what phone for 2014?
- Thread starter heycal
- Start date
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
The rumors on the N5 that I've seen have it from 5.2 inches to 5.9 inches with a variety of other specs. Google is doing a good job keeping a tight lid on this new product.
27 minutes remaining for 8.0.2 to finish downloading. I wish that it had just saved the download from last night - though I'm not sure that the download is the same for different processors.
I just ordered a rugged case for the i6 which includes a belt clip - this is one of those cases that covers the whole phone. I'm not sure that I'm going to use the part that goes on the belt though. I may just carry it with the screen side open in a pocket.
27 minutes remaining for 8.0.2 to finish downloading. I wish that it had just saved the download from last night - though I'm not sure that the download is the same for different processors.
I just ordered a rugged case for the i6 which includes a belt clip - this is one of those cases that covers the whole phone. I'm not sure that I'm going to use the part that goes on the belt though. I may just carry it with the screen side open in a pocket.
West Coast Ace
G.O.A.T.
Thanks for taking one for the team. I haven't had any of the problems with the factory OS so I'm waiting a few weeks.
I'll chk out your bash thread - that had people at work fired up w emergency server patching last night...
And weren't you in NKE stock? If so you're probably very happy today...
Interesting that Chinese people are still fighting (and getting tasered) for them here in the US. The prices are falling back in CHN as rumors that the last signoff is imminent and the Apple stores will be selling them shortly. AND the Chinese Customs is onto their 'hide them in Twinkie's boxes' ploy. A lot of iPhones getting confiscated (and will probably fall into some high up government flunkie's mistresses' purses).
Loving the 6 Plus - the screen is amazing, even outside in sunlight (without jacking up the brightness). The only negative is that the thinness coupled with the fillets does make it a bit of an effort to pick up when flat.
I saw a video of guying bending the 6 intentionally to show how easy it was to do, and saw reports of it elsewhere. But who gives a damn? If the phone still works, a little bending here and there is no biggie.
It would be ironic if I got a phone with a LED and it gave me a bunch of false positives…. As long as you don't recall missing anything because of lightflow failure sounds good enough to me.
I had a chance to try your G2 the other day for about 4 minutes in a train station Verizon store. I must have bounced out of the messaging app about 10 times -- literally -- in the few short minutes of playing with it because I hit the home button instead of the space bar.
I understand you can do some switching around of the those buttons down there, but if you always end up with something right under the space bar, that would lead to similar problems.
Notification light failure is the stuff of nightmares! Does she have lightflow installed, and would that even matter?
Fena14, how is your LED reliability?
I'm following your case with great interest. I'm curious to see if a few more days turn you into a "I love the big phone and could never go back!" guy, or if you'll still be wishing you could have all the advantages of the 6 in the size of the 5.
Didn't even think of this issue. So thin one can barely pick it up? But as I said upstream, while the phone is too thin, a case might make it the perfect size, whereas cases usually make other phones too bulky.
Apple really should have sacrificed the ultra thinness of the 6 to give it up some more Plus-like battery oomph. That would have been a win-win.
West Coast Ace
G.O.A.T.
I wouldn't say 'barely' - but can take some effort - and I have long thin fingers; people with fat fingers will have even more issues. Never had this issue with the 5S. I'm sure there will be lots of drops from people who are in a rush and try the 'swipe on the fly' move.
I live by the late, great John Wooden 'be quick but don't rush' saying. But many people aren't organized and run around with their hair on fire.
I'd rather not get a case (I just carry it around in a soft sunglasses pouch) - and even cases aren't a cure-all. Screen can still hit first on a corner of a desk....
I agree 100% - thicker would have meant even more real estate for even more battery. Seems like they wanted thinner for marketing - hard to believe that would really sway anyone.
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
8.0.2 update failed. I'm in iPhone Recovery Mode right now. Worst case is that I'm back on 8.0 I guess. This might take a while. Actually worst case is that I have to bring it to the Apple Store. Restore failed again. I might have a brick.
Yes, I have NKE stock and a 12% gain in one day is nice. I've been pretty positive on management executing their turnaround over the last 6-8 quarters. Yes, they did have that hiccup with the weather that just about every retailer had but they are doing a very good job internationally despite global economic problems - that's very hard to do.
The stock has basically done nothing for about six months so that can be frustrating but I'm trying to be more of a long-term investor than a short-term trader. I think that the folks that pick the $INDU stocks are glad that NKE is in the index today.
That TASER article is two years old. Just an example of people buying a lot of phones to resell in other places. I'm sure that this will continue every year.
West Coast Ace
G.O.A.T.
