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The Apple iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus Review

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Re: The Apple iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus Review

#81
post #49

I don't like the iphone 6 line. They are too big. I bike and run with my phone all the time and don't like having a clunker strapped to my arm. I got rid of the 6 and got a 5c and I like it way more. Just as fast as an iphone6 and 1/3 the price. By just as fast, I mean for normal use - not playing games and using crazy apps (which I don't do)

Exactly - I was surprised the review didn't mention the size.

The iPhone 6S and 6S+ are the same size as the preceding 6 and 6+, why would they dwell on something that was covered in depth last time, and hasn't changed?

Re: The Apple iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus Review

#82

I don't like the iphone 6 line. They are too big. I bike and run with my phone all the time and don't like having a clunker strapped to my arm. I got rid of the 6 and got a 5c and I like it way more. Just as fast as an iphone6 and 1/3 the price. By just as fast, I mean for normal use - not playing games and using crazy apps (which I don't do)

I would have to disagree. I love the large form factor of the 6 Plus. Now that I have been using it for a year, I have learned to hardly notice the big footprint that it has. I am probably on the extreme side as to how often I use the device, so for me I can't immagine going back to a teeny screen.

I am also a tall guy with long fingers so usually I do not have to re-position the phone to reach everything. When I do, I can do it with one hand pretty smoothly now with a year of daily practice.

I do have to say, that any bigger and it would be too big. I can also see that someone who is less willing to compromise on drawbacks of a large screen would not like it.

Re: The Apple iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus Review

#83
post #77
post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel the same way, and at this point I'm just holding out for some kind of iPhone Nano product line next year. What puzzles me is that I don't know anybody else who feels like this. Most people are surprised at me, or don't seem to notice that they suddenly need two hands to operate their smartphone.

I have the 6s+, and yeah I can't use it with one hand, but I'm okay with that because I love having the bigger screen so much more. I can see a lot more while typing, watching videos is a better experience, and I've noticed myself using the bigger phone (I used to have a 5s) in new ways a lot more. Before, I would avoid doing some tasks on my phone like taking more than a few lines of notes. The bigger screen feels l…

My use of the ipad has definitely descreased since I have gotten the 6+. That extra effort of getting up, locating where the iPad is usually isn't worth it for me since the phone is within reach already.

Re: The Apple iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus Review

#85

I wonder, how many years iPhone 6S will be able to stay relevant. For example iPhone 4S started lagging on iOS 7. While it's certainly usable on iOS 9, it feels as an old and underpowered device. If you have powerful computer from 2010, it'll happily run Windows 10 and almost any application, including almost any game in medium (or even high) mode. I wonder, whether this race on mobile platform will continue or iPhon…

Built in obsolescence?

> Built in obsolescence?

Compared to its competitors, decidedly no. The state of affairs on Android is even worse.

  Samsung Galaxy S2 release: May 2, 2011
  Apple iPhone 4S release: October 14, 2011
  Google Galaxy Nexus: November 17, 2011

  Galaxy S2 last OS release: October 9, 2012
  4S's latest OS release: October 21, *2015*
  Galaxy Nexus' last OS release: October 3, 2013
And that's just from the same generation... I suspect there are even newer flagship Android phones that have hit EOL, where the 4S is still (at least partially) supported...

Compared to other industries, like computers or cars, sure. Maybe it's planned obsolescence.

Or maybe it's just that it's such a new product that innovations and consumer desire are faster than usual (or, likely, sustainable).

-------------------

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_4S

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_S_II

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_Nexus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_version_history

Re: The Apple iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus Review

#86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use an iPhone and I (continue) to have an Android tablet -- I've been operating this way over a few generations. I don't think either platform is 100% superior over the other. For every advantage Android has over iOS there is different advantage iOS has over it. I was seriously considering going for an Android phone this time around but the 6s is really some amazing hardware. It isn't even as hyped up as it should…

While I did use Android phones for 5 years, since I switched to iOS I've used to do your config of iOS phone + Android tablet for a long time now as well. Since I've linked up my wife's 4S with my 5S and using app sharing, I think I see enough value in finally ditching the Android tablet. I always felt Android was a better tablet OS due to the customization. With ad blockers on iOS9, app sharing, more streamlined int…

On Android me and my wife have a shared Google account with purchases that we share. It's a little painful that Google Play doesn't do sharing the way Apple does, but the setup is doable. On the other hand I really, really hate any interactions with iTunes Store, with Google Play being a complete joy to interact with by comparisson. Apple made the choice to separate users in stores linked to their geography, so I have to "switch store" in order to see actual reviews. Who ever thought that's a good idea was an idiot, as I have to search on Google to find good apps and reviews for iOS.

Mobile Safari is very polished. I like how reliable the reader mode is. I like that it now does ad-blocking. On the other hand the web apps feel more integrated in Android. For example Chrome on Android does notifications now, so for example I could just use Facebook on the web and get push notifications. Also Android does alternative browsers, so Android has Firefox and Firefox has real extensions, including ad-blockers. Mobile Safari is really good though.

In terms of UI, Androids notifications are much better, as in they are reliable, they get grouped, you get shortcuts to act on them or you can dismiss them easily. On iOS the notifications are broken and the "unread" indicators are completely annoying. On iOS I also miss the Back button. They added sort of a hack lately for Safari, so you can return to the previous app from Safari. Along with double-tab on home, a pattern emerges ... they keep adding hacks as a substitute for the lack of a Back button. As a consequence of this, one of the things I hate on iOS is how every app opens its own web view. I mean, don't you just hate that?

