Third-Point by Mike Twain
The iPhone 5 Announcement is Almost Here, Finally
Original Post Date: September 10, 2012
The iPhone 5 Announcement
There are only two events that have such a huge worldwide interest that they could possibly “break” the internet. One is Apple’s announcement of the new iPhone. The other was the London Olympics when the Guardian reported that the IOC asked people to only use Twitter for “urgent” messages. It turns out that some cyclists could not be located with the GPS internet tracking system due to a heavy load of personal multi-media messages.
Apple has reported that over 70 million iPhones were sold in the first half of 2012. Experts at Piper Jaffray are forecasting iPhone 5 unit sales of 10 million in the first week of availability. Many more over-the-air upgrades of previous iPhone models are expected when iOS 6 (the software upgrade) becomes available. You won’t catch me lined up outside an Apple store next to Apple founder Steve Wozniak who regularly does so, but I will be watching September 12 for the latest “breaking” news on the new iPhone 5.
The New iPhone 5:
About a year ago many of us fanned the flames of rumors, looking for a new iPhone called the iPhone 5 with a larger screen and more capability. We were disappointed to get the iPhone 4S, but many of us still bought one, including a local actor / director named Rob, and a local surf legend.
The big announcement last year was Siri. Whether you like Siri or think she (or he, with a British accent) was a disappointment, most of us see it as a step in the right direction in hands free communication or app control. But what do we expect in the next iPhone?
 |
| FIRST POINT |
First Point: Better Phone Hardware
Many have expressed their wish lists, but these are, by consensus, the expected new features: a new faster brain (A6 CPU), a faster bigger (better) touch screen that measures at least 4 inches, a faster network called LTE so that information flows to the iPhone faster, "Wherever I May Roam" without WiFi. The new iPhone may have one more row of icons, a new dock connector, and display letterbox (theater style) video better.
 |
| iPhone 4S: Who wants a bigger screen? One more row of icons would be nice. |
Second Point: Software and New Apps included in iOS 6
New updates were made available to app developers months ago. These improvements will benefit existing and future iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch owners and are listed by Apple at their website, so these are not unknown in general terms.
The new main software features include: a new Maps "app" with turn by turn audio directions, a new FaceTime app that does not require WiFi (prices may vary by carrier), and an improved Siri for launching apps and hands free control so we can say: “Open Angry Birds” or send Twitter or Facebook messages without tapping. Facebook links will now be built in so that we all can share and be more social with just a few taps on our phone. There are also new Shared Photo Streams that are in the cloud but do not count against your iCloud storage allotment.
There will also be a new Passbook feature for online tickets and coupons, and improvements to the Phone app so that we can quickly send the call to voicemail, reply with a message, or set "Do Not Disturb" for anyone except maybe our manager. Safari, Mail, and Accessibility will include updates as well.
Third Point: Speculation - A 90 Foot Wave?
There may not be a 90 foot wave, and the iPhone 5 may not be an entirely revolutionary product, but it will generate much interest.
Steve Jobs ended many of his new product announcements with the line : "One more thing!" Last year the big new "one more" surprise feature was Siri. What will it be this year? Now it’s time for a wish list.
Steve Jobs ended many of his new product announcements with the line : "One more thing!" Last year the big new "one more" surprise feature was Siri. What will it be this year? Now it’s time for a wish list.
Aspects of the iPhone ecosystem that I enjoy include:
iTunes Match works everywhere, on Windows, Macs, iPhones and iPads, and already provides many convenient features for easily getting to “my” music.
AirPlay streams audio and video (in Full HD) and can be controlled with a Remote iPhone app, but
“One more thing” is that iTunes Match on the iPhone 5 may provide a much improved music and video streaming service. Rumors indicate that the new iPhone may have new music streaming to compete with Spotify and Pandora apps. I don't expect an iTunes Video Match service this year, but eventually Video Streams may work like Music or Photo Streams.
Third-Point by Mike Twain
Send me your feedback at:
No comments:
Post a Comment