Next-Gen iPhone & iPhone Nano Speculation

[RudeCurve]

I think the 5S is the perfect size phone. The 6 is nice because of the hardware and new features but the bigger screen isn't that big of a selling feature for me. It's more like a PDA now but with a built-in phone...too big for my pocket and too big to use with one hand.

 

[pcchen]

Well, don't forget that Apple's profit includes income from lots and lots of content. They are making money hand over fist from iTunes and the App Store, not just selling the hardware itself.

While iTunes and the App Store is an important part of Apple's business, it's still a relatively small part. Last quarter, iPhone accounts for 53% of all Apple's sales, iPad 16%, Mac 15%, and iTunes/App Store is 12%. Of course, it's not hard to imagine that iTunes and App Store's gross margin could be quite a bit higher than iPhone or iPad, but the net income is much larger than the total sales of iTunes/App Store. This seems to be a major point of Apple's current business focus: selling mobile phone is king, all others are just there to help selling more mobile phones.

Regarding to Samsung, while last year is pretty good for Samsung, this year is a different story. Last quarter profit is nearly 20% lower compared to last year, while Apple is 12% up for the same period. Of course, Samsung Electronics' product range is much wider than Apple, but the recent downturn is mostly attributed to its mobile department's weak performance.

 

[silent_guy]

If you like talking Apple business, there's really no better source than Asymco. iTunes: http://www.asymco.com/2014/07/29/how-big-is-apples-ecosystem/

 

[Grall]

I think the 5S is the perfect size phone.

I feel the same way, except my eyes aren't getting any younger. Next time I get a new phone, its screen will probably be bigger than that of the 5S.

 

[eastmen]

The Pebble is a really neat gadget and all, but you can't compare it straight off vs iwatch like that. Pebble has the most primitive SoC bar none in the mobile space period. It's got early 1990s era level of performance and storage. 1-bit paper display. No backlight (unless it's dark). No touchscreen, no sound. Of course the battery's gonna last a week. It's like complaining you have to refuel your Bugatti Veyron a lot more often than your Toyota Prius. (Actually that's a crap analogy, because the Prius is a cutting-edge automobile, but shit, I couldn't think of anything else. Lol. Maybe exchange the Prius for a Volkswagen Beetle?)

The pebble lets me check messages , tell the time , change music on my device and so on. What more is the iwatch going to do and why would I want to do it on a tiny screen vs a 6 inch screen ?

 

[silent_guy]

The pebble lets me check messages , tell the time , change music on my device and so on. What more is the iwatch going to do and why would I want to do it on a tiny screen vs a 6 inch screen ?

Heart rate monitor?

 

[wco81]

I think the 5S is the perfect size phone. The 6 is nice because of the hardware and new features but the bigger screen isn't that big of a selling feature for me. It's more like a PDA now but with a built-in phone...too big for my pocket and two big to use with one hand.

For a lot of people, and it's increasing over time, the primary use of their smart phone is as a PDA or pocket computer, with voice communications being secondary.

 

[silent_guy]

For a lot of people, and it's increasing over time, the primary use of their smart phone is as a PDA or pocket computer, with voice communications being secondary.

Yeah, Siri started out pretty bad at first, but it's pretty amazing how well it works now. Without it, I'd never bother setting alarms and reminders, but now it's too easy to not do it. I haven't gotten around to installing iOS8, which should bring the on-the-fly recognition that Google Now has.

 

[eastmen]

Heart rate monitor?

I don't believe so. But like I said its still about $200 more for the iwatch and may be a larger price difference by the time it does come out.

The pebble can link to any Bluetooth heart rate monitor to itself . So if I need that function I can just add onto the pebble and the cost will be less.

 

[RudeCurve]

For a lot of people, and it's increasing over time, the primary use of their smart phone is as a PDA or pocket computer, with voice communications being secondary.

Of course...does that mean everyone will need 8" "phones" by 2018?

Yes I use my phone more for browsing and email than for actual phone calls since I'm not a business person or have a bunch of people I need to talk to all the time...unfortunately a good web browsing experience without the need to constantly zoom in/out requires these larger screen "phones" compromising portability.

