Other Anyone else miss the iPhones released under Jobs’ leadership?

[Al Rukh]

I agree with the rest about live keynotes. It felt personal and intimate. Unlike today’s which seems like a 2-hour ads.

 

[eyoungren]

But I’m solely talking about Apple’s retail store. They should trim the fat in their iPhone lineup.

I think this is the center of your argument. What you see as fat, others see as options.

And, not to be mean, but frankly what we think isn't relevant to Apple. Do you believe that Apple would continue to offer a product that didn't sell or that they lose money on? They might give it a shot for awhile, but eventually if it's not moving they pull the plug. They have no nostalgia.

We can assume that if it's being offered at an Apple store, it sells. So, if we have a problem with the lineup then it's our problem - not Apple's.

 

[LevorgPenmancho]

I preferred it back then, mainly because you could get the flagship phone for £499 every year. Their major achievement is making economic ladders in their products to push people to £999 phones. But now they won’t rest until the flagship tech is £1999.
This is why I think the iPhone 5c was the most important iPhone ever. It was the start. They’re using the same strategy right now:
iPhone 15 Pro is the 5s
iPhone 15 is the 5c
iPhone 14 Pro was the 5

 

[eyoungren]

I preferred it back then, mainly because you could get the flagship phone for £499 every year. Their major achievement is making economic ladders in their products to push people to £999 phones. But now they won’t rest until the flagship tech is £1999.
This is why I think the iPhone 5c was the most important iPhone ever. It was the start. They’re using the same strategy right now:
iPhone 15 Pro is the 5s
iPhone 15 is the 5c
iPhone 14 Pro was the 5

And I have the iPhone 11 Pro Max as my primary phone.

So, iPhone 3?

 

[ninecows]

I miss being told how not to hold my phone. And phones that would fit in my pocket. And that they were cheaper. Otherwise no.

 

[splitpea]

Nah, I don’t care about exclusivity or pursuing mass markets. I do think the current prices are extortionate. And I desperately miss small phones!

 

[eyoungren]

I miss being told how not to hold my phone. And phones that would fit in my pocket. Otherwise no.

My Dickies carpenter pants and shorts have zero issues with Max and Plus sized phones. So, 'phones that would fit in my pocket' comes down to what you're wearing. If that's dress clothes or casual with small pocket I guess that makes sense. But I've never had an issue.

I've carried three phones at once before and had the pocket space.

 

[ninecows]

My Dickies carpenter pants and shorts have zero issues with Max and Plus sized phones. So, 'phones that would fit in my pocket' comes down to what you're wearing. If that's dress clothes or casual with small pocket I guess that makes sense. But I've never had an issue.

I've carried three phones at once before and had the pocket space.

I guess I’m just wearing the wrong clothes or have the wrong size then 😉 I tried my wife’s 11 pro in my jeans pockets and it’s pretty uncomfortable. And she keeps dropping it out of her pocket because it won’t fit all the way.

… ok. Someone please make another off topic thread about all the jokes around the above topic 😂😂😂

 

[eyoungren]

I guess I’m just wearing the wrong clothes or have the wrong size then 😉 I tried my wife’s 11 pro in my jeans pockets and it’s pretty uncomfortable. And she keeps dropping it out of her pocket because it won’t fit all the way.

… ok. Someone please make another off topic thread about all the jokes around the above topic 😂😂😂

Where my 11 Pro Max goes when I'm going out…



Pic taken with my iPhone 6 Plus.

I do have other Dickies pants that do not have this side pocket. But the back pockets are pretty big.

 

[ssledoux]

I kinda miss the limits because the choices overwhelm me some years. Each phone has its perks, which makes it more difficult to choose. Some years I make a decision and never look back, but sometimes I question myself to death. Lol

 

[LevorgPenmancho]

It’s just about choice. Ok so some of the phones are too big for your pockets. Well, even when the phones were all small enough to fit in a pocket, my girlfriend still used her bag. She values the bigger phones because they’re more usable. I value smaller phones (I thought I wanted an iPhone 5 sized phone with current gen screen tech), but I’ve just upgraded to an iPhone 15 and I totally get it, they’re so much more usable.

 

[CraigJDuffy]

In many ways, the iPhone 4 was Peak iPhone, and Peak Apple.

Sure, newer devices are more technically excellent - with faster processors, larger, brighter screens, multi-lens cameras complete with LiDAR that take cleaner shots in more conditions. But none of them have the “wow factor” that the iPhone 4 had. It had flaws (glass back, antennagate, etc), and it was expensive, but it was beautiful. A true work of art that blew away anybody’s expectations of what a smartphone could be.

And yeah, no iPhone since has been able to do that again. I’d go so far as to say no Apple product has even come close.

I disagree. The iPhone X had the same effect.

 

[Ctrlos]

What I truly miss from the Jobs era was Apple saying to the wider industry "this is how its done!" and not "oh, we should do that...."

 

[webkit]

The lineup was very compact - two to three storage options and comes in two colours. That’s it. Along with the skeumorphic design of iOS, the entire experience, for me, was enjoyable. iOS was limited but it performs at its best at what it’s designed to do. I’ve never clamoured for a software fix when iOS 6 dropped in 2012.

