iPhone

[Hellbent]

Don't you just love it when you plug your iPhone in right before it dies?



Also, to keep this useless thread from a fiery fate of eternity, who is looking forward to the next iPhone? I am due for an upgrade now but will wait for September 10 when the next iPhone is expected to be revealed/go on sale. Hopefully Siri will come with some improvements in the next iOS update, but I haven't heard anything about it from the rumor mill. I love Siri. Let's hear it for Siri. I use her multiple times a day. Her maps and directions are awesome.

Finger Print scanner and other expected updates for the next iPhone, including a cheap, plastic version: http://www.firstpost.com/tech/apple-iphone-5s-out-on-10-sept-what-are-the-rumour-mills-saying-1029891.html

[Netherstorm]

I'm always too late to plug in my IPod before it dies.

[Rizera]

For some reason, I don't like iPhones at all. I never did.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not an Apple hater or X brand fanboy, I have both an iPad and an iPod and I love both. The thing is that I find iPhone way too expensive for a "weak" device. Here in my country, for example, the iPhone 5 costs about US$1,000, while Samsung Galaxy S4 costs US$900, and it makes me confused since the Galaxy S4 is VERY superior in basically every aspect. Not only that, a lot of other very superior devices to the iPhone 5 cost way less (e.g. Nexus 4, Sony Xperia Z, LG Optimus G Pro, Lumia 920, just to name a few). This is something I'm absolutely not able to understand.

Right now I'm using a Samsung Galaxy Note II (which also eats iPhone 5 hardware for breakfast) and I absolutely love it. I basically never run out of battery since it has a very strong one (3,100 mAh) and I charge it everyday. It feels great to connect my iPod right before it dies though!

[Obsidian]

me am cannot afford

[Netherstorm]

IPhones are very expensive, I don't really prefer them at all anyway. I got my IPod 2G 3 years ago, that's really all I need.

[DooM_RO]

What's the deal with IPhones anyway? Why should I get one over a much cheaper smartphone. I never understood the Apple craze.

[Avoozl]

I originally was going to get an iphone long ago but didn't fortunately, I'm looking more towards a Samsung Galaxy S4, but I will have to buy one cheap somehow.

I've never touched an Apple device and never will.

[Graf Zahl]

The iPhone was a good device 3 or 4 years ago. But Apple completely lost it last year with the iPhone 5 that could barely compete with high end Android phone when it was released and is hopelessly left behind now.

To me, the most troubling thing is that there's no substantial rumors about the improvements the next version may bring. Will it finally get a larger screen - or full HD resolution - or anything else that might improve Apple's position?

By now, I believe, the only asset Apple still has is the thorough lock-in of their past customers into their 'ecosystem'. They made damn sure that it's economically unattractive for their users to get out.

Whether that's enough to make their users upgrade every year remains to be seen. If their next iPhone doesn't show major improvements it may well be that many users decide to stay with what they own.

Of course, the obstacle of getting out will get more and more irrelevant the more prices fall without Apple lowering as well. If Apple sticks to their high price strategy it may eventually just become too expensive to 'stay in'.

And let's be honest: Market share outside the US doesn't look good. They own the US market by having a significant influence on the tech press and the unique business model of the US mobile market. Elsewhere things are very different.

I guess we'll see next month where things are heading...

[MRB_Doom]

KimPhone?

[Hellbent]

A few years ago when iPhones were kind of all the craze, I never paid much attention. My friend had one and so did my dad (iPhone 3s), but I never played with their phones the way another one of my friends today, who doesn't have an iPhone, is always taking my iPhone and playing with it. Anyway, three years ago my dad and my friend who both had iPhone 3s upgraded to "the revolutionary" iPhone 4. I never did see what was so revolutionary about this upgrade. The real revolution happened with the iPhone 4 to iPhone 4S. Nevertheless, when my normal, non-smart phone broke, I inherited my dad's iPhone 3. I came to like the phone well enough, but wasn't the crazed fanboy of it that I am today of my iPhone 4S. Anyway, I broke the screen of my iPhone 3 and when I was due for an upgrade, there was a lot of hubbub about the next iteration of the iPhone about to come out, the iPhone 4S. I didn't know anything about this phone and my ears sort of glazed over upon hearing the hype that was going along with it. But I was at the Apple Store doing something for work and since I had recently gotten a MacBook Pro for work (the first mac product I had ever own after the inherited iPhone) I felt like I should at least be a little open to the idea of becoming part of this clique of Mac fanboys, so when I overheard a cute macstore girll explaining Siri, a feature of the new iPhone 4S, to someone, I skeptically started paying attention. After she was done explaining Siri I asked her what all the fuss was about. I was impressed by the demonstration and so said fugg it, I'll get it: Audio Turn by Turn directions was something new to me and is essential to me successfully living in the modern era.

