Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Give people an iPhone 4S, tell them it's an iPhone 5

thenextweb.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

181–190 of 268 posts

Re: Give people an iPhone 4S, tell them it's an iPhone 5

#181

Post by saraid216 »

adestefan wrote: post #90
szx wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Am I the only one who prefers the older (3GS) designs over the new ones (4+) in terms of ergonomics? Sure, my 4S is beautiful, but it just doesn't feel right in my hand. Something about the aluminum/glass seam bothers me, and so I got a slim case and never looked back.

I feel the same way. Phones are actually getting too thin to be comfortable. I've handled some of the newer Android phones (Galaxy S III, Galaxy Nexus, etc.) and I don't think they're much better. Sure they fit better into my front pocket, but I can't hold the things.

Yeah. I got a case on my Incredible 2 for two reasons: (1) I noticed I was holding it too lightly and kept dropping it, so case-friction was good and (2) it was too damn small.

It's like those tiny micro-sized dogs.

Re: Give people an iPhone 4S, tell them it's an iPhone 5

#182

Post by dean »

daveman wrote: post #165

I also wonder if these folks were handed a brand new 4S, unhampered by apps and months of use. In my experience, the speed, even for activities like homescreen navigation, got slower over time, especially when I load more and more apps. Newer store models always seem zippier than my weathered old phone. All this said, they clearly picked gadget plebians, as anyone even slightly in the know would immediately check out…

"the speed ... got slower over time"

Tell me about it. I'm still using a 3G, running iOS 4.2.1. Frankly, it's so slow as to be almost useless. But at least I can still make calls. (I guess it's time for an upgrade)

Re: Give people an iPhone 4S, tell them it's an iPhone 5

#183

Post by dean »

daveman wrote: post #165

I also wonder if these folks were handed a brand new 4S, unhampered by apps and months of use. In my experience, the speed, even for activities like homescreen navigation, got slower over time, especially when I load more and more apps. Newer store models always seem zippier than my weathered old phone. All this said, they clearly picked gadget plebians, as anyone even slightly in the know would immediately check out…

"the speed ... got slower over time"

Tell me about it. I'm still using a 3G, running iOS 4.2.1. Frankly, it's so slow as to be almost useless. But at least I can still make calls. (I guess it's time for an upgrade)

Re: Give people an iPhone 4S, tell them it's an iPhone 5

#184

Post by mnicole »

jarek wrote: post #164
sillysaurus wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My wife's phone fell off a countertop, resulting in a completely smashed screen. (Basically a dense spiderweb of cracks covering the entire screen.) She wasn't using a case at the time, otherwise there's a good chance that wouldn't have happened. However, it was fairly cheap to replace the screen (~$50) so maybe there's still no point in getting a case.

Another alternative is buying robust phones! My Nexus One has met the pavement with some assistance from gravity and my clumsy hands a couple of times and the casing has a couple of scratches to show for it. Screen as new. Then there was the Blackberry Pearl I threw down a couple of times as a demonstration...

I'd dropped my 3GS on every surface possible with not even so much as a dent. It wasn't until I was crossing the street and it fell and hit at the right angle that the screen finally shattered.

Re: Give people an iPhone 4S, tell them it's an iPhone 5

#185

Post by TeMPOraL »

mojowo11 wrote: post #145
jmspring wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Likewise. Mine has taken more than a few spills and the case has saved it. I may just be a klutz.

Serious question: given that you purchased a case and then dropped the phone in the case, how can you possible claim to know whether the case saved it? All you know is that you dropped your phone with a case on and it didn't break. I see this correlation = causation logic all the time about phone cases, and I find it quite bizarre. I've had an iPhone for 3 years now (3GS, then 4S). I've never used a case (or screen p…

It kind of works like seatbelts. You can't prove that the fact someone fastened seatbelts had saved one from death in the accident that already happened. Some people survive, some people die. But the relative proportion of those two cases is the matter of scientific studies - that's the first method we have to determine that seatbelts help save lives. Another one is a mix of physics and common sense. It's better not to be ejected from your seat at high velocity and fly through glass. In the same way, it's better when the screen does not hit the ground (as rubber cases are bigger than the phone and thus protect from impact) or hits, but with much smaller velocity (as rubber absorbs the energy from collision with the ground).

So yes, we can't say much from all the anecdotes here. But there are strong reasons to suspect that phone cases are a net win in protecting screens from damage.

Re: Give people an iPhone 4S, tell them it's an iPhone 5

#187

Post by tdfx »

szx wrote: post #61
bornhuetter wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Particularly the iPhone 4(s). It's got probably the best form factor of any phone ever made, but people put those massive black rubber things on them with a circle cut in the back to show the Apple logo. Absolute abomination.

Am I the only one who prefers the older (3GS) designs over the new ones (4+) in terms of ergonomics? Sure, my 4S is beautiful, but it just doesn't feel right in my hand. Something about the aluminum/glass seam bothers me, and so I got a slim case and never looked back.

I felt the same way. I bought a $1 bumper case off Amazon and it completely improved the feel of it for me. Also saved the screen on numerous occasions.

Re: Give people an iPhone 4S, tell them it's an iPhone 5

#189

Post by YokoZar »

ollysb wrote: post #3
raldi wrote: post #2

It seems like the people who say the "new" one is thinner, lighter, more elegant, etc, all have cases on their phones. So in essence, the case sets your phone back a generation or two.

I never understand why people use cases. What's the point in preserving something in mint condition if you never see it without the case?

A similar argument applies to people who always leave their furniture covered.

Re: Give people an iPhone 4S, tell them it's an iPhone 5

#190

Post by mikebracco »

raldi wrote: post #2

It seems like the people who say the "new" one is thinner, lighter, more elegant, etc, all have cases on their phones. So in essence, the case sets your phone back a generation or two.

Placing a case on a phone is like putting a plastic cover over your couch. I don't get it personally. Use and enjoy the disposable hardware and then get a new one a year or two later.
Post reply on HN