Apple’s Latest Products Are Why It’s Losing Steam And Catching Up

By Nathan Young on September 16, 2014

Last week, Apple announced the new iPhone 6, Apple Watch, and Apple Pay. Since CEO Tim Cook is from South Alabama, and I have read many articles and watched many videos about the new Apple products, I thought it was time to weigh in on the new products. So far, over four million iPhone 6 products have been pre-ordered, and they begin to ship out this Friday. But somehow, I think the latest product line from Apple is an attempt to catch up. Other than Apple Pay, I thought Apple was playing catch up from their competitors, and nothing exciting was announced.

Larger screen, other brands have it. Smartwatch, other brands have it, longer battery life, other brands already has it. I felt like the product reveals last week was an attempt to comeback to glory, and this was their time to catch up because they fell behind. Yeah, the new phones will have faster processors, better cameras, bigger screens, and a longer battery life. The one feature I like is the phones have Retina HD Display resulting in a better video and picture quality. But do I want to pay over $200 for better picture and video quality, probably not. There are Android phones with great HD displays already.

As for the Apple Watch, it will cost $349, and I think it’s $349 totally wasted. Because all you have to do is reach down into your pocket and see your phone, which takes about five extra seconds. The watch will tell you the time, see your favorite apps, and take phone calls. You can personalize with your own straps and more. My biggest worry is how much wear and tear the watch can take. Smartwatches can cost a lot of money to replace a screen that is cracked. And your watch takes a lot more abuse like bumping into walls, etc. And I have heard the battery life will not be that great. For now, I will stick to a regular old-fashioned watch. I will consider a smartwatch when it can do holograms!

As for Apple Pay, it could potentially kick-start the mobile payment business. But retailers have been pulling the NFC technology Google Wallet and Apple Pay uses, so availability will be very limited. Other retailers have been using CurrentC, which uses QR codes to pay for things. So my gut feeling says we will see more CurrentC and less NFC. No matter what, I think smartphones is the future of payment, as credit cards keeps getting hacked, and it’s costing businesses millions to clean up the damage.

So Apple, I felt like you were asleep at the wheel and finally decided to catch up. Judging by the pre-orders, people still love Apple. But the costs are way too high for me! And I am more of an Android fan, so I will stick with Android. Now if Tim Cook or someone higher up at Apple contacted me, I might have a change of heart.