Buzz
During their live stream of the iPhone 6 release on September 9, 2014, Apple found themselves in a unique position: On the shoulders of their latest release, they’ll either get lost in the crowd of their competitors, or they’ll catapult a thriving tech industry into an even more advanced era—with Apple firmly at the helm.
10. What They’re Giving Us
The Apple Live Event began with a promise of the biggest event in iPhone history. That was invariably going to be true, but it says nothing about the impact on the mobile industry as a whole. After all, every product is supposed to be better than its predecessor, regardless of brand.
Apple's unveiling of the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and Apple Watch introduced a new phone, a larger version, and a new accessory. While the excitement is palpable, the offerings aren't groundbreaking: The iPhone 6 features a 4.7-inch screen, while the Samsung Galaxy S5 boasts a 5.1-inch display. The 6 Plus is outmatched by at least four other phones already on the market.
While there are numerous statistics to consider, the key takeaway is that, point by point, there's a smartphone that rivals nearly every feature the iPhone 6 offers. Apple's dominance stems from delivering all these features in a single package, positioning them as the leader in mobile technology for the foreseeable future. Let's delve into the details.
9. They’re Growing Despite The Odds
In the competitive business world, it's essential to monitor your rivals' strategies to maintain your market position. If competitors reduce their prices, it's often necessary to follow suit to retain customers. However, Apple deviates from this norm. While most Android and Microsoft phones are priced below $200, Apple offers no phones under that price point.
For years, analysts have predicted Apple's decline as competitors catch up in quality. Yet, Apple continues to outperform them in sales, even with prices up to three times higher than others. This trend is evident in the computer market, where it's either Mac or PC, despite numerous PC manufacturers, many of which have gone bankrupt. Amidst this chaos, Apple steadily rises in every market they enter.
8. They’re Transforming Other Industries
A highlight of the Apple Live Event was the iPhone 6's camera. Not long ago, the consensus was that "no smartphone cameras can shoot video well." Now, Apple includes a camera capable of shooting 240 frames per second as a standard feature in their smartphones. The video above was shot with an iPhone 6, if you want an idea of how that looks (make sure you have the quality set to the highest level). A stand-alone camera that can do that runs upward of $300, which honestly makes the iPhone’s price seem slightly less exorbitant.
This development is significant not just because it sets a new standard for smartphone cameras, but because it poses a challenge to traditional camera manufacturers. Nikon, a leading camera maker, has seen their sales dropping for years. Olympus, Canon, and Sony are also experiencing declining sales.
While these companies aren't facing imminent closure, smartphones like the iPhone 6 are swiftly making their lower-end products obsolete. Apple is no longer just a computing or mobile company; their products integrate elements from various industries, a strategy they excel at. Each time Apple does this, other industries feel the impact.
7. They’re Combating The Fear Of Theft
Earlier in 2014, Home Depot experienced a significant data breach in its payment systems. Before that, Target fell victim to data theft. There's an inherent fear surrounding digital payments, hindering the adoption of innovative systems that allow smartphone-based transactions.
With the Apple Pay feature on new iPhones, Apple aims to alleviate this fear. Their system enables users to make payments—such as for a cup of coffee—by simply tapping their iPhone against a digital reader at the checkout. To add a credit card to your account, you just take a picture of the card with your phone. It's secure, Apple asserts, because if your phone is stolen, you can disable payments remotely—after all, the thief hasn't taken your actual credit card.
While pioneers like PayPal and Square Inc. have ventured into 'wallet-free payment' systems, they've faced slow adoption due to public distrust in storing sensitive bank information on smartphones. Apple's system's success remains to be seen, but with digital transactions projected to reach $90 billion annually in 2017, someone needed to bring it into the mainstream, and Apple just did.
6. Mastering the Art of Technological Sales
In recent years, the smartwatch market has seen significant activity, with major tech companies like Sony, LG, and Samsung introducing their own models. However, few have made as significant an impact as the Apple Watch, even though it was not released until several months later. This raises the question: Why did Apple CEO Tim Cook refer to the Apple Watch as 'a breakthrough product' when numerous alternatives were already available?
The answer lies in Apple's consistent ability to make technology both user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing. By observing the initial reviews of other smartwatches, Apple was able to develop a product that was so seamless that it is now considered the first true smartwatch. This mirrors how the iPad is regarded as the first real tablet, despite tablets existing for over a decade. Apple's strategy of refining existing concepts has proven to be highly effective.
