Today was the huge announcement that so many iPhone fans were waiting for. Many may ask why the rant since I'm obviously a an Android fan (my apps). The reason for the rant has to do with the news coverage. This probably isn't what you may think, please give me a chance on this one.
For months now there has been a lot of speculation about the new iPhone. Apparently all the one who enforced the secrecy died shortly after announcing last year's model. That's right, I personally believe that Steve Jobs was the root of all the secrecy. And I have to admit, from a marketing perspective it worked very well. But this year's announcement was anything but amazing. They got someone to talk softly and walk around on the stage mimicing the late leader. The problem is that everything new on the phone is old news. I'm not just talking about old news when compared to the latest Android devices. I'm talking old news even to Apple circles. There wasn't any surprises even to someone like myself who is a casual observer of the iPhone.
So what has me going already (before the local news is even over)? The fact that the local news felt that they needed to have a 5 minute story about it. They didn't even mention the release of any of the major Android phones! And that is the root of the problem. The news is supposed to be an unbiased source of information yet they don't cover the technology industry that way. They are completely biased toward Apple products. They are saying that the release of the iPhone may save the economy. Really? I don't really think a phone is going to save the economy. But beyond that, how is it that the product that controls less then 1/3 of the wireless market save the economy? Yep, the last time I saw statistics, Apple had roughly 32% of the wireless market with Android dominating with over 50%. There should have been something regarding the very powerful Samsung Galaxy Nexus back in November, or the Samsung Galaxy SIII, or the line of Motorola Razr line that was announced just over a week ago. The S3 and Razr lines all have much more to offer then the latest iPhone. And that doesn't even include the recent HTC announcements.
Most of the features that are now part of iOS have been available on Android for a long time. They may not be built in as Siri is but that makes for competition. And competition is good for the consumer. I'm glad to see that Apple is trying to keep up with the pace of Android, that's what competition is all about. But let's be real, there isn't anything magical or special about the latest iteration.
As I finish this up, the teasers for the world news have just run. They are wondering if the release of the iPhone is going to create American jobs. I can answer that, no. It will create no more jobs then the release of any other smartphone as they are produced in Asia (mostly China) so there isn't a chance it will create real jobs. By real jobs, I am referring to long term jobs that will keep people employed for a long time.
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