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Apple's upgrade dilemma

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Re: Apple's upgrade dilemma

#41

Post by taligent »

doomlaser wrote: post #33
adamjernst wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is because the iPhone 4 is missing a newer version of the crucial noise reduction chip: http://www.tuaw.com/2012/02/06/siri-may-be-iphone-4s-only-be... The fact that Apple supported iOS 6 on the 3GS is proof that they're pretty serious about backwards compatibility.

That is not true. Siri was available in the App Store from a third party for at least a year prior to its reintroduction in the 4S, and ran on a 3GS just fine. There isn't a technical reason for it not being available on earlier models. http://techcrunch.com/2011/10/04/the-original-siri-app-gets-...

Siri the APP was available. That's different from what Apple shipped.

And especially given Apple's need to work across multiple languages we don't know if a more sensitive microphone was required.

Re: Apple's upgrade dilemma

#42

Post by taligent »

shurcooL wrote: post #35
adamjernst wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is because the iPhone 4 is missing a newer version of the crucial noise reduction chip: http://www.tuaw.com/2012/02/06/siri-may-be-iphone-4s-only-be... The fact that Apple supported iOS 6 on the 3GS is proof that they're pretty serious about backwards compatibility.

Come on, what about VIP in Mail.app and Reading List in Safari being unsupported on older devices. There's no way that the 3GS lacks some required hardware feature. Is there?

VIP is available for 3GS.

It is just the Offline Reading List and it could be related to the memory.

Re: Apple's upgrade dilemma

#43

Post by andrewfelix »

Bud wrote: post #11

Sloppy, content-free article that is basically half a dollop of pure speculation and little else. "However, it won’t be long until it becomes an attractive option to increase sales." Seriously? Um, it's already an attractive option. Always has been, if you are a lazy, sloppy company. Apple's eschewed this option approximately forever, and there's no evidence of anything different.

Absolutely agree. Stopped reading after this:

"However, anecdotally, it seems that people are upgrading their iPhones and iPads in longer cycles."

The entire article is based on personal observation. This is has very little to do with the wider market.

Re: Apple's upgrade dilemma

#44

Post by Tomino »

I am completely behind the longer-term upgrading of your phone. But only once you find your match.

I have changed over 8 phones in 2 years and it has been actually rather frustrating. It was at the time when smartphones were coming out. Of course , as a geek, I had to have one. It was nightmare. Displays were unresponsive, phones were freezing etc. I end up using old keyboard-standard nokia for few years.

About a year ago, I have been using Galaxy for few months. The experience was much better then my first phones, but still not perfect. And then I bough my dream phone. Many of you might not know it, but its called XiaoMi (小米). It is chinese phone, but not some chinese garbage it is well thought-trough phone, performance much better then newest galaxy and armed with android and MIUI on top. Peope say that Xiomi company is like apple in china. I have to say I have never been so happy with phone.

XiaoMi now released version two of their phone. The phone has everything that first version is missing, and I am very temped to buy it, but there is a bit of fear if the phone wil let me down the same way my first phones did. And i am so happy with my current phone, why would I change? Maybe in few years....

Re: Apple's upgrade dilemma

#45

Post by habitue »

2muchcoffeeman wrote: post #39
habitue wrote: post #17

Actually, continually providing upgrades to older iPhones is a wonderful way to push new hardware sales: the upgrades significantly degrade the user experience because the hardware isn't as capable.

I've had issues with iOS upgrades before, but they were all fixable. Usually by an annoying backup and restore. Even iOS 4 on my 3G worked OK. I'm sure others haven't been so lucky. The idea that Apple is purposely introducing bugs to degrade user experience is silly. There is no conspiracy.

I wasn't implying they are introducing bugs intentionally. In the normal course of adding capability to new releases of an operating system tailored to newer phones with better hardware, it's only natural that older phones will run those new operating systems slower and the experience will degrade. Nothing conspiratorial about it. But, it works really well for Apple, because they can charge you to upgrade to the new iOS version, and then in 6 months when you're sick of your laggy, unresponsive old-ass iPhone, they can helpfully sell you a new one.

Re: Apple's upgrade dilemma

#46

Post by smoyer »

saosebastiao wrote: post #31
smoyer wrote: post #27

My almost two year-old HTC Thunderbolt was supposed to be the "next big thing" when I bought it. It finally got upgraded to ICS Saturday (yes ... 2/9/2013) morning. It takes an effort to support the hardware you produce, but if you're putting people into two year contracts, it's pretty pathetic that the upgrade finally occurred within two months of my renewal (OTOH, I won't be trading this for another HTC phone as I'…

Heh...same phone, but my plan upgrade came the day they deployed the update. I learned my lesson too...bought a Samsung.

I'm leaning towards a Samsung phone as well ... which model did you pick and how do you like it (so far)?

Re: Apple's upgrade dilemma

#47

Post by saosebastiao »

smoyer wrote: post #46
saosebastiao wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Heh...same phone, but my plan upgrade came the day they deployed the update. I learned my lesson too...bought a Samsung.

I'm leaning towards a Samsung phone as well ... which model did you pick and how do you like it (so far)?

I got the galaxy S3. So far it is amazing. It is great in all the technical features and despite the larger screen it is lighter and more comfortable in my pocket. And the battery lasts twice as long as my thunderbolt at its end of life.

Re: Apple's upgrade dilemma

#48

Post by barredo »

Xuzz wrote: post #13
barredo wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Original iPad is even faster than iPhone 4 http://browser.primatelabs.com/geekbench2/compare/1635302/16... So it's faster than a 3GS http://browser.primatelabs.com/geekbench2/compare/1634913/16...

Yes, and you will note I said "slightly faster CPU and GPU". The point is that the whole device is much more resource constrained, as what needs to be done with the CPU and GPU on the original iPad is more than on the iPhone 3GS, but the CPU and GPU are not faster enough to create the same effective performance. Yes, raw performance may be better on the original iPad. But raw performance is irrelevant if you can't ge…

I see

Re: Apple's upgrade dilemma

#49

Post by bunderbunder »

esolyt wrote: post #38
adamjernst wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is because the iPhone 4 is missing a newer version of the crucial noise reduction chip: http://www.tuaw.com/2012/02/06/siri-may-be-iphone-4s-only-be... The fact that Apple supported iOS 6 on the 3GS is proof that they're pretty serious about backwards compatibility.

How do you explain the fact that Google Voice Search on iPhone 4 works so good that its recognition is faster then Siri on iPhone 4S?

I'd say that's one where the most painfully obvious answer is likely also the correct one: Google is using better voice recognition technology.

Re: Apple's upgrade dilemma

#50

Post by bunderbunder »

doomlaser wrote: post #33
adamjernst wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is because the iPhone 4 is missing a newer version of the crucial noise reduction chip: http://www.tuaw.com/2012/02/06/siri-may-be-iphone-4s-only-be... The fact that Apple supported iOS 6 on the 3GS is proof that they're pretty serious about backwards compatibility.

That is not true. Siri was available in the App Store from a third party for at least a year prior to its reintroduction in the 4S, and ran on a 3GS just fine. There isn't a technical reason for it not being available on earlier models. http://techcrunch.com/2011/10/04/the-original-siri-app-gets-...

Define "Just fine." The argument is that Apple decided not to release their version of Siri on the 3GS because a hardware difference meant that the voice recognition accuracy would have been poorer.

You can't really counter that claim with the simple observation that an earlier version of Siri was available for the 4 and 3GS; that's just talking past the point. A more appropriate counter would be a source saying that the voice recognition accuracy of that version of Siri was just fine. Or at least no worse than what ended up being released on the 4S.

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