M.G. Siegler, writing for TechCrunch:
Apple is not and will not make changes just for the sake of change. And while some may now be clamoring for this change, the paradox is that if Apple did make some big changes, many of the same people would bitch and moan about them. Apple is smart enough to know that in this case, most people don’t really want change, they just think that they do because that’s the easiest way to perceive value: visual newness.
With every release of the iPhone, people conflate visuals and innovation. Form and function are not mutually exclusive and aesthetic isn’t the only component of design.
Sure, the iPhone 5 looks like a stretched iPhone 4S - for good reason, the design works. It’s understandable that people often associate a new package with an innovative product. But consider the magic in what Apple accomplished with the iPhone 5.
Apple enhanced graphics performance on the retina screen, added a faster processor, threw in the latest Wi-Fi and cellular technology, and improved the camera. They did all of this while simultaneously shrinking the phone’s thickness by 20% and maintaining or improving battery life. That’s the magic. That’s the turn.