Caught in the Apple hype machine (iPhone 6s)

[planetf1]

I'm pretty technical, don't like marketing hype, and used dymbian->maemo->android, never even touching an iOS device.
Until September.
Loving the iPhone 6 plus. I'd got fed up of lag of various sorts in every android phone I'd tried (after a while, with apps running), erratic power drain (wakelocks/alarms), needing to root/reflash to get sensible behaviour (ie CM/AOSP, xposed), buggy hw drivers on those distros, slow official updates if any (2014 tablet at 4.3 after year of lollipop)

iPhone is different, slightly more constrained but is very responsive, fluid, works well (yes there are bugs), apps generally better, power usage hugely better, uniform updates, better network support (like three's plan for wifi calling/VoLTE)

 

[maflynn]

I try to not get into the hype, but the 6s is a solid phone and a nice measured upgrade to the 6. I don't think given the price of phones, worth the cost if you own a 6. I struggled with this myself. I'm looking to downsize from the plus and I couldn't justify the price since I paid so much for it only a year ago.

 

[Broadus]

I try to not get into the hype, but the 6s is a solid phone and a nice measured upgrade to the 6. I don't think given the price of phones, worth the cost if you own a 6. I struggled with this myself. I'm looking to downsize from the plus and I couldn't justify the price since I paid so much for it only a year ago.

I'm still trying to talk myself into upgrading to the 6s from the 4S that I bought new four years ago. It's been a really good phone, and if it had a larger screen, I may not even be thinking about upgrading this year.

 

[I7guy]

I'm still trying to talk myself into upgrading to the 6s from the 4S that I bought new four years ago. It's been a really good phone, and if it had a larger screen, I may not even be thinking about upgrading this year.

I upgraded from a 5s tonan6s and happy I did. It was a heck of an upgrade.

 

[Truefan31]

I think Apple is marketing it's iPhone as a high end device, but with mid-range parts. Genius.

Or some android oems with high end parts that operate as a mid range device.

 

[The Game 161]

Or some android oems with high end parts that operate as a mid range device.

trolls are best not to respond to, which he likely is.

 

[spacemnspiff]

I think Apple is marketing it's iPhone as a high end device, but with mid-range parts. Genius.

I am sure if you start a company that makes a high end device with high end parts, everyone would buy it. Wanna try?

 

[AustinIllini]

I think Apple is marketing it's iPhone as a high end device, but with mid-range parts. Genius.

Premium software that is optimized for its more pedestrian parts.

 

[I7guy]

Premium software that is optimized for its more pedestrian parts.

When you get down to it electronics are electronics. There is no such thing as "premium" electronics only custom electronics. It's only premium packaging and software and support. So you are correct. Hype is hype and it applies across the board.

 

[lowendlinux]

In a phone I'd agree on a computer not so much.

 

[Broadus]

Hype is part of marketing, and the consumer has to do his or her best to cut through it. I used computers that ran Microsoft OS's for some 25 years and had nothing but disdain for the Apple image. I don't like trendy. Finally, though, I bought a smartphone in 2011, and my research into phones and apps led me to an iPhone 4S. I found it to be comprised of excellent hardware and software, and it has on it now Apple's latest iOS. That's pretty good support for a four-year-old phone.

A couple of years later, I decided to get a tablet. I looked hard at Android tablets, but Android table apps were often just enlarged phone apps (I suspect they're now much improved). Trying to save money, mid-range Android tablets just didn't compare with the iPad, so I bought an Apple-refurbished iPad 3 that my wife still uses after I upgraded to an Apple-refurbished iPad Air.

I needed a new computer a couple of years ago and, because of my Apple experience, the recommendation of a professor friend, my frustration with my Lenovo ThinkPad and Windows 8, I ended up with an Apple-refurbished 15" rMBP. Yes, I buy Apple-refurbished when I need a new piece of hardware and reforms are available. They are as good as new, carry the same warranty as new, and I save some serious change.

I really enjoy the integration of my Apple devices and appreciate the ecosystem and quality of hardware so much that when I finally decided to upgrade my iPhone 4S, I looked seriously at Android. To break with Apple's ecosystem, I had to find a smartphone that was a great value and one that I would plan to keep another four years.

I really like the Samsung S6 and could save a little on the phone, but that seemed like more of a lateral move and I would lose a lot of my device integration. The Moto X Pure is a really fine phone, but would I want to keep it for four years? I have my doubts. The same goes with the Nexus 5X and 6P. The Nexus 5X is really tempting, but the 32GB topped out storage is a deal breaker for me. The just-announced Lumia 950 looks great, but GSM-only is a non-starter.

