iPhone 5

five

Apple had a pretty big day last week. In standard Apple fashion, their mystery (not so much) press conference captivated the eyes and ears of millions of people - something they’ve become quite good at. From tech industry execs, to die hard Apple groupies, to Mrs. Peterson’s entire 8th grade classroom, to even your Grandmother, there weren’t many that didn’t know about the release of the new iPhone 5.

Although most were fairly certain that a new iPhone would be the jewel of this San Francisco conference, there was some speculation as to what it would actually be called. These doubts were put to rest, however, when Apple’s official acknowledgment of their announcement was a simple “September 12th” casting a shadow of the number 5. And just like their smooth hint at what was to come, the conference was pretty smooth itself. The conference kicked off with CEO Tim Cook announcing the brand new (Gaudi inspired) Apple store in Barcelona, Spain. Apple’s reach and influence is becoming more and more international as they are entering their 13th country to have an Apple store (Sweden) and the Apple store encountered over 83 millions visitors just from April-June of this year.

Next on the list was some facts and stats regarding Mountain Lion (fastest selling OSX of all time), MacBooks (#1 in market share), and of course - the iPad. In the words of Tim Cook, “The iPad is driving the post PC revolution”. There were 17 million iPads sold in just the time span of April-June 2012. In fact, there were 84 million iPads sold in the world through June! The iPad has a 68% market share in all tablets - talk about domination.

Now what everyone’s been waiting for: the iPhone 5 took the stage. While a slew of new features and improvements were announced, it is easy to say that this is the best iPhone yet. What is hard to qualify however, although improved, is if the next generations of iPhones to come will have the same innovative and brilliant leaps and bounds that occurred when Jobs was still around. We’ll let you decide!

Here are some of the best (and most significant in our opinion) features of the iPhone 5 that were announced last week:

• Dual color back (made entirely of glass/aluminum)
• 4" screen (5th fow of icons on home screen, natural 16:9 aspect ratio)
• Apps don't stretch or scale (slight letter boxing)
• Thinnest phone ever (7.6mm)
• Lightest phone ever
• LTE (HSDPA+ DC-HSDPA support)
• Single chip (A6) (single radio, dynamic antenna, 2x faster CPU and graphics)
• Retina display (326ppi, 44% more color saturation, 1136x640 pixels)
• Ultrafast wireless technology
• Even better battery life
• Lightning adapter (say goodbye to all of your old accessories... or purchase a $30 adapter)
• New camera (8 megapixel sensor, 3264x2448 backside illuminated, 5 element lens, f/2.4 aperture, 25% smaller, faster photo capture)
• Panorama photos (28 megapixel images)
• 1080P HD video (video stabilization, 10-face detection)
• Facetime over cellular networks
• 3 microphones built in (better voice recognition, improved speaker design, reduces noise in area)
• Uses iOS6 (new vector maps, turn by turn directions, notification center, iCloud tabs, passbook, share photo streams, Siri improvement)

Apple ended the press conference with announcements about iTunes (redesigned), next generation iPod devices, and of course... The Foo Fighters. If Dave Grohl doesn't make you want to buy an iPhone, I don't know what would!

Which Glasses are You Wearing? (Android or iOS)

Over the last few years, the defining question has always been: Android or iPhone? As the years have gone by, and Android has pumped out some serious competitors, this question has become harder and harder to answer. I will try to address not only what makes someone identify with one brand over another, but also what each platform has to offer in terms of user experience.

