Apple September event

[manly]

I have the iPhone X and T-mobile’s Jump on demand plan. Should I upgrade to the XS?

I don't know much about phone leasing, but I thought the whole point of these programs is annual upgrading?

 

[Chaotic42]

I has hoping for a new Mac Mini

 

[cmdrdredd]

I don't know much about phone leasing, but I thought the whole point of these programs is annual upgrading?

You don't have to. If you pay off the device you get to keep it and do whatever you want. You could then get any device you want at that time for no money down.

So lets say you have an iPhone X and want the XS. You pay off half the cost of your current phone and trade that in when you pickup the new one. You could decide that the XS isn't a worthy upgrade just yet and keep the X and eventually pay it off and drop the monthly payments from your bill. Then you are free to sell it whenever you want, give it to a relative, whatever when you decide to get a new device.

 

[cmdrdredd]

How can apple claim the XR as having the largest LCD in the industry?

What other phones have LCD screens still? I thought everything was OLED these days since I haven't really paid attention to phones much.

 

[manly]

You don't have to. If you pay off the device you get to keep it and do whatever you want. You could then get any device you want at that time for no money down.

So lets say you have an iPhone X and want the XS. You pay off half the cost of your current phone and trade that in when you pickup the new one. You could decide that the XS isn't a worthy upgrade just yet and keep the X and eventually pay it off and drop the monthly payments from your bill. Then you are free to sell it whenever you want, give it to a relative, whatever when you decide to get a new device.

I get all that; it just seems like the program is tailored to annual upgraders. Is the only drawback that if you trade in now, you have $0 paid towards the newest device and have just reset the 18 month timer?

Generally speaking, it's never worth upgrading a device after a year. There's just not enough innovation in smartphones anymore.

I suppose it's more interesting for Android users. Those devices depreciate like crazy and frequent upgrading could make sense if you're willing to go through the rotation hassle. I mean that with all the different choices staggered throughout the year, you could always be at the leading edge. With Apple, it's always on a 12 month cycle. But I do see your logic, it might be sensible to keep the iPhone X and pay it off; and then decide what to do in a year.

 

[cmdrdredd]

I get all that; it just seems like the program is tailored to annual upgraders. Is the only drawback that if you trade in now, you have $0 paid towards the newest device and have just reset the 18 month timer?

Generally speaking, it's never worth upgrading a device after a year. There's just not enough innovation in smartphones anymore.

I suppose it's more interesting for Android users. Those devices depreciate like crazy and frequent upgrading could make sense if you're willing to go through the rotation hassle. I mean that with all the different choices staggered throughout the year, you could always be at the leading edge. With Apple, it's always on a 12 month cycle. But I do see your logic, it might be sensible to keep the iPhone X and pay it off; and then decide what to do in a year.

Yeah pretty much how it goes. I’m gonna play the waiting game myself. I’ll order myself a series 4 watch with LTE at 3:01am eastern when they go on sale officially and that’s it.

 

[ultimatebob]

I has hoping for a new Mac Mini

Or a new Mac Pro for that matter. The old "Trash Can" Mac Pro is a dinosaur.

It seems that Apple has become a phone company that dabbles in computers now.

 

[Oyeve]

What other phones have LCD screens still? I thought everything was OLED these days since I haven't really paid attention to phones much.

LG g7.

 

[purbeast0]

Anyone know if there was any word about using the Series 4 watch for SCUBA diving? I know the series 3 was rated up to 50m water resistance, however Apple specifically says not to use it for SCUBA. I'm guessing it has to do with keeping it at that depth under pressure maybe. I guess that is the difference between water proof and resistant.

 

[Blackjack200]

Anyone know if there was any word about using the Series 4 watch for SCUBA diving? I know the series 3 was rated up to 50m water resistance, however Apple specifically says not to use it for SCUBA. I'm guessing it has to do with keeping it at that depth under pressure maybe. I guess that is the difference between water proof and resistant.

