Ipod Touch / Iphone

[shellylh]

Same as Haj. I would prefer the iPhone 5s to be slightly shorter but I'm happy with the current size. However, any wider (in the short direction) and I won't be able to use it with one hand (without dropping it all the time). I even had trouble using the Nexus S with one hand.

Edited September 10, 2014 by shellylh

[tyrion]

I'm surprised that anyone likes the 5S size/aspect ratio. It seems so odd to me. I guess I will be getting the Plus size model to keep integration with the family ecosystem. Same size screen as the Note 2 I have carried at times and I never had trouble with it seeming too big.

My family can keep their ecosystem, never again an iPhone.

[postjack]

Excited to see Apple finally embrace the bigger screen. If they would've done it a few years ago they would've kept my business.

 

The pic above about comparing the features to the Nexus 4 did make me laugh, but really a phone isn't about features to me anymore, its about "is this phone awesome to use and kick ass". My new Sony Z Ultra is awesome to use and kick ass. I'm sure the big iPhone is too, I'm just an android guy now.

 

Looking forward to headcaser's impressions, if anyone gets the big 'un.

[grawk]

I skipped the 5 until my 4S broke, and I'll probably skip the 6 until I'm forced to switch or the next generation.  I'm looking forward to IOS 8, and I'm tempted by the watch.  I still want a smaller phone than the 5, not a bigger one.

[luvdunhill]

Excited to see Apple finally embrace the bigger screen. If they would've done it a few years ago they would've kept my business.

The pic above about comparing the features to the Nexus 4 did make me laugh, but really a phone isn't about features to me anymore, its about "is this phone awesome to use and kick ass". My new Sony Z Ultra is awesome to use and kick ass. I'm sure the big iPhone is too, I'm just an android guy now.

Looking forward to headcaser's impressions, if anyone gets the big 'un.

This.

[Grahame]

... but really a phone isn't about features to me anymore, its about "is this phone awesome to use and kick ass".

 

Would you go as far as "These products are about "how they make you feel" says Tim Cook." ?

 

https://twitter.com/Vecchi_Paolo/status/509398068152631296

[MexicanDragon]

I use my Note 2 almost exclusively one handed.

**BRENT**

[blessingx]

For those who haven't used a 4.7" screen, we have a Moto X we use daily and I'd say its one handed easy/awkwardness isn't significantly different than the iPhone 5/5S (especially if the phones edge is curved). Of course we're all different as is evidence from the 4/5 preference.

[luvdunhill]

I use my Note 2 almost exclusively one handed.

**BRENT**

That's what she said.

[grawk]

my problem isn't my hands, it's my pockets and my face

[robm321]

I've been waiting Apple to get a big screen for a long time. Extremely late to the party but finally arrived. 

 

The only thing that sucks about size is having it in the pocket, but my eyesight is more important and the tiny screen sucks to look at. 

[Grahame]

Interesting quote re: ApplePay

 

Apple DOES NOT benefit the mobile payments space

To the contrary, Apple Pay basically destroys the business model of everyone playing in the mobile payments space before today! This is great for consumers, but everyone else is busy throwing out their business plan and figuring out how to survive this.

I always figured NFC payments would be really hard to make work in the US because everyone wants to take a cut of the transaction. Everyone involved from phone OEMs, carriers, app developers and various others who figured they could insert themselves in the process - all had dreams of making billions off a small cut of the action. Those dreams are now gone.

Apple doesn't need a cut (or profit down the road via using/selling customer data) since they make their money selling phones/watches. Payment processors and banks didn't want to give anyone a cut of their action. Merchants didn't want to give a bigger cut than they give now to enable more pigs at the trough.

So the banks, payment processors, and merchants all became logical partners of Apple, and the massive support they've lined up guarantees Apple Pay will gain traction where others have failed. Anyone who wants to play the mobile payments game after today will have to play by the profit-free information-free rules Apple has now set in stone. Brilliant move by Apple, this deals Google's aspirations a crippling blow by taking away their ability to collect data on user purchases and add it to their massive trove of customer data.

Had Google been able to link purchase behavior all the way back to user searches, the value of that search data and AdWords would have grown immeasurably.

[grawk]

what's that a quote of?

[Grahame]

Forum Comment on The Register

comment thread.

http://forums.theregister.co.uk/forum/1/2014/09/10/pundits_bullish_on_apple_over_iday_rollouts/

article

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/09/10/pundits_bullish_on_apple_over_iday_rollouts/

 

If you take the view that Apple doesn't have to beat the opposition if it can neutralize it .... 

[grawk]

it was a good point.  I hope it works out. 

[Aura]

I'm waiting for my 2 years to finish up in January, but I'm going for the 128GB 5.5". Go big or go home.

