My Iphone 4S served me well for the last 3 years. I decided after lots of consideration to get the S6 last weekend, I think I will use the Iphone 4S mostly as my second Fallout 4 screen (after I fix the broken screen).
By maps! Directions on the wrist without having to take my phone out of my pocket is amazing. Walking around Venice, where navigation even with a map is crazy, I could just walk. Taps on my wrist for turn left, right or go straight. It was one of those living in the future moments. Sure, we've had navigation in cars for a decade, but for someone who walks, runs and bikes a lot, it's like rediscovering all this stuff anew. And it's really good.
This is a feature I am super jealous of. My Moto360 has done wonders for handling notifications and responding to messages. Great voice recognition even in a noisy crowd! But the maps? They are a flat out broken. They work well, but they cause a drastic battery drain. An hour of map use and the watch is dead. Hard to believe.
The Lumia 550 is $139, and inbetween the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 in terms of size. I'm assuming the specs are pretty rough given the price, but I've used Windows Phone before. I only ditched my Lumia 920 because I got Google Glass and wanted compatibility.
The Lumia 950, which is a nice flagship phone (the one Scott was referring to, that can act as a Windows 10 PC), is between the Moto X and Nexus 5X in size.
The problem is that the Windows Phone app scene is functionally dead. The OS is all right, but no one is really developing much for it. I have an older one that I use as an mp3 player while dealing with a defective headphone jack on my phone. I can't tell if it's the fact that the phone is old or the latest OS release was super janky, but it sure crashes its apps a lot.
So I have a 6S. I usually don't do the S phones but I ended up unintentionally cheating my mom out of an upgrade. So I decided to get the 6S and give her my 6. The 3D touch, in my opinion, is useless. It makes more sense on the Apple Watch because they put some of the UI elements into that menu. I dinked around with the 3D touch on 6S, which is basically only used by Apple apps, and its more or less useless in my opinion.
The weird thing that I like about the 6S, which I can't tell what it comes from, is that it's a tad heavier so I don't feel like its about to float out of my hand and fall on the ground. I've actually never dropped my 6, but it felt so light that it would slip out of my hand. Maybe it was because I also upgraded from 16 GB to 64.
The problem is that the Windows Phone app scene is functionally dead. The OS is all right, but no one is really developing much for it. I have an older one that I use as an mp3 player while dealing with a defective headphone jack on my phone. I can't tell if it's the fact that the phone is old or the latest OS release was super janky, but it sure crashes its apps a lot.
I'm not sure if its the same still but when I used it Windows Phone had a lot of locked down bullshit. e.g. apps couldn't fully access the calendar, could only run in the background once every 30 minutes or so. Plus their style got in the way a lot, made the UX on most apps awful. Oh, that's a button? Guess I should of guessed that from the fact it looks like ordinary text...
Friggen Windows Phone, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Only bought one cause I was a fan of Nokia.
Now that summer has hit, iPhone rumors are getting stronger, and post-Jobs, they've been more accurate. It sounds like Apple is delaying it's next "tick" and instead doing a second "tock" before a major iPhone revision. There are big changes coming (new screen technology) but Apple needs another year. All you get this year is a 1mm thinner phone w/ no audio jack, and a better camera.
Honestly I don't care. I rarely actually plug headphones into my phone anymore and have primarily switched to all things bluetooth. Because frankly, cords are kinda annoying. Although my Audio Technicas I use at work are wired but that's not too bad.
The prospect of HDCP on your headphones is the part that riles me up. Headphones will get more expensive and become less reliable.
While I agree with the concern about HDCP or whatev, it's not a problem. If they do end up doing this, there will be a lightning -> headphone adapter. Once that exists, the analog hole is open and can't be closed.
I've got a feeling Apple have a lot of data about this. They know how often people use blutooth headphones vs third party headphones vs their own earpods vs using the built-in speaker vs other audio options. I've got a feeling they won't make the switch until the majority of people aren't using the headphone port the majority of the time.
