APPLE iPHONE 5C & 5S: THE BACKLASH!

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SYNAPSE CIRCUIT
APPLE iPHONE 5C & 5S:
THE BACKLASH!
#Apple #iPhone5S #iPhone5C #iOS7

Good evening, Synapse Circuit Readers! How are you feeling a day after the Apple iPhone launch? Are your eyes dry? Yes, folks... The backlash from the (non) event is rippling as a type...

A PERSONAL BACKLASH?
Yes, a few angry iPhone fans have accused me of being “biased”. For the benefit of my growing audience I will say this (again): Of course I am going to be biased; that’s the nature of competition. Manufacturers, producers and service providers rely upon us to take a biased stance in their favour based on what they are offering. As a consumer we are all biased in that we will buy into what we think is best for us and best overall. However, I would like to think that as a writer I do not get too emotionally involved. It’s important to have a bit of distance to view / review products with an open mind and then give my biased view. My bias is what I think is the best technological advantage, and, of course, you are most welcome to refute my findings. When I write I try not gush as a Fanboy in any particular direction unless I am writing as such.

But I don’t take the backlash against what I have written about the iPhone 5C and 5S personally because I realize that this is the Fanboy’s and Fangirl’s way of demonstrating that they are not happy with what Apple have produced. Yes, they are taking it out on me. What does the Bible say? “Suffer the children?” Lol!

THE REAL DEAL...

5C
As a iPhone fanatic whether you want to admit it or not the 5C did not brighten up everyone’s day. The 5C has failed partly because of the media speculation what with the build up of that promise of a “budget” handset from Apple and we didn’t get it. And it is also down to Apple for failing to understand what the consumer is looking for. MicroNokia took the opportunity to poke a pit of fun at the 5C and grab some publicity for their handsets in the meantime! The 5C colours aren’t as vast as even I would have hoped! As say “even I” because I do think that iPhone fans expected more. I think the Moto X has got it right in terms of customizations for their consumers – so much so that I wish it was available in the UK!

There’s no way that I would want to pay an upfront fee to take out a contract on the thing! It’s just not worth it! I am sorry if it hurts you. I really am! I reckon you wanted what Android consumers are enjoying: FREEDOM OF A GREAT CHOICE!

Hey, you can buy an Android handset outright for £70 and with a front-facing camera! Check out the Huawei Ascend Y300! It has even got Jelly Bean 4.1 installed on it! I really believe that the iPhone 5C could have been powered, ironically, by Google Now – if Siri is out of the question!

5S
C’mon, c’mon... You know that the 5S is a letdown especially where the design is concerned. I honestly feel that Jony Ive is a caged animal in that he cannot flex his design muscles. Ive doesn’t seem fully integrated as part of the launches since goodness knows when. Ive appears like a big empty head via video like the Wizard of OZ!

The 5S is no design at all. Apple is still sticking to their design “hand science” guns and the people at the end of that barrel are their fans! WTF (what the faux)???? What is Apple doing????

FINGERPRINT SCAN
Forget that Motorola had this technology a couple of years or so ago because Apple has! As usual Apple has reinvented again like they did with the reworking of Microsoft’s tablet PC! Apple is all about showmanship when launching their products and I really do believe that they have a hypnotic effect on those who buy into their waffle. Just watch their “keynote” videos and count how many Synonyms are (ab)used per minute! You say it often enough and people will start to believe it and just like my Adorable Friend you’ll just find yourself bursting into an impromptu “Get an iPhone!” exclamation without understanding why. I have never advised anyone to get a Samsung unless asked for my opinion. I find my Adorable Friend can be a pain sometimes – yes, just like religious folk who (unskilfully) suggest that I come to their church and absorb their way of thinking. Lol!

 The Touch ID comes at a sensitive time whereby the recent revelation that Apple, BlackBerry, Google and Microsoft were willingly giving away private information via the mobile device to the NSA and other intelligence agencies. I guess there is no need to tell you how paranoid we have become what with insurgence of terrorism around the world. I certainly do not feel 100% safe boarding a bus or London Underground train. In fact I do not feel safe on any form of transportation and I have resigned myself to thinking that when my time is up my time is up. I don’t think it matters whether or not if any information on me or anyone else is recorded by these “intelligence” agencies because technology sure as heck hasn’t done much – if anything – to prevent acts of terror.

However, many – including myself – prefer privacy than the notion that everything that I do on my handset, tablet and PC is being recorded to no real end. It’s rather like someone insisting that they come with me when I am popping out to the store, using the WC, stand behind me while I am preparing my meal and so on. How many people would get used to that after a while? There again I was brought up as a Christian and had to contend with God, The Silent Listener and Observer, is listening and watching everything I do. You’d think that knowing that I would feel comfortable defecating in public for all to see and sniff! Uh-uh! Lol!

