Our family lives in a rural, mountainous area where cellular reception is spotty at best. It's one of those places where there may be a tower nearby, but the tower is held by a carrier that doesn't use your cellular circuitry so therefore the tower doesn't necessarily help your cell's reception. This situation has improved significantly since the 1990s, but it's one tower installation at a time, and the major carriers are AT&T and Verizon Wireless. Both same to be taking their time.
Back in the '90's, we used to carry an old bag-phone (Verizon Wireless) around in our truck for business purposes. It was only $23/month, and only voice-telephony. No smartphones back then. We eventually shut it down because we weren't getting enough use out of it and towers were much farther apart back then. Since that time, we started using cheap cells on Tracfone (pay as you go for minutes, no monthly fees), first as flip-phones and much later as smartphones. I'm currently using a Lenovo-Motorola Moto G6 Play. It's a nice unit, (and relatively cheap for what you get) but it doesn't give me access to Apple's iPhone perks and I am aware of how Google tracks your every move through Android phones.
We also have an iPad and Macs, so we are aware of the power of iOS and the iOS ecosystem in addition to MacOS.
I am guessing that the G6 is the same screen/overall body size as an iPhone 11, only thicker, with a 3.1-amp/hr battery.
If I were to migrate from Motorola to Apple in the future, (probably a year or more down the road) I'm wondering how I can do this without paying top-dollar. I'm also wondering if I can avoid some of the pitfalls of a modern iPhone.
1: I bought my Moto G6 Play for about $110 on Overstock a few months ago. I realize I cannot possibly get a decently modern iPhone in good shape for even twice that price. But what is available on the market (new, used or factory-refurbished) in the $200 to $300 range? Is there anything that still runs the current iOS?
2: About Qi wireless charging: I have one of those rubber protector-cases on my G6 Play to keep it from getting damaged if it falls or is dropped. If I bought one of those cases/boots for an iPhone, would that ruin the Qi connection? Is there some kind of specification to look for?
3: Is it possible to create a Keynote presentation on my iMac and then send it to an iPhone via AirDrop, and use the iPhone to make the presentation wirelessly using a WiFi connection to a digital projector that has HDMI, VGA and USB ports? If so, what missing pieces are necessary to get the slideshow "on the screen"? (I have an AppleTV, pre-Siri generation, but it seems very finicky to make presentations with.)
4: Can Keynote (for MacOS and/or iPad) be used to create slides that can be presented on Instagram via Feed or Stories?
5: Stupid question, but relevant to me: do iPhone users use a stylus with their phones? I find it indispensable with my G6 Play, form typing text to navigating. Is there a go-to brand for a stylus that combines the rubber tip with a ball-point pen on the other end?
6: What about glass screen protectors? I have a cheap one on my G6 Play. What kits are popular with modern iPhone users?
7: If I wanted to migrate from Tracfone to a pay-by-the-month carrier, my apparent choices are AT&T and Verizon Wireless. (The towers around here are apparently either CDMA or GSM) If I migrated to either of these carriers, and made an iPhone as my primary phone, what options are available for cord-cutting (using the cellular signal as my sole connection for voice, internet/data and FAX) to get rid of the landline, DSL and find a way to incorporate TV service? I've heard about throttling data rates and I wondered. Also, assuming I migrated: would it be a good idea to buy one of those MiFi devices to provide WiFi service without needing the phone all the time?
8: Tracfone does not support making the smartphones on their network into portable Hot Spots. The option is greyed out on my Moto. I tried it while on a long road trip and was disappointed that I could not provide a portable Hot Spot while riding down the interstate highway. So, not using the iPad to surf the 'net. Excluding the possibility of buying another iPad with cellular, can an iPhone on a major carrier serve as a portable Hot Spot while rolling down the highway?
Thanks in advance.
Back in the '90's, we used to carry an old bag-phone (Verizon Wireless) around in our truck for business purposes. It was only $23/month, and only voice-telephony. No smartphones back then. We eventually shut it down because we weren't getting enough use out of it and towers were much farther apart back then. Since that time, we started using cheap cells on Tracfone (pay as you go for minutes, no monthly fees), first as flip-phones and much later as smartphones. I'm currently using a Lenovo-Motorola Moto G6 Play. It's a nice unit, (and relatively cheap for what you get) but it doesn't give me access to Apple's iPhone perks and I am aware of how Google tracks your every move through Android phones.
We also have an iPad and Macs, so we are aware of the power of iOS and the iOS ecosystem in addition to MacOS.
I am guessing that the G6 is the same screen/overall body size as an iPhone 11, only thicker, with a 3.1-amp/hr battery.
If I were to migrate from Motorola to Apple in the future, (probably a year or more down the road) I'm wondering how I can do this without paying top-dollar. I'm also wondering if I can avoid some of the pitfalls of a modern iPhone.
1: I bought my Moto G6 Play for about $110 on Overstock a few months ago. I realize I cannot possibly get a decently modern iPhone in good shape for even twice that price. But what is available on the market (new, used or factory-refurbished) in the $200 to $300 range? Is there anything that still runs the current iOS?
2: About Qi wireless charging: I have one of those rubber protector-cases on my G6 Play to keep it from getting damaged if it falls or is dropped. If I bought one of those cases/boots for an iPhone, would that ruin the Qi connection? Is there some kind of specification to look for?
3: Is it possible to create a Keynote presentation on my iMac and then send it to an iPhone via AirDrop, and use the iPhone to make the presentation wirelessly using a WiFi connection to a digital projector that has HDMI, VGA and USB ports? If so, what missing pieces are necessary to get the slideshow "on the screen"? (I have an AppleTV, pre-Siri generation, but it seems very finicky to make presentations with.)
4: Can Keynote (for MacOS and/or iPad) be used to create slides that can be presented on Instagram via Feed or Stories?
5: Stupid question, but relevant to me: do iPhone users use a stylus with their phones? I find it indispensable with my G6 Play, form typing text to navigating. Is there a go-to brand for a stylus that combines the rubber tip with a ball-point pen on the other end?
6: What about glass screen protectors? I have a cheap one on my G6 Play. What kits are popular with modern iPhone users?
7: If I wanted to migrate from Tracfone to a pay-by-the-month carrier, my apparent choices are AT&T and Verizon Wireless. (The towers around here are apparently either CDMA or GSM) If I migrated to either of these carriers, and made an iPhone as my primary phone, what options are available for cord-cutting (using the cellular signal as my sole connection for voice, internet/data and FAX) to get rid of the landline, DSL and find a way to incorporate TV service? I've heard about throttling data rates and I wondered. Also, assuming I migrated: would it be a good idea to buy one of those MiFi devices to provide WiFi service without needing the phone all the time?
8: Tracfone does not support making the smartphones on their network into portable Hot Spots. The option is greyed out on my Moto. I tried it while on a long road trip and was disappointed that I could not provide a portable Hot Spot while riding down the interstate highway. So, not using the iPad to surf the 'net. Excluding the possibility of buying another iPad with cellular, can an iPhone on a major carrier serve as a portable Hot Spot while rolling down the highway?
Thanks in advance.
