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For the first time ever I feel like I just wasted my time watching an Apple product announcement. I'm not saying those products are bad or are poorly engineere

For the first time ever I feel like I just wasted my time watching an Apple product announcement. I'm not saying those products are bad or are poorly engineered or anything like that. I'm just saying the products they showed off today aren't anything I would want. I have an iPhone 7 Plus and comparing it to the iPhone 11 versions I don't see anything in the latter that I'd upgrade for. The best I could come up with would maybe be the watch but that's only because I have a Series 1 that is probably on its last legs. If I'm being honest, however, when the Series 1 goes I'll probably go back to my $30 Timex. $5/mo for Arcade and TV+ each is a great price but then again, at least for the latter, I'd be paying a little over a third of the price of Netflix for a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of the content. Sure they'll be adding more but nothing they have now really gets me excited to watch. I used to so look forward to product announcements because it was like being a kid again. Looking through the Christmas catalog at all the things I'd love to have. Imagining how my life might be better "if I just had that new iPhone!" Now? Meh. I'm genuinely sad. I feel like it's the end of a very long era.

qaq 7y ago
They need some fresh blood in the C ranks. The presenters themselves don't look like they themselves are actually excited about things they are presenting.
- rhizome 7y ago
  I suspect their strategy of rolling out a different speaker every 10 sentences might be an attempt at scouting for execs who can excite an audience. To whatever degree Apple is exciting anymore, that is.
- Zelphyr 7y ago
  It doesn't help that they have clearly filled the audience with Apple employees who were instructed to whoop and holler and when to do it. I understand the motivations for doing so. A product announcement like this would otherwise be attended by a majority surly journalists, too busy taking notes to exhibit much excitement. But at this point, the whooping and hollering come across as extremely fake--too much so for a company like Apple, in my opinion. I think I'd rather the employees just clap. At least during WWDC there are genuine fans in the audience.
  - throwaway12939 7y ago
    I don't know whether the applause is some kind of fake/contrived strategy. Maybe it is. But I am sure the launch is an exciting day for everyone at Apple. The employees in the audience have spent the past year(s) working on this stuff, and are finally getting to see the result. They're seeing their work in the spotlight, surrounded by the press. Wouldn't you feel special and give a hoot when your little contribution gets a shout out?
naikrovek 7y ago
A lot of that is just technological maturity, I think. When smartphones first arrived, there were many, many, obvious upgrades that would make the experience better for the user of the device. This is the golden age of any technology; the lack of something great, and seeing it approach from the horizon, then repeating with the next thing. Smartphones definitely seem to be converging on a form factor and a feature set. This is what happened to "feature" phones that we all had just before the smartphone became available. Do you remember any features you were dying to have in your next flip-phone? I don't. They had matured. What will happen after smartphones? It's anyone's guess, and I'd say that whoever is going to invent that new device already has the idea and is trying to get it developed.
- woutr_be 7y ago
  Besides just incremental changes, what could people possibly expect from the next version of a smartphone, especially with the technology that we currently have? I get that 5-10 years ago it was a totally different field, when technology wasn't matured, and everything they announced was something groundbreaking. But now, besides from the yearly camera and chip improvements, I honestly can't think of anything I would want in a smartphone.
  - naikrovek 7y ago
    When feature phones were mature, people said the exact same thing. "This has everything I want." That is when market opportunities appear in front of those with good ideas.
    - woutr_be 7y ago
      Correct, and if you understand that, that's fine. I'm also waiting for the next thing after smartphones, but until then, I'm not really expecting anything other that incremental updates.
      - naikrovek 7y ago
        And there is nothing wrong with that expectation at all. Who knows when the next thing is coming? No one; so plan as if it isn't.
lucisferre 7y ago
This is a very routine reply around here to every new iPhone announcement. Would you perhaps be able to elaborate on the features or improvements you did want to see but didn't? I mean I have an iPhone 8 and what I see are: - An edge-to-edge screen - Longer battery life - Faster processors - Improved cameras (don't care much myself but it is still improved) - FaceID - Updated Wifi and LTE technologies (not sure how much hype that is) - More durable (apparently) and more water resistant (at least compared to my 8) - Multiple wireless headphone support (not sure I need this either but it is still a feature others will use) I don't need to upgrade for any of these things, which is probably a good thing in terms of e-waste, but it is still definitely a clear upgrade from my current phone.
