iPhone 6 Sales Crush Means Late-Night Waits For Some Early Adopters

Even after the months of hype and speculation, the behind-the-scenes development and manufacture, and then the announcement Tuesday, it seems Apple's servers weren't quite ready for the workout they got from would-be early adopters of its newest iPhone. Preorders through Verizon Wireless and AT&T largely started without a hitch at midnight, though some customers on Twitter have since complained about issues. Those problems were nothing compared to the issues experienced by Sprint and T-Mobile customers. The Sprint and T-Mobile sites were still down for many users nearly two hours after presales were slated to start. Access to Sprint's site faded in and out, while the T-Mobile site continued to display a form to register for a reminder for when the preorders began. Some people joked on Twitter that they "might as well wait for the iPhone 6S now." Apple's store itself was down for a few hours, too.

Comments

I just want the new Nexus.

[LWATCDR]

So when is the new Nexus coming out?

Over all I found the 6 to be a lack luster announcement. Nothing really new was announced.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[jandrese]

The only real feature of note was Apple Pay, which might finally make NFC payments take off in the US. It's been a technology that should have hit it big a couple of years ago, but has never seen much consumer buy-in for some reason.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[nblender]

I've got a Nexus-5 so I'm going to skip the Nexus-6... I'm holding out for the Nexus-7!

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[schlachter]

I've met many 40's and up Android users who say they wanted an iPhone but bought an Android because they couldn't read on the iPhone screen because it was too small. So the larger screen size is a feature that many people will cite when the buy the iPhone 6.

It's also got between 10% and 100%+ battery life improvement. They didn't focus on that but it's pretty important to many.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[Dixie_Flatline]

Well, I'm not sure. But don't worry, I'm sure the order page won't have the same capacity problems!

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[Anonymous Coward]

The ironic thing is that NFC isn't anything new. All my recent Android phones have had the ability to use NFC, and my HTC One M8 can use an app that sits on the SIM card, called ISIS (poor name, ironically) that can handle payments in a secure manner (the SIM card does all the processing, so even if the phone is compromised, the PIN used is not stored/used on the phone. Of course, I'm sure malware can log the PIN, but it is as secure as any other wallet mechanism.) My biggest beef about it is that you can only use it with Amex or a Wells Fargo credit card.

The reason why NFC payments have not taken off in the US is because there are many standards. PayPal has one. Google Wallet has one. The ideal would be to have a standard on one or two that all merchants can easily take. If the merchant has to buy new expensive equipment to handle it, they won't. Since Chip and PIN is coming in 2015, it would be nice to see at least 1-2 standard NFC payment mechanisms be commonplace as most card swipe machines will have to be replaced anyway.

To me, I don't see anything interesting about the 6 and 6+ that would make it worth jumping from an iPhone 5S or even an iPhone 5. The camera's update is a good one, but the new CPU doesn't mean much, and the growing form factor [1] isn't that attractive unless cargo pants became the rage.

[1]: Realistically, the growing form factor isn't due to consumer demand. It is due to needing more room for a bigger battery and surface area to disperse heat with the faster CPUs.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm assuming this is a joke? But I can't tellæ

-posted from my Nexus 7 (not really)

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[American AC in Paris]

The only real feature of note was Apple Pay, which might finally make NFC payments take off in the US. It's been a technology that should have hit it big a couple of years ago, but has never seen much consumer buy-in for some reason.

It's pretty straightforward, to my mind. With the exception of all but the most staggering technological advancements, widespread adoption of new technology typically requires:

1. a sound implementation,
2. a robust support infrastructure, and
3. an effective marketing campaign.

Geeks, for a variety of reasons, tend to respect the first, grok the second, and abhor the third. I personally believe it's what drives our perpetual cycle of incredulity on this subject--because we so detest the last part of this equation, we refuse to see its importance in getting all those squishy, distracted, emotional bags of water to adopt cool new stuff.

NFC has never had the effective marketing campaign in the US, and only kinda had the support infrastructure. The iPhone has incredible inertia on the marketing front, and Apple have clearly done the legwork on building a good starting lineup of financial institutions and retailers for Apple Pay. It remains to be seen whether this'll be sufficient to make NFC catch on, but it's easily the closest we've come to covering all three of the bases above.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, people don't want the iPhone 6, that's why everybody who opened for pre-orders today is having problems coping with demand. *rolls eyes*

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[nblender]

I'm one. I switched from my iphone4 to a nexus5 for two reasons:

- my eyes have aged substantially in the last 6 or 7 years, most dramatically in the last 3.
- $829 (CAD) for an iphone5 vs. $349 for a Nexus5...

Additional perks:
- wireless charging

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[Anonymous Coward]

The actually useful stuff is in the the latest iOS 8 software as it allows you to handle phonecalls and texts from your Mac. Theres a ton of synergy developing between the iPhone and Mac recently, the same cannot be said for windows and Android in my opinion.

For a lot of people its the ecosystem and overall user experience places it miles ahead when you own a mac as well as an iPhone.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[Anonymous Coward]

Listen Apple, you didn't build a phone that people wanted, you built a phone that the press wanted. Not because they wanted it as a phone, but because they need to write stories about something. These are the same idiots that spent 20 years calling you beleaguered and taking bets on when you would go bankrupt. A larger phone won't do shit except change the narrative from "they need to release a larger phone" to "out of ideas and copying samsung"

Except 42% of US smart phone users handed money to Apple for the phones that nobody wanted. Apple earns 60% of profit for the whole smartphone segment. Yeah right, a product nobody wants but a lot of people are willing to pay a shitload of money for.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[war4peace]

"People" also want shitty SOAPs, crappy entertainment and retarded music. Your point being?

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[Anonymous Coward]

BGR article appearing tomorrow:

Nexus 7 confirmed, leaked details inside. iPhone 6 should make Google nervous for these 11 reasons.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[riis138]

I agree...Even the die hard Apple fanboys I work with were pretty unimpressed with the announcement. It really feels like Android is where everything interesting is happening nowadays from a development standpoint. Who knows, maybe even Microsoft can gain a foothold.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[DoubleParadoxx]

Sure it is. This is the first iPhone I've considered since I switched to Google for a larger screen several years ago.

Re: I just want the new Nexus.

[Anonymous Coward]

Chip and pin are coming in 2015? Err, in Australia, pins have been around since I was born, in the early 90s, and chips have been around since before 2010. Signatures are completely phased out now too. Is it really that different across countries?

Re: I just want the new Nexus.

[Anonymous Coward]

LOL. Yes, we use magstripe and signature still. Heck, I even occasionally see an imprint machine being broken out.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[CastrTroy]

Nexus 4 and 5 made sense because they had a 4 and 5 inch screen. The 7 has a 7 inch screen. Unless the 6 has a six inch screen, the numbering system won't make sense. Perhaps they should go with Nexus 5 again, like they did with the two models of Nexus 7.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[LWATCDR]

NFC is cool and boy did people think it was neat when I paid for something at the 7-11 with my Galaxy Nexus a few years ago. You are right that it might finally take off in the US now that Apple is doing it. They are even following the standards so they can use the existing NFC machines at Walgreens, 7-11, and McDonald's. It is really not innovative but an example of the clout that Apple has with the carriers.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[ArcadeMan]

The original iphone was 320 x 480. They went retina by doubling it - 640 x 960. No problem, you provide 2x images.

Your comprehension of basic geometry sucks, straight up. There are 5th graders who are laughing at you.

There's no error in 320*2=640 and 480*2=960. If you knew anything about coding, you would know that so-called "retina" images are usually named with "@2x" to denote the double resolution in width and height. Of course it means four times as many pixels, but they're called "2x" anyway, even in the Apple guidelines and documentations.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[Anonymous Coward]

People still participate in Ponzi scams all the time as well. Sometimes it comes down to salsemanship.

If i had an iphone, the one thing I would not be "proud" of is the 60% profit figure since that represents what i overpaid for the phone.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[Anonymous Coward]

But Apple said 3.5" was the best size so those guys in their 40s must have been wrong. Or not? ;-)

Actually the supposed problem was one handed navigation. This is what we used to read for years. Now that the Pope of the Apple Church became an heretic cultists are finding out that it didn't matter at all.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[tlhIngan]

The only real feature of note was Apple Pay, which might finally make NFC payments take off in the US. It's been a technology that should have hit it big a couple of years ago, but has never seen much consumer buy-in for some reason.

Because no one unified around it. You have credit cards and phones and all that, and the phones were all fragmented into using Google Wallet or other custom thing so it was impossible to actually use.

Effectively, Google thought "If you build it, they will come" and everyone basically gave a collective "meh" and promptly did their own thing.

What Apple did was try to be a de-facto standard. Apple made deals with Visa, MasterCard and American Express (which probably covers the vast majority of credit card charges out there). Apple made deals with big retailers people used. So in the end, Apple has, upon launch, the support of the vast majority of credit card payment companies, and big companies that most people shop at.

Plus, Apple has money on their side - the people who buy Apple products tend to be ones who have money, and are the kind of people who do spend it. Android users tend to be more tight-asses (given the vast majority of them are free phones that their carrier gave away), so are in generaly seen as a "lesser valued" market.

So you have companies agreeing to Apple because they know Apple customers generally have money. As a side effect, it means the technology being promoted gets widely distributed so everyone else benefits as well.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[Megol]

Here, I'll convert it to factors: 1.1 to 2

How you can interpret that as 1.0 is ... artistic.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[Anonymous Coward]

If people are stupid, should I smarten up to take advantage of them? Should I extra smarten up to take advantage of them the legal way and make them happy at the same time?

Re: I just want the new Nexus.

