Announcement iPhone 8 and iPhone X. View from the other side of the barricades

Three acts of tragedy

The old thing is death, but everyone is new

Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev

There is nothing permanent in the world.

When an eminent company is at its peak, it's hard to believe that someone or something in this world can threaten it. На ее стороне огромная популярность среди покупателей и журналистов, гигантские людские и финансовые ресурсы, современные R&D центры, рекордная прибыль и солидная доля рынка. Everything suggests that users will not forget this company for many decades.

You should never let brilliant prospects turn your head. Before looking into the bright future with a blissful smile and mentally building castles in the air, it is worth looking back. Remember how many great companies did not live to see this moment. At one time, they had no less popularity, fame and money. And now there is nothing left of them but dust, and even their names have turned for modern consumers into a meaningless set of letters.

Each such company has its own history. But the overall picture is mostly the same. Having climbed to the top of Olympus, the now popular company decides that it can afford to rest. He stops taking risks, experimenting. Ceases to amaze. And what's the point of reinventing the wheel if the existing one works great?

Experts and journalists are the first to express dissatisfaction. From their point of view, demonstrating from year to year one, even a very high-quality product, is not enough for a company of this scale. They indignantly poke at them and ask not to spoil the holiday. The company's sales are excellent, and users are willing to vote for updated models with their wallet.

After a year or two, 'advanced' users and technology enthusiasts begin to wry their noses. It no longer seems to them that this company is such an unambiguous market leader, they begin to look closely at the solutions of competitors and actively promote them on the forums. But you can also easily close your eyes to this. The geeks make a lot of noise, but they hardly affect sales. The bulk of buyers are far from online battles and depend more on the opinion of the seller-consultant than on the advice of the regulars of technical forums. Moreover, at this stage the company is trying to reduce prices in one way or another. Sometimes directly, sometimes – focusing on budget or last year's models. This, in turn, attracts new users to it, who have the opportunity to join the sensational brand. And beautifully styled reports and vibrant PR news headlines allow you to be lenient with any criticism. After all, someone is always wrong on the Internet.

And then at some point what is called the snowball effect happens. Boring design, dry reviews, disgruntled geeks, sales consultants who have become profitable to promote another brand, a blurred target audience and a bloated lineup lead to the fact that the company's products are no longer perceived as fashionable. It seems that there are also sales, and there are enough specialists and enough resources. But somewhere far, far away, a huge clock begins to slowly and inexorably strike midnight. With their twelfth beat, the great Motorola turns into a pumpkin, Sony Style turns out to be an empty sound, and the Nokia brand becomes synonymous with 'the phone is not like everyone else'. Old chips, which have worked flawlessly over the past several years, cease to evoke any emotions in others. Fans en masse run into the camp of a rival brand, firmly believing that all the most fashionable, interesting and innovative are now there.

Announcement iPhone 8 and iPhone X. View from the other side of the barricades Death Motorola – the last act in this story

The world of mobile technology is cruel, and no one cares about past achievements. Do you want to stay in your place? Run as fast as you can. Otherwise, you will very quickly turn from the idol of millions into a short footnote in a history textbook.

The magic of words

The potato was first introduced to Europe by Cieza de Leon in 1551, but at first it was considered a poisonous ornamental plant. Only in 1772, thanks to the efforts of Antoine Auguste Parmentier, the Paris Faculty of Medicine recognized it as edible.

From Wikipedia materials

Each large company has its own distinctive feature, which eventually becomes its emblem, motto and battle banner. Sony is Japanese quality and great style. HTC – a beautiful branded shell with a human face. Samsung – uncompromising specs. Apple – famous 'apple' magic. In reality, everything is far from being so rosy, but adults also want to believe in fairy tales.

In fact, the notorious 'magic Apple' has little to do with miracles. It has a very simple and logical explanation. The company knows how to speak with people in a language they understand, appealing not so much to logic as to feelings. New iPhone is always first of all emotions, and not a set of expensive components. And specific technologies here are not an end, but a means. The Apple company did not sell vague technical features, but use cases. And she always managed to really captivate customers with them. Tablets, fingerprint sensors, voice assistants and other things have existed on the market long before Apple. But no one knew how to properly prepare them for the company from Cupertino. So in a way, she really rediscovered them.

Five minutes to midnight

We must hope until the last minute. But you can stop at the last minute.

Don Aminado

But last year, something clearly went wrong with the company.

