Apple's one bad apple...

So this is going to sound like a rehash for many readers on here and my facebook friends but I have to go over the reason why Apple is setting itself up to fail, regardless of stock skyrocketing. Let's go back and take a look at some other companies historically. Palm was the first big contender that actually brought mobile operating systems to light and was doing well up until they got a bit too monotonous and decided that too much change wasn't always the best thing but lost touch with the fact that with new technology brings new change and if you don't keep up then you are setting yourself up to fail, even if you have amazing software, web os..Rim is scarily close to going the same path that Palm did but has noticed that their overconfidence in their product is finally catching up to them, maybe too little too late. This brings things to the next biggest potential failure.. Apple, yes I said Apple.. Mainly I am referring to their iOS and Iphone as they are on a steady trend to making the same mistakes Palm and Rim have. Overconfidence can lead to failure and in Apples latest attempt at the next best thing the trend is starting to set in. Hardware is new but dated, software is new but not really new if you look at other mobile operating systems that are still around and even not(Web OS, Android). With the new Iphone we have added hardware which was needed but it still doesn't resolve any issues that it had prior.. It added a new processor so its faster, well that's nice but it doesn't mean a hill of beans if its not coming out with anything till next year while Android is coming out on new phones every week with new processors that are powerful and fully capable of keeping power consumption and performance levels. Apple added half an inch to their phone but in height not in width which makes it harder for people with small hands to navigate, sure its nice for more viewing room but an extra row of apps wouldn't really be considered revolutionary. Lte has been added but it still can't handle voice and data at the same time on Verizon or Sprints networks which really means you are just getting faster data speeds and Android phones have been capable of the latter for quite sometime now on all networks. The camera on the rear is exactly the same camera as before but some software modifications have been able to make the pictures look slightly sharper, hmm not impressive since Nokia has been advertising their pure view technology for a few months now. The front face camera is better and finally not a vga resolution camera but still this is all old technology. The only thing the Iphone 5 besides the processor and ram bumps has going for it is iOS 6 and that's not even a great enhancement when compared to other mobile operating systems that have had these features for years now. Apples iOS 6 brings laggy wifi to the mix, a very poor mapping application to the table and bugs every which way you look. Camera doesn't want to save photos too bad guess you will have to reset and restore from backup, can't get wifi signal well there's an info page on that too, don't understand why the maps are telling you that you are at your destination when you are not, oops.. These are things that should work and for an operating system to advertise and push the fact that they "just work" doesn't really help the problems that come with the newest update here. All in all with Android, Windows, and even Blackberry out there competing and saturating the market with new handsets and constant updates to improve their mobile operating systems Apple is in for a hard time if they do not step up their game and fast. For a company that strives on the fact that they are "innovative" they aren't really showing it as of late.

Apples Biggest Flop?

Ok so here we go, I have an Iphone 4s, love the ease of use and simplicity of the phone and also as most Apple followers love to say "It just works".. However this years release is just missing the luster and exclusivity of what "Innovation" for Apple is supposed to be. Let's start with tech specs first and foremost. First yes the screen is taller, which means an extra row of apps and wider angle viewing for movies, etc. It still has the same ppi though and if I remember correctly the Nokia Lumina 920 has a higher ppi and better overall screen resolution than the Iphone 5. Second lets go over the processor, yes its twice as fast and produces better overall performance but the Lg Optimus G supposedly has a Snapdragon s4 pro quad core processor with the newest adreno graphics gpu in it which will probably beat out, at least on pap

er, the Iphone 5 processor, not to mention it has almost the same ppi on its screen as well as VOLTE(Voice over LTE) of which the Iphone 5 doesn't support. On the to the camera, same camera and probably a good choice but why not up the megapixel count so it can be down scaled to produce over digital camera quality pictures. Also the build quality is a nice feature but seriously, phones are getting better and better everyday and build quality is becoming a non factor. Also the new 9 pin connector is going to create a lot of confusion and headaches for the people that do not want to convert over, why not just go universal and create ease of use with a micro usb like the rest of the smartphone world, this must be the "Innovation" factor kicking in. The new earbuds are a nice gesture but it isn't going to make up for all the cons of the phone. The problem with this years release isn't just the specs of the phone because sure they are essential upgrades, but they aren't totally future proof and mind numbing which is what Apple fans have come to expect. Especially with the plethora of Android devices being released every day saturating the market with new and better devices. Apple seems to just well be losing its flare, I just hope that they learn from Rim and decide just because they have something going good now means they can lose what they have envisioned for the future...