[LWATCDR]

25 million people in Australia.
313 million people in the US.
It takes a while longer to roll out big changes like that. I have had a chip and pin card for over a year but not every location can take it.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[TechyImmigrant]

>is because there are many standards

The problem with creating the one true standard is that in the US the PCI-DSS people would want to do it, and I've never seen a more incompetent bunch of standards writers than PCI-DSS when it comes to payment security.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[LWATCDR]

Microsoft has a shot if they do not destroy Nokia. I flat out think that Nokia makes the best looking phone. LG, Samsung, and Apple all use great displays, Android has the best feature set, Nokia the best camera,Motorola has the Motovoice feature that I really want, and Apple has great stability and battery life.
Windows Phone 8.1 actually looks pretty good now.
For me the perfect phone would be a Nokia with the screen from the G3 running Android with Motovoice.
Others would have a different prefect phone.

Re: I just want the new Nexus.

[Anonymous Coward]

Would that be at PF Changs? Because as soon as their data breach became known, the corporate policy was: switch back to the old ironing board (imprint machine) "we'll see those hackers hack *that*..." (nothing was said about where or how to store the huge amount of analog information)

Re: I just want the new Nexus.

[Graymalkin]

Don't include "if you knew anything about X" in your reply if you're going to spout nonsense. The whole idea behind "Retina" displays is they're an increase in pixel density rather than a simple increase in screen geometry.

The iPhone 4 had a screen with roughly twice the pixel density of the iPhone 3GS and earlier. This is where the "@2x" naming scheme for images originated. The geometry of the iPhone 4's screen was the same as earlier phones but with a higher pixel density. The iPads had the same sort of density increase.

The geometric difference between the iPhone 5 and 6 over the 3GS is immaterial. They maintain the high pixel density. The only place where a developer will care is if they have static images that fill the display. They'd need larger ones for the iPhone 6 and 6+.

For a majority however the increased screen geometry will simple mean more content space. Apps tend to have fixed elements in portions of the screen with flexible space in between. The new iPhones will just see a bit more flexible space.

An icon for a button won't need to change unless you want to make it bigger in proportion to the screen. In fact iOS 8 (the OS on the new phones) has several new view classes that allow them to adapt easily to different screen sizes. This is a feature OSX has had for a long time, the UI can be laid out in relative values so it will be correct no matter the window size or aspect.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[Lumpy]

Right here.

google wallet is clunky to use. I tried using it several times and it always gave me fits to where I finally gave up and used the card in my wallet.

I really hope apple figured out how to make it work a LOT better than GW does. Because having to log into the app and waiting for it to sync takes longer than opening my wallet and swiping the card.

Re: I just want the new Nexus.

[master_kaos]

Canada too. Very few places don't have a chip machine, and still use mag stripe. Quite a few of the machines don't even let you mag stipe anymore unless chip fails after 3 attempts.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[Anonymous Coward]

I only have one phone, one carrier, and NFC payments worked. I don't care that Verizon did one thing and Apple did something else and Samsung and LG did a third and a forth method. I easily setup the method I had available to me by my carrier, phone and choice of phone OS combo in about 10 minutes (tied it to an existing CC I already owned) and it works fine. Fragmentation is not a problem for a person that only has and needs one way to make it work. If I get a new phone with a new carrier, I'll setup whatever method they use.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[BronsCon]

It *is* a problem for merchants. With credit cards, you deal with one payment processor and accept a variety of cards. With digital wallets, you have to deal with Google to accept theirs, Amazon to accept theirs, PayPal to accept theirs, Apple to accept theirs... now, instead of dealing with one company to accept 20 different forms of payment, you have to deal with yet another company for each.

That's why everyone takes credit cards and almost nobody deals with digital wallets. I wonder how low of a rate Apple had to offer all of these merchants to make it worth their while.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[Anonymous Coward]

When was the last time you used it? It has gotten a lot better since they switched to HCE instead of fighting with carriers over the Secure Element.

Re: I just want the new Nexus.

[Anonymous Coward]

200 milion people in Brazil
313 milion people in the US.

Brazil already uses chip and pin exclusively. Even considering Brazil's much better telecom infrastructure(wait what???), US should already have done it...

Re: I just want the new Nexus.

[Grizzley9]

LOL. Yes, we use magstripe and signature still. Heck, I even occasionally see an imprint machine being broken out.

The imprint machine will continue to be used (occasionally) even with chip and pin as it doesn't require a constant, live connection. Useful for when there's a system glitch, power outage, or unreliable infrastructure. That's why the cards still have raised numbers and even after it's widely used post 2015, the magnetic stripe will also still be there on chipped cards.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[DNS-and-BIND]

There are three professions where being untruthful is the key to success: Lawyers, salespeople, and marketing. All three are hired to portray their client in the most favorable light possible, and the very best ones lie through their teeth. The worst of these three are the marketers because they have legions of psychologists and scientists trying to figure out the best way to lie to people.

Re: I just want the new Nexus.

[LWATCDR]

The key would be how many places had mag strip first. Brazil is moving faster now than 10 years ago.

Re: I just want the new Nexus.

[Anonymous Coward]

We had mag strip before too. The change to chip and pin happened some years ago.

The change was motivated by the high level of fraud back then and seems to have solved the issue pretty well.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[Anonymous Coward]

You do realize they address this in their announcement right? That they explained how their app development environment allowed for layouts to be optimized as screen size changed? Oh yeah, you just wanted to bash and ignored that....

Guess what, judging from the crush on the Apple store and on the various teclo provider stores it would seem that lots of people, and not just the press, wanted this phone. Sorry if that doesn't fit your narrative...

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[American AC in Paris]

There are three professions where being untruthful is the key to success: Lawyers, salespeople, and marketing. All three are hired to portray their client in the most favorable light possible, and the very best ones lie through their teeth. The worst of these three are the marketers because they have legions of psychologists and scientists trying to figure out the best way to lie to people.

Yes! You're both presenting a perfectly defensible argument against marketing and reinforcing my original point! Because geeks tend to abhor marketing, we dismiss its significance, and are perennially gobsmacked as to why an intrinsically emotional, manipulatable species is so susceptible to emotional manipulation.

So long as humanity is what it is, reason will only ever get you so far. You either need to blow the doors off with a staggeringly amazing thing, or come to terms with the fact that every single entity who might care about your thing has feelings, and bending those feelings in your favor can work wonders.

It's not all bad, though; emotional manipulation works under much the same constraints. Unless you're a Level 80 Snake Oil Salesman with a hat full of luck, you're going to have a very hard time making your thing last if it doesn't live up to the hype--and your reputation will suffer for it.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[schlachter]

Yeah hate to respond to the AC but here goes...

Different usage patterns have different gains.

Talk time is more than 100% increased.
Video watching time is 10% increased.
Lots of other use cases fall in between these numbers.

Re: I just want the new Nexus.

[mattack2]

Yes, but did Brazil have credit cards at *all* in the 1950s?

Changing credit cards is one of the cases (along with cell phones being far more prevalent than land lines, in developing countries), where having technological advances far earlier than other parts of the world causes tons of inertia which makes FURTHER advances much harder/take longer/more expensive.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[cHiphead]

Google Wallet or bust, fuck ISIS, and now Apple, with their strategies based on taking over the market for NFC payments instead of just fucking offering an option for NFC payments.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[Dixie_Flatline]

If the only thing Apple ever does consistently is break the control of the carriers, we should still all bow down. The carriers in North America are all terrible. Any time anyone knocks them down a peg, I'm happy. If Google'd done it, I'd sing the same praises, just as loudly.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[iamhassi]

To me, I don't see anything interesting about the 6 and 6+ that would make it worth jumping from an iPhone 5S or even an iPhone 5.

MUCH BETTER BATTERY LIFE = 6+ battery is over twice as large as iPhone 5s battery, from 1,440 mAh to 2,915 mAh. While some might say "battery life will be the same because of the larger screen" it's been shown in iPad's that is not true, devices like the Mini have an enormous battery life despite the 8" screen and only a 4,490 mAh battery. If the 6+ can get just half the battery life of the Mini that will be a huge improvement from the battery life of the 5s. Apple is already reporting the 6+ will provide several hours more battery life than the 5s.
LARGER SCREEN = no dispute there
FINGERPRINT = 5s had fingerprint but 5 did not. That will make it much easier to unlock the phone and make iTunes payments
NFC = if mobile payments work out like they're saying this could be the best feature of the iPhone 6. It could mean never needing to get out your wallet and never having to worry about your credit card or identity stolen.
OPTICAL IMAGE STABILIZATION = would help a lot when recording videos, optical image stabilization is usually much better than digital stabilization.
BETTER CAMERA = anyone that has bought a cheap camera knows big megapixel numbers do not mean a good camera. The iPhone 6 is still "only" 8 megapixels but adds a new iSight sensor and Focus Pixels technology for focusing faster.
MOTION CO-PROCESSOR = anyone that uses their phone while working out would like this. The A8 chip includes the new M8 motion co-processor which recognizes data from gyroscopes, accelerometers and compasses.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[rjstanford]

That's missing the biggest piece of the ApplePay announcement; in-app purchase support at below-card-present rates for the merchant, without having Apple as a direct participant in the payment chain. That's absolutely massive and has far more potential to be a game changer.

Re: I just want the new Nexus.

[Redbehrend]

I agree I watched apples event that required their browser and flash which meant the mobile apple users couldn't watch it lol.

All old features and trends I didn't see one innovation... why is everyone so crazy about it Idk. Apple is too scared to do anything "new" anymore lol.

