The announcement of the A7 processor, the first-ever 64-bit chip in a smartphone, is significant.(The Motorola Atrix 4G offered a biometric fingerprint smart sensor when it debuted in 2011.
For anyone who has ever forgotten a password or worried about security - um, like most of us - that's a nice selling point. Something like this had been widely expected since Apple spent $356 million last year to buy AuthenTec, a company that makes sensor chips for use both in personal computers and smartphones. Apple unveiled a Touch ID fingerprint scanner for its more expensive iPhone, the 5S.
Among the myriad announcements, three caught my eye: And these are measurably better smartphones than their predecessors. Many consumers - especially the loyalists - will still hand over their credit cards, convinced that Apple builds better devices. The Tech In Asia blog noted that Apple's online store in China lists the price of the 5C for the equivalent of a hefty $733. You'll pay $649 off contract the 16GB version of that device. The unsubsidized pricing offers just a $100 discount from the iPhone 5S contract-free pricing. The price falls to $99 and $199, with a two-year contract. The 5C will list for $549 and $649, for 16GB and 32GB versions, respectively. However, with tech addicts always looking for the next big breakthrough, would this provide a big-enough fix?Īnother question: When it comes to price, it's far from clear how the low-end iPhone 5C will sell, considering that it's not exactly a 3 bargain.
The only unexpected news came when Apple said that iWork, iPhoto, and iMovie for the iPhone and iPad would be free for download. And if you were waiting for pyrotechnics, you went home disappointed because Apple had nothing about possible wearable computing devices or televisions in the offing. No surprises because the news leaks were spot-on. But there were no big surprises out of Apple this time around. That over-the-top stuff is always part of what's essentially a big marketing show.
None of that means that the new products and technologies Apple showed off were necessarily wanting or somehow disappointing.īut everything is context and for the past year, Apple has battled the perception that its technology edge over Samsung was narrowing. Besides, the stock had been running up, playing to the saying, buy on the rumor, sell on the news. And especially when almost every detail of your big unveiling had already been picked apart and reported on by the press.Īfter announcing on Tuesday what arguably was one of the most significant product refreshes in years, Apple shares still sagged a little more than 2 percent - the equivalent of a Wall Street shrug. Apple is a tough act to follow, especially when you're Apple.