Ondrej Holzman Apple is known for putting up with simplicity and perfection. That's why it seems strange to Ken Segall, a former expert consultant of the Californian company, how they name some of their products in Cupertino. For example, he says the names of iPhones send the wrong message…
Ken Segall is famous for his book Insanely Simple and also with the work he created at Apple under the advertising agency TBWAChiatDay and later also as a consultant to the company. He is responsible for the creation of the iMac brand as well as the legendary Think Different campaigns. In addition, he has recently commented on Apple several times. First criticized his advertising and subsequently also revealed how the iPhone could originally be called.
Now on your way blog pointed out another thing he doesn't like about Apple. These are the names that the apple company has chosen for its phone. Since the iPhone 3GS model, every other year it has presented a phone with the epithet "S", and Segall calls this habit unnecessary and strange.
"Adding an S to the name of the current device does not send a very positive message," writes Segall. "Rather it says that this is a product with only slight improvements."
Segall also doesn't quite understand why Apple introduced the label "new" to the third-generation iPad when it dropped it soon after. The third-generation iPad was billed as the "New iPad" and it looked like Apple was rebranding its iOS devices, but the next iPad was once again the fourth-generation iPad. "When Apple introduced the iPad 3 as the 'New iPad,' many people wondered if the iPhone 5 would also be simply called the 'New iPhone,' and if Apple would finally unify the naming of its products across the entire portfolio. But that didn't happen, and the iPhone, unlike the iPod, iPad, iMac, Mac Pro, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, continued to keep its number." writes Segall, but admits that it's perhaps a bit of a necessary evil, since Apple always keeps two other models on sale alongside the latest phone, which they have to differentiate in some way.
However, this brings us back to whether the letter S should be the distinguishing element. "It's not clear what message Apple is trying to send, but I personally wish Apple had never made the '4S'." Segall stands his ground and, according to him, the next iPhone should not be called iPhone 5S, but iPhone 6. “When you go to buy a new car, you're looking for a 2013 model, not a 2012S. What matters is that you get the latest and greatest. The easiest way is to give each iPhone a new number and let the improvements speak for themselves.” Segall alludes to the fact that "S models" have always been considered minor updates. “Then if someone comes and says that the iPhone 7 did not come with such changes as the iPhone 6, that is their problem. In short, the next model should be called iPhone 6. If it is worthy of a new product, then it should also be worthy of its own number."
It is not clear what the new iPhone will be called. However, it is questionable whether something like this is solved at Apple at all, because regardless of the name, new iPhones have always been sold more than its predecessors combined.
well, it's not a clear fact to everyone, it's clear only to people who know and follow apple or to those who read something about it, but when an ordinary junkie (yes, even such people buy iPhones!) comes to a store, usually they buy the first thing they see on the table.
Like this... for people who don't understand the simple numbering of rows: 3 – 3S – 4 – 4S – 5 – 5S? or iPad mini - iPad (it no longer has a label and I don't understand the argument that Apple has returned to the label 4), or ... they probably won't say much about Apple products anyway :) or. whoever wants to be a dog will always find a stick... this is simply embarrassing and thanks to the fact that, unlike Android, Apple does not churn out 1000 products a year with iOS, but a few high-quality and tuned things...
so that's true, but if a stranger comes to a store looking for a new phone and sees an iPhone 4 for 12 or an iPhone 4S for 14, then logically (for her) she will take the cheaper one, why can't she do it 'with' a difference of two thousand
so, if the iPhone was called just iPhone, it would be even more of a mess... but the names iPhone 2012 and iPhone 2013 should (albeit quite embarrassing) give even the uninitiated some clues...
In addition, the fact is that recent phones also have more disastrous names, such as nokia xa15645 or nokia hhdfw89451-8a
I don't think that a person who comes to a store and wants to buy an iPhone, so when he sees a 4S for 14k and a 4 for 12k, he would change his mind if it was called 5.
I can't say that I disagree with Ken's argument, but on the other hand, few people think about the future. Let's say in 5 years, Apple would release the iPhone 10. That's a bit much, isn't it? I think that no one wants to get into double digits. So, in my opinion, I just want to slow down the growth of numbers. Otherwise, we could really have 14 types of iPhone 12 HD SUPERRETINA TOUCH 5G XS every year in no time. I personally have a 4S and I definitely don't feel inferior just because it's not called 5. Because it just doesn't change how awesome a device it is.
However, I remember when 99% of the press (even those interested in this field) scolded that the 4S was not an improvement and what Apple had been doing for a year and a half (I also read at the time that it would be a flop). Result? It was the most successful phone in history. Which surpassed even the iPhone 5.
I'm glad that geek opinions are just opinions, but the market and people behave completely logically - they go after the best quality / price. And for a large part of the market, the iPhone is the best solution. It's just geeks digging Apple's grave for years because iOS devices don't have an SD card, removable flashlight, Flash (yes Flash, there was a time when iOS figured it out. Today? Android obediently followed and stopped supporting Flash too), widgets and I don't see what a waste.