Big screens been around, nfc has been around, gear has been around and payment processors. They even call their gray "space gray" to jump on the Sci Fi band wagon. Like anyone would use apple in space haha.

Yes I'm bias I just dislike how apple keeps bsing everyone. To be innovative you must actually come out with something new.

Re: I just want the new Nexus.

[rjstanford]

Its a pity that we have to rely on one guy changing out all of that hardware and can't scale the changeover with the population as we do the user base.

I mean, really?

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[BasilBrush]

And all three are necessary.

We all love to hate marketing. But the fact is that people make most decisions subconsciously. And not just buying decisions. Some say emotionally, but there's a whole host of other sub-concious factors influencing our decisions, such as habit and hunger. Marketing exists not because of scammers and liars trying to outdo each other, but because informing people about products by way of facts and figures such as feature lists doesn't work - because that's not how people make decisions most of the time.

For sure there are liars out there, such as the purveyors of skin creams. But most marketing is about invoking subconcious feelings about a product, not misleading about what the product is or does.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[thetoadwarrior]

Given the rumours google us killing the nexus line your wait might take awhile. Seems google can't compete in Samsung's market.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[thetoadwarrior]

NFC isn't new technology like the internet wasn't new technology in the late 90's. It doesn't matter if most people aren't using it. NFC still isn't common enough for my liking. Oddly enough it'll probably be apple that drives NFC to mainstream usage.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[MaryAnnEvans]

I wonder how low of a rate Apple had to offer all of these merchants to make it worth their while.

The problem with those other companies that you mention is that they try to make a business model out of it. Apple isn't. They aren't "offering a rate" because they are not taking any kind of cut. The transaction is between the customer, the merchant and the bank or card provider. Apple doesn't even store the value of the transactions so it couldn't charge if it wanted to. Apple just provide a facility for communicating one-off authorisation codes between the merchant and the bank. Apple's business model has always been selling the devices. And that, alongside their security improvements are reasons that this payment method is much more likely to catch on than the ones you mentioned.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[Anonymous Coward]

You should give programming for iOS a try... This isn't an issue for us (Cocoa Programmers).

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[Anonymous Coward]

Any NFC capable device I have ever tried at POS has worked on my Nexus and my Note3 with Google wallet tied to my AMEX. The PayPass tap and pay POS system is what I think I've seen the most.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[MaryAnnEvans]

So Jesus Diaz at Gizmodo and Steven Sande at TUAW have different opinions. Amazing. Mean while the fact that one handed use is problematic is revealed by Android's hacky one-handed mode, that converts a big phone UI back down to a small one. http://gizmodo.com/the-galaxy-... Apple have just offered 2 additional size choices for iPhone customers. 4 inch still forms part of the line up. There's not a new 4 incher this year, but there will probably will be next year. After all some people are prepared to give up one handed operation in favour of larger screens. But some people aren't.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[Anonymous Coward]

Apple's business model has always been selling the devices.
Far from the truth. It is to keep everything vertically integrated in the Apple ecosystem with just enough grab and string and tie in to keep you onboard and in the Apple family with the next device.

Tell that to the people, businesses, and companies that bought and integrated the now old Apple dock embedded in their cars, stereos, clock radios, entertainment systems, and so on.

I'd rather have a flexible adaptable third party involved in my interface than to be stuck interfacing directly with what one single technology company is doing right now this year with another product I bought right now this year.

Android is NOT going away. Unless there is a standard for things, there will always be at least two totally different designs that ever single company has to build and maintain. Consumers as a whole DO NOT BENEFIT from this. That includes Apple users and Android users. I don't want my car, my stereo, my phone charger, my USB cable, my TV, my NFC bank payments, my music, my ebooks, or my movies or anything to be Andriod or Apple specific. My device changes more often and is the end piece I hold in my hand, it should not be the central point of everything.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[MaryAnnEvans]

It's like they somehow decided android's fragmentation was a competitive advantage! Oh, and now you provide 3x images and they get downsampled. It will not look as good. Full stop.

You don't have to provide integer multiple magnifications for images on printers for them to look good. Enough resolution means you can forget about the actual pixels. The point is that once you get sufficiently beyond the point at which the eye can't distinguish pixels, it doesn't matter. If the 5.5 inch model was any more blurry than the 4.7 inch model you can be sure the journalists looking at them in the hands on room at the launch event would have noticed.

It's like they somehow decided android's fragmentation was a competitive advantage!

Clearly it's not. Things would be easier for developers is they stuck to integer multiples of the original iPhone screen size. BUT Apple was losing some sales to Android for the reason of a lack of larger screens, and this is what they had to do to get those larger screens with todays cutting edge screen technology. You say people aren't interested, and yet the signs are that presales of these new phones are even more on fire than previous new iPhone releases. So long as they don't abandon the 4 inch format, there's no problem. They didn't release a 4 incher this year, but that doesn't mean they've abandoned the format. Both the 5C and 5S are still on sale, and I have no doubt there will be a replacement 4 incher next year.

Re: I just want the new Nexus.

[Redbehrend]

They already passed laws that go into effect into 2015 after the target bust.
We will have chip readers soon and better security, is it enough... no... is it a start... yes!
They passed the law for 2015 with the banks too where the ATM companies are liable for the security of what they sell and install.

Re: I just want the new Nexus.

[MaryAnnEvans]

You're right as far as you go. But it's more complicated than that, and that's the reason why you are misunderstanding the parent's point. The iPhone 6 Plus uses @3x images, and then it down samples the resulting screen by a factor of 1.15! Yes really. So developers DO have some extra work to do in providing those assets at yet another size. And as the screen density of the 6 Plus is higher than both the 5 and the 6, if they follow your plan, every UI element will be significantly smaller, which is not usually what you want. And if they don't update the app at all, the exact same image as appears on the 4 inch screen will appear on the 5.5 inch screen, but magnified. Again not what you generally want. You see it is more complex than you assume. See: http://www.paintcodeapp.com/ne...

Re: I just want the new Nexus.

[MaryAnnEvans]

I agree I watched apples event that required their browser and flash which meant the mobile apple users couldn't watch it lol.

No it didn't. It's been many years since Apple's streaming required Flash. This is what they used. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H... You could certainly watch it on iOS and OSX. You couldn't watch it on other OSs because there more than enough people wanting to watch it already that DO have Apple devices. It was overloaded even with just those. It's the world's most popular tech streaming event. Android NFC is a failure. Apple have waited till they could do it right, with the right security and the right business model to make it attractive to consumers and merchants. Likewise Android Wear is a failure. Apple typically aren't the first with a technology - they are the first to do a technology in a compelling way.

To be innovative you must actually come out with something new.

You're confusing innovation with invention. Invention requires something new. Innovation is a process of improvement on existing products and services.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[drkstr1]

And all three are necessary.

We all love to hate marketing. But the fact is that people make most decisions subconsciously. And not just buying decisions. Some say emotionally, but there's a whole host of other sub-concious factors influencing our decisions, such as habit and hunger. Marketing exists not because of scammers and liars trying to outdo each other, but because informing people about products by way of facts and figures such as feature lists doesn't work - because that's not how people make decisions most of the time.

For sure there are liars out there, such as the purveyors of skin creams. But most marketing is about invoking subconcious feelings about a product, not misleading about what the product is or does.

Thank you for the insightful point of view. Sorry you to see you got modded out for it.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[Anonymous Coward]

The Nexus 7 is an existing tablet. The IPhone 6 (unless I'm mistaken) is a phone. Google has no reason to be nervous about the enormous market share Android currently has.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[Anonymous Coward]

What about politics and newscasting?

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[Anonymous Coward]

The problem is you seem to think that making developers lives a little tougher by having to provide a few different sizes for images is overly burdensome. It's not. Developers are required to adjust, so they do - and it's not as big of a deal as it's made out to be. So long as the consumer is not affected, there is no problem. So what if some older apps abandoned by their developers don't receive the necessary upgrades to take full advantage of the new hardware? The apps that matter - the ones used by millions - will be updated within a matter of days or weeks, and the ecosystem goes back to normal.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[AmiMoJo]

I just touch my phone against the pad and it pays. No need to open an app or anything like that. Don't even have to turn the screen on.

Not sure why you had problems.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[AmiMoJo]

Apart from the fingerprint sensor you are describing my old Galaxy S3 from three years ago. Bigger battery, bigger screen, NFC, image stabilisation, small low power cores etc.

If you are looking for an upgrade get s Nexus 5 for half the price, or wait s month for the new model. They cost half the price too.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[AmiMoJo]

They needed to up the resolution for two reasons. Firstly to break away from the old fixed resolutions that as you point out they were stuck with, and encourage more fluid layouts. That allows them to do a greater b variety of devices in the future.

Secondly they needed to go HD. Retina has become a joke, with even Apple now admitting that it was bullshit to begin with. Every other phone competing with it, often at less than half the price, has a HD screen now. The smaller iPhone 6 is just 720p but at least the larger one is respectable. I do wonder how many games will upscale though as the GPU has not increased in proportion to the number of pixels.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[turp182]

Nexus 5 is the boss. Cheap comparatively. My wife left iPhone's behind because she wanted my phone. Needs a case for sure, but I wouldn't carry a phone without a case.

Re: I just want the new Nexus.

[AmiMoJo]

There is also the issue that some people can't use a PIN. Numerical dyslexia and various other health issues prevent them from either remembering or entering a PIN number, so they still use the old signature method.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[lsatenstein]

The only real feature of note was Apple Pay, which might finally make NFC payments take off in the US. It's been a technology that should have hit it big a couple of years ago, but has never seen much consumer buy-in for some reason.

