“One day this fall, if things occur as usual, Apple will stage a big event to introduce the next flagship iPhone,” Walt Mossberg writes for The Verge. “And, based on the events of this month, that smartphone better be great.”
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I have any beef at first glance with the revamped, smaller iPhone SE that Apple unveiled this week, or with the downsized iPad Pro that accompanied it,” Mossberg writes. “But these latest iPhones and iPads don’t break much new technology ground.”
“If the smartphone category is to take a leap forward, and the iPhone is to maintain its ever-thinning lead as the best smartphone you can buy, Apple needs to impress big time in the fall,” Mossberg writes. “here are seven things I’d love to see Apple do to keep moving the iPhone — and the smartphone itself — forward…”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Edge-to-edge display is high atop our list. We’d also like to see some fruit born from the Liquidmetal alliance – meaning very strong, possibly waterproof iPhones.
SEE ALSO:
Apple’s ‘iPhone 7’ said to retain 6s dimensions, dump 3.5mm jack for thinner Lightning port, lack waterproofing – March 1, 2016
Senility is setting in. Get him a rocking chair and a pacifier.
Right on!
That prick must be paid to mention Samsung in his wishlist.
What money can buy these days…
Walt, clickbaiting, Mossberg
Mossberg is right on the money.
I just upgraded to the 6S from the 6, and needless to say the new feature set is barely noticeable.
I think everyone should be concerned about Tim Cook’s ability to both focus on and lead Apple going forward.
Cook is:
Distracted by social activism
Mistake prone
Incompetent
Greedy
Dillusional
Cook’s annoying habits:
Not upgrading Mac products in a timely manner!
Creating products that are expensive, underpowered (and in the case of the Apple Watch), completely unnecessary and even frivolous.
Overcharging for storage, when storage prices are falling (especially for large companies like Apple who benefit from volume discounts).
Interjecting himself into social and political activites and issues that have absolutely nothing to do with Apple or his job description.
Allowing products like the iPad to lose market interest, specifically because he failed to innovate the product since its inception some 6-years ago (aside from basic spec updates).
Releasing shoddy software and OS updates.
Failing to manage his executive team, with controversial hirings and firings.
Destroying billions in Apple stock market value by being lazy and failing to truly innovate Apple products, as well as acquiescing to greedy shareholders and branding Apple as a radically gay company.
I’m sure I speak for many who also believe it’s just time for new Apple leadership!
“I just upgraded to the 6S from the 6, and needless to say the new feature set is barely noticeable.”
Yehhhh, suuuurrre you did. You upgraded your phone without knowing how much of an upgrade it would be for you – or wouldn’t.
Well, there are PLENTY of phones, tablets and computers on the market. No problem. No need to get your knickers in such a twist. If you don’t like what Apple is producing, you know what to do. Buh-bye.
What the..?
When did the jerks invade MDN???
Not a one of you read the article did you?
Example: “I stand by my view that the premium iPhone 6S and 6S Plus are the best smartphones on the market.”
Dang.
Let’s give hate one star.
That was one loooong smelly fart you laid there. Do you always work this hard at being repulsive?
Bro, sit dow, have a drink. Relax.
1. I understand you don’t like gays….that’s clear, you made issue of this 3 times in your offering, no problem, we understand. Personally, if one is gay that is his business. I choose not to be gay due to the fact I’m addicted to ladies. Nuff said on that.
2. Cook ain’t gonna be going anywhere anytime soon! He’s made way too much $$ for the company and those who chose to invest in it.
3. Failing to manage his executive team – controversial hirings: This is where we will find some common ground. I’ll leave it alone for now but you and many others know what and who I’m speaking of and boy was that a waste of money.
4. What he does on his free time regarding his social and political activities is his business and not ours. Being a CEO does not make you a slave to anyone.
5. The watch will evolve and sell. Don’t have one as I’m waiting on the tech to evolve to where I want it to be. I’m watching it closely.
6. Radically gay? Hmmmm. Let us say a very gay friendly place to work. I know non gays that work there and don’t have any issues with it as they have removed themselves from being overly involved in other’s personal issues.
