A while back I wrote about the iPhone 5 and asked the question, “Why don’t I have one?” Well I still don’t have one but I did pre-order the next best thing. the iPhone 4S. No, it isn’t the iPhone 5, which apparently doesn’t exist yet. It’s something quite different. It’s a much-advanced version of it’s predecessor with a great horsepower boost in the form of the A5 processor, and a camera with significantly better specs than those of the iPhone 4. That isn’t all of the new features, but it represents the reason why I made the purchase.
Image Courtesy Apple, Inc.
UNNECESSARY Disappointment?
A lot of people are expressing disappointed about the fact that Apple didn’t release an entirely redesigned phone. I, for one, thing this is misplaced. This design, much like the 3GS, represents a huge improvement in feature-set with a relatively small increase in price. And nobody should fret over it because they’re still selling the 3GS today. That tells me this device is looked at as more than just a stepping stone for Apple, and will continued to be supported for literally years to come. While the 3GS might be seeing it’s last 12 months of software updates from Apple, you can count on the iPhone 4S getting these updates for some time.
Any other sources of disappointment are generally from the same folks who have always wanted Apple to push the bleeding edge of technology. This simply doesn’t happen with this company. 4G/LTE technology is in its infancy, AMOLED screens likewise, so Apple sticks with what works there, and what works very well. Despite this “conservative” approach, this new device still has unparalleled performance for a device of its thickness and size. The “faster” devices out there are also significantly bigger than the iPhone 4S, further proof that Apple refuses to compromise on design just to please a minority of their customers.
Don’t let the squeaky wheels fool you though: this is not an unpopular phone. Record orders have already come in for the device, and they’ll keep coming until Apple can’t keep up. That’s far more than any other manufacturer of any tablet, smart phone, or game console has been able to say since the first two years of business Nintendo did with the phenomenally successful Wii. Why? Because Apple knows how to make good products, and the features in this phone, not including the vastly improvements coming in iOS 5, are enough to sell the average consumer. It’s not about who has the biggest screen or the fastest processor, or even the fastest data speeds. It’s about the experience. There, Apple has no equal.
What’s Next?
Apple has a long way to go before the release of the iPhone 5, and they’ve given themselves a comfortable pillow between the raving, thirsty fans of the latest device, and the availability of cheap, reliable components to power those devices. The next generation of processors and 4G/LTE chips are going to blow the pants off of anything out there right now, and Apple has put itself in the position to drop a bombshell of performance when they arrive. Nobody cares how many handsets HTC and Samsung throw out there. Nobody gives a hoot about Motorola’s offerings any more. There’s just too much competition for anyone to make an informed decision beyond, “I’ll just get an iPhone.” See how easy that was?
So what is next for Apple in the mobile device market? I think it’s safe to say that it’s the iPhone 5, and that it will have a design more reminiscent of the iPod touch, with rounded edges and a thinner body. I think the design will be considered revolutionary. I think the screen will be larger, and of a newer technology than the IPS panels currently being used. I think the battery life will be incredible, and the processing power will be unmatched. I think all of these things are a sure bet. Why? Because Apple is going to have had at least two years to get this right. If I had the money, I’d buy stock.
iPad 3 and the A6 Processor
Speaking of what’s next, the iPad 3 featuring the A6 processor and 1 GB of RAM is likely to debut late winter or early spring. This device will also be thinner and may represent the debut of true 4G technology for an Apple product. Why is this important? It’s important because:
In August 2011, iPads delivered 97.2 percent of all tablet traffic in the U.S. iPads have also begun to account for a higher share of Internet traffic than iPhones (46.8 percent vs. 42.6 percent of all iOS device traffic). comScore
Regardless of the position the iPhone is in to compete with Android handsets, or Windows Phone 8, nobody is anywhere near touching the iPad in market share. That means that the iPad 3 will further cement Apple into the foundations of the history of portable computers. Mark these moments history folks! This is how the software that will drive the world will make it into our hands in the coming decades.
Jump on The Bandwagon
My advice: get an iOS-powered device. It’ll be like when you finally got a Facebook account, except when you get an iOS device you’ll use it. And the best part is that the more people who have iOS devices, the better they’ll get. The proof is in the pudding. That can’t be said for the rest of the false pretenders out there.
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