- Zelphyr 7y ago
  I honestly can't put my finger on it. All those features you listed are great but none of them make me WANT that device. I used to want the new product they announced as soon as they showed it off. Maybe when I hold one in my hands that will change.
  - noitsnot 7y ago
    The rumored folding iPhone would have been the wow-factor even if Samsung failed already in their first attempt. I'm not sure how it makes sense for someone to ask people what they would have been looking for to make the announcement worthwhile. Are you hiring? "People don’t know what they want until you show it to them." -Steve Jobs
  - mystcb 7y ago
    I somewhat have to agree on the "I used to want the new product as soon as it was shown off" bit. I mean to be clear there are some nice improvements on the iPhone, and it packs a hell of a punch compared to previous versions. For me, it was how the announcements were made, they did seem to just feel like they had a massive "Wow" factor. Even way back on the first iPhone announcement - When Steve was on stage and talking about the Palm and Blackberry devices having "physical keyboards", and that he had merged it all with the iPod with touch screens, to me that seemed like a massive jump. (OK I admit, at the time I was very much in the camp of "my Blackberry's keyboard is the finest!", but I watch the announcement back again... there was a very Steve Jobs finesse to the whole thing!). The more recent announcements have kinda been a bit "meh", and I think maybe it's just that - I think a new type of device that has not been thought about, would bring back the "Wow" factor again. I think, just for me anyway, that jumping over the releases (so skip a release and upgrade), I see more of a jump, than say if I was going between each version. Anyway, my thoughts - and I don't know - maybe others see the same with the announcements not quite as they used to be - due to the slowness of "upgrades" to the product.
deleted 7y ago
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paggle 7y ago
Hasn’t every iPhone just been a speeds and camera improvement over the previous? With a few random things like TouchId, FaceId, and 3D Touch... but most of what matters is speed and camera.
asciimov 7y ago
I wholeheartedly agree. Their problem is in multiple areas: product, design, and presentation. First and most noticeably they no long have a "master of ceremony" someone that is not only excited by the products but also enthusiastic to show them off to you. This is exemplified with no more "One More thing..." Second, their designs are old and tired. I don't know if Ive ran out of Braun/Rams designs to borrow from or if the execs fear any major design changes, but Apple has become too comfortable with their design language and unfortunately they are starting to show a lack of taste (looking at you over-sized camera bump) Third, the products have matured. Apple hasn't really done anything new or exciting with their lineup. Gone are the days you expected to see a new product that is lifestyle changing. Now days you might see a spec bump, or a change in product to make it thinner, but nothing that really stands out as "Wow I've gotta have that". The thing I remember most from the last two announcements were features targeting "influencers" - Animoji's and "Slofies". Finally, I don't feel apple understands the waning in their product appeal. Be it on price or function, I see a lot less Apple products at coffee shops and colleges these days.
rainyMammoth 7y ago
I'm always wondering what people expect from those "Apple Keynote". Is anyone actually watching Keynotes from other companies? Samsung, LG, Volkswagen or any large companies in the world? No, they don't because it is boring and made with medias as target audience. I never understood the need for so many people to tune into those Apple live keynotes. It is of course all marketing and slideware.
macawfish 7y ago
Welcome to the club!
aezakmi 7y ago
Local bug men saddened because consumer life does not bring joy anymore. More at 6.
atombender 7y ago
Since you're on an iPhone 7: The jump to FaceID and home-buttonless UI is actually probably bigger than you think. The jump from 7 to X/XR/11 is going to be much bigger than, say, 7 to 8. By removing the home button, Apple turned iPhone into a device completely controlled by gestures. It's arguably the biggest UX change since the first iPhone, and one that was surprisingly unreported at the time. It makes the phone feel more cohesive, and the initial impression, once you learn the app switching gestures, is vaguely futuristic. FaceID works great, too, and certainly feels futuristic, though on its own it's not really a game changer. It's the integration into the buttonless UX that makes it a worthwhile feature. (I actually wish there was also a fingerprint sensor, because the FaceID doesn't work well for contactless terminal such as the ones you find in stores -- you have to first hold the phone near the reader, then pick a card, then hold the phone at the right angle for it to recognize your face, then bring it back to the reader. Not ideal, though someone claimed the new phones would do FaceID at steeper angles, so maybe it's gotten better.)
