http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19557497

I've been thinking along the same lines in recent years, but that was when Jobs was still there, so... I'd argue there's not much more we can do with phones short of nano-tech or something

See the post I made elsewhere. Every product cateogory has an initial spurt of innovation, followed by a period of consolidation (then followed by commoditisation, but we're not quite there yet with smartphones). We're now in in that second phase, probably have been for a year or so. Add that to the incessant legal action currently gripping the industry and there's little chance of anything very innovative from anyone from now on, at least as far as smartphones go. We may get chance for changes sake but I doubt we'll get anything that spectacularly better than what we now have in the full range of devices available.

The next 'innovation' in this case will actually be an invention, it will be something entirely or at least significantly new, which the majority of people won't even be able to guess at before it happens. I don't know who is going to do that (if I did, I'd sink my life savings into shares in that company, today) but there's no actual reason to expect it to be one the companies that have been leading the way until now. if anything, it's more likely to be someone new - another step in the IBM - Microsoft - Apple line.

Are Apple 'done' as company? Certainly not. They probably won't be the 'next big thing' but they might be, if they get lucky again. But there's as much chance of us looking at Apple in 10 years the way we now look at IBM as there is of them still being top of the pile.

Nothing lasts forever. We've had what 8 years of a continual waterfall of new things. Eventually, you just run out of new things for there to be in any limited category.

The next step will be in the interaction - we'll have a new paradigm of user interfaces. Remember when WIMP environments appeared? That was an era defining event, and computers have used the same box of tricks from then on. Even the touch devices still use modified WIMP elements, some well, some not so well. It's almost as if they a being clung to for sentimental reasons more than practical.

Apple (and others) have experimented with handwriting recognition (with varying degrees of success), and we now have touch interfaces and speech recognition is starting to become more than a luxury for secretaries. Again, with varying degrees of success.

I feel that we're a being lead, somewhat blindly, to a new device/interface paradigm. I am not expecting to be using a Mac in 10 years' time - or at least if I am it will be in a much reduced capacity to how I use one now. I expect that the development of the tablet computer to have matured, and the UI crinks worked out. How I interact with such a device, I can not predict because I am not in the bowels of Apple, Microsoft or even The Next Big thing, Inc's (a subsidiary of Apple by the time you have finished reading this sentence) futurism department.

As I heard someone say the other day, the new iPhone pre-orders have surpassed those of the iPhone 4S, something has drummed up excitement for this product...

Personally, I don't listen to the rumours and do still get somewhat excited about the events. Last week I made sure I was free for the event so that I could keep up with the live blogs and see what was announced as it happened.

The number of preorders can't be compared unless you know what the like for like numbers. If they are allowing only the same markets to preorder as were able with the 4s then it is a great success. Otherwise the numbers become meaningless but still a bloody big number though.

I think there are actually more markets in the initial 5 rollout than the 4S one. So in theory you're right, the average demand could be lower. However I don't think they are launching in twice as many regions as they did with the 4S, so assuming the story of twice as many orders as the 4S is true, then the average demand is still actually higher - just not actually twice as high.

Of course there's also the point that demand was constrained by supply. The page to order an iPhone 5 in the UK was closed after an hour as they'd 'sold' all the stock they were likely to get in the first three weeks after launch. If they'd had more to sell, who knows if they'dve been able to sell them?

The only thing you can say with some certainty is, regardless of whether it's more per capita than the iPhone 4S (or the galaxy Siii or Google Nexus for that matter), it's an absolute crapton of phones at a premium price. Apple's accountants will be very happy.

As for the whole 'coverage vs public reaction' thing, I've been noticing this in general lots of areas of the tech press recently. I might even have mentioned it in the gaming section for example - there have recently been a couple things happen in the gaming field where the reaction of the specialist media and the reaction of the actual consumer population have been almost diametrically opposed. It makes me wonder more and more if we actually still need a 'tech news press'. I still quite like the 'long form journalism' aspect of it, but it's increasingly true that I know about some event just as soon as the press do, and when I do read their opinion on it I don't really think much of it. When Samsung or Sony or Apple are showing their press conferences live on the web for us to view and make our own minds up about, why do we need a journalist to tell us what we should think about it?

I thought the 4S launch was pretty flat. Certainly in comparison to the iPhone 4 launch.

To have any credibility, they'd have to compare pre-orders for the 5 with pre-orders for the 4. I'm betting that will tell a different story.

The iPhone has matured. So there is little surprise that the device no longer wows in the way that the first did, or the second. On the upside, no one has bitched about the omission of Flash this time round.

Right now, in terms of hardware, I think that the iPhone will increment in little bumps, with software bing more the driving force than the hardware now.

Compulsive upgraders to new technology will be a fairly constant number you'd think, and I guess the number of "new" users (like myself) is going down.

you mean it cant do flash!! ARGGGHH!

Well as long as its not driving you to dudley you should be fine
clicky

There's less excitement beacuse:
1) Jobs is dead. Part of the 'cult' following doesn't exist anymore
2) New iPhones are evolutionary not revolutionary these days.
3) Smart phones cost so much these days, people keep them for longer so there aren't as many new customers in developed countries at one time.

Point 3 is worth noting. If you consider the average contract for a phone is 2 years, the iPhone 5 will be a significant upgrade for those with a 3GS or even an early 4 adopter. People coming out of those contracts are the target.

My previous iPhone was a 3G, and the leap from that to the 4S was quite spectacular. I am not in the market for a 5, or even a 5S (if we are following the pattern here).

I come out of contract with my 4 this month, but I'm undecided about upgrading at the moment.

I'm starting to think I'll stay one gen being in phones now. I can't be doing with £36 contracts with endless minutes I don't need or paying vast amounts for a handset. By the time I'm due an upgrade (Feb) I suspect a new HTC handset will be out and I'll hopefully pick up the then cheaper HTC One X or similar.

Just tweeted pic from someone with an iPhone 5...




That's better than I'm getting with Virgin broadband for 30 quid a month....