New iPhones, Old Technology?

We have all heard about the new iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C, But are they really that new? In this post I will share my opinions on these new phones and what new customers can expect.

First off we can review that the Apple, and the iPhone has come a long way since their debut in 2007. iPhones were the first phones that really got users to use their device as more than just a phone, Apps now came into play and expanded the mobile market to an all time high. While smartphones hold about 56% of the market share for mobile devices Apple comfortable holds around 25% of that share. Here are some points that I think Apple is missing out on.

RFID Technology:

For those of you who haven't heard of RFID technology it is something that Android has been creating a strong market for over the past years. RFID is also known as NFC or Near Field Communication. This started simply as beaming a photo to someone across the table, and has now evolved to using your phone as a credit card at almost any store that has a card scanner.  The iPhone has always been explained as something the is "revolutionary" or that will change the world, But if this is so then why are they excluding a technology which is strongly growing in the past year from their new devices?

IOS 7 Movement Detection Software is old news:

One of the largest selling points to the public in my opinion is the introduction of the movement detection software included in the new IOS 7. The goal of this is that your iPhone will track and store locations you frequent, such as your home or work. With this stored information you can access a screen that will provide information about these locations. For example when I wake up my iPhone can let me know approximately how long it will take me to commute to work given the traffic conditions which are updated with RSS feeds.

I don't know about you but this sound exactly like Google Now to me, which has been out since July of 2012. Looking at the screenshot to the left you can see the same information based off of frequently visited locations.

I think Apple is making a smart decision by including this technology after seeing its success with Android devices, but why exclude RFID?

Fingerprint Scanner:

Here is another example of something that has been done in that past that Apple is claiming to be revolutionary. The fingerprint scanner included in the new iPhone 5S.  The Motorola Atrix was released in 2011 and had a fully functional fingerprint scanner. The fact here is that it never really caught on, it simply just put another security precaution on the phone. For example all iPhones now have added security features such as a pin number unlock, but how many people honestly use that? Will the fingerprint scanner actually catch on with Apples new attempt? It should be interesting to see how this plays out.  

In conclusion I think that many people are very excited for the new iPhones, but I also think that people should step out of their comfort zones and explore additional options outside of Apple devices to find similar technology at a more affordable price. With the 5C introduced as a more "affordable" option for an Apple device it should be interesting to see how the market plays out. Will users chose an Android platform available on multiple devices with the same technology and a little more experience in these new technologies such as RFID and Movement Tracking? Or will they take the leap with Apple as the venture into the market again with their new devices? We will just have to wait and see.

-Alex Maslyn