- danielparks 7y ago
  I use my iPhone X regularly at contactless terminals at stores and on the bus. The trick is to double click the lock button first, select a card if you want, then hold it by the reader. I don’t have any problems with FaceID — it’s more reliable and easier than TouchID for me. I live in a rainy place, though. Obviously a YMMV situation. With TouchID do you just put your finger on the home button and hold it by the reader?
  - atombender 7y ago
    Interesting, I thought I'd tried that before and it didn't work because it wasn't near a reader. I'll try again, thanks! I'd argue that it's still a slightly more complicated interaction than with TouchID, though, requiring a bit more mental preparation, perhaps. As for TouchID: Yes, that's how it works. It's a more fluid action because typically you'll have added your thumb as the fingerprint, and it's easy to hold the phone with your thumb on the home button while holding it near the reader.
- kushan2020 7y ago
deleted 7y ago
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shireboy 7y ago
I sort of feel like this, but chalk it up to me getting old and curmudgeonly. You kids with your fancy three cameras and gamey movie thingy, get off my lawn. Back in my day we had a phone with a browser and email and Netflix and were happy about it.
- TheSpiceIsLife 7y ago
  I browsed the responses to the parent comment looking to see if anyone had presented this angle. The first iPhone at "everyone had"[1] came out a little over 11 years ago. I'd hazard a guess most people who were in their ~mid 20's back in 2008 is now in their ~mid 30's, and have probably lost a lot interest in "new and shiny thing". I'm swiftly approaching 40, and what gets me excited has changed dramatically in the past decade. We'll see how long the line up is on release day, that'll give as an indicator of how out of touch us old folk are. 1. iPhone 3G available in 22 countries for as compared the original iPhone available in only 7 countries, according to the Wikipedia articles for each
vonseel 7y ago
I feel like it's the end of a very long era. Maybe that era is one where we could expect major, groundbreaking changes every few years in hardware? I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing that today’s hardware is not changing as fast as it was 10 years ago (or even 5 years ago). Looking at the quality and size of devices now, I can’t imagine much will be different in 15 years until we get to a major re-invention of things; I.e. holographic devices or implanted smartphones, things that you dream about. The screen quality is just so great already that I can’t imagine it being 1000x better - like you might compare an iPhone to a mid-90s gameboy screen or early Nokia candy-bar phone displays & UI. What can we possibly expect from new devices besides more storage, slightly more pixels, and slightly more powerful processing?
nothis 7y ago
This never happened to you with the past few presentations? I basically haven't seen a new feature I genuinely need since the iPhone 6 (or whatever Mac/iPad was announced since then, for that matter). Smartphones are pretty much done. The one thing I'd upgrade for is apparently not possible with current technology: A display that works perfectly in sunlight, being illuminated by it instead of trying to compete with it. Other than that? I can't even think of something!
- onlyrealcuzzo 7y ago
  I would give my left arm for an e-ink phone that had Google Assistant or Siri for navigation, and worked with Android Auto / Carplay, an awesome email client, some chat apps, and a good keyboard. It'd be much easier to use my phone for what I want to use my phone for -- productivity and being connected (and occasionally looking things up online). Instead, my phone successfully hypnotizes me with it's bright colors and videos. More and more, I find myself using my phone not because I actually want to, but because it sneak attacked me with some notification that sucked me into doing something that's just wasting my time. Also, with e-ink, the battery should last at least a couple of days. And, to your point, you could use it under any lighting conditions -- at least I can with my Kindle Paperwhite.
- baby 7y ago
  iPhone 6s user here. Why would I ever change phone? It still works perfectly well.
rolltiide 7y ago
Woo Dual-Sim! Now I can have my other number without worrying about green bubbles. Instant clout. I'll pay for that: the device and additional number monthly. Goodbye Google Voice/Skype numbers! Well I'll keep gvoice for a third number for shenanigans, like craigslist replies
m3kw9 7y ago
You are probably an outlier in the smart phone or smart watch business

