Features - QOTW: Has Apple finally lost some of its sheen?

[HEXUS]

Two embarrassments in one week can't be good.

Read more.

[CustardInc]

Even with the iCloud stuff, bending iPhones and the phone-breaking iOS 8 update I doubt they'll lose much of a following.

[shaithis]

As far as I'm concerned, Apple never had a sheen. Rabid fans that will buy anything with the company logo on doesn't make their products good.

[MrRockliffe]

They have since jobs left. They're going against everything they've said and this new ocd with how slim the phones can be isn't a clever idea. In fact its plain stupid. Makes holding the phone worse and battery life also suffers - not to mention the design.

[eatonm62]

I had an i phone 4 which had GSM reception issues, which I sold and bought a used Samsung S4 from the money raised and I have not looked back its easy to fix and survives a drop onto concrete. My other half has a i phone 5 which the battery only lasts a day I have tried to talk her into a Samsung but she really likes Apple, I don't get why these customer keep going back for more and why they sit outside all night to get their hands on the newest gadget they are selling, I pity the fools!

I am not a brand loyalist I just say what I find, but if I feel that the product is rubbish I'll not buy it again.

[AlexKitch]

Thing is; this same question gets asked year after year, but Apple do continue to sell devices by the million. That points to one of two things - either the answer is no, or (more likely) they never had a sheen in the first place.

Personally, I really don't think it matters much to anyone except investors and die hard fanboys. I just changed from a Galaxy S3 to an iPhone 6. Did I like Android? Sure. Do I like my new iPhone? Sure, so far.

I know my opinion counts for nothing, but I really think the whole tech industry needs to chill out with regards to Apple. No, they're not making the best devices in the world, but they're making fairly decent devices at least. Samsung/Sony/Nokia are also producing great devices.

Why can't we all just get along? *sobs*

[LSG501]

For people in the know about tech, ie people like us, then yes the sheen has worn off or more accurately was probably never there. It wasn't for me and I'm supposed to like Apple products because I'm a designer and designers have to use Mac's... um no, even more so when it doesn't run my chosen software without virtualisation or bootcamp which defeats the point. I won't have an iPhone because a) I don't like itunes, it's rubbish on windows and b) I want to use my devices how I want to not be told I can only do things 'their' way.

For everyday users... not likely due to the below.

Newspapers... still seem to love apple due to their 'apps' being available so got to love apple...

Tech blogs like Engadget or the verge...it's Apple, they can do no wrong, especially if the blog is American, even with bad design decisions they can still get higher marks than better phones....

[this_is_gav]

I'm surprised at how few iPhones I see daily now, considering how every phone they launch is meant to be selling trillions more than its predecessor. It's not like I mingle with techies either.

[mrochester]

Apple never had a 'sheen'. They just make best in class products.

[Lucio]

Yes, I think that they have bungled a little by trying to copy their competitors instead of focusing on what they're good at which is user experience. The drive for thin was good but now they've gone too far in trying to reach an impossible ideal

[GuidoLS]

A cult is a cult, regardless of the messiah. Eventually, they all lose some of the luster. It's happening to WoW. It's happening with certain console manufacturers. It's happening already with some Apple products - and, eventually, once more and more of their patents are discredited, it will happen with the iPhone. Yes, they make a decent product. So does everyone else. It's just a matter of time before the next new kid shows up.

[mrochester]

It's happening with Samsung, and it's happening to Google too.

[SciFi]

Apple have the best all round support by the important part of the market... the app providers.. if I could get 100% of the apps on a Windows phone that I have on my iPhone I would be using one. Android is close but it just did not 'click' for me.. felt like an iOS clone

[Jingee]

There was this thing a few weeks ago.. A bunch of celebs Cloud accounts got hacked.. Bet that went down a treat too?

[peterb]

Why sheen? Its an alternative computing or phone platform, no more, no less. Granted a very successful one, but are the problems with IOS8 any more serious than (say) Microsoft's debacle with the metro GUI? Probably not.

[Hoonigan]

I find myself buying the new iPhone each year, on the O2 Refresh contract system. I wouldn't change back to an Android now, purely because of the way I use a phone; iOS just suits me better.
As far as I'm concerned, their recent problems only prove that they're not a perfect company, which no one can expect them to be.

Hasn't put me off.