Apple really has run out of ideas, hasn't it?

[Muadib]

Speaking of running out of ideas, other than a camera and SoC update, it doesn't look like there's much to look forward to with this years iPhone release. I'm bummed that I seriously doubt that my 6S will survive until next year.

Then don't upgrade. You can get a refurbished 6S on Amazon for less than $200.

 

[ultimatebob]

Then don't upgrade. You can get a refurbished 6S on Amazon for less than $200.

I think that iOS 13 will be the end of the line for the iPhone 6S. You're probably not going to get updates after that.

 

[FerrelGeek]

I may just buy a XR after the new phone comes out and they drop the price a bit.

 

[mrochester]

What you call an ecosystem, I call a proprietary trap. I have no problem rolling with a variety of cloud storage, music, email, and applications across a breadth of devices, none of which tie me to a particular brand of vendor.

Build quality, I suggest you to check out Louis Rossman. Apple 'build quality' is mediocre to terrible beyond aesthetics.

Apple Care+ is ok, but expensive, and not even that convenient. They'll still tell you that your data is irrecoverable unless you had it in iCloud/etc (blatantly untrue, as proven by Rossman).

Now what works for you, works for you. There's no argument against that, nor would I want you to change what is suitable for what you're used to. However, it's not even close to the only way to do things with ease, convenience, and performance.

I think the question from me would be, how do I get things like continuity and handoff to work on non-Apple hardware (or a feature that does the same thing)? How do I get my smartwatch to unlock my laptop? How do I get my photos synced across all devices, storing as many as possible locally on the device (p.s., no google as I don't do google). How do I get my headphone connections to sync across all of my devices automatically? How do I get a trackpad as good as the Mac trackpad? Where do I get a 16:10 aspect ratio laptop? Where do I get a phone with secure faceID and gesture navigation? Where do I get a smartwatch that'll sync my favourites playlist so I can listen to music via bluetooth headphones when out running/at the gym?

These are all things I expect my devices to be able to do, and I don't want to have to spend time installing and configuring 3rd party apps to get it to work (it should all work out of the box from the included software/services).

Where do I get this experience from outside of Apple? I have no loyalties to Apply whatsoever, but at this point in time it's impossible to get the same thing from any other manufacturer.

 

[darkswordsman17]

I'm pretty sure there are apps that can sync stuff like photos across Android and PC (I think Microsoft has some even). Not sure about iOS since Apple seems to want complete control and forces people to use iTunes (which that's a big annoyance for me with Apple stuff on PC, and since they're ditching iTunes on Mac makes it kinda extra frustrating). Pretty sure you can unlock your PC using a smartphone (and would guess a smartwatch as well). Microsoft added that capability to Windows 10, and I know Samsung was showing off unlocking their own laptop with a Galaxy phone. Which I think there's quite a few PC laptops that have fingerprint sensors or other unlock (Windows Hello) that makes unlock very easy. Not sure, I believe HP's trackpad is considered pretty good now (I want to say I've seen it compared to Apple's?). Which, I hear a lot of complaints about newer Macbook keyboards so its not like Apple is just flawless. Why not 3:2 which should probably work even better? You can get that on some Windows laptops even. I think there's several Android phones that have that (I can unlock my like 4 year old LG V10 using face unlock, and I know newer phones have that; plus I swear its every other year that some Android OEM touts gesture control like its some amazing new feature even though it was done before; LG I think was touting it this year on the G8 and V50 even talking up being able to unlock your phone by having it measure the blood vessels in your hand or something silly). Not sure, but I doubt that's as rare as you make it out to be.

I'd guess you could keep your Apple Watch and use it with a Windows PC and and Android phone and retain a lot of the functionality you want. There'd be some extra hassle for you to setup but once you did it should work. Which, hey its your choice, and I understand some of where you're coming from, but some of your complaints make it seem like you have not actually used many non-Apple devices for quite some time and seem to have bought into Apple acting like they're the only ones that have done a bunch of that stuff (when often Android will do it like a year or more before, but it doesn't become popular, then Apple does it and it does, which then leads to the Android stuff to add it back). Which, I'm not saying you won't have any issues, but then I see lots of people all Apple that have plenty of the same issues (syncing things how they want, things like Bluetooth "just working").

