Opinions - Report: Apple to launch two phones in September

[HEXUS]

Speculation over whether Apple will launch the iPhone 5 or 4S may be missing the point.

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[Infinite]

With Nokia and RIMM struggling the time is right for Apple to aggressively penetrate...

[Scott B]

With Nokia and RIMM struggling the time is right for Apple to aggressively penetrate...

Stop it

[miniyazz]

If they did, it would be good and bad. Bad because a shift in market share may lead developers to focus on iOS and neglect Android instead of focussing on both (but tbh they're being silly if they focus on just one, regardless). Mostly good, because increased competition is, well, good. As long as it is increased competition and not the beginning of the end for other operating systems.. which it shouldn't be.

[Spud1]

To be honest, I don't see this as being that much different to what they did last year.

They launched a brand new iPhone that was a huge leap up from the previous model, and then reduced the price of the old model, leaving people a choice. Talking purely about contracts here rather than Sim Free - the 3GS was available 100% free on most contracts at that point, whilst the iPhone 4 still carried at least a £100 premium even on £60 a month tariffs.

So they already have a budget iPhone - and I don't think they will drop the price much lower, as a huge part of the iPhone appeal for many buyers is the perceived exclusivity of it - especially of owning the latest one. Dropping the price too far just shatters its image and a large part of the credibility imo.

What has changed this time around is that the iPhone 4 is much much more competitive now than the 3GS was a year ago, so this time around the budget version will still be a premium phone when compared to the vast majority of cheaper Android devices - and definitely compared to all the ones in the sub £400 (Sim free) bracket.

We shall see - I hope that there is at least a decent upgrade to the current iPhone 4, with something that can tempt me. I am going to upgrade in September and it's a choice between another iphone, keeping my iPhone 4 or jumping ship to a windows mobile handset..I have my fingers crossed for the built in solar panels that they patented earlier this year

http://www.patentlyapple.com/patentl...portables.html

[TooNice]

I worry that you may be right on two points:

1. That the iPhone 4S is going to be "S" for smaller capacity, in line with the strategy they employed with the 8GB 3GS, which I consider a very poor value. I am not sure how attractive iPhone contracts have gotten with other network, but the only one that I was interested on release is the 12 months Tesco one. Currently, the price difference between the 16GB iPhone 4 and 8GB iPhone 3GS at Tesco mobile is £85. That's in line with the price difference of the handset on Apple's website (£82). For a 16GB (or even 12GB) 3GS it would've be a viable budget alternative, but 8GB for £428 dire value, and I'd MUCH rather buy a 16GB 3GS second hand for less from friends I know take reasonable care with their devices, or even take a punt on Ebay.

2. I bought my iPhone because it was a good deal, not because it was new. Exclusivity and image be darned as far as I am concerned. I am sure I am not alone on this, though I fear you may be right that Apple will not want to "cheapen" their brand (otherwise the 8GB 3GS would be closer to £300).

On your point about the iPhone 4 being much more competitive than the 3GS was a year ago, I am not so sure. I think that the 3GS brought more of the "need to have" bit over the previous generation than the iPhone 4 which brought more of the "nice to have".

Anyway, unless the next main iPhone comes with a minimum of 32GB, I fear that the 4S will be stuck with 8GB, and that would be a disappointment. I'd much rather have a 16GB 3GS than a 8GB iPhone 4.

[crossy]

To be honest, I don't see this as being that much different to what they did last year.

Yes, didn't we have the "Apple to launch a midrange phone" rumours last year?

One thing's for sure though, if Apple does decide to launch a mid-market phone there will be a lot of very earnest meetings at the top every other company with an interest in the mobile phone market. They might just have to raise their game yet another level.

This being the case I would argue that it's a good thing. I want to see some innovations in phones (especially coming up to June next year - which is when my current contract runs out), and if whatever comes out from Apple forces that situation, then they'll get an "attaboy" from me.
And I'm not talking about 'fake' stuff like 3D, I want stuff like phones that covert (cheaply!) to a laptop and/or tablet form. Maybe some game playing ability a la PSP that doesn't mean that you've got to have a charger on standby. Really vibrant OLED screens, etc.

I'm totally uninterested in iPhone5, (not slagging it off, but there's other devices that suit me better - specifically Android or WP7 based devices), but I await with interest the bow wave that it'll undoubtedly create. And for that reason a 4S/5 dual launch would be something that I'd welcome - especially as I suspect that the iPhone design team will have been burning the midnight oil to gain back some of the prestige they lost over the iPhone4 faults, so the '5 could potentially be very special.

Interesting times ahead ... I hope!

[.havoc]

With Nokia and RIMM struggling the time is right for Apple to aggressively penetrate...

Giggedy!

[hermano pequeño]

To be honest, I don't see this as being that much different to what they did last year.http://www.patentlyapple.com/patentl...portables.html

True, they did already have a cheaper model (the last model) and I think this strategy has paid dividends in widening the market share (though all Apple products remain overpriced for me). There have been rumours however that the new iOS will not be compatible with the 3GS, so this would preclude continuing to use the model as the cheaper option, the iPhone 4 received bad press at the beginning, causing a shorter life span, so they probably pulled back on production a bit.