These days we have an ‘iPhone for everyone’ approach. It made Apple a lot of money and in my opinion, this would be Cook’s legacy - making Apple products mainstream. In contrast to Jobs’ approach of making the best products for those who are loyal to Apple and believe in their process.

However, such mass appeal comes with a price. People are hesitant to upgrade to new OSes, Apple releases some new features but also introduces tens of bugs which may take days to months to fix, a bloated product lineup that lacks focus - the blatant removal of previous Pro iPhones to ensure it doesn’t undercut the latest Pro models but they’re happy to keep last year’s or the year before’s base iPhones. The product lineup may generate a lot of revenue but from an Apple sheep, it seems very ‘out of focus’. I’m not saying we should move backwards. But I long for the day where iOS fixes all the bugs for inconsistencies from previous years and perhaps introduce a much condense product lineup that benefits the users such as - not having a 14 Plus and a 15 Plus available side by side in their official stores.

The iPhone lineup would've likely evolved and expanded under Jobs similar to how it did under Cook.

Look at what happened with the Apple desktop computer during the first nine years under Jobs. They started out with the original model, then the II and then several other versions and models came along. By early 1985, Apple was simultaneously offering the IIe, IIc, III+, Lisa 2, Macintosh and Macintosh XL. Some dealers were also still selling new older models.

I don't find the current iPhone lineup bloated or lacking focus.
Smaller phone without Pro features = 15
Larger phone without Pro features = 15 Plus
Smaller phone with Pro features = 15 Pro
Larger phone with Pro features = 15 Pro Max
"Classic" phone (home button/Touch ID, etc.) with new(er) chip at budget price = SE

The 13 and 14 are money saving options for customers. Money saving previous generation iPhones were also sold under Jobs e.g., the 3G was sold alongside the 3GS and the 3GS alongside the 4.

 

[ssledoux]

Here’s my ideal lineup:

15/15 Pro series

13 (as an entry model iPhone)

13 mini (for the small ‘flagship’ enthusiast) - I’m indifferent about this as the sales numbers aren’t good and makes little sense for Apple to actively manufacture this. This is for the fanboys of the mini flagship models.

SE 2022 (for people who prefers Touch ID and for groups of people who do not want a gesture-base UI and prefers familiarity coming from obsolete iPhones like 8 and prior)

That’s still 7 phones!

I think the regular lineup should be 3 phones (small, medium, large), but all with the same specs (obviously cameras/batteries may be different due to phone size, but mostly the same), and then a budget phone. Last year‘s phones would sell to they ran out, but not stay in the lineup.

And I, personally, wish they’d be “pro” as far as internals, but aluminum to keep the weight down, with a mixing of the 11 pro body and current body (I don’t like the super squared body - much prefer the older style, but that’s just me).

 

[allenvanhellen]

Holding it wrong iPhone 4 was not peak. Far from it. It’s hilarious to consider iPhone 4 as peak Apple considering AW, AirPods Pro, and Apple silicon. I miss Jobs and do feel nostalgic but Apple isn’t staying still,

Pick up a 4 or 4S and use it a bit. See how nicely it fits into your hand. Enjoy the experience of the elegant OS. Plug in a nice pair of non-disposable headphones into the standard headphone jack and enjoy lossless audio.

I do like my Apple Watch a lot, though one big factor in my deciding to buy it was not having to carry around a brick of a modern smartphone.

 

[ignatius345]

Along with the skeumorphic design of iOS, the entire experience, for me, was enjoyable.

Skeuomorphism was a great bridge when we were all learning to use multi-touch interfaces and needed more visual cues. The user base and its expectations have evolved quite a bit since then. We've replaced those analog-looking cues with other visual cues for using the interface.

 

[Al Rukh]

That’s still 7 phones!

I think the regular lineup should be 3 phones (small, medium, large), but all with the same specs (obviously cameras/batteries may be different due to phone size, but mostly the same), and then a budget phone. Last year‘s phones would sell to they ran out, but not stay in the lineup.

And I, personally, wish they’d be “pro” as far as internals, but aluminum to keep the weight down, with a mixing of the 11 pro body and current body (I don’t like the super squared body - much prefer the older style, but that’s just me).

That would be challenging to update the specs of the cheapest iPhone. History tells us that Apple introduces the SE every other year.

I’m looking it at; enthusiasts market, general consumer market, the essentialism market and the ‘I do not care for the latest’ market.

Maybe in 2024, it should look like this: Ultra, Pro & Pro Max (repackaged into base models), SE 2024.

 

[Al Rukh]

The 13 and 14 are money saving options for customers. Money saving previous generation iPhones were also sold under Jobs e.g., the 3G was sold alongside the 3GS and the 3GS alongside the 4.

I agree but I think we can do without those two models really. Or maybe I’ll have the 13 around for the best-optimised iPhone experience in 2024. There’s not much of a difference between 13 and 14; I’m talking about practical difference. If a user is willing to pay extra dollars for the 14 over 13, he or she can afford to pay another $100 or so for the 15 which is a leap over the 13. Having the 13, 14 and 15 makes the 14 a very bad purchase. Unless someone really wants the colour options of the 14 then sure, I can go with that argument.

