Now that things have cooled down a bit after IFA and Apple’s event, we can take a closer look at some of the headline devices and give our thoughts and opinions on them.
The iPhone 6 was one of the most highly anticipated devices of this year as Apple chooses to keep its smartphone portfolio limited to less than a handful devices. The new iPhones brought some changes and improvements to the game and got Tim Cook really pumped up on stage. However, there are many downs of the iPhone 6 , so let us take a look at what we think are the top 5 worst parts of the new iPhones.
Price
Nobody said Apple’s new lineup would be cheap and frankly no one expected it to be either. The iPhone 6+ is the main device under the spotlight here. Aside from being priced $100 more than the 6, you may have to pay up as much as $950 to get one with 128GB storage (without taxes). More than a thousand dollars for any smartphone is absurd but what frustrates us is why you may have to pay so much. Memory is a crucial part of a smartphone and since there is no option for expandable storage on iPhones, you have to deal with what you have. Having said that, most smartphones now offer up to 128GB EXPANDABLE storage so if you do need more space for your media, you swap in a microSD card and avoid paying more than $200 extra. There is a great business prospect here for Apple, the company could produce its own proprietary memory cards and make a killing off of it, if they choose to do so that is. Ultimately, you have to question whether or not Cupertino is really pushing it with the pricing.
Design
Many will argue against this point but from the general consensus of people I have talked to, the design is one of the low points of the new iPhones. Although it was refreshing to see Apple change up the look of their iPhones, many feel that it is a step backwards in terms of aesthetic appeal including yours truly.
I feel that the bold design language of the iPhone 4-5S is far superior to what Apple is going to sell now, the all around curves and near seamless display is nice but it just does not leave a lasting impression or make you look at it and say “Wow”. Why this point really makes the list though is because one of the main selling points of iPhones is the design and sadly, this year’s makeover has led many Apple fans I am familiar with to opt for the older iPhone 5 and 5S over the newer 6 and 6+ purely because of the design.
Playing Catch-Up
By far my biggest gripe with the new iPhones is the lack of innovation. Apple is renowned worldwide for being a leading innovator, providing consumers with products and features they didn’t even know they needed. At least that is what most of the media and Apple themselves will tell you. In more recent years it seems the company is just doing plain nothing new, especially when it concerns the iPhones. When the original iPhone was unveiled, people went crazy because it was so good and the same could be said for the iPhone 4 but ever since then, many analysts and critics will tell you it’s been a downwards spiral. I am not trying to be anti-Apple here, I am just pointing out that the last innovative thing to come to the iPhone was Touch ID and more or less nothing else worth mentioning.
This time around, social media has been more harsh regarding Apple’s moves. Whilst many praised the tech giant for moving over to larger displays with HD (iPhone 6) and Full HD (iPhone 6+) panels, others heavily criticised Apple for adopting the change when more or less the entire market is moving to the Quad HD generation. Further criticism laid in the fact that Apple only now added age old features like NFC and OIS, things that have been present in the market for a large number of years. A seemingly anti-iPhone 6 movement can be seen all across the web where devices from 2012 such as the Nexus 4 are compare with the new iPhones with the claim that in 2016, we will see Apple adopt the technology of 2014.
The Display
One of the most popular rumours regarding the new iPhones was the use of a sapphire crystal screen. Everyone was almost sure we would see the super hard material being implemented on at least one of the two new phones but in the end Apple could not utilise the material due to low yields. But really that isn’t too much of a let down. What appalled us most is that Apple added almost nothing to utilise the bigger display! They didn’t even add an extra column or row of icons for the screens. What they did was add a gesture to sort of make the display shorter so that users can reach buttons on the top corners. With iOS 8 we will get something very similar to widgets but they will only be available in the notifications center and nowhere else. Just imagine having widgets and other add ons on a big iPhone display….. People can only dream though when it comes to Apple adding customization options.
The Higher End Situation
If you haven’t noticed already, the 5.5 inch model is the more premium of the two iPhones. Apple is doing something we see frequently in mini versions of flagship Android devices by watering down the specifications and features of the smaller sized device, and we just can not be pleased by this move. We see this scenario all the time in the Android market, a consumer wants a smaller handset with a display between 4.5-5 inches but has to settle for something below the cutting edge. What I do not understand is why both devices can not be offered with the same specifications. If you want the higher resolution display, you’re stuck with the phablet, if you want OIS, you’re stuck with the phablet. Unlike the Android counterparts of the same size range though, the lower end iPhone is not priced cheap. The 16GB 4.7 inch model will cost as much as the iPhone 5S did at launch and the 5.5 inch model will cost $100 more for the same storage capacity.