They make dive watches specifically for SCUBA divers.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Anyone know if there was any word about using the Series 4 watch for SCUBA diving? I know the series 3 was rated up to 50m water resistance, however Apple specifically says not to use it for SCUBA. I'm guessing it has to do with keeping it at that depth under pressure maybe. I guess that is the difference between water proof and resistant.

It’s not rated for diving. For that I have an ISO rated watch. As you guessed there are a few kinds of water resistance, simple water resistant where some splashes and even swimming can be ok. Water resistant to a certain depth is usually one you can dive with to shallow depths, and the watch will say how many meters it’s rated to. Then there is ISO certified where the watch is pressure tested to guarantee that at the listed depth the pressure does not damage it. These are usually specifically marketed as dive watches. The Apple Watch series 4 from what I’ve read is rated water resistant to 50 meters which is a little better than series 3 in terms of water resistance. You could swim with it but it is not rated for pressure resistance so they don’t recommend scuba diving, waterskiing, or on other activities that involve "high-velocity water or submersion below shallow depth."

 

[purbeast0]

I'm more interested in the dive computer aspect versus a dive watch. The Apple Watch being a computer itself, if it was rated for diving, would be very nice because then it wouldn't JUST be a dive computer. I'm not even certified yet for diving but I'm going to do it in the next few months because I am finally medically cleared to dive, and by all accounts, if you take diving seriously, you should get one. They are like $300 alone so why not get an Apple Watch if that could be one too?

When I did SCUBA with a few buddies last year my one friend wore his Apple Watch on 2 dives in a row. We only went to like 25 feet though but everything was fine with it, which is what got me looking into this whole thing from the start.

@cmdrdredd yeah I saw that stuff you quoted from the Apple support page but nothing about Apple Watch 4 yet. I also saw though that the series 3 watch said it was 50m resistance too so I'm guessing the 4 is the same as far as SCUBA goes. I feel like if it was rated for SCUBA they would have mentioned that in their keynote, which I'll admit I did not watch, but that's why I asked here cause I figured you guys watched. Google searching didn't help either.

 

[Blackjack200]

If you can't afford a real dive watch a friend will probably let you borrow one.

 

[cmdrdredd]

I'm more interested in the dive computer aspect versus a dive watch. The Apple Watch being a computer itself, if it was rated for diving, would be very nice because then it wouldn't JUST be a dive computer. I'm not even certified yet for diving but I'm going to do it in the next few months because I am finally medically cleared to dive, and by all accounts, if you take diving seriously, you should get one. They are like $300 alone so why not get an Apple Watch if that could be one too?

When I did SCUBA with a few buddies last year my one friend wore his Apple Watch on 2 dives in a row. We only went to like 25 feet though but everything was fine with it, which is what got me looking into this whole thing from the start.

@cmdrdredd yeah I saw that stuff you quoted from the Apple support page but nothing about Apple Watch 4 yet. I also saw though that the series 3 watch said it was 50m resistance too so I'm guessing the 4 is the same as far as SCUBA goes. I feel like if it was rated for SCUBA they would have mentioned that in their keynote, which I'll admit I did not watch, but that's why I asked here cause I figured you guys watched. Google searching didn't help either.

Yeah I hear you. The whole dive gear setup is ridiculously expensive when you finally have everything you really should have. Anyway you can probably get away with it for singe atmosphere dives but anything down below that I’d take it off. I plan to wear mine for snorkeling and such but that’s really the extent of what I expect to do with it in the water.

 

[purbeast0]

Yeah I hear you. The whole dive gear setup is ridiculously expensive when you finally have everything you really should have. Anyway you can probably get away with it for singe atmosphere dives but anything down below that I’d take it off. I plan to wear mine for snorkeling and such but that’s really the extent of what I expect to do with it in the water.

I'm not gonna get one if it can't be used for diving. I was just going to kill 2 birds in one stone but for the asking price I wouldn't get much use out of it.

