You might not like Apple or its products but its financial records speak for themselves and the fact that it is one of the largest smartphone manufacturers in the world and yet only has a handful of device models (unlike Samsung, HTC and LG) is equally as impressive. You don’t need to be an Apple fan-boy to see any of that.
However not everything is rosy over at Apple. Android is continuing to impact iPhone sales and devices like the Samsung Galaxy S4, the HTC One or the LG G2 are leagues ahead of Apple’s offerings in terms of performance and functionality.
Every year Apple announces it latest iPhone and according to AllThingsD, this year’s new iPhone will be launched on September 10. This will be a key announcement for Apple as it unveils the products it hopes can tackle the top Android smartphones.
Next iPhone
If Apple follows its previous naming policy the next iPhone will be the iPhone 5S and it will essentially be an iPhone 5 with a better camera and a faster processor. If that is all that Apple manages to produce then frankly Apple is as good as dead. The latest Android handsets offer such a rich variety of features that just tweaking the existing iPhone 5 will leave the iPhone looking particularly lackluster. Features like Samsung’s Air Gesture, Smart Scroll and Smart Pause; Motorola’s active notifications and always listening voice assistant; or LG’s Graphic RAM are re-defining the design and user friendliness of smartphones. Since iOS 7 has already been previewed it is known that none of these features are coming to the iPhone.
Then there is the whole screen size debate. For an Android user there are a multitude of options and you can buy a smartphone with almost any screen size you want, from 3.5 to 6.5 inches. All the top Android phones are using big displays with 1080p resolutions. What will Apple do? Will it stick with the 4 inch display of the iPhone 5? Will it even attempt 1080p?
The competition is fierce and although a few years back Apple was used to setting the standard for smartphones, now it is in catch-up mode.
Cheaper iPhone
Except for the official announcement from Apple, everyone knows that Apple will be releasing a cheaper iPhone this year. In the U.S. Apple has until now offered the previous generations of iPhone at cheaper prices. Today on AT&T an iPhone 5 costs $199.99 with a new contract, an iPhone 4S $99.99 and a iPhone 4 is just $1. However this model doesn’t necessarily work well in other parts of the world. In the UK for example you can get a iPhone 5 for £29.99 ($46) on contract staring from £37.00 ($57) per month and the iPhone 4S is free for new contracts starting at the same monthly amount.
To boost its sales in the mid-range smartphone market, Apple is betting on a cheaper iPhone (which could be called the iPhone 5C), which costs less to manufacture and so can be sold for less or even given away for free with new contracts (depending on the country and carrier).
Conclusion
Apple is behind the game in terms of specifications, features, performance and functionality. To stay on top of the game the new iPhones need to be something special. So mark the date in your calendars, September 10, and witness either the first death pangs or a revitalization of Apple’s iPhone line-up.
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