iPhone 5 Or Bust: Why Not To Believe Apple’s Teaser Photos & Event Taglines Anymore
Posted by Michael Nace on Monday Jun 18, 2012 Under iPhone 5 OpinionWith Apple CEO Tim Cook choosing not to announce the iPhone at the WWDC, one thing is now certain: the era of symbolic teaser graphics and event tag lines died with Steve Jobs.
Warning: negative Apple rant ahead.
Even if you are one of the many Apple enthusiasts who have long held the belief that there was no way that Apple would announce the iPhone 5 at this year’s WWDC, you can’t help but admit that, in spite of a 2012 that has seen its share of new Apple gear — the iPad 3, a new line of ultra-impressive MacBooks, and the launch of iOS 6 beta — there is a kind of vapid, empty feeling surrounding Appledom these days. As of today, all of the most-rumored and highly anticipated Apple products have yet to materialize: the iTV, the Mini iPad, a new iPod, and the ever elusive iPhone 5, which is now two and half years in the making.
No one will contest that the MacBook hardware rollout at the WWDC was impressive — if you’ve got two grand to go spend on one of the new Retina display-bedecked MacBook Pros. iPhone 5 News Blog correspondent Sam Levin, who was at the WWDC, told me candidly that the new Retina display models are the only ones worth a damn. So, in essence, Apple just released a product that most people cannot afford, as the U.S. and Europe continue to flux in and out of recession-like economic climates. Nice one.
But what I find really interesting is that, since the death of Steve Jobs, we’ve seen one thing change dramatically in Tim Cook’s approach to hyping new events and product releases: he overhypes it.
Remember back in the day when Apple teaser graphics and tag lines meant something? Those days are long gone — and the shame of it is that Apple didn’t put us on notice. The first big let-down came in March, with the announcement of the New iPad. You’ll recall that the teaser photo caused quite an uproar, with many enthusiasts and tech writers alike believing that the iPad 3 would not sport the iconic home button. And the tagline, “We have something that you really have to see. And touch” only bolstered that expectation. In the end, the “see” part was the Retina display, but what exactly was the “touch?” How did touching the iPad really change? The answer is that it did not. It was a bad teaser photo and a bad tag line.
How could Cupertino’s marketing and PR department have sat around a table in a board room, look at that photo and tag line, and not ask themselves, “Hey, do you think that the angle of that photo might be misconstrued as being an iPad with no home button?” Or how about, “Hey, does this tag line really make any sense for the new features that we’re rolling out for the New iPad?”
Expectations were similarly mishandled at this year’s WWDC. The “teaser photo” for the event was nothing like the one last year. Take a look at the banners at this year’s WWDC versus last year. The 2011 banner heralded the advent of iCloud and Lion. It was an imaginative banner that actually laid out — albeit cryptically — what was coming. The 2012 WWDC logo and banners were non-figurative and bland, respectively. The graphics in and of themselves did not mislead in the way that the iPad 3 teaser photo did, but what about the tag lines?
“It’s the week we’ve all been waiting for.” This was the teaser tagline for the logo, and Apple enthusiasts have given Cupertino a pass for its hyperbolic, overstated tenor, saying that the “we” was referring to “we developers.” C’mon! Up until last year, the WWDC had been Apple’s perennial release event for the iPhone. In spite of the fact that the conference is for developers, Apple traditionally used it for much more than that. For Apple to have used that tag line, knowing that all we were getting were new MacBooks that nobody can afford, was disingenuous and irresponsible. It’s true that the WWDC was the week that we were all waiting for, and it turned out to be letdown for everybody — including those who were resigned to the iPhone 5 not being announced.
And what about the iOS tagline . . .
“The world’s most advanced mobile operating system.” What a facile, empty claim. To quote Charles Bukowski, it’s “like a pot of evaporated piss.” Apple would have been better off with, “We’re the richest technology company in the world, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Look: I love Apple and its products. So, all of this does not constitute a deal-breaker for me. But what I’ve learned in the post Steve Jobs era is to read nothing into teaser photos and tag lines. Obviously, Tim Cook does not have the finesse — the vibe — that Jobs brought to the fun of anticipating new products. For all we know, the next event tag line could be a huge “5″ in it, and we’ll end up with a refreshed iPhone 4S.
