Why I’m Skeptical About the iPhone 5 Event

Love it or hate it, but you can’t deny that Apple’s iPhone unveiling is one of the biggest events of the year. Invites for this year’s big show have been sent out, but even though the party is just a week away, my skepticism regarding Apple’s next product has increased exponentially.

I’ve been following rumors and speculations regarding the iPhone rather extensively – you can find a giant rundown of big iPhone news over here – but the invitation image for the event has me thinking that the actual reveal will be greatly underwhelming.

As you can see, the invite is incredibly understated. The catch phrase “Let’s talk iPhone” hardly sparks any level of excitement from me. In fact, it brings up quite the opposite.

The phrase gives off this vibe that they’re going to talk about something that already exists. Yes, I know that the iPhone already exists, but I’m referring to the lack of push for people to think about something new.

When someone starts a sentece by saying “let’s talk about,” it is usually regarding something that either one or all members of the party are already well aware of; something current, if you will.

Rumors of the next iPhone being an iterative device, as opposed to evolutionary, greatly fans the flame of lowered expectations.

In addition, the icons bring a feeling of complete familiarity. These are staple Apple iOS apps, ones that people have clicked an unthinkable amount of times over the last four years. Again, not a single hint that something previously unseen is brewing.

Yes, I’m completely aware the icons correspond with the date, time, location and subject matter of the event, but that still doesn’t provoke a feeling of anticipation.

Lastly, the event is being held at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California. While not a small location, previous iPhone unveilings were held during their WWDC conference at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

The Moscone Center is home to many conferences throughout the year, and as such is built to house a large number of attendees. Having the event at Apple HQ may make those present feel like they’re at the heart of the creative world, but it makes me feel like it won’t be as big of a spectacle as we’ve come accustomed to.

I don’t doubt Apple’s ability to market to the masses – if anything, they’ve proven time and time again that they can do it better than anyone else – but nothing has made me less excited about the next iPhone than the official announcement for the event that will ultimately pull back the curtains on their next big product.

As many of us surely will be, I’ll be keeping a close eye at all of the announcements made at next week’s event, but if things don’t end up being as magical as some may expect, the last thing I will be is surprised.