I personally wanted to see a new hardware design because it is Apple’s amazing design chops that fuels the buzz that surrounds their product releases. One needs only to look at and hold an iPhone 4 to see that amazing design sensibiliy come to life. However, this is a fast moving industry, and even Apple’s buzz can fade. Over 16 months out from its original release, the iPhone 4 has, for good or bad, become yesterday’s tech news.

I’m sure it makes a lot more financial sense for Apple to continue on with the same design to maximize the design the investment and effort they have already put in. However, I personally feel that could be a mistake in today’s cell phone market. The 3GS, while a great device, will ultimately be remembered as the one that got passed up be Android. Unfortunately, that is precisely what happened. Apple released it from a position of market strength, and by the time that the iPhone 4 was released, they were no longer in that leading position. That modest update, along with AT&T exclusivity, gave Google and Motorola an open door, and they walked through it and capatilized. Apple underestimated Google and Android at that time, and it cost them.

My hopes for an iPhone 5 with a larger screen and a thinner design were firmly rooted in what I saw as a big opportunity for Apple to take back some of that lost share, and to capitalize on a position of greater strength. There have been a lot of market surveys pointing to people waiting to get a new iPhone on both Verizon and Sprint. With owners of the original Droid owners coming out of their contracts in droves now, it seemed like the perfect time for Apple to swing for the fence. For the first time, they would have wide availability and a coordinated launch in the US across multiple carriers. A new iPhone 5 would have touched off frenzied demand among non-iPhone owners. If Apple was going to make a big move, this was the time to do it. For reasons that none of us know, they didn’t go that route.

As for the rumors, they go hand in hand with this industry, especially where Apple is concerned. If there wasn’t a big upgrade coming, why move the launch out. That move and the pent up demand it created, fuels those rumors. If Apple wasn’t intending to release new hardware, the. Why wait? For Siri? I hope not. To just get closer to the holidays? Again, I hope that isn’t the case.

Now, if Apple tried to prep new hardware and it wasn’t ready, then I understand that, and I trust their judgement. The white iPhone 4 wasn’t ready, and they rightfully held off. However, we will never know that answer. Also, if the wait has anything to do with Steve Jobs stepping down, and his deteriorating health, then again, that is totally understandable.

As for the fragmentation issue, several sites ran the numbers, and found that Apple could keep the same resolution at 3.7 or 4 inches, and still claim that as a Retina Display. As long as they stay the same or double the density, the resolution will not change as far as programming is concerned.

Anyway, even though I am of the opposite opinion, I can definitely see your point, Joe. I’m not for change just because, or due to rumors. Maybe I am spoiled by Apple’s design brilliance and am a bit let down, but I will still buy a 4S. If it wasn’t for AT&T (grrrr), I would be pre-ordering on Friday. I just wanted to see Apple capitalize on what looked like a big opportunity. The longer people stay with a platform, the more likely they are to stick with it due to app and ecosystem investment. If Apple misses out on Android users who aren’t hardcore this release cycle, they may not get another shot with them in a year or two.

My concern, 30 months of the same iPhone cannot stay ahead of the cellular advancement curve.

iPhone June 2007
iPhone 3G June 2008
iPhone 3GS July 2009
iPhone 4 July 2010
iPhone 4S October 2011
iPhone 5 January 2013
iPhone 5S July 2014