
Ask HN: Have Apple lost their way? - brad0
I just finished watching the event. I&#x27;m at a real loss as to what&#x27;s so great about these phones.<p>I&#x27;ve looked online to see if anyone had felt the same but it seems like everyone&#x27;s in awe of these new devices.<p>What am I missing? Does anyone else here think the new iPhones are lacklustre?
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cargo8
It's been years since Apple has started sitting back and raking in the money
by letting other players mostly test out technology on smartphones before they
adopt.

My only major concern with iPhone X is that I don't think FaceID is actually a
valid replacement for TouchID from a usability/convenience perspective – I'll
leave security concerns to the experts. There's just too many situations where
it will definitely be slower and/or someone next to me wants to use my phone
while I'm driving, etc etc

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warrenm
They're the same thing Apple does on every new iPhone iteration: take the
cream of the crop from elsewhere, plus improvements on their own tech, and
make it all Just Work™

The LTE-enabled Watch Series 3 is far more interesting, imo

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haney
It definitely feels like they're making evolutionary improvements to existing
product lines that have worked well. Nothing they presented felt
_revolutionary_ in any way, but the bar for progress in changing consumer's
lives is pretty high these days...

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taylodl
Lacklustre? No. Revolutionary? No. They're just phones. They don't really _do_
much more than today's phones do, but then again the new 2018 Mercedes models
coming out don't really do much more than the 2017 models did either. This is
a mature market and it's really incremental changes from here on out.

Having said that, the AirPower was a nice touch - and hey! Apple supported an
existing standard: Qi wireless charging!

I think the biggest news was the Apple Watch Series 3. Finally we have a watch
that would make Dick Tracy proud! It's looking more and more like Apple is
eyeing a future where the watch replaces your phone.

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warrenm
I knew I wasn't the only one who thought that ..
[https://twitter.com/warrenmyers/status/907657766063439873](https://twitter.com/warrenmyers/status/907657766063439873)

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j45
What would be revolutionary in your perspective?

Smartphones existed for a decade before the iPhone came out. They didn't have
a lot of power, but focused on what they could - productivity quite well in
the case of Palm. Tablets have existed even longer.

Maybe we are in an oscillation of technology where the horsepower available is
much higher than what it's being used for (the fight for our attention,
distractions and seeking those doses of novelty).

The opportunity for revolution at present appears to be more in software
experiences, than the hardware itself in smartphones.

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trapperkeeper74
They need to add more Apple-branded app/support in third-party IoT/connected
consumer devices beyond HomeKit and charge a subscription for extra features:
walled-garden beachheads in other gardens.

Also, Apple needs more third-party integrations like replacing the browser,
email and so on.

Finally, there needs to be more ways for third-parties to add jailbroken-like
changes to the system in a nuanced, safe, trusted manner.

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pwinnski
I'm interested in the counter-point. What announcement could have made you
think that Apple has regained their mojo?

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whataretensors
It's an incremental improvement, with some really neat features.

I've owned mac laptops for the last decade, but my next one likely will not be
a mac laptop. Same thing with iOS(already switched on that one).

I think their devices are appealing to the majority and that's maybe not us.

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bbody
It seems nearly every year people ask the same thing.

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stanislavb
YES. They have.

