yet with its focus on response and usability over raw power.

Steve probably would have ignored motorola, but I don't know about the current management...

 

[Jr Mouse]



It seems as though Apple has ditched austerity and gone back to colorfully tacky. I hope this doesn't permeate into the computers as well.

Apple's been selling colorful devices at the low end for years now.

The only difference is they have brought this strategy to the iPhone platform. Otherwise, it's nothing new and I double we have anything to fear of the return of colorful iMacs.

The real story here is pricing. Everyone expected them to use the plastic iPhone as an opportunity to lower off contract pricing to help break into emerging markets. That didn't happen. Infact the 5C is the same pricing as the iPhone 5 would have been, had they continued to sell. $99 with two-year and $549 off contract. In essence they have repackaged the internals of the iPhone 5 into a cheaper to manufacture plastic phone casing to be sold for a larger profit.

The other advantage here from Apple's point of view is that this 5C will be easier to be sold as something "new" to the general public. The old strategy Apple had of moving last years model down in price each cycle worked well, but also created a feeling that you were buying into something old. 5C looks and feels new, even if the internals are not. It's an interesting marketing play that could work well for them in the long run.

 

[Jr Mouse]



I dunno, there has got to be some reason they are pushing that ugly crap as a 1st party (its not like there aren't a billion other accessory makers that can make a silicone case).

The moto x is pretty slick, has been riffing on apple's lack of choice, and is able to push the fact that it was actually assembled in texas as opposed to "designed in california" (of course all the internal parts are from asia, but there are plenty of clueless consumers). Definitely the most apple-like android phone yet with its focus on response and usability over raw power.

Steve probably would have ignored motorola, but I don't know about the current management...

Don't get me wrong, I like the Moto X from what I have seen. If I was going to switch today, it would probably be the phone I did so with. This doesn't change my doubt it will make a big dent in the overall smartphone market share.

Keep in mind these devices and their official 1st party accessories have a long design lead time. Maybe Apple made a last minute decision to cut holes in the 5C's case in reaction to the Moto X's unveiling, but I somehow doubt that was how things played out.

 

[MikeDT]

Apple Unveils Panicked Man With No Ideas

CUPERTINO, CA—At a highly anticipated press event at its Silicon Valley headquarters Tuesday afternoon, tech giant Apple officially unveiled to the public a panicked and completely idea-free man.

The white, ultrathin man, who exhibited such features as artificial excitement, a fully quavering voice, and what appeared to be a near total lack of inspiration, was put on full display for thousands of shareholders, industry insiders, reporters, and fans today in what Apple hopes will be a game-changer for the multinational corporation.

“This is the future of Apple,” announced the lightweight, 75-inch desperate man while being presented on stage. “We are indeed staking our company’s reputation on what you see here on this stage. And as always with Apple, you are getting a glimpse of the entire tech industry’s future today.”

http://www.theonion.com/articles/apple-unveils-panicked-ideafree-man-at-launch-even,33814/

 

[MikeDT]



It seems as though Apple has ditched austerity and gone back to colorfully tacky. I hope this doesn't permeate into the computers as well.

Logical really...Apple had their first colourful period in the late '90s, then their white period, then their aluminium austerity period, so it's time for another colourful period it seems.

 

[idfnl]

I'm getting the 5S just for the fingerprint recognition. It will save me 23 seconds a day.

 

[Hayward]

The Onion is no longer funny. It hasn't been since they hit the Internet.

I'm holding off until the 6. Thank you for beta testing.

 

[sonick]



The real story here is pricing. Everyone expected them to use the plastic iPhone as an opportunity to lower off contract pricing to help break into emerging markets. That didn't happen. Infact the 5C is the same pricing as the iPhone 5 would have been, had they continued to sell. $99 with two-year and $549 off contract. In essence they have repackaged the internals of the iPhone 5 into a cheaper to manufacture plastic phone casing to be sold for a larger profit.

The other advantage here from Apple's point of view is that this 5C will be easier to be sold as something "new" to the general public. The old strategy Apple had of moving last years model down in price each cycle worked well, but also created a feeling that you were buying into something old. 5C looks and feels new, even if the internals are not. It's an interesting marketing play that could work well for them in the long run.

+1, this is a ******* brilliant move.

 

[MikeDT]