Have you heard? Reading this blog, you must have. It’s almost here. The keynote of Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference, and the third significant update to the iPhone’s hardware and software, is just a few hours away.
But (take a deep breath) if there’s one thing that watching Apple has taught me over the past few years, it’s this:
- Bloggers over-sell
- Apple under-delivers
Before you get out the pitchforks, let me explain. Let’s face it, very few bloggers have much in the way of real information to go on, especially when it comes to Apple. There are just tidbits of knowledge and rumour here and there. So how do we come up with anything worthwhile from the sea of speculation?
It’s a case of: taking what the Internet provides, imagining what could be, while being careful not to inject too much of “Oh, I would love that!”. Then you try to apply some common sense, by running it through the wringer of “What makes sense for Apple?”
I’ve been guilty of hyping things up myself, I know. All the rumours are whipped up into a frenzy of tech-lust. But the requirements of bloggers and other commentators can never be satiated. Apple, in a sense, will always under-deliver in the eyes of techno-utopians. Anyone remember this famous comment from Cmdr Taco on Slashdot when the original iPod was released in 2001? “No wireless, less space than a Nomad. Lame”.
Yet even though the massive, never-ending wishlist of the blogosphere will never be met, sometimes Apple do pull off quite the surprise. The original iMac, the iPod, the iPhone, for example. Although some of them may have been anticipated in some way, the form and the function are never quite exactly predicted. There’s always one more thing that does surprise. Apple’s last major shock (the iPhone) sent shockwaves through the mobile phone industry. Can they come up with anything of that magnitude again? Mobile video iChat? I’m trying to contain my excitement about the possibilities (see above, “over-hyping”).
One of the best people for cutting through the crap with a sensible argument is John Gruber. If you haven’t read Daring Fireball lately, then while you’re waiting for the real news to come through, head over and read this piece for John’s thoughts on WWDC and this piece on what the next iPhone could look like.
See you on the other side…
(unless you want to follow me on Twitter 
)
^_-
*faints with excitement!*
To tell you the truth, I’d be happy with a modest processor upgrade and another 20% battery life.
Quite to the contrary, Apple has appeared to deliberately “undersell” the 3G S upgrade, which we have found includes a raft of major, minor, obvious and subtle incremental changes ranging from processor speed, RAM, flash capacity, battery life, camera/video spec & functionality, compass, voice activated dialling and iPod selection etc.
They’re obviously learning how to manage expectation in the wake of the widespread negative user reactions to price and functionality changes that accompanied the previous upgrade.
I do hope the worldwide carriers relent and allow the kind of instant upgrade that was enjoyed by those 2G users that upgraded to the 3G – this is the kind of goodwill that will bring long term profit to what is expected to be a successful franchise for many a year to come.
They should not let short-term greed and profit-madness get in the way of what is rapidly growing into a lifetime love affair and cult status.
I think there’s a distinction here between iPhone 3.0 and the 3G S. The software is a distinct upgrade for all iPhones, whereas the hardware feels like a more incremental improvement to me.
However, I think the hardware upgrades will become increasingly apparent as the 3G S gets into the hands of the users. A device that feels much snappier (faster CPU, more RAM) will feel like a significant upgrade. Also, the compass will enable lots of new augmented reality applications to be developed. Just having Google Maps align in the right direction is a great little feature. And then there’s video calling and voice control. Hey, I think I’ve just convinced myself that it is a more significant upgrade after all!
I don’t think O2 will relent on upgrade pricing though…
It’s here in the UK, now, at last!
Download in progress, will update you as soon as it’s done and dusted.
Can’t wait…
Oh, by the way, I was referring to the 3.0 firmware upgrade.
Check your iTunes, and happy downloading!
That’s it!
All done in around 10 – 15 minutes.
Welcome to 3.0…