By Michael Nace
Michael Nace is the Publisher of the iPhone 5 News Blog and iPhone 6 News Blog. He has published articles about the iPhone since 2010.
Keep Reading:
June 18th, 2012 at 10:33 am
wow what a rant however it is understandable. Everything lately has been a bit of a let down. The goood news though is there is possibility still that the next iphone will increase it’s screen size: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57455084-37/does-ios-6s-auto-layout-hint-that-bigger-iphone-will-launch/
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
6 
1
June 18th, 2012 at 12:02 pm
Totally agree with you Mike as I’m waiting ever so patiently waiting for Samsung to get their phones into stores so I can pick one up. I loved Apple products and they were sweet but the iPhone 4s wasn’t a huge update to me, and now as I look at everything, it’s all outdated. Their mac’s are caught up but their iPods and iPhones aren’t. The iPad could have a quad core cpu… I mean Apple is awesome just can’t afford them or want to spend the money on outdated tech and software. Also, I think on the iPad for “touch” I think they meant that since the screen was so high res that pictures were so close to detail that you could almost feel and “touch” it, that’s just my guess though.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
10 
2
June 18th, 2012 at 12:02 pm
I, as many others, have been following every launch of a new iPhone, but after the disappointing launch of the upgraded iPhone4 (4s), and the 5 that never seem to be launched, I have now started to think about an Android-phone as my next one.
This is really odd, as I have been faithful to Apples products since the first iPhone. When Apple start to lose their core customers and ambassadors, they are out on thin ice. It will be hard for Apple now to launch an iPhone5 that has enough high WOW-factor to make up for the two+ year wait for an updated phone. I agree with everything you wrote above.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
15 
3
June 18th, 2012 at 12:26 pm
My last iphone was the 4. i have owned everyone sinse the first one. I got frustrated with having to use itunes. Purchased a galaxy s2 and dont think i will ever be returning to apple again.
A hot comment -- What do you think?
8 
9
June 18th, 2012 at 12:47 pm
@Rick, I am starting to think that Apple really doesn’t need us anymore. The iPhone is becoming a commodity now, and having the hard-core supporters drooling at the next iPhone is a bit too much to ask.
@Michael, Your article sounds a lot like the points I made in comment #15 here: http://iphone5newsblog.com/2012/06/12/wwdc-new-iphone-no-show-not-a-surprise-septemberoctober-still-looks-likeliest/
I think I’ll wait until about 3 months after the iPhone 5 release and sell my stock. There is a saying, “Without expectations, there is no disappointment.” Apple is mismanaging expectations to their detriment. Imagine if, in the fall, Apple has a tagline like, “It’s the iPhone 5…” I’m pretty sure we’ll all be expecting a 4GS at this point. We’re becoming expectant of being underwhelmed by Apple, and when you look at a corporation, is the worst place to be.
When the trust is gone, consumers will soon follow the exodus of their trust.
“The week we’ve all been waiting for…” Pfft.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
24 
0
June 18th, 2012 at 12:59 pm
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
5 
8
June 18th, 2012 at 1:02 pm
Thomas: LOL Sorry if I wrote that fuzzily. iOS 6 isn’t evaporated piss; the tag line that goes with it is.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
4 
0
June 18th, 2012 at 2:27 pm
I’d like to buy the new iphone but if specs aren’t good enough compared to the competition, then i’ll be forced to buy an android. I won’t be paying top dollar for a phone just because it has iOS on it.
I expect better specs than the galaxy III (or at the very least the same specs) and a nice design.
I’m not going to buy the new iphone just to own one and show it off like most of my friends do. I want something that blows me away.
Apple, please deliver something nice and not a refresh like the 4S.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
11 
0
June 18th, 2012 at 2:30 pm
@Michael Nace
You get it off yer chest old chap!
