Tim Cook uncharacteristically announced recently that the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) this June will be the launch point for the new version of Apple mobile phone software, iOS 7. Rumors had swirled like a tornado dancing with a hurricane that John Ive....sorry, Sir John Ive, would have a major role in the development of the new iOS, favoring simplicity. Previous iterations were well known for incorporating real-world looking elements, such as a lined paper display for 'Notes' and a felt poker table appearance for 'Game Center.' That will certainly come to a screeching halt very soon, but what other changes or updates can we expect?
I believe many die-hard followers are not optimistic for a major software change. I assume Tim Cook will try to emphasis how amazing the software already is in it's present state, and they want to make it even better (I will bet big Monopoly money that line is spoken at some point in the keynote). A new look will certainly be welcomed, but drastic changes would be a mistake.
Apple's success with the original iPhone was multi-faceted. First, they had a monopoly on the smartphone market because they basically invented it (at least the modern version we know today). Second, Steve Jobs sold this device as a massive miracle of technology that can fit in your pocket. Third, and most important these days, the software was simple, powerful and intuitive. Every iteration has built upon the success of the original iOS without drastically changing the usability. iOS 7 MUST be more of the same.
Any company's bottom line is to make money. Apple makes a lot of money. They make so much money, the company is keeping literally millions of dollars on their balance sheets as cold hard cash. That being said, to win over consumers, the company needs to target as many demographics as they can.
I would argue the younger population is almost saturated with smartphones by now (15-30 year olds). Smartphones need to continue to infiltrate the older demographic (say over 30) and the foreign demographic.
Older people can be very hesitant to change anything. That's why our government and the Catholic Church work so slowly. Too many old people in charge. But that's a discussion for another day. Older consumers looking to buy a smartphone want something easy to use that just works. Apple has been preaching that from the beginning and differentiates itself from Android with this philosophy. Even Microsoft sees the value in simple but powerful software with Windows Phone 8. They were just late to the party.
I really believe only an incredibly small percent of Americans actually need Android powered smartphones. Many technology websites chastise Apple for its restrictive control of the App Store, its unwillingness to adopt NFC and larger screen sizes, and the lack of customization of iOS. But 99.999% of Americans just want a smartphone that works and is easy to use. They fact that the iPhone 5 has beautiful build quality is the frosting on the cheesecake which has vaulted the iPhone to the most popular smartphone in the USA.
I look forward to the upgrades in iOS 7. While I am currently testing the awesomeness of the Galaxy Note 2, I will keep my iPhone 5 close by until I know exactly what to expect from WWDC. I don't expect Apple to impress me, but I do expect them to make every iteration better than the last.
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