iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c from the official promotional video
"We believe that technology is at its very best, at its most empowering, when it simply disappears."
-- Jony Ive, Apple's Senior Vice President of Design
Soon after the September 10th Apple event, three promotional videos were uploaded to Apple's official YouTube channel. These featured the new Touch ID fingerprint recognition feature, the new iSight camera, and an overall introduction to the iPhone 5c. In comparison to the lengthy 85-minute presentation, these three videos undoubtedly represent the "highlights" truly aimed at regular consumers. By 10 a.m., the number of views for the three videos had reached 800,000, 600,000, and 600,000 respectively. From this data, we can roughly gauge where consumer interest lies.
Jony Ive's quote mentioned above comes from the end of the promotional video about Touch ID. In my view, this represents Apple's core competitiveness. At the consumer-facing level, only the use scenarios need to be described; there’s no need for a pile-up of specifications. Although I am a staunch fan of Motorola's engineering culture, I must admit that in the consumer electronics market, Apple's philosophy points in the right direction. Judging by the iPhone 5s, Apple has maintained this philosophy without wavering. However, whether the updates to Touch ID and the iSight camera can reverse the declining trend in public opinion remains uncertain; as for the iPhone 5c, I have little optimism, which will be detailed later.
Touch ID
The first video focuses on the new fingerprint recognition feature, Touch ID. Apple's Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, Dan Riccio, mentions in the video that the fingerprint is one of the best passwords in the world—it is always with you. Apple uses fingerprints to design a simple and seamless password experience. No one doubts the convenience of using fingerprints as passwords, but simultaneously, aside from being portable, fingerprints also have the characteristic of being unchangeable. This characteristic elevates security concerns to a higher level because once leaked, users cannot even modify their original password to render it obsolete.
To reassure consumers, Apple introduced its efforts in security at the end of the video. All fingerprint recognition data will be encrypted and stored on the latest A7 processor, in a completely isolated storage area accessible only by the Touch ID service for reading or modification. No other software applications can directly access this data, and no Apple services or iCloud synchronization will store these fingerprint data. The characteristics of isolation and single-access channels guarantee the security of fingerprint recognition from a technical perspective, but we still do not know how the encryption logic of fingerprint recognition and password encryption will be designed. For instance, if someone jokingly sets an incorrect fingerprint or if a finger injury causes the fingerprint to be unrecognizable, how would the user unlock the fingerprint encryption? If it can be bypassed through a password, then the advantage of fingerprints over traditional passwords exists solely in convenience.
Setting aside security issues, according to the official promotional video, fingerprints can be used to unlock the phone and make purchases on the App Store and iTunes Store. After completing the initial step of fingerprint registration through multiple identifications, users can activate this function. Based on the video, the tolerance for the angle at which users place their fingers is quite high, and the elimination of the sliding requirement makes the process relatively effortless. The Atrix 4G (Chinese model ME860) launched by Motorola at CES in 2011 also featured a fingerprint recognition function, considering ergonomic issues in its design by placing it at the top and forming it into an inclined surface suitable for sliding. However, two problems existed: on one hand, unlocking still required pressing once to light up the screen before sliding to unlock, making the operation inconvenient after the novelty wore off; on the other hand, the tolerance for the direction of the sliding finger during unlocking was insufficient, requiring users to maintain a specific posture, adding an extra burden.
As described earlier, Apple has resolved the second issue regarding tolerance well, while the first issue concerning the complexity of the unlocking process has been solved by a metal detection ring. As the largest change in appearance for the iPhone 5s, the metal ring around the Home button serves the function of sensing finger touches. When the user's finger touches the button area, the fingerprint recognition module is activated, and if the fingerprint matches, the unlocking process is completed directly.
In summary, Touch ID presents a mature image to consumers, with impeccable convenience and no apparent flaws in the technical logic of security. However, as a killer-level innovation, the ecosystem surrounding this function still has significant shortcomings. The current ability to only unlock the phone and replace application and music consumption passwords can only be considered an added bonus. After the initial excitement fades, it merely provides some convenience. The absence of NFC renders many previously imagined possibilities meaningless. While Apple has achieved convenience and security, it has eliminated the possibility of entering the vast mobile payment field through NFC. Before the release, I believed that a new secure and convenient mobile payment method, driven by Apple's strong position, might open up a new ecosystem. Through this ecosystem, Apple could generate new user stickiness and further consolidate its position. But now, at least within the next year, this possibility no longer exists.
iSight Camera
In the promotional video for the camera, the first half focuses on updates to the sensor: maintaining 8 million pixels while increasing the sensor area to achieve better imaging results. Some people online have complained that HTC did the same thing, but failed to gain recognition. There is a reason for this.
For the HTC ONE, I admire its courage—"daring to subtract" by reducing the pixel count to the 4 million level. Although it claims that 4 million pixels are sufficient for photos shared on mobile devices, the details are clearly affected by this limitation. After a long period of experience with the actual device, I can only say that I find it hard to accept. In contrast, the increase in the sensor area for the iPhone 5s is more of an improvement than a revolution.
However, I believe that for ordinary consumers, expanding the sensor—a less intuitive description—is far less attractive than the several functions mentioned afterward. The first feature highlighted is the ability to avoid blurry photos under weak lighting conditions by taking multiple shots. After pressing the shutter button, the iPhone 5s quickly takes four consecutive shots and then synthesizes them through computation to enhance sharpness and avoid the blurriness often encountered under weak lighting.