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
8 
0
June 18th, 2012 at 2:33 pm
After Steve Jobs passes away, I said to myself the iPhone 5 will be the last iPhone for me because it was the last iPhone that Steve Jobs had worked on (according to rumors/news) I thought that Apple would never be the same with again with Cook as the CEO, unless he trips on acid or something.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
8 
1
June 18th, 2012 at 2:36 pm
@DD. Apparently Steve Jobs is still working on it, 9 months posthumously.
A hot comment -- What do you think?
6 
3
June 18th, 2012 at 3:09 pm
As I argued with Michael DeCook a few weeks ago, I stated that Apple is a different company with Tim Cook. He has made obvious changes with how he runs Apple so using the past (under Steve Jobs) is not a good prediction of the future. It’s a new ball game. Apple is what it is because of Steve Jobs. Just look at the entire history of the company. It struggled until he came back to run it all in the 90′s and then it started revolutionizing everything. Apple has great products but it is definitely riding a wave of Steve Jobs’ momentum.
The other thing that I tend to think about is why it seems that Apple is spreading themselves so thin. For example, why are they spending sooo much time, money, and resources to building their own maps app when they could just collaborate with the company that already has invested billions into a great map system….Google. Then Apple could spend more time delivering on expectations, rather than trying to fight a war against Google.
Apple needs to learn something from Google’s mistake which is that you can’t spread yourself too thin and have your hands in every pie without having a mess to clean up. Google finally realized recently that they had way too much that they were working on and consolidated (and eliminated) a lot of projects that took their focus away from delivering nice, high quality products. Unfortunately, Apple seems to be trying to fight off Google in every possible way and it seems to be distracting Apple from what their core business is. If Apple keeps it up, I think they will find that they will lose a lot of loyal customers as their quality and customer expectations deteriorate.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
10 
4
June 18th, 2012 at 3:24 pm
Also, why is Apple trying sooo hard to block the Galaxy S3? Because they know that it is an amazing phone and are afraid of losing market share. Maybe Apple was so arrogant that they figured nobody could create such great phones, and maybe they are partly scared because the new iPhone is only on par with the competition (and not ahead of it). They can claim patent infringement all they want, but if Apple had an amazing phone that was better, then it would sell itself and beat Samsung. Apple’s behavior doesn’t give me much hope that the new phone will be much (or any) better than existing or upcoming Android phones.
In my opinion, Apple acts too much like a monopoly and they are starting to see it come around and bite them. They think their products are superior and that everybody will always buy them, no matter what. Now they are getting scared because they’ve ridden the profit train too long and haven’t delivered on the expectations that they created. Instead of releasing another great product that does really well, they just try to stop the competition by trying to ban their products. Personally I don’t like that because it prevents the creation of better products which naturally comes from competition, especially in the tech industry. To me, I see that as an act of fear on Apple’s part…and an indication that the new iPhone won’t blow us all away…..just like the last iphone didn’t blow us all away….and just like the last ipad didn’t blow us all away….and just like the WWDC didn’t deliver on “the week we’ve all been waiting for”.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
24 
5
June 18th, 2012 at 3:30 pm
Couldn’t agree more!!!
Like?
4 
3
June 18th, 2012 at 4:30 pm
Well said @Mike D. I believe you have stated how the majority of us are feeling in way much better articulated then any of us could of.
Like?
4 
3
June 18th, 2012 at 5:00 pm
Apple should hire the 17 year old kid from Oklahoma who made this iPhone 5 commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsEUBLIJvmE
If Apple is to continue introducing new products in the Jobs legacy, it will not be because of the Tim Cook’s of the world. It will be because of people like this kid who have not only talent but a passion for making elegant, breakthrough yet simple products and then marketing them with originality and style.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
6 
1
June 18th, 2012 at 7:40 pm
I agree, Mike D. One person does make a difference and the loss of Steve Jobs is already being felt. I know little of him but I believe enough to know that he would never have let a claim “the week we’ve all been waiting for” not stand for anything less than the release of a new iPhone – he understood the expectations of his customers and would never have used such deceptive advertising. This is a disgrace to his legacy.
A hot comment -- What do you think?
