Hello! And welcome to our Friday column, Worst of the Week. There’s a lot of nutty stuff that goes on in this industry, so this column is a chance for us at RCRWireless.com to rant and rave about whatever rubs us the wrong way. We hope you enjoy it!
And without further ado:
Despite how it may appear, I do try to avoid bringing Apple into every one of my WOTW columns, though by doing so I make this job harder than it needs to be. I mean the company is such an integral part of the decisions that many in this industry make that to not include them is really a job itself.
Plus, with names like “iPad” it seems Apple products and decisions are ripe for some ribbing.
But, this week my attempts to keep this an Apple-free zone have proven just too difficult, especially for me. You see, I was all set to actually write a column talking about Apple and how all the rumors of an upcoming new device launch – and with who that device may launch – was getting a bit out of control. Then, Mr. Apple himself goes ahead and announces that he is stepping down as CEO of the company, but remaining as chairman.
Thus I am stuck with two Apple topics for one column. I know … poor me.
Now I would suspect when it comes to the Jobs job situation, for the most valuable company in the world one person cannot possibly be irreplaceable. But, at least according to some, with Apple and Jobs that could be the case.
From all the stories that have circulated around Jobs and his return to Apple it sounds like the brand and the man are one in the same. Those stories also indicate that Jobs did have the final say in the design of just about everything Apple produced under his watch, and thus his eye for detail can’t be overlooked.
So, with a new CEO coming on board, there is of course some trepidation as to the future direction of Apple. But, it’s not like Jobs is leaving town or anything. All he has done is given away one of his titles. I suspect he will continue to wield the final say on most product designs, but for now is stepping away from the day-to-day business operations.
Plus with all of this new free time Jobs can start enjoying all the benefits his $1 per year salary at Apple has bestowed upon him. So don’t be surprised if you see him greeting people at the local Wal-Mart.
When it comes to Apple’s future product plans, and more specifically the iPhone, rumors have been running rampant for months about what the next version of that device will include, when it will launch, and more recently who it will launch with.
This whole topic brought to mind the plight of the honey badger, which some young children of friends hipped me to several months ago. For those not yet hip to the honey badger, here is a quick intro:
Now I thought of the honey badger because Apple has risen to its current position in the mobile space by not caring about what anyone else is doing or has done. They just do their thing, and let the jackals feast on the entrails of its success.
However, when it comes to the next version of the iPhone, I wonder if Apple can remain that focused. Sure, anything with an Apple logo on it automatically attains mythical status in the eye of the public, but when it actually comes to what the device can do and what it offers, many of Apple’s competitors have surpassed the iPhone.
Any number of devices offer larger screens, with resolution equaling what Apple brings to the table. Heck, some are even starting to offer 3D screens. Many also offer dual-core processors that at least in the marketing literature is superior to old-school single-core processors. And some even offer access to next-generation LTE and WiMAX networks. While these are not truly 4G, most due use the term in advertisements.
Apple’s ace-in-the-hole remains its ecosystem, though with Google’s recent announcement that it wanted to buy Motorola that could prove a short-term advantage.
So, how will Apple position the newest version of its iconic iPhone device? Will it follow the lead of its competition and include all of the latest marketing gimmicks surrounded by the gold seal of the Apple brand? Or will Apple remain the honey badger, do its own thing and not worry about what its rivals have cooked up?
If I have learned one thing over the past several months, it’s never to underestimate the honey badger.
OK, enough of that.
Thanks for checking out this week’s Worst of the Week column. And now for some extras:
–Australian game developer Halfbrick came out with a bad news, good news announcement this week. The developer said that it was ditching the supremely awesome name of “Machine Gun Jetpack” for its soon-to-launch mobile game – What!?! – and instead anointing the game with the even more supremely awesome title of “Jetpack Joyride.”
I can see where leaving out the machine gun reference is probably a good idea, especially as the game sounds like it’s targeted (get it?) at the under-10 male audience that will likely be playing the game on a parents device. (Just guessing there might be some parents out there not interested in their children playing that “machine gun” game.)
Thankfully, the geniuses at Halfbrick had the “Jetpack Joyride” all set as a replacement. What parent could possible object to their kids playing a jetpack game?
–Speaking of awesome names, the fine folks at SouthernLINC launched Motorola’s Titanium smartphone this week. There is nothing really new or exciting about the device itself, except for the fact it has one of the coolest names in the biz. I mean, what’s cooler than titanium? Don’t they make jetpacks out of that?
–And a little something for your viewing pleasure:
I welcome your comments. Please send me an e-mail at: dmeyer@rcrwireless.com.
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