The next feature mentioned is the only surprise given to the audience throughout the entire event—the so-called "True Tone" flash. "True Tone" means "true color tone." Everyone has experienced unnatural colors in night photography when the flash is turned on, because the color temperature of a single flash is constant, and such layering makes the photo appear different from what the naked eye sees. In the leaked photos prior to the event, everyone assumed that the dual flashes were simply to increase brightness, but Apple surprised everyone with a completely unexpected design.
The two flashes on the iPhone 5s are white and amber—one cooler and one warmer. After detecting the environmental light, they automatically adjust the flash brightness ratio to make the emitted flash more consistent with the overall ambient color temperature, allowing photos taken with the flash to be as close as possible to what the naked eye sees. While other manufacturers are trying to improve low-light imaging capabilities to avoid color issues caused by flashes, Apple has taken a different approach by solving the problem with two cold and warm tone flashes. Of course, until we get our hands on the actual device, we cannot judge the actual effect, but at least it provided a pleasant surprise at the event.
The video then introduces the high-speed burst mode, which can reach 10 frames per second. Additionally, there is the "Slow-motion Video" mode. Thanks to the video shooting speed reaching 120 frames per second, users can slow down any segment of the video to one-quarter of its original speed. The final video effect, for a smartphone, is astonishing. As video sharing is a promising direction for mobile platforms, the effort made in this area could yield good results.
As seen from the above, Apple has put a lot of effort into updating the camera. If the actual usage can match the effects shown in the promotional video, the various improvements offered are more mature and highly usable compared to other manufacturers. Moreover, Apple avoids the feeling of "innovating for the sake of innovation" that Samsung's many "new" features give, sticking to the concept mentioned at the beginning of the article.
However, as the two main pillars of the iPhone 5s, having only improvements in fingerprint recognition and the camera seems somewhat thin. Given the limited scope of application, they cannot create new user stickiness, which is exactly the cause of the prevailing concern over Apple's weakening innovation momentum. In my view, compared to Siri, which gained much praise in previous years but was actually useless, these two innovations can play a more positive role in attracting users. Therefore, the sales volume of the iPhone 5s will still be very impressive, especially when contrasted with the iPhone 5c, which will be detailed below. Just in the situation where innovation is increasingly becoming "micro-innovation," how long Apple can maintain the impression of being the "best to use" phone amidst the Android camp's encirclement and interception is a question.
iPhone 5c
Without doubt, as a work breaking the fixed image positioning of the iPhone, the iPhone 5c attracted a lot of attention after the release event and became a target for criticism. Especially the god-level mockery skill—price—was indeed a shock, exceeding the predictions of many analysts by a full $100, leading us to believe that Apple's pricing courage surpasses even HTC's audacity in launching a 4 million pixel flagship phone.
Everyone understands that to maintain its own image and market positioning, even with a plastic casing, the iPhone 5c would never be cheap. I believe most people expected the price to not fall below 3000 RMB. However, the final starting price of 4488 RMB is undoubtedly difficult to accept. As a replacement for the iPhone 5, the new design cannot convince consumers to pay a higher price than expected for a phone that downgrades the metal casing to plastic.
As a male who is not sensitive to color, I originally had no intention of making too many evaluations on the color choices of the iPhone 5c, but shortly after the release event, I repeatedly heard female friends express the view that the various colors of the iPhone 5c are not appealing. This made me feel somewhat uncertain about the idea that perhaps the color positioning could attract consumers to pay a high premium for fashion. One particular viewpoint resonated with me—I felt that the iPhone 5c looks like it has a colorful phone case attached, the colors are not ideal, and it cannot be changed to add freshness and variety.
The video shows exquisite manufacturing processes, but still cannot dispel one thought: it's just plastic. The narration in the video continues to reinforce this impression, constantly repeating that this is a texture unmatched by other plastics, but it is still plastic. The video ends with an introduction to the officially designed colorful protective cases, where numerous round holes aim to create matte contrasts against glossy finishes, hardness versus softness, and color clashes for a series of visual effects. However, personally, I can only respond with a "hmm" to describe my feelings towards this protective case.
Additionally, Apple's decision to launch an 8GB version of the iPhone 4s priced at 3288 RMB is perplexing. After a year of promoting the iPhone 5 and the influence of Android manufacturers pushing ultra-large Phablet screens, the 4-inch screen of the iPhone 5 has become a new baseline. I once thought that launching two iPhones at once was because Apple wanted to maintain the user experience brought by the 4-inch screen, and typically having three iPhones available necessitated the introduction of a slightly lower-priced model. However, a clearly cramped 3.5-inch iPhone 4s, paired with an 8GB capacity already proven insufficient by the iPhone 4 8GB version, priced at 3288 RMB, has left me and my friends utterly astonished!
Looking back at the entire event, the innovation points of the iPhone 5s are excellent and very attractive, but their development potential is limited and unlikely to reverse the perception in the public mind that Apple's innovation is waning. However, the still high-end industrial design, combined with the best software user experience currently available, along with the two highlights of fingerprint recognition and various camera improvements, has managed to create a sense of high cost-effectiveness at the starting price of 5288 RMB due to the strange market positioning of the iPhone 5c and the 8GB version of the iPhone 4s. As mentioned earlier, I believe the sales volume of the iPhone 5s will be very impressive, but if Apple wants to continue leading in the future, its time is running out.
The title image comes from a screenshot of Apple's promotional video.