qaq 7y ago

They need some fresh blood in the C ranks. The presenters themselves don't look like they themselves are actually excited about things they are presenting.

rhizome 7y ago
I suspect their strategy of rolling out a different speaker every 10 sentences might be an attempt at scouting for execs who can excite an audience. To whatever degree Apple is exciting anymore, that is.
Zelphyr 7y ago
It doesn't help that they have clearly filled the audience with Apple employees who were instructed to whoop and holler and when to do it. I understand the motivations for doing so. A product announcement like this would otherwise be attended by a majority surly journalists, too busy taking notes to exhibit much excitement. But at this point, the whooping and hollering come across as extremely fake--too much so for a company like Apple, in my opinion. I think I'd rather the employees just clap. At least during WWDC there are genuine fans in the audience.
- throwaway12939 7y ago
  I don't know whether the applause is some kind of fake/contrived strategy. Maybe it is. But I am sure the launch is an exciting day for everyone at Apple. The employees in the audience have spent the past year(s) working on this stuff, and are finally getting to see the result. They're seeing their work in the spotlight, surrounded by the press. Wouldn't you feel special and give a hoot when your little contribution gets a shout out?

naikrovek 7y ago

A lot of that is just technological maturity, I think. When smartphones first arrived, there were many, many, obvious upgrades that would make the experience better for the user of the device. This is the golden age of any technology; the lack of something great, and seeing it approach from the horizon, then repeating with the next thing. Smartphones definitely seem to be converging on a form factor and a feature set. This is what happened to "feature" phones that we all had just before the smartphone became available. Do you remember any features you were dying to have in your next flip-phone? I don't. They had matured. What will happen after smartphones? It's anyone's guess, and I'd say that whoever is going to invent that new device already has the idea and is trying to get it developed.

woutr_be 7y ago
Besides just incremental changes, what could people possibly expect from the next version of a smartphone, especially with the technology that we currently have? I get that 5-10 years ago it was a totally different field, when technology wasn't matured, and everything they announced was something groundbreaking. But now, besides from the yearly camera and chip improvements, I honestly can't think of anything I would want in a smartphone.
- naikrovek 7y ago
  When feature phones were mature, people said the exact same thing. "This has everything I want." That is when market opportunities appear in front of those with good ideas.
  - woutr_be 7y ago
    Correct, and if you understand that, that's fine. I'm also waiting for the next thing after smartphones, but until then, I'm not really expecting anything other that incremental updates.
    - naikrovek 7y ago
      And there is nothing wrong with that expectation at all. Who knows when the next thing is coming? No one; so plan as if it isn't.

lucisferre 7y ago

This is a very routine reply around here to every new iPhone announcement. Would you perhaps be able to elaborate on the features or improvements you did want to see but didn't? I mean I have an iPhone 8 and what I see are: - An edge-to-edge screen - Longer battery life - Faster processors - Improved cameras (don't care much myself but it is still improved) - FaceID - Updated Wifi and LTE technologies (not sure how much hype that is) - More durable (apparently) and more water resistant (at least compared to my 8) - Multiple wireless headphone support (not sure I need this either but it is still a feature others will use) I don't need to upgrade for any of these things, which is probably a good thing in terms of e-waste, but it is still definitely a clear upgrade from my current phone.

