The Official iPhone Discussion thread

[TPDave]

^ I sometimes have someone on speakerphone while using the phone to look something up (checking a date or something). I don't know about the states but in the UK the carries that do simultaneous talk & data do visual voicemail as well and since switching to a carrier that doesn't do visual voicemail I've noticed how annoying the old system is!!

[SharkTums]

^^Yeah, what TPDave said. Sometimes I'll be on a call and need to look something up so I put the call on Speaker and go online and look up what I need to. It's not a huge selling feature for me or anything but it seems silly NOT to offer it.

[Meteornotes]

What they said. It's not something I use all the time, but often enough that I'd be annoyed if I couldn't do this.

 

dt

[Angry_Gumball]

I feel like I'd be really afraid to drop that, and that it would pretty much become toast due to the design.

[rollercoasterbuff]

When it comes down to AT&T or Verizon, it really comes down to what works the best for you. The facts are that AT&T has better rates, and yes, you can browse the web while on a phone call. Verizon can do that too, as long as you are connected to WiFi. Verizon is more expensive, but has better coverage, faster LTE service, and better customer service. So again, it just comes down to what works best for you individually.

 

In my opinion, if you can browse the net and talk on the phone, you should really mainly do it somewhere with WiFi, I would certainly hope that people are not doing that walking down the sidewalk, or driving. Also, you can consider the options of Sprint and T-Mobile. These are not the favorites, but they are still 2 of the biggest carriers in the country. And they do offer the correct solution for many many people.

[Sir Clinksalot]

^ Funny enough, we had T-Mobile for YEARS and when I'd travel for work or to Disneyland, WDW, etc I had a lot of friends who couldn't get coverage but I could always get coverage with T-Mobile.

Sadly the only place I couldn't get coverage was within a 2-mile radius around my house. Giving the kids phones for emergencies and them not being able to use them at school was the reason we went to Verizon. If we didn't have that issue chances are we'd still be with them.

[Sir Clinksalot]

Anybody watch the LiveStream for the 5C/5S?

 

I'm still waiting to see a side-by-side comparison of the 2 new phones but right now I'm leaning towards the 5C. I only have an 8GB 4 right now so even the 16GB is an upgrade for me. Don't think there is enough difference between the 5C and 5S right now to pay an extra $100-$200.

[arby]

^I'm sure you know this but the 5C comes in a plastic case and the 5S is the standard aluminum case. From my understanding, they are coming out with the lower cost 5C to help them be a little more competitive with Android in the mid-line smart phone market.

 

I read back through a few pages of this thread since I'm new on the forum and I think it was you mentioning placing the screen against your leg instead of out. I almost always do that too - except in January when we were at Universal Orlando. I forgot and left the screen of my android facing out and the restraint from Dr Doom's Fearfall shattered my screen. I replaced it with an iPhone 5 when I returned home.

 

I've been very happy with my iPhone 5 although I liked my Android too. The selling point for me personally was battery life (which I observed from my wife's iPhone 4). I had to carry a spare battery for my droid. It couldn't make it 8 hours with low usage and I certainly had to charge it every night. I often go two days without charging my iPhone, now.

[SharkTums]

I wouldn't get an iPhone 5C, I would get one for KT. To me it seems like a phone for either kids/teens or people that break their phone a lot and can't be trusted with a real one!

 

I want to look at a 5S and my 5 side by side before I'd decide on upgrading. For me, the only reason is the camera and if it does as great as it says it does indoor and with the new flash it may be worth it.

[Sir Clinksalot]

I'm not too concerned about the "plastic" part of the 5C, I use a rubber case for my current 4 so I don't think that would be too big of an issue for me. Even if I got the 5S I'd probably get a similar case.

 

I'll take a wait and see approach for now.

[Jew]

I'll definitely be getting the 5s. I actually really enjoy using Android, but there are two things I hate: battery life and newer android phones going towards larger screens. I'm using a galaxy nexus now (with Cyanogen rom), and the 4.7" screen pushes the limit of comfortable one hand use. The only competing android phones are the Moto X/Droid mini (which have a crappy camera) and HTC One (which is presumably nearing the end of its life as top of the line, but still features a top of the line price), so my decision is easy.

