Here's Why Apple's iPhone "Delays" Might Actually Be A Good Thing (AAPL, GOOG)

It sounds like Apple's iPhone rollout is going to happen a little later this year.

While some may see this as an "un-Apple like" "delay," this habit-breaking might actually be a good thing -- for would-be iPhone buyers, Apple fans, and investors.

Why? Because Apple needs another smartphone breakthrough, like the first iPhone was in 2007.

A look around the smartphone industry shows that Apple's iPhone 4 is still the best all-around product on the market, in terms of hardware, software, apps, etc. 

But Apple's lead is shrinking. Rivals, powered by Google Android, have gotten close, product-wise. And Android has already overtaken Apple in market share, fueled by widespread operator distribution.

If Apple wants to extend its lead, it eventually needs a major update that will leave the copycats scratching their heads.

Perhaps that's what's taking so long.

Specifically, it sounds like Apple will wait to reveal its next iPhone and iPad operating system, iOS 5, until June at its Worldwide Developers Conference. For context, this has happened in March or April the past three years.

Then, it might not launch the new iPhone hardware until later this year, or maybe not even until next year. This has traditionally happened right after WWDC, in June or July, since Apple started shipping the iPhone in 2007.

If true, there could be many reasons for this shift in schedules.

Apple may simply be rotating its product launches to make the iPhone release closer to the holidays, its biggest sales period. (In the meantime, this could potentially hurt summer sales, during the typical launch period, would could force analysts to lower their June or September quarter estimates.)

Apple may actually be delayed due to Steve Jobs' medical leave, extra time spent on the new Mac OS X Lion, production problems, or whatever. (That wouldn't be a good thing, if it becomes a habit.)

Or Apple may need more time because it's doing more work than in the past few years, to make the iPhone a radically better product, through new components, software, and services.

Like what?

At TechCrunch, MG Siegler has a good wrapup of what could be coming:

• "iTunes in the cloud" -- a launch of a bunch of new cloud services for the iPhone, potentially including music, video, social stuff, location, etc.

• A whole new layer of "artificial intelligence and assistance technology" built into iOS 5, based on Apple's acquisition of Siri.

• 4G network support -- faster Internet access, better video streaming, etc. -- because of new, better LTE components becoming available. Potentially very useful for all the new cloud syncing and/or network-based services built into the phone.

Add those up, and it could be one heck of an iPhone update.

And it had better be. Because there's only so much more mileage Apple could get just by making the iPhone 4 thinner, giving it more storage capacity, better video chip, etc.

Instead, this sounds more promising -- like Apple could potentially have another breakthrough product, which could take the Android camp more than a year to replicate.

And that would be worth the wait, for everyone involved.

Don't miss: Here's What We Want For The iPad 3

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See Also:

• Apple's New iPhone Software Might Not Launch Until Fall
• If There's No New iPhone At WWDC, Will Steve Jobs Even Bother Showing Up?
• iPhone 5 Might Not Launch Until Later This Year... Or 2012?

Here's Why Apple's iPhone "Delays" Might Actually Be A Good Thing (AAPL, GOOG)

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Google Delays Facebook-Killer Until Next Spring (GOOG)

Google has delayed the launch of its "big social play" until next year -- perhaps March or April, Mashable's Ben Parr reports. Previously, Google was reported to be launching a social network, perhaps called "Google Me," this year.

If true, this delay is not a big deal. Whatever Google is going to do now isn't going to immediately destroy Facebook, so Google might as well take its time to do it right -- if it can do anything at all.

Google is notoriously bad at "social," and the company would be wasting its time if it came out with another lackluster product like Wave or Buzz.

Or is Google pushing it back until it has had time to buy and integrate Twitter?

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See Also:

• No, Google Has Not Bought Groupon Yet
• Google Buys Ad In Biggest French TV Night Of The Year
• Google CEO: “There Was A Time When Three People At Google Could Build A World-Class Product And Deliver It, And It Is Gone.”

Google Delays Facebook-Killer Until Next Spring (GOOG)

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CODA Delays Rollout of Electric Car: Why We’re Not Surprised

Building any car is tough. Building an electric car is tougher.

Automakers must devote time, skill, technology and financial investment to designing, engineering, and cutting costs for what is still far from a mainstream drivetrain.

Even Nissan, whose Leaf won GreenCarReports’ Best Car To Buy 2011, has pushed back delivery dates for the Leaf. 

