Insight for Technologists
Sometimes we don’t see through Apple’s “artsy” exterior and forget that Mr. Jobs is a shrewd, amazing businessman. Yes, he is obsessed with design, but understands that without hard decisions and hard lines a business will always fail.
This is a great article by Nilofer Merchant about Steve Jobs and market growth.
from this is my next
Supposedly, there is going to be an announcement on October 4th where Apple’s new CEO, Tim Cook, will announce the next generation iPhone. Whether it is the iPhone 4 S or just an iPhone 5 is left to be known, but all signs point to a new phone.
I love how the analysts are saying something along the lines of, “we believe that the iPhone will be thinner, faster, and with a better camera”. Really? I wonder how they figured that one out? What is more interesting is the assumptions that the iPhone 5 may have a slightly larger screen, possibly around the 4-inch mark. I think that this will be awesome as long as the general length and width of the phone is left unchanged and that the screen can still keep the same pixel density.
If this is the case, then a larger screen will be welcomed. I’ve used Android devices with larger screens (up to 4.3-inches) and have had a decent experience with them. The biggest problem with these devices is that they just stretched out the pixels, rather than keep the same pixel density; that’s a big no-no.
And, hey, what about sales? The Gaurdian is reporting that an analyst is saying the Apple will sell around 100 million iPhone 5s in 2012. That’s even including sales of the “older” iPhone 4 and iPhone 3G S. These are huge numbers especially for all those people out there saying that Android is going to take over iOS. Yeah, I don’t see that coming.
Something seems fishy about Apple still selling the 3G S though after the release of the iPhone 5. We have to remember, if the iPhone 5 does have the same chip as the iPad 2, then developers will be targeting that chip to make apps that require faster silicon. Not to mention that iOS 5 may run slower on the older version. This doesn’t seem like something Apple would do; make a developer target 4- 6 devices (iPhone 5, 4, 3G S, iPod Touch newest gen and last gen). Rather, Apple has the mindset to let their 3G S owners go “into the wild” with their devices and have them become less supported after the release of the newest iPhone.
Let’s say October 4th is the day for the Apple iPhone 5 event. Here is what iPhone 5 will bring to the table. Oh, and Analysts out there, we kind of already new this:
Interesting read over at the Gaurdian about the upcoming Kindle Android Tablet that Amazon will be bringing to the market. The Guardian asks the question:
Why, when there are dozens of different tablets out there – from Samsung to Acer to Asus to RIM to Motorola to HP’s TouchPad (very limited stocks only!) to, I don’t know, throw a stone and you’ll hit someone making a tablet – why should it be that it’s only when Amazon comes to the tablet table that people think it will make a difference?
The Gaurdian points out that the major difference between what other Android tablet manufacturers and Amazon is that Amazon has a strong sales fixture online as well as millions of customer accounts at their disposal.
It’s not a coincidence that Amazon’s best selling product is their Kindle. They obviously don’t shy away from marketing the Kindle on the front page of Amazon as well as in the sidebar. This type of marketing will also drive the sales of the upcoming Amazon tablet as well as the rumored price that is floating around of $250.
If Amazon truly brings an Android tablet to the market, especially if is is fully featured unlike Barnes and Noble’s nook, the iPad may finally have a contender.
It is very interesting that during IFA in Germany about 24 hours ago, Samsung took the new Galaxy Tab 7.7 off of the floor to show onlookers. Apple has been trying to protect their intellectual property and patents from Samsung for almost a year now, claiming that the Samsung Galaxy S line and the Galaxy Tab derivatives are too close to iPhone and iPad design.
I’m personally an Apple fan, so I tend to not really care what happens to a device that truly is subpar to what I have experienced with the iPad. But, of course there are two sides to every story.
It basically comes down to this; the iPad and iPhone aren’t really a “unique” design in any way. In fact, they are almost made to be not unique and to give you much more function over form. They are clean, not too many buttons, and just really a slab of glass and metal. A beautiful slab, yet still a slab.
To “copy” this design is something pretty easy to do and isn’t something that manufacturers would have to go out of their way to do.
Apple set the standard of what we think our tablets and phones should be and look like. Manufacturers, like Samsung are almost forced to follow suit and conform to what consumers want; an iPhone and iPad shaped device. This is why the injunction has me a little bewildered. What is Samsung supposed to do? Build stuff that looks like a BlackBerry? Good luck selling that.
Apple and the market has almost forced the hand of Samsung (and other manufacturers) design cues. They don’t have a choice to make something different. That is if they want their product to actually succeed.
Apple and other companies have to protect themselves from manufacturers stealing their industrial design. Personally, I wish that Apple could just innovate and “roll with the punches” when it comes to others copying their designs, but I do understand that they need to protect themselves from stealing and copying designs to keep a competitive edge.
Also, Samsung has been known to copy and steal designs in the past, so if Apple feels threatened from a competitor and they have a case, they should probably do something about it (which they are).
Yeah, it sucks that Samsung had to take their brand new device off of the floor at IFA. But, if it is truly to protect intellectual property and patents, so be it.
