macgui

If it's assumed that a folding phone that's not a "flip phone" offers no increased real estate, then I'd question the reason for one existing. I'd assume the reason anyone would want a folding phone is for increased real estate.

"a folding iPad" but not a folding phone? WTF. I prefer a smaller phone while many want a "phablet". I've seen people, mostly women using some model of huge phone. That's not for me but there are times when I'd appreciate a bigger screen but not at the expense of a new wardrobe to carry it.

Opening a phone to have more real estate interests me. A smaller screen visible when closed could display caller information and notifications. Reliability of the hinged portion is a concern. 

mike1 said:

Siri is not a function of the device. Yes. improved mics might improve spoken word recognition a bit, but the real improvements will come on the back end. I would expect them to be available for any device from iPhones to HomePods.

Apple can do a lot more to improve Siri without requiring better hardware. Any improvement made because of new mics wouldn't be backward compaible. That shouldn't stop Apple from given all Sire-capable phone a much better Siri.

Siri isn't as smart as Alexa though she can do a few thing on the Watch and phone without an internet connection. In that case Alexa is dead. Siri is also slower than Alexa and just not nearly as capable.

daviator said:

There is a huge AI improvement to Siri in iOS 17.2 that I just encountered today (in the latest beta.). If someone sends you an iMessage containing a photo, and you’re listening to messages in the car or otherwise via Siri, it will use AI to describe the contents of the photo. 

I was shocked as I was driving earlier and listened to a message from my partner and Siri said “Kenny sent a photo of a bowl of soup and a plate of meat and vegetables.”  I had to pull over and look, and that turned out to be a completely accurate description. A very cool new feature and a great use of AI. 

That's a feature I can appreciate. I frequently get images sent to me when driving, most work related some not, but I don't care to open them to see what's what. I would have to wait for a red light and that's a ticket I don't need. To pull off the description above, Siri should be able to do a lot of other cool stuff. Here's looking at you, 17.2.

I carry a small, but not that small, flashlight every day. It's generally not needed for work but it's often very handy in EDL. Often enough that I've needed it every time I've left it home even though when it's with me I need it less. Not cause and effect, just the odds.

My Watch's flashlight is mapped to the Action button so it's handy but very floddy, short ranged and the Watch gets really warm quickly. Its use is short because I don't need to heat the battery. The flashlight isn't meant to be a primary feature.

There's no getting around the bulk most any light would add to a Watch. A minor issue would be it hanging up a cuff. Being an Apple accessory it wouldn't be cheap. If it could be turned on and off with gestures it would be cost prohibitive but really cool.

It will never see the light of day but if it did I'd at least check it out. The best flashlight is the one you have with you.

thrang said:

I saw this over the weekend...

Thanks for a well thought out review. Everybody has a right to their opinion but when unsupported its helpfulness is often nil. I very much appreciated what you thought and why.

Black Bird was excellent, but was a mini/limited series by design, so it's goals and challenges weren't the same as a show hoping to have more than one seasons/series.  Taron Egerton has been excellent in everything I've seen him do.

By "Baptiste" did your mean Baptiste with Tchéky Karyo? It only had two seasons but it was very good. 

foregoneconclusion said:

Mike Wuerthele said:

Hreb said:

Sorry Andrew -- I'm very interested in whether my next Apple watch band should be leather or FineWoven and unfortunately this review strains credibility.  You report snags, lint, stains, scratches, and other durability issues.  But every photo in the review shows a brand-new, nice looking FineWoven case.  It's a physical product, show the photos!  TTIUWP.

If you want something more real-time, feel free to head into an Apple Store. They change them daily, and they still look terrible after a few hours.

From normal use? Or from people intentionally trying to stress the material? I guarantee you that if you handed me your leather iPhone case I could put some rather large scratches into it with my fingernails in a matter of seconds. 

That is a dumbass comparison. This obviously isn't about either case standing up to deliberate abuse. Even if it was, the leather would still be more durable than a fabric case. 

I agree the video doesn't demonstrate the criticisms offered, and that should have been done. In fact, most of the video sounds almost alike an add for those woven cases. Leather absolutely will resist staining better than a fabric case. Someone spilled a drink on a table where my phone lay. I heard the noise and turned to see my phone in a spreading puddle. Picking up and quickly wiping it off, none the worse. Maybe Scotchguard for the woven would help.

Sliding in and out of a pocket - leather for the win. These woven cases may be just the thing for some owners. Not for me. If the fabric case is the way someone wants to go, fine. It probably won't be long before we find that AI isn't the only reviewer finding woven cases to be generally inferior to leather, Apple's pervious premium case.

I've had leather cases for some previous iPhones, and found them to be superior in craftsmanship than anything in the third-party market. I'll be looking for something nearly as nice, but I don't expect to find anything as good. If I'm wrong that's ok too.