Why the iPhone 5 never arrived • Hacker News Board

Re: Why the iPhone 5 never arrived

#101

Post by podperson » Wed, Oct 05, 2011, 9:00 PM UTC

mrtron wrote: post #100

CamperBob wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would Apple drop $n >> 0 per iPad when competitors' screens are relatively abysmal and the iPad would sell out? Uh, because people will pay more for it? I would cheerfully fork over $1000 for an iPad with the resolution of the iPhone 4's display.

iPad is a new product line and need to reach mass appeal. Apple is betting a lot on a form factor that has repeatedly failed. They need to sell a high volume of units, not sell a few high end units. Maybe in a few years there will be an 'iPad Pro' with a higher power processor, better screen, etc. But it seems unlikely in the short term. Also a retina display on an iPad priced at 1000$ or so would probably have simil…

I agree with all of the above and add that Apple's only plausible competition is from _below_ (e.g. the Kindle Fire) and so if anything they're probably figuring out a plan for what to do if sales start flagging from such competition (e.g. can Apple maintain margins on a $299 iPad2? $399?).

Re: Why the iPhone 5 never arrived

#102

Post by podperson » Wed, Oct 05, 2011, 9:00 PM UTC

mrtron wrote: post #100

CamperBob wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would Apple drop $n >> 0 per iPad when competitors' screens are relatively abysmal and the iPad would sell out? Uh, because people will pay more for it? I would cheerfully fork over $1000 for an iPad with the resolution of the iPhone 4's display.

iPad is a new product line and need to reach mass appeal. Apple is betting a lot on a form factor that has repeatedly failed. They need to sell a high volume of units, not sell a few high end units. Maybe in a few years there will be an 'iPad Pro' with a higher power processor, better screen, etc. But it seems unlikely in the short term. Also a retina display on an iPad priced at 1000$ or so would probably have simil…

I agree with all of the above and add that Apple's only plausible competition is from _below_ (e.g. the Kindle Fire) and so if anything they're probably figuring out a plan for what to do if sales start flagging from such competition (e.g. can Apple maintain margins on a $299 iPad2? $399?).

Re: Why the iPhone 5 never arrived

#103

Post by samstave » Wed, Oct 05, 2011, 9:01 PM UTC

InclinedPlane wrote: post #92

Florin_Andrei wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except this "tick" (iPhone 4) was actually pretty good, whereas in your example all the "ticks" were abysmal failures.

Windows 95 was one of the most successful product launches of all time. And Windows 2000 was a very solid product though not generally a good choice for casual users.

I still have this in original shrink wrap:

http://i.imgur.com/4tc63h.jpg

Re: Why the iPhone 5 never arrived

#104

Post by flocial » Wed, Oct 05, 2011, 9:07 PM UTC

I expected the 5 but I really admire how Apple stuck to their guns. With the CEO change any other company would have rushed out a new design to keep analysts happy considering the hardware boost (it's a bigger jump than 3S was to 4). While I prefer a rounder design personally I also don't want a mediocre iPhone. Apple won't refresh a design until everything is right. Also people fail to realize that the 4S comes with an improved antenna so they did improve the things that matter.

The downfall of Japanese manufacturers was adding features for features sake and switching up design to manufacture demand for the "new" model. Sony would have some nice products with promise but they always managed to screw something up with every iteration, never quite getting it right or abandoning product lines with passionate fans altogether. They're all struggling to stay alive now. The Koreans are doing the same only a little better (more innovation and focus on technology but still the same frequent changes).

When the dust settles I think you'll see that people who purchase or upgrade to 4S will be more than satisfied with the end product.

Re: Why the iPhone 5 never arrived

#105

Post by 0x12 » Wed, Oct 05, 2011, 9:08 PM UTC

gamble wrote: post #72

The advantage of operating at Apple scale is the ability to buy components in vast quantities, giving Apple better deals and exclusivity that their competitors can't match. The downside is that they have to buy at those scales. Apple can't afford to ship anything that contains components they can't source by the million. If one HTC handset is delayed by six months thanks to part shortages, that's a problem for them.…

Downvoted for spurious use of the word 'holocaust'.

