Apple not without worms

Story by Mykaela Cross, Assistant Editor

Apple Inc. is attempting to make a comeback with the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus that go on pre-sale Sept. 12. But will it be enough to bring Apple back to the top?

iPods, iPhones and iPads are just some of the examples of Apple products that have taken the stage and outshone competitors, that is until recently. Though Apple’s prices would suggest its devices are elite, the devices’ performances aren’t giving the same impression.

What are we really paying for when we enjoy our little Apple logo? Exactly that, the logo. Compare performance of an Android device with that of Apple’s recent ones, and I’d vote for Android any day. With sales demonstrating that competitors now have the edge, the Apple company certainly needs to do something.

If I were Apple, I would be concerned. Until this week’s iPhone 6 rollout, I found that the more time passed, the more obsolete the different Apple devices had become. I remember the day I got my iPod 4GS. It was brand new and the next big thing. That was only three years ago and I never touch my iPod anymore. Why would I? My glitch-free Samsung Galaxy S4 does everything my iPod does — faster, brighter and more efficiently.

The iTunes programming complicates data transfer from the program to the device. I’ve lost countless songs, videos and photos thanks to the different iTunes bugs; I’ve wasted hours trying to recover lost files. With my Galaxy S4, transferring files is direct and speedy, taking me no time at all to download and upload various files.

The USB connection cord that connects to my Galaxy S4 allows me to bypass problem programs like iTunes and upload files straight into my phone’s memory from my computer. The only reason I see for Apple’s high popularity is the bandwagon effect. Apple makes consumers believe that since everyone else has one and it’s the most expensive, they have to have one too. People just don’t realize that in this case, the cheaper option is actually the better option.

As if file transfer errors weren’t enough, recurring issues with iCloud, the satellite storage Apple provides to make information easier to access from all its devices, are turning more customers away from Apple. The iCloud does its job, but too well. Many customers, recently including celebrities, have had their private photographs and information hacked directly from iCloud. Just look at Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Upton.

I like new stuff as much as the next person, but it would take more than just a newer, larger screen to make me switch. Or at least, so I thought. Then came Sept. 9, when Apple unveiled the long-anticipated iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Even as a Droid lover, I watched the presentation and was impressed by the sharper and alterable camera settings, vivid screens, new texting features and storage benefits. The iPhone 6 Plus might be the device to change my mind.

The thinner, larger, and rounded edged iPhone 6 and 6 Plus differ only in size and color options, but the have the new iOS 8 processor, making them faster and filling them with all sorts of new functions. While the iPhone 5S was four inches, the iPhone 6 is 4.7 inches and the Plus measures up to 5.5 inches.

Yeah, I may switch. That is if Apple’s gotten rid of the rest of the worms.