It's pretty straightforward, to my mind. With the exception of all but the most staggering technological advancements, widespread adoption of new technology typically requires:

1. a sound implementation,
2. a robust support infrastructure, and
3. an effective marketing campaign.

Geeks, for a variety of reasons, tend to respect the first, grok the second, and abhor the third. I personally believe it's what drives our perpetual cycle of incredulity on this subject--because we so detest the last part of this equation, we refuse to see its importance in getting all those squishy, distracted, emotional bags of water to adopt cool new stuff.

NFC has never had the effective marketing campaign in the US, and only kinda had the support infrastructure. The iPhone has incredible inertia on the marketing front, and Apple have clearly done the legwork on building a good starting lineup of financial institutions and retailers for Apple Pay. It remains to be seen whether this'll be sufficient to make NFC catch on, but it's easily the closest we've come to covering all three of the bases above.

Several years ago, I read about many African countries who had implemented Mobile (bitcoin?) Money. The government did not own printing presses or coin manufacturing facilities, and could not finance them without impacting other needed healthcare and education projects.
What was done was to work with banks, pharmacies, and certain other businesses to allow individuals to load money onto their cellphone. Small businesses were able to accept cellphone payments. (taxi drivers, and others). When cash was required, the small business visited the pharmacy or bank, and redeemed the cellphone money for cash. Charges for redeeming money was government managed. (Some of the charges were for tax collections, and a small amount for the bank). Service seems to still be in use after about some years of success.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[Plumpaquatsch]

"People" also want shitty SOAPs, crappy entertainment and retarded music. Your point being?

That Android is market leader.

Re: I just want the new Nexus.

[Anonymous Coward]

That's clever. This fancy security chip-and-pin thingy failed three times so let me take this guys card without it. He looks alright, must be a good guy.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[war4peace]

Yeah, but that, apparently, is not because everyone wants it, it's because people can't afford iPhones. That's what Apple fans say, anyway.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[Plumpaquatsch]

Yeah, but that, apparently, is not because everyone wants it, it's because people can't afford iPhones. That's what Apple fans say, anyway.

So people like you say Android is cheap trash.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[war4peace]

Oh, look, another dude who thinks can twist my words.
The world is overflowing with your likes. Smart enough to try and twist words but not smart enough to succeed.

I never said "cheap" and I never said "trash".
What Android offers is VARIETY. From cheap trash to stuff better (and sometimes even pricier) than iPhones.
Android is the only OS which powers phones as cheap as 50 bucks (or even free if you get a low-priced plan) or as expensive as 1000+. Also it powers devices with a huge variety of screen formats, sizes and resolutions, even resolutions as weird as iPhone's. At the same time, you get to choose between phones with embedded SD cards and/or batteries or replaceable SD cards and/or batteries. Most can be easily rooted, modded, altered, hell you can build your own flavor if that's your thing. They don't stop you from doing whatever the hell you want with the OS (if you have the knowledge, of course) and AFAIK (but YMMV) they're next-to-impossible to brick. I have a HTC desire S which I actually tried bricking (to no avail).

Oh and guess what, I don't need to install any software to use my phone as mobile data storage. I just connect it through USB or bluetooth and I'm good to go.

Re: I just want the new Nexus.

[Redbehrend]

Apple nfc and the android nfc = the same as is required by the standard. ( Hence why I didn't call one better.)
I never had a problem with android nfc except in the ghetto where the card machines were by some unknown company or looked like they fell off a truck

The original definition of innovation is.
Main Entry: inÂnoÂvaÂtion
Pronunciation: \ËOEi-nÉ(TM)-ËvÄ-shÉ(TM)n\
Function: noun
Date: 15th century
1 : the introduction of something new
We are both right, as Apple fans put Apple as one of the biggest "tech" companies in the world what innovation did they bring us?
Notta it was a phone just to keep up...
As much as you can hate Samsung/LG androids they are pushing the limits of the form factor and their screen tech will change the world not just their users and devices. At least in their latest releases they pushed screens / water resistance / introduced heart rate in a phone, etc.. Apple should be doing the same for everyone not just them...

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[Plumpaquatsch]

Oh, look, another dude who thinks can twist my words. The world is overflowing with your likes.

And I thought Android winning? Yeah, the world is full of people who are not as dumb as you are. Deal with it.

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[war4peace]

So... what can you do except ad-hominem attacks?

Re:I just want the new Nexus.

[mick129]

Listen Apple, you didn't build a phone that people wanted

Pretty funny considering the incredible demand.

Was obnoxious

[Anonymous Coward]

Needed to buy a few for development and being from the east coast gotta say a major fubar on the part of apple. Though, seemed like more of a DNS issue or caching issue in the end as I tried from a different ISP after 0430 and got through without am issue. You'd think by now they would have it figured out.

Um Not Apple

[Anonymous Coward]

AT&T's upgrade check service was flaky well into the late morning. Apple finally resorted to a reservation system.

For god's sake, even CHINA gets it right:
Take pre-orders for people to get in line for something that will EVENTUALLY come in.

Camera vendors do the same thing with new high-end bodies.

I just want the new Nexus.

[Anonymous Coward]

But it has a screen that has some inches!

Which begs the question

[Anonymous Coward]

Who really gives a big flying fuck

Re:Which begs the question

[halivar]

Clearly, the AC who clicked the link to comment.

Re:Which begs the question

[frnic]

Oh, about 500 million users.

Same with O2 in the UK

[Anonymous Coward]

The pre-order site is DDOSed by all the people pre-ordering.

The outage

[iMouse]

...that Samsung wishes they had.

Re:The outage

[ZiemowitC.Pierzycki]

Samsung doesn't release one phone a year. They have a few flagships a year on top of others, so this wouldn't happen. When I ordered my Samsung Galaxy 5S, the Sprint website did go down. Also, it's pretty suspicious that a multi-billion company like Apple can't properly handle a product-launch ordering properly.

Is this why they call them "smart" phones?

[dskoll]

Come on, everyone! Camp out and pay $600+ for a device that's gonna cost much less a few months later! Be L337!

Re:Is this why they call them "smart" phones?

[Dixie_Flatline]

It won't, actually. Apple's prices don't drop in the middle of a cycle. It'll cost exactly the same in July of next year. In August, you may see carriers cut the prices to entice people to clear their existing stock.

Re:Is this why they call them "smart" phones?

[Wovel]

I can sell my 5s for more than I paid for including the cost difference for buying it on contract....

Re:Is this why they call them "smart" phones?

[SternisheFan]

And it's basically a two year old Nexus4.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...

Re:Is this why they call them "smart" phones?

[Dixie_Flatline]

Oh please. I've seen that graphic, and it's obviously misleading. Yes, there are features that the Nexus 4 had years ago.

One of them is a feature I don't even want, but I'm forced to get--a 4.7" screen. I really rather prefer a 3.5" or 4" screen.

You can't ACTUALLY make payments with Nexus 4 because the tech is there but the infrastructure isn't. Ironically, Apple doing NFC payments may make it possible for someone to use that feature.

And then (as per the article) there's Touch ID. And the 64-bit A8 (the A7 is still beating new phones on single-core benchmarks, sunspider, etc. even though it's a year old). I get a permissions system that isn't ridiculous and if I have a problem with the phone, I can take it into a store and have someone look at it. I don't have to send it back for service, or talk to the carrier.

Oh, and the Nexus 4 has famously bad battery life. I borrowed one for a while from a friend to try it out, and I could lose 60% of the battery in two hours while it was sitting in a locker while I was swimming. My venerable iPhone 4 would lose 0-2% in the same time frame.

These graphics are just elaborate trolling--you and I both know that the Nexus 4 wasn't actually any more usable than the iPhone 5 at the time, and it's obviously not even on the same page right now. The devices are getting closer and closer to parity, but that's not actually surprising to anyone except the most bitter partisans.

Re:Is this why they call them "smart" phones?

[Anonymous Coward]

You can't ACTUALLY make payments with Nexus 4 because the tech is there but the infrastructure isn't.

The USA isn't the world. Contactless payments have been a thing in the UK for a while now - coffee shops, restaurants, chemists, ticket koisks, and more.

The only thing preventing wider adoption is a security measure that UK banks insisted on - they can only be used to pay for up to £15 worth of shopping. Any more than that and a card with PIN must be presented to the reader instead.

Re:Is this why they call them "smart" phones?

[RyuuzakiTetsuya]

As a bitter partisan, I'd hate to say that the things that Apple is playing "catchup" on are things that by getting right now, they don't have to worry about everything going to hell later.

For instance, how iOS implements third party keyboards is that the keyboard itself is sandboxed away from the rest of the running process. In comparison, on Android, keyboards are basically key loggers running onto of the current running process.

Intents vs Plugins? Similar.

see: http://arstechnica.com/apple/2...

There were reports that Swiftkey was going to be announced for iOS 7, funny enough, as a third party keyboard. However, it seems like all of the XPC stuff Apple has been doing, Google has a LOT to catch up on. Apple now just has the low hanging fruit.

Re:Is this why they call them "smart" phones?

[itsenrique]

Thats a crazy statement about the battery. That was a defective battery/unit. I had N4 for almost 2 years and it *never* had battery problems anything like you are describing. Not as good as the iphone though, that is definitely true.

Re:Is this why they call them "smart" phones?

[Anonymous Coward]

Almost all the "partners" Apple announced already take Google Wallet.

Google Wallet, ISIS, and Apple Pay will be using the same infrastructure. Apple isnt buying anyone any infrastructure. The card makers and banks are requiring upgrades in 2015, so Apple's timing was just strategic. Dont pretend this was something the godly Apple finally brought to the masses.

Yes, there are features that the Nexus 4 had years ago.