Re: Why the iPhone 5 never arrived

#106

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Oct 05, 2011, 9:09 PM UTC

chugger wrote: post #30

achompas wrote: post #19

Is anyone really shocked? Here, I'll write out the tech media "design pattern" for a new Apple product. 1. Hype up killer pie-in-the-sky feature that makes zero economic sense for Apple (see: retina iPad, 4G iPhone with larger screen). Traffic spikes. 2. As launch approaches, use "inside sources" to mock up designs (Macrumors's "we think the 5 will look like this"). Report on supply chain behavior, leaked case design…

Most of these rumors are started by hedge funds with short positions in Apple. 1) Spread rumors about a product 2) Watch stock price go up 3) Wait for the actual product announcement 4) Short sale 5) Profit$$$ it happens everyday.

[deleted]

Re: Why the iPhone 5 never arrived

#107

Post by DannoHung » Wed, Oct 05, 2011, 9:26 PM UTC

cletus wrote: post #33

achompas wrote: post #19

Is anyone really shocked? Here, I'll write out the tech media "design pattern" for a new Apple product. 1. Hype up killer pie-in-the-sky feature that makes zero economic sense for Apple (see: retina iPad, 4G iPhone with larger screen). Traffic spikes. 2. As launch approaches, use "inside sources" to mock up designs (Macrumors's "we think the 5 will look like this"). Report on supply chain behavior, leaked case design…

This is exactly what happens. The iPad 3 was the most egregious example I've seen of this yet. John Gruber said it made sense for the iPad to be on a September release schedule (which actually makes no sense) based on no information whatsoever. What followed was how the iPad 3 was coming, it had a retina display, the usual unverifiable tales from the supply chain, etc. In the end, unnamed sources said Apple decided t…

> John Gruber said it made sense for the iPad to be on a September release schedule (which actually makes no sense) based on no information whatsoever.

The iPad, being a contract-less decision, makes a lot of sense as a Christmas purchase.

The stuff about retina displays I think was based on the UltraHD icons and shit found in Lion. I think at least some of the thinking came from the idea that Apple wanted to do a super-high-res iPad (again, based on the direction of icons in Lion) and shift it's product cycle for the iPad from Spring to Fall. Since this was before the iPhone 4S was shifted from early summer, it made more sense a few months ago.

I'd still like a bigger screen on the iPhone. Mah thumbs are big.

Re: Why the iPhone 5 never arrived

#108

Post by CamperBob » Wed, Oct 05, 2011, 9:45 PM UTC

podperson wrote: post #101

mrtron wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

iPad is a new product line and need to reach mass appeal. Apple is betting a lot on a form factor that has repeatedly failed. They need to sell a high volume of units, not sell a few high end units. Maybe in a few years there will be an 'iPad Pro' with a higher power processor, better screen, etc. But it seems unlikely in the short term. Also a retina display on an iPad priced at 1000$ or so would probably have simil…

I agree with all of the above and add that Apple's only plausible competition is from _below_ (e.g. the Kindle Fire) and so if anything they're probably figuring out a plan for what to do if sales start flagging from such competition (e.g. can Apple maintain margins on a $299 iPad2? $399?).

Whether or not you're right, if Apple is worried about competition from "below," as you put it, it will be the very first time since 1978 that they have done so.

Re: Why the iPhone 5 never arrived

#109

Post by matthew-wegner » Wed, Oct 05, 2011, 9:46 PM UTC

prawn wrote: post #12

Saw the common reaction to the iPhone 5 disappointment summarised loosely as: "If this new product looks like the last one, how will people tell that I'm superior to them?"

I think the identical appearance is calculated. The only way you'll be able to show off your new phone is by actually using Siri.

Re: Why the iPhone 5 never arrived

#110

Post by robryan » Wed, Oct 05, 2011, 10:30 PM UTC

mikeash wrote: post #18

prawn wrote: post #12

Saw the common reaction to the iPhone 5 disappointment summarised loosely as: "If this new product looks like the last one, how will people tell that I'm superior to them?"

If this exact same phone had come out with the name "iPhone 5", and maybe a different case, people would be praising it to the heavens. People are weird.

True, I had a friend debating whether to get one. I asked him, if they had labeled it a 5 would you feel the same way, what missing features are you after exactly? Turns out it pretty much was just the branding.