Everything, as usual, was very bright, impressive and in full compliance with all the canons. The classic presentation format, loud slogans from the stage, obedient applause from the audience, the expected list of innovations … But at some point there was a persistent feeling that you were present at the birth of a new cargo cult. In which everyone does the same actions from year to year, simply because they used to bring a positive result. Without thinking at all, what is the essence behind the usual attributes and what is its original meaning.

As in the days of Steve Jobs, they tried to show us the ideal and only correct product. Arguing confidently about the 'chips' and functions necessary and unnecessary for users. But it turned out not at all as convincing as before. And for the first time in many years, it caused a slight, barely noticeable confusion among the public.

Another demonstration of the long-boring Pockemon GO could not make the viewers run after the new ones Apple Watch. The solid presenter, happily clapping his hands at the sight of the drawn Pikachu, did not add to the attractiveness of the watch Apple. The lecture about the unprecedented courage of the company, which was not afraid to abandon the 3.5 connector, caused more confusion than excitement. Whether it is bold or not, the fact of reducing the number of connectors is not a competitive advantage and not a reason to upgrade the 'six' to the 'seven'. A simple mobile adaptation of Mario did not become any significant plus iOS either. Five or six years ago, such a toy could really shake the imagination of the audience. But today the majority of potential buyers iPhone from her presence in the AppStore are neither cold nor hot.

Announcement iPhone 8 and iPhone X. View from the other side of the barricades Presentation Apple. Looking from the other side of the barricades

Weird accents, weird use cases, weird people. Throughout the presentation, the audience continued to obediently nod, applaud and smile. At the same time, carefully driving away from himself the seditious thought that the king may indeed be naked.

Meanwhile, the minute hand was slowly but surely approaching midnight.

Attempt number X

If you fall off a cliff into an abyss, why not try flying? What are you missing?

Max Fry

Now Apple is perceived as a super successful and non-slip company. But in fact, there were different times in her history. The company was not able to achieve its position because it never made mistakes. Because after each fall I always found the strength to stand up.

In recent years, the company, as if hypnotized, slowly but surely went to the cliff. And already raising my leg over the abyss, I found the strength to stop and turn back. It is not yet clear where her new road will lead, but in any case it is better than mindlessly stepping into the abyss.

In fact, the 2017 presentation was the event that once again divides the company's history into 'before' and 'after'. It was this year that became the last year of the Jobs era, from that moment the company stopped trying to play in his style and according to his rules.

Unlike last year, the presentation was interesting to watch again. Everything was bright, clear and without a drop in dynamics. The audience was in suspense until the last minute, and I must say that 'One more thing …' was definitely worth it.

'The courage to go forward …'

Change is not 'good' or 'bad'. It just means 'something else'.

Cheshire Cat
Alice: Madness Returns

Last year's iPhone 7 turned out to be quite good, but clearly did not have the usual margin of safety for smartphones Apple. If the company had done the usual and released iPhone 7s this year, it would have been the beginning of the end for it. No matter how anyone thinks about Samsung, the design of the Galaxy S8 has become that breath of fresh air that the market lacked so much. And to roll out another clone iPhone 6 would mean for Apple to officially admit defeat and publicly sign in powerlessness. And this is not forgiven even by the most dedicated fans.

At the same time, it was clear that the thickness of the frames is only the tip of the iceberg. In fact, the problem goes deeper. It is no longer possible to continue to work in the Jobs style, ignoring the decisions of competitors and brushing off the fashion trends of the market. This approach really worked for him. Although no one still can really explain how. But Tim Cook, like the vast majority of his competitors, cannot repeat something like that. Perhaps an equally flamboyant talent is lacking. Maybe it’s just time gone. One way or another, users now approach smartphones Apple with a common line, and this cannot be ignored.

Pattern breaks

– Sorry, I would like to know what color it was when it was a balloon?
– Green.
– My favorite color … What size?
– Almost from me.
– Just think! .. My favorite size!

Well-done presentation

Each new iPhone has always been presented as an ideal, the only correct apparatus. The best weight, the best size, the best body materials, the most correct set of functions. Jobs has always preferred to single-handedly decide what users want and don't. And in the mouths of the fans Apple, the word 'customization' was the worst curse word.