So, you concede the point he was making with that comparison? Good.

Oh, and the Nexus 4 has famously bad battery life. I borrowed one for a while from a friend to try it out.... it was sitting in a locker while I was swimming

Right the friend borrow and put in a locker metric. Good benchmark, that.

These graphics are just elaborate trolling

No, this are pretty straight up basic trolling, there is nothing elaborate going on here. Ron is an idiot in the Android world too. But you are only getting made because he's right here. Even though it's not the whole picture, nothing he said was a lie. The N4 has a lot of the features Apple is touting as "new".

My venerable iPhone 4

What kind of complete tool do you have to be to call your choice in phones "venerable"?

Re:Is this why they call them "smart" phones?

[Anonymous Coward]

He must have an app that is running. I was having issues with my phone dying in the middle of the day. Turned out it was an app that was running non stop. I removed the app and now the phone lasts all day.

Re:Is this why they call them "smart" phones?

[Dixie_Flatline]

We have that here, too; I've got a CDN $50 limit. No fear, I know the USA isn't the world. :)

Re:Is this why they call them "smart" phones?

[Dixie_Flatline]

It probably wasn't; the phone was wiped before I got it, and I downloaded almost nothing. I suppose it's possible that it was--what, twitter? I guess?--or something, but there was almost nothing running on the phone. I checked the battery manager, and it just showed a monotonic decrease in battery.

Re:Is this why they call them "smart" phones?

[rjstanford]

Thanks, that's a useful summary/contrast between the two models, especially the second page.

Re:Is this why they call them "smart" phones?

[SternisheFan]

Apple's finally gotten around to playing catch up. Look, these phones, apple or android, are all just mini-computers with antennas that run apps. You're happy with overpaying for an apple phone, I'm happy with a capable android that has a replaceable battery/sd card. Got a double sized battery for it, have the original battery as a backup. And like you say, closer to parity. Whatever floats your boat.

Re:Is this why they call them "smart" phones?

[SternisheFan]

I can sell my 5s for more than I paid for including the cost difference for buying it on contract....

Yep, bet you can. Lot of suckers out there. Shame on you.

Re:Is this why they call them "smart" phones?

[Anonymous Coward]

No, it isnt. Andrew Cunningham is a huge Apple fanboy and there is nothing in that link of any actual substance regarding how Android works just conjecture and misunderstanding. He might get the iOS stuff right, but he is just shoveling a ton of bullshit re: Android (common for his articles).

Re:Is this why they call them "smart" phones?

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm guessing it's the software: Put the phone in a locker made out of metal, or any Faraday cage for that matter, it will get a very weak reception. What the software does to counter this, typically, is to ramp up the antenna power to get a signal. I suppose it will give up if it doesn't get anything, but if it does, it will probably drain a lot of battery just to keep the connection to the cell tower.

Now this is not saying 60% in a couple of hours is by any means acceptable, it seems like a design flaw, but would perhaps explain what you experienced. I suggest filing the bug in, if reproducible, and meanwhile to put the phone into airplane mode when not in use in places with bad coverage.

Re:Is this why they call them "smart" phones?

[AmiMoJo]

The classic fanboy response to features he doesn't have: "yeah, but I don't want it!"

You should be thanking Google. The only reason you can make payments now is that they pushed it out years ago and built up the infrastructure. The battery on the Nexus 4 is fine, and easy to replace. The 64 bit CPU in the iPhone doesn't seem to have made it any faster than a Nexus 5 anyway: http://youtu.be/vZjurCN521U

Explain why it's often slower than a phone costing half as much and with so many more features. While technically interesting in most cases 64 bit is just a gimmick, and even in games the main reason for better performance is the low resolution retina screen.

Re:Is this why they call them "smart" phones?

[AmiMoJo]

Any keyboard is a keylogger. That's what keyboards do - log the keys you press and report them to the OS or app.

Intents are not the same thing as plugins, you can't compare them.

Re:Is this why they call them "smart" phones?

[Anonymous Coward]

Did you even watch that video you linked? It shows the iPhone's processor winning out by more than 50% in the Geekbench single core test.

The multi-core test shows 2557 vs. 2826 with the N5 ahead, but that's because it has twice as many cores.

(as a side note, it's kind of weird that the N5's CPU does so poorly in the multi-core test WRT the number of cores. One would expect to see 935*4=3740 (or, a bit less). But it only gets 2826.)

Re:Is this why they call them "smart" phones?

[Anonymous Coward]

After Qualcomm's EVP announced that AArch64 was a gimmick, he was demoted for making such a stupid statement (it also conflicted with the fact that they were developing multiple 64 bit SOCs).

How else do you think mobile SOC performance is going to increase? Frequency of existing architectures can't be pushed up much until the industry reaches new process nodes (and scales exponentially with power draw), multi-core doesn't help after 2-4 (and scale linearly with power draw)... the only way to significantly improve performance is to push the architectural side.

Re:Is this why they call them "smart" phones?

[strikethree]

Oh, and the Nexus 4 has famously bad battery life. I borrowed one for a while from a friend to try it out, and I could lose 60% of the battery in two hours while it was sitting in a locker while I was swimming. My venerable iPhone 4 would lose 0-2% in the same time frame.

Odd. I have a Nexus 4 (using my Nexus 5 now though) and I had exceedingly good battery life from it. Much better than the Galaxy Note and other Galaxy versions (and iPhones) that I have owned. To be quite frank, it was the best battery life I had ever experienced up until I started using my Nexus 5.

At the end of the day, I usually had at least 40% battery left. With the various Galaxy and iPhone devices I have used, it was usually closer to 10%. If you are getting poor battery life out of a Nexus 4, you either have an app installed (Facebook?) that is sucking the life out of it or you just have a phone with a bad battery.

In short, show me the "famously" part of your claim.

Re:Is this why they call them "smart" phones?

[RyuuzakiTetsuya]

it's about how aware to the rest of the system any given thread is to the rest of it. Android's implementation of keyboards is incredibly unsafe.

As far as intents vs iOS extensions go, you're right, but the reason why is that Android doesn't do much of anything to keep things playing cleanly.

Instead a U2 Album, How About A Better Web Site?

[InitZero]

Instead of spending a rumored $100 MILLION giving everyone a U2 album few want, maybe Apple should have just shipped everyone an iPhone6 instead? Or at least used that money to beef-up capacity on launch day?

Cheers,
Matt

Re:Android is Crushing Apple Phone Sales - NOT!

[i kan reed]

This post is an interesting case in wrongness density.

The iphone's latest demise.

[Anonymous Coward]

I love how the ihaters around here croon the iphone's demise as each new device is launched.. And they each go on to smashing, record sales that beat the last one.

The 5s was particularly funny. People bitched and moaned about nothing innovative. (Despite being the first mobile device with a 64bit arm cpu, and stands to be still for probably another good 8 months. That's almost 2 full years of apple leading an innovation that nobody else even had plans for at that point) - Oh, and that fingerprint scanner that turned out to be everyone's favorite feature. One button press secure unlock anyone?

Yet, the 5s went to smash sales records even beyond apple's most optimistic expectations. Record breaking device sales in it's category.
The 6 launch is looking to be even better.

Do you know why I stick with the iphone line? It's easy. It's simple. It works. I don't have to fuck around with my phone. It's always there. Each time I get a new phone, all of my shit migrates over seamlessly. I still have songs, apps, notes, pictures from my original iphone.

I build my own PCs. I love linux. I stick with the iphone because it's nice having something you don't have to fuck with to get it to work properly every once in a while.

Re:The iphone's latest demise.

[Rik Sweeney]

I was an iPhone fan when they first came out. I remember standing in the phone shops, looking at the Android phones running the laggy Gingerbread and wondering why anyone would want to buy a POS like that.

Then I ran into antenna-gate while I was trying to get a job. Eventually I told callers that I had an iPhone so if the call ended suddenly it was because of that, and not because I'd just hung up on them. As soon as my contract was up I moved to Android.

I'm sure it's fast and simple to use, but ultimately it's a phone. And if I can't make calls on it, then it's going in the bin.

Re:The iphone's latest demise.

[CastrTroy]

I don't have an iPhone, but I kind of agree with this. A phone is a tool, it's not a toy that I want to play with and modify. I don't want to miss a call or not get an alarm because I installed some rogue firmware on my phone (I know people this has happened to because they're always installing different ROMs on their Android phone). I'm not saying that getting an iPhone is the only way to get this experience, but that I find that this is really the point of a phone. I wanted a toy to install software on and experiment with and crash and reboot all the time, there's plenty of devices out there that are cheaper and can do just that.

Re:The iphone's latest demise.

[ericloewe]

"It works"? Not if you want to make phone calls.

I only have trouble talking with two kinds of people on the phone: iPhone owners and owners of dumbphones that were dropped one too many times.

Re:The iphone's latest demise.

[ganjadude]

why should one have to use an accessory to make a phone call? and why would you consider that half assed work around to be a legit workaround??

Re:The iphone's latest demise.

[Anonymous Coward]

Sadly you did not get hired because you were the type to do the cellphone death grip instead of holding it properly.

Re:The iphone's latest demise.

[BronsCon]

And if you think "use a headset" is an acceptable workaround for fundamentally broken hardware, I wouldn't want to work for you anyway. I do quality work and I'm sure you wouldn't appreciate it.

Re:The iphone's latest demise.

[BronsCon]

I fall into the other camp. I want a computer in my pocket, something I can do whatever I want with, and if it happens to be able to make and receive phone calls once in a while, all the better.

There are a lot like me.

Re:The iphone's latest demise.