7 
4
June 18th, 2012 at 8:09 pm
I won’t switch to Android because because it just doesn’t feel right. But just because I’m a loyal Apple customer doesn’t mean I sit around bashing Google all day. I think Android has its strong points and weak points, just like Apple. You can’t do everything right, other wise Apple/Google would have all the customers. I will be honest though, I have been very disappointed this past WWDC. The WWDC 2011 offered a very big update to a lot of the core features of iOS and made iOS 5 very important for iDevices. It made everything work a lot better. With iOS 6, I don’t feel as much passion, but, I think it is still a solid upgrade (not as big as iOS 5) obviously. The iPhone 4S is a cool phone, just nothing ground breaking. And now, the absence of an iPhone at this year’s WWDC as just disappointed me. I was excited about the new MacBook Pros and I’m in the market for an upgrade, I just CAN’T blow $2,100 on a laptop. I don’t think it’s worth the technology it offers, no matter how innovated Apple says it is. I agree with this article 110% Michael … what will make or break my excitement for this year is the imminent release of the next generation iPhone, and boy, it better be REALLY GOOD.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
5 
0
June 18th, 2012 at 8:09 pm
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
10 
17
June 18th, 2012 at 9:40 pm
Love the Article Michael and Mike D. I agree completely with what you said above. Now, did anyone see the Microsoft Surface Tablet that they just revealed this evening? I’m not a huge fan of Microsoft but it looks pretty sweet and innovative. Maybe some good competition for the iPad finally.
But what I hope this will do, along with all these crazy spec’d Android phones, is put a fire under Apple’s belly to do something AMAZING with their upcoming products. They have the technology, they can build it! Heck, they’re the RICHEST technology company in the world, they should be able to be so innovative that they build an empire impossible to surpass. They owe it to themselves, they owe it to Steve Jobs’ legacy and they owe it to us, the consumers who have been behind them, supporting and filling our heads with wishful thinking for all this time. This fall is Apple’s last chance with me. I will wait out this iPhone 5, hoping and praying that it’s amazing as it can be. I know iOS 6 wasn’t a HUGE shocker, but I think running the right hardware and after the beta phase is done and it’s released, it definitely has potential.
Like?
4 
1
June 18th, 2012 at 10:22 pm
Couldn’t agree more with this article. The arrogance of their marketing and product release cycles can only be pulled off with revolutionary products, which has now stopped. Therefore, people are starting to see right through it and think, “wait a minute, why would I wait this long and pay this much for an inferior product?” I moved to the galaxy s2 last year and don’t think I will ever go back to iPhone, the benefits of the android open source outway the simplicity of ios (ios 6 was clearly an android catch up, why would they put so much effort into maps when google still shits on it? They will never match street view and real free navigation which comes standard on a samsung). This is not to mention the hardware benefits of an android. To me; it is superior in every way (I think siri is a useless waste of time). Sorry apple, without Jobs your reign is coming to an end… it would take a MONSTEROUS phone to beat having a playstaion and n64 on my phone wherever I go haha
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
7 
3
June 18th, 2012 at 11:03 pm
@Sooner That was AWESOME!
Suggestions for the next tagline:
Too clever by half.
Fool me once, you’re the fool. Fool me twice, I’m the fool. Fool me three times…
John Scully lives!
One less thing!
We have a new clock app that will blow you away!
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
14 
0
June 18th, 2012 at 11:09 pm
“We have a new clock app that will blow you away!”
LOL!!!
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
12 
1
June 18th, 2012 at 11:45 pm
I don’t get the rant or many of these comments. Apple has never been at the front lines when it comes to delivering the best specifications. Their processing speed, ram, size, ect has all been behind the curve. Their revolutionary products were never really the first products with the features that are “revolutionary”. So, what is with everyone shooting them down for their products NOW? It seems to me like some people need to be reminded what Apple does and is about…
Apple is about an integrated system vs a fragmented system. Apple is not about gimmicks or producing shitty products. Apple doesn’t bring to market a wide range of phones or products to meet the needs of many different niches. Apple doesn’t produce the best in any area on a specification list because that wouldn’t be balanced, just like you can’t throw huge brakes on a car without increasing the size of the master cylinder or a larger turbo without upgrading the fuel system. Apple makes products that are a work of art compared to their competitors, and they produce a system that is balanced and integrated, so it can meet the needs of the majority of people with the (most likely) best experience. And this approach is working!