The market chooses clearly. People want the best. And I buy that too. Regardless of the name.
Exactly ;) and when someone goes to buy a phone for 14.000-22.000 thousand. maybe he has a mouth and should ask what it's about... even though I'm of the opinion that Apple is so washed up from all sides that this is usually known by everyone who is even slightly interested/not interested in them ;) and as you write, leave it without a label it will only make it more complicated although I think it will happen in time .. it will simply be an iPhone and the new model will only have "NEW" there ....
well, that would probably be the best... we need to learn a lesson
On the other hand, the current line of ""2", 3G, 3GS, 4, 4S, 5" is a solid mess and at first glance illogical, if there were versions 4, 4S, 4, 5S, 5, 6S from iPhone 6 …. then it would make sense (somehow) again, only it took them 6 years :P
And wouldn't the same problem, if not a bigger one, arise by chance, that is, that "someone" will come to the store and there will be two irons with the same hardware and (at first and second glance) software, only with a different price tag, lying on the table, but it will i.e. iPhone 5 and iPhone 6 - two completely independent smartphones...?!
I am in favor of the iPhone-only option, in the case of new pieces, for example, the New iPhone. The number itself is confusing today... Today's iPhone 5 is already the sixth iPhone in a row. The truth remains that there are three different generations of phones to be distinguished in sales, but this can easily be achieved with iPod-like branding!
i agree
Agreement. Or it would help to indicate the year of the performance - but not in the title, that would be the same nonsense as now :)
It was actually written that way, but on the other hand, there is also the question of how much, for example, Apple intended with the 4S Siri. With the passage of time, it's definitely not such a killer feature, and it also makes sense what Segall writes that the "S" iPhones come with only minor improvements, they also keep the same design. It remains to be seen what the successor to the iPhone 5 will be, but I would bet that the design could once again remain the same.
I think it has to do with the fact that once they've been producing a certain design for a while, they're able to do it better and cheaper - so they can add more features for the money they save. At least that's what I understood from watching Apple products.
And in my opinion, Siri's time is yet to come. It's still Beta for a reason. My tip is the Siri API – that will be boom + other languages.
Of course.
And Siri's time has yet to come, because it hasn't come yet :)
I think it won't be long, it's really crazy, although it's nice and useful, but it's….
it's more about the fact that apple only makes a significant innovation (evolution) every other year. The new iPhone would then be something new one year and only a slight improvement the next year, and so on and on and on, which could be a bit confusing... Of course, you can't number endlessly, and Apple will have to change the designation relatively soon.
Confusing, not confusing. As Segall says, if such a product is worthy of a new iPhone, then it should be worthy of its own number. But that's a relatively subjective view of the matter. However, we will see Apple's thinking with the next iPhone.
I don't know, I think it's just a short-term solution. The difference between iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 looks visually big. But what about the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 in a couple of years? How do you defend those thousands of extras?
I think that the designation *S simply means *0.5. That is, iPhone 4S is simply iPhone 4.5.
And as for the argument about a new product and a new number, it's as if you said that every update of the application should mean adding a whole number. It doesn't make sense either - on the contrary. The numbers should be erased so that the change in the number really means something. Because version 2.0 is not the same as 1.0.1. So let's leave it to the iPhone. I understand the system – 3G (new design, new technology) – 3GS – (same design, better and faster technology) – 4 – (new design) – 4S – (same design, better and faster technology) – 5 – (new design) – 5S – (same design, better and faster technology).
With Android, they also didn't understand that sometimes there is more than me. Of course, Samsung has already copied it correctly. Or would the Galaxy S 4 be sold as a joke if it was called Galaxy S 4 SUPER AMOLED 4G TOUCH FASCINATE? I dare say no - maybe me too.
I think I mustn't waste numbers.
I'm saying that's a subjective view of things, and I'm also not saying that every iPhone has to have its own number, although it might look like that above. We'll see. In my opinion, it is not 100% certain that the new iPhone will be called iPhone 5S, just as it is not certain that it will be released until a year after the last iPhone was launched. As I was sleeping, we will see Apple's thinking now.
In my opinion, the designation 5S or 5 is unnecessarily overrated. It's the same with cars (at least with the Skoda brand), we had an Octavia II, then an Octavia II FL, and now there's an Octavia III and it doesn't bother anyone, so why change anything what is used already?
The "S" in the nickname stands for Segall :)
over time, there may be markings like with Macs, early, mid, late and year... it makes sense and is completely normal, the design and the number don't have to have anything to do, MBPs look exactly the same since when and nobody cares, but absolutely not at all? deal with the S and I don't know what and special numbers and nonsense, simply iPhone (mid 2013) can easily be iPhone 6/5S with the fact that the year of manufacture would be determined by the serial number and nowhere does it have to be stated what kind of iPhone it is, or which one in order or #S, #GS and whatnut