Everything that was present in the device was unconditionally announced to the necessary users. Everything that was missing is unnecessary and harmful. Such a policy cannot be called democratic, but it worked just fine in Jobs's time. Many journalists wrote in all seriousness in their reviews about how dangerous it is to transfer photos through Bluetooth and how convenient it is to use iTunes to sync files. And how much has been said about the inconvenience of 'shovels' more than three and a half inches and it's scary to remember. Sometimes, after a couple of years, the parameters of the ideal changed, but no one noticed this. In the end, ideals should be revised with age, and arguing with Apple is a clear bad manners.

Announcement iPhone 8 and iPhone X. View from the other side of the barricades ITunes Legends: 10 Facts

Later, the company made timid attempts to expand the lineup. Added an add-on camera module to iPhone Plus, released the shareware iPhone 5c and iPhone SE, introduced the 'pro' version iPad. But such innovations never contradicted the main line of the party.

Things have changed this year. Instead of one ideal, we were shown two completely different smartphones. For the first time it turned out that the sensational touch button with the feedback function is not at all a necessary attribute of the phone. That it is quite possible to live without a fingerprint sensor. And that new features, like intelligent face recognition, are not useful for everyone, but only for a certain part of the audience.

For the first time in many years, users Apple faced a very serious choice. Previously, one could not think about the expediency of certain innovations. Fans looked at competitors' products exclusively from top to bottom, and even a month ago it was clear to everyone that face recognition was a marketing gimmick, but a fingerprint scanner on the front panel of a smartphone is just as necessary as a touchscreen.

On September 12, 2017, the mantra 'Apple knows the best' stopped working. There were at least two 'best' solutions, and the buyers had to think seriously.

iPhone 8. Classics of the genre

A classic is an author who is still quoted but no longer read.

Laurence Olivier

iPhone 8 is a classic with a modern twist. In terms of design, compared to iPhone 7, this is even a small step back. Although judging a smartphone by photographs alone is a thankless task and in life everything may turn out differently.

As for the innovations, there are not so many of them.

First of all, this is wireless charging. Interesting is not so much the fact of its presence as the choice of the popular Qi standard. After all, not so long ago Apple, even the generally accepted formats of SIM-cards did not suit. Of course, miracles are not worth waiting for – the company will definitely not switch to generally accepted standards en masse. And the new Apple Watch 3 with eSIM is a clear confirmation of this. But all the same, the innovation is significant and says a lot about the company's new path. To some extent, this is no less a pattern break than the appearance of iPhone X.

The second point is AR support. It is not yet clear how many AR games will be available and how interesting they will be. But what we were shown at the presentation looked very promising. If last year the viewers unsuccessfully tried to buy the long-suffering Pokemon GO and the mobile adaptation of Mario, then this time they showed something really impressive and unusual. The question about the amount of content remains open, but Apple should not have much of a problem with that.

Of course, the hardware has been updated. Here are just changes exclusively 'under the hood'. I don't know if many people really care about the chipset model on which the new one works iPhone. Comfort during everyday work with flagships has long been dependent not so much on hardware as on software optimization. The question here is not so much whether to buy a new one iPhone, but rather whether to update on the old one iOS.

In general, the positioning of the novelty turned out to be somewhat blurry. On the one hand, this is a smartphone for the conservative part of the audience, which does not like sharp throws and experiments. And for those who are simply not ready to overpay for iPhone X. On the other hand, there are no noticeable differences from the 'seven' in it, and the design has become even somewhat boring. Those users who are not chasing the “best” and are not too interested in games may well prefer last year's model.

It is very strange that the dual camera again went only to the older model with the Plus prefix. In my opinion, this is exactly what could be of interest to many users. But Apple for some reason deliberately does not want to go with the trump cards. Trying to increase sales of 8 Plus or saving for iPhone 8S?

Announcement iPhone 8 and iPhone X. View from the other side of the barricades New iPhone 8, Apple Watch 3 and Apple TV

iPhone X. Dreams Come True

You see things and you ask, 'Why?' And I dream of things that never happened, and I say: 'Why not?'

Bernard Show

iPhone X was the highlight of the program. I think a lot of fans were afraid that all the latest leaks would be fake. It was really hard to believe in the abandonment of the Home button and such an unusual screen geometry. One could only dream that Apple had enough gunpowder to show at least something unusual, and not stop at the announcement of the faceless G8.

There was enough gunpowder in abundance. And if at the beginning of the presentation the number X in the title raised questions, by the middle they disappeared. Looking at the difference between iPhone 7 and iPhone 8, you understand that the number 9 was missed for a reason. iPhone X is not an evolution of the G8, but something from the future.

