Having said all of that, I'm really questioning what to do next. I'm not on contract (I paid out my contract a while ago, so my iPhone 5 is now off-contract). It's coming up to two years old, so I'm ready to upgrade anyway.
...
On the other hand - and I know this will sound shallow - but there are two things I really dislike about the iPhone 6. One is the horrific antenna bands that simply look awful. Another is the stick-out camera, which both looks awkward and which also looks...vulnerable.
...
What's ironic is that Apple's industrial design has been so good over the years that they have really increased my expectation in this area. For example, I think the iPhone 5s is probably the most beautiful example of industrial design on a phone...ever.
I babied my 5 but in my pockets it got dinged anyway. My wife's 5S is dinged. Both started to look like ass until I stuck them in tech21 cases. Those things have been awesome and neither phone has picked up any new dings.
In the poly case the iPhone 6 isn't any bigger, the camera lens protected and in the poly case it looks very fine.
... if Apple had done an iPhone 6 with the same form factor as the 5S what would you really be getting that would make it worthy of being a sixth-gen iPhone? NFC, a slightly faster chipset, more storage capacity, and tweaked camera? They'd have incurred massive retooling costs for an incremental upgrade that doesn't take the iPhone product line anywhere it's not already been. ...
You can please all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot please all the people all the time.
So what is Apple going to do next year? As going Jumbo-size is the only worthwhile path for Apple. 6.5''?
I think what is in the phone is much more important than a new size and a new case!
I babied my 5 but in my pockets it got dinged anyway. My wife's 5S is dinged. Both started to look like ass until I stuck them in tech21 cases. Those things have been awesome and neither phone has picked up any new dings.
In the poly case the iPhone 6 isn't any bigger, the camera lens protected and in the poly case it looks very fine.
If I were to get an iPhone 6, I'd probably get the leather case. It looks great on the 6.
I agree that the iPhone 5 is just as likely to be dinged as the 6, but as I mentioned above, my objections to the 6 are largely aesthetic in nature. I'm not sure that I'm willing pay so much for those caveats - depending on what kind of discounts I can get, of course (my employer provides really competitive discounts on contracts, I'm just looking at those now).
So what is Apple going to do next year? As going Jumbo-size is the only worthwhile path for Apple. 6.5''?
I think what is in the phone is much more important than a new size and a new case!
I don't believe they'll fall into unbounded jumbo silliness. That is goofy logic. I think Apple will add a unit in the 4"-4.3" range that has whatever is the next-gen internals for an incremental bump-up from the current iPhone 6 family, which would clearly be a big improvement over the 5S internals for the smallest unit. This would give Apple a 3-size lineup within a single product line. By that time the design, parts, and production details of building the 4.7" and 5.5" units will be stabilized so they could reasonably expect to simultaneously roll out a 3-phone lineup with minimal risk, something they have never done before. I think Apple was looking to get the best bang for their investment buck this year. If they had released only a 4" iPhone 6 with the new specs how many iPhone 5S owners would be clamoring to upgrade just for what is really an incremental refinement? Adding two new sizes gave them an incredible ROI versus simply bumping up the specs on the 5S would have done. Look at the numbers. I'd say they made a reasonable decision.
Think about how you would invest your time, money, and resources given the same set of circumstances. Apple doesn't have infinite time, money, resources, or risk tolerance nor do they have a proven track record of producing more than one totally new phone design in a single release cycle. The 5C/5S cycle was not really two new designs, it was one new design and one re-skinned older design. Apple's "total" iPhone portfolio story has always included a combination of new and previous generation products. They always keep previous generation products around to fill in their product mix. This year is absolutely no different except in unprecedented fashion, for Apple, they added two entirely new phones.
There is no magic formula for making everyone happy. No matter what Apple does someone will feel left out and complain. Loudly. It's easy to second guess and play armchair quarterback with other people's money but when it's your money, reputation, and responsibility to ever demanding shareholders on the line you have to make the call and someone is inevitably going to feel left out. That's just the way it is.
2. Book reading - this is actually an ideal spot - iPad mini is to heavy and large for books, the smaller iPhones are not even usable IMO.
