Tomorrow’s Apple announcement is all about the software
iPhone hardware might be exciting but once you turn it on it’s the software that sets it apart from other smartphones. Focus is iOS 5. Thinking about tomorrow’s announcements if you hadn’t guessed.
He’s right, of course. What sets Apple apart is the OS, rather than the hardware. People bang on about the lack of ports, extensibility and other features of iPhones, which some competing devices have, but Apple’s sleek and simple iPhone 4 remains the USA’s number-one smartphone for a reason: what you can do with it.
Tomorrow will almost certainly see iOS 5 released. This will bring some catch-up features like notifications that don’t suck, but also iMessage (unlimited, free text messages to iOS 5 users), Newsstand (iBooks for magazines), and PC Free (back-ups to iCloud and over-the-air updates). In addition, iPad 2 owners will get AirPlay mirroring of everything on screen to an Apple TV.
I’m sure there will be new hardware, but I don’t really care what it is, as long as it looks nice enough and isn’t any worse than the iPhone 4. And I’m certain that I’ll buy a new iPhone, but that’s only because I never grabbed an iPhone 4 and have been patiently waiting for an upgrade.
I suspect that regardless of what Apple reveals tomorrow, disappointment will speed across the internet like a virulent disease (which, naturally, will particularly affect tech hacks and analysts, who’ll yell that, yes, Apple is finally doomed! Again!), and if Apple’s new hardware really is only going to be the iPhone 4S—a minor update—it’s a pity that’ll be Tim Cook’s first keynote. But even if that is the case (and it might not be), it won’t distract me from what matters: the software. The phrase I’m most hoping for tomorrow isn’t “and here’s the new iPhone 5”, but “and iOS 5 is available for download today“.
Agree, I’ve been saying this for weeks on my Twitter feed (unfortunately Craig, you don’t follow me).
The iPhone5 isn’t going to be a big ‘wow’ as people will expect. Seriously, what more could be added that it hasn’t got already, it is already feature rich. It will have the normal hardware upgrades, but the ‘wow’ factor will come from iOS5.
As for Apple Media event on 4th October, Apple will be talking: iPhone5, iOS5 (the bulk of the presentation will be this), iCloud, and new version of iTunes (10.5).
+1
iOS 5 and iCloud will be the big hitters, though I doubt Tim Cook will underplay the new hardware on his first centre-stage appearance.
Is it sad though, that I’m holding on for buying an iPad in case Tim “One More Thing”s a new one from his back pocket? Probably.
I’ll be amazed if an iPad 3 shows up today. I just can’t see it happening. Devs would surely have been alerted about a Retina display, and _without_ a Retina display, what’s the point?
Thanks. I am going to copy paste this URL everytime I see someone rave about how thinner iPhone looks or cries why it isn’t thinner than his neighbour’s Samsung Galaxy Whatever Phone II.
Totally agree with you Craig. +1
I’d be doubly amazed, but at least I’ll know by tomorrow night. My wife’s mini is starting show signs of USB port failure, so the quicker I get wireless sync on her iPhone, the better…