I can't wait until wearable computing takes off so I don't have to carry around a "mini tablet phone" in my pocket.

Anyway Sprint has an awesome $50 unlimited data, talk, text plan special just for the new Iphones...which means I'll be switching from AT&T...

 

[Grall]

The pebble lets me check messages , tell the time , change music on my device and so on. What more is the iwatch going to do and why would I want to do it on a tiny screen vs a 6 inch screen ?

I explained to you why the Pebble is so much cheaper and runs longer on a charge than the iWatch (as if you didn't already know... ); that your personal requirements are fully satisfied by the Pebble really doesn't factor into it. One could be talking about the virtues of a modern backhoe, and then some guy marches up and says that all he needs is a shovel, well, what the hell do you say to that?

Other than don't use yourself as the basis for a general argument, perhaps, because it's stoopid. Pebble and iWatch are very different products, with extremely different capabilities. If you don't want something that is capable (or arguably, looks good, although the steel version is fairly decent looking), or can't stand the thought of charging your gadget while you're sleeping anyway, then by all means stick to the Pebble.

 

[idsn6]

I believe that Apple stumbled into the category, totally by accident, with the 6th generation iPod nano. And that they then spent the next several years trying to extend it into its own upscale product.

 

[silent_guy]

Since the introduction of Apple Pay, I've been trying to understand if it is any different than Google Wallet and other NFC payments, or just a UI layer (fingerprint reader) on top of what was already there.
This article finally describes in more depth what's going on:
http://www.macworld.com/article/260...mobile-payment-system-youll-actually-use.html

With the security and privacy benefits behind it, I'm starting to think that if enough stores to support it, I may actually develop the habit of using it.

 

[Rys]

Apple Pay is probably the most exciting thing that was announced for me (I have a 5s, so I'm not in a desperate rush to get a 6), and I look forward to it gaining some traction here in the UK.

While we have a bit less of an incentive for it to catch on here (physical card security is better, compared to the US), the speed, privacy and ease of use factors are pretty compelling.

 

[Grall]

I'd rather see an industry standard for this, rather than competing proprietary, patented solutions from manufactuers X, Y, Z...and so on. It's the only way to get universal adoptation.

 

[pcchen]

I'd rather see an industry standard for this, rather than competing proprietary, patented solutions from manufactuers X, Y, Z...and so on. It's the only way to get universal adoptation.

There is already an industrial standard for NFC system (ISO/IEC 14443). On top of that, you don't really need another industrial standard for payment systems, as you have to deal with credit card companies and banks after all. As long as you don't need special equipment for each payment system, I think it'll be fine.

 

[Lodix]

I think this question shloud be here.

How does the Cyclone architecture compared to a normal Cortex A57 ? It is a variant for higher performance or for lower power consuption ?

 

[silent_guy]

I'd rather see an industry standard for this, rather than competing proprietary, patented solutions from manufactuers X, Y, Z...and so on. It's the only way to get universal adoptation.

I believe that standard already existed, just that very few were eager to implement it.

Last Friday, Wells Fargo already sent me an enthusiastic email saying they're totally ready for Apple Pay. They've never sent me anything similar before.

 

[silent_guy]

Apple Pay is probably the most exciting thing that was announced for me (I have a 5s, so I'm not in a desperate rush to get a 6), and I look forward to it gaining some traction here in the UK. While we have a bit less of an incentive for it to catch on here (physical card security is better, compared to the US), the speed, privacy and ease of use factors are pretty compelling.

Here's another article about the crypto exchange under the hood: http://bankinnovation.net/2014/09/heres-how-the-security-behind-apple-pay-will-really-work/
It says that Apple Pay will work for iPhone 5s as well, using BLE instead of NFC. First time I hear about that, or I must have missed it somehow.

 

[Rys]

So basically we can expect all TouchID devices to support it from here on in, since they have the hardware crypto needed. It's likely even iPad will get that technology in the next generation.

I'll split the Apple Pay chat out into a separate thread, since it's completely distinct from the graphics side of things