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iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro

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901–910 of 1001 posts

Re: iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro

#901
post #77

They just announced that the iPhone 12 will ship only with a lightning to USB-C cable. I don't understand why they don't switch from lightning to USB-C despite already using it on the iPads.

At Apple’s scale, a decision like that has really big implications that from a single-user perspective aren’t that obvious. Not only do you bifurcate your entire product line and supply chain, your customers are not just individuals, but families. Think about a family who has one new phone that now won’t work with any of the chargers the rest of the family uses. On top of that, the new connector type won’t be compati…

I get your point. But then why not keep iPads consistent? Even MacBooks use USB-C.

Re: iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro

#902

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hope no one feels 'not needing to upgrade' is a 'bad thing' It's a testament to Apple's build quality and long term support that you don't need to upgrade. Samsung and Android are big on the half baked gimmicks and lackluster supports. Those phones you have to upgrade after a few years as they become more bloated than a Windows 95 machine bought from CompUSA.

> Samsung and Android are big on the half baked gimmicks and lackluster supports Since when? I have a Samsung Galaxy S7 from 2016, and I honestly don't see any bloatware. It's still running smoothly, and without degraded performance.

Contrapoint: I had an S8 and it was full of Samsung cruft including bixby and would barely let me use the phone without a "Samsung account" (which it often prompted me for... often)- it wouldn't even let me use my CardDAV/CalDAV servers. (which, Apple does. :S)

it was some time ago, but I remember being very angry at this phone and being unable to flash it with another OS which made me even more angry. After coming from OnePlus before (Cyanogen) the software quality was horrifyingly bad.

Re: iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro

#903
post #857
post #692

Earlier quoted context omitted.

MagSafe can be seen as the replacement for AirPower! It's solving the same problem in a much simpler way. AirPower's big promise was that it was a multi-device charging mat that didn't require perfect alignment to get high power charging. Apple ultimately cancelled it, likely because this proved too difficult to do safely. (rumored to be thermal issues with the multi-coil design) MagSafe solves the alignment problem…

Xiaomi also solved the alignment issue in a charmingly inelegant way. Detailed in the video below, it uses motors to align the charging pad to the device. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NNO5Kb-PZo

Very interesting charging pad! Thanks for sharing the link.

Re: iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro

#904
post #845

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would have much preferred a USB-C plug for all my devices. It’s nice that it’s wireless on the new iPhone and all, but it’s still an extra cable (or puck) to carry around. Much like the headphone cable, I think that things like charging could be done in such a simple way, that the alternatives that are presented just don’t make the users lives easier and generate unnecessary waste.

I find myself thinking that at some point they'll be moving to an iPhone with no ports at all, and aren't bothering with USB-C because they'll have a transition to entirely wireless charging instead.

Yes that seems to be the direction. I'm really trying to vote with my wallet here, so I'll hope the cheap iPhones will keep the port and luckily in my city repair vouchers are out as part of the local corona relief program, so I'm giving my iPhone 7 another year or two. In fact USB-C would have been the primary reason to upgrade for me.

I would have moved to an Android device with a headphone jack and USB-C port, but I prefer to stay away from Google products as much as I can.

Going wireless with everything where it isn't necessarily needed is just a bit overrated in my opinion: - The biggest driver in network speed to me was adding all devices I could to wired connections - there's 20+ different networks in my area and some of the devices use old Wifi standards, so I avoid all of that for devices I don't move around. Homeplug devices with higher speeds than my internet connection were necessary here to make the experience better than wireless (compared to laying new cables wireless is better to me, but I hope devices like TVs keep their LAN port) - In the car: it's just a constant pain to switch the connected device (when more than one person is present), especially when a call comes in, simply using the headphone plug would be much quicker. - When working: switching the devices the headphone is connected to when a call comes in between phone and laptop is equally painful, again, switching plugs would be simpler (though here at least I can walk around with the headphones, so there is a bit of a benefit).

Re: iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro

#905
post #850
post #581

Let’s talk about the return of MagSafe! It seems...kinda dumb. Instead of plugging in a lightning cable, I can now stick a hockey puck to the back of my phone? The “safe” in MagSafe came from its “yankability” without sending your device flying. But if my phone is laying on top of a hockey puck...it’s gonna go flying if I trip on the cable. Why couldn’t we fill in the lightning port and use flush surface contacts, li…

Now we should keep the phone away from our floppies!

And our CRTs! Can't have the rainbow colours sitting on your monitor forever!

Re: iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro

#906

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Besides the convenience, it must be a way for Apple to eventually drop the charging port completely, maybe even with the next version. No police data tampering, but also no jailbreaks, a physically walled device.

This is much simpler, they wanted more sales of accessories to show higher sales revenue. Playing up the "eco-friendly" messaging, they're able to cut costs and avoid including a charger +headphones. The changes forces most customers to buy either a wireless airpods or a new magSafe charger. This become an easy 'attach' sale for all retailers and virtually any sales person. Customers will be told that their device do…

Except many probably already have a gazzilion of chargers around the house. Or jusst some USB to plug the cable in. For the last 3 or 4 iPhones I had I did not even take the charger and the earbuds out of the box. Adds nicely to the resell value.

Re: iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro

#907
post #604
post #581

Let’s talk about the return of MagSafe! It seems...kinda dumb. Instead of plugging in a lightning cable, I can now stick a hockey puck to the back of my phone? The “safe” in MagSafe came from its “yankability” without sending your device flying. But if my phone is laying on top of a hockey puck...it’s gonna go flying if I trip on the cable. Why couldn’t we fill in the lightning port and use flush surface contacts, li…

Being able to dock a device for charging with one hand (very difficult with a cable) is very nice. Wireless is superior to surface contacts because you can mount orient your phone in different directions without needing to account for the cable.

But docking an old iPod onto a dock was possible with one hand due to the wide connector. It isn't like it's an important problem to solve.

Using 2 hands to put a cable into a device - is this really too difficult??

Using two hands for things doesn't seem like a difficulty really - playing a guitar, driving a car etc.

Re: iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro

#908

I understand the value of the different phone sizes but still can't understand why companies are selling 64 GB models. I know we have everything in the cloud these days but with apps with rich assets and smartphones being more capable with cameras, you run out of 64 GB quite easily. 128 GB should be the baseline model in 2020 for any phone that costs above $600.

Furthermore the 512 GB option is, again, only available on the pro models. I'd sell my 11 Pro and get the 12 Mini in a heartbeat if I could get it with 512 GB.

Re: iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro

#910

Is 5G rollout in the US really comprehensive enough at this point to deliver on any of the promises they're making about it at this event? [Edit: found this benchmark from a month ago: https://www.tomsguide.com/features/5g-vs-4g ] basically looks like Verizon delivers on the promised speeds, but it still isn't clear to me what the spatial distribution of the higher speeds looks like.

Here in Switzerland, the rollout got delayed by the conspiracy theorists
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