 

[cmdrdredd]

I'm not gonna get one if it can't be used for diving. I was just going to kill 2 birds in one stone but for the asking price I wouldn't get much use out of it.

Yeah I know what you're saying. I’ve been interested in smart watches since they were first revealed years back but never bought one. Now though it seems the technology is mature enough with enough screen real estate for me to get some real usage out of its functionality. I can see a lot of people simply not getting the use out of it beyond telling the time.

 

[manly]

Or a new Mac Pro for that matter. The old "Trash Can" Mac Pro is a dinosaur.

It seems that Apple has become a phone company that dabbles in computers now.

Although the Mac business is a large (and profitable) business, your comment has been true for several years now.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Although the Mac business is a large (and profitable) business, your comment has been true for several years now.

Unless you are a laptop user in which case the MacBook seems to get a decent upgrade much more often.

 

[Kaido]

Picked up a 44mm gen4 Watch tonight.

I have small wrists, so initially I looked at the smaller 40mm size at my local Apple Store (which, btw, is so post-modern that it creeps me out lol). It fit well & looked good, but ultimately I ended up going with the larger model, because I figured the bigger screen size would be easier on my eyes long-term, and the touchscreen is still a little finicky, so having a larger surface seemed like a better idea. Also, even the big one is not obscene, like some of the Android watches I've seen.

Text is surprisingly excellent. Emails & text messages are crystal-clear. Color has a bit of a TN-panel effect where it gets washed-out when looking at it from an angle, but you have to really be trying at that because when it's strapped to your wrist & you bring your arm up to stare at it, it's generally straight-on, so that's a non-issue in practice. The touchscreen can be a bit finicky at times, but is noticeably improved over previous series Apple watches.

Weight is amazingly light, you don't even notice it, aside from the band. The stock rubbery band is decent. I tried on all the bands & ended up really liking the Leather Loop, which is magnetic with kind of rectangular leather ribs. Feels like when Timex tries to do a fancy watch at a gas station or something. I was SHOCKED when the Apple Store employee told me it was $150. Trololololololo no way! Fortunately Amazon has a bunch of $20 knockoffs for the last-gen series, so I ordered one (in black!) with good reviews & I'll see how it fits. I honestly couldn't believe they were charging $150 for that.

The Sport Loop (not the Nike one with holes in it) was even worse...a cheap velcro band for $50. Literally like something you would find in a dollar store, and the demo one already looked like it was fraying. Even their leather one ($340 Hermès Single Tour) felt like what you'd get for $49 at a clothing store like Macy's. The pink one was $490! I literally couldn't tell the difference between Apple's $490 pink leather band & a no-name women's watch that you'd get for like $13 at a gas station, either in color or in feel. The other ones were just OK as well...Apple really needs to step up their band game. Man.

The phone feature is actually awesome...good mic & the sound comes through reasonably loudly. A lot of times, I'll just put my iPhone on speakerphone & walk around with it in my shirt pocket, so I can see myself using this feature quite a bit. Most people I know don't have an iWatch, so I won't get to play with the walkie-talkie feature quite yet. The remote control for the camera is pretty cool...it has a live preview mode & either lets to snap a pic (and then view it) or have a 3-second timer. I have a tripod with an iPhone spring clamp mount & will probably find this useful.

I like the heartrate feature, easy to use & does nice stats & stuff right on the phone. Really looking forward to the EKG update. I've got a few of my apps on there already, like Todoist & Tile, which is pretty cool. I think Tiny Calendar has an app that lets you sync up Google Calendar as well. Lots of stuff to play with! Liking it so far.

 

[Kaido]

Also got a chance to play with XS & Max. The lack of a regular bezel is super impressive, especially on the Max. I'm not a big-screen phone guy tho & the XS felt a LOT better in my hand than its jumbo brother. The lack of a home button still irrated me tho, lol.

