Mashable:
Apple’s first ever battery iPhone case has generated a range of reactions and emotions. Some people simply can’t get over the hump.
I caught up with Apple CEO Tim Cook, who was in town to participate in an Hour of Code event, to take his temperature on the $99 iPhone 6 and 6s case, with the noticeable battery pack hump on its back. We asked Cook if he is excited about the hump.
“You know, I probably wouldn’t call it ‘the hump,’” said Cook, who added he was aware of the comments surrounding the Smart Battery Case.
I find the Sturm und Drang over this case to be fascinating. I have no opinion about the design until I’ve seen it for myself but the amount of electronic ink spilled over this on both sides speaks to many things, not the least of which is Apple is under intense focus no matter what they do.
Intense focus would be fine – as the most successful company in existence, that comes with the genre.
What is tiring is the amount of dimwits constantly lurking in the shadows for the slightest amount of failure to be blown out of proportion. I had a good laugh about The Verge’s opinion that Apple is done with design (this battery case, the Pencil charging in the iPad Pro, and the mouse having the charging port in the wrong spot being the justification). The comment section with hordes of Android and Surface dumbsters lecturing Apple on design was priceless.
Many things Apple do may seem weird at first but will grow on people once they see it in persoon or start using it for real…
It’s silly season. There’s no new tech products to talk about so of minor accessory gets all kinds of ink.
you know what that fulcrum hinge on the surface book is fugly too. But there’s s reason for it. Design isn’t just about how something looks. Unfortunately the shallow writers at the birds seem to think that’s all design is these days. That’s why their writers get a boner over Samsung releasing a phone with a metal frame.
It goes beyond whether this is ugly or not. This is clearly a deviation from Apple’s design language. Cook’s explanation that the case is more flexible does not fly. Apple almost always places smooth, seamless, slim design over functionality or practicality.
But the fact is that Apple has always had a second tier of products that only receive the attention of their B team.
And smooth, seamless, slim design over functionality or practicality gets just as many negative comments; so maybe that is changing a bit.
After the initial purchase of the phone, I give absolutely no shits whatsoever about what the phone looks like.
But if I force myself to think about this, I think that the Apple battery case is “un-Apple-like” in its design/appearance, but still beats the crap out of the obnoxiously bloated cases by Mophie and other makers.
I saw it in the flesh yesterday and it isn’t that big. I can see why they did what they did.
Move on, nothing to see in this aisle! 🙂
“sturm und drang” describes a period in german literature and music in the 18th century (you wouldn’t use that phrase any other way in german). you’re probably using it wrong.
Why compete with the 3rd party makers at all? And if you are going to, why make something so poorly designed? And this has lead tojokes about the built-in iPhone battery being too small, which it probably is. We use our phones 10x as much as in 2007, yet you still have effectively the same hours of use in today’s iPhones.
There is nothing worse than Apple fans who say nothing is wrong at Apple, even as the company is now the opposite of the 2010 Apple in many ways. Which Apple are you a fan of? It can’t be both.
The thing that used to make the Apple community better than Windows community was we would not put up with shit coming out of Apple. So the community policed Apple. According to you, it is a good thing that stopped. I don’t agree.
The B team has also left for other companies. iOS is made by an F team now, and this case by an intern.
”Sturm and drang” is from Shakespeare in the 1600’s.
Poorly designed based on what? Design is about more than just looks. And I haven’t found a review yet that has criticized this case for its functionality.
Reading comprehension issues? Nobody said “nothing is wrong at Apple”. The topic was the battery case.
Short of any arguments or samples the statement that Apple “is now the opposite of the 2010 Apple in many ways” tells me nothing. They make better hardware than ever, they are more (or more openly) socially and ecologically responsible, they are more profitable, both iOS 9 and OS X 10.11 are perfectly solid… I do not see a lot to complain about.
Yes, iTunes sucks, the iOS Music App sucks, Apple Music sucks, their online services (other than basic mail, calendar, reminders, notes) are comically bad, their productivity apps get no attention etc… But most of that is neither new at all, nor the topic of the article.
Why couldn’t they curve the back like the iPhone 3GS to get a smoother transition between the middle and the edges of the case? This just looks like it would be awkward/difficult to slip into any pocket (clothes or bag).
Of all the things the reporter could be asking CEO Tim Cook and he floats a question about a non-consequential product to Apple, Inc. Duh.
The wiimote and mobile gaming have generated a lot more money than the Gamecube controller and Gamecube. How are you defining good and bad change?