I got the phone, which, apparently, others were waiting in line for days to get at other locations (I think NYC mainly) and was very pleased with it from the get go. Siri simply is the bomb. I'll upload a video of me using my phone to show why I like it so much. Okay, so that's part 1 of my story.

Part 2.
Well, my friend who had been using iPhones for 3 years just recently got an HTC One, which, along with the Galaxy S4 is also a top smart phone right now. I couldn't believe my friend could jump ship, but then again, he was going from an iPhone 4, which doesn't have Siri to an HTC One. Anyway, since I was curious why he would jump ship I asked to see his phone, and tried to browse a website. There are little things about my iPhone that make browsing easy, like a little x that allows you to quickly clear the address bar or search field. This little x is not a feature on my friend's cutting edge Android phone. I asked him about it but he didn't seemed bothered by the lack of this feature. There were some other things about his phone I couldn't get passed, not to mention I couldn't talk to his phone and tell it to do stuff, but I'd still be open to looking at an S4 if it has software similar to Siri that works as well.

Siri:
I have good friends in Boston so I spend a lot of time there. If you've ever driven in Boston and have a terrible sense of direction, like me, and get disoriented easily, then you'll know this produces a nightmare scenario. Before getting my iPhone, driving in Boston was a nightmare. I would literally end up screaming at my windshield FUCK YOU BOSTON! after I'd be driving in circles--literally, because all the roads go in circles--and end up in weird, industrial ghettos (Chelsea). To make things worse, my friends move around a lot (Jamaica Plain, Kenmore, Waltham). If I didn't have Siri, I'd probably not visit them: fuck you guys and your fucking shitty ass city and that would be that. Fortunately, I can still visit my friends because now all I have to do is hold down a button on my phone and then say: "directions to dan's" and voila, I am given voice turn by directions. Now, you may be saying, there's nothing new about devices with turn by turn directions. Have you ever tried using a TomTom or similar device? I'd nearly rather drive around boston wanting to shoot myself then try to fumble with that assbackward device trying to input an address. Point is, Siri is extremely easy to use, very intuitive, and makes going to old addresses and new ones extremely convenient and easy. So until I hear about a Siri slayer, I will continue to buy iPhones. I'll upload a video showing how awesome siri is.

To Rizera: it's not all about specs, if the design is stupid or buggy or otherwise difficult to use, then who cares how much more power or speed it has? It's all about design and ease of use, and the iPhone has this covered in spades.

[Bucket]

My HTC phone works just as well, and I don't pay extra for built-in features. (COUGH tethering)

[Sokoro]

From what I heard, the software in iphones is designed that Apple is in more control than user. What a dare! I should be the only one who have any power, so not going to ever buy that thing.

[MFG38]

iPhones suck anyway.

[hex11]

I'm happy with my cheapass $15/mo voice/txt only phone. Nobody wants to steal it. It's so small and light, I hardly even notice it's there. Granted, the battery life could be better if it had a monochrome screen, but I guess they don't make them anymore like that (another "great" idea by same marketing teams that made glossy, widescreen LCDs ubiquitous). My phone won't ever get pwnd by some zero-day exploit, or bricked by an update, or get malware from shady apps. And if I break or lose it, I'm not out of any real money.

When I go driving, I just use the GPS in my truck. It was cheap too - bought it for $75 cash a few years ago. No monthly fees. Granted, you have to type in the address, and maybe do updates every now and then (once a year is good enough), but the cost savings are phenomenal. Anyway, I don't like driving so much all over the place. Gas isn't free...

If I want to play games while traveling, well that's what GBA, DS, etc. are for. They're cheap too, unless you're constantly upgrading to the lastest models. Just get a flash cart for homebrew games (even DOOM), emulators, ebooks, music, etc. and you're good to go. And you even get a real gamepad to play with, instead of some lame touchscreen controls. What a deal!

And if I want to do computer/Internet stuff on the road, well there's the laptop. My old one was a litle bit smaller than this one, but I'd still rather drag this 15-inch model with me than have to type/read on a tiny phone. I'd go crazy very quick if I had to use those things. If I traveled a whole lot, I'd just end up getting a small 12-inch laptop, or possibly a netbook if the keyboard is any good (but I'm a Thinkpad user, so very hard to please in that area).