[Anonymous Coward]

Lol, there are a good dozen ways to hold the phone, and when you were in a very important situation (the job interview) you picked the one that caused some signal degradation? Really?

PS - if you answered the phone and had time to warn them about the bad antenna, then the calls dropped, it would not have been from 'antenna-gate, most likely just crap cell coverage.

Re:The iphone's latest demise.

[Anonymous Coward]

Nice troll. If you're the type of person that just hangs up on a business call, for whatever anal-retentive reason, you're not the type of person anyone would want to work for, period. While faggots like you probably walk around 24/7 with a Bluetooth headset in your ear, the rest of us aren't keen on fumbling around with a wired headset for an incoming call. You've been served.

Re:The iphone's latest demise.

[Iniamyen]

Did you forget to post anonymously? This is some weak trolling.

Re:The iphone's latest demise.

[AmiMoJo]

64 bit was just marketing wank. Have a look at comparison videos on YouTube between an iPhone 5s and a Nexus 5. For practical purposes like opening apps and navigating around them, opening files, making calls etc the Nexus is usually the same or slightly faster.

That's how Apple always pitch to the faithful. Offer some technical feature that sounds amazing but actually does very little in practice.

As for sales records, Apples own graphics show sales tapering off a bit.

Re:The iphone's latest demise.

[Plumpaquatsch]

http://dontholditwrong.tumblr....

Re:The iphone's latest demise.

[CastrTroy]

Yeah, but I think if you want to do that, a phone isn't a great device for doing that. Most are locked down in some way or another specifically to stop you from doing that. I'm not sure what device really suits that need. I'm not sure if there are enough people who truly want this experience for there to be a commercial product that offers this.

Re:The iphone's latest demise.

[BronsCon]

HTC devices not on AT&T's network (as they ask HTC to disable developer unlocking) suit that need just fine. The fact is that I need a phone, so my choices are carry 2 devices or make the phone do double duty. Carrying 2 devices means charging 2 devices and that doesn't work for me. Unless you're trying to tell me that what's been working for me for the past 4 years isn't a suitable solution, in which case I'd kindly ask you to bugger off.

I just want the new Nexus.

[slashdice]

It's worse than that. The original iphone was 320 x 480. They went retina by doubling it - 640 x 960. No problem, you provide 2x images, everything works great. Then the elongated it to 640 x 1136. still pretty straightforward, though, 2x images with a bit more height. You may need to adjust your layout a bit but no major problems. But now the iphone 6 is 750 x 1334 and 1080 x 1920.

It's like they somehow decided android's fragmentation was a competitive advantage! Oh, and now you provide 3x images and they get downsampled. It will not look as good. Full stop.

Listen Apple, you didn't build a phone that people wanted, you built a phone that the press wanted. Not because they wanted it as a phone, but because they need to write stories about something. These are the same idiots that spent 20 years calling you beleaguered and taking bets on when you would go bankrupt. A larger phone won't do shit except change the narrative from "they need to release a larger phone" to "out of ideas and copying samsung"

Verzion had problems, too

[davids-world.com]

Woke up at 3am, and it took me 45 mins to place my order. The website was slow and produced some sort of error, which I later found out had to do with me having an employer discount (that makes zero difference for the purchase).

If they actually ship Friday next week, I'd be surprised/delighted.

Conspiracy theory

[aNonnyMouseCowered]

Apple planned the outage to make the iFaithful salivate more and to prove to the tech press that demand is high.

Re:Conspiracy theory

[CanHasDIY]

Apple planned the outage to make the iFaithful salivate more and to prove to the tech press that demand is high.

Ah, yes. The Cartmanland Strategy.

Well played, Apple.

Re:Conspiracy theory

[ArcadeMan]

Also known as the Sony strategy.

Re:Conspiracy theory

[jittles]

Apple planned the outage to make the iFaithful salivate more and to prove to the tech press that demand is high.

Maybe. Apple sent out an email this morning letting people know that preorders were still available for next Friday delivery at 9am eastern time. So my guess is that, initially at least, their sales weren't as good as they hoped. Indeed, I ordered one just in case I decided I wanted one. If not, I'll set it for slightly above cost when it comes in.

Re:Conspiracy theory

[ericloewe]

It's easy to sell out the initial batch if it contains only a relative handful of units. I highly doubt it's not planned to some extent.

Re:Conspiracy theory

[Wovel]

You do know the iPhone 6 will be the #1 selling phone this quarter, the 5s will be #2 (due to timing) and 6s will be #3 because of the limited delay. In the holiday quarter the 6s will be the #1 selling phone, the 6 will be #2 and the 5s will be #3.

The email they sent out this morning is the same email they send out on the first day of pre-orders for every product launch. It has nothing at all to do with demand.

Re:Conspiracy theory

[jittles]

You do know the iPhone 6 will be the #1 selling phone this quarter, the 5s will be #2 (due to timing) and 6s will be #3 because of the limited delay. In the holiday quarter the 6s will be the #1 selling phone, the 6 will be #2 and the 5s will be #3.

The email they sent out this morning is the same email they send out on the first day of pre-orders for every product launch. It has nothing at all to do with demand.

I know that 9 hours into the pre-order they still had supply. That is unusual. Either they have more supply than normal, or the sales were not happening as fast as they expected. They are already on a 3-4 week backorder now. So it's not like they didn't sell out. But I know it will be the #1 selling phone for the quarter.

Re:Conspiracy theory

[jellomizer]

I think it is the even number rush.
The original iPhone (iPhone 2) Had a good demand on it.
People gradually got the iPhone 3 and 3g (incremental improvements nothing show stopping)
There was a big demand on the iPhone 4 (The higher res screen, and FaceTime)
The iPhone 4S 5 and 5S were incremental improvements the bigger screen on the 5 is nice but not enough to get people off the 4.
The iPhone 6 with a significantly larger screen means the people who have been hanging onto the 4 needs an upgrade.

Re:Conspiracy theory

[Karlt1]

I think it is the even number rush.
The original iPhone (iPhone 2) Had a good demand on it.
People gradually got the iPhone 3 and 3g (incremental improvements nothing show stopping)
There was a big demand on the iPhone 4 (The higher res screen, and FaceTime)
The iPhone 4S 5 and 5S were incremental improvements the bigger screen on the 5 is nice but not enough to get people off the 4.
The iPhone 6 with a significantly larger screen means the people who have been hanging onto the 4 needs an upgrade.

[sarcasm]
It's almost like someone in the US has a reason to buy a new phone every two years....what could possible cause this pattern?
[/sarcasm]

Re:Conspiracy theory

[Anonymous Coward]

Perhaps they have a larger supply having learned from quite a few previous releases that all seemed to break records and run out?

Re:Conspiracy theory

[DocSavage64109]

Interestingly, Sprint seems to be releasing a $50/mo unlimited iphone plan that doesn't include the phone subsidy. It looks like a step in the right direction.

Re:Conspiracy theory

[MaryAnnEvans]

Leaving money on the table for the sale of bragging "sold out" is a stupid and a losing strategy. And not one that Apple would be desperate enough to try - they don't need to as they have the best selling smartphone.

Re:Conspiracy theory

[MaryAnnEvans]

I think it is the even number rush.

There is no such 2 year cycle on sales. http://www.statista.com/statis...

Re:Conspiracy theory

[LynnwoodRooster]

You do know the iPhone 6 will be the #1 selling phone this quarter, the 5s will be #2 (due to timing) and 6s will be #3 because of the limited delay.

Yep! And for every iPhone that Apple sells, Samsung will sell 2 to 3 smartphones...

Dat Camera

[Anonymous Coward]

The rear metal-rimmed camera is not flush with the case, so ironically it's not the iPhone screen getting scratched, it's every surface you lay your new iPhone down on.

Re:Dat Camera

[CanHasDIY]

The rear metal-rimmed camera is not flush with the case, so ironically it's not the iPhone screen getting scratched, it's every surface you lay your new iPhone down on.

So, make sure you buy a stand so you don't accidentally set it on your gold-pressed latinum desk. Problem solved.

Re:Dat Camera

[ericloewe]

That desk must wreak havoc on computer mice...

Re:Dat Camera

[Anonymous Coward]

Finally! The 300dpi ball mice of old make their vengeful return!

Re:Dat Camera

[SuperKendall]

The rear metal-rimmed camera is not flush with the case

Only true on the 6Plus, not the 6.

Re:Dat Camera

[Anonymous Coward]

Huh? Both models have a protruding camera.

Of course this means

[DJCouchyCouch]

Apple is doomed.

"Early adopters"?

[X.25]

Is that how we need to call them, in order to be politically correct?

Sigh.

Re:"Early adopters"?

[Torp]

"Impatient kids"?
And i say this as the owner of a few Apple devices... which i bought on my own schedule, not by queueing at launches.

Re:"Early adopters"?

[Wovel]

I ordered my iPad 2 on launch day and it was pretty painless. I was in China at the time so it was pretty easy to be awake for the US launch. I don't understanding waiting in line or even setting an alarm to wake up at 3:00 am.

Re:"Early adopters"?

[Skater]

I ordered one this morning, because I can't wait to stop using my Samsung S3. The S3 was supposed to be an iPhone killer; instead, it killed my interest in Android.

Re:"Early adopters"?

[David_Hart]

Is that how we need to call them, in order to be politically correct?

Sigh.

No, it's simply a misuse of the term. An early adopter is someone who is willing to take a risk on a completely new technology. The iPhone 6 is a new product not new technology.

For example, people who bought the 2014 Sea Doo Spark jetski this year (like I did) would be considered early adopters because they are taking a chance on the all plastic hull design and it's durability. It's new technology and a new product category. However, someone buying the 2014 Sea-Doo GTX Limited 215 would not be considered an early adopter. All of the technology in the 215 already existed, they just tweaked it to produce a new product.

