[Sniffle774]

First up, to try and avoid any claims of an agenda I dont have an iPhone, did have a 4S..sold it as I personally did like it. Do, have an iPad and think its amazing. Have an old style iPod (with the click wheel - (never replaced it 'cos it just so damn good at what it does) so I am nether an Apple lover or a hater.

Wondered what people thought about this article. Is Apple guilty of compancy or a lack of direction ?

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?

Or, are they confident in there product and when you have the best, you dont need to catch up like the others ?

However..

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 math, let me work that out for you: Android's market share is now four times that of Apple. Four times!

So is Apple suffering from lack of imagination and new idea or maybe a refusal to abandone the tried and trusted success of the past ?

PR wise are the darlings of the tech world maybe learning the lesson that everyone loves you on the way up, but when you get there....they wanna knock you off.

The latest batch of Apple ads were such embarrassing garbage that Apple 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.

Is the iPhone 5 maybe the most important product (in terms of the companies posistion) in the last few years ?

The above of course is just one persons opinion.

Source for the quotes.

[Everything Goes]

Apple probably spend a lot of their money on legal fees trying to destroy Andriod in their Holy War. Marketing will be a huge part of their budget brainwashing everyone into thinking that they are the best.

Given that everyone from chavs to royalty can get an iPhone its not really an exclusive product for rich people due to contracts.

The legal spats has no doubt damaged their reputation.

But the hardcore fans will no doubt be having a wank about the new iPhone and will be getting ready to flock to the Apple store come launch day.

[Step666]

With regards to the R&D spending, instead of percentages, what's that in actual numbers?
Because 2% of Apple's revenues could easily be a similar amount to 14% of Google's or MS's.

That said, even if it isn't, it's a pretty meaningless figure.
Nokia used to spend something like double on R&D what the rest of the mobile phone industry did, including billions (yes, with a 'b') each year on Symbian, all of which achieved nothing as their marketshare and reputation slid.
On top of that, we all know that Apple are a company whose strength lies in marketing rather than actually developing new technologies. They're not making anything themselves, it all gets contracted out or bought in, what they do is have it put together a certain way and dazzle people (which is no mean feat) - they aren't developing new types of display panels or new wireless technologies or superior camera sensors or anything like that.


As for their marketshare, I think it's only natural that a company that releases one product a year is going to see sales gradually decline as their competition keeps innovating in the mean time.
The fact that their marketshare slides as their flagship product ages is hardly a surprise, the fact they can, overall, maintain such a significant position in the market based on one product a year is far more significant and impressive.


Personally, whilst in some ways I think the launch of the new iPhone will be very important for Apple, at the same time it won't.
Yes, they need to get it right and if they don't, that could cause serious problems for them. But all that means is there has to be some sort of tangible improvement over the previous model and people will be lining up on launch day.
If they do that, then the share price will continue to work it's way up as it has been doing.

[late8]

You don't need billions on R&D if your employees have the talent and creativity to come up with a design, look or function etc.

In Asia they use R&D to copy innovation (usually from the west) and make it better. That has been the way for decades.

[Dai13371]

Not any more late8. I would say that things have changed now.

[asyousay]

Of course the Iphone launches still excite. Millions of people will be waiting for the announcement all over the world. And on launce day will queue around the block for the phone.

No other phone gets this time of hype . Not even the Samsung 2 or 3 galaxy .

Apple are in a world of its own when it comes to marketing .

[zz9]

I think a lot of iPhone 5 buyers are going to be pissed off when they find out they have to buy new docks or use a clumsy adaptor. The Bose players are three or four hundred pounds and the 5 won't work with them.

I can see Android/Google coming up with a universal micro USB position to enable manufacturers to make Android docking stations that are not specific model dependant.

[munta]

I'm excited by the launch, and have been for every Apple launch for their mobile products. I do not own a Mac and I am unlikely to since they do not offer me the functionality that I want. However the iPhone and iPad are perfect for my needs. As such, of course I'm excited about what upgrades, both SW & HW which will be available soon.

[niceguy1966]

Originally Posted by zz9

I think a lot of iPhone 5 buyers are going to be pissed off when they find out they have to buy new docks or use a clumsy adaptor. The Bose players are three or four hundred pounds and the 5 won't work with them.

I can see Android/Google coming up with a universal micro USB position to enable manufacturers to make Android docking stations that are not specific model dependant.

If you can send video wirelessly to a HD TV, you can easily send HiFi sound to a Bose Player wirelessly. Physical connections aren't needed any more (even charging the phone will be wireless on all devices in another year or two).

[brynhyfrydd]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19567352

The guy in this video is going to buy an I Phone 5 no matter what. He focuses on a wish list as oppose to the unknown specs. but he is buying regardless.

Typical apple cult follower.

[asyousay]

Originally Posted by brynhyfrydd

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19567352

The guy in this video is going to buy an I Phone 5 no matter what. He focuses on a wish list as oppose to the unknown specs. but he is buying regardless.

Typical apple cult follower.

And you are a typical " Apple" hater.


There is absolutely nothing wrong with buying a Iphone 5 without seeing the specs .


If you have a Iphone 4 or 4S or any other Apple product then you know the basics of what it does.


How is that concept hard to follow?

[Voynich]

I'm interested to read the specs. However I can't bring myself to watch the event. The whooping and gasps are cringeworthy. It comes across as a service at evangelical church. All that's missing is Billy Graham!

[Richard1960]

Originally Posted by Voynich

I'm interested to read the specs. However I can't bring myself to watch the event. The whooping and gasps are cringeworthy. It comes across as a service at evangelical church. All that's missing is Billy Graham!

