Boxed chocolates and blind dates
We've all heard that old line, "It's what's on the inside that counts!" I got news for you, Tim. That line only applies to boxed chocolates and blind dates! We all know it's used as consolation. When someone has a "great personality". Apple's strength has always been design and usability. Anyone caring enough about the inside specs would know that iPhone has always been sub-par with it's competitors, even feature for feature. Where Apple and iPhone have succeeded, however, is in creating an ecosystem that just works - and keeping the feeding frenzy alive. That requires more than just speed bumps and some voice control. I mean - who uses that anyway? I'm a tech freak and have used voice activated dialing on and off since the mid '90s, but it is certainly not mainstream. Google has had voice integration in Android a good while now and for Apple to be touting SIRI ( a feature of iOS5 - not iPhone4S), a dual-core A5 processor, and an 8 megapixel camera as the big news at this stage, means they are just catching up to where Android devices have been for months. With new and slimmer designs due out for the holiday shopping season, as well as a few more speed bumps by HTC, LG, Samsung and the rest, as well as screen improvements and other features, Google and its Android Army have a good chance to rake in big in the next few months.
Conspiracy theory or broader market strategy?
This just seems so unlike Apple. I hesitate to believe it has anything to do with Steve jobs leaving the building but one can't deny that a new CEO will have a new style and inherit a lot of baggage.
