It's even better when you really look at it... Photos and apple store, which are already above, "Pay" which should really wake some people up, someone fingering a heart for some reason, probably a search sign, music, smileys that are already at the bottom...
Only the three penultimate ones *could* be of interest. They should have indeed put numbers.
The pay requires 2 steps to make a payment, and the other person has to have an iPhone. You can also remove any of these you don’t want, but you can’t replace with numbers. Personally I’d rather have a normal number pad as an option when toggling between keyboards.
It’s a hallmark of modern users. You see the same logic a lot in “Apple vs Android” type posts. “Well my phone lets me store 200 teraflops of data and has 16 cameras each better than Hubble!” “Oh yeah? My phone has native integration that lets me pay for robot hookers using my sweat to verify my social security number...” blah blah. That’s great that your device has 7,000 features- but it only has 6 I use and 4 I want. But the modern designer designs for the modern user and the modern user asks for things that you don’t need just because the technology has the ability to do it. Then we invent ways to make the stuff we won’t use useful because we have it.
Google had a really cool idea for a modular phone called project ara which would let you basically assemble your phone with the blocks you wanted basically like LEGO. Unfortunately it never happened and I’m guessing it’s because they wouldn’t make a lot of profit considering companies could make counterfeit blocks or people would only keep updating the blocks they wanted and never need to really buy the base phone a lot. Since it’ll be built with the features that the individual user needs they can choose as little as required and still be happy. Cool idea nonetheless and could have greatly contributed to the electronic waste issue
I really do like the idea too. If done well and coupled with the “invisible hand” I could see it possibly even helping with E-waste issues. I think that is part of what killed the idea. If you could simply and easily swap a processor for instance- you could keep the same phone if you’re happy with it until the technology outpaces what the board can handle or the overall architecture changes. If you like the new camera on the latest tech generation but don’t want this or that? Switch. 3g to 4g and so on? As long as the shift isn’t too great- a software flash and a new receiver module. Boom. In an enterprise setting that could extend the life of things like hand computers beyond decades.
Couple it with some sort of optional and favorable “lease” program for modules- or an exchange program, and if the whole industry was pushed into a modular standard and designing future hardware around compatibility- that could really cut things down. Modular power supplies with standardized chargers and pin outs etc. But... part of the business is “new.” Vast numbers of people, in whole or part, buy the latest “it” phone or the highest end phone just so when they pull it out people see they have it. The repair business almost evaporates. Apple would have fits and fight the standard most likely. And third party or knock offs become a huge issue as does software QA and security. I like the concept though.
Yeah. It’s a catch 22 I suppose. At least until we can hopefully get on some post scarcity economics Star Trek ish. If it wasn’t for profit we likely wouldn’t have cool things to start- so I guess it’s good and bad.
Only the three penultimate ones *could* be of interest. They should have indeed put numbers.