The iPhone 5 rumours have been bouncing round the internet since the release of the current generation, but the question I ask is; is it going to be as successful as it's predecessors?
The iPhone 5 is expected around September 2011 after the June/July release dates got de-bunked.
Specification
The iPhone 5 has been rumoured to have a significant upgrade in specification (as expected.) so let's see what's been thrown around the internet and how it compares to recent smart phones;
- 1GHz Dual-Core A5 chip
- 3.7" screen
- Dual Core GPU (Increased graphical performance allowing 1080p output with ease.)
- Improved battery
- NFC (Near Field Communication)
Samsung Galaxy S II Specifications
- 1.2GHz Dual Core Processor
- 4.3 " screen
- Dual GPU (based on a Quad GPU)
- NFC (Near Field Communication)
Right, so as you can see there isn't much difference between the two smart phones (If you want to check out the rest of the Samsung Galaxy S II specifications click here) Keep this in mind for now and I will reference it later on.
Market Share
Smart phones have now been around for a while, and year by year they are increasing in sales. The target audience now has a much wider selection of phones to choose from as well as being a lot more keyed up on the area, how does this effect apple?
Market Share 2008/2009
Market Share 2008/2009
This table indicates Apple are in for a comfortable 2010 where more growth is only expected.
Market Share 2010
According to this source iOS (Apple's OS) market share went from 13.0% to 14.2% an improvement of 1.2 %, whilst this may show signs of them not slowing down, if you compare previous years of other OS's then a different story will emerge. For example, Android went from 1.8% in 2009 and then rocket past the iOS in 2010 with a massive 17.2% world market share.
Make of that what you will, but I believe their grasp on the market is only getting looser and looser, I have several theories to back that statement up and explain why it's happening;
Limitations
As the general public are learning about smart phones and what they are capable off, they are also becoming aware of the iPhone's OS limitations and how restricted it is.
I believe that more general research is done before making a choice of what smartphone to purchase and believe many will being to realise they may be better off with a more "open" OS.
Limits can be annoying!
Price
With the vast variety of smart phones now available, apple really have to be competitive with their pricing, but everyone knows that their phones come with a nice premium on-top. I don't think as many people will be prepared to pay this any more.
Less are willing to fork out the premium!
Performance
According to the expected specifications the iPhone 5 isn't going to offer anything new over phones that are getting released this very day! Those tired of waiting, may get too tired and look into other options.
It's no longer a one horse race
Not a Gimmick
The iPhone is no longer a party trick that people pull out to impress their mates, the iPhone has been around for a while and whilst it's been updated and improved, people are becoming bored of them.
OMG, that was so 2007
Conclusion
Whilst the iPhone 5 will be a fantastic piece of technology that will entail plenty of sales, it has some real competition.
I believe it will still be a financial success as always, but not in the greatest of bounds like the previous generations, they will need to work harder to get the same results and as generations pass, I believe their grasp on the market will only get looser and looser.
What are your thoughts?
Do you think the iPhone 5 will be a success or fail? Don't forget to give your reasoning!
Follow for the latest news,reviews and discussions!
Do you think the iPhone 5 will be a success or fail? Don't forget to give your reasoning!
Follow for the latest news,reviews and discussions!
Thanks for reading
Technical-Gaming
