PhilipB
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This was half a month ago in technology terms but I might as well start a new thread for it anyway.
Technology icon Apple held an event on 12 September where they announced new products.
iPhone 5 - The first major revision to the iPhone since the iPhone 4 back in 2010. Changes included a thinner design, with a wider screen now at the 16:9 ratio rather than 14:9/5:3, the metallic band on the black model is now black to match the design and the back has changed as well. It's now called "Black and slate" rather than just "Black". "White" is now "White and silver". Of course the biggest change was the addition of 4G technology, even though it isn't really widespread. And they've changed the SIM card design again, you will now need a nano SIM card rather than a micro SIM card. It does help though, with the iPhone 4 it meant they could have a bigger battery which improved battery life.
Anyway, I read an article today that the reason Apple may have held back a lot of features is because we could see them shifting to a new 6-month product cycle rather than 12-month. The iPhone 5S could be out by Spring, and I'm presuming the next model will be called 5S since we've had the 3GS and the 4S, even if we didn't have the iPhone S. Apparently because of the rumours surrounding the iPhone 5, iPhone sales saw a dip because many people were waiting for the 5 to be released, effectively meaning the iPhone was competing against itself. So who knows? Maybe this time next year they will have announced the iPhone 6 and the 5S will already be 6 months old.
The iPhone 4S and 4 are still on sale, with the 4 replacing the 3GS as the entry level model. The 4 is now $0 with contract.
iPod touch - Brand new design for the iPod touch, new metallic design in several colours along with a wristband holder which is new to an iPod model.
iPod nano - Apple have once again realised that the form factor of the iPod nano should always remain like the first, second, fourth and fifth generation models. It doesn't really look appealing to me though since it runs a stripped down version of iOS and, truthfully, looks like an iPod ripoff since the home button looks different to other models. But it's better than the last one. My favourite model will always be the first gen, even if it does blow up apparently.
iPod shuffle - Not many changes here, new pastel colours.
iOS 6 - The release date was announced, 19th September. It works all the way down to the 3GS, which I was pleasantly surprised at when they announced iOS 6 during WWDC this year - although how fast it will be on that I don't know. It's a big upgrade from iOS 5, although I will miss the YouTube app. After they messed up YouTube desktop, I'm not looking forward to how Google will mess up YouTube mobile. The Apple YouTube app has been my sole way of accessing YouTube since I got my iPad. Simple and unconfusing. No 'highlights' garbage for subscriptions.
iTunes 11 - iTunes has had a whole redesign, and version 11 will be released mid-October. The store experienced has been refreshed. They didn't say anything about whether they had rewritten the program itself though - it's bloatedness is one of the major complaints of iTunes users (although I don't notice it tbh).
I probably won't watch the keynote because, well, it's not Steve Jobs - no disrespect to Tim Cook, but I think the reason I watched Apple keynotes was because of Steve Jobs, the brilliant keynote speaker. He could sell ice to an Eskimo.
Technology icon Apple held an event on 12 September where they announced new products.
iPhone 5 - The first major revision to the iPhone since the iPhone 4 back in 2010. Changes included a thinner design, with a wider screen now at the 16:9 ratio rather than 14:9/5:3, the metallic band on the black model is now black to match the design and the back has changed as well. It's now called "Black and slate" rather than just "Black". "White" is now "White and silver". Of course the biggest change was the addition of 4G technology, even though it isn't really widespread. And they've changed the SIM card design again, you will now need a nano SIM card rather than a micro SIM card. It does help though, with the iPhone 4 it meant they could have a bigger battery which improved battery life.
Anyway, I read an article today that the reason Apple may have held back a lot of features is because we could see them shifting to a new 6-month product cycle rather than 12-month. The iPhone 5S could be out by Spring, and I'm presuming the next model will be called 5S since we've had the 3GS and the 4S, even if we didn't have the iPhone S. Apparently because of the rumours surrounding the iPhone 5, iPhone sales saw a dip because many people were waiting for the 5 to be released, effectively meaning the iPhone was competing against itself. So who knows? Maybe this time next year they will have announced the iPhone 6 and the 5S will already be 6 months old.
The iPhone 4S and 4 are still on sale, with the 4 replacing the 3GS as the entry level model. The 4 is now $0 with contract.
iPod touch - Brand new design for the iPod touch, new metallic design in several colours along with a wristband holder which is new to an iPod model.
iPod nano - Apple have once again realised that the form factor of the iPod nano should always remain like the first, second, fourth and fifth generation models. It doesn't really look appealing to me though since it runs a stripped down version of iOS and, truthfully, looks like an iPod ripoff since the home button looks different to other models. But it's better than the last one. My favourite model will always be the first gen, even if it does blow up apparently.
iPod shuffle - Not many changes here, new pastel colours.
iOS 6 - The release date was announced, 19th September. It works all the way down to the 3GS, which I was pleasantly surprised at when they announced iOS 6 during WWDC this year - although how fast it will be on that I don't know. It's a big upgrade from iOS 5, although I will miss the YouTube app. After they messed up YouTube desktop, I'm not looking forward to how Google will mess up YouTube mobile. The Apple YouTube app has been my sole way of accessing YouTube since I got my iPad. Simple and unconfusing. No 'highlights' garbage for subscriptions.
iTunes 11 - iTunes has had a whole redesign, and version 11 will be released mid-October. The store experienced has been refreshed. They didn't say anything about whether they had rewritten the program itself though - it's bloatedness is one of the major complaints of iTunes users (although I don't notice it tbh).
I probably won't watch the keynote because, well, it's not Steve Jobs - no disrespect to Tim Cook, but I think the reason I watched Apple keynotes was because of Steve Jobs, the brilliant keynote speaker. He could sell ice to an Eskimo.
Siri will actually be useful now outside of the US, no more will I have to look at this screen