Sorry to hear that. On Business Insider they named and shamed the head of QA who 'allegedly' greenlighted 8.0.1 (and Google Maps last time around). Seemed like a low shot. No proof he single-handedly pushed it through the system.
We'll see. The Chinese gov sure has been pushing the local brands hard while making life tough on Apple (and Microsoft in the desktop software space). I'm still getting emails from people begging me to bring them a 6 Plus when I go to the Shanghai Masters... which is odd since I know China Mobile has their own proprietary network (that was the reason they didn't have the iPhone until recently); does anyone know which US phone (GSM's?) would work over there? Or would people just use them for data on wi-fi (and to show off to their friends?
)
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
Sorry to hear that. On Business Insider they named and shamed the head of QA who 'allegedly' greenlighted 8.0.1 (and Google Maps last time around). Seemed like a low shot. No proof he single-handedly pushed it through the system.
We'll see. The Chinese gov sure has been pushing the local brands hard while making life tough on Apple (and Microsoft in the desktop software space). I'm still getting emails from people begging me to bring them a 6 Plus when I go to the Shanghai Masters... which is odd since I know China Mobile has their own proprietary network (that was the reason they didn't have the iPhone until recently); does anyone know which US phone (GSM's?) would work over there? Or would people just use them for data on wi-fi (and to show off to their friends?
I called the Apple Store and they had my phone set up with 8.0.2 in under 30 minutes (my office is really close to the Apple Store). They'll report my problem to Apple so there might be an 8.0.3 or an iTunes update. I just restored my phone from backup and am up and running again.
I hadn't heard of any problems with 8.0.2 outside of Australia which is why I went ahead. If I had know of bricking issues, I probably would have waited. I'm on 8.0.2 now and probably have to re-enter some network passwords but hopefully that's the end of the excitement for now.
Some of my coworkers get the same request from relatives in China to buy them iPhone and iPads. My former manager (lives in the UK) flew to the US to buy the iPhone when it first came out. In one or two other years, she had someone buy one for her and hold it for her.
I have no idea what works in China but the only unlocked model is the one from T-Mobile. I do understand that there are some services that can unlock iPhones in China - I don't know how good they are.
Last edited:
Thin is nice for marketing, but better battery is even nicer for marketing, provided the phone is fairly thin, as I 5 is. But nobody needed THIS thin at the expense of battery life.
Good to hear. Hey, what do year on the S4? I'm intrigued by that phone, but the S5 seems too big.
Movda, you see this article? I think Apple's other mistake in this phone (well, there were many) was just making it bigger without redesigning it for one handed use.
http://www.macworld.com/article/2687057/why-im-returning-my-iphone-6-well-maybe.html
I'm wondering if the slightly G2 is better for one handers just by virtue of it's button placement.
If you had to decide right now between a 5s and 6 if they had the exact same features and specs but the only difference was size, which would you choose?
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
5s. But the 6 has much better tech so the 6 is a compromise. I know that a lot of people like bigger displays but I have an iPad Mini around most of the time. I guess that's an American thing. People in other parts of the world just want one device. Sometimes I think that a flip-phone + iPad Mini would work quite well. Monthly bills would be lower.
dParis
Hall of Fame
This strikes me as an odd question. Haven't you held both phones yourself? Even if you haven't, are you trying to help decide what phone you should buy by a strangers personal opinion on optimal device size? Or are you administering some offshoot of a Rorschach style psychology test?
I don't think too many people want to carry around a phone and a tablet on a daily basis. At least I don't see much of it here, in the good 'ole U.S. of A. Carrying multiple mobile devices begins to comprimise the whole concept of... mobility, no? Of course we see plenty of people carring their laptops with them when they need the more intensive computing power while they are on the go.
Less devices the better. I have a smartphone, kindle, and laptop. Don't want more, and less on occasion would be nice too. One appeal of a larger phone for me is that it can replace the kindle for short duration reading periods.
I've held both phones, yes. But I haven't spent hours and days with both phones. Beyond general curiosity, I'm trying to determine as best as possible in advance if the annoyances of a larger phone, and the iPhone 6 in particular with its bad button placement, are a thing one gets used to pretty quickly, or is forever an annoyance. It's sounding like Movda is falling into the latter camp so far. I'm surprised by that, and it sounds like he might too. In my short time playing with it, it seems surprisingly unwieldy for a non-phablet.
Which means the choice of a phone just got harder: I was assuming it was going to be between i6 and an android, but now it might be between an android, i6, or i5s...