I would feel uncomfortable with a fingerprint scanner / reader on any of my Android devices. I would rather wear a ring or manly bracelet that electronically transmits my passwords to my devices instead of using my fingerprint. I wish that Google, Samsung, LG, etc would take the electronic wearable password transmitter option.

I think we have become a more suspicious society. In any event I do not think much of the Touch ID facility on the iPhone.

AS FOR THE 64-BIT ENHANCEMENT...
...I think the notion of a 64-bit handset is a novelty. I think it is a waste of processor and that 32-bits would have taken a greater advantage of the A7 chip. But, hey, what do I know? What I do know is that the new camera isn’t able to shoot 4K video and that Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 and the Acer Liquid S2 phablets.

Apple and HTC believe that fewer pixels make for a better camera and I am not so sure. From what I have seen in the HTC One produces an overall all round good result in most conditions, but the image size is smaller than that of the Samsung Galaxy S4. I have learned that it is a combination of pixels, lens and flash that make for an optimal picture. Take the Sony Z1 with its 20.7MP camera as an example of a great handset camera! It produces clean, clear and crisp results! It astonishes! I hope to bring you a review very soon!

Then from video we go to audio and I can’t see what 64-bits have done to enhance the audio on the 5S. If you look at the Galaxy Note 3 it is able to utilize 192KHz, 24-bit audio and that makes me salivitate as a musician. There is no doubt in my mind that I must have the Galaxy Note 3! I am so excited at the prospect of making music on the go with the Galaxy Note 3!

Even an iPhone user has asked me about the Galaxy Note 3, Android and TouchWiz! That’s saying something because before the 5C and 5S were announced she was devout. In fact many iPhone users have expressed that they either jumping ship to Android or are seriously thinking about it. If technology is at the heart of your choices then the iPhone does not look very good. I would say that I do like the iMovie and Pages applications on the iPhone. That said, I can get similar apps on the Galaxy Note 2 which I am currently using.

Naturally, whatever you chose the choice is yours.

What do you reckon?

Take good care!

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CASUALTIES OF THE DEVELOPING MOBILE MARKET

Is this the budget iPhone to be released later this year?

What will make the Moto X special?

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT

THE MONDAY PURGE: CASUALTIES OF THE DEVELOPING MOBILE MARKET      

#Apple #HTC #Samsung #Google #Motorola #MotoX

Good afternoon, Synapse Circuit Readers! Did you have a good weekend? I sure did! What a result for Andy Murray! It’s funny... When Murray took over from Tim Henman he was referred to as the grumpy Scotsman as his demeanour was serious and now he’s the first British man to have won Wimbledon in 77 years! Lol! The whole nation is proud! Well done!

2013 is a telling year for the mobile phone industry... According to analysts the main players shaping the mobile market, Apple, Samsung and HTC, have all been hit by disappointing sales... Gadzooks! Let’s have a look...

APPLE
According to analysts Apple is said to be 50% short of iPhone 5 sales. As a result this year has seen Apple shares drop below $400 in 10 years.

I have always said that Apple’s PR machine is all smoke and no bang. In other words, what Apple report as good sales is contradicted in the cold light of reality! It’s not easy to work out what went wrong...

The iPhone 5 was a poor design and, apart from an additional half an inch screen, the look is pretty much the same. A daft compromise in order to not be seen as saying, “Android builds are setting new and exciting trends”.

Everyone knows about the maps fiasco.

IMAGE: UNCOOL
Apple was once thought of as cool, but the constant attack on the competition has shown Apple to be anything but. The iPhone is no longer the great revolutionary handset that it once was when it was first released; the competition has not only caught up but has exceeded it. As a result Apple just look foolish in trying to maintain that the iPhone is the best phone on the market with the most “most advanced operating system in the world” when people who love technology can see that this is not the case.

They’re in a perpetual state of denial to the point where some Apple fans have not upgraded to the iPhone 5 in protest.

SAMSUNG
Analysts are saying that although Samsung has sold a record 20 million in 2 months which translates into making a profit but not as much as analysts have predicted which has also resulted in a drop in share value.

The iPhone 5 sold 34 million in 100 days which is a great achievement but given the expectations this is not good for Apple. The iPhone always sells a great amount at launch, what with the queues of adoring fans waiting to be one of the first, after that period sales have fizzle out. In the UK the iPhone 5 is constantly going on a “special offer”.

Samsung has never sold handsets the way Apple does. The Galaxy S range of handsets are sold on design, functionality and pricing – although there’s a recent trend for consumers to pay an upfront fee for that started with the Note 2 and now S4. The cost is still lower than the iPhone. When Samsung launches the latest Galaxy S it is usually the first handset that consumers consider getting when eligible for an upgrade. As you may or may not know, I was eligible for an upgrade when the S4 was released and I got it. Usually, the Galaxy S(4) is the only top of the range Android handset to consider but this year HTC One became a viable alternative.