I used to work for an american company in the uk they had an event at Alexandra Palace where all the staff were expected to shout and fly banners with the companies name on when the directors came out.!

They really do worship buiness leaders in the US they just did not seem to get the different views in the uk.

It was as you say just like a Billy Graham event here in the uk.

Anybody going to Apple presentations also seem to behave like that.

[Voynich]

Originally Posted by asyousay

And you are a typical " Apple" hater.


There is absolutely nothing wrong with buying a Iphone 5 without seeing the specs .


If you have a Iphone 4 or 4S or any other Apple product then you know the basics of what it does.


How is that concept hard to follow?

People have always done that sort of thing. We even have an expression for it... buying "a pig in a poke" when it goes wrong!

[asyousay]

Originally Posted by Voynich

People have always done that sort of thing. We even have an expression for it... buying "a pig in a poke" when it goes wrong!

Exactly!!


Yet suddenly people are using that concept to bash Apple

[Richard1960]

I woud not bash Apple likewise i would not buy something without seeing the exact specs,what it could do first just barmy to me.

[CuBz90]

Originally Posted by asyousay

Of course the Iphone launches still excite. Millions of people will be waiting for the announcement all over the world. And on launce day will queue around the block for the phone.

No other phone gets this time of hype . Not even the Samsung 2 or 3 galaxy .

Apple are in a world of its own when it comes to marketing .

That's because Apple have only one phone, the iPhone. If Android was limited to just one phone then I'm sure it'd get the same hype, but people like to choose a phone to suit them therefore the hype is spread out across all Android devices making it not such a big deal.

[zz9]

Originally Posted by asyousay

And you are a typical " Apple" hater.


There is absolutely nothing wrong with buying a Iphone 5 without seeing the specs .


If you have a Iphone 4 or 4S or any other Apple product then you know the basics of what it does.


How is that concept hard to follow?

If you already have a 4S and the 5 is basically the same then why are you buying a 5?

If you are buying the new model it must be because it is different in some way, so how can you buy it without knowing exactly what those differences are and comparing it to other phones?

Unless you're buying it purely to show off that you have the latest thing of course....

[zz9]

Originally Posted by niceguy1966

If you can send video wirelessly to a HD TV, you can easily send HiFi sound to a Bose Player wirelessly. Physical connections aren't needed any more (even charging the phone will be wireless on all devices in another year or two).

Millions of people already have Bose Soundocks. Do they have WiFi already built in? Or do they all need to buy the new Soundlink?

[CuBz90]

Originally Posted by zz9

If you already have a 4S and the 5 is basically the same then why are you buying a 5?

If you are buying the new model it must be because it is different in some way, so how can you buy it without knowing exactly what those differences are and comparing it to other phones?

Unless you're buying it purely to show off that you have the latest thing of course....

That is the only reason iPhone users decide to buy the phone before they know what it is like, even if they know afterwards that there is much better phones out there. If you see people on the streets with iPhones, you can see that some of them are clearly trying to show off. Some people even pretend to be on the phone and hold the iPhone from the bottom so everybody can see the Apple logo, it's pathetic and they don't realise that people are not saying "o look he/she has the new iphone" like that think they are, they're actually saying "look at that idiot trying to show off because he/she has an iPhone, do they know how stupid they look".

[zz9]

Originally Posted by CuBz90

That is the only reason iPhone users decide to buy the phone before they know what it is like, even if they know afterwards that there is much better phones out there. If you see people on the streets with iPhones, you can see that some of them are clearly trying to show off. Some people even pretend to be on the phone and hold the iPhone from the bottom so everybody can see the Apple logo, it's pathetic and they don't realise that people are not saying "o look he/she has the new iphone" like that think they are, they're actually saying "look at that idiot trying to show off because he/she has an iPhone, do they know how stupid they look".

I have noticed that lots of iPhone cases have holes right where the Apple logo is so it can still be seen....

[skunkboy69]

Bought the very first one and it ended up in a drawer.They just seem to be rereleasing the same thing over and over.I've got friends who worship at the altar of Apple and buy every new model that comes out.More money than sense in my opinion.

[asyousay]

Originally Posted by zz9

If you already have a 4S and the 5 is basically the same then why are you buying a 5?

If you are buying the new model it must be because it is different in some way, so how can you buy it without knowing exactly what those differences are and comparing it to other phones?

Unless you're buying it purely to show off that you have the latest thing of course....

I have a IPhone 4 and I have been due a upgrade since December . So unless it's crap I will automatically upgrade . I did not get a 4s as it was to similar to the 4 .

And there will be loads of people in the same boat . And it will be a big upgrade if it follows the patten of a major update every two years .

[zz9]

Originally Posted by asyousay

I have a IPhone 4 and I have been due a upgrade since December . So unless it's crap I will automatically upgrade . I did not get a 4s as it was to similar to the 4 .

And there will be loads of people in the same boat . And it will be a big upgrade if it follows the patten of a major update every two years .

I loved my HTC Desire, it was far better than anything else available at the time, but when I upgraded I looked around and tried lots of other phones, read reviews and comparisons etc before picking the One X. No way would I have blindly ordered it without trying it.

[asyousay]

Originally Posted by zz9

I loved my HTC Desire, it was far better than anything else available at the time, but when I upgraded I looked around and tried lots of other phones, read reviews and comparisons etc before picking the One X. No way would I have blindly ordered it without trying it.

Everybody is different. Why would I need try a phone when the basic concept won't change ?

I have had the IPhone 3 and now the 4 and It does everything I need it to do .


I looked into the Samsung Galaxy as I was due a upgrade 9 months ago and I hated the feel of it. And the screen was too large for my tastes . So I have looked around but I will stick with apple it seems .