I'm probably sticking with my iPhone 6 for another year and a half, at least, so I'm not worried. But as someone who only ever uses the Apple Earpods, it wouldn't effect me at all if they plugged in via Lightning instead of the headphone port. Already the headphone port is the most annoying part of my phone, and the Smart Battery Case I use needs a huge hole in it to pass the headphone cable through.
To those of you who think that a lighting to 3.5mm will be a viable solution: have you ever tried to use a pair of headphones that ends in a 1/4" jack, and then you have to put on an adapter to 1/8"/3.5mm? It adds significant bulk that no one wants. You don't want an extra thing that can just get knocked loose as you're doing stuff, and that's not even taking into account that if it falls off, you can't use your headphones. This is a bad move for consumers.
To those of you who think that a lighting to 3.5mm will be a viable solution: have you ever tried to use a pair of headphones that ends in a 1/4" jack, and then you have to put on an adapter to 1/8"/3.5mm? It adds significant bulk that no one wants. You don't want an extra thing that can just get knocked loose as you're doing stuff, and that's not even taking into account that if it falls off, you can't use your headphones. This is a bad move for consumers.
I want some extra bulk, if it means a jack that doesn't fucking break. Seriously, nearly every pair of headphones or earbuds I've had for day-to-day use(as opposed to computer or gigging use) has broken at the jack, after a few months of literally nothing more strenuous of being in my pocket when I'm walking around, listening to podcasts. I'm even careful not to sit down with my phone in my pocket if I have headphones attached, and not put them under undue stress, but every fucking time, same breakage.
The only one that went the distance was the jack on my old Senns, though it was about a half-inch long(not including the jackplug itself, since that goes in things) and about as thick as my pinkie. But it worked perfectly for years, so good enough.
The hot new thing for Apple products seems to be water resistance. iPhone 7 and a new Apple Watch (sounds like its somewhat faster but that's about it).
Comments
The Lumia 950, which is a nice flagship phone (the one Scott was referring to, that can act as a Windows 10 PC), is between the Moto X and Nexus 5X in size.
If this smaller iPhone 7 comes without 3D Touch, then I will need to play with a 3D Touch phone before deciding. I heard it's pretty great.
The weird thing that I like about the 6S, which I can't tell what it comes from, is that it's a tad heavier so I don't feel like its about to float out of my hand and fall on the ground. I've actually never dropped my 6, but it felt so light that it would slip out of my hand. Maybe it was because I also upgraded from 16 GB to 64.
Friggen Windows Phone, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Only bought one cause I was a fan of Nokia.
Hopefully it will come with more than 16 GB capacity. The more it looks like the 5, the better.
Now that summer has hit, iPhone rumors are getting stronger, and post-Jobs, they've been more accurate. It sounds like Apple is delaying it's next "tick" and instead doing a second "tock" before a major iPhone revision. There are big changes coming (new screen technology) but Apple needs another year. All you get this year is a 1mm thinner phone w/ no audio jack, and a better camera.
I just got an SE and will stick with it for two years. I have no dog in this fight.
I'm probably sticking with my iPhone 6 for another year and a half, at least, so I'm not worried. But as someone who only ever uses the Apple Earpods, it wouldn't effect me at all if they plugged in via Lightning instead of the headphone port. Already the headphone port is the most annoying part of my phone, and the Smart Battery Case I use needs a huge hole in it to pass the headphone cable through.
On another note, it seems like Amazon is now partnering with unlocked phone providers to offer discounted models with the ads on the lock screens ala Kindles and Fire tablets. This is probably for the best given the failure of the Fire phone. Even though a lot of people bought those cheap Fire tablets, I see more and more stuff that's not available on there(for example, Crunchyroll) or is no longer supporting the Fire platform(there's now no way to watch Ultraviolet digital copies on Fire devices except maybe sideloading). I wonder if we see Amazon drop the whole Fire platform and just sell Kindles and Kindle apps on other devices.
The only one that went the distance was the jack on my old Senns, though it was about a half-inch long(not including the jackplug itself, since that goes in things) and about as thick as my pinkie. But it worked perfectly for years, so good enough.
Not really what I'm pining for.