The End of the “Plus”

Every year, as summer comes to an end, the hype for the next iPhone becomes palpable. Rumors and speculation swirl, and leaks begin to reveal what Apple might be doing at their early fall event.

This year is like every other in some regards, but is also very different in many ways. A summer of leaks and speculation has most people predicting an iPhone with slimmer bezels, a repositioned home button1, and a $1000+ price tag2. What is harder to predict is the other device that will make an appearance in 2017.

In the history of the iPhone, every other year, we get an “S” model phone, which subtly iterates on the previous years device. The iPhone 4S was essentially the iPhone 4, with an improved camera and the addition of Siri. The 5S was the iPhone 5 with added TouchID. The 6S was the 6 with a first generation Taptic motor and the introduction of 3D Touch.

In 2016, with the iPhone 7, for the first time in Apple’s history, the new phone was almost akin to an SS device. Instead of being a new design AND new features, it further iterated on the 6 and 6S design, with only a few notable new features and a familiar size and shape.

Most rumors to date suggest that in addition to the fancy new iPhone (I’m calling it iPhone Pro), there will be an iPhone 7S and 7S Plus. Others suggest that they will skip the 7S moniker and jump to iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. Either way, the general assumption is that there will be a total of 3 iPhone models this year.

I think that’s wrong.

In 2014, 2015, and 2016, it was easy (or easier) to decide which new device you wanted to purchase. If you wanted a smaller, more hand and pocket friendly device, you picked the 6, 6S, or 7. If you wanted the cooler camera features (OIS, Depth Effect, 2X zoom), or wanted a giant screen and more battery, you picked the Plus model.

In 2017, if the iPhone Pro is roughly the same physical size as the iPhone 7, but packs all the camera features and a bigger screen than the Plus, why would anyone buy the 2017 Plus. As it is, differentiating 2 devices is a challenge, aside from screen size, trying to extend that to 3 seems impossibly complex for consumers AND Apple’s marketing team.

This year, I firmly believe Apple will FINALLY fix the naming of their iPhone lineup (much like the rest of their product lines), and will stick with just 2 devices. iPhone and iPhone Pro. No more generation numbers, no more S years, just an iPhone with good specs, and an iPhone with great specs. Selling a good phone to people doesn’t seem to be a challenge for Apple, and selling a great phone seems to come naturally as well. Selling a phone that is good, but not significantly better, but also isn’t great seems much less practical.

Between getting a Plus or Pro, who would pick the Plus? I know I wouldn’t. And I think Apple knows that, too.

My Hopes for the Future of Mobile Social Media

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We are in a very rapidly changing time, and experiencing technology that becomes outdated in an instant.  Social media rules the mobile world, and mobile is taking over the way we work, learn, communicate, and document our life. Yesterday’s new social network is tomorrows “old news.”

It seems that every day, a new social platform emerges. Some of these zone in on niche markets – others take on the likes of Facebook and Twitter – while some start in 1 target group and explode into the other. Instagram, for example, was introduced as a way for photographers & fans of analog photography to share and create photographs akin to the days of Poloroid instant develop photos, and will soon be under the wing of the “Big F” – and where that will go, nobody knows.

One social network, launched in November of 2010, has truly caught me by surprise. A social network that combines the ideas of Facebook status, Twitter micro-blogging, photo sharing, and location tagging called “Path” I had seen the occasional post on Twitter with a link back to someone’s “Path”, but never gave it much thought. A few weeks ago, I decided to give Path a try, and to my surprise, the app is so much fun to use.  Path isn’t just another tired social platform. The whole principal behind Path isn’t to share news and links, or to create a network of all your friends. Instead, Path is about sharing your journal, or “path”, of your life on the go. The apps home screen shows a stream of all your friends current paths. Path informs you when your someone has looked at your moment or gone to your profile. It notifies you (if enabled) when your connections post to their Path or leaves you an emoticon (akin to liking a Facebook post). Path isn’t about what happened or what will happen – its about the NOW – and about sharing as you are out-and-about!

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What makes Path most interesting to me is that it has such a visually and aesthetically pleasing interface, and it’s one of the smartest social networks I’ve ever experienced. Path learns from your post habits. When you launch Path in a new neighborhood, it automatically posts the your location has changed to whatever city/village/area you are in.  I went to a White Sox game with my wife, for example, and as I got to my seat, I launched Path – and there it was “Ian : In Bridgeport, Chicago”. Of course, I can then hone in on where exactly I am, and upload a photo. In a matter of seconds, I can tap the (+) button in the bottom corner, tap the camera icon, snap a picture, choose my location – U.S. Cellular Field, tag my wife under “I’m with” and click done. The smooth and inviting interface makes sharing fun and enjoyable.

Path has a number of other excellent features. I suggest that if you’re looking for that social space that’s personal, semi-private, and beautifully designed, then you check out Path [app store link]. I hope other social networks can take note of Path’s unique and seamless UI, and *smart* updating, it could truly change the social networking game.