One handed use is important to me. That said, if having a bigger phone would make me start texting with two thumbs like the pros do, that would be another advantage of it. But still I imagine there would be plenty of times I'd want one hand ability.
You use that massive G2 with one handed sometimes, yes? Other than that damn space bar/home button issue, it's possible it works better for one handed use than the iphone 6.
Last edited:
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
I have an iPad pocket in my coat and there are carrier savings to be had if you use separate devices but you have to eat the device cost first. The iPad Mini will also give you absolutely incredible battery life compared to phones out there.
You can also operate with two different carriers for redundancy.
Also, for some reason, the Nexus 5 seems smaller in the hand than the i6 even though the i6 has a bigger screen.
Last edited:
dParis
Hall of Fame
The phones are almost identical in size. The Nexus actually has a bigger screen (5" vs 4.7"). I think the ever so slight curve of the Nexus may give it a tactile advantage over the i6. The iphones have been flat backs since the 4. When they were that small, it wasn't an issue. Maybe now, the bigger iphones aren't held in the palm of the hand so much as they are in the fingers and there is a void between one's fingers and their thumb pad that a slightly curved (back) phone would fill.
I hope that made sense. I'm not sure I even understand what I wrote - though these are exactly the sort of elements examined closely in ergonomic design.
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
I put them side by side and the Nexus 5 is wider, longer, thicker and heavier but it still feels better in hand and it might be the curved back but the velvety feel of the back may have something to do with it too. I can one-hand both phones but I have to slide my hand up and down to reach both far corners. I can one-hand the 5 without moving my hand. I'll get used to the 6 - I generally adapt to things long-term once I commit.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Movdqa, the Verizon model is unlocked as well.
Verizon rep has been urging me to get the 6. He says the 6+ is awesome, but there are issues there that he has not seen in iPhones before such as the home button lag. He says it is "droid like" and not as snappy and smooth as the iPhone is known for.
Neither are in stock yet, so Ill wait, but I may stay with the tried and true 6. The + was a very tempting offering though.
Can't imagine what phones will be like in 10 years.
Verizon rep has been urging me to get the 6. He says the 6+ is awesome, but there are issues there that he has not seen in iPhones before such as the home button lag. He says it is "droid like" and not as snappy and smooth as the iPhone is known for.
Neither are in stock yet, so Ill wait, but I may stay with the tried and true 6. The + was a very tempting offering though.
Can't imagine what phones will be like in 10 years.
Feña14
G.O.A.T.
My first impressions of the iPhone 6 Plus. The design isn't as good as i'd been expecting in the build up, it's not a particularly good looking phone (the slate iPhone 5 was beautiful imo), the bezels are too big, the camera sticking out etc.. As a few people have already said in here, it's actually TOO thin, it's hard to hold, hard to pick up (no bending has happened yet, though).
There's no point me going into iOS as everyone has their own opinions, it's far too restrictive for me to use everyday, but alot of people like it, which is fair enough.
The camera is really good, it's more than comparable to the best ones out there at the moment. The screen is nice, hard to say how good it really is as the apps haven't been updated for it yet. As it stands, using popular apps like instagram, snapchat, whatsapp etc.. they are actually incredibly ugly. The colours are dull, the text blurry etc.. That will no doubt be sorted in the coming months though.
Battery life isn't as good as i'd been hoping for. Having not used the older versions it's hard to compare, but i'd say i'm getting around the same time out of it that i used to on my Galaxy S3, and quite a bit less than my current S5. Obviously no two people use the same combination of apps and for the same time, so maybe it's different for others.
So yeah, if you have to have iOS go for it, if you use Android or any other phone, there's nothing special here to make you consider swapping imo.
There's no point me going into iOS as everyone has their own opinions, it's far too restrictive for me to use everyday, but alot of people like it, which is fair enough.
The camera is really good, it's more than comparable to the best ones out there at the moment. The screen is nice, hard to say how good it really is as the apps haven't been updated for it yet. As it stands, using popular apps like instagram, snapchat, whatsapp etc.. they are actually incredibly ugly. The colours are dull, the text blurry etc.. That will no doubt be sorted in the coming months though.
Battery life isn't as good as i'd been hoping for. Having not used the older versions it's hard to compare, but i'd say i'm getting around the same time out of it that i used to on my Galaxy S3, and quite a bit less than my current S5. Obviously no two people use the same combination of apps and for the same time, so maybe it's different for others.
So yeah, if you have to have iOS go for it, if you use Android or any other phone, there's nothing special here to make you consider swapping imo.
Tried and true 6? Yes, it has stood the test of time, all right.