I finally bit the bullet and bought a 64GB SIM-free iPhone 6s last night. I don't like spending that much money for a smartphone, but I didn't like what I would have to give up to spend less.

Will I continue to buy Apple? I don't know. I like a lot of what Microsoft is doing. It will be interesting to see how they do.

Apple and hype? Sure, but hype will go only so far if there is not substance to support it.

 

[xraydoc]

I think most people need to understand that annual phone updates, from virtually all manufacturers, are minor enough that upgrading from the immediate predecessor is usually not going to be "cost justifiable" for most people.

Note 4 to Note 5, iPhone 6 Plus to 6S Plus... These are not earth-shattering changes. Every-other year upgrades are definitely worth the cost to many, but annual upgrades are generally, IMHO, luxury upgrades only.

 

[Broadus]

I think most people need to understand that annual phone updates, from virtually all manufacturers, are minor enough that upgrading from the immediate predecessor is usually not going to be "cost justifiable" for most people.

Note 4 to Note 5, iPhone 6 Plus to 6S Plus... These are not earth-shattering changes. Every-other year upgrades are definitely worth the cost to many, but annual upgrades are generally, IMHO, luxury upgrades only.

I can't see every other year for me personally. I'm looking forward to smartphones becoming like computers: the differences aren't that noticeable in day-to-day usage for several years. I think we're getting close to that.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Absolutely nothing wrong with getting caught in the Apple hype!

Enjoy.

 

[Palladium SG]

One of the reasons why I don't want to upgrade is because I don't like where Android is heading. I saw Lollipop's slow adoption at 23%. Since KitKat is my favorite chocolate bar, I may stick to it for as long as I can. KitKat is basically the 3rd gen of Holo/Roboto font that Ice Cream Sandwich introduced in 2011. Just refined to be stable and take up a smaller footprint. Engineers were given a Nexus 4 with only 512 MB RAM to make it work. When Lollipop got released laat year, it had to reintroduce new things to us. So it was like Android went back to beta with all sorts of issues that we saw from ICS and Jelly Bean. Perhaps Marshmallow can stabilize and refine Lollipop but I really don't care to find out anytime soon. Material Design may never be for me and Google may not stabilize it after two years from Lollipop which should be by Android N.

Add the reason that wasting money on newer hardware by losing key features like removable battery and micro-sd slot, and you can tell a Note 4 can be ideal for many, many years to their owner. My Stepdad upgraded to a 2013 Note 3 just THIS year. I think Android is going backwards with software and Samsung wants go Apple's way and go backwards too by eliminating key hardware features. KitKat is like the Windows XP of Android while Lollipop is like Vista. Stay content with 2013-2014 smartphones. The newer stuff is just to get you on software versions you don't want or wished to downgrade or get on hardware with omissions you don't need. To me, 2015 is easily the most boring year in cell phone tech since 2006 when I saw people carry a Motor RAZR, Sidekick, or BlackBerry Pearl or Curves. Only the S6 edge brought some fresh excitement but the luster went away like Titanic, Avatar, or Avengers: Age of Ultron after a few months once people realized the battery sucks and fell for the aesthetic gimmicks.

2013 and 2014 > 2015 in smartphones hardware and Android software

Will stick to KitKat 4.4.2 or 4.4.4 for a very long time. My last three digits is like that too. 444 and I was born on the 4th. Lucky numbers and favorite candy. So KitKat 4 life.

Note 3 in 2013 was peak premium Android to me: 1080p OLED, amazing SD800 SoC, 3GB RAM, 100MB/s internal storage, microSD + removable battery. It was the Intel 2500K of Android.

The next 2 years was filled with too many compromises: Lollipop bugs, still no industry push to fix the fundamentally broken Android updating system, underwhelming SD801/805, overheating SD810, 1440p screens is almost indistinguishable from 1080p in reality, and finally a great performing 64 bit Exynos SoC came out in 2015 but can only on be found on iSamsungs without microSD or removable battery.

Small wonder the premium Android segment is doing worse and worse YoY, it's getting harder and harder to justify the prices.

 

[Dmaynard83]

Idk. 6s. HDR stays for me. Photos can be emailed, airdropped, imessaged etc. my mail settings are delete. The rest Meh

I found sending photos on the note 5 and Moto x pure more annoying than on the iPhone. When I text photos on android they always get compressed and lose quality. On iMessage the photos don't get compressed retaining quality.