Which I'm fairly certain you do in fact have to configure a lot of that stuff on Apple devices. And maybe your point is you've already gone to the trouble of doing that so its an extra hurdle to you switching, which is a fair criticism (but its also why I hate these stupid walled garden "ecosystems" that all the tech brands tried to force on us to lock us into their stuff; I think they should be made straight up illegal as they're blatantly anti-competitive; they have worked to try and make transitioning between iOS and Android easier, but I'm sure its still a nuisance).

I agree with some of your points and I've been quite critical of Android as well, frankly both iOS and Android have lots of things that bug me about them that I have no clue how people put up with all this time. Apple has loosened their hold some (although I think a good amount of that is being relegated to iPad OS, like widgets and file system browsing). I like a good amount of aspects about Apple's stuff, but there's enough that bugs me still (one being price, which sadly Android OEMs seem like they're just following suit, and that's ridiculous; which Microsoft started doing the same with the Surface line and that bugs me too - I don't mind a premium but stuff like the Surface Studio are ridiculously overpriced while also being saddled with stupid limitations).

 

[mrochester]

I'm pretty sure there are apps that can sync stuff like photos across Android and PC (I think Microsoft has some even). Not sure about iOS since Apple seems to want complete control and forces people to use iTunes (which that's a big annoyance for me with Apple stuff on PC, and since they're ditching iTunes on Mac makes it kinda extra frustrating). Pretty sure you can unlock your PC using a smartphone (and would guess a smartwatch as well). Microsoft added that capability to Windows 10, and I know Samsung was showing off unlocking their own laptop with a Galaxy phone. Which I think there's quite a few PC laptops that have fingerprint sensors or other unlock (Windows Hello) that makes unlock very easy. Not sure, I believe HP's trackpad is considered pretty good now (I want to say I've seen it compared to Apple's?). Which, I hear a lot of complaints about newer Macbook keyboards so its not like Apple is just flawless. Why not 3:2 which should probably work even better? You can get that on some Windows laptops even. I think there's several Android phones that have that (I can unlock my like 4 year old LG V10 using face unlock, and I know newer phones have that; plus I swear its every other year that some Android OEM touts gesture control like its some amazing new feature even though it was done before; LG I think was touting it this year on the G8 and V50 even talking up being able to unlock your phone by having it measure the blood vessels in your hand or something silly). Not sure, but I doubt that's as rare as you make it out to be.

I'd guess you could keep your Apple Watch and use it with a Windows PC and and Android phone and retain a lot of the functionality you want. There'd be some extra hassle for you to setup but once you did it should work. Which, hey its your choice, and I understand some of where you're coming from, but some of your complaints make it seem like you have not actually used many non-Apple devices for quite some time and seem to have bought into Apple acting like they're the only ones that have done a bunch of that stuff (when often Android will do it like a year or more before, but it doesn't become popular, then Apple does it and it does, which then leads to the Android stuff to add it back). Which, I'm not saying you won't have any issues, but then I see lots of people all Apple that have plenty of the same issues (syncing things how they want, things like Bluetooth "just working").

Which I'm fairly certain you do in fact have to configure a lot of that stuff on Apple devices. And maybe your point is you've already gone to the trouble of doing that so its an extra hurdle to you switching, which is a fair criticism (but its also why I hate these stupid walled garden "ecosystems" that all the tech brands tried to force on us to lock us into their stuff; I think they should be made straight up illegal as they're blatantly anti-competitive; they have worked to try and make transitioning between iOS and Android easier, but I'm sure its still a nuisance).

I agree with some of your points and I've been quite critical of Android as well, frankly both iOS and Android have lots of things that bug me about them that I have no clue how people put up with all this time. Apple has loosened their hold some (although I think a good amount of that is being relegated to iPad OS, like widgets and file system browsing). I like a good amount of aspects about Apple's stuff, but there's enough that bugs me still (one being price, which sadly Android OEMs seem like they're just following suit, and that's ridiculous; which Microsoft started doing the same with the Surface line and that bugs me too - I don't mind a premium but stuff like the Surface Studio are ridiculously overpriced while also being saddled with stupid limitations).

