Embarrassed
Posted: September 19, 2012 Filed under: explanations, history, rants, tech | Tags: blogs, ios, iphone 5, tech 36 Comments »There’s something strange that’s been happening in the world of tech as hotly anticipated products (primarily of the Apple variety) near launch: the world finds out about them long before they’re unveiled.
I think the entire phenomenon is so strange. When kids are young and looking forward to a hot new toy, they sometimes try to approximate its presence in their lives by creating an ersatz model to take the place of the real thing until they can actually touch, hold, and use the real thing. Strangely, this is happening with increasing frequency to the iPhone. The tech world is so hungry for anything iPhone that they will contract graphic designers to create 3D models of the new gadgets, and even go so far as to build full physical models.
The noise is deafening.
Post after post featuring blurry component photos hits the interwebs, and the tech press gobbles them up like bacon-stuffed donuts. Most folks don’t follow tech blogs, don’t really have a pressing desire to know the internal layout of new gadgets, feel no need to really seek this stuff out. They read what falls in their lap and, usually, are better and more sane because of it.
Then the device hits, and it elicits “yawns” from the peanut gallery because they’ve already seen it all. They make sweeping (often literally global) statements about the reception of the product, about the excitement it’s generated, etc. Their actions are, again, childish, just like the kid whose favorite team gets eliminated from the playoffs really early and starts claiming that no one likes [insert sport here] anymore, anyway.
Ultimately, they’re embarrassed.
Who wouldn’t be? Their phones are either knock-offs or faked. The real deal is just that, and consumers know the difference. Companies will try to illustrate how their products “stack up” against Apple’s iPad, or iPhone, or whatever, but it ultimately just makes them look, again, juvenile. I can make a checklist that makes me look like the best human being ever compared to random people on the street. I could create a checklist of the features of a raw, uncooked potato, and compare it to all the features of a slice of deep-dish Chicago pizza, but comparing those two things would make no sense. “Grows in the ground”, “Has eyes”, “Will sprout if placed in water” are all “features” of the potato that the pizza doesn’t have, but who really cares? I’ll take the pizza thankyouverymuch.
Which leads me back to my point. The leaked specs, the feature parity, the checklists, etc. are all meaningless in the face of true user experience and the whole package.
A guy I know had his iPhone run over by a car. It was absolutely destroyed, which was sad for him. He was contemplating purchasing a replacement, but decided to wait it out until his contract was up for renewal so he could purchase a new iPhone 4S. In the meantime, someone gave him a Motorola Droid RAZR (or whatever it’s called…these things have the weirdest names). He ditched the Droid in favor of an iPhone 3G. You read that right. He disliked the Droid user experience so much that he went with a molasses-slow (comparatively) phone, simply because the overall user experience was so superior. When you’re on the losing team, shouting really loudly and making a lot of noise is still fun, sure, but it doesn’t win you ball games. Just ask Cubs fans.
At any rate, it’s clear that people are jazzed about the iPhone 5, and all these “yawn” reactions are just the tech news equivalent of Cubs fans getting uppity. People will choose good design and a fluid, beautiful user experience over checklists and noise.
As they say, it doesn’t take a genius.
The people who make all this hi-tech stuff watch how the politicians do it.
Politicians leak stuff they figure will best sell them to the voters.
I guess marketing phones is not all that different, but maybe sometimes they get it wrong.
http://cartoonmick.wordpress.com/editorial-political/
Cheers
Mick
Haha, you might enjoy this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rdIWKytq_q4
(Jimmy Kimmel hits the streets with the soon-to-be-”outdated” iPhone 4S, tells passersby it’s the new iPhone 5, gauges reactions, and palm-to-forehead hilarity ensues.)
I love this! It also paints a pretty bleak picture of the opposite end of the spectrum: being completely uninformed.
Jury’s still out on which is worse, but I feel like we all know which one is more entertaining
I generally refuse to sign cell phone contracts, or buy ridiculously expensive phones that will get destroyed in tragic ways so I am definitely not a part of this world.
