So the big announcement has been and gone and to say that it had a mixed reception is somewhat of an understatement. I’ve got quite an active Twitter feed and the reactions that were coming through world-wide were as different as you could get. Half loved the size of the iPhone 6+, half hated it. Half thought the Watch was going to be a world-beater. Half thought it was impressive but would fail as it wouldn’t have a big enough market appeal.
Fortunately, I was able to engage with a real audience in the form of the London Mac User Group whilst streaming the event live for the British Tech Network. We were at Tiger Tiger, a club very close to Piccadilly Circus and what a superb venue it was. Congratulations have to go to Steve Naybour for all the hard work that went in to the planning of this. Good work fella.
The feedback from the group was not as polarised as I was expecting after analysing Tweetdeck for the best part of two hours. I’ve got four interviews here that really do sum up the mood of the LMUG members as a whole. I’ve added their Twitter handles to their names by way of a thank you for them giving up their time to talk to me so please feel free to follow them as they are Apple fans and genuinely nice chaps.
Tim @timtj - Tim will be buying the iPhone 6, 128GB. This is a fairly natural progression due to the fact that he has a 5 at the moment. He’s excited about NFC, although disappointed it will take a while to arrive in the UK and the use of Touch ID extensions within are a real winner. As for the watch, he is going to wait until the second generation models come out as he is worried about what the initial uptake is going to be and be sure it’s something he is going to make use of.
Martin @slyingwellie - I reckon he’s got a job on his hands but Martin is going to be first in the queue for the Watch. He’s keen to know however, how waterproof it is so lord knows what the man has planned for it. Especially considering he is worried about exactly how the long the battery will last for him. He didn’t look like the scuba-diving type I must admit. He does love the idea of the changeable straps and thinks this is going to make it a very diverse piece of kit. As for the phone, it’s the iPhone 6 for him, 128GB.
Jeff @jeffao3 - Once more, Jeff is going for the iPhone 6, 128GB as opposed to the iPhone 6+. Natural upgrade as he always upgrades every year, buying the phone outright so not on a contract. As far as the Watch goes, Jeff has been trialling a Pebble to see if the whole wearable scene was something that was practical and appealing to him. Does this experience, combined with what he’s seen tonight make him want to splash the cash for a Watch? Jeff is undecided because he has concerns over the battery life. Although he does wonder how long it’s going to be before third parties are offering mobile chargers for them.
MrBatwench @mrbatwench - Well I couldn’t leave without getting the opinion of MrBatwench could I?! Certainly impressed but undecided at all about any purchases at all at this moment in time. Is probably going to upgrade his iPhone but as for the model, really needs to see them before making a firm decision. Like Tim, MrBatwench is looking to be a potential second generation Watch owner, but lets be honest, it’s going to be Batwench’s decision herself what he gets and when.
So the feeling from LMUG was a thumbs-up for the iPhone 6 and a wait and see for the iPhone 6+ and the Watch.
I have edited out ALL comments about the stream as we want this blog to be viewed by readers of all ages and the language used was, quite frankly, unprintable.
Personally, I’m going to looking at the iPhone 6 in about a month or so. The enhanced battery of the 6+ is a big draw, as is the quality of the camera, but I really need to look at the size of it in real terms and I just don’t think it’s going to be suitable. I have an iPad Air as my primary consumption and remote working device - this suits me down to the ground. I know a lot of people will share that view.
As for the Watch, it would look good on my wrist, no doubt about that. If someone wanted to buy me one, I’d use the hell out of it. However, can I justify the expense on something that doesn’t fulfil a specific need for me at this point in time? I’m sorry to say that’s a No. And I am sorry to say that, as it does indeed look like a very impressive piece of technical engineering that I would be proud to have on my wrist. The price point though for the entry model is just a grade too high for my humble self right now.
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