Apples to Apples?

With the Apple press conference looming around the corner there are many expectations that this years "Innovative" phone will be bringing with it, yet some might disagree. Last year was a huge disappointment for Iphone dreamers and fans alike with so many rumors about what to expect. This year as, Bgr.com posted in an article, it has been rather more realistic and monotone which brings the question of "Innovation" at hand. Many of Apple's corporate big wigs, including the deceased Steve Jobs, have made it clear that Apple is all about innovation, and so far that might have been the case a few years back with ios but now it is starting to become more and more.. well, dated.... The os itself has had a few minor tweaks hear and there, and the addition of Apples own turn by turn navigation and mapping system is a welcome one, but one can't help to think that this is something that should of been long ago. The inner workings of ios are a thing to behold and have many great and amazing features, but I can think of more than a handful that Web OS did better and still does than ios. In fact I can think of a handful of things it did better than Android and ios better. Think of a mash up of Android and ios and that is what you got with Web Os. Unfortunately the hardware was severely lacking and due to a few bugs here and there the os died a quick and unfortunate death. As far as Apples hardware is concerned, sure we get that it takes a lot to get a beautiful high resolution screen that works so well with all the apps out there and web browsers that demand crisp text, but a nice screen isn't everything. A nice camera isn't either. In order to have a phone stand out among others besides it just working is innovation, excitement, future proofing, and exclusivity. Apple thinks they have all that and probably many others do as well, but in reality they are actually a bit behind on the things that matter the most in a phone, and sad but true consumers have come to expect the highest level of excitement for the newest feature phones out there. So lets get back to the basics and think on not only innovation but improvement as well. Apple this is directed directly at you.. Your camera takes great pictures, but we want amazing pictures, ones that can actually replace out at home cameras. We want connectivity and clarity, yes LTE and VOLTE, we want better integration via facebook, contacts, skype, twitter, pintrest, etc., better maps, better sound, faster processing power, better battery life, more memory, better cloud options, improved and new design, we want it all! So this brings to question, what will this year bring that last year did not and will we the public be let down yet again or will we be actually dare I say moved at whats ahead..

Samsung, Apple & Lg??

As the announcement date nears for Apple's next big "Innovation", yes I said it, anticipation and competition begin to heat up. Yesterday bgr & engadgetmobile.com both announced some new news for a possible Lg super phone with some pretty decent specs. Here's a link on phonearena talking about the new unannounced phone.

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Did-LG-just-pull-a-Samsung-LG-Optimus-G-specs-review-and-comparison-vs-Samsung-Galaxy-S-III-vs-HTC-One-X_id33774

Also in today's rumor mill we also have mention of the new Iphone not supporting nfc. Big deal or not so much? All in all this week has been rather slow and not very exciting for cellular/mobile news, or has it? With the Apple/Samsung Battle reaching it's long and rather annoying conclusion how will the mobile industry be affected? Will Sammy start being more strategic and come up with actual competitive designs and hardware or will they start making less handsets and focus more on their best friends strategy at Apple and start being more exclusive and "innovative". I guess time will tell.

What is it that we are lacking Apple?