Zelphyr 7y ago
I honestly can't put my finger on it. All those features you listed are great but none of them make me WANT that device. I used to want the new product they announced as soon as they showed it off. Maybe when I hold one in my hands that will change.
- noitsnot 7y ago
  The rumored folding iPhone would have been the wow-factor even if Samsung failed already in their first attempt. I'm not sure how it makes sense for someone to ask people what they would have been looking for to make the announcement worthwhile. Are you hiring? "People don’t know what they want until you show it to them." -Steve Jobs
- mystcb 7y ago
  I somewhat have to agree on the "I used to want the new product as soon as it was shown off" bit. I mean to be clear there are some nice improvements on the iPhone, and it packs a hell of a punch compared to previous versions. For me, it was how the announcements were made, they did seem to just feel like they had a massive "Wow" factor. Even way back on the first iPhone announcement - When Steve was on stage and talking about the Palm and Blackberry devices having "physical keyboards", and that he had merged it all with the iPod with touch screens, to me that seemed like a massive jump. (OK I admit, at the time I was very much in the camp of "my Blackberry's keyboard is the finest!", but I watch the announcement back again... there was a very Steve Jobs finesse to the whole thing!). The more recent announcements have kinda been a bit "meh", and I think maybe it's just that - I think a new type of device that has not been thought about, would bring back the "Wow" factor again. I think, just for me anyway, that jumping over the releases (so skip a release and upgrade), I see more of a jump, than say if I was going between each version. Anyway, my thoughts - and I don't know - maybe others see the same with the announcements not quite as they used to be - due to the slowness of "upgrades" to the product.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

paggle 7y ago

Hasn’t every iPhone just been a speeds and camera improvement over the previous? With a few random things like TouchId, FaceId, and 3D Touch... but most of what matters is speed and camera.

asciimov 7y ago

I wholeheartedly agree. Their problem is in multiple areas: product, design, and presentation. First and most noticeably they no long have a "master of ceremony" someone that is not only excited by the products but also enthusiastic to show them off to you. This is exemplified with no more "One More thing..." Second, their designs are old and tired. I don't know if Ive ran out of Braun/Rams designs to borrow from or if the execs fear any major design changes, but Apple has become too comfortable with their design language and unfortunately they are starting to show a lack of taste (looking at you over-sized camera bump) Third, the products have matured. Apple hasn't really done anything new or exciting with their lineup. Gone are the days you expected to see a new product that is lifestyle changing. Now days you might see a spec bump, or a change in product to make it thinner, but nothing that really stands out as "Wow I've gotta have that". The thing I remember most from the last two announcements were features targeting "influencers" - Animoji's and "Slofies". Finally, I don't feel apple understands the waning in their product appeal. Be it on price or function, I see a lot less Apple products at coffee shops and colleges these days.

rainyMammoth 7y ago

I'm always wondering what people expect from those "Apple Keynote". Is anyone actually watching Keynotes from other companies? Samsung, LG, Volkswagen or any large companies in the world? No, they don't because it is boring and made with medias as target audience. I never understood the need for so many people to tune into those Apple live keynotes. It is of course all marketing and slideware.

macawfish 7y ago

Welcome to the club!

aezakmi 7y ago

Local bug men saddened because consumer life does not bring joy anymore. More at 6.

atombender 7y ago

Since you're on an iPhone 7: The jump to FaceID and home-buttonless UI is actually probably bigger than you think. The jump from 7 to X/XR/11 is going to be much bigger than, say, 7 to 8. By removing the home button, Apple turned iPhone into a device completely controlled by gestures. It's arguably the biggest UX change since the first iPhone, and one that was surprisingly unreported at the time. It makes the phone feel more cohesive, and the initial impression, once you learn the app switching gestures, is vaguely futuristic. FaceID works great, too, and certainly feels futuristic, though on its own it's not really a game changer. It's the integration into the buttonless UX that makes it a worthwhile feature. (I actually wish there was also a fingerprint sensor, because the FaceID doesn't work well for contactless terminal such as the ones you find in stores -- you have to first hold the phone near the reader, then pick a card, then hold the phone at the right angle for it to recognize your face, then bring it back to the reader. Not ideal, though someone claimed the new phones would do FaceID at steeper angles, so maybe it's gotten better.)

