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The Best iPhone

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Re: The Best iPhone

#281

Post by Casteil »

rpgbr wrote: post #23

I knew I wasn't the only one fond of small, cheap-but-great phones! :) Btw, this is my first post in English. I cover tech here in Brazil for +10 years and run a +9 years old independent, self-sustainable publication written in Portuguese. Now, I decided to give it a shot in another language, despite still feeling uncomfortable with my English. (I hope I haven't misspelled anything!) If you enjoyed this brief iPhone…

I love my SE 2 - I've had it for ~2.5 yrs now and I'll most likely have it for another 2+. It's a very fast phone, and I like the relatively small form factor compared to most other phones these days that all seem to have colossal screens and are comically large when held up to the ear.

I'll also take TouchID any day over FaceID. The one thing that would get me to upgrade before 2+ yrs from now (other than unexpected failure of my SE 2) is a 13 Mini-like iPhone with touchID.

Re: The Best iPhone

#282

Post by temende »

MBCook wrote: post #53
desertraven wrote: post #21

I have had my iPhone 6S for six years now, and it’s still going strong. I’ve replaced the battery a couple of times and the screen more than a couple. I can do everything I need with it, and it’s the perfect size. So I have no desire to upgrade until I must.

The 6S is now out of software update range. You need at least an 8 for iOS 16. Within two years most apps will probably stop supporting iOS 15 so you’ll start having issues. It’s obviously served you great, but it might be time. And the difference in performance (CPU and camera) will floor you. Plus wireless charging is awesome.

> It’s obviously served you great, but it might be time.

Isn't it sad that there has to be a "time" to upgrade? Why can't phones be like refrigerators or microwaves where if you don't care about the latest features you can just buy them once and keep them for 20+ years?

Re: The Best iPhone

#283

Post by bamboozled »

smoldesu wrote: post #45
bamboozled wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah but it's Google, it's probably Naive, but I just hate the company and the business model.

That also makes them wrong, which is still true regardless about how you feel about the companies. Besides, it's a ridiculous statement anyways: for example, Nothing's first phone is coming out soon, which means their most expensive and cheapest phones will be running the same chip. Failing that, there's dozens of Android companies that made lines of handsets using the exact same SOC (like ZTE) because it's cheap to…

Did you mean to respond to my comment? Beause if so, I have no idea how to interpret it or what your point is.

Re: The Best iPhone

#284

Post by temende »

selectodude wrote: post #81
temende wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting, $50 isn't too bad. What did you do while your phone was gone for repairs? Did they give you a loaner?

They will give you a loaner but I think the vast majority of Americans live close enough to an Apple Store where they'll swap the battery in 30-60 minutes. I pop in, drop the phone off, go fuck off for a beer or two, come back to a fresh new battery. Super straightforward.

> I think the vast majority of Americans live close enough to an Apple Store

I don't, which is I why I was asking haha.

Re: The Best iPhone

#285

Post by dyeje »

I bought an SE 3 as my first iPhone recently. Very happy with it, it’s hard to find a good, small phone these days.

Re: The Best iPhone

#286

Post by magic_hamster »

> Almost nobody notices you have a new phone; when someone does, the conversation ends quickly and invariably in a sentence like “it’s just like the old one, only faster”.

I never understood the mindset of getting a new phone so other people will notice. Do you remember what brand and model your friends use? If so, why do you care?

> It is a crazy strategy of Apple to put the “brains” of its most expensive phone, the iPhone 13 Pro Max (+USD 1.099), in its entry model, low cost (USD 429). No other company does this.

It will be even crazier for Apple to design and manufacture an entire separate line of chips just for this phone. Reusing the chip currently in production is convenient which is why other companies do this as well (DSLR sensors and processors instantly come to mind).

Good for you for liking your phone. But this reads a bit too young and eager. Good luck with your reviews going forward.

Re: The Best iPhone

#287

Post by johnfernow »

MBCook wrote: post #53
desertraven wrote: post #21

I have had my iPhone 6S for six years now, and it’s still going strong. I’ve replaced the battery a couple of times and the screen more than a couple. I can do everything I need with it, and it’s the perfect size. So I have no desire to upgrade until I must.