So since the last post in May much has happened in the mobile world and also very little in the sense of exciting and new innovative products is concerned. Of course there has been the launch of some new tablets here and there and some that are noteworthy of discussion such as the Asus Nexus 7, but in essence there still is something missing from the airwaves of mobile development. For now we have The Samsung Galaxy S III which is a beast in its own right but not much of an improvement from last years SGSII, I mean better screen and processor but nothing innovative here.. We also have had the release of the One X series from HTC which has some great features, especially in the camera department, but its nothing to brag about. So with HTC, Samsung, LG, and Motorola all coming out with what seems to be an already over-saturated market of Android devices it is hard to set them all apart minus minuscule features here and there. This leads up to what so far is seemingly still in the rumor mill but looking very disappointing release of Apples exclusive baby, the iPhone.. Yes we all know when the supposed unveiling will be and we all know that it is supposedly having a larger screen, specifically 4", but the rumored design is a lackluster and huge disappointment to not just the Apple Techies out there but to the general masses overall. Sure Apple has a great product and amazing OS and pretty good hardware. I would say amazing but its seriously starting to feel very dated. I understand Apple wants to have the look and feel of an exclusive product and by only having one Mobile device release a year has definitely been working in their favor. For example we have the iPhone, 3g, 3gs, 4, 4s see the pattern here.. It's just starting to get old and people like new and fresh and different. Last years release with the 4S was a huge disappointment to the public as well as investors in Apple alike. The internal hardware was good and better than the previous year which is the norm but it wasn't amazing and the design well it was just kind of old. This years supposed design is also just looking like more of the same but bigger. If Apple doesn't see that this is not just about internal hardware but also aesthetics and innovation to make things future proof then they will slowly fade into the dust. Look at Palm for example, they had a roller coaster ride and briefly went to the top with the release of the Pre and Web OS which was a mixture of IOS and Android and flopped withing two years due to lack of innovation and internal hardware as well as I am sure some poor business decisions here and there. Rim also is going in the same direction with its financial struggles and the indefinite hold on bb10 they just didn't get it until it was too late. See when you are on top you are supposed to look not only out towards the horizon but also down at whats below so not to forget where you came from and what your purpose was. So I say to Apple maybe it is time to look down at the consumers and realize that if things don't change soon then its que sera sera, simply put what will be will be and that doesn't look too bright.. 

Are Mobile Giants Losing Their Edge?

It has been a while since myself or my partner have been blogging about cellular technology and mobile tech of any kind and quite frankly, we apologize.. Tech has been changing so much recently and at such a quick pace that it has been impossible to keep up unless we have someone posting every day all day. So with that said he is my welcome back to the mobile world and first comment for the week. Is mobile technology fading away? Looking back the past few months it seems more and more mobile companies are coming out with so much that the hype has been jaded and somewhat lost. Htc has over 20 phones on the market, along with Samsung and Nokia and even LG. Apple is the only company that has consistently had a one phone a year rule of thumb and it seems to be working for them. I mean seriously, who cares if there are four different version of a certain phone out there, that's great for the consumer who wants choice but what happened to exclusivity for a phone. What happened to having the baddest and nicest most advanced piece of tech on the market that outlast and out shined anything in its path for months to come. Sure carriers and mobile phone companies are reaping in rewards for mass producing four to five versions of the phone but look at their overhead in doing so. Again Apple seems to be doing something right, stocks are sky high, phones and tablets continue to dominate the market, and they seem to have a cult following that sticks with their products religiously. Simply put they know their sh@% and have the right idea. Make a product that works and works well, one that can be ahead of the curve months down the road and still keep its "exclusive" feeling.. I mean why not have a phone that does everything you need and does it well, it doesn't have to have all the widgets and customization if it works great and looks great. Look I love Android and I like Blackberry, and I think Web Os(with the right hardware) was amazing, but Apple is beating everyone to the curb with maybe not so much innovation but with incredible hardware that does its job and does it well. How many people can say out there that there is a phone who has better touch response than Apple's hardware and if you say the Galaxy Nexus think again, sure with third party software its pretty great, but still behind.. Same goes for the camera, even HTC One series phones with the great cameras and shutter speed they have, still doesn't seem as detailed. The Nokia Pureview is amazing but not a smart phone so I can't put that in the same category. The retina display is pretty amazing too, sure its not a super amoled + but honestly its sharp and has a high resolution. I could go on and each phone has it's strengths and weaknesses but I want a phone that works and works well so I dropped the little green guy who I loved for customization and went with something that didn't crash all the time and I didn't have to charge once or twice a day. So tell me viewers. What are you looking for in a phone and what are you looking forward to in the future with phones, customization and cool features or a phone that works and works well?