Another thing is that not everyone will be happy about this future. Someone is confused by the absence of the Home button, someone is annoyed by the cutout at the top of the screen, someone is unpleasantly struck by the price. And almost any innovation in iPhone X has its downside, its controversial points. As in principle, and any other bright smartphone.

First, one must understand that the device should not be liked by everyone. Moreover, the latter would be a real disaster for Apple – the company simply cannot produce it in such volumes, so the lion's share of sales in any case should be iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.

Second, a flagship doesn't need to be perfect to be successful. Suffice it to recall that the first models iPhone, strictly speaking, were not smartphones at all and did not really support multitasking. And all kinds of restrictions and prohibitions, ranging from the long-suffering iTunes and uploading cut-down support Bluetooth, there was more than enough. But did it really hinder him?

Announcement iPhone 8 and iPhone X. View from the other side of the barricades The evolution of flagships. Degradation of geeks

We must clearly understand that perfect smartphones do not exist at all. Any device always has something to praise and something to scold. But there are devices so successful that, looking at their advantages, you are ready to put up with all the shortcomings without hesitation. Which undoubtedly are. But for you personally, they no longer play a special role.

Design. Most of those who saw the smartphone live were delighted with the design. Here you need to make allowances for the fact that we are talking primarily about connoisseurs of technology Apple. They always compare the new device with the past iPhone, and only then – with competitors on Android. If we talk exclusively about the line Apple, then the design of iPhone X should definitely be considered a breakthrough. But if you look towards the solutions of competitors (starting with the notorious Galaxy S8), it turns out that the revolution did not happen.

Arguing about which came before, the chicken or the egg (Samsung borrowed the design Apple, or Apple copied the design from Samsung) can take a long time. But the fact remains – outwardly, the smartphone turned out to be really cool.

Side effects are the forced abandonment of the Home button and not always optimal use of the screen area. When watching movies and when using some applications, bands will remain on the sides of the screen. As far as I understand, the edges of the display will be used primarily for gesture control.

Display. iPhone X became the first smartphone of the company with a OLED – screen. Eyewitnesses praise the picture quality very much. It is difficult to say how much the improvement is actually noticeable – the placebo effect has not yet been canceled. But, at least, the screen is no worse than in iPhone 7. Which was a sin to complain about anyway.

Side effects are the screen resolution, which could have been higher. The Galaxy S8 has a 570 ppi DPI, while the iPhone X has only 458 ppi. On the other hand, no one will examine the screen under a microscope anyway.

Face ID. Face unlock. Behind which lies much more than meets the eye. The smartphone does not just compare your photo with a reference, but creates a three-dimensional model of the face from several thousand points. You can change your hairstyle, put on glasses, grow a beard or tie a scarf around your head – Face ID will recognize you anyway. The chance that a smartphone will confuse the owner with another person is about one in a million.

You can also use Face ID data in other apps. During the presentation, we were shown animoji – animated emoticons that repeat your facial expression in real time. Detailing is at a very high level, which makes the animated picture look extremely funny.

This technology has a great future. Games come to mind first. Something similar was recently tried to do in Star Citizen, but there it is, at best, about a simple demo.

Side effects are the extra time the user will spend unlocking. With a fingerprint sensor, the smartphone could be unlocked even at the moment when you took it out of your pocket. Or while he was lying face up on the table. With Face ID, this is unlikely to work. First, the smartphone will have to be brought to the face. Secondly, after Face ID is triggered, you still need to swipe across the lock screen. Perhaps we are talking only about fractions of a second, but it's still not very pleasant.

Camera. During the presentation iPhone 7, I was rather skeptical about all the words about the serious improvement of the camera. And, as practice has shown, I was greatly mistaken in this. Apple really took the picture quality seriously, and the '7' began to shoot much better.

This year the company went even further. The dual camera has received optical stabilization and a special portrait mode, and also learned to write videos in 4k 60 FPS and Slow-Mo 1080P 240 FPS mode. Recording video in 4K is fun for everyone, but further work on the quality of the pictures is really very, very cool. It remains only to regret once again that iPhone 8 in this regard was greatly cheated.

Other. In addition, iPhone X received all the G8 innovations – a new platform, wireless charging and AR support. And if wireless charging is just the icing on the cake, then AR support could really be interesting.