Their products are possible because of their integrated system and this system fuels sales of their whole line. Apple will keep innovating, but their growth is huge without revolutionary products because of this integrated system that no one can match, or has yet to match. Say what you want, but I am excited as hell for the new iPhone 5 release, and quite pleased after watching the WWDC video, and IMO, there is nothing that can match it on the market.
A hot comment -- What do you think?
7 
4
June 19th, 2012 at 12:04 am
PS. Just wanted to add that revolutionary products were not their goal, which is another way to say what I said above, so people shouldn’t expect revolutionary products. Their goal is to create the best user experience and beautiful products. Meeting those goals has resulted in revolutionary products when the technology and opportunity allows, but revolutionary products are not their goal.
Like?
5 
2
June 19th, 2012 at 12:57 am
@Justin, correct me if I’m wrong but I’ve heard in countless interviews of SJ and Tim Cooke where they said Apple exists and the employees at Apple come to work to for one thing – to make the best products in the world. How is that different than being revolutionary?
Like?
4 
1
June 19th, 2012 at 1:10 am
Yes, yes, revolutionary products aren’t the express goal, though the iPhone became one of them. Remember, when it debuted in 2007 RIM Blackberry and Palm Treo were at the top of the mobile phone high-end heap. And we know where they ended up! Everyone else later in the game is just apeing, tweaking, revving, and hoping to out-spec the original iPhone design rubric. So if your user experience is really that much better somewhere else via some or another feature/spec – go for it! But be aware – you’re using a ‘variant’ of the Apple iPhone. As someone said here to wit: today’s release of the Microsoft tablet ‘Surface’ – oy vay! Here we go again!! But really, Apple leaves everyone else little choice but to emulate. Not impressed with Siri? Too bad . . . . Android picked it up, and not even disguised their new name for it, ‘S Voice’. Oy vay again, gimme a break!
Like?
3 
1
June 19th, 2012 at 4:49 am
Well said Justin, well said.
Like?
1 
2
June 19th, 2012 at 7:24 am
3rd World Problems…
Like?
2 
4
June 19th, 2012 at 7:25 am
I meant 1st world. LOL..
Like?
3 
4
June 19th, 2012 at 7:26 am
@ Michael thanks for the good read. totally agree.
Like?
4 
1
June 19th, 2012 at 7:50 am
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
2 
6
June 19th, 2012 at 8:11 am
@ Justin – Perfectly said. Apple isn’t going to compete on features; their goal is indeed as a family of integrated products.
The iPod was more of a revolutionary concept than a product, as was the iPhone. The iPod, iPhone, and even modest upgrades to the iPad all point to a “been there, done that”, corporate philosophy as they advance to next the revolutionary iProduct.
Like?
1 
2
June 19th, 2012 at 8:58 am
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
2 
5
June 19th, 2012 at 12:28 pm
I somehow feel there is some link between the ‘New iPhone’ and the rumoured ‘iPad Mini’ or perhaps another new device, otherwise why would it take Apple so long to release this product knowing that others are overtaking them?
I suspect they have something up their sleeve.
Like?
2 
1
June 19th, 2012 at 7:16 pm
I’m with Justin and Chris L on this. I bought my first Mac about 20 years ago (Centris 660AV) and the Macs never had the absolute fastest/most of anything, but the package as a whole was always the best. The Mac, iPod, iPhone and iPad were revolutionary products, but they were only revolutionary once each, and the rest of their iterations were steady improvements.
What people are missing here is profits. Google are struggling to make money out of Android and most of the non-Apple smart phone makers are similarly struggling. As long as Apple continue to make decent profits (and invest in R&D) they will be well placed to continue to produce great products. I don’t expect the iPhone 5 to be a revolutionary product – just better than the 4s.