Hey man, it takes all types. None of my phones have ever experienced such a fate, but I hear where you’re coming from. As materials improve, chance of “tragic” failure decreases.
Sadly, if you own a car, kitchen appliances, lawn care equipment, etc., then you’re probably already participating in the world you’re trying to move away from. It’s hard to break away from that.
Since WordPress doesn’t have a “carrier pigeon” plug-in, I can safely assume that you viewed this and commented on it using a computer. I would classify that as “part of this world”
Don’t worry though! It’s not so bad here.
I don’t hate it, cellphones are just fairly fragile in my experience. I’m happy with my relatively cheap android and I’ll use it until it stops working.
Ah, you’re so right. But it’s not just an iPhone thing, although iPhone does bring it out in people. I think the media is like this across the board – monkeys on a wire, and he who chatters first chatters best. May not make much sense or be factually correct, but what the hey… Also, as far as I can see, the world of smartphone users is fracturing along iPhone / Android lines. For some reason, there are people who take pride in using clunky, awkward interfaces. I know people, believe it or not, who refuse iPhones. Something about ‘corporate control’. Well, I’m not in it for the philosophy. But I am there for the good design and intuitive interface.
So you know what? If there’s ever a day that android systems are as good, I’d be happy to try one.
PS, great blog name.
Agreed. Anything with significant cultural weight is going to draw eyeballs (Remember the recent Aol debacle? Their writers were effectively told that their content was irrelevant in the face of attention-grabbing headlines featuring culturally relevant buzzwords that would generate clicks, page views, and, thus, ad revenue.), and eyeballs=cash.
The fracturing along OS lines is dangerous, I think. I think Apple’s hardware, software, support, and the hard-to-pin-down feeling that users get when all of those are combined are impossible for any other manufacturer to replicate right now. That being said, there may come a day (not for the foreseeable future) when Apple’s products lose relevance and slip. I think their top-notch design, engineering, and software teams will make sure that doesn’t happen for a long time. Now imagine, given the caliber of products being shipped by all manufacturers right now, what the product that takes the new throne will look and feel like. I have a hard time with that because we can all hold the future in our hands right now.
How will today’s future take shape? How will that feel? Who will usher the new era in?
Price point and accessibility will determine how a lot of people choose their phones. In these conditions, it would be very easy to imagine Apple becoming a niche product again. Apple aren’t exactly the Ikea of technology in terms of a price point for everyone, but let’s hope they have the courage of their convictions and aren’t swayed too much when the inevitable share price slide turns the AGMs vicious. That’s the true test of management vision.
True that, but they can compete on the low end with older tech; today’s iPhone 4 costs $0 with a new contract. Even IKEA’s prices are non-zero.
Excellent point. Well presented
HAHA!!!Nice one there!!!All those talks about iphone 5 and finally a post about the anatomy of those talks!:)
I think that our most popular technology speaks volumes about our cultural values.
Why do people care about phones? They value mobility, social connectivity, and simplicity. Any meaningful discussion will eventually touch on those points, and the technology that develops in the next 5-10 years will be a natural extension of those values. We may begin to shift away from mobile computing in its current paradigm (hand-held devices) and perhaps towards wearable computers (a la Google Glass, or the “Sight” concept video that was released a number of weeks ago).
Ultimately, designers will take their cues from what our society tells them is important. Our job is to hang on for the ride.
As a fifty-something, I don’t get the hype. I prefer to TALK on my cell phone instead of keying cryptic text only those in the know would know. I refuse to abbreviate, and prefer the flow of FULL words, with all their rhythm and emotion. I also like to respond with a full-sized keyboard. It pains me to receive an email sent from a brilliant person from their iPhone with misspellings and, what appears to be, gibberish written by a third grader. However, my teenaged daughter has forced me kicking and screaming into the text world, and there is something to be said for its mobile immediacy. When my current contract is up, I may act in a lemming-like way and follow the crowd to the i-5 ……………….. again, kicking and screaming. From a non techy, good post and congratulations!
Thanks!
Your point is well-taken, but I’d like to take this opportunity to parse your thoughts, as I see them, into two distinct arguments. The first is the perceived correlation between increased mobile device usage and language “degradation”, and the second is, as you call it, the “immediacy” of the mobile experience.