The 6S is now out of software update range. You need at least an 8 for iOS 16. Within two years most apps will probably stop supporting iOS 15 so you’ll start having issues. It’s obviously served you great, but it might be time. And the difference in performance (CPU and camera) will floor you. Plus wireless charging is awesome.

> Within two years most apps will probably stop supporting iOS 15 so you’ll start having issues.

Some might, but I don't think most will, and I feel overall there's a fair chance they may not run into many problems. Let's look at the top 20 apps' iOS requirements for their latest app version: - ZOOM - iOS 8.0 - TikTok - iOS 10.0 - Disney+ - iOS 14.0 - YouTube - iOS 12.0 - Instagram - iOS 12.4 - Facebook - iOS 13.4 - Snapchat - iOS 12.0 - Messenger - iOS 11.0 - Gmail - iOS 13.0 - Cash App - iOS 13.0 - Amazon Shopping - iOS 13.0 - Netflix - iOS 14.0 - Google Maps - iOS 13.4 - DoorDash - iOS 14.0 - Spotify - iOS 13.0 - Widgetsmith - iOS 14.0 - WhatsApp - iOS 12.0 - Venmo - iOS 13.0 - Google - iOS 14.0 - Google Meet - iOS 13.0

So 7 of these apps can have their latest version run on the iPhone 5S (iOS 12), which released nearly 9 years ago and hasn't received a major update in almost 4 years. None of these apps require the latest version of iOS, and only 4 of them require the second most recent version of iOS.

However, many if not most of these apps will allow you to download an older version if you aren't running the latest iOS version, and it will often continue to work. Realistically, most people probably won't care if their Gmail app is running an old version if it still works.

> It’s obviously served you great, but it might be time.

If it becomes an issue, they can upgrade at that time if they feel it is necessary. I don't see any reason to upgrade prematurely though.

Yes, in theory their device will be insecure once it stops receiving updates. In practice, I'm aware of exceptionally few people who have been infected by a virus on an unsupported iPhone. They can disable JavaScript in the browser if they want to be extra secure (not that that mitigates all vulnerabilities, but unless they're notably rich, famous or powerful, they're probably unlikely to be targeted.)

Re: The Best iPhone

#289

Post by vlunkr »

enlyth wrote: post #238
eyelidlessness wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Am I cheap, poor, frugal or outdated to find it mildly funny US$400-450+tx are considered cheap phones nowadays? I can’t speak to whether you’re any of those, but I can say this. Anyone spending significantly more than that (I’m included in this category) is either: - Buying it for the quality of its camera (me again, not that I’m an especially avid photographer; I almost exclusively take pics of my pup) - Some mix…

I have a rule that I spend the most money on things I use the most. Mattresses, phones, computers, desks, chairs, etc. Is a thousand dollars for a phone a lot? Well, depends on how you look at it. I use it for more than an hour a day, every day, so a 1000 dollars over two years for a device like that doesn't seem insane to me. Comes out to about a $1.40 a day.

I think that’s a good thing to consider when making a purchase, but it’s also very one-dimensional.

To me 1000$ for a phone is a lot because it’s only marginally better than a 500$ phone.

Also phones are big liability. Odds are a good mattress or chair will last ages. A phone lasts 2 to 3 years generally.

Re: The Best iPhone

#290

Post by mrweasel »

BbzzbB wrote: post #100

Am I cheap, poor, frugal or outdated to find it mildly funny US$400-450+tx are considered cheap phones nowadays? Not that I mind as I'm able to find good value (in my opinion and for my needs) in second-hand markets for electronics (couldn't be more satisfied with my $100 Pixel 3a and aging T430s laptop), I just find it impressive how much price references have shifted over time as flagship phones ran from $400-500 w…

The iPhone SE is in the high end of what I’ll pay for a phone. Sadly it’s also the only smart phone available to me, as I don’t want an Android phone.
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