[45th Parrallel]

I don't understand what the whole deal is with the iPhone, to me it's just a smart phone that's ridiculously priced and insanely popular for some reason

[MRB_Doom]

I'm comfortable with my Samsung Galaxy S3. No need for an iPhone.

[Graf Zahl]

Figures that Hellbent falls for the marketing crap, not realizing that most of what he attributes to Apple's 'genius' can be done by the competition as well...

Also not surprising that hex11 firmly sticks to the long gone past...

:D:D

I don't have much use for high end smartphones but when I'm on vacation I'd at least like to have some internet access - but a medium range Android phone is good enough for that. And in case I need an app I still can get it.

[Khorus]

People keep repeating the phrase "due for an upgrade"...

Why?

Hellbent said:

essential to me successfully living in the modern era.

Jesus fucking christ...

[printz]

My next smartphone, if it's expensive, is gonna be an iPhone. Probably not the latest because of excessive price (why are high-end smartphones so damn expensive…). But I want to see how iOS is and I can trust that it's pretty high-quality, and I love its minimalist interface. I'm not so fond of my Android devices, they lack personality. Also I feel that more games or applications with attention to detail get developed for iOS.

…Except that phones aren't that exciting anyway. Probably I'd get better software on an iPad, which is cheaper too.

[SavageCorona]

Android.

That is all I shall say.

[Hellbent]

Khorus said:

People keep repeating the phrase "due for an upgrade"...

Why?

Because every time I buy a phone through AT&T for free, or $100 or $200 I commit to having them be my cell phone provider or two years. When the two years is up, I am once again eligible for a phone upgrade at a relatively cheap price. If you buy an iPhone without a contract it costs about as much as an entry level laptop computer.

Graf Zahl said:

Figures that Hellbent falls for the marketing crap, not realizing that most of what he attributes to Apple's 'genius' can be done by the competition as well...

The key word there is 'most'. There's only one Siri.

[Graf Zahl]

Hellbent said:

The key word there is 'most'. There's only one Siri.

...and her reputation is vastly overrated. :P

[Hellbent]

Graf Zahl said:

...and her reputation is vastly overrated. :P

Do you use Siri on a daily basis?

[Maes]

Rizera said:

Not only that, a lot of other very superior devices to the iPhone 5 cost way less (e.g. Nexus 4, Sony Xperia Z, LG Optimus G Pro, Lumia 920, just to name a few). This is something I'm absolutely not able to understand.

If getting the best possible value for money on the market is a consideration, then Apple products (in any category) are just not what you are looking for. They never were. They are simply not designed nor marketed with that mentality: they always are more expensive that equivalent, competitive hardware, if you just compare spec sheets side-by-side.

Before the Jobs era, this was pretty mild: they were as overpriced as you'd expect a computer NOT made by 1000 different manufacturers to be: pricey, but still reasonable (and IBM-PC clones weren't all that cheap, either).

However Jobs took this up to eleven, turning Apple products into a sort of status symbol or Veblen goods. In layman terms, you really do pay for the name (and the "privilege" of belonging to a walled-garden consumer community, as you'll be buying services, apps, hardware etc. almost exclusively from Apple, Inc. as well).

[Kontra Kommando]

I had the first android, it was pretty good. However, I never bothered to get larger battery, so the level of enjoyment from apps was hobbled for me.

I then decided to switch over to the iPhone 4S. I've really grown to dislike it over time.

I'm thinking about getting a Samsung Galaxy the next time around.

[Hellbent]

what do you dislike about the 4S?

[Graf Zahl]

Not everyone is made to be an iSlave, you know...?

[Kontra Kommando]

Hellbent said:

what do you dislike about the 4S?

My displeasure from it began once I started noticing how much better other phones were. Plus, Apple's customer service is terrible, probably on purpose. Moreover, I really started getting annoyed by the sheer limitation on what you could do with it in terms of software (something I knew well before I bought it, yet tried to overlook). Once the speaker crapped out on me, I was through.

[Netherstorm]

SavageCorona said:

Android.

That is all I shall say.

Yes. I find that phone much superior to IPhone.

[SFoZ911]

I have the 4th generation iphone for 3 years now and one thing for sure, I can't complain. that said, I like it because i can arrange my music library with ease and it's got all kinds of useful apps to choose from.