As the "IMO" implies, that's really a personal preference issue. I find that my iPhone 4 is perfectly usable for reading. Even the slightly larger text size I use to accomodate my aging eyes doesn't detract from its usefulness. Do I prefer the Mini for reading? Yes, but really only because I turn the page less often. As well, for me it's more of a "backpack" device, to be used when I'm going to be somewhere for an extended period of time. My phone, on the other hand, is an "always carried" device, convenient no matter where I am when I have a few minutes. At the doctor's office, waiting for someone at the airport, or whatever.
Because I've downloaded over 10,000 items (not all book length) in four different formats—HTML, PDF, DjVu, and ePub, to the tune of 48 GB so far. I don't want to rename all my files to fit in a flat file and then page through 500 screens trying to find what I want.
Actually, it's worse than that. In iOS, I'd have to remember what format something was in, call up that application (except no DjVu, I imagine), and then page through hundreds of screens—you can't just click on a file and have it come up in the proper application, right?
Just not practical.
Others have mentioned Calibre, as have you, but it is a great organizational tool, even if some of the conversions are less than perfect. Even ifit did no conversions at all, it would be a great tool. I use it in combination with the Stanza ePub reader (carefully preserved on multiple places on my hard drive, two external backup drives, two DVD backups and two separate online backups; damn you Amazon!) and I couldnt't ask for a better combination.
BTW, does anyone know if Stanza still works on iOS 8?
I have the 6 on order and happy to be getting that model. I tend to agree that Apple should make a 4" iPhone 6...maybe there are technical difficulties with making that size and still getting battery life and other specs incorporated into such a size...
I don't know how much listening is going on--it seems like people just want to argue what they have decided. But people who are complaining about the 6 without really using it do need to calm down. Maybe you are right, it's not for you, But no one is making you get it
I was one of the size critics two months ago when the two new form factors were pretty well rumored--no iP6 in the old, smaller format. I complained that I would be getting a 4.7, but not because I was jonesing for a bigger phone, just because I wanted the latest and greatest internals...
Slowly, I began to acclimate to the idea and even started looking forward to a 4.7 inch screen.
Since I got it, I have been amazed how it doesn't feel much bigger (and it is not heavier) in my pocket. I never thought I did much one handed texting, but I am still having a time getting used to the big new size. I like the screen, though and I'm sure the one handed skills will adjust over time...
I held a 6+ today. Now I'm wondering if I made a mistake leaving all that screen real estate and battery life...
My point? Well, to each his own, but you gotta keep an open mind...
Here... open mind this...
My wife looked at the 6 and 6+... asked me if it made sense to upgrade from her 4S to a 5S. Didn't like the larger sizes, especially when she was happy with her 3.5' iPhone.
The other thing I noticed from our little trip to the local telecom... there was plenty of stock of both the 6 and 6+... this close after launch. For the last 2 years it took a minimum of 4 weeks (and I think 6 weeks for the 5S) to see either the 5 or 5S.
Personally I prefer the iPhone 5 over the 6. I feel the picture quality is better. I really hate the iPhone 6. But by girlfriend did it again and dragged her little a** to the Apple store to get the 6 the day it came out. Now I'm stuck with it.
The 4in iPhone going forward is dead, much the 3.5in before it. (insert Monty Python parrot skit here)
Just look at Xcode and how they are guiding developers to take advantage of the new bigger, higher res screens....What are they going to do, have them all downscale and optimize that again to a smaller device. Essentially no one is making any modern smartphone flagship under 4.5in. The ship has sailed. It's not an insult at those that prefer the small size, but the numbers in late 2014 are just not in your favor. To say it would have outsold the new 6 is just silly. All time records broken, 10 million in 4 days, ship dates out to November in some cases...come on.
Apple's answer to the smaller phone market is the Apple Watch in their view, which requires you to use your primary device less, and faster in those really on the go situations where a small phone seems easier. The current sizes are here to stay.
The 4in iPhone going forward is dead, much the 3.5in before it. (insert Monty Python parrot skit here)
To say it would have outsold the new 6 is just silly. All time records broken, 10 million in 4 days, ship dates out to November in some cases...come on.
I don't recall anyone saying the iP 6 – would outsell the 6. I do think it would have definitely given the 6+ a run for the money.