Personally, if they do produce a cheaper model, I believe they would be going for the younger market, rather than the less well-off/bothered market. It could act as the "Mac mini" of the phone department, giving mere mortals the chance to own a shiny Apple device, but the golden chalice of brand marketing is starting them off "on the ground floor". Since the iPod the Apple brand has been "cool in school" but school kids/parents can't really afford top-end smartphone prices. This also stops the iPhone from being as good a platform as it could be for iOS game developers, and the iPhone/iPad are quite interesting game platforms.

As far as competition goes, I see no real big-hitter other than HTC. And thank God for them, as I believe they are the only phone manufacturer keeping Apple anywhere near honest in this market.

[aidanjt]

I have my fingers crossed for the built in solar panels that they patented earlier this year

http://www.patentlyapple.com/patentl...portables.html

Please tell me that's a joke.

[Spud1]

There have been rumours however that the new iOS will not be compatible with the 3GS, so this would preclude continuing to use the model as the cheaper option, the iPhone 4 received bad press at the beginning, causing a shorter life span, so they probably pulled back on production a bit.

Nope it is definitely compatible - I have been testing my apps with iOS 5 on a 3GS..its slow but it does still work on it and they keep updating the betas to support it.

Please tell me that's a joke.

Nope it's deadly serious..and are you telling me that you don't think it's an absolutely genuis idea? Or is it the fact that Apple have won another patent that you disagree with?

Solar panels built into the screen of a mobile device which are hidden from view is very clever - they have the tech patented (there are more that just what I linked above), and it has the potential to dramatically increase battery life when playing games or using the phones without having them to your ear.

[Scott B]

As far as competition goes, I see no real big-hitter other than HTC. And thank God for them, as I believe they are the only phone manufacturer keeping Apple anywhere near honest in this market.

Don't forget Samsung. The Galaxy S family is the most popular Android device in many countries, and Samsung is the only other phone-maker that has its own SoC. It also has extensive manufacturing facilities, making things like storage and screens. Finally it has the best cross-platform position with extensive PC and TV businesses.

There's a reason why Apple has picked Samsung to go to war with on mobile devices.

[Spud1]

Don't forget Samsung.

There's a reason why Apple has picked Samsung to go to war with on mobile devices.

Indeed, Samsung and HTC are the only two competitors really worth talking about - largely because of the hardware quality (watch and learn ZTE!) and the fact that they both have great UI's. HTC have Sense, which they piloted on WM6 and have successfully brought it over to Android, and Samsung with their so-close-to-ios-but-still-different UI, which Apple are currently complaning about.

I do really like the Galaxy S II - I just wish it was running Windows Phone. Ideal world would be where you can buy the exact same hardware but choose what OS you could have on it, without custom roms (you can do it with custom roms - its possible to run Android, iOS and various version of windows on a jailbroken iPhone for example).

[aidanjt]

Nope it's deadly serious..and are you telling me that you don't think it's an absolutely genuis idea? Or is it the fact that Apple have won another patent that you disagree with?

It's not that it isn't an absolutely genius idea. It's that it's an absolutely obvious and old idea.

Solar panels built into the screen of a mobile device which are hidden from view is very clever

That's a little bit more original. But the solar powered patent is absurd.

[crossy]

http://www.patentlyapple.com/patentl...portables.html It's not that it isn't an absolutely genius idea. It's that it's an absolutely obvious and old idea. That's a little bit more original. But the solar powered patent is absurd.

Hmm, that's what I thought - I can run my phone/mp3 off of an old "Freeloader" battery pack and that's solar/usb powered and I've certainly had both active.

Indeed, Samsung and HTC are the only two competitors really worth talking about - largely because of the hardware quality (watch and learn ZTE!) and the fact that they both have great UI's. HTC have Sense, which they piloted on WM6 and have successfully brought it over to Android, and Samsung with their so-close-to-ios-but-still-different UI, which Apple are currently complaning about.

I wouldn't discount the old guard - Motorola and Sony - just yet. Moto have shown that they can deliver some innovative designs, and Sony's (arguably!) got just as strong a "brand" as Apple. Okay SE, to quote another website, really "screwed the pooch" with Xperia to date, but you've got to assume that they've learned their lessons by now. Likewise Moto have had some poor software in the past, but they seem to be increasingly strong in the US.

I do really like the Galaxy S II - I just wish it was running Windows Phone. Ideal world would be where you can buy the exact same hardware but choose what OS you could have on it, without custom roms (you can do it with custom roms - its possible to run Android, iOS and various version of windows on a jailbroken iPhone for example).

Oooh yes, that's a really good idea - but I can't see Apple allowing iOS to be installed on that, nor smiling on someone putting WP7 on "their" phone. To be honest, other than that nebulous "exclusivity" tag, I don't know why Apple didn't think about selling iOS licenses to other manufacturers. Or allow users to buy MacOS to put on their PC's (which I'd like to have done legally).

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Oooh yes, that's a really good idea - but I can't see Apple allowing iOS to be installed on that, nor smiling on someone putting WP7 on "their" phone. To be honest, other than that nebulous "exclusivity" tag, I don't know why Apple didn't think about selling iOS licenses to other manufacturers. Or allow users to buy MacOS to put on their PC's (which I'd like to have done legally).

Apple was not happy with the quality of the Mac clones in the past IIRC and so controlling both the hardware and software seems to be what they prefer to do now. Also,it probably means they have better margins now.