[en480c4]

I've been very happy with my 5s, and use my Mini for reading and most web browsing when at home.  I'm curious to see the Plus in person to see if I think it could be an all-in-one solution for me or if I feel like I'd still need the bigger screen size for some applications.  If I could consolidate to one device I'd be happy, but I'd have to be confident that the potential awkwardness of the larger phone would more than offset the convenience of only having one device.  But the 128GB capacity is a no-brainer for me regardless of which size I choose... Between music and photos/videos and ever-increasing app sizes, my 64GB 5s is constantly at its capacity.  But sadly I'm a ways away from being eligible for an upgrade.

[MexicanDragon]

FWIW, I went from 4" phone and iPad to a 5.5" phone two years ago. I almost completely quit using my iPad after that because the phone did so much of what I used my tablet for.

**BRENT**

[postjack]

Would you go as far as "These products are about "how they make you feel" says Tim Cook." ?

 

https://twitter.com/Vecchi_Paolo/status/509398068152631296

 

Sure, I'll admit that the way a product makes me "feel" has a lot to do with why I spend my money on things. I've only really become aware of the strength of this aspect of consumerism recently (including if I "feel" like I paid too much for something than feel like a dumbass later)

 

Take any given modern day smartphone. Sure there are differences, and some different features, but its not like it used to be a few years ago.

 

Some things that were true in the past but not so much anymore:

 

-Apple's app store is far superior to the google play store/market/whatever. Now mostly any app is available in either store.

-Android has a much sloppier/laggier user experience. This was true until Android got its shit together.

-Phone X has better hardware than Phone Y. Still true but we've generally reached a point where most "premium" phones all have kick ass hardware sufficient enough to make the phone do what it do.

-Android is too fragmented. The google suite of apps and cloud has pretty much eliminated this for me.

 

So in most of the big departments the phones are equal for most average users (like me), aside from screen size and physical build. And then there is brand loyalty, which I think deals with one's past concerning a product's reliability/after market service, but also an emotional element, the aforementioned "feeling".

 

Anyway, this is just all my analysis of myself, I can't necessary extrapolate this to everyone else.

Edited September 10, 2014 by postjack

[blessingx]

Android is still a much sloppier user experience. And the OS infrastructure carries over to the third-party apps. It's less than it was, but it's also now more entrenched. Like lack of features, I'm not sure most focus on UI or app store (parts obviously of user experience) issues once something passes "good enough," which Android probably did for most awhile ago, but as someone on both platforms (and believe me I'd love to use Android more - much of it would be free) it drives me crazy when equality is mentioned here. Hell Windows Phone may have already passed Android on this point.

As always different tools for different needs & folks, but that doesn't mean all are equal by all measures.

That said does this matter for most - probably not. Look at Windows past.

[CD44hi]

Question: Is there a difference in ordering the iphone directly from Apple as opposed to ordering it thru the service provider? I have an android that I got directly from T-mob . It has so much bloatware that I am a bit hesitant in getting any phone directly from them again. So basically the question is: Would T-mob add bloatware to the iphone?

[blessingx]

Steve Jobs ghost would kill anyone at T-mobile if they added bloatware. No provider is allowed.

Edited September 10, 2014 by blessingx

[en480c4]

A word of caution... If you order through your provider and you're grandfathered, you may get moved to a current plan.  This happend when I upgraded my wife's phone for a Christmas gift a few years ago.  I bought mine through Apple both times and I'm still on the old plan, which means I'm theoretically still on our old unlimited plan.  The end result is she's got LTE and is capped at 3GB and I'm throttled above 5GB on whatever their so-called 4G network is.  Of course, this was just what happened to me with AT&T, so your experience may vary. 

[CD44hi]

Ha, ha, that is wonderful, just what I suspected.

Steve Job's ghost would kill anyone at T-mobile if they added bloatware. No provider is allowed. 

 

 

For better or worse, I have a current plan. But it is a good cautionary advice. Thanks!

A word of caution... If you order through your provider and you're grandfathered, you may get moved to a current plan.  This happend when I upgraded my wife's phone for a Christmas gift a few years ago.  I bought mine through Apple both times and I'm still on the old plan, which means I'm theoretically still on our old unlimited plan.  The end result is she's got LTE and is capped at 3GB and I'm throttled above 5GB on whatever their so-called 4G network is.  Of course, this was just what happened to me with AT&T, so your experience may vary. 

[luvdunhill]

If anyone hears of reliable way to unlock without paying the price of the phone or other crazyness, I am interested. That will be my one barrier to dropping my other travel phone. Then again it might make sensr for me to just be permanently on an international plan these days...