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

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

#191

Post by inafield »

Tyrannosaurs wrote: post #5
ollysb wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

It's not about preserving it in mint condition, it's about preserving it in usable condition. I can't speak for others but my case has saved my phone from a smashed screen on several occasions. EDIT: Should possibly also add that I have small children (1 and 3 - that's their ages rather than their names) who use it and I'm damned if I'm giving it to them without a case on...

0.25 wants to chew on my phone every time it rings if it's within reach.

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

#192

Post by [deleted] »

jarek wrote: post #174
eridius wrote: post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're comparing apples and oranges. My iPhone has fallen onto pavement a few times as well with only minor dings. sillysaurus's wife's phone fell off a countertop, which probably indicates it was in a kitchen, which usually has tile floors. Tile floors are far more likely to result in a smashed device than any other type of floor, including concrete, so it's not surprising that there's a difference here.

Why is tile more likely to break a screen than concrete, out of curiosity? I'll admit I only ever dropped a watch onto tile and it did break the internals.

[deleted]

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

#194

Post by mojowo11 »

unreal37 wrote: post #167
mojowo11 wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

So you're asking for proof that a device that is made of solid glass and metal is more fragile when dropped than the same device surrounded by rubber, plastic, leather or another soft material? I know it won't protect the device in every situation, but the $10 case protects the device in some situations (maybe only 10% or 20% of drops), so it has a very high ROI. I once dropped my unprotected iPad from a height of ab…

> So you're asking for proof that a device that is made of solid glass and metal is more fragile when dropped than the same device surrounded by rubber, plastic, leather or another soft material?

That is distinctly not what I'm asking for. I specifically said "I don't doubt that cases reinforce phones" to address this. What I'm saying is that at any point no person could possible know whether their case has just saved their phone, or whether the phone would have been just as fine without the case.

> I know it won't protect the device in every situation, but the $10 case protects the device in some situations (maybe only 10% or 20% of drops), so it has a very high ROI.

My point is that I think most people don't actually get that ROI. I've had an iPhone for three years. I've dropped my phone. No case. The phone is fine. If you use a case and never drop your phone in such a way that you would have broken it (which is impossible to know, but I'm arguing is an overstated risk), then the price you've paid is a bulkier, heavier, uglier phone. The case comes with a cost other than just $10. If I could pay $10 to have my phone magically become invincible, I would do it. If I could pay $10 for a case, I would not.

I'm sorry to hear your iPad broke. I should say that I'm specifically talking about phones, mostly because the cost of having a case on my iPad all the time would be lower for me than with a phone, which you have to stick in a pocket all the time and thus suffers more from added bulkiness.

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

#195

Post by slantyyz »

mikeash wrote: post #112
Alex3917 wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The battery life is almost exactly the same. All of the most popular apps still run on the 3GS, and run well, with the exception of a half dozen or so. The internet browsing speed is effectively identical, regardless of whatever the specs claim. The new cameras are supposedly slightly better, but probably not enough to be noticeable unless you've got a highly trained eye. The only features that the new iPhones have a…

> The new cameras are supposedly slightly better, but probably not enough to be noticeable unless you've got a highly trained eye. This is completely nuts. The camera on the 3GS was the first acceptable camera in an iPhone, but it was nothing special. The 4S camera rivals dedicated point-and-shoot cameras for quality, and the 5's should be even better. The difference between the 3GS and the 4S (I've had both) is extr…

>> 4S camera rivals dedicated point-and-shoot cameras for quality

Good enough to replace vs. rivalling for quality aren't the same thing. I'm not sure what you said (i.e. "rivals") is true, given how much larger the sensor is in a dedicated point and shoot.

And keep in mind, that in good light, even a camera phone produces really nice images. Once you get into adverse conditions, things start to get dicey.

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

#196

Post by mojowo11 »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #185
mojowo11 wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

> But the relative proportion of those two cases is the matter of scientific studies

I guess my point is that I'd like to see a study like this, and I'd like people to stop saying "My case has saved my phone so many times," because nobody really knows that.

I'd like to know how much and in what situations a case actually is likely to save your phone from meaningful damage. Because, to use the analogy, my phone's been in a bunch of car accidents without its seatbelts -- non-trivial ones -- and is completely fine.

It would be one thing if a case didn't come with the added cost of a bulkier phone (as you mentioned, rubber cases make the phone fatter). But they do, so it's a cost-benefit analysis, and I think we're all mostly guessing. My assertion is just that I think most people are guessing too much on the side in favor of having a case, because iPhones are not as fragile as they seem as long as you treat them with a reasonable amount of care.

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

#197

Post by Dobbs »

mikeash wrote: post #118
enraged_camel wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doesn't sound like a very good alternative. You're paying 10% of the cost of the phone to protect it against (some) accidents, but in the process set it back a generation, by making it thicker and heavier. That's pretty costly as far as insurance goes.

Only if you place a high priority on thickness. I personally don't, and am actually fairly annoyed that cell phone makers don't have the option to e.g. double the thickness of their phones in exchange for a 2-3x increase in battery life.

They have this, it is called a Mophie Juice Pack[1]. They have two sizes with different battery extensions.

I miss the thinness of my phone without the case but greatly prefer being able to get through a day in the data center or traveling without constantly charging my phone.

1: http://www.mophie.com/mophie-juice-pack-air-iPhone-4-4s-batt...

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

#198

Post by karategeek6 »

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…

I use screen protectors because when I get tired of looking at my scratched screen, I can replace the protector and magically have a brand new screen.

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

#199

Post by eridius »

jarek wrote: post #174
eridius wrote: post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're comparing apples and oranges. My iPhone has fallen onto pavement a few times as well with only minor dings. sillysaurus's wife's phone fell off a countertop, which probably indicates it was in a kitchen, which usually has tile floors. Tile floors are far more likely to result in a smashed device than any other type of floor, including concrete, so it's not surprising that there's a difference here.

Why is tile more likely to break a screen than concrete, out of curiosity? I'll admit I only ever dropped a watch onto tile and it did break the internals.

Ceramic is extremely hard (albeit brittle). Much more so than concrete (or wood flooring, or other common floor surfaces).

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

#200

Post by mhartl »

usefulcat wrote: post #158
16s wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your comment about your children's names reminded me of something I heard Bill Cosby say once. When he was a kid, he and his brother thought their names were "Dammit" and "Hellfire" until they were twelve years old. "Dammit, get in here! Hellfire, get out of that tree."

Actually it was Dammit and Jesus Christ.

Right you are:

  "Dammit, will you get in here!?"

  "Dad, I'm Jesus Christ!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwYVqMj5i6k
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