5. Bridging Technological Divides
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Google Glass has a bad rep. It’s been in a state of partial release for over a year, and already the reviews are less than kind. The problem people have with it is, essentially, that it looks stupid. There’s an embedded psychological resistance that people have toward technological change, and it has a huge effect on the success of new technologies. Anything that abruptly changes what most people would consider “normal” is going to have a much harder time taking off than a technology that comes wrapped in something familiar.
That’s why Google Glass is predicted to tank while the Apple Watch is going to take off. There’s no bridge between Glass and what we’re used to, but the Apple Watch, well, it’s a wristwatch. Regardless of the fact that it brings a series of new interactive technologies to the table and will probably be a launchpad for future wearable technology, it’s still something that we can be comfortable with. It’s this same reason that most people don’t know about other highly innovative tech, like the Muse brainwave headband—technology can only move as fast as it’s accepted.
4. They Still Offer Innovative Features
No matter who first conceived the idea or how much effort was required to propel a product to the top, Apple continues to lead as one of the foremost innovators in the tech world. The Apple Watch is a perfect representation of this, being the first mobile platform that merges functional features that go beyond just sight and sound.
Haptic technology, which is essentially feedback through touch, has been used in phones with vibrate settings, but the Apple Watch takes this to a new level. On the back of the watch—against the wrist—are several actuators that tap the wearer when a notification is received. The real breakthrough comes in its integration with Apple Maps, where GPS directions trigger different taps to indicate whether to turn left or right, so you don't even need to glance at the screen.
Why is this significant? While a simple addition, it's a shift in how we think about technological evolution. Most smartphones have focused on enhancing visual and auditory capabilities, but this step integrates more of our senses. As with most of Apple's innovations, it doesn’t necessarily break new ground but sets the standard for what future technology can achieve.
3. Inductive Charging
The future of technology is heading toward a largely wireless landscape, with internet and communication already moving in that direction. However, one major area still lagging behind in the wireless revolution is electricity. No matter how much our smartphones can do, we still need to plug them in every few days—or daily if you have an iPhone.
In contrast, the Apple Watch features an inductive charger that magnetically attaches to the back of the watch and aligns automatically for charging. No more fiddling with micro-USB ports; just hold it close, and the magnets do the work. As Apple claims, you can do it in the dark without looking. Is it revolutionary? Not necessarily—smartphones have had this capability for years. But this is what Apple is all about: they’re not looking to lead the future of mobile technology by being bigger or better, but by being simpler, and that’s what we all crave.
2. They’re Connecting The World
Picture a world where you can control all the locks, lights, thermostats, doors, and switches in your home with a single, centralized hub. Picture the ability to turn on your TV or radio with just a voice command or even start the oven from the comfort of your bedroom. This is no longer science fiction; it's something Apple is working on.
Apple’s vision of connecting the world isn’t about a global circle of unity; their goal is far more attainable: They want to make every device we own part of a single, cohesive network. Whether it's your home, the cars we drive, or other gadgets, everything will be accessible with just a tap on your iPhone. The transformation is already underway—when Apple launched their HomeKit, other companies quickly joined in, rushing to create products that would work seamlessly with Apple’s platform.
Google is also building its own version of a connected home network, but while they’re tinkering with thermostats, Apple is taking a more strategic approach. Instead of competing with gadget-makers, they’ve embraced the role of the facilitator, letting other companies develop the cool new devices while they connect everything together.
1. They’re Connecting Technology To Us
With keyboards expected to become largely obsolete in the coming decade, touchscreens won’t have an eternal place either. As technology continuously evolves, the trend is shifting toward more personal, natural methods of interaction. The Microsoft Kinect stands as a prime example of this, using motion capture to send commands to your Xbox.
The Apple Watch, beyond its haptic sensors, is equipped with a heart rate monitor, an internal gyroscope, and an accelerometer, designed to track your movements and health without requiring conscious effort. The GPS tracks you wherever you go, while the fitness app learns about you over time. For some, this is amazing; for others, it’s alarming. Nevertheless, this is the direction technology is heading, with Apple leading the way. Even their headphones sense when your ears are present.
