Another fall, another Apple event. This is the time where Apple shows off its newest iphone, something they usually come out swinging and this year being the tenth anniversary of the iPhone expectations were running high…and this year they came out with a stumble?

Wheres The Pow?

There were quite a few things shown off, from the new Apple 4k tv. To the new iWatches. However I feel like all eyes were on what apple was going to be doing for this one. Leaks upon leaks upon leaks were happening with the new iphone. So I don’t know if people were fake surprised or just lowering expectations. Apple was the first company to introduce a great touch screen phone , then apps, then a good front facing camera, and then a back end, then apple pay. But this year I was expecting something beefy. When they introduced the iPhone X directly after the iPhone 8 line, I became kind of confused. Why would they even introduce the 8 line if the X was going to be the future? Well a few things that could be leading for this. The tech for the X series, is very costly, the screens, and the camera which is basically a kinect is put into the phone. I heard from the rumor mill that Apple was having the hardest time trying to get the on touch finger verification to work but couldn’t so face ID happened.

I think when it comes to the cost and being a phone that costs a grand, Apple really didn’t show off anything to show that it SHOULD cost a grand. Oh hey animojis who cares? why not target the enterprise crowd? I was expecting that possibly due to iOS 11’s new look with making the iPad look like a desktop. That maybe Apple was going to release something like Continuum for the iPhone X. Or even what Samsung does now where you can dock your phone and get a full desktop overlay. I was expecting at the very lease that apple would introduce multi tasking apps where you can snap 2 apps to the screen at once like the iPad can.

No Seriously Wheres the Pow?

Aside from the lackluster iPhone X, Apple had decided to show off a new iWatch. For more or less its basically the same but they added in cell now. I feel like they didn’t really explain how the cell was going to work on the watch and phone at the same time. Was it going to need a additional phone plan like the samsung watch does or does it piggy back off of it? Also why did they kill the series 2 watch and not the series 1? Why can I only get the stainless steel with cell and not just GPS? I feel like maybe Apple is definitely doing some questionable choices this time.  And with the fact that iOS 11 is on the verge of being released, I don’t feel like apple really is pushing the envelope further.

One of the biggest questions I have gotten is that “should I upgrade?” Well it depends, I think anyone with a iPhone 5s should upgrade, I feel like if you have the 6 through the 7 series that there isn’t a big reason to upgrade your phone cause the iPhone X is full of new technology that I believe will come standard in next years iPhone’s So if you can wait, I suggest waiting. I personally will be waiting and not upgrading, I have the iPhone 6s Plus and it still works amazing, and I have the iPad, and a iWatch so there isn’t anything pops up and is like “dang I need that.” its just more of a hum.

Turning Up The Dial To 11??ish?

Apple has released its newest iOS version. iOS 11 and all during their conference they talked about turning it up to “11”. Well after playing with it for a few days I can say that Apple’s newest OS feels a little on the sloppy side design wise especially for mobile when compared to being installed on the iPad. A few of the most notable things is the design of it, it seems like there isn’t a unified designed scheme, I noticed that the store feels different from the news app, and also the messages. Being a web developer and designer that has become very nit picky with the smallest things you tend to notice alignment and spacing issues when something is off. Yes it is a little OCD but when Apple use to release new iOS versions everything was very much perfect. This time however it feels unfinished, it feels like the UX and flow of it all isn’t natural.

One of the biggest changes it the lower shelf as I call it, the controls for the brightness and volume were located on the shelf. Well Instead of it being separated which I enjoyed, now they compress everything into one panel which reminds me of all those survival horror games where everything in your inventory is smashed together. It feels very weird with how you can’t move around the main top half but the bottom section you are able to add quite a number of things but it still ends up feeling quite disorganized.

Another thing that worries me about this update is that there is noticeable lag, I did a fresh install and update as I usually do and I have a iPhone 6s plus and there is still lag which I never experienced with iOS 10 so I feel like this new update wasn’t fully optimized and my phone still works like new and I don’t keep that much on my phone to began with. I think I am only using 30 gigs out of a 128 gig hard drive. Another thing that has stood out is that my battery drains a lot quicker, and I do keep a lot of the app’s background processes turned off except for the essentials and even now I maybe finish the day with around 25% power. I use to be able to get through most of the day and come home with having like 50% power. I am still trying to get to the bottom of the battery drain but something is really raising concern. It isn’t hot or generating a lot of heat and noise but something is definitely killing my battery.

The iPad update of iOS 11 reminds me of Windows RT. Where it feels like a desktopish type computer but without the ability to install actual software outside of the app store. I feel like apple is slowly going the way that microsoft did with their tablets and with everything becoming more powerful they will push that desktop look more and more. I do like the new quick switch look and the dock but the quick settings is still rather awkward and is going to take some getting use to especially on the bigger screens. Also I do like the screensharing you can start to do and screen streaming that was brought with replay kit, but I will continue playing with it to see how good it is.

IN CLOSING…

I feel that the juggernaut that put design first is getting very sloppy to meet “deadlines” I know in the past Steve Jobs would rather have something done done then to be released when it isn’t’ ready. I feel like the further away apple goes from being the design king, they are hurting their own brand in the long run I have talked to quite a few bloggers, tech analysts and they wonder what apple is indeed up to in the long run, or if they are just focused on playing catch up and isn’t focused on being the innovators they once were. But more than likely apple will sell A MILLION iPhone X’s and a MILLION iPhone 8’s. so what do I know.

see you space cowboy…