Unlike others I think the investment in Maps will pay off. If they are beholden to Google then Google can squeeze them (just like Samsung used their manufacturing contract with Apple to push the boundaries on copyright infringement – if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck …)
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
5 
0
June 19th, 2012 at 8:38 pm
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
0 
3
June 19th, 2012 at 9:00 pm
Actually, DM — I’m not upset at all that the iPhone 5 wasn’t announced at the WWDC. Why would I be upset? I’m the Publisher of a rumor blog called the iPhone 5 News Blog. The success of this blog is inextricably tied to the long wait for the iPhone 5. I said as much in comments that if the iPHone 5 didn’t appear, it wouldn’t be the end of the world, and it hasn’t been. You obviously didn’t really read this article — you just came to a conclusion about it when your read the title. The article is an analysis of Apple’s teaser graphics and tag lines which, in my opinion, have mismanaged expectations.
I hate to break it to you, but I’m not one of those bloggers who “set their expectations too high and then get disappointed, and proceed to write blog posts like this,” but you, however, are one of those typical sanctimonious, anonymous commenters who like to swoop in and do some Monday morning quarterbacking. You know what? Comments like yours happen every day. They bore me.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
5 
1
June 19th, 2012 at 11:10 pm
@DM, what does “The week we’ve all been waiting for…” mean to you”?
A new map app?
A decent upgrade to a laptop?
A promise of a better Mac Pro?
Having watched this blog for over a year now, I think that Michael does quite a bit for a free (to us) rumor sourcing. The articles are well written, and contain good information. I’d suggest that you go back and read 20 articles leading up to WWDC, and see if your opinion of his writing changes. I read it for a few weeks and decided this was the best iPhone 5 news blog out there, and stayed with it.
But that’s just me. I value my time, and reading the info here is a good investment of it, but your mileage may vary.
Like?
3 
0
June 19th, 2012 at 11:27 pm
@Shameer…in the tech world revolutionary and the new gimmick are not much different and Apple does well to not jump onto gimmicks like NFC, or 3D cameras until those features can easily be incorporated without sacrificing the user experience and while appealing to the masses. They want to be elegant; not just clutter the device with technology most don’t use. Their goal is to make the best products and the best user experience, and they believe that requires considering aesthetics, craftsmanship, balance in design and performance. Granted, they do tend to think outside the box, so revolutionary products happen, but this isn’t their goal.
To expand on this idea. READ the biography on Steve Jobs. The man obsessed about integration that he designed buildings, so that employees of different departments had to cross paths with other employees. And when he hired employees he had each manager of differing departments interview the candidate because he believe the team should work cohesively. This integrated approach fosters better team work, colaberatgion and the production and proliferation of novel ideas and revolutionary products. Again, so it is all planned yet so circumstantial that revolutionary products have been made.
So Id conclude to say that it is ridiculous to suggest that Apple has lost its spark or is slacking compared to the competition…their products are still exceptional and their sales and growth reflect it amazing, especially considering that they still hold a minority fraction of the total sales of electronics and yet they have the greatest profits in retail and hold the greater profits than their competitors combined. This largely due to great products, and great stores, and an integrated approach that fosters sales on their whole line of products from the iPod and macs to the apple store and its music and app sales…because the customer realizes, the user experience is best when all devices they own are Apple.
Like?
0 
1
June 20th, 2012 at 1:02 pm
Justin, you certainly make good points, but two years to create the next generation phone seems to indicate less emphasis on innovation and meeting user expectation than on just maximizing profit. Profit is really important, but emphasis solely on profit is what gets companies into trouble. Look at GM and others for examples. Companies must stay ahead of competition through innovation. Sony sat on its innovations like the Walkman too long and Apple was able to steal that market. The same will happen to Apple if they listen to their accountants more than the engineers and visionaries. I hope that Apple gets that.
Like?
0 
0
April 12th, 2013 at 3:12 am
Remarkable things here. I am very glad to peer your article.
Thanks so much and I’m taking a look ahead to touch you. Will you kindly drop me a e-mail?
Like?
0 
0