Apple's iPhone Woes Continue as Speed Gaps Widen
Apple (AAPL) has had its hands full with speed and performance issues on older models of the iPhone, but new data suggests those problems aren’t isolated to just a few outlier units. A report from Daring Fireball’s John Gruber cites research from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that shows significant speed declines between iPhone models going back to the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus.
Reviewing the state of this generation
This generation of iPhones has been plagued with problems, from the bendgate scandal to the #antennagate fiasco. And now, it seems that speed is becoming an issue. According to Kuo, the iPhone 6s is up to 50% slower than its predecessor, the iPhone 6. And the gap between the iPhone 6s and the upcoming iPhone 7 is expected to be even wider. This is becoming a trend for Apple - releasing slower phones with each new generation. What's even more troubling is that these speed discrepancies are only going to become more pronounced in future generations. So what can Apple do to fix this problem? It appears they may release two iPhones later this year: the iPhone Pro and a cheaper model called the iPhone SE. The SE will feature last year's design (although some speculate it will resemble the iPad Mini), but still pack all of last year's power, which should help close some of those performance gaps. Still, some consumers may not want to buy last year's phone when next year’s phone just came out. It also doesn't seem like many people care about performance when buying an iPhone; if anything, they just want something fast enough to keep up with their lifestyles - especially when they're paying $1,000+ for one! I'm wondering if the real culprit here is iOS 11. After all, Apple introduced a number of major changes to iOS 11 that resulted in worse battery life for most devices running it. Maybe their focus on keeping things sleek led them to make sacrifices on other aspects of the operating system, such as performance. As always, time will tell! We'll see how well iPhone sales go after the holiday season ends.
Comparing last year's 5S model with this year's iPhone XR
It's no secret that Apple's iPhone sales have been struggling lately. And according to well-respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, things are only going to get worse. In a research note obtained by MacRumors, Kuo says that the speed differences between Apple's flagship iPhone models and its more affordable options are now the norm. He goes on to say that this year's 5.8-inch iPhone XS is up to 70% faster than the 6.1-inch iPhone XR, while the 6.5-inch iPhone XS Max is up to 80% faster. The 2019 iPhones will also be at least 30% faster than the 2018 ones. However, if you compare last year's 5S model with this year's iPhone XR, it becomes clear that these gaps are significantly wider. The difference in performance is about 45%. That means for many users who upgrade every two years, their new device will feel sluggish compared to what they had before (even though it may still be slightly quicker). If anything, this report seems to make it even clearer why so many people prefer the larger screen of the XS Max over the other offerings from Apple. But because of the high price tag, most consumers can't afford it. The biggest takeaway here is that if you're an iPhone owner looking to upgrade your phone soon, it might not be worth upgrading just yet--at least not until next year when we know more about the 2020 lineup! You could instead save some money by picking up a cheaper phone or tablet; or hold off on making the purchase altogether.
Looking at the next-generation A12 Bionic chip
As Apple looks to the future with its next-generation A12 Bionic chip, it seems that the company is struggling to keep up with the competition. The new chip is said to be up to 20 percent slower than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, which is used in many of the latest Android flagship smartphones. Even more worrying for Apple is that the A12 Bionic is also said to be slower than last year's A11 Bionic chip. This means that the speed gap between Apple's iPhones and Android smartphones is only going to get wider in the future. Apple’s continued reliance on legacy features such as Touch ID are no longer enough to distinguish the company from competitors who are moving towards newer technologies like Face ID and voice assistants. For a long time, consumers were willing to buy into the idea that spending a bit more money on an iPhone would be worth it because they were getting a better product overall. But now, as we move into 2019, Apple has lost this advantage. Not only is the iPhone becoming increasingly outclassed by other phones, but Apple is also falling behind when it comes to emerging technologies like voice assistants and face recognition.
Innovation isn't happening at Apple anymore; other companies are pushing ahead while Apple remains stagnant. It doesn't seem likely that things will change anytime soon: reports say that Apple doesn't have any major new products coming out until 2020 or 2021 at the earliest. With sales slowing down, there's little indication that anyone will want to buy another expensive iPhone unless there's something big coming soon. And given how long it takes Apple to release anything new, that might not happen anytime soon. Without innovation, all Apple can rely on is their stellar customer service--but even that may not save them. So what does this mean for Apple? In the short term, it means lots of phone returns and refunds. Longer term, we'll see if people continue to turn away from buying iPhones altogether or if they decide to just wait out this slump. Ultimately, people are still buying high-end phones from other brands instead of waiting around for Apple to introduce something good again--and that's not good news for Cupertino.
Wondering if it is worth upgrading to iPhone XS Max from last year's 8 Plus model
If you're considering upgrading to Apple's newest flagship phone, the iPhone XS Max, from last year's 8 Plus model, you may want to think twice. According to well-respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, speed gaps between the two models are now the norm. In other words, if you're used to the snappy performance of your 8 Plus, you may be disappointed with the slower speeds of the XS Max. The latest phones have an A12 Bionic chip that is more powerful than the A11 Bionic chip in the 8 Plus and previous phones, but they also use a different type of memory than before. The new memory is supposed to help alleviate power consumption by making things run faster, but it also leads to delays in performing tasks and switching apps when compared with previous iPhones. Even worse, the long delays in loading videos on the website can't be fixed because of a lack of control over how video files are rendered. So unless you absolutely need the larger screen size for reading or video viewing (or want all three colors), consider getting an older model instead.
Assessing whether a person should get an older model or wait for next year's models
If you're in the market for a new iPhone, you may be wondering whether to get an older model or wait for next year's models. Here are some things to considerconsider how much you use your phone; how often and how long it is in use; what features you want; and which carrier/s might offer discounts or trade-in offers. It also matters if you need the latest updates to software like iOS 11.3 with its battery health management tool and bug fixes, so make sure your device is up-to-date with that latest release. And even more importantly, think about how much storage space you'll need: How many apps do you download? Do you take lots of photos? Is all your music stored on the phone? Or can it be stored externally on a memory card?
Taking a side by comparing whether a person should get an Android phone in general
It seems like every other day there’s a new story about how Apple is falling behind in the smartphone race. First, it was battery life. Then, it was performance. Now, it’s speed. According to well-respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, wider speed gaps between the flagship iPhone and cheaper Android phones are now the norm. In other words, if you want the best performing phone, you’re no longer going to find it in an iPhone. You’ll find it in a Galaxy or a Pixel. And that’s a big problem for Apple. If people don't see the benefits of paying $1,000 or more for their next iPhone over cheaper alternatives running Google's operating system, then they're likely to stick with what they have. And according to statistics from analysts at Morgan Stanley, 13% of consumers who bought an Android phone over the past year plan on sticking with it next time around. That's bad news for Apple, which needs those customers to buy its newest iPhones in order to grow revenue. Even worse: An even higher percentage - 17% - of former iPhone owners say they'll switch back to Android. If current trends continue, it won't be long before many people abandon iPhones altogether and go back to using Samsung smartphones because they offer comparable (if not better) features at lower prices.
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