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Apple Reports Declining Profits and Slowing Growth Again

nytimes.com

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Re: Apple Reports Declining Profits and Slowing Growth Again

#51

Post by filoleg »

S_A_P wrote: post #32

I have thought long and hard about upgrading my iPhone 8 to one of the new X models, but I don't like the lack of a home button. I guess I am officially old now, but I dont want to look at my phone to unlock it. I like that I can reach in my pocket, and unlock it with my thumb as I retrieve it. It may be user error, but I see several co-workers have to really train the phone on their face to unlock with Face ID. That…

While I cannot comment on the rest, Face ID has proven to work surprisingly well for me, beating even the wildest expectations.

The unlock time seems to be less than half a second, so as I look at the phone, it is already unlocked.

And the detection is really good too. After I shaved my long beard and went fully clean-faced, FaceID had zero issues unlocking the phone with zero hiccups for me.

Re: Apple Reports Declining Profits and Slowing Growth Again

#52

Post by jakear »

S_A_P wrote: post #32

I have thought long and hard about upgrading my iPhone 8 to one of the new X models, but I don't like the lack of a home button. I guess I am officially old now, but I dont want to look at my phone to unlock it. I like that I can reach in my pocket, and unlock it with my thumb as I retrieve it. It may be user error, but I see several co-workers have to really train the phone on their face to unlock with Face ID. That…

I’m even older than you apparently, but I just don’t see the attraction of the bezel-less design. I like bezels, they:

- let me hold the phone without blocking the screen

- act as a buffer for cracks: a smaller crack in the corner (the most common kind in my experience) won’t affect your experience.

- mean I don’t have to deal with notches or curved displays

Privilege check: I have large hands, I can single-handedly operate my iPhone 8 Plus with little difficulty. I could see bezel-less allowing greater ease of use for people not like me. If that overcomes the points above... so be it. I’m keeping my 8 Plus for now though.

Re: Apple Reports Declining Profits and Slowing Growth Again

#53

Post by rubicon33 »

skrowl wrote: post #23

iPhone sales continues to decline (down another 13% vs this quarter last year), but services are making up for it

And they will continue to decline as long as a $200 Android phone can do literally ~95% of what a $1400 iPhone can do.

Seriously, there's just no good reason for a general consumer to purchase an iPhone today. Build quality on the Android devices even in the $200 realm are damn near what the iPhone offers.

For the record: I've used iPhones since 2010. I've never had an Android until this year. It came time to upgrade, and I did my research. Simply put, there's nothing on the flagship iPhone that most vastly cheaper Android phones can do. I'm not a fanboy, I vote with my dollar.

Re: Apple Reports Declining Profits and Slowing Growth Again

#54

Post by mffnbs »

Roboprog wrote: post #38
jes5199 wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

nobody wants those. AirPods are expensive, ugly earbuds that you have to recharge for some reason, and the watch is just a way for your phone to distract you more frequently.

AirPods sound like a PITA to me. Oops,time to charge them again- no wait, I just dropped one and it bounced into the gutter/ drain. I should I charge the one I can still find, or throw it away, too? No thanks. Regular corded earbuds are a tolerable pocket size alternative to a set of studio cans, but that’s as far as I would go. I miss the old Walkman style headsets that had decent size drivers, but still fit into a…

For most people it goes something like: Take off the earbuds and never worry about charging them because the case they go in does it for you and continue on your day without thinking about it or being concerned about imaginary scenarios where one of your random products fell down a gutter/drain in the middle of the office because who has the time or energy to worry about storm drains stealing from you?

Re: Apple Reports Declining Profits and Slowing Growth Again

#55

Post by mythz »

S_A_P wrote: post #32

I have thought long and hard about upgrading my iPhone 8 to one of the new X models, but I don't like the lack of a home button. I guess I am officially old now, but I dont want to look at my phone to unlock it. I like that I can reach in my pocket, and unlock it with my thumb as I retrieve it. It may be user error, but I see several co-workers have to really train the phone on their face to unlock with Face ID. That…

I was an early adopter of iPhone X and the following year with XS Max, from my experience any unfamiliarity with FaceID is extremely short-lived, I wouldn't go back to a home button which feels archaic at this point and unnecessarily takes up valuable real-estate that should go towards a larger screen. The gestures also become fluid and second nature after a while.

Even the next Pixel4 is moving to using FaceID, going back to a home button or fingerprint scanner would be a step backwards.

Re: Apple Reports Declining Profits and Slowing Growth Again

#56

Post by btown »

S_A_P wrote: post #32

I have thought long and hard about upgrading my iPhone 8 to one of the new X models, but I don't like the lack of a home button. I guess I am officially old now, but I dont want to look at my phone to unlock it. I like that I can reach in my pocket, and unlock it with my thumb as I retrieve it. It may be user error, but I see several co-workers have to really train the phone on their face to unlock with Face ID. That…

FWIW I was similarly skeptical. As others have mentioned, swiping up becomes a very natural motion. And I have sweaty fingers that confounded the fingerprint reader, so Face ID was actually a huge improvement in recognition rates for me. Looking squarely at the phone becomes second nature (because what else are your neck and wrist muscles doing?), and the only times I need to type a passcode are when I need to unlock the phone while lying down.

Re: Apple Reports Declining Profits and Slowing Growth Again

#57

Post by tashoecraft »

liberte82 wrote: post #9
sxcurry wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except for AirPods, Apple Watch, .....

Both of which have had so-so reception. Certainly nothing like Jobs' industry-disruptive innovations.

Pretty sure airpods have been one of Apple's most successful and top reviewed product. Sure their was negative press before they were released, but everything I see now states how good they are and everyone one I talk to loves them.

Re: Apple Reports Declining Profits and Slowing Growth Again

#58

Post by stock_toaster »

rubicon33 wrote: post #53
skrowl wrote: post #23

iPhone sales continues to decline (down another 13% vs this quarter last year), but services are making up for it

And they will continue to decline as long as a $200 Android phone can do literally ~95% of what a $1400 iPhone can do. Seriously, there's just no good reason for a general consumer to purchase an iPhone today. Build quality on the Android devices even in the $200 realm are damn near what the iPhone offers. For the record: I've used iPhones since 2010. I've never had an Android until this year. It came time to upgrade…

> there's just no good reason for a general consumer to purchase an iPhone today

* iOS (I prefer it over android)

* customers already tied into the apple ecosystem

* more of a focus on privacy (admittedly, this one is probably debatable)

Re: Apple Reports Declining Profits and Slowing Growth Again

#59

Post by bsaul »

irrational wrote: post #15
immichaelwang wrote: post #2

Apple needs new sources of revenue. Anything marginal like cheaper iphone models won't cut it. I like the recent wave of acquisitions. Smart cars? Smart homes? Iterations of Apple Watch - deeper connection to the body itself? What's next for them?

Maybe they can get some ideas from this short: https://youtu.be/VYxo-uymPUY

I think most people will take this video as a joke, but most people underestimate the long-term dangers of a lot of good intentions.

Re: Apple Reports Declining Profits and Slowing Growth Again

#60

Post by musicale »

liberte82 wrote: post #18
rat9988 wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How many times did steve jobs disrupt the industry?

iPod iPhone no disk drive UNIX-based OS goes mainstream first mainstream OS with a GUI iMac - making PC's 'friendly' iTunes - made it cool to pay for music again To name a few.

Mainstreaming desktop (and laptop) UNIX was a kind of amazing achievement (and a sort of strange side-effect of Jobs returning to Apple with NeXT in tow.)

Though original Mac, LaserWriter, and iPad are also big on my list.

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