Are you a hipster? Are you a techie? Are you both? There are different personas that align themselves with different brand categories. So what qualifies someone as an Android or iOS fan? There are several defining factors that make someone loyal to one platform as opposed to another. Apple and iOS really don’t need a lot of advertising. Their products speak for themselves and make brand loyalty almost effortless. Their UX is truly the best of its kind and makes navigating fairly easy - even for new adopters. Besides the bright and shiny hardware that can almost be considered a fashion accessory, the UX on iOS devices is what drags most users in. In fact, it was actually designed to be everything a user could want. For most people, this is true, but it is also the reason iOS devices are not customizable - because what more could you want? (Turns out some people do want more - cue Android applause). iOS devices are also the most spectacular way to view and use applications. From its extensive Apple App Store, to the seamless integration on all of its devices, apps are used to the best of their ability (and most beautifully) on iOS. So what kind of person prefers iOS? It’s fairly hard to classify because Apple especially has a very wide range of users. Design-centric individuals are easily some of the most tried and true iOS fans. Let’s just say if you wear thick framed glasses and own a flannel, there’s a good chance you’re an iPhone guy.

Android has a huge product offering. They range from brilliant to (unfortunately) pretty pathetic. These phones are huge for those that are firm believers in Google services. For you Google+, Gmail, and GoogleMaps lovers, the Android is incredibly valuable. Android is also much more customizable than iOS. You can bend and tweak it to fit your personal needs in a mobile device. Android could be considered the better choice for those wanting an all-in-one tool. If you’re phone doubles as a GPS, PC, camera, organizer - you may be an Android person. It’s also a common gripe that Android is more difficult to navigate than iOS, especially for first time smartphone users. All of these qualities make it hard to qualify exactly what an avid Android user is like, because of the vast differences in their products. Android not only produces the most expensive smartphones on the market, but also the most inexpensive. This factor spans users from those who require little technical abilities in a device to those who rely heavily on their computing power. The technical side of this spectrum is where you will find your most devoted Android fans. If you've ever seriously considered building your own robot, you're probably an Android guy.

Which one would you identify yourself with?

WWJD – What Would Jesus Develop? Part 1: Interview with Mark Driscoll

At Mars Hill Church, it’s all about Jesus. From blog posts to sermons, the ministry is always working to be on mission for Christ. The Church App for iPhone began a little over a year ago as a dream to serve this Seattle-based, Bible-loving, culturally savvy church we call home. In April 2009, Subsplash teamed up with their tech team to create the Mars Hill Church iPhone app. At the time, we didn’t realize that it would change the way members listen to sermons and rock out to worship music. It’s been almost a year since the release of the Mars Hill Church iPhone app, and we’ve found ourselves wondering how the Church is using this technology to spread the Gospel. In this interview—first in a three part series—we spotlight Pastor Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill Church’s use of this new medium.

Subsplash: Mars Hill Church was among the first to publish a church iPhone app almost a year ago. You, Pastor Mark, have been one of the most downloaded podcasts on iTunes. Considering that Mars Hill Church is at the forefront of utilizing mobile technology, in what ways has mobile tech impacted your ministry?

Pastor Mark: Without the Internet, my ministry is completely different. In God’s providence we started our church about the same time that the Internet went public, near Microsoft, and have ridden that wave ever since.

Subsplash: Some churches might want to use new technology simply because it’s cutting-edge…how do think the church has embraced technology well? How do think it has embraced technology poorly?

Pastor Mark: The key is to have biblically rooted Jesus-centered content and lots of it. It’s great to speak to a wide audience, but only if the content advances the cause of Christ. Ministries fail both in having poor content that is widely delivered, and conversely good content that is not widely delivered.

Subsplash: What is the theological reasoning behind Mars Hill Church’s use of technology to forward the Gospel?

Pastor Mark: Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9 that he became all things to all men so that by “all means” he might save as many people as possible. It’s that simple. We use whatever we can to tell as many as we can about Jesus. Technology is simply a tool or an idol depending upon whether it helps or hinders the forward progress of the gospel.

Subsplash: Do you believe all churches are candidates for cutting-edge, technological advancements like podcasting or an iPhone app? Why or why not?

Pastor Mark: Any church that believes the Bible is taught well with Jesus as the hero should attempt to do all they can to get the word out more broadly. If we love Jesus and people, we want to get his truth and love to them as cheaply, effectively, and responsibly as we can.

Thanks Pastor Mark!  We are so thankful that God blessed us with the chance to work with your ministry.