As far as the article and MDN chime – better get used to stagnation relatively speaking. There is only so much that can be done with the flagship phones. Minor improvements will be the norm in coming years until something absolutely revolutionary is dreamed up. Software and better interconnectivity between devices is what is lacking today. Waterproofing my phone is not too high only list of priorities and neither is a phone with a tiny screen on the edge. I see that as an item that is simply over rated, a gimmick and for those who rant on about it….I also see it as a “get a life” issue. Most of my circle lives in the real world, have extremely reduced social media involvement, manage their lives via self-rule and not a servant to a gadget. Yes, I have a large format phone but for most of my work I still use the antiquated flip phone and a Plantronics BT earpiece.
And a diaper, he’s so full of shit.
Why wouldn’t it be spectacular? It always has been in the past.
I’d like to know when Mossberg will innovate beyond his usual staid & stale boring old written text and videos he puts out – old news! C’mon Walt, what’s good for the goose is good for the idjit gander. What’s wrong with you? Too much status reporting quo from last century. Innovate yourself to a fever pitch you old disingenuous fool!
Mossberg, like the rest of the Verge staff, has slingshot himself into the hyper loop of immediate gratification. The expectations of “Give me more” or “Innovate, innovate, innovate” has become unrealistic and impractical. You can only do so much with a slate form factor and true innovation lies in the software and apps. No matter what, the iPhone 7 will be met with wild criticism. It’s unfair that Google and its partners like Samsung are constantly given a pass – for everything. Tech columnists hardly said a thing when Google Glass flopped & disappeared but they find every reason to bash the Apple Watch that sold over 10 million units! Quicker than any product launch in Apple history.
Mossberg was hired at the Verge to simply sell stories. And to sell a story, a tech columnist finds it profitable to paint a “doom path” for Apple. Meanwhile, Google is left untouched for its series of flops.
Tech sites and tech writers want to keep Android etc healthy and alive as they make a lot more money from dozens of Android reviews etc than just one or two (now) iPhone reviews a year.
What they don’t want is the ‘iPod’ effect where the iPod destroyed the market for competing product reviews.
that’s why as Gruber has pointed out they ‘grade on a Curve’ for Android.
Minus two stars for every Android review (they never mention stuff like Malware, run around for consumer problems between Android OEM and Google etc), add one star to Apple’s and take every article criticizing Apple with a truckload of salt and you get closer to the truth.
i forgot to mention an example:
even Andy Ihnatko long time Apple Fanboy and contributor to MacWorld etc, the guy who wore his Newton in a homemade ‘holster’ on his waist, went android when he got a job in the mainline Tech press.
Andy:
“Here’s what changed: Android got great….. Yep: that day has come. I’ve had a Samsung Galaxy S III since the summer. ”
any body actually believe that all those Android phones andy had to get from the manufacturers for those reviews he had to do for the site didn’t play with the choice? Piss Samsung off and you won’t get a pre release Galaxy (one of the dozens of models they make) to review.
Yep, Mr. In-outko sold his soul to the devil on this one.
I can’t believe I fell for his charisma as a girl and collected his Apple evangelist postings in a scrapbook, like a shrine. It’s tough when young people with high aspirations in the tech industry learn their idols had feet of clay. Life is a proving ground for everyone, I suppose. It would help if more truth and less blathering, posturing, and deceit weren’t affecting a choice of careers. I know this: I have counselled my nieces, and will counsel their children when the time comes, to ignore the advice of paid shills and opportunists, and follow their hearts instead.
Apple proved with the SE that they can introduce a fantastic new product without introducing anything new. Existing form factor and existing tech brought together to create a new product that satisfies consumer needs. It was a smart choice.
Since Apple now uses curved borders the only way to do no borders display is Samsung’s approach — use of OLED instead of LCD. Reports indicate that the plan to switch iPhone to OLED is about 2017, not about this year.
One of the reasons why is that OLEDs consume way more in white backgrounds — iOS GUI, most of applications, web browsing, reading — than IPS LCD. For Apple to mitigate that, they have to use thicker battery, so it is not so easy.
