edit and you have to be fucking kidding me with 16GB base models...
edit2 oh, I get it, it's a push for iCloud storage, lame
Things like right clicking, force/3D touching, or stylus's are specific modes that need to be activated and de-activated discreetly -- showing a separate set of otherwise non-discoverable features.
My impression based on demos, without trying is, the unintutivity increased.
When something is usable, that doesn't necessarily make it useful.
A lot depends on how developers use/abuse this feature. If only power-user features are hidden in the 3D-touch menu then it will be OK. But if ordinary features are only exposed via this menu then apps will become harder to use.
Mac<thing>: e.g. Macbook, MacBook Pro, Mac Pro
i<thing>: iPod, iPhone, iPad, iSight
Apple <thing>: Apple watch, Apple pencil
I think the Apple one is the worst, because <thing> seems to be common non-trademarked words and has a weird marketing exec "let's get the branding out there!" strategy.
And now it kind of smells like they might be thinking about going to a "Smart <thing>" naming scheme.
It makes calling things kind of hard and schizophrenic, most people just default to i<thing> when they don't know what to call it. I hear iWatch at least once a week.
Facebook effectively owns the word "like" at this point, has "internet.com", and so on.
Apple wants people to be calling the "Apple Watch" just "the Watch".
I could hazard a guess at the reason, too—everyone knows what a phone or a tablet (or a laptop, or a PC) is, and theirs don't break from the trend, so they need to differentiate their product in those lines using the name. Whereas, with the "watch" and the "pencil", they're making a new thing that attempts to redefine the category it's in, and so they want people to start using that name for the category as a whole. Specifically, they want people to think of any accessory-computer used for passive alerts and alarms and checking notifications as a "watch"; and a stylus used primarily for finesse drawing with extra sensory features to enable that as a "pencil." (The latter is also, I think, trying to avoid the current image of a "stylus" as effectively a prosthetic finger for those dumb devices that can't read your touches without it.)
"gchat" was actually Google Chat and was about voice and video chat. Now it was replaced by Google Hangouts. It's a pretty cool service, except that they have had two problems - their fuckup with Google+ and the popularity of Skype. Now Skype is a very memorable brand. And it has lots of problems, but people keep using it because it works for group video/audio calls and because it has good prices on calling phone numbers - like, Skype has a freaking monopoly on emigrants and their families or on companies working with remote consultants or employees.
In other words, I don't think the actual name matters that much, plus if you pick a weird word you might get more out of it. Googling is now a verb in the dictionary and tweeting should probably be as well.
Hasn't stopped Microsoft being successful with this strategy, e.g. Office, Word, Windows, etc.
I liked the name Force Touch. A little creepy, sure, but it made sense, and basically told you what to do.
[1] https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=85616589&caseType=SERIAL_...
http://p.events-delivery.apple.com.edgesuite.net/1509pijnedf... [1]
[1] From a previous HN post:
It seems highly similar to the Watch — including the haptic feedback (which to me is an important part of what makes the interaction work on the watch).
There might be a concern for people with motor ailments though (e.g. post-stroke), but hopefully force touch will stay a feature for shortcuts and peeking. Application features only being accessible via force touch would be terrible (outside of games maybe, since they're not really accessible in the first place)
The assistive touch "wheel" menu might also include a way to trigger it.
So, first of all, there are three levels and the first level is a peek, nothing serious and totally non-committal. Frequently accidentally engaging this would probably still be super annoying, but if it happens once in a while and is also super responsive then that’s not a big deal. Making this first step non-committal is probably a big part of making this all work.
Second, the peek seems to show off some direct input based on force (with the preview dynamically resizing based on it), so that you are not blindly guessing the pressure you have to apply. This direct feedback is probably also a big part of the puzzle.
If they get that right and given their implementation (distinct, few and pretty clear and consistent places to force touch, at least within their applications, that all do predictable and understandable things) I think this is a winner and will make using everything much more of a joy to use. It could also suck. We don’t know yet. I’m just really happy someone is trying stuff like that. The vocabulary on touch devices we have is nice, but it is still sparse. Maybe this extension will work out, maybe it won’t. Either way, I’m excited.
This seems like one of those features that looks kind of cool in a demo, but in practice you don't end up using it much. Time will tell.
/5c with 16GB and 0 free space... even with "optimize storage on phone" for photos enabled they still take up all my space
I have several gigs taken up by whatsapp alone and I do not want to delete my history.
And to handle the backups yourself, import your own photos, store them wherever you like. None of this has changed as far as I can see.
Because even 128 GB is not enough for most photo libraries.
The amount of control over our own data seems the same as we had before — basically dependent on how much work we want to put in managing it vs. trusting and paying for cloud storage providers.
tl;dr: Apple is actively and knowingly encouraging the use of more data while refusing to upgrade internal storage space and instead pushing iCloud storage. This leads to misaligned incentives.
And you can also use iCloud alternatives (we use Flickr and Dropbox on iOS for photos and movies, as iCloud is too pricey and inflexible).
Your argument was relating to the 16 GB option of the phone, but asked the question "is control over our own data dead?" in connection with that 16 GB version. I was unsure why you asked that because of two things: 16 GB is an option, not the only size available; and one still has ultimate control over their own data, be it on the cloud or local.
It's short term gain for long term pain to the quality of the brand.
Note that's the default. It's still optional (e.g. pay $100-200 more for more storage, or buy seemingly increasingly more niche phones that offer SD card slots).
And of course the age old alternative, which is making a compromise. i.e. not store all and any music, video, photo etc on your insta-use phone. Instead keep old albums on an external drive in your home, just like movies you've already seen or movies you won't get to anytime soon. Or albums you rarely listen to. Compromise.