From what I have seen over the years with regards to Samsung (and to an extent HTC) handsets is that they keep selling for as long as they are on the market. I still wonder at the fact that the S2 holds its value today and sells very well. The S3 has now gone down in price – the lowest that I have seen it is £17 on a monthly contract and I expect that budget conscious consumers will snap that offer up very quickly! I would imagine that the S4 will steadily sell throughout this and the next year. I think that for the first time Samsung sold many handsets in a fever pitch way like Apple and now sales have slowed but not stopped.

IMAGE: COOL
Samsung generally has a good public image; they are seen as innovators and quite rightly so as they gave the mobile market the “phablet” with introduction of the Note which was a surprise hit to the analysts predicting that the Note would go the same way as Dell Streak. Today other manufacturers are following that phablet lead with 6” inch and above handsets.

They don’t have a bad thing to say about the competition and during their product launch they concentrate on demonstrating the strengths of their devices. Recently it seems as though they’ve suffered a minor backlash from the exuberant S4 launch in New York and HTC have shown an amazing design without plastic.

Samsung has been criticized for using plastic on their premium handsets and this time they have been made to suffer for it! As you know, I prefer the plastic for the durability. The S4 has been, unfairly, criticized for a design that resembles the S3. Samsung must now come up with something radical for the S5 and it could very well be that the Note 3 may arrive later than anticipated for a quick redesign!

HTC
HTC are said to be hit the worse and this does not surprise me. Although HTC has done well with the fantastic looking One they have been on the financial ropes for a few years now because their handsets haven’t been as successful as Samsung in the Android arena and it seems as though Nokia are beating HTC on the Windows 8 phone front too!

I have always said that HTC has had far too many handsets out and have not invested into good advertising. The recent Desire X and One SV handsets are not, in my opinion, good examples of budget handsets. Rather than produce a decent budget handset they sprinkle the market with budget handsets that fall short of being good let alone outstanding. You should already know my opinion on budget Android handsets. Let’s hope that the One Mini will go down better.

IMAGE: COOL & RECKLESS
HTC have always enjoyed a reputation for producing great looking handsets and the One is the pinnacle of great design. I have a couple of HTC handsets, One X and Desire and the designs are really brilliant. But these handsets suffer in a few ways: One X is wonderfully designed and crafted. It’s fast and very responsive. The 8MP camera isn’t very good, resulting in grainy photos. Battery life is abysmal! Facebook, taking pictures, etc drain the battery faster than a piranha can devour a cow. That’s the bane of HTC’s coolness – they get the design right but the features wrong. Don’t get me started on the HTC Desire - it just can’t store many apps; solid phone though!

HTC from time to time can come out with unsavoury outbursts in public about the competition; they seem to have a disdain for Samsung for some reason... It’s a shame. I think it is important to show good sportsmanship in any industry towards the competition. The best way to overcome the competition is to win with better produce. Saying bad things about the competition just doesn’t look good whether one is on top or not. Once in a while it can be entertaining with Tim Cook as a John McEnroe for the tech world! Lol!

Let me know what you think!

CAUSE & EFFECT
As I have said in other articles, the mobile market has changed quite a bit. Premium handsets are becoming more powerful and the applications are increasingly growing in size and this is why budget Android handsets need to get better.

Although premium handsets are getting faster processors there doesn’t seem to be a huge leap from last year’s model. Maybe some of us don’t see a reason to upgrade, I mean we are living in financially hard times and where money can be saved some things in life may be sacrificed. An expensive upgrade may be one of the first things to get cut from the budget – especially that upfront fees have been put in place for many premium handsets nowadays (in the UK).

THE RACE
The race is now on for any manufacturer that can develop the perfect budget handset. Apple is said to be launching a multi-coloured plastic budget iPhone.

Samsung have already placed a few of them on the market.

HTC has quite a few budget handsets that aren’t very good. Good for making and receiving calls but maybe not so good for social networking and free texting, calling / video calling apps.

I am predicting that Google Motorola are going to be first out of the box with a decent budget handset that could very well eat into Apple’s effort. The Moto X could very well be the one that stops Apple from dominating; it could make Samsung and HTC rethink their “Mini” products.

The race is also on for a manufacturer to go further on the hardware i.e. the CPU – can 3GHz be reached on a quad core? Will the octo-core enter more markets the next time around? Which manufacturer will put 4GB RAM in its premium handset? Which will be the first to put the flexible display on the market? The flexible display looks like a race between Samsung and LG. According to the speculation out there, LG is said to be releasing a handset in the fall with a flexible display and as a result it could push Samsung to put a flexible display on the Note 3.

Well, I thought I’d purge some of the articles I wrote last week into a larger article as they are interlinked. It’s a good way to start the week!

Let me know what you think.

Take good care!

Please enjoy the video below! Feel free to leave some comments and subscribe!

Thank you for watching and reading!

Please check out the Synapse Circuit website for video, i-PDF and more! 

Synapse Circuit Dot Com