Played with the 12.9" iPad Pro & Pencil as well. Very nice system! I prefer my Wacom, but the portability & ease-of-use for stuff like drawing seems like it'd be worth it. Although supposedly Apple has a new one coming out in pretty short order, curious to see if that's going to be a bezel-less design with no home button like the new iPhones.

They also had a GameVice controller pad on an iPad there. That's like a clip-on Xbox controller-style attachment for iPhones & iPads. REALLY cool!

https://gamevice.com/collections/mobile-console-gaming

The new dark grey iMac Pro looks great. Nice & sinister looking! Keyboard looked awesome & even tho I'm not a fan of their mice, the black mouse looked really great along with the whole setup. They really need to do like a 32" screen at some point...

 

[Aikouka]

I did end up upgrading to the XS Max. I wasn't going to, but I forgot that Apple's monthly price is actually their price, which includes AppleCare. If I remember correctly, upgrading is only a few dollars extra a month, and Verizon has kept me on my 50% upgrade plan even though newer users have to pay off something like 75%. In my opinion, anything over 50% is not worth it as selling your old phone is a better value at that point. (You still make more selling the phone at 50%, but you avoid having to sell back accessories, deal with eBay, etc.)

Anyway, as for the phone, it's really just a bigger iPhone X, and that's not a bad thing. I used to have a plus iPhone, and it's the same size as that. It doesn't really feel like FaceID is any faster than it was on the X, but it's fine.

So, my overall opinion is to consider what size you want. If you still aren't satisfied with the price, consider the XR instead. I think it looks like a fine phone for the price, but it is important to consider that -- at this time -- the portrait mode capability on the XR only works on people. The XR only has a single camera where other Apple phones offering the functionality use a dual camera setup.

I'm going to be trading in my Series 2 Apple Watch for a Series 4. The Series 2 isn't bad, but I certainly welcome faster speeds. Let's just say... if you've ever rebooted your Apple Watch, you'll understand why a faster watch sounds like a nice idea. (It takes about a minute or more for the Apple Watch to boot.) Also, the idea of being able to see more due to the larger screen is rather nice. Reading text on the smaller watches is fine (at least when it comes to short text messages), but pictures are pretty useless.

I was SHOCKED when the Apple Store employee told me it was $150. Trololololololo no way! Fortunately Amazon has a bunch of $20 knockoffs for the last-gen series, so I ordered one (in black!) with good reviews & I'll see how it fits. I honestly couldn't believe they were charging $150 for that.

I think the Apple bands are built a bit better, but it just isn't worth the huge premium over third-party bands. I also recommend getting an Apple Watch Stand (I use this one). They're very handy if you use a loop-style band versus a hook/notch style band. The prior doesn't unlatch, which means the band is always in the way if you need to lay it down on the charger.

I like the heartrate feature, easy to use & does nice stats & stuff right on the phone. Really looking forward to the EKG update. I've got a few of my apps on there already, like Todoist & Tile, which is pretty cool. I think Tiny Calendar has an app that lets you sync up Google Calendar as well. Lots of stuff to play with! Liking it so far.

If you turn on Automatic App Install, it will add any apps from your phone that have Apple Watch apps.

 

[Aikouka]

I picked up my Series 4 watch, and it was hard to really see it in the store, but this thing just looks so much better on your wrist. The Series 2 watch had this almost... bubble-like look with its screen, but the first thing that I noticed about the Series 4 is that it looked so much more flat and almost "more natural". Purely based off first impressions, if I had to choose between upgrading from the iPhone X to the iPhone XS Max and from the Series 2 42mm Apple Watch to the Series 4 44mm Apple Watch, I'd definitely go with the latter. Although, to be fair, I haven't done much with photos with the XS Max, and that was one focus area of the XS and XS Max.

 

[Eug]

Our XR shipped on Sunday according to UPS, but it appears to be just sitting and waiting in the UPS warehouse in China. Delivery date Oct. 26, and Apple still says Preparing to Ship.