September 10

MEH… NOT THRILLED: WHY THE (#APPL) IPHONE 6 MISSES THE ‘WOW’ MARK FOR ME

Posted by thebplot on September 10, 2014 in Design, Technology | 1 Comment

The Apple iPhone 6 was unveiled Tuesday.

Meh… that’s my overwhelming response to the much-hyped unveiling of Apple’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

When Tim Cook, CEO, Apple Inc., finally made the big reveal last Tuesday (Sept. 9) it was a letdown. And after the flurry of positive press from national media technology reporters – all shamelessly jockeying for exclusives – I believe you will see a more neutral to negative response. Non-early adopters will wait a year to upgrade their phone. Neutral isn’t a ‘win’ for Apple.

The features choices Apple rolled out and highlighted simply are not that compelling. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus lack any universally relatable “wow” feature.

Shareholders will have to look to the introduction of the watch to continue the positive trajectory of the company’s net asset value since the next iPhone is likely a year away. Here are four reasons why:

– Apple Pay – It’s a cool idea and five years from now it’s likely to transform the way Millennials – and us all – pay. This iPhone launch was really the announcement that tangible cash will soon be a dinosaur. “Gone are the days of searching for your wallet,” Cook said. Not really… not in the near future.

It’s going to take years for the contactless reader technology to trickle down to enough Main Street small businesses to genuinely provide value to the consumer. When you can use your iPhone to pay at the Oysterfest, that’s when Apple Pay will matter. Cook should have softly rolled out this application with the 6.

– Smaller, bigger, faster – Yes, the 6 and 6 Plus are that and more. But Apple has played that differentiator card for years. The phone is thin (and fragile) enough for now. I looks to me that if I put the 6 in my back pocket and sit down on a wood chair the face will crack. Apple needs to put more research and development resources into…

– Wireless battery charging – Samsung already offers this technology and now it will be at least another year before iPhone fans can get it. Apple shareholders should be upset Apple is officially in a position of playing catch-up to Samsung – a position Steve Jobs would flip over.

– Strength and durability – We know Apple is a pioneer in both design and materials. When I take a new one out of its box I marvel at the design. And then reality sinks in… I have to wrap this beautiful device in rubber to protect it from general wear and tear.

It is possible to make a phone that won’t break when dropped, they just don’t want to because they don’t want the US consumer to keep a phone for more than two years.

Cook described the new design as, “a smooth, seamless bond of metal and glass that feels like one continuous surface.” Great but what good is beautiful design if it’s not functional for the average person? And that wraparound glass actually sounds more breakable than ever.

Now was the time for Apple to introduce the uber-strong sapphire glass they have been researching for the past year.

Looking back, shareholders will likely want to delete the launch of the 6 and 6 Plus.

What do you think? Email me: Richard@TheBPlot.com. To read an excellent review of iOS 8 by the Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern, click here.