Go for the 6 Plus, are you nuts? I'd have to bring a friend with me to help me hold it. Even the 6 may be too big, and if one is going with IOS, the 5s may be the one to choose.
Did you compare the feel and usability of the 6 in comparison to your G2? Curious to hear about that if you did.
Fena14, this sounds a bit too close to Power Player-type stinkin' thinking. I expect better from an Android guy! a battery is a battery is a battery. If user "A" gets 10 hours out of a phone and user "B" only 8 hours because of their differing usage patterns, that doesn't change what the battery is capable of. If the battery isn't great, it isn't great -- there's nothing "personal" about that, and if the same two users were to switch to a different one, one would expect user A to get more hours out of the new phone than user B.
Last edited:
Feña14
G.O.A.T.
The 6 and 6+ are the same, apart from size, better camera etc.. Same system and specs. They're both incredibly thin, which is clever from a design point of view, but certainly not practical for me. The big screen isn't a problem at all, it's required these days, but so is being able to hold it without dropping it (the slippy metal on the back doesn't help). if i'd go with a 6 or 6+, a fairly big case would be needed for me.
I thought there were other key differences, the most important one being a much better battery. Isn't one complaint about these phones is that Apple saved a lot of the good stuff for the Plus and the 6 almost feels like their budget phone?
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
The main differences are camera stabilization, horizontal menu mode, and better battery life. Not that much of a difference. The differences between the 5S and the 6 are bigger.
I really like the touch id sensor after learning how to use it. I originally thought that you had to press the button and strange stuff happened but I just touch it and it work. It's kind of a pain when I use a non-touch-id device now.
I really like the touch id sensor after learning how to use it. I originally thought that you had to press the button and strange stuff happened but I just touch it and it work. It's kind of a pain when I use a non-touch-id device now.
Feña14
G.O.A.T.
Yeah the touch id is fantastic, that's Apple at their best. Have you noticed a big jump in the battery life with the 6? The Plus i've got is pretty low by mid afternoon, doing the same things on my S5, i've been getting a whole days use out of it.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Fena nice review. Helps me make my decision. The plusses are backordered and I should probably get a 6 in next week.
Good feedback on the battery. Just proves my point further. Everyone's usage and settings will be different, and you are getting less battery than other plus users who have posted feedback.
Good feedback on the battery. Just proves my point further. Everyone's usage and settings will be different, and you are getting less battery than other plus users who have posted feedback.
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
I think that the battery life on the 6 is comparable to my 5 with a new battery. I did go through the exercise of making some changes to improve battery life though and it's not something that I worry about. I seldom get below 85% but I have lots of places to get a charge and I use the iPad Mini and the iPhone.
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
"According to Consumer Reports' tests, the iPhone 6 only started to deform, warp, or otherwise look different than it normally does once the test applied 70 pounds of weight to the smartphone. The iPhone 6 Plus held out for slightly longer, deforming at around 90 pounds."
"The screen began to come lose from the iPhone 6's case a little bit earlier than the iPhone 6 Plus'. At around 100 pounds applied to its center, the iPhone 6 achieved "case separation" status. It took 110 pounds for the same result on the iPhone 6 Plus."
"To put these numbers into context, the iPhone 6's deformation weight tied that of the HTC One M8, but was quite a bit lower than the LG G3 (130 pounds), iPhone 5 (130 pounds), and Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (150 pounds)—the latter, seemingly to have been constructed out of adamantium, as it also took 150 pounds to separate the smartphone's screen from its case. The LG G3 and iPhone 5 were also tougher when it came to screen separation, requiring 130 pounds and 150 pounds respectively to reach that point. "
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,281.../pcmag/breakingnews+(PCMag.com+Breaking+News)
Looks like the popular phones are generally pretty strong.
I think that the 5/5S have the advantage of being small so that it's less likely to break from getting stressed from things like pants.
While at the Apple Store Friday I did notice a lady at the GB and she had her phone in her back pocket (it was sticking out slightly). Seems like an easy way to damage the phone or get it stolen.
"The screen began to come lose from the iPhone 6's case a little bit earlier than the iPhone 6 Plus'. At around 100 pounds applied to its center, the iPhone 6 achieved "case separation" status. It took 110 pounds for the same result on the iPhone 6 Plus."
"To put these numbers into context, the iPhone 6's deformation weight tied that of the HTC One M8, but was quite a bit lower than the LG G3 (130 pounds), iPhone 5 (130 pounds), and Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (150 pounds)—the latter, seemingly to have been constructed out of adamantium, as it also took 150 pounds to separate the smartphone's screen from its case. The LG G3 and iPhone 5 were also tougher when it came to screen separation, requiring 130 pounds and 150 pounds respectively to reach that point. "
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,281.../pcmag/breakingnews+(PCMag.com+Breaking+News)
Looks like the popular phones are generally pretty strong.