Either that or standardize on darker backgrounds.
From a pure technology pov, Apple is getting boring. Not that anyone else is all that exciting, The “wait until the next device to add a little more RAM,” methodology is growing tiresome. The mediocre software is no longer engaging. The only thing that holds me is being invested in the ecosystem. And I still love OS X. I completely forgot about the iPhone SE announcement. For the first time in years, I honestly didn’t care. I watched it later, and fell asleep during all the Eco-crap. That’s all good, but none of it was worth making all those people travel to Coupertino to see, wasting all those emissions. A web page would have been good enough.
You wonder if the ‘eco-crap’ was there to demonstrate that they have female VPs s well.
iPhone SE was demonstrated by another middle-aged bloke with his shirt untucked – so no change there.
They continue to release a poor spec entry point and then stick a $100 to get to where they want you to buy.
Poor spec? It’s the best-performing mobile CPU on the market (all factors considered).
16 GB Memory thats a whole 2x the spec of iPhone 1 in 2007.
If you want more – Kerching – pony up another $100.
So the real price for a 4″ iphone is $500.
You mean $499 plus tax
Poor specs?
They basically put an iPhone 6s in a 4″ form factor. AND, they lowered the price from the 5s it replaced? Who else is doing this or the equivalent of this? Answer: No one. Everyone else is treating the 4″ or smaller form factor as their cheap, entry level phone with a couple year old capabilities.
Recently Jefferson Graham had a hit piece video on USAToday’s website. He compared the SE to competitor’s 5+ inch phones. He said that those phones also has a 64 bit processor as if the SE is poorer because it does not. But, guess what? Apple STARTED the smart phone 64 bit revolution and has shipped only 64 bit processors in its phone for some time. Don’t listen to such hit pieces. Do your research!!
I do agree that bringing in the press for that event was a bit much. Pure digital announcement would’ve been sufficient. It would’ve created the same or more chatter in the internet-sphere. But maybe they felt that they needed to control the announcement, and maybe distract from the FBI situation a bit by talking about their environmental efforts. That’s how it felt to me.
When the CEO of the worlds most valuable company stands up in front of a specially invited audience and says – and we really couldn’t be happier than to announce our new watch strap in a whole new material ( nylon ) and its $50 – you know the snake oil sales team are in the driving seat.
boring – exciting – tiresome – mediocre – engaging – didn’t care – fell asleep – none of it was worth – wasting – good enough
T – you’re sounding like a complete troll. If you really mean that, I think you are expecting way, way too much. It’s just a tool. A neat tool, but just a tool.
Also sounds like someone who is jaded with life — $50mil of special effects no longer makes me feel anything… following year: $100mil of special effects no longer makes me feel anything… following year: $150mil of —- etc. Miles Davis has to be more creative every year. Every car has to do 0-60 faster every year. My toothbrush has to be reinvented every year.
I would such attaching such an emotional load to THINGS is one of the very worst aspects of consumerism.
Mossberg would be a shitty designer
Possibly waterproof?
That sounds like the top item to me.
If Apple doesn’t make the new iPhone waterproof (and I’m sure they will) Samsung will have a field day on that point.
Waterproofing technology is now mainstream and highly reliable. Apple needs to get on board with it.
Fell once in a river with my iPhone 5s in the pocket: all wet, it was and ON!
Nowadays: same iPhone working perfectly well.
So: how far must a phone be “waterproof”? Stay an hour on a pool ground? Few minutes in a boiling water perhaps?
One thing is really right: the more we have the more our requirements increase…
I have no quarrel with Uncle Walt’s comments – they’re just opinions. Rather, it’s the ridiculously inflammatory headline slapped on by some hit-whore copy editor that makes me wretch. The copy simply does not support the hed. The Verge needs to do better.
Where is the innovation in other industry’s. A new paint color on a car, a new lever on a toaster, a TV on a fridge?
Yup, Walt has succumbed to the “gimme more” mindset. It is a slippery slope. Something radical needs to come along to disrupt it (and start it again).