 

[cateye]

Jobs is still dead, fyi.

 

[winxmac]

iPhone SE 2024
iPhone mini
iPhone 6.1"
iPhone 6.7"

Remove previous years models, in other words, stop selling them... Drop the Pro and Pro Max naming convention...

2013 lineup was the best, before Plus was introduced...

iPhone 4s and iPhone 5c to me are the best phones in terms of physical prior to Plus iPhones...

 

[Ctrlos]

Apple should only have 6 phones in their lineup.

Bin all non-pro devices but drop the professional nom de plume.

This would mean in one year you’d get the iPhone XX and the iPhone XX+

Last years models (of which there are 2) drop in price.

The two from 2 years back drop again.

Anything earlier is binned.

You then repeat this lineup ad infinatum.

 

[Youngin]

The lineup was very compact - two to three storage options and comes in two colours. That’s it. Along with the skeumorphic design of iOS, the entire experience, for me, was enjoyable. iOS was limited but it performs at its best at what it’s designed to do. I’ve never clamoured for a software fix when iOS 6 dropped in 2012.

These days we have an ‘iPhone for everyone’ approach. It made Apple a lot of money and in my opinion, this would be Cook’s legacy - making Apple products mainstream. In contrast to Jobs’ approach of making the best products for those who are loyal to Apple and believe in their process.

However, such mass appeal comes with a price. People are hesitant to upgrade to new OSes, Apple releases some new features but also introduces tens of bugs which may take days to months to fix, a bloated product lineup that lacks focus - the blatant removal of previous Pro iPhones to ensure it doesn’t undercut the latest Pro models but they’re happy to keep last year’s or the year before’s base iPhones. The product lineup may generate a lot of revenue but from an Apple sheep, it seems very ‘out of focus’. I’m not saying we should move backwards. But I long for the day where iOS fixes all the bugs for inconsistencies from previous years and perhaps introduce a much condense product lineup that benefits the users such as - not having a 14 Plus and a 15 Plus available side by side in their official stores.

I can’t tell if you’re trolling or just haven’t put much thought into the post.

You do realize if iOS was limited to the apps of earlier days sales would be non existent?

Do you want to go all the way back to no App Store? Only apps built into iOS? 😂

Seriously.

There are beyond a billion combinations of ways iOS will be used across the globe.
Do you think they’re sleeping on iOS?

Those trying to exploit iOS are working as quickly as Apple patches something. It’s the nature of the current world.

The software is way deeper than your surface level thinking.

I’ve had almost every iPhone since the 3GS.
Always stayed on top of updates for which many release for security patches.
NEVER had a problem.

Can’t say the same for the few Android owners in the family.

Complain and rant all you want, but Apple is still the best at security and build quality.

It takes an army to stay ahead of those trying to exploit iOS. Be glad they push updates as often as they do.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

Nah, it’s the nature of a mature product. It’s romantic to believe Jobs would have kept it simple, but that’s not how it was.

Under Steve Jobs, there were 4 concurrent iPods, each with 2 different capacities and 6-9 different colors. Once a product matures, you simply have to offer more options to keep consumers interested.

Why do you think Apple is so keen on pushing Vision as the next big thing?

Because Tim Cook wants something big under his legacy since his tenure as CEO has been uneventful and full of controversy. Steve Jobs changed the world with the Mac, iPod+iTunes, iPhone, and iPad, while all Tim Cook has under his belt is the Apple Watch and AirPods, and while both are really cool (the Apple Watch actually saving lives) they don't hold a candle to what Steve accomplished. So in Tim's eye the thing that would put him on the level of Steve would be augmented reality with the Vision, since Tim loves AR and believes it's the next step forward.

 

[Al Rukh]

I can’t tell if you’re trolling or just haven’t put much thought into the post.

You do realize if iOS was limited to the apps of earlier days sales would be non existent?

Do you want to go all the way back to no App Store? Only apps built into iOS?

Seriously.

There are beyond a billion combinations of ways iOS will be used across the globe.
Do you think they’re sleeping on iOS?

Those trying to exploit iOS are working as quickly as Apple patches something. It’s the nature of the current world.

The software is way deeper than your surface level thinking.

I’ve had almost every iPhone since the 3GS.
Always stayed on top of updates for which many release for security patches.
NEVER had a problem.

Can’t say the same for the few Android owners in the family.

Complain and rant all you want, but Apple is still the best at security and build quality.

It takes an army to stay ahead of those trying to exploit iOS. Be glad they push updates as often as they do.

You’re creating an argument with yourself. I’ve never said I wanted modern iOS to operate in a way of those obsolete iOS. I commented my preference on the skeumophic design. Also, I mentioned about how Apple should focus on fixing bugs introduced ever since iOS 7-9 came out and that releasing new features alongside new bugs isn’t the way to go, in my opinion.

You need to read carefully, with all due respect.