iPhone 5 Haters Gonna Hate

"Sorry, people, but this boring iPhone 5 does not meet my expectations."

If you’ve been following the immediate reactions to the iPhone 5 announcement in the tech media, you would think that a refreshed iPhone 4GS had been released instead of an overhauled 5, resulting in a crushing disappointment among smartphone users.

Wired : “utterly boring.”

BBC: “Apple’s iPhone launches no longer excite.”

If you imagine these op-ed pieces being spoken by Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons, you start to put a face on the unimpressed iPhone 5 hater.

It’s perplexing that the term “boring” has been used so frequently to describe the new iPhone — perplexing enough to stop, take an account of the new iPhone 5 features, and try to figure out where the “iPhone 5 hate” is coming from.

Did iPhone users get a larger screen? Yes, they did — albeit in a different form than most smartphone users are used to. Instead of expanding the iPhone 5′s screen proportionally, it was elongated. And while early reactions to this move were mixed at best, when you consider that Apple upped the ante on iPhone 5 graphics alla its impressive retina display, it’s clear that the thinking here was not to expand the display in a tablet-like manner (most likely because the iPad Mini is on its way). But the larger, elongated screen should not be an abject disappointment for users — it isn’t as if Apple reprised its now-tiny 3,5-inch screen, right? Besides which, the new iPhone might have one of the most unique displays in the entire smartphone market now.

Where else might the iPhone 5 have come up short?

How about the form factor? It’s true that the iPhone 5 bears some resemblance to the iPhone 4 — especially in terms of its sides and front. But the appearance of the metal back was Apple making good on that long-held rumor. And I like that Tim Cook made a point to say that the phone feels really good in the user’s hand. I’m sure that what contributes to this is the feel of metal and glass together: probably a slightly heavier, sturdier weight, and yet thinner.

Another encouraging revelation is that the iPhone 5 looks a lot prettier than those early-leaked models revealed. Perhaps the early prototypes had not been finished in the way that they are now; the metal and glass seem to blend much more seamlessly.

And as for the form factor bearing a resemblance to the iPhone 4: why wouldn’t it? It’s important to remember that products only get completely revamped when they fail in the marketplace. Are you seeing bigger form factor changes among Android phones? If so, it’s because they don’t sell anywhere near the volume that the iPhone does. Thus, it is in Apple’s best interest to keep the iPhone looking like the iPhone. Nothing else looks like it, and that works for Apple.

How about 4G LTE? We got that. And the A6 chip? We got that, too. And the new dock connector? Check. In-cell technology? You bet. A better camera? Uh-huh. FaceTime that works via mobile network connection? Yep. Plus, all of the iOS 6 software upgrades.

The only thing we might not have gotten was better battery life — though Apple is promising slightly better longevity. We’ll see if that holds up. And we didn’t get NFC/iWallet — but frankly, the tech community still isn’t even sold on iWallet, anyway.

With all this in mind, why are there iPhone 5 haters out there? How exactly is the iPhone 5 coming up short for mobile users?

Personally, I think the answer has nothing to do with the iPhone 5. Instead, it has more to do with the cultural phenomenon that is the iPhone, and the unrealistic expectations that manifested in the 2+ years wait for it to be released. Because the tech community had such a long time to stew over what the iPhone 5 would be, the reality could never live up to the expectation. After all, Apple is never going to completely reinvent the wheel when it comes to the iPhone; so long as it is the leading single smartphone in the world, even the overhauls are going to bear some resemblance to the original.

The iPhone 5 hate is also a sad reflection on how a consumer product simply cannot fill some people’s voids. you’ve heard me wax poetic on how inventions like the iPhone have had profound impacts on society. That being said, it is still only a consumer product; its announcement and release never promised to do any more than offer us another round of Apple quality and ingenuity.

In the end, iPhone 5 haters gonna hate. Unfortunately, many of them are in the tech media, and whether the iPhone 5 really, truly let them down, or they just need a juicy angle to write about, we should guard against taking their word for it. For two years, we followed the rumors and mostly agreed that the rumored features, if true, would be grand. Well, the vast majority of those rumors came true. Let’s enjoy them now that they are a reality.

 
By Michael Nace
 

Source : iphone5newsblog[dot]com