Re:"Early adopters"?

[Anonymous Coward]

THIS.

Re:"Early adopters"?

[Anonymous Coward]

I usually use iSheep, even though it's kinda played out.

Re:"Early adopters"?

[AmiMoJo]

I had an S3 and it was great. My brother upgraded to one from an iPhone too and never went back. What didn't you like about it?

Re:"Early adopters"?

[Anonymous Coward]

I had an S3 and it was great. My brother upgraded to one from an iPhone too and never went back. What didn't you like about it?

It's used by morons like you.

Re:Nice Try Mr. Google Employee

[Anonymous Coward]

Thank you, Mr. Apple employee, for a totally useless waste of the bytes in my data stream.

Re:Android is Crushing Apple Phone Sales - NOT!

[macs4all]

This post is an interesting case in wrongness density.

I was simply pointing out that neither side is actually "right".

Who the fuck

[future assassin]

are these people who can't wait to fork over a 1/2-1/4 months wage every time a new phone comes out? Seriously wtf is wrong with them? Yah in high skool it was cool to be the first to have that Ice T/BDP/NWA tape or the first to have a new Nintendo/Sega game but those cost a pittance compared to a phone. At least with those you could listen and play with your friends, the phone is just a recluse device meant to keep people apart.

Re:Who the fuck

[Anonymous Coward]

are these people who can't wait to fork over a 1/2-1/4 months wage every time a new phone comes out?

iDiots.

Re:Who the fuck

[Anonymous Coward]

No because they make real money not entry level chump change like you do.

Full price for iphone 6+ top of the line unlocked for me is 1/10th my monthly income. It's a frigging impulse buy for me.

Re:Who the fuck

[future assassin]

Riiiight those camping out all night make real money lol Ok you got me I believe what you say anonymous rich guy.

Re:Who the fuck

[Dr. Evil]

The same people who are selling their iPhone 5 on eBay for 80% of its original price.

Re:Who the fuck

[Grizzley9]

You seem to think everyone of Apple's 500 million customers buy a new phone each time a new one comes out and that their children aren't getting any older to where they also might want an iPhone. I don't know anyone that buys a new iPhone each release even with carriers now pushing that (ATT Next and others). So what you are seeing is the result of only (~80/500) about 1/6 of Apples customers buying a new phone. Let alone the financing provided by the carriers make small monthly payments fairly reasonable for anyone that has a steady job.

Re:Who the fuck

[AmiMoJo]

What idiot would buy a used phone with non-replaceable battery and unknown history on eBay when they can pay 20% more for a new one? Not just a new one, the latest version too, and with a warranty.

Re:Who the fuck

[Dr. Evil]

Truth can be strange.

http://aaplinvestors.net/stats/iphone/pricing/

From that source, the iPhone 5s was $649 in Sep 2013. Expired auctions on ebay show the 16G 5s selling regularly on ebay for $500.

People are still *paying* 80% of the value. Not sure why.

I admit, I shouldn't have said "iPhone 5" though, it's older and going for $400.

Re:Who the fuck

[Plumpaquatsch]

Riiiight those camping out all night make real money lol Ok you got me I believe what you say anonymous rich guy.

The only people camping outside are people who want to promote their apps to the reporters interviewing the people who camp outside.

Re:Nice Try Mr. Google Employee

[LWATCDR]

Funny but I have actually written an IOS app and it is in the app store. I have a mac and I love it. This rev of the iphone has bigger screens... Like Android phones. NFC like Android phones. As to the rest of the statement... You do know that the Apple app store was the original home of the fart app...

IOS is fine for people that like it. I find it too restrictive and dull for my tastes but it is good OS and the phones are good hardware. They are just not worth the worship that heaped on them.

Why is Google better than Apple?
Simple, Compare an IOS phone with all the Google apps removed to an Android phone without any Apple apps.

Can you explain how you migrate material over

[aussersterne]

seamlessly? I have family members asking me to help with their iPhones routinely, and this is always a nightmare.

Is it just a matter of your having one stable iTunes installation over the entire period? Because the problem that I run into over and over again is that iCloud is either partial in its backing up and/or doesn't have enough space and thus doesn't back everything up, and they have invariably got a computer that's newer than their iPhone. As a result, their iPhone has never been backed up to iTunes, and when they ask me to help with a transition, I can't help them—iTunes simply offers to erase the phone when you plug it in since the phone predates the iTunes installation.

So we end up having to do a phone side-by-side—check each item installed on the old phone, then install and position it again on the new phone, one-by-one. Takes hours, and some things (SMS messages) are just plain lost. I'd love to find a way to just migrate one iPhone to the next with a click, but so far I haven't found it—the only way to do this appears to be to have an iTunes installation that predates your original phone and to which the phone has been synchronized since it was new. Then you can restore the backup to the new phone. But if the iTunes installation is newer than old phone, as far as I can tell users are SOL for easy transitions.

And most everyone I've helped to upgrade simply doesn't have this. Most of them don't even use iTunes at all.

Re:Can you explain how you migrate material over

[Slider451]

It doesn't matter how old the phone, computer or iTunes installation is. Only the date of the backup matters. Just make sure to manually take a fresh backup of the old phone to iTunes before you setup the new one. (You should be running the latest versions of iOS and iTunes, too).

I'm on my third iPhone and about to get my fourth. The setup and restore from the old backup has always worked without a hitch. That's one of the big reasons I've stayed with iOS devices despite the lure of Nexus and Galaxy. I hate the idea of the walled garden but its seamless transition to new devices is a narcotic I can't seem to quit.

Re:Can you explain how you migrate material over

[wbo]

iTunes simply offers to erase the phone when you plug it in since the phone predates the iTunes installation.

iTunes can be a pain at times and it's interface can be difficult to navigate if you don't know what you are doing but it is possible to use it to backup a phone even if that phone was previously synced with another PC or installation of iTunes.

iTunes will want to erase the phone (or any other iOS device for that matter) if you choose to synchronize the phone with the existing iTunes library on the PC, however that is not what you want to do.

Instead, if you have iTunes configured to sync automatically - cancel the sync and then select the device and use the Backup option which will backup all of the apps, user data, and settings from the device - including SMS messages and voicemail messages (if your carrier has enhanced voicemail).

Be sure to set it to encrypt the backup and set a passphrase on the backup - otherwise the backup will not include account usernames and passwords or data from apps that is marked as "high security". Beware that this can take quite a while if the user has a lot of apps or data on the phone but it will get pretty much everything as long as the backup is encrypted.

That backup can then be restored to another iOS device running the same OS version or newer. (In a few limited cases you can restore to a device running an older version of iOS but this is generally not recommended and can cause some major problems. If needed, update the OS on the new device before restoring the backup.) Plug in the new device, select it in iTunes and select Restore from Backup.

Restoring the backup will erase the target device in the process but after the process is complete the new device will be configured almost exactly like the previous device was.

Re:Can you explain how you migrate material over

[Anonymous Coward]

icloud.

You've not needed itunes to do anything on an iphone since iOS5.

Just icloud backup, then log in to new phone. Done.

Apple servers were fine..

[SuperKendall]

The Apple Store app started working well before the website did, say 30 minutes after the supposed launch...

The early parts of selection worked fine, it was when you chose a carrier that things timed out.

Once the website came up (about two and a half hours late) it was pretty speedy.

So it was something around the carrier gateway that was the issue.

The interesting aspect of that, was that people had no issue ordering from carriers directly that supported it (Verizon and AT&T were the two I knew people ordered from shortly after midnight Pacific)

Re:Instead a U2 Album, How About A Better Web Site

[John Bokma]

They plan to ship 80 MILLION iPhone6(+) this year alone, so that's 1.25 USD/phone in cost to cover the album. Peanuts.

Re:Instead a U2 Album, How About A Better Web Site

[gnasher719]

Instead of spending a rumored $100 MILLION giving everyone a U2 album few want, ...

I think it's $100 million for an advertising campaign. Giving everyone a U2 album is just one small part of it.

Re:Android is Crushing Apple Phone Sales - NOT!

[i kan reed]

For someone condemning "both sides" you're awfully quick to assume that hypothetical actors fall on one "side" or another.

If you believe your attitude is the objectively correct one, you should give everyone the benefit of the doubt as to believing it as well.

Muppets

[JustNiz]

"Early Adopter" is clearly the new name for "Sheep-like moron".

Re:Muppets

[Lumpy]

No that term is reserved for most Android owners and reviewers

And yes I was a sheep like moron for buying an HTC phone... the M8 is the worst android phone ever made.

All the morons all over the sites for a year hyping on how it's SOOOOOOOO AWESOME...... when in reality 99% of android reviews are made by people that have never touched the damn device.

My fault for straying from a google play nexus.

Re:Muppets

[Anonymous Coward]

"People with more disposable cash than brains"

Re:Instead a U2 Album, How About A Better Web Site

[Anonymous Coward]

$1.25 of wasted gross profit as to shareholders.

Oh, but it does. You can't make a backup

[aussersterne]

if the computer + iTunes is newer than the phone. Try this:

-> Plug a full, everyday-used iPhone that was backed up or set up on an old computer
-> Into a new computer where it has never been backed up before

What you will get is an option to erase the phone and start over. You will not get the option to back up the phone, and Apple says that's by design—the licensed content on the phone is tied to the iTunes installation where it was set up, and the license can't be associated with a new iTunes.

Problem is that people that ask me for help have almost invariably either bought a new computer or reinstalled Windows since the time they set up their phone. So there is no way to create a backup—when you plug the phone in, you only get the option to erase the phone and set it up new.

