ericthehalfbee

john.b said:

Will it have a wide color gamut display? Haptic feedback? Will it be waterproof? Or have a quality (i.e. not plastic) case? They kicked so many features down the road with their last model that it should have been called the "Google Punt".

Lots of phones have wide gamut displays. The problem with Android is it lacks color management and therefore the ability to properly render content accurately. Lots of Android fans confuse color management with gamut and assume because phones like the S7 have wide gamut that they automatically display content properly.

foggyhill said:

There is a lot of bullshit in there. I'm theoretically paying for Spotify (It was a promotion which was part of my phone plan), yet I'm not paying a cent directly, probably pad by my own phone company as a marketing expense.

They're probably getting 2-3 bucks a month out of me.

Would not be surprised if Apple is now at 25-30M  $10 a month subscribers.
My bet is Apple's revenues and profits from Apple music are already higher than spotify.

I see lots of cell carrier promotions for Spotify. I wonder how much they're actually getting from them. It would, however, explain Spotify's rapid gain of 20 million paid subscribers in only 6 months.

Soli said:

JinTech said:

Wonder if they are using Apple branded wall chargers or third party.

While it's entirely possible that out of over a billion products Apple has sold with a lithium-ion polymer battery that they caught on camera a defective unit, I'd guess the most likely culprit is from cheap and/or counterfeit PSUs. Maybe Apple should do more to keep their devices from accepting power from questionable chargers or maybe we need regulations that prevent poorly made PSUs and cables from being at every check out counter.

No. I already debunked this last time. The circuitry (usually a power management IC) to control battery charging is inside the iPhone. The charger is just a "dumb" power supply that sends voltage to the charging circuit.

These circuits are fairly robust and can handle overvoltages several times their normal operating voltage (5V for iPhones from USB). They also have protection to shut down in case of excess voltage, short circuits or reverse polarity. In short, your battery isn't going to overcharge because the charger is putting out too much power since your battery has no direct connection to the charger.

In the case of extreme voltage (say 100V) the circuitry, circuit board traces and other components are going to go up in smoke (essentially a very expensive fuse) long before any of that voltage gets to your battery. So you'd have a small smoke show, but your battery would be ok.

gatorguy said:

ericthehalfbee said: we now have people fabricating stories how this will make it hard for people to buy "safe" iPhones.

Of course it won't be hard to buy a safe phone, but it won't be as easy as it was before the page was removed for some buyers and sellers. If you were being honest you wouldn't disagree. You're trying to turn this into a "hater" thing? It's not.

More than one current Apple user has wondered aloud why a useful tool was removed and they're not all "haters", but it doesn't make buying used iPhones all that much harder if you know what the current proper procedure should be. So yeah, I totally agree with that part.  My post to the OP was meant as a reminder that it wasn't just buyers who might be inconvenienced, not to invite a personal vendetta.  If my assumption that the Activation Lock status tool was known and used by many is off-base then no big deal. Opinions are very often wrong. And very often right. 

My guess is either Apple will comment on why or offer a different solution in short order. It's removal got noticed right away so it's obviously used (or was).

My haters comment is directed at the general response to this on multiple forums, not just here or to specific individuals. It's a tool that was MARGINALLY useful, yet the removal of it is making people act like it's the only way people can check an iOS device. The most common comments I've seen everywhere are: "Apple just trying to force people to buy only new iPhones to line their pockets" or "Now how am I supposed to see if a device is safe to buy" or "The resale value of used iPhones just plummeted since we can no longer check them". All lies. This will have next to no impact.

- People who buy & sell in person (a large number do this) will continue to rely on existing methods to keep them safe (bill of sale, turning off Find My iPhone, meeting in public place or police station, actual physical inspection of the device, swapping drivers licenses/ID).
- People who buy & sell online from reputable companies (like Gazelle) aren't affected by this. You won't buy a device that's locked or blacklisted and if you send in one locked to try and sell they'll refuse it).
- People who buy & sell online from individuals or unknown companies have no protection regardless if this tool is available or not. It does nothing to help them avoid being scammed.

About the only use I can see for this is to check an IMEI of a phone before you meet someone in person to make sure you don't waste your time going to look at a locked iPhone. And what benefit would there be to a seller to trick you into a fake meeting to sell something that didn't match what they said?

gatorguy said:

Johan.G said:

rogifan_new said:

Johan.G said:

This move makes sense, since you can no longer wipe an iDevice without logging out of Find My iPhone first. 
New credo is "if it's not wiped, don't buy it".

How exactly does this work? Last week I got locked out of my phone because it didn't like my passcode for whatever reason (I know I was entering the right one). Apple support had me use iCloud.com to erase my phone so I could set up a new passcode. When you do that does it automatically log you out of find my iPhone?

No, it doesn't automatically log you out. We're talking about buying a second-hand iPhone, aren't we? When you do:
Hold the device, confirm it's wiped, try to activate it … either you can or you'll see the activation lock. 

I can't really think of a way to get duped when buying in person (as opposed to online).

That's assuming others are even aware of that and most would not be. It's been common knowledge for some time to use Apple's Activation Lock Status page before buying used phones either in person or via eBay. That's the advice you'll find over and over on the web. What you've mentioned is not what used iPhone buyers are accustomed to looking for so it will take some time to get that word out. 

No it's not common knowledge. Complete and utter BS. I've literally bought and sold dozens of iPhones and iPads. And I never knew this tool existed until today. The typical scenario goes like this:

- Arrange to meet the person in a public place (THIS is common knowledge).
- Examine the phone for proper operation (insert SIM and make calls and check if data access works).
- Examine phone for scratches and condition.
- Check if Find My iPhone is off, or better yet have seller turn it off proving they know the password.
- Check the bill of sale the seller should have. Or proof that they've paid out their carrier contract and the phone is clear.
- Reset/erase phone once you've both agreed on final price.

The reason I know this is common is not just from my own experience but from looking at others ads to see what going prices are and what their terms are. People always add the same "notes" to their ads. Things like: "will not ship iPhone, only local buyers in person" or "have original packaging and receipt".

Heres 3 random ads I clicked on Craigslist in my area:

iPhone 7 Rose Gold 128 GB
Locked to Rogers/Fido/Chatr
with Receipt
ID can be shown so buy in Confidence.


For Sale
Factory Unlocked Matte Black iPhone 7 128gb
9/10
Can provide proof of purchase


Iphone 6splus plus 
Rose gold colour
Condition 9/10
Factory Unlocked to all carriers worldwide.
16gigs memory.
Very good condition. Please see pictures.
Have original bill.
No shipping or PayPal. Only cash.


Only an idiot would buy an iPhone online sight unseen. How do you even know if the IMEI they give you is real? It could be for a "good" phone, but they ship you a different phone. Further, there's a popular scam where a person gets a free phone on contract, sells it and never makes payments. Carrier blocks the IMEI after a few months of missed payments and you're stuck with a brick.

IMEI checks are useless since they don't protect you against any of the common scams. You need a bill of sale to prove the seller is the owner of the phone and you need them to turn off Find My iPhone. That's the only way to be sure the phone is safe to buy.