Out of that 10 million I would hazard a guess to say that no more than 2 million of those phones were 6+s.
... and we have no idea of the production capacity, so scarcity is not an argument.
Out of that 10 million I would hazard a guess to say that no more than 2 million of those phones were 6+s.
... and we have no idea of the production capacity, so scarcity is not an argument.
So you can pull numbers out of your rear, and then ignore anything that impacts it, admitting you have no idea, so you can feel correct? " src="http://forums-files.appleinsider.com/images/smilies//lol.gif" />
So you can pull numbers out of your rear, and then ignore anything that impacts it, admitting you have no idea, so you can feel correct? " src="http://forums-files.appleinsider.com/images/smilies//lol.gif" />
Isn't that what you did.
Unlike you, I at least used words like "guess" and added a question mark.
So who is skewing things to feel correct.
Tell everyone how you know "absolutely" that a 4" iP 6 would not outsell the 6+. I want to see how you turn a hypothetical into an absolute... let's see that answer come out of your ass.
Unlike you, I at least used words like "guess" and added a question mark.
So who is skewing things to feel correct.
What are you talking about? The only numbers I gave were 10 million in 4 days, which was provided by Apple PR. No where in this thread did I talk about breakouts.
If I were to get an iPhone 6, I'd probably get the leather case. It looks great on the 6.
I agree that the iPhone 5 is just as likely to be dinged as the 6, but as I mentioned above, my objections to the 6 are largely aesthetic in nature. I'm not sure that I'm willing pay so much for those caveats - depending on what kind of discounts I can get, of course (my employer provides really competitive discounts on contracts, I'm just looking at those now).
It's a much better device IMHO coming from the 5 which wasn't laggy at all for me. I wouldn't bother with the 5S.
What are you talking about? The only numbers I gave were 10 million in 4 days, which was provided by Apple PR. No where in this thread did I talk about breakouts.
So... in other words... you used a number that shows absolutely no breakdown whatsoever, absolutely no idea whatsoever of 6+ sales, to prove your point? ... and you have the nerve to say that I am pulling numbers out of my ass.
Comments
I am not contradicting myself. I was talking about the physical size of the phone.
iPhone 6 is 2.64" x 5.44"
iPhone 5s is 2.31" x 4.87"
The 6 is only 1/3" wider and slightly over 1/2" taller. (0.57"). Not humongously larger. It is also thinner by almost 10%
Yah, my new 6, that I am now loath to give my wife for her 5S, is just as pocketable as my old 5.
Having said all of that, I'm really questioning what to do next. I'm not on contract (I paid out my contract a while ago, so my iPhone 5 is now off-contract). It's coming up to two years old, so I'm ready to upgrade anyway.
...
On the other hand - and I know this will sound shallow - but there are two things I really dislike about the iPhone 6. One is the horrific antenna bands that simply look awful. Another is the stick-out camera, which both looks awkward and which also looks...vulnerable.
...
What's ironic is that Apple's industrial design has been so good over the years that they have really increased my expectation in this area. For example, I think the iPhone 5s is probably the most beautiful example of industrial design on a phone...ever.
I babied my 5 but in my pockets it got dinged anyway. My wife's 5S is dinged. Both started to look like ass until I stuck them in tech21 cases. Those things have been awesome and neither phone has picked up any new dings.
In the poly case the iPhone 6 isn't any bigger, the camera lens protected and in the poly case it looks very fine.
... if Apple had done an iPhone 6 with the same form factor as the 5S what would you really be getting that would make it worthy of being a sixth-gen iPhone? NFC, a slightly faster chipset, more storage capacity, and tweaked camera? They'd have incurred massive retooling costs for an incremental upgrade that doesn't take the iPhone product line anywhere it's not already been. ...
You can please all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot please all the people all the time.
So what is Apple going to do next year? As going Jumbo-size is the only worthwhile path for Apple. 6.5''?
I think what is in the phone is much more important than a new size and a new case!
I babied my 5 but in my pockets it got dinged anyway. My wife's 5S is dinged. Both started to look like ass until I stuck them in tech21 cases. Those things have been awesome and neither phone has picked up any new dings.
