The iPhone 13 will successfully disappoint Apple fans

True fans aren’t going to get excited about the iPhone 13, but Apple doesn’t care. The new device will still set sales records by playing the game smart, predicts iPhonededitor Michael.

Opinion: why the iPhone 13 is going to disappoint

The iPhone 13 craze has completely erupted. On iPhoned we write about the successor to the iPhone 12 almost daily and we notice from the gigantic visitor numbers that people are eagerly waiting for this device.

Small spoiler: for those people we have bad news. It seems that the iPhone 13 is mainly a repeat exercise of the iPhone 12. According to rumors, he will get about the same design and the camera will be tinkered with. Oh yes, it will of course also be slightly faster than the iPhone 12 and if things go well, the battery will last longer.

In any case, major changes do not seem to be forthcoming. That is especially a slap in the face to real Apple fans. The company that was once known as innovative has become a lot more conservative in recent years. They take the basis of product A, add some improvements that were already on the shelf and come up with product B.

The biggest change Apple has made to the iPhone in recent years is the ‘industrial design’ of the iPhone 12. This design is clearly inspired (or less politically correct: copied) from the design of classic Apple products like the iPhone 5S. Of course: the switch from LCD to OLED was nice, but for an expensive product such as a new iPhone you could not expect less in 2020.

→ Also read: iPhone 13 screen: 5 expectations for the new iPhone display

The One More Thing moment is no more

We haven’t experienced a real One More Thing moment in years. New Apple products continue to evolve, but they rarely revolutionize the way they did with the iPhone X. Apple then introduced the controversial notch: the screen notch needed for the selfie camera and Face ID sensors (face unlock). This allowed the entire front to be made up of screen, which was very impressive.

Also this year we do not expect a One More Thing. This makes little difference to Apple, because technically they have gold in their hands. People are taking longer with their smartphones and the need (and hype) to upgrade to the latest iPhone model every year – as was the case in the past – has been gone for years.

Apple understands this like no other and responds smartly. The company gives every new phone just enough improvements to make it interesting, but not enough to make it one must buy to name. If you now walk around with an iPhone 12, there will probably be little reason to get the 13 at home.

Apple knows its customers

That kite won’t go up if you’re using an iPhone 11 (or older) now. Then the iPhone 13 is an accumulation of fine improvements that Apple has introduced over the years.

Check it out. If you now have an iPhone 11 and later buy a 13, you will not only get a nicer OLED screen at your disposal, but also a fresh design, much more powerful hardware, vastly improved cameras and a longer battery life. This is even more true for people who now have an iPhone 8 (from 2017) or similar model.

In summary: Apple understands the upgrade period of consumers like no other. Moreover, most people are now so deep into the Apple ecosystem that they probably don’t even think about switching to Android. In fact, it mainly works the other way. Recent sales figures show that Android users in particular are making the switch to Apple, instead of the other way around.

play it safe

How come? It probably has to do with how strong the Apple brand is. The company has been at the top of all brand popularity lists for years and reports better figures every quarter. The Apple brand is also very robust, because all the scandals of recent years have had little or no influence on the sales figures.

Here you can look for explanatory theories, but you can also just look in your circle of friends. There is a good chance that many people do not see their iPhone as a smartphone, but as an iPhone. The company has done exactly the same trick with this as it did before, for example with the iPod. MP3 players weren’t hip, but the iPod was.

Such a strong brand also has drawbacks. It ensures that Apple has been sailing a very conservative course for years. The strategy is mainly aimed at avoiding risk, maintaining market share in popular markets and responding to growth markets. In other words: Apple has no interest at all in impressing with the iPhone 13. The device must above all fit into people’s upgrade cycle.

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