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Steve Wozniak isn't getting iPhone X on launch day

Commentary: The Apple co-founder says he’s happy with his iPhone 8, which is the "same" as the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 6 to him.

Chris Matyszczyk
2 min read

Technically Incorrect offers a slightly twisted take on the tech that's taken over our lives.


Steve Wozniak press conference in Kiev

Woz not upgrading? What has the world come to?

James Martin/CNET

Can it be that the world will be deprived of one of the great Apple traditions?

It seems that on every launch day, the company's co-founder Steve Wozniak is at an Apple store to add his characteristic bonhomie to the affair, often on his Segway.

On Nov. 3, however, he says he won't be there.

As CNBC reports, Woz spent Monday at the Money 20/20 conference in Las Vegas.

There, he declared of the iPhone X launch: "I'd rather wait and watch that one. I'm happy with my iPhone 8 -- which is the same as the iPhone 7 , which is the same as the iPhone 6 , to me."

That feels a little like criticism, doesn't it?

Many might agree with his assessment that these three phones resemble each other rather closely. But the X is supposed to be, in Apple's words, "the smartphone of the future."

Why would Woz want to miss out on that? He didn't seem to fully explain.

"For some reason, the iPhone X is going to be the first iPhone I didn't -- on day one -- upgrade to," he said. Some reason? What reason?

Oddly, he revealed his wife will be upgrading immediately, "so I'll be close enough to see it."

The wry might speculate that Woz was merely offering entertainment with his pronouncement.

Still, earlier this year he insisted that though iPhones are expensive -- and the 256GB version of the iPhone X will set you back $1,149 -- they're "a safe bet."

Is this bet not safe enough because of, say, Face ID, which some believe is a security risk?

On the other hand, he also said earlier this year that Apple wouldn't bring forth the next great tech moonshot. That would be Tesla.

Is he concerned, then, that the iPhone X isn't all that? Well, it certainly isn't all screen.

The Apple faithful might not be able to cope with a Woz who's lost the faith. We'll see what happens by the time Nov. 3 comes along.

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