Re:Oh, but it does. You can't make a backup

[Anonymous Coward]

Incorrect.

Install itunes then Authorize the computer. then let it sync the phone. it does NOT "erase the whole phone" it simply will delete and reload all the music and videos all the photos, camera videos, and contact info remains intact.

Apps will be removed and reinstalled but the date for them will remain intact.

Read the instructions, you will find you do things right when you do that. Instead of just assuming and bumbling your way through as if you knew what you were doing.

Re:Oh, but it does. You can't make a backup

[aussersterne]

You can't backup everything that's on the phone.

Your process sounds great to a technology-enabled person. But for mere humans?

They don't remember their Apple ID password.
They put in random answers to security questions for password recovery.
Their email address has changed, their computer has changed, etc.
They installed all that music, all those videos, and all those apps, like, a *year* ago or more. Who remembers how?

"Can't you just copy everything from my old phone over to my new phone?"

As you say, the process ends up being:

Initialize the phone as new, to their current computer.
Create a new Apple ID and sign them in.
Install and position all the apps one by one by looking at their old phone as you hold it.
Get ahold of all the music that they already bought in some other format so that they don't have to pay for it again.
Give them the bad news about what can't be tracked down/reinstalled (apps no longer in app store, music that can't be found elsewhere without re-buying, etc.)

I could have sworn that in a recent case, we lost all of SMS and she was upset about that, but may I'm remembering incorrectly. Still, the process is onerous.

It pisses people off—"You mean I can't just move all of *my* stuff from my old phone to my new phone? Why do they call it an *upgrade?*"

I'm not saying they're right. Sure, they should remember their passwords, take care of their online identities, etc.

But the fact is that you cannot simply do this:

1. Connect old iPhone to computer
2. Back up full contents
3. Connect new iPhone to computer
4. Restore full contents

I've been on to Apple a couple of times with people standing next to me while I try to act as an intermediary, and the people on the other end of the line end up just throwing their hands up, apologizing, and saying they can't help.

To be fair, this isn't exactly easy on Android either. But it's slightly easier. And both platforms need to seriously work on it.

Re:Oh, but it does. You can't make a backup

[Anonymous Coward]

Does this still happen when iTunes is connected to the users Apple account? That message comes up when itunes thinks that it's someone elses phone, but if it sees the apple accounts are the same it should let you.

-- I haven't done this since a 3GS, but it was never a problem

Re:Oh, but it does. You can't make a backup

[Anonymous Coward]

They don't remember their Apple ID password.
They put in random answers to security questions for password recovery.
Their email address has changed, their computer has changed, etc.
They installed all that music, all those videos, and all those apps, like, a *year* ago or more. Who remembers how?

How is that different from an iPhone stolen from some random guy, after you just cracked their 4 digit screen lock passcode?

But the fact is that you cannot simply do this:

1. Connect old iPhone to computer
2. Back up full contents
3. Connect new iPhone to computer
4. Restore full contents

The fact is you CAN do that, you just chose not do.

I have done it multiple times already, and the most recent one last night when I made a backup of a new iPad (already setup and used for a couple days) to my iTunes.

Re:Oh, but it does. You can't make a backup

[turp182]

A couple of years ago a friend of mine plugged into my laptop to charge her iPhone, she clicked something with regards to the iTunes prompt (I had an iPhone so it was installed), and next thing we know 800 photos on her phone had been deleted but not backed up to my computer. I never figured out what she did, and she wouldn't connect to any computer but hers after that (she didn't synch/backup to iTunes on her computer, the phone was stand alone).

I really enjoyed the iPhone experience (through iPhone 4). But I like to develop for Android, so that's where I'm at now. Nexus 5 owner. Battery life isn't that good, but I have wireless chargers at work, in my living room, my bedroom, and my kitchen. I just put it down wherever I'm at and it stays charged. There's are two more in my travel bag, ready to go (one for the hotel, one for the office).

Re:Oh, but it does. You can't make a backup

[Plumpaquatsch]

The people who ask you for help have a real problem - they actually believe you aren't full of shit. Not a single thing you claim is even remotely true.

But can you remove the battery?

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't purchase devices without this ability.

I don't care how long the battery lasts, if you can't remove it IMO it is a failure by design and an annoyance to the user who cares about quality and privacy.

Re:Instead a U2 Album, How About A Better Web Site

[Anonymous Coward]

For me at least:

iPhone 6 and 6+: Shrug.. Okay, cool.
Apple Pay: Promising
Apple Watch: Zzzzzzzzzzz
U2 Album: SWEET!

It was definitely the highlight of the event for me.

Abuse of the term "Early Adopters"

[Anonymous Coward]

How can anyone describe people buying an iPhone now as "early adopters"? If anything, the iPhone is now hoping to become retro..

I doubt your doubt

[SuperKendall]

Only an idiot holds back physical inventory when they can sell it easily.

Apple doesn't need more press or hype; it already has those. They simply sell as many units as they can make.

If your "theory" is correct, then why do shipping times gradually get longer as more orders are made? If your "theory" is correct, why would the 6Plus ship a week after the 6 even for the earliest adopters?

Whatever happened to the belief that the simplest answer is usually true...

Re:I doubt your doubt

[ericloewe]

Who said anything about holding stock back?

It's as simple as launching before there's enough stock for a reasonable launch. Let's not forget some suppliers where complaining of a very late design change to the screen.

And they do need the hype - they have a large portion of customers who are more likely to be repeat customers if they're gently pushed to upgrade instead of waiting.

Your doubts have no substance. The questions you asked have many possible answers - both in favor and against an artificial scarcity.

Re:I doubt your doubt

[SuperKendall]

And they do need the hype - they have a large portion of customers who are more likely to be repeat customers if they're gently pushed to upgrade instead of waiting.

You misunderstand, they don't need the hype not because hype is not useful, but because there is already boatloads of it. The amount of hype from "iPhone Plus sold out" is minuscule compared to already existing hype from all other vectors; it adds zero to the push to upgrade compared to months of relentless news about the iPhone 6 beforehand.

Re:I doubt your doubt

[MaryAnnEvans]

Your doubts have no substance.

Whereas you doubt does?

It's as simple as launching before there's enough stock for a reasonable launch.

So now you're saying that they SHOULD have held stock back, but didn't. Again, why? Not selling product in order that they don't sell out? What kind of logic is that? Selling product for which there is a demand is not a mistake.

Battery Length

[DarthVain]

It is a pretty big deal. I have a Galaxy S3 which I like. To me it really only has one downside. That big screen chows down on battery power pretty fast when you are actually using it for anything. As such the battery length isn't great. It is mitigated a bit by the fact that you can pop out a used battery and pop in a charged one and you are ready to go.

If Apply managed to not only increase screen sized AND increase battery length, that is a pretty primary feature. However you are probably still stuck with the single battery.

Re:Battery Length

[SternisheFan]

First thing I did when I got my S3 was get a double sized battery (2900mAh) from Amazon. Hell, for $40 you can get a 7000mAh for it. http://www.amazon.com/warranty...

Losers...

[Anonymous Coward]

...waiting in line overnight or a fucking phone.

You people probably pay $200 for neon tennis shoes too.

In other news

[Anonymous Coward]

The "shortage" of the new Jordon's raises the value, exclusiveness and the desire to have them. Strange how that could happen with even common products made out of readily available leather, nylon and butyl rubber in a third world country. If everyone could have one for a good price and they were anywhere, the hype would not be there. News at 11.

Try to buy some 22LR ammo anywhere in the US. The panic and hoarders and people who don't even need it are lining up when the daily shipments come in just because it there is a shortage and it's hard to get. Oddly, it has a secondary market like new iPhones do on Craigslist for above retail price.

I was only compelled buy an android

[Anonymous Coward]

i didn't see much new with the apple phone, in fact it was a rehash of the old. bigger screen, woopdie. watch? join the crowd. Samsung here I come.

My Verizon experience

[Anonymous Coward]

I called their customer service number, went through about 5-6 automated dialing tree prompts and spoke with an actual red-blooded American woman. She was very pleasant and promptly placed my pre-order which invloved an upgrade discount for my 4S and changing plans to their secret $60 single line plan they don't seem to want anyone to know about. Phone should arrive October 8th, but that's fine with me, allows more time for other people to be guinea pigs for case reviews before I drop money on accessories.

Haters gonna hate.

[Uberbah]

You could write the same article comparing an Android to a 20 year old Newton.

Re:Haters gonna hate.

[SternisheFan]

Not a 'hater'. I don't give a fluck what you use. Pay $800 for something that does the same thing as one that costs $200, that's your choice.

Re:Nice Try Mr. Google Employee

[MaryAnnEvans]

You do know that the Apple app store was the original home of the fart app...

Nonsense. Fart apps were available on mobile phones before the iPhone was even on the market. http://www.noeman.org/gsm/s60-... Fart apps are simply an obvious and easy to implement gag for smartphones, ALL smartphones. The fart apps on iPhone meme is just because Android fans don't have any real argument against the superior quality of the apps on the Apple App Store.

fun

[Anonymous Coward]

I always chuckle every time a new phone comes out and people go crazy of it. Same thing over and over. Maybe because I'm cheap, I used same phone for last 6 years and felt no need to upgrade till my phone breaks. Then again, maybe because I just use a cell phone just to talk to people.

Case in point

[Uberbah]

Pay $800 for something that does the same thing as one that costs $200, that's your choice.

Pay $800 for an Android that does the same thing as a 25 year old PDA.

I don't give a fluck what you use.

Which you demonstrate by....complaining about what other people use.