[Mr Stratosphere]

I agree, I want to look first to see if upgrading my 5 to the 5S would be lucrative, who knows a year from now they may announce another new phone. I totally love my 5 and I am very excited about the software upgrade. It looks great!

[rctneil]

As my 4s is now approx 2 years old and I skipped the 5, the 5s is the perfect reason to upgrade. Just got to look at pay monthly contracts versus buying out right and sticking with my current provider of GiffGaff.

 

Decisions, decisions.

[Meteornotes]

I've had a 4S for almost two years, and would really like to get at least another year out of it. I'm in no rush to upgrade.

 

dt

[A.J.]

I agree, I want to look first to see if upgrading my 5 to the 5S would be lucrative, who knows a year from now they may announce another new phone.

They've announced at least one new iPhone model every year since the iPhone was introduced.

 

I'm super-excited - when the time rolls around next year for me to get a new phone, I'll be able to get 5S internals at a lower price. I also can't wait for iOS 7.

[darklingscribe]

I really like the idea of a fingerprint scanner as a way to unlock the phone and also authenticate purchases, but I really hate the idea that if someone cuts their finger while cooking they're out of luck. They need to implement a backup form of authentication that is something quicker and easier than an iTunes restore. Maybe a two step form of unlocking where a security question is asked as well as a passcode or pin.

 

I do really like the camera improvements they made and truthfully the promise of better performance in low light is the most tempting feature of this hardware update. However I really hope this doesn't encourage more people to start taking photos using the better flash and videos on dark rides like the Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland. I went to Disneyland the friday before WCB and was really annoyed that one guy in the front of the boat decided to video the entire ride by holding his iPhone up over his head and blinding everyone behind him with the bright screen.

 

As for the increase in processing performance, I really don't think I need it. I have yet to notice any slowdown on my iPhone 5 and the game I play are the ones geared toward shorter sessions, most of the games out there that push the graphical boundaries on smart phones (besides racing games) are not as easy to pick up and play in five minute chunks.

[Jew]

^They said you can have up to 5 fingerprints on there. So unless you have 5 people you want using your phone to be able to unlock with their fingerprint, you can always just program 2 of your fingers.

[rctneil]

I'm not 100% sure on this but I assume that Touch ID is just another way of unlocking your device. I'm pretty sure they will have a secondary backup option of a passcode too. Touch ID just simplifies and makes the unlock procedure even simpler.

[Hilltopper39]

I completely missed it in the announcement yesterday but the iOS in your Car (or whatever they're calling it) seems like a really cool product with a ton of potential.

[darklingscribe]

I just read an interesting article where the author asks why didn't Apple also include the option for requiring a fingerprint scan to turn off the phone. Sure it means one extra step in powering down, but it would also prevent a would be thief from instantly turning the phone off the moment they steal it which would allow extra time for someone to use the Find My iPhone app to find them.

 

I have to say the guy has a point.

[Jew]

What would you do if something is wrong with the fingerprint scanner?

 

Plus, when iOS 7 is launched, the phone can't be reset without logging into the owners apple ID. No more factory resets. I am sure hackers will find a way around this, but the average "snatch and grab" thief isn't going to be a hacker.

[A.J.]

My guess is that if the fingerprint sensor fails, it would default to passcode unlock.

[Jew]

Regardless, the phone would still need a hardware way to turn off as a failsafe (read: not tied to the software).

[A.J.]

iOS 7 is out.

 

The parallax effect is the most impressive thing in human history - for about a minute and a half. Turn it off under Settings > General > Accessibility > Reduce Motion, your battery will thank you.

[rollercoasterbuff]

What would you do if something is wrong with the fingerprint scanner?

 

If ANY hardware fails within the first year, you can ALWAYS go to an apple store or call AppleCare over the phone and get the phone immediately replaced. You can add a second year of coverage called AppleCare+ at the time of purchase of the phone, too. AppleCare+ is cheaper over a two year span than any monthly insurance installment plan the wireless providers offer. Plus, considering it's an iPhone, you wouldn't want any other company to take care of the phone but the company that makes it. AppleCare+ just makes sense to me as the obvious protection on your investment. Besides, by the time it is up, usually people are upgrading their phones anyways.