OT: Anyone planning to get the new iPhone?

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by CAAD

All funny business aside. All these phones lately are such marginal improvements. A slightly better camera is usually the selling point. Why people are willing to shell out $1k+ for a device is just beyond me. Why must we take so many pictures? These companies need to put more work into improving energy efficiency and battery technology. I typically wait around 3 generations until I even think about upgrading. I do like the trend of devices getting smaller.

I'm with you but I still have an affinity for Apple products regardless. No apologies. Servers filled with inane photos for no reason...is nuts. I'd like a 12 mini that has for my normal usage a two day battery life and a durable (truly) build without the need for a case. As someone who almost always carries a camera, a good one on the phone is a bonus and gets used regularly for making actual photographs.

Regarding the price I think it gets lumped into a price ceiling people are willing to pay which seems to be around $100 a month for the pleasure of owning the phone and the service to use it.

I've never downloaded and watched anything on a phone and I don't play games. The better cameras are a bigger draw to me. 5G and supercharged processors are unimportant to me and likely kill the battery you would think.

[tuxbailey]

Originally Posted by MikeD

I'm done with buggy Android phones that receive a limited number of OS updates throughout their life, the exception may be a Pixel.

My biggest gripe. I think the features are nice but the lack of updates on non-premium phones are so scarce. Plus my Android phone runs like molasses even though it was a higher end phone 2 years go.

[charliedid]

I'm starting to think 5G is a myth.

https://www.wsj.com/video/series/joa...now_video_pos1

Sorry I know there is a paywall.

[jpw]

[QUOTE=5G and supercharged processors are unimportant to me and likely kill the battery you would think.[/QUOTE]

I believe iPhone 12s are configured to know when 5G, if available, is the appropriate connection standard for the application. When the application can function perfectly on a 4G connection the phone will drop down to that standard. This saves battery power. Screens are a big power drain.

[jpw]

Originally Posted by tuxbailey

Agree, the high customization of Android is a double edge sword. If your carrier doesn't care to provide timely update to your non-flagship android phone, you are screwed.

That's where Pixel phones come in.

[jpw]

What's a typical monthly contract charge on US carriers?

[pdmtong]

Originally Posted by pdmtong

The only thing that matters is if you can receive calls in your house on the network you’ve chosen. Everything else is a bonus

Originally Posted by saab2000

Not sure I agree with your second premise that receiving calls from users of other networks is a bonus. A phone call should be a phone call regardless of carrier. That's what we pay for and the FCC at least nominally has rules on this.

Let me re-state - I am saying that what matters (at least around here) is if your phone can make/receive calls while you are at home. Some friends choose verizon since ATT doesnt work well in their house, and vice versa.

[pdmtong]

Originally Posted by jpw

I believe iPhone 12s are configured to know when 5G, if available, is the appropriate connection standard for the application. When the application can function perfectly on a 4G connection the phone will drop down to that standard. This saves battery power. Screens are a big power drain.

I don't care about 5G, at least not yet. 4G LTE works fine for the things I do. SO the new phone is all rooted in the high trade-in value that ATT is offering to existing customers. Normally the deals are for adding a line or new customers. not existing. It's the first time in probably a decade I've seen a deal like this and effectively makes the iphone 12 / 12 Pro priced like the iphone 4/5 was.

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by jpw

I believe iPhone 12s are configured to know when 5G, if available, is the appropriate connection standard for the application. When the application can function perfectly on a 4G connection the phone will drop down to that standard. This saves battery power. Screens are a big power drain.

Thanks the video I linked went over that but it seems the infrastructure really isn't in place yet to be accessing 5G in many places.

[azrider]

We took advantage of some incentives and upgraded our +8 phones to the 11 Pro Max.

Not a fan of no home screen button but I'm sure I'll get used to it. The one thing that really blew me away was the camera. The low light pictures are WAY better and wide screen functionality of the camera is pretty awesome.

Other than that it's marginally better than the old +8.

[tuxbailey]

Originally Posted by charliedid

Thanks the video I linked went over that but it seems the infrastructure really isn't in place yet to be accessing 5G in many places.

That is because the carriers still need to acquire a large chunk of the spectrum needed for 5G from satellite operators in the next 2-3 year.

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk

[Tony Edwards]

I will sit this one out (my iPhone XR is less than two years old and still working well), but I'm really happy they moved back to the squared-off design from the 4-5 generations, because I might be able to use one without a case (or at least with a case consisting solely of a rim that goes around the phone rather than a full case). From the 6 forward they've always been very thin, soap-bar shaped designs that I find too slippery to reliably hold without a case. Overall I think the 4 was my favorite iPhone from a design perspective, and I'm pleased they've moved back to something similar (albeit obviously larger and thinner).

[smead]

Still using my flip phone from 2010. It continues to send and receive phone calls just fine.

[azrider]

Originally Posted by smead

Still using my flip phone from 2010. It continues to send and receive phone calls just fine.

Live look at smead after hitting reply

[pdmtong]

Update: ATT trade-in too good to pass up

$800 towards 12 or 12P

Wife got the 12-128

Daughter got the 12P-128

I got the 12P-256

The initial offer at $800 was only for 12 and 12P

It has since been modified to $700 but now includes all four models

(6 and 7 trade value is $350)(8 and up is the higher amount)