But a small Californian firm yesterday pushed its own compact all-electric car launch back from next month to sometime in the third quarter of 2011. And we think that puts them in a tough and scary position.

The announcment from Coda Automotive that its 2011 Coda Sedan won't hit the streets until late 2011 comes a week after both the firm's senior vice president of sales & marketing and the CEO resigned.

CODA has said little about the reasons behind this, except that it wishes to make sure the quality of its car is as high as possible.

We can’t say whether that may indicate problems with components, issues with the performance of prototypes, or just the management shuffle. But broken promises are certainly not good for reputation.

What’s the upshot? We won’t be seeing CODA sedans on the road any time soon, at least not in private hands. That’s a shame. 

But we have to be honest: Over the past few months, we’ve become increasingly skeptical that CODA could deliver on its promise to bring the 2011 Sedan to market by the start of the holiday season. Why? Let us count the reasons. 

(1) Very few anecdotal order stories

The 2011 Nissan Leaf and 2011 Chevrolet Volt both have stuffed order books. We regularly hear from, and about, buyers on the waiting list for one or other. But we have yet to hear from a single reader, advocate, or potential customer of CODA. 

Yes, we know Enterprise Rental have ordered some, as have other fleet managers. But ouside of this, where are the hordes of eager retail buyers waiting for their car?

Anecdotal tales of pre-launch excitement, orders and test drives are often a great way of gauging the success of a car. So we're a little perturbed. Just how many retail orders are there? Why don't we hear anyone who has put up the $499 deposit for a CODA Sedan?

If that's you, let us know. We’d love to set the record straight. 

(2) Management turnover

No, it's not uncommon for a company to change executives when switching from development to product launch. But two such senior executives leaving within days of one another surely indicates that something is not well. 

What’s more, the resignations came just days before the 2010 Los Angele Auto Show, an important event for any automaker and particularly so for Coda, which is hosting a cocktail party and offering interviews with executives.

(3) Many press releases, no test drives

CODA has put out regular press releases, providing details to the media of when it planned to launch the 2011 CODA Sedan. We even have an impressive list of fleet purchases the company has booked. 

But to date, CODA has not offered the media test drives--whereas the 2011 Nissan Leaf has now been widely reviewed and driven by most of the major national and international automotive media.

That’s surprising for any company that's about to launch an automobile, and it led us to suspect a while back that the December launch target would be impossible to meet.

(4) Higher price, but lower support?

Let’s get one thing straight: CODA is not a mainstream automaker. It has no model currently on the market; the 2011 Sedan is its first car.

Unlike Nissan with its Leaf, it has no franchised dealers, no company-run showrooms, and no nationwide support infrastructure for when things go wrong.

At fully $14,000 more than Nissan’s 2011 Leaf, CODA is asking its first customers to take an expensive gamble that a previously unknown automaker can provide the level of service and support that is taken for granted with the purchase of any car. 

While Tesla Motors, another non-mainstream electric car manufacturer, has done pretty well with its company-owned showrooms and  growing International support, it sells a $109,000 sports car. When you’ve paid six figures for a car, the service comes to you.

(5) Further delays mean a closing market window

In 2007, when the then-Miles XS500 was announced, it had an initial price of $30,000. Then it was meant to be in showrooms by the end of 2008, though the cost had increased to $60,000.

In 2008, we heard that the Hafei Saibao EV (the car we know now as the CODA Sedan), had passed an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) safety test.  At that time, the car was still expected by the end of 2008. 

Fast forward two years, and we’re waiting expectantly for the car. Yes, delays are normal in the automotive world, but we can’t help but think the delays facing Nissan's rollout of its Leaf  are not the same ones facing CODA. 

Delaying the launch for another nine months loses Coda its early-mover advantage, since about a dozen electric cars will be on the market by 2012.

And we’re not sure that small or startup auto firms can beat the big guys without some significant advantage in schedule, price, or technology. Can anyone make the case that Coda has even one of those?

This article originally appeared at All Cars Electric and is republished here with permission.

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See Also:

• Tesla's Big Deal With Toyota Isn't All It's Cracked Up To Be
• Nissan Will Charge $40,000 For Its Electric Car In Japan
• Are These The Next Tesla Cars? We Hope Not!

CODA Delays Rollout of Electric Car: Why We’re Not Surprised

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