The Mill, the Spyglass and the Butler
I remember almost all keynotes made by Steve Jobs in the past decades. Well, probably not most. What I truly remember though was the sheer excitement I experienced as every other Apple enthusiast did, I figure, before each keynote. Most of the time, we made wild guesses or wishful thoughts about what was to be revealed. Every time, we were stunned by what Steve and Apple had announced. Our minds were blown away.
There was no way we could have imagined what Apple revealed. Their policy of secrecy was infallible: no one ever broke her word. Of course, some did; but the extent of their treason was infinitesimal.
The Mill
Nowadays, things have changed. For the worst. Usually, for months before each event, the so-called rumor mills are running at full speed and grind every bit of information. Apple’s policy of secrecy is relentlessly trampled by cohorts of careless asians1.
What we’ve witnessed today is the best and saddest example: the rumor mills have unrelentingly scrutinized the many reports issued by usual suppliers of iPhone components, trying to make bits and pieces of a purported new iPhone design.
As usual, many have fallen, benumbed, into their trap. Most people thought Apple would unveil a revolutionary iPhone 5 with an extraordinary new design and magical features. Twaddles.
Last week, I weighted wether or not I’d write an essay on what I expected to see today. I backed out because I find it foolish to speculate on rumors. Truth is, I guessed it right.
Seventeen months ago, Apple unveiled the iPhone 4. Praised and acclaimed2, it accounts today for half the iPhones in the world. In other words, three percent of the phones out there in the world are iPhones 4. It may not seem much, but given the mind-boggling number of phone models, it now seems outstanding that a phone unveiled less than eighteen months ago is accounting for three percent of the whole phone industry!
The iPhone 4 is the best phone ever. Period. I bet my wednesday sandwich that 99% of iPhone 4 owners would say the same.
So, sure, you may feel deceived by Apple and this dull announcement. But, as my friend Emanuel Sà tweeted:
Guys, understand the 4 as it is, is still on the top of its game, a 4S is a welcome update. Let the 5 come when it can bring something new.
The biggest letdown today, in my opinion, is that the joy I usually experienced before and during keynotes is now extinct. I blame the rumor mills.
The Spyglass
Admittedly, the new iPhone 4S doesn’t bring much to the game. Yes, it does sport an all-new, over-performing Apple A5 chip. But it’s the same as the iPad 2’s.
However, Apple has put the emphasis on the camera side of the iPhone. The 4S has an unbelievably great new sensor and optics for a device this size. Looking at the specs, it does look like a serious contender to most point-and-shoot cameras.
During the keynote, Apple bragged about the iPhone’s number one position on Flickr. While I have my doubt about Flickr’s relevance nowadays, it sure is an impressive feat. I have to admit the iPhone 4 takes great shots most of the time.
“Most of the time”. Paint me dubious when a company advertises a jump of 3MP on such a tiny sensor as an extraordinary leap on image quality. Being an amateur photographer, I have my fair share of knowledge on the topic: no matter how hard you try to squeeze as many MPs on a sensor, if its size stays this small the image quality will not improve. Sensor size matters for color and light. As a rule of thumb, small sensor = less light = more noise. I do not know how much an improvement their “next-generation backside illumination sensor” is, but I don’t think it alleviates the laws of physics.
Discarding the doubts I have on the sensor, the optics Apple decided to use on the 4S will probably make for most of the performance improvements. A noticeably larger aperture, ƒ2.4 here, will allow for more light to come into the sensor, and for a narrower depth of field when focused on close subjects, creating this charming blurred background we call bokeh.
All in all, these changes probably make the iPhone 4S the best point-and-shoot camera ever sold. And I didn’t even talk about the software (like HDR, image enhancement, tap to focus, shot-to-shot speed).
The Butler
Most importantly, Apple unveiled the result of a purchase it made back in Spring 2008: Siri.
Think of it as your personal assistant, your own chic butler. Hold the home button, ask a question and Siri will answer you. From what I’ve seen, it seems versatile and efficient. Straightforward. No fuss.
(I’d like to apologize: it is getting late where I live and I want to get this piece published tonight. I originally had lots of things to say about Siri, but my mind has decided not to let me do it properly. Words escape and nonsensical thoughts invade my mind. I. Need. Sleep. I’ll probably update this piece tomorrow, so do not hesitate to come back here later on.)
I am not too happy about Apple’s decision to restrict Siri to the iPhone 4S, but I understand their need to find incentives for their customers to buy the newer, more expensive iPhone instead of the year-old one.
Final word
The iPhone 4 is the best phone in the world, and so is the iPhone 4S now. Despite the lack of a shiny new encasing and the dull number of new features, this phone is still years ahead of the competition.
And next time, try not to pay to much attention to the rumor mills: in the end, you’d be much better off with the excitement of a keynote and the announcement of a new product, like old times!
Oh, and one last thing… You know what has changed since Tim does the keynote instead of Steve? No more wood in the charts. That is the end of an era.