[Some Random Bloke]

With Apple's surprise decision to support (sort of) iOS 6 on the 3GS, it's got me wondering. Will they keep it on as a $200 budget phone?

I suspect that the only reason Android does so well is it's on cheap handsets. Only geeks care about rooting their phones or whatever, and ICS has had a pathetic adoption rate. I reckon if Apple could offer a competitive handset in that part of the market, they'd see a sharp uptake given that you really want simplicity at that end. But there's no way they will offer a compromised new handset at that price. In fact, I read that they make the same margin on the 3GS as the 4s because it uses older components.

Remember, if it happens, you read it first here. If it doesn't, blame someone else.

What do you think?

[bitingmidge]

I can't say that it was a surprise to me.

Apple have a very long history of providing support for legacy hardware, and the phone industry is not moving so quickly that an three year old device that (I) paid a thousand dollars for is now out of date.

Had that happened I may well have considered not having an iPhone in my life when came time to replace this one, which I hope will not be for another year or three!

cheers,

P

[Some Random Bloke]

Yes, but supporting a device and software is different to continuing to actively develop for it.

[bitingmidge]

That is true.

My memory may be fading a bit, but a decade or two ago, magazine articles were about how to adapt older machines, network them with new etc etc, (Or am I making that up?)

Now they are simply about buying the latest and greatest, and once we have done that, about telling us how our latest and greatest will shortly be superceded.

This is not a criticism of AMW, just an observation of the shift in consumer manipulation over the years. It's not something the consumer has chosen to do, but something the market has driven by corporate objectives to sell new stuff.

Even the after market world relies on slightly changed new models to sell more cases, stands etc.

Perhaps it's time for a consumer revolt? Ask Siri what she thinks!

Cheers,

P

[JamieD]

Well Apple really do seem to be at the forefront of consumerism these days. They bring out a device then 6-12 months bring out a new model that really doesn't offer any major advantages over the old one and makes people feel obliged to upgrade. On top of that Apple devices are substantially more expensive than any similar products from other manufacturers. I did a pricing exercise recently which showed equivalently set up PCs to be approximately $700-$900($NZ) cheaper than the equivalent Mac, and I'm really starting to wonder if the price difference is worth it. Then we look at phones Android phones are usually cheaper than the equivalent iPhone and have the advantage that the user can add more memory via. a micro SD card, and actually change the battery themselves.

[Ken Gracey]

If anything it's a testament to the build quality of apples hardware, if a 4 year old iPhone can be updated it's a bonus, and it really make the new Nokia look second rate, its been out less than 6 months, and it won't even be able to run the latest version of win 8 mobile #fail


O and Jamie, thats the fault of your rotten NZ$ being only worth .68 cents, you are getting Aussie apple prices, less the exchange rate, compared to build your own PC bits, that are imported straight from Hong Kong or Singapore, where everything is super cut throat competitive.

[Some Random Bloke]

JamieD, on 28 June 2012 - 01:54 PM, said:

Well Apple really do seem to be at the forefront of consumerism these days. They bring out a device then 6-12 months bring out a new model that really doesn't offer any major advantages over the old one and makes people feel obliged to upgrade. On top of that Apple devices are substantially more expensive than any similar products from other manufacturers. I did a pricing exercise recently which showed equivalently set up PCs to be approximately $700-$900($NZ) cheaper than the equivalent Mac, and I'm really starting to wonder if the price difference is worth it. Then we look at phones Android phones are usually cheaper than the equivalent iPhone and have the advantage that the user can add more memory via. a micro SD card, and actually change the battery themselves.

Your first sentence made me laugh - that's stating the bleeding obvious!

I do think the industrial design of Apple's products goes some way to explaining the price differences. Not all the way, but some way. They do a LOT of R & D and have set the trends in a lot of industrial design in recent years. Interesting that the all-in-one PCs are not nearly as competitive price wise as towers. Again, they're still cheaper than Macs, but not desktop tower cheaper. Of course, laptops are just silly cheap nowadays and you have to wonder how Apple get away with so much of a price discrepancy!

But I have to disagree with your comment that Apple makes people feel obliged to upgrade every 12 months. I really feel it's the opposite. Maybe every two years, but not every year. I like that when Apple brings out a new iPhone or iPad it's a hardware bump that I don't feel compelled to run out and buy. If I can afford the next iPhone, it will be an upgrade from the 3GS.

But the reality is I'll buy another iPhone and Mac (and iPad in a year or two). I'm too invested in the ecosystem. One of the 3rd party apps I use has a lot of add on specialist ebooks that I would have to repurchase if I moved to Mac (it's not cross-platform).

[klytia]

bitingmidge, on 28 June 2012 - 03:40 PM, said:

Perhaps it's time for a consumer revolt? Ask Siri what she thinks!

Cheers,

P

She told me to Piss off and go back to the Apple store......





Mick

[JamieD]

Some soul-searching has proven to me (yet again) that I really can't move outside the Apple ecosystem. It's not just the money we have invested in iOS and Mac apps it's also about the ease of use of the Apple devices.

We have a fairly large iTunes Library (1.37TB: 8836 music tracks, 2326 TV Shows, 203 movies, 316 apps and a few hundred podcasts) that we use across 2 x Apple TVs, 2 x iPhone 4's, 2 iPod Touches and an iPad 2. Although the media could be played on a top of the line Android phone I'm sure that there would be some issues as we have half a dozen or so DRM protected files which wouldn't play with some (illegal) modifications.

This factor, along with the ease of use and consistency of interface across the Apple devices means that any move away form them would be fraught with both risk and discomfort as we tried to battle with the possibility of needed to convert many of the video files to enable them to play on Android without issue and the not so familiar user interface of the Android devices. Then the whole app issue comes in to play in many cases specific apps that I use on a daily basis are available but there are many that are not and a large number (more often games) are available but although they are free they are filled with obtrusive advertising.

Then there is simple brand loyalty I'm an Apple fan and in my heart of hearts I know that although at times I might want to move away from Apple that any such move is something that I would dearly regret in the future.

for life!