No google for ethical reasons, so android is out as an option.

 

[ultimatebob]

I'm really hoping that Apple announces something more than a fractionally better bunch of iPhones next (this?) Tuesday, but I'm not counting on it.

Maybe Tim Cook will pull a "one more thing" and announce something truly cool like a self driving electric car, but again I highly doubt it!

 

[Commodus]

I'm really hoping that Apple announces something more than a fractionally better bunch of iPhones next Monday, but I'm not counting on it.

Maybe Tim Cook will pull a "one more thing" and announce something truly cool like a self driving electric car, but again I highly doubt it!

There's likely to be new Apple Watches and those rumored Tile-like trackers... not sure what else Apple will do outside of its services news, since I'm thinking Apple will have a separate event in October for the 16-inch MacBook Pro and new iPads.

 

[FerrelGeek]

Nothing that I've read would indicate a 'major wow factor' item unless you're gonna go gaga over the new camera.

I'm also not a lover of google. Apple seems to be lacking in vision and is content to rest on its laurels - bad idea. But google and facebook are just plain insidious in my opinion.

I'm really hoping that Apple announces something more than a fractionally better bunch of iPhones next Monday, but I'm not counting on it.

Maybe Tim Cook will pull a "one more thing" and announce something truly cool like a self driving electric car, but again I highly doubt it!

 

[Oyeve]

Nothing that I've read would indicate a 'major wow factor' item unless you're gonna go gaga over the new camera.

I'm also not a lover of google. Apple seems to be lacking in vision and is content to rest on its laurels - bad idea. But google and facebook are just plain insidious in my opinion.

Yeah, there has been zero hype on this event, at least none that I can see. More of the same IMO. Like every other gadget company.

 

[FerrelGeek]

Yeah, there has been zero hype on this event, at least none that I can see. More of the same IMO. Like every other gadget company.

Yep. My problem is that my 6s won't last another year. I won't go droid for stated reasons re: google. So I either buy the new phone or wait to see if they reduce the price of the Xs or XR and get one of those.

 

[kn51]

Yep. My problem is that my 6s won't last another year. I won't go droid for stated reasons re: google. So I either buy the new phone or wait to see if they reduce the price of the Xs or XR and get one of those.

We are in the same boat, but I have only the 6. Ugh on choices.

 

[ultimatebob]

It looks like your wish came true... the XR is $150 cheaper now. It's still not exactly a "cheap" phone, though.

 

[Muadib]

I just saw the event, and now I want a new 11 pro max. That new camera system looks amazing.

 

[Muadib]

It looks like your wish came true... the XR is $150 cheaper now. It's still not exactly a "cheap" phone, though.

Amazon has the 6S now for $175.

 

[ultimatebob]

Amazon has the 6S now for $175.

I'd imagine that you could get a 1987 Honda Civic with a blown engine and frame damage for around that price as well... but it doesn't make it a smart purchase

 

[Muadib]

I'd imagine that you could get a 1987 Honda Civic with a blown engine and frame damage for around that price as well... but it doesn't make it a smart purchase

It's a refurb and comes with a warranty!

 

[KentState]

Seems that I will be riding out the life of my X at this rate. Maybe by the second round of 5G phones, they will have something worth entertaining.

And why is the regular 2019 iPad so far behind with the A10? That's a 2016 chip and the same one in last year's iPad.

 

[Oyeve]

Seems that I will be riding out the life of my X at this rate. Maybe by the second round of 5G phones, they will have something worth entertaining.

And why is the regular 2019 iPad so far behind with the A10? That's a 2016 chip and the same one in last year's iPad.

Because it's really good and doesn't need more. I always wonder why Apple supposedly puts in super awesome chips in there iPhone and there really isn't any apps that utilize it.

 

[ZipSpeed]

Because it's really good and doesn't need more. I always wonder why Apple supposedly puts in super awesome chips in there iPhone and there really isn't any apps that utilize it.