I think the equation of mobile communication and poor grammar is a sign that our language is still alive. The argument that language is falling apart is an old one. Languages that HAVEN’T changed have actually ended up dead (The Unfolding of Language, Guy Deutscher).
The next point, the immediacy of mobile, is more nuanced. For some, that immediacy is jarring or invasive. For others, it simply gives them a broader and more diverse set of tools to tackle the important things in their lives. Communication, apprehension of information, and the agility to pivot based on the aforementioned qualities CAN be enhanced, but only if the user is able and willing to make use of a new set of tools.
I KNOW you didn’t write your reply on an iPhone — no abbr. or missp. I’m just an old fart trying to wade through this choppy sea of technology. I will say, however, you’d have to shoot me first for me to give up my Kindle. Maybe I’m not that old.
Oh come on! A Galaxy 3 or Sony Experia S slays the iPhone 5 on specs and performance.. All the Apple has is its fading hipster cache.
That’s exactly my point–specs don’t matter anymore. What’s the overall experience? How does the user feel?
Saying “This one goes to 11″ is no longer a selling point. What do the numbers mean? The OSs are different, each employing its own lexicon. A person using the phone isn’t actively thinking about how many clock cycles are required to display his or her photos on the screen, nor how much RAM the phone has.
For this same reason, users who played the “spec game” have, for years, experienced the distinct dichotomy between the numbers on the box, and how it feels to use it. Manufacturers have also been gaming that system for years.
I would argue that specs matter in servers and supercomputers, but with little else.
So people are happy to pay good money for an inferior product? Really, such people should be culled from earth as being too stupid for their own good!
In order for this discussion to be fruitful, we need to define the highly subjective term “inferior”. I value a high-quality user experience, which other products simply don’t deliver. As such, my view of iOS devices is “superior”. I have used lots of other devices, and have ultimately found their UX lacking or immature.
Thus, I purchase products that I feel best using, as we all do. Whether you feel best purchasing a phone that was inexpensive and functional, or sneakers that match your wardrobe best, you’re purchasing products that you feel best about.
So it has nothing to do with an objective assessment of what is a good product, it has has to do with the vanities and whims of the consumer?
To illustrate my point, I will ask you to look no further that your own refrigerator and pantry. Do you own any candy? Mayonnaise? Chips? Foods like broccoli and cucumbers are “objectively” better, so I would assume, by your statement, that you only consume those types of foods.
Or…maybe you don’t. I’m going to hazard a fuss and say that you have, at some point, eaten those foods.
People consume lots of chips, cookies, and candy every day. Why? Because they taste good. They prefer the taste of certain foods to others. Pizza vs. salad, steamed vegetables vs. deep-fried chicken wings, and so on. Some people may prefer the flavor of some foods to others, but feel worse after eating them (whether psychologically or physically), so they stay away.
This is an extreme example, of course. Eating an excess of certain foods can lead to a range of physiological problems that are difficult to undo. Choosing one phone over another will not have such an extreme effect upon a person’s life.
Furthermore, “objective” analysis is robbed of context. Looking at a set of statistics or specifications side by side only gives me a portion of the total picture. One phone may have a larger battery, but also use a processor that is extremely power hungry. The combination of components yields an experience that is inferior to the “better” phone. Alternatively, a phone may technically have lots of cellular connectivity options, but the means by which it achieves its connectivity may be buggy or unreliable. Again, an inferior experience.
This is why specifications carry less meaning and are increasingly arbitrary. A statement like “phone 1 has X and phone 2 has Y, and X>Y, thus phone 1 is better” lacks context. “Better for some people” or “better for people who value X” is a more accurate and true statement.
The mars rover, Curiosity, has objectively inferior components, even when compared to modern phones. Why did NASA choose those components? Because they accomplished the tasks that they needed the rover to accomplish the best.
Quite true for most of the media reactions indeed, but for my part I yawn simply because it is yet another release of a product that is hopelessly expensive and for which I don’t really see any need. I’m sure it’s nice, and fast, and user-friendly, and the greatest smartphone ever, sure.