How about “eyeOS” from Apple… mobile computing built into your eyeball. 🙂
You sir are on your way to making millions with this invention: go for it!
How about something like the Playstation 9? 😀
What ever happened to being able to move your finger across the screen on a picture of sandpaper and be able to feel it? Thats what I have been waiting for!
Oh dear, the ever so thinning lead made me laugh. The galaxy s6 and now the s7 have amoled Qhd screens voted the best in the world with the best ever camera and ois as standard wireless charging fast charge exp sd memory water resistant the iphone 6s in 2016 has a 720p screen people. That lead died years ago
You unregistered trolls are just pitiful. My grandmother is a better troll than you are!
An Apple phaser the biggest hit since sliced bread.
They need to simplify the “legacy devices” iPod/iphone/ipad , iMac etc. with 3 models of each device. Like the Apple Watch they should transition everything to Apple. Apple OS, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Apple Pad, Apple Phone, Apple Car, Apple Drone, Apple Go Pro, Apple Virtual Reality Headset…They have enough money to diversify into multiple media directions. I think we are in a lull due to the Apple Car being the biggest project. They need to tighten up their schedule so they can just do streaming events when they announce new products and keep the song and dance shows for maybe 1 a year at a shared event?? They need to get with the age they created. There has been an explosion of talented developers since 2007. Apple software still blows away anything Android offers by far. As far as the Microsoft Tablet. They are trying to keep us stuck in the PC paradigm and success will be small but possibly a bit lucrative for them. I applaud Apple for what they have done, but truth be told; if they really appreciated their fans, they would put out at least a couple more accessories and other products throughout the year. Imagine how little software there would be if Apple apps were all there was. Probably still fewer than 50??
With Apple’s resources why would developing the Apple Car take any focus away from development of anything else Apple? Are you suggesting that they don’t have a completely separate and dedicated team for Apple Car development?
I disagree with most of Mossberg’s requests. He has no idea what millions of customers actually are interested in. He is focused on just his own interests. That is OK but why should we read about it?
The pundits rail against the 16GB iPhone but I suspect Apple has information that for many people it works. Not everyone loads up there phone with a ton of movies, apps and music. Business phones tend to need less storage than personal phones.
http://www.geekculture.com/joyoftech/joyarchives/001_300/250.html
Walt Mossberg is injecting FUD again. No thank you. Induced nausea is not of interest. But encouraging Apple is always welcome. Stick with that please, Walt.
Read his list and none or even all of them wouldn’t make the iPhone 7 spectacular or great.
His beef is about technology: “But these latest iPhones and iPads don’t break much new technology ground”
Yet none of his suggestions do either.
The first one made me laugh “First of all — and this is very tough scientifically — Apple could make a big leap in battery life.”
No it’s not “very tough scientifically”! Make the phone slightly thicker and increase the battery size. It aint rocket surgery, Walt.
The smartphone is here, and and established. We are not going to see spectacular or great changes to it – unless we put off all updates for 5 years. Walt of all people should know that
Apple needs to make a TV and force itself into the market.
It has made a big mistake avoiding confrontation.
Apple knows that nothing is waterproof…something called “corrosion” occurs over time when any device gets wet. Is your face making your razor dull, or is it corrosion?
Apple doesn’t want people dipping their devices in water to test. By Samsung standards, the Apple Watch is just as waterproof, but Apple doesn’t advertise this, because corrosion is moisture’s eventual slow cancer.
Forgot to say, Mossberg, you are right that Apple is not as exciting lately in a saturated phone market, but you are also getting boring and yawning, and I actually like you and trust your opinion. I wouldn’t say Apple “had better” anything.
Had better what? If you are going to start pooping them, it’s a long way to the back of the line. People are pooping Trump right into the White House.
The iPhone 7 will reportedly buy you a pony without you asking for one.
Now that’s innovation.
If these tech journalist thinggies think Apple hasn’t been renovating, time and time again, have them use the first iPhone, running iOS 1.0, for 3 months. Nothing else. Stupid people!