I think that the 5/5S have the advantage of being small so that it's less likely to break from getting stressed from things like pants.
While at the Apple Store Friday I did notice a lady at the GB and she had her phone in her back pocket (it was sticking out slightly). Seems like an easy way to damage the phone or get it stolen.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
I can not wait for touch ID. So sick of punching a code into my phone.
DRII
G.O.A.T.
Really? When it comes to what's important -- like battery life -- I thought the Plus was supposed to be much better than the 6, whereas the 6 is only marginally better than the 5s.
But that's not really your point. Your point was that since different people use their phones differently, comparisons between batteries was basically useless since it's all "personal". But that's obviously not true, and Fena14 sure won't back you up on that, nor will anyone else here.
Why do you guys bother using codes/passwords on your phone? You have meddlesome girlfriends or sensitive information you're trying to keep from prying co-workers? I've never understood why people do this who don't work for the CIA or something, and either I'm around tons of CIA agents or people are just paranoid, because I see many folks punching in passwords.
Last edited:
Feña14
G.O.A.T.
Yeah, after using it for a few days it's so well done. To think the payment system that takes advantage of it isn't even up and running yet!
After hearing so many great things about the battery i was expecting great things. That's not to say the battery life is bad by any means, it's just not what i'm used to. People who are used to the iPhone won't have any problems with it, i'd imagine.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Anyone who doesn't lock their phone is a fool in this day and age. Apple was smart to make it fast and easy. IMO it is one of the most important things someone can do, and I think people who hate punching pass codes and don't lock their phone will enable the touch ID and be quite happy they did if their phone gets lost or stolen.
And yeah, really interesting about the battery. I was hearing 2 days from people and reading that in reviews.
Do you have the lag people are complaining about? I hear that it's not happening for everyone. The camera on the plus looks very, very impressive.
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
Problem is that I now feel like upgrading my iPad Mini.
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
The 6+ has more than a 50% higher capacity battery than the 6 while the 6 is only a little bigger than the 5S. So it should be better. Battery life on the 5 was fine for me (outside of having a defective battery) so I'm quite happy with how the 6 is working out on battery life.
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
Job requirement.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Yeah I do a lot of composing on my iPad so I usually upgrade it every 2 years as the apps improve and require more resources.
I love the resell value on the iDevices. I can easily get $250 in cash for a 2 year old iPad on crags list. And when I post it I get so many emails that I can sell it in a day.
Never had a mini, so not sure of the resell value on those.
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
If you work for a tech company and you get your email on your phone, then your employer may require a variety of best security practices on your phone including remote wipe.
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
My guess is that the mini is more popular than the iPad these days. They are perfect for women and handbags and you can use it one-handed in reading mode if you have big hands. I can't do that with the iPads.
I bought the Nexus 7 and fell in love with mini-tablets. The Nexus 7 was the start of a great form-factor. I would have preferred the iPad Mini at 7 inches but I can live with 8. For me, it's mainly a consumption device or a cellular hotspot for my laptop when I want to work remotely without draining my phone battery.
I don't think that software is getting bloated that quickly. My wife and son still use iPad 1s and 2s.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Yeah my work iphone5 requires remote wipe and a passcode. It will be nice to not have to punch a code on my personal phone though.
Yes but for what I do on mine the apps require more power. For more casual use, you can easily use an iPad 2 still.
Feña14
G.O.A.T.
The first day, when downloading apps, the touch id was so useful. To think i'd of had to put my password in 30+ times would of sent me crazy!
There is a bit of lag, which feels like it could get worse over time. The time it takes to switch from portrait to landscape mode is VERY slow.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Yes that is in line with what I'm hearing here. Thanks for posting these impressions. I was really interested in going big, but I'll ride with the 6.
I have a feeling Apple can fix these issues in an update, but some suspect it may be too little RAM. Too early to tell.
JoelDali
Talk Tennis Guru
Yah. This is what made the 5s + iOS 6 touch the Face of God. Epic phone perfection for me.
This combo is the St. Vincent of Smartphones.
8.02 update bricked me last night for a few hours.
I was in epic hardware hell.
Reminded me of my Blackberry days.
Finally got it revived.
Happy for now.
Still a god damn waste of money upgrading every year but whatever.
JoelDali
Talk Tennis Guru
Anything bigger than a 6 for simple compact portable computing is just not for me. But I know lots of people dig the plus and that's great for them.
