CK Lu, Gartner, on the iPhone 4S

“Apple no longer has a leading edge – its cloud service is even behind (Google’s mobile operating system) Android; it can only sell on brand loyalty now. Users may wait to buy the next iPhone; if they can’t wait, they may shift to brands with more advanced specifications.”…

Frank Gillett, cloud analyst, Forrester Research

“Apple’s iCloud is an important new software platform and service that will integrate Apple’s customer experiences across their iPhone, iPad, and Mac products. This first version creates a personal cloud experience of the individual’s work, personal, and purchased content being seamlessly available across all their Apple products, in contrast to the fragmented experience of Google, Microsoft, and Amazon.

“I believe the Siri Assistant feature is the beginning of a new user experience built around context that will eventually create a much more personal, intimate experience for using all of Apple’s mobile and Mac products. Both of these offerings will have enduring impact beyond the latest model of the iPhone.” A recent Forrester report forecast that the number of Americans subscribing to personal cloud services would jump from 65 million today to 196 million in 2016. We peg the personal cloud market at $12bn by 2016.”