I have been carrying one of the new iPhone 14 models with me for the past couple of weeks. When I meet up with friends who are unaware of consumer tech, they will ask how work is going. I pulled the phone out of my bag.
I said I was testing the new phones. My friend nodded politely as I continued.
The feature is called Dynamic Island. Here, let me show you a timer and let you know when it's over.
It's because of the sub-pixel array. At this point in the presentation, my friend is looking around the room for a quick look at how it feels like a hardware feature.
When I talk about the new operating system, the reaction is very different. I showed my husband how to copy and paste a photo of our cat after he saw the demo of the new phone. His response was, how do I get that?
My husband and most of my friends aren't what I would call consumer-tech-savvy, but I think even people with a mild interest in mobile technology would agree that this year's iPhone are boring.
That is the most direct way to say it. The 14 Pro and Pro Max are interesting, but more so because they are a kind of blueprints for the future of the iPhone. Some hardware and software problems can be solved with the Dynamic Island. Its job is to blend into your experience so you don't notice it much after a while.
Incremental new features that improve the experience of using your device are what we are currently seeing with phone hardware. It isn't supposed to impress you. The thing is supposed to work.
Software tricks feel more real. A feature that my friends will use every day on the next iPhone they buy in two or three years is not very interesting, but copying and pasteing a photo cutout of their cat with the phone they already own is more exciting. It's the same for the always on display. It will be something we all get used to in a few years. A new lock screen that shows a photo of your child is more impressive.
It may seem obvious. A lot of iPhone owners will get a new version of the device in the fall. It seems more pronounced this year than in the past. This year's iPhones feature minor upgrades over last year's models, whileiOS 16 provides more dramatic, dare I say fun, new features than other OS version upgrades in recent history The new lock screens are great. There are photo cutouts. It's possible to save a relationship by editing after you send it. Everyone can appreciate that, even if you don't upgrade every year.
Most of us will probably carry around a slab-style phone. The only phones that felt like they would fundamentally change my relationship with my phone were the Z flip 4 and the Z fold 4. I will be the one starting conversations with: "So, have you downloaded the latest version of the operating system?" I'm going to show you something about it.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