In the poly case the iPhone 6 isn't any bigger, the camera lens protected and in the poly case it looks very fine.
If I were to get an iPhone 6, I'd probably get the leather case. It looks great on the 6.
I agree that the iPhone 5 is just as likely to be dinged as the 6, but as I mentioned above, my objections to the 6 are largely aesthetic in nature. I'm not sure that I'm willing pay so much for those caveats - depending on what kind of discounts I can get, of course (my employer provides really competitive discounts on contracts, I'm just looking at those now).
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/2wUrIgd.jpg[/IMG]
I think what is in the phone is much more important than a new size and a new case!
I don't believe they'll fall into unbounded jumbo silliness. That is goofy logic. I think Apple will add a unit in the 4"-4.3" range that has whatever is the next-gen internals for an incremental bump-up from the current iPhone 6 family, which would clearly be a big improvement over the 5S internals for the smallest unit. This would give Apple a 3-size lineup within a single product line. By that time the design, parts, and production details of building the 4.7" and 5.5" units will be stabilized so they could reasonably expect to simultaneously roll out a 3-phone lineup with minimal risk, something they have never done before. I think Apple was looking to get the best bang for their investment buck this year. If they had released only a 4" iPhone 6 with the new specs how many iPhone 5S owners would be clamoring to upgrade just for what is really an incremental refinement? Adding two new sizes gave them an incredible ROI versus simply bumping up the specs on the 5S would have done. Look at the numbers. I'd say they made a reasonable decision.
Think about how you would invest your time, money, and resources given the same set of circumstances. Apple doesn't have infinite time, money, resources, or risk tolerance nor do they have a proven track record of producing more than one totally new phone design in a single release cycle. The 5C/5S cycle was not really two new designs, it was one new design and one re-skinned older design. Apple's "total" iPhone portfolio story has always included a combination of new and previous generation products. They always keep previous generation products around to fill in their product mix. This year is absolutely no different except in unprecedented fashion, for Apple, they added two entirely new phones.
There is no magic formula for making everyone happy. No matter what Apple does someone will feel left out and complain. Loudly. It's easy to second guess and play armchair quarterback with other people's money but when it's your money, reputation, and responsibility to ever demanding shareholders on the line you have to make the call and someone is inevitably going to feel left out. That's just the way it is.
2. Book reading - this is actually an ideal spot - iPad mini is to heavy and large for books, the smaller iPhones are not even usable IMO.
As the "IMO" implies, that's really a personal preference issue. I find that my iPhone 4 is perfectly usable for reading. Even the slightly larger text size I use to accomodate my aging eyes doesn't detract from its usefulness. Do I prefer the Mini for reading? Yes, but really only because I turn the page less often. As well, for me it's more of a "backpack" device, to be used when I'm going to be somewhere for an extended period of time. My phone, on the other hand, is an "always carried" device, convenient no matter where I am when I have a few minutes. At the doctor's office, waiting for someone at the airport, or whatever.
Because I've downloaded over 10,000 items (not all book length) in four different formats—HTML, PDF, DjVu, and ePub, to the tune of 48 GB so far. I don't want to rename all my files to fit in a flat file and then page through 500 screens trying to find what I want.
Actually, it's worse than that. In iOS, I'd have to remember what format something was in, call up that application (except no DjVu, I imagine), and then page through hundreds of screens—you can't just click on a file and have it come up in the proper application, right?
Just not practical.
Others have mentioned Calibre, as have you, but it is a great organizational tool, even if some of the conversions are less than perfect. Even ifit did no conversions at all, it would be a great tool. I use it in combination with the Stanza ePub reader (carefully preserved on multiple places on my hard drive, two external backup drives, two DVD backups and two separate online backups; damn you Amazon!) and I couldnt't ask for a better combination.
BTW, does anyone know if Stanza still works on iOS 8?
I don't know how much listening is going on--it seems like people just want to argue what they have decided. But people who are complaining about the 6 without really using it do need to calm down. Maybe you are right, it's not for you, But no one is making you get it
I was one of the size critics two months ago when the two new form factors were pretty well rumored--no iP6 in the old, smaller format. I complained that I would be getting a 4.7, but not because I was jonesing for a bigger phone, just because I wanted the latest and greatest internals...