I also prefer to send photos in text message, with my wife so sending emails would be annoying.

 

[dukebound85]

Good for you for doing what's best for you. Doesn't mean it's best for everyone, and certainly doesn't mean anyone is caught up in any "hype machine"...it just means that others are also doing what's best for them.

lol most ARE caught up in the hype machine and feel they need to have the latest when in reality, a generation or 2 back is more than capable.

 

[Toltepeceno]

I am going back to android as far as phones go. I am staying with an ipad and mac. I have owned androids before but close to 18 months ago I went iphone. Before the year was up it bit the dust so got a new one under warranty, now 8 months after getting this one the reception is going haywire. Goes from 3 bars to no reception for long periods. The wife's iphone stays at three, the kids androids stay at 4-5. So it's out of warranty and need something that works. Went from sgs2's to these and noticed the reception was weaker right away, but not like mini is now.

I want a over 5" phone but cannot justify 8-900 dollars. I am looking at the motorola x pure for half the price. I am also tired of not having a file system (wife is fed up with hers and wants an android when hers goes), widgets on the desktop, app drawer, a number of things. ios9 is stable but ios 8 was a mess up until the end, apple is just not worth the premium and lolipop on the kids moto g 3rd gen's is great.

Not looking to argue and am staying with ipad and mac but to me it's just not worth the premium for something that's not better and in my case did not last as long 2 cases. The sgs2's were given away (3) and were still working since they came out. Not looking to hijack either, just adding my .02.

Everyone has choices and not everyone is the same. I am thinking about going with moto x pure for half the price of a 6d plus and with sdhc card slot. I miss that also. I do not care about the hype machine nor does owning anything because of brand name make me feel any better.

 

[TechGod]

I get tempted to go back to the iPhone plenty of times, especially now that I just purchased a refurb MBP and keep thinking how nice an iPhone would go right along with it. But then I come to my senses and realize I'll only be able to deal with the restrictions of iOS for about a week, then I will be sick of it.

A week? I'm stuck with iOS for a minimum of one more YEAR! I liked it the first few weeks when I got it last year but I just can't do iPhones...

 

[TechGod]

I think Apple is marketing it's iPhone as a high end device, but with mid-range parts. Genius.

How is the iPhone using midrange parts? Please enlighten me.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

A week? I'm stuck with iOS for a minimum of one more YEAR! I liked it the first few weeks when I got it last year but I just can't do iPhones...

Well I usually try an iPhone out during the return window. Gotta make up my mind fast.

 

[iSheep5S]

Apple is just Apple. Much the same each year with small surprises. My take is this.

Mac, i have been with Windows from the start but i did go Mac for 6 months. Gamer so really i invested on the wrong side. Heck i even kept a Windows machine while i owned the Mac. Pointless to me but i see the appeal.

iPhone, repeat offender but for only 6 month streaks before i come back to Android. I guess cause i'm use to both i don't see an issue with either day to day. I just get bored with them. My phone is my constant at hand device. the rest i have a break from.

iPad, My favorite Apple device. I call this the poor man's Mac. OS X has learned almost too much from iOS. Thus they feel similar. The multitasking is great. My Mac usage was web page(s) & Twitter on the side. I can do this on my iPad now... much cheaper too. Plus iOS games etc. No full programs but i have a Laptop PC for that... and a Surface 3... I think Apple knows tablets are mainly for enjoyment. Microsoft wants combine stuff but... Most i see have a Surface and a PC. I question myself too.

Every company hypes up what they are selling. As an owner of sooooo many devices that have been and gone no joke... ask my wife. IF i get fed up with devices that do not work as i expect i do run back to Apple. You know what you are getting and have the aftercare on top. Non techy types can't be bothered weeding out bad apps etc. My wife being one.

 

[TechGod]

Well I usually try an iPhone out during the return window. Gotta make up my mind fast.

'Twas a Christmas gift. I wasn't going to return it and it was partly my choice. After dealing with the Nexus 4 for two years I thought iOS 8 having third party keyboards would be enough for me to like it.

 

[burgman]

A week? I'm stuck with iOS for a minimum of one more YEAR! I liked it the first few weeks when I got it last year but I just can't do iPhones...

Who is holding a Igun to your head? Don't like it move on, stop saying you are stuck cause it ain't true.

 

[Toltepeceno]

Who is holding a Igun to your head? Don't like it move on, stop saying you are stuck cause it ain't true.

Probably because of a contract upgrade cycle. I could see being stuck in that case, but contracts are not big here. That's why only about 6% have apple products here.