I just don’t get the hype. If you need a phone and have money to spare, ok, go ahead and buy one, why not ? For my part, I’ll stick to my good old Nokia dumb-phone (with its great user experience) to call or text my friends. Which is more than enough to arrange a meet and talk face to face.
I’d rather do my best to be smart myself, and let my phone just be… a phone.
I guess I’m just old.
No, your approach is exactly right. You, like the man who has eaten 10,000 McDonald’s Big Mac sandwiches, have found something that enriches your life in exactly the ways you need it to. Your needs aren’t mine, nor are my needs my friend’s.
I’m not arguing that everyone needs to rush out and and purchase an iPhone. The “yawn” factor comes from too much anticipation. People do this with lots of things–events (my birthday is coming up! I hope it’s really great!), feelings (I want the moment to be PERFECT), food (oh man, that looks AWFUL). Ultimately, they end up disappointed because they’ve envisioned something that isn’t there, judged it before it is immediately present to them, and, when it is present, they dismiss it because it’s old hat.
Ultimately, my argument has ALWAYS been that good tech should augment and support your lifestyle, not hinder it. Naturally, there are times when learning new things is healthy, but difficult. In these cases, maybe a smartphone can help make your life better, but only you can be the judge of that.
Your blog is too funny. I wonder how many cubbys were in line to today to get their new iPhone! http://www.segmation.wordpress.com
Thank you! Now I can explain why I prefer my iPhone even if I can’t boast about its technical superiority.
This was entertaining and humorous. I think it should be a known fact that the iPhone is the superior smart phone. It’s not a debatable matter and it’s not any hint of superiority, (I own an iPhone) it’s just simply the most user-friendly and reliable software out there. End of story. I liked your comparison of Apple yawners to Cubs fans. Well played and great post.
I love that you write about how when we are younger we try to approximate how something new will impact our lives. It really made me think about the things I wanted when I was younger and the things I look forward to now, i.e. new tech gadgets that aren’t that different from the previous tech gadgets I got a few months prior… Thanks for the thoughtful post!!
Thanks for your thoughtful comment!
I haven’t fallen for the iPhone yet as I’m fine with my BB (a dying brand yes)… One day maybe! Congrats on being FP!
Thanks so much!
I have a couple friends who are still Blackberry faithful, and they work fine for their needs. When it comes to wants, however, it appears that the Blackberry tends to leave them, well…wanting. The app ecosystem on iOS (and increasingly on Android) is simply so robust and expansive that it’s hard to pass up.
I agree! My kids and friends have the iPhone and the Android and the apps are simply phenomenal… Even the photo shooting quality is fab. I know… I’m edging there slowly.
Congrats on being FPressed! 
Congrats on being Freshly Pressed!
I see that someone’s already alerted you to Jimmy Kimmel’s take on this issue.
Eh, I don’t follow the masses… I still rock my LG Dare! Yeah…nonconformist here… I try!
The fact that anything, no matter how techno it is, gets so common and talked about, totally puts me off off it…. how can we all possibly running after the same one thing…. either just buy any regular fone out there serving purpose, if u r so damn particular about being the first to buy the latest and hittest then probably just something as exclusive as porsche, so atleast ur individuality shows…. we r such sheep in a herd… following one another like crazy….
I really don’t agree.
Broad brush-stroke statements like that are typically false and don’t serve anyone well. Following your logic:
Bicycle enthusiasts shouldn’t ever buy bikes that are comfortable or perform well, since any ratty bike can do just fine.
Chefs shouldn’t enjoy quality knives, since they can just go out and buy a knife from anywhere and it will cut something.
Woodworkers and carpenters should have no need for tools made to exacting specifications, since any tools will do what they need them to do.
What you’re arguing for: a one-size-fits-all approach to all things in life, really doesn’t take into account any one person’s needs or wants.
I don’t like using Android phones, so why would I purchase one? There are also free iPhones…why didn’t you get one of those? Your purchase reflects your values, but your justification is sorely lacking.
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