Monday, September 23, 2013

Big Release Weekend

By several measures Apple had its biggest weekend ever, with the release of two new iPhone models and iOS 7. The latter is not just Apple’s fastest operating system release ever, but the largest online software release event ever. It went remarkably smoothly when you compare it to last year’s large releases. I am still not convinced that the Internet will ever handle these big events without showing the strain.

As for the large numbers of phones sold, it can’t be explained by the surprising new features of the new phone models. They are no more amazing than last year’s model was last year. Nor are the price points the breakthrough that some had predicted. It is more that Apple continues to gain credibility as a phone manufacturer. When you consider how long it can take for an equipment manufacturer to establish a reputation, I guess it makes sense that Apple’s reputation in phones is still growing six years in.