Announcement iPhone 8 and iPhone X. View from the other side of the barricades Announcement Apple iPhone X

21st century piracy

Good artists copy, great artists steal

Davenport Adams

According to a certain category of commentators, there is nothing new in iPhone X. All innovations are shamelessly copied from competitors, from design and 'frameless' display to facial recognition and wireless charging.

Announcement iPhone 8 and iPhone X. View from the other side of the barricades

Such comments always appear after any major announcement, the only thing that changes in them is the names of the models and the names of the companies. Although in the case of Apple there is a kind of universal justice – it was the Yabloko company that got the hang of dragging competitors around the courts and shouting loudly about impudent copying and theft.

In fact, there is nothing wrong with copying as such. Learning from someone else's mistakes and adopting someone else's experience is not only possible, but also necessary. And selflessly reinventing the wheel is not always worth it. The bad news is that one company has noticed some good solution or trick from another. It is bad if copying is 'carbon copy' and nothing is added from itself. If everyone will mindlessly copy each other's solutions, without bringing anything new to the common piggy bank, very soon there will be a crisis of ideas in the world of mobile technology. Especially when you consider that developing something new is difficult, expensive and extremely risky.

In the era of iOS and Android, the world of smartphones is much less vibrant than before. This primarily affected the design. Then, when manufacturers began to abandon proprietary shells – also software. A good half of existing smartphones on the market are alike like two peas in a pod – a standard wrapper, standard content. Многие игроки сейчас практически не вкладываются в R&D, даже не пытаясь привнести в мир мобильной техники что-то свое. Interestingly, buyers usually have no complaints here – the low price of a smartphone vividly removes all theoretical objections.

Тем забавнее наблюдать ежегодные нападки на Samsung и Apple, которые как раз тратят на R&D огромные деньги и действительно стараются продемонстрировать что-то свежее и необычное. Both iPhone X and the Galaxy S8 have face recognition. But there are even more differences than similarities. Both smartphones boast a 'frameless' display. But only a blind person can confuse these devices with each other. Both there and there are wireless charging, and in Apple this time they did not even begin to invent any special standard. But since when is accessory compatibility bad? The same applies to fashion for AR and VR – who, if not large companies, should popularize and promote these technologies?

Now the commentators are accusing them of the mass theft Apple. But soon the announcement of the new Galaxy S will take place and then Apple with Samsung will again switch places.

It won't be long to wait. Winter Is Coming.

freedom of choice

When it is necessary to make a choice, and you do not, this is also a choice.

William james

Presenting three flagship devices at once, Apple willingly or unwillingly copied the Samsung lineup. Only the Korean company has Galaxy S and Note announcements that are very different in time, and in terms of positioning they do not overlap too much. And iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus had approximately one target audience.

The possibility of choice warms the souls of many users, but in practice they do not want to choose something thoughtfully. The bulk of buyers of expensive equipment prefers to go straight to the shelf of a fashion brand and point a finger at the flagship device. By implying that he is the very best the company has to offer them. When there are too many flagships, such buyers are simply lost. One device lacks some functions, the other lacks others, and which one is the most correct is not at all clear. Maybe none at all?

Announcement iPhone 8 and iPhone X. View from the other side of the barricades Ten reasons not to buy Apple iPhone 8/8 Plus

It will be possible to draw any conclusions only in a few months, when the sales picture becomes clear. But while there is a feeling that many potential buyers of the G8 have decided to either wait for iPhone X or save money, preferring last year's model to the flagship. Which was declared the best without any footnotes or discounts. For iPhone 8, which should have generated major sales, this is not good news.

As for iPhone X, it is already clear that it has managed to replicate the Galaxy Note and S6 Edge phenomenon. All these models, which according to all calculations were supposed to become niche, suddenly found the most lively response from buyers.

At first glance, the popularity of the top ten is extremely positive news. But the wrong estimate of sales can play a cruel joke with the company. If Apple fails to produce devices in the required quantity, many failed buyers iPhone X will not want to take iPhone instead of him 8. In their understanding, this will be a downgrade. It will remain either to postpone the purchase for an indefinite time … or to purchase a competitor's smartphone. And it is quite possible to stay with this very competitor forever.

In general, the demand for iPhone X once again confirms that the company has not in vain changed its strategy. Now the main thing is that the course change should go more or less smoothly. And so it didn't turn out that it was too late for that.

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