I usually get a new phone every 3 years, but the A10 in my 7 Plus is still very serviceable that I'm probably going to hold off for at least one more year. Might as well wait for the 12 with 5G.

 

[KentState]

Because it's really good and doesn't need more. I always wonder why Apple supposedly puts in super awesome chips in there iPhone and there really isn't any apps that utilize it.

There is much more to a processor than IPC. The newer chips consume a lot less power so that something that not only the phones but tablets can benefit from.

 

[Oyeve]

There is much more to a processor than IPC. The newer chips consume a lot less power so that something that not only the phones but tablets can benefit from.

This I know. But every year apple says the new chip is 10000000% faster than previous gens and we rarely see it in real life. My iphone 7 feels as fast as my iphone 8 that feels almost as fast as my iphone xr.

 

[Aikouka]

I find myself kind of mixed about the latest iPhone. I do like the camera changes. Well, apart from how the multi-camera setup now resembles the Deadlights from Stephen King's IT. My favorite new feature is likely the auto night mode as low-light photography has always been a bit of a challenge. I'm also interested in the purported battery life increases, but I'm not entirely sure what the 4-5 hour claims are adding onto? Is it talk time? Audio playback?

Now, what's really keeping me from deciding has to be how Apple replaced 3D Touch with Haptic Touch. Haptic Touch is the weaker variant found on the iPhone XR where the XS and XS Max both have 3D Touch, which allows for harder presses to activate different features, and also a harder depress while already touching the screen to enact different effects. One of my favorite features of this is that while both 3D Touch and Haptic Touch allow you to move the cursor around, 3D Touch will allow you to select items by pushing down again. (Although, I can't seem to get the context menu to come up when selecting text on a website in Safari. It just deselects my selection each time.) There's also the ability to use 3D Touch to preview URLs prior to opening them. It's one of those features that most people have no idea that it even exists, because as is usual with Apple, they're awful at telling people how to use their devices.

 

[Commodus]

I find myself kind of mixed about the latest iPhone. I do like the camera changes. Well, apart from how the multi-camera setup now resembles the Deadlights from Stephen King's IT. My favorite new feature is likely the auto night mode as low-light photography has always been a bit of a challenge. I'm also interested in the purported battery life increases, but I'm not entirely sure what the 4-5 hour claims are adding onto? Is it talk time? Audio playback?

Now, what's really keeping me from deciding has to be how Apple replaced 3D Touch with Haptic Touch. Haptic Touch is the weaker variant found on the iPhone XR where the XS and XS Max both have 3D Touch, which allows for harder presses to activate different features, and also a harder depress while already touching the screen to enact different effects. One of my favorite features of this is that while both 3D Touch and Haptic Touch allow you to move the cursor around, 3D Touch will allow you to select items by pushing down again. (Although, I can't seem to get the context menu to come up when selecting text on a website in Safari. It just deselects my selection each time.) There's also the ability to use 3D Touch to preview URLs prior to opening them. It's one of those features that most people have no idea that it even exists, because as is usual with Apple, they're awful at telling people how to use their devices.

There are sizeably larger batteries in all the new phones, so you should have more longevity overall. Apple definitely isn't referring to audio playback!

I'm in no rush to upgrade myself given that I have an iPhone XS, but these feel like Apple was addressing long sought-after features to keep people happy until a big 2020 refresh. Comfortable all-day battery life? Check. Cramming all your friends into a wide-angle shot? Check. More resilient glass backs? You get the idea. It's for someone who's upgrading from a 2-3 year old device rather than the enthusiast who upgrades every year.

 

[FerrelGeek]

Yep. Pretty much this.

There are sizeably larger batteries in all the new phones, so you should have more longevity overall. Apple definitely isn't referring to audio playback!

I'm in no rush to upgrade myself given that I have an iPhone XS, but these feel like Apple was addressing long sought-after features to keep people happy until a big 2020 refresh. Comfortable all-day battery life? Check. Cramming all your friends into a wide-angle shot? Check. More resilient glass backs? You get the idea. It's for someone who's upgrading from a 2-3 year old device rather than the enthusiast who upgrades every year.