danielparks 7y ago
I use my iPhone X regularly at contactless terminals at stores and on the bus. The trick is to double click the lock button first, select a card if you want, then hold it by the reader. I don’t have any problems with FaceID — it’s more reliable and easier than TouchID for me. I live in a rainy place, though. Obviously a YMMV situation. With TouchID do you just put your finger on the home button and hold it by the reader?
- atombender 7y ago
  Interesting, I thought I'd tried that before and it didn't work because it wasn't near a reader. I'll try again, thanks! I'd argue that it's still a slightly more complicated interaction than with TouchID, though, requiring a bit more mental preparation, perhaps. As for TouchID: Yes, that's how it works. It's a more fluid action because typically you'll have added your thumb as the fingerprint, and it's easy to hold the phone with your thumb on the home button while holding it near the reader.
kushan2020 7y ago

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

shireboy 7y ago

I sort of feel like this, but chalk it up to me getting old and curmudgeonly. You kids with your fancy three cameras and gamey movie thingy, get off my lawn. Back in my day we had a phone with a browser and email and Netflix and were happy about it.

TheSpiceIsLife 7y ago
I browsed the responses to the parent comment looking to see if anyone had presented this angle. The first iPhone at "everyone had"[1] came out a little over 11 years ago. I'd hazard a guess most people who were in their ~mid 20's back in 2008 is now in their ~mid 30's, and have probably lost a lot interest in "new and shiny thing". I'm swiftly approaching 40, and what gets me excited has changed dramatically in the past decade. We'll see how long the line up is on release day, that'll give as an indicator of how out of touch us old folk are. 1. iPhone 3G available in 22 countries for as compared the original iPhone available in only 7 countries, according to the Wikipedia articles for each

vonseel 7y ago

I feel like it's the end of a very long era. Maybe that era is one where we could expect major, groundbreaking changes every few years in hardware? I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing that today’s hardware is not changing as fast as it was 10 years ago (or even 5 years ago). Looking at the quality and size of devices now, I can’t imagine much will be different in 15 years until we get to a major re-invention of things; I.e. holographic devices or implanted smartphones, things that you dream about. The screen quality is just so great already that I can’t imagine it being 1000x better - like you might compare an iPhone to a mid-90s gameboy screen or early Nokia candy-bar phone displays & UI. What can we possibly expect from new devices besides more storage, slightly more pixels, and slightly more powerful processing?

nothis 7y ago

This never happened to you with the past few presentations? I basically haven't seen a new feature I genuinely need since the iPhone 6 (or whatever Mac/iPad was announced since then, for that matter). Smartphones are pretty much done. The one thing I'd upgrade for is apparently not possible with current technology: A display that works perfectly in sunlight, being illuminated by it instead of trying to compete with it. Other than that? I can't even think of something!

onlyrealcuzzo 7y ago
I would give my left arm for an e-ink phone that had Google Assistant or Siri for navigation, and worked with Android Auto / Carplay, an awesome email client, some chat apps, and a good keyboard. It'd be much easier to use my phone for what I want to use my phone for -- productivity and being connected (and occasionally looking things up online). Instead, my phone successfully hypnotizes me with it's bright colors and videos. More and more, I find myself using my phone not because I actually want to, but because it sneak attacked me with some notification that sucked me into doing something that's just wasting my time. Also, with e-ink, the battery should last at least a couple of days. And, to your point, you could use it under any lighting conditions -- at least I can with my Kindle Paperwhite.
baby 7y ago
iPhone 6s user here. Why would I ever change phone? It still works perfectly well.

rolltiide 7y ago

Woo Dual-Sim! Now I can have my other number without worrying about green bubbles. Instant clout. I'll pay for that: the device and additional number monthly. Goodbye Google Voice/Skype numbers! Well I'll keep gvoice for a third number for shenanigans, like craigslist replies

m3kw9 7y ago

You are probably an outlier in the smart phone or smart watch business