Slowly, I began to acclimate to the idea and even started looking forward to a 4.7 inch screen.
Since I got it, I have been amazed how it doesn't feel much bigger (and it is not heavier) in my pocket. I never thought I did much one handed texting, but I am still having a time getting used to the big new size. I like the screen, though and I'm sure the one handed skills will adjust over time...
I held a 6+ today. Now I'm wondering if I made a mistake leaving all that screen real estate and battery life...
My point? Well, to each his own, but you gotta keep an open mind...
Here... open mind this...
My wife looked at the 6 and 6+... asked me if it made sense to upgrade from her 4S to a 5S. Didn't like the larger sizes, especially when she was happy with her 3.5' iPhone.
So... who is not listening?
The other thing I noticed from our little trip to the local telecom... there was plenty of stock of both the 6 and 6+... this close after launch. For the last 2 years it took a minimum of 4 weeks (and I think 6 weeks for the 5S) to see either the 5 or 5S.
How many of these things did Apple make?
The 4in iPhone going forward is dead, much the 3.5in before it. (insert Monty Python parrot skit here)
Just look at Xcode and how they are guiding developers to take advantage of the new bigger, higher res screens....What are they going to do, have them all downscale and optimize that again to a smaller device.
Essentially no one is making any modern smartphone flagship under 4.5in. The ship has sailed. It's not an insult at those that prefer the small size, but the numbers in late 2014 are just not in your favor. To say it would have outsold the new 6 is just silly. All time records broken, 10 million in 4 days, ship dates out to November in some cases...come on.
Apple's answer to the smaller phone market is the Apple Watch in their view, which requires you to use your primary device less, and faster in those really on the go situations where a small phone seems easier. The current sizes are here to stay.
The 4in iPhone going forward is dead, much the 3.5in before it. (insert Monty Python parrot skit here)
To say it would have outsold the new 6 is just silly. All time records broken, 10 million in 4 days, ship dates out to November in some cases...come on.
I don't recall anyone saying the iP 6 – would outsell the 6. I do think it would have definitely given the 6+ a run for the money.
Out of that 10 million I would hazard a guess to say that no more than 2 million of those phones were 6+s.
... and we have no idea of the production capacity, so scarcity is not an argument.
Out of that 10 million I would hazard a guess to say that no more than 2 million of those phones were 6+s.
... and we have no idea of the production capacity, so scarcity is not an argument.
So you can pull numbers out of your rear, and then ignore anything that impacts it, admitting you have no idea, so you can feel correct?
" src="http://forums-files.appleinsider.com/images/smilies//lol.gif" />
So you can pull numbers out of your rear, and then ignore anything that impacts it, admitting you have no idea, so you can feel correct?
" src="http://forums-files.appleinsider.com/images/smilies//lol.gif" />
Isn't that what you did.
Unlike you, I at least used words like "guess" and added a question mark.
So who is skewing things to feel correct.
Tell everyone how you know "absolutely" that a 4" iP 6 would not outsell the 6+. I want to see how you turn a hypothetical into an absolute... let's see that answer come out of your ass.
Isn't that what you did.
Unlike you, I at least used words like "guess" and added a question mark.
So who is skewing things to feel correct.
What are you talking about? The only numbers I gave were 10 million in 4 days, which was provided by Apple PR. No where in this thread did I talk about breakouts.
If I were to get an iPhone 6, I'd probably get the leather case. It looks great on the 6.
I agree that the iPhone 5 is just as likely to be dinged as the 6, but as I mentioned above, my objections to the 6 are largely aesthetic in nature. I'm not sure that I'm willing pay so much for those caveats - depending on what kind of discounts I can get, of course (my employer provides really competitive discounts on contracts, I'm just looking at those now).
It's a much better device IMHO coming from the 5 which wasn't laggy at all for me. I wouldn't bother with the 5S.
What are you talking about? The only numbers I gave were 10 million in 4 days, which was provided by Apple PR. No where in this thread did I talk about breakouts.
So... in other words... you used a number that shows absolutely no breakdown whatsoever, absolutely no idea whatsoever of 6+ sales, to prove your point? ... and you have the nerve to say that I am pulling numbers out of my ass.
Oh, boy...