Skype on my iOS is broken. It simply doesn't ring if the app is inactive. This is probably a bug, but it's also a bigger problem related to iOS. iOS is killing inactive apps, so it has special hooks for apps that need to be awoken by messages. This leads to weird effects - like Dropbox is unable to backup my photos in the background, because it cannot stay alive long enough to do it. And I've lost some photos that way, as I've reset my phone thinking that Dropbox managed to back me up. It's also weird to pause and then resume my music or my audiobooks. As resume doesn't necessarily work remote-controlled through your headsets as you have to wake your phone up first. Actually the behavior is inconsistent. It really depends on whether iOS managed to put your app to sleep or not. The upside of that is that the iPhone's idle mode is very efficient, but given my usage patterns, I haven't seen an overall improvement in battery life.

On the apps ecosystem, I feel Android has better apps. This may sound like heresy, but it's true, with Android having the benefit of a stronger open-source ecosystem. They finally unified the design under the material design guidelines. And with Marshmallow they finally fixed the permissions system, though iOS has the benefit of not having such a broken permissions model for such a long time. So for instance on iOS I felt comfortable installing Waze, but not on Android - thankfully that changes with Marshmallow.

iOS does better at out-of-the box standards being supported. It supports CalDAV and CardDAV for example. For Android you need special adapters that need to be bought for CalDAV / CardDAV and Google should be ashamed of themselves. On the other hand on Android just about anything is extensible, so support for CalDAV / CardDAV synching can be added by buying some available apps.

To sync my iPhone with my desktop I need to use iTunes. I hate iTunes with a passion, I really do. With Android I can just plug it in to my computer and just copy/paste some files in a folder.

Related to UX in general, iOS apps are good, except when they are not. For example RunKeeper on Android is more usable than RunKeeper on iOS, because on iOS you have to tap on things that don't seem tap-able. And for iBooks to not do bookmarks for audiobooks is a total screwup for a company like Apple.

On my iPhone I do like that I get SMS messages on my MacBook through iMessages and phone calls through FaceTime. That's pretty sweet. On Android I've used PushBullet but it's not the same. On the other hand I don't like feeling locked in Apple's ecosystem or in anybody's ecosystem for that matter. So I'm enjoying my iMessages and my FaceTime, but I try not to like it so much :-)

I think I can go on :-)

Re: The Apple iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus Review

#87

The iPhone 6s Plus I have is a wonderful phone, but I can't help but feel that Apple is losing some of it's perfection. There are some obvious UI annoyances that are present. Such as, the Plus is a large phone so you most often open it with the phone tilted somehow, giving you landscape mode. It does not easily revert to the upright state without juggling it around, nor is there an option to not go landscape on the h…

"A fanatical user running the company wouldn't have overlooked this." I love this subtle invocation of the principle of 'this never would have happened if Steve Jobs were still alive.'

I think you put words in GP's mouth.

Jobs, a fanatical user? I doubt it. He culled as many useful features as he added.

He was against many things users asked for: iPad minis. Larger iPhones. Styluses. Sounds more fanatical ideologue than a fanatical user.

The only "usage" based feature I specifically remember being attributed to him is Gorilla Glass, after he scratched up a prototype's screen with keys in the same pocket.

Re: The Apple iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus Review

#88

I don't like the iphone 6 line. They are too big. I bike and run with my phone all the time and don't like having a clunker strapped to my arm. I got rid of the 6 and got a 5c and I like it way more. Just as fast as an iphone6 and 1/3 the price. By just as fast, I mean for normal use - not playing games and using crazy apps (which I don't do)

[deleted]

Re: The Apple iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus Review

#89
post #72

I don't like the iphone 6 line. They are too big. I bike and run with my phone all the time and don't like having a clunker strapped to my arm. I got rid of the 6 and got a 5c and I like it way more. Just as fast as an iphone6 and 1/3 the price. By just as fast, I mean for normal use - not playing games and using crazy apps (which I don't do)

I feel the same way, and at this point I'm just holding out for some kind of iPhone Nano product line next year. What puzzles me is that I don't know anybody else who feels like this. Most people are surprised at me, or don't seem to notice that they suddenly need two hands to operate their smartphone.

I definitely notice, and it really is awkward, but I read a lot more than I touch, so it's still a huge improvement over my old 4S.

Over time I've discovered that many apps over alternative ways of doing things that don't require you to reach so far.

Re: The Apple iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus Review

#90
post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seems obvious that displeasing your customer is more likely to send them to a competitor than pleasing them.

Is it obvious? What if you displease them in one way, by making older phones have a limited lifespan, but redress that by pleasing them enough to make the difference in other ways, for example by developing newer phones with superior features that get them excited enough not to care so much about the shortcomings of the old model (shortcomings which wouldn't necessarily be as apparent if the phone had a longer lifesp…

Above, you wondered about "what possible incentive" there could be against obsolescence, and said you weren't being rhetorical, you really wanted to know.

@aljones gives such an incentive.

Now, you try to cook up particular parameter values under which this reasoning would not apply ("what if you displease them in one way..."). What is the point of this?

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