Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

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LoveTheBogle
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Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by LoveTheBogle »

It seems to be that there are a lot of iPhone related threads in recent history here on BogleHeads asking about advice on upgrading, features, etc. I am absolutely shocked at the market penetration that the iPhone has gained over the last 5 years and the insanity (IMHO) about "apple fans" that will shell out $1000+ every time a new iPhone comes out every year that have the exact same functionality as the iPhone they intend to replace. All I can see from the outside is a simple iteration of the exact same product from 5+ years ago with a slightly faster CPU, slightly more RAM, slightly more disk space, slightly better camera, etc. Atleast for the past 5 years they all use the latest iOS so there isn't any difference except in what I would consider completely unnecessary upgrades that the very large majority of iPhone buyers will never fully utilize (ie: their current iPhone will complete most tasks in the same way and timeframe as tasks they complete in the latest $1000+ iPhone).

Why? Why? Why??

From the outside what I see are:
It has a single button.
The back button in most (if not all?) applications is in the top left which is incredibly difficult to get to with one hand.
It doesn't have an audio jack unless you want to pack a set of additional wires to use which are proprietary and expensive.
The operating system is proprietary. Apple implies security, privacy and safety but there is no guarantee that they provide those items.
The operating system, in my opinion, is extremely limiting to the end user (no customization).
Last I checked it doesn't even have a file browser. When you download a PDF to read you have to find it within the PDF viewer. You can't reogranize files and folders how YOU want them because Apple knows best.
Proprietary, proprietary, proprietary.

Some people I've spoken with said the simple reason they chose iPhone is because "it just works". I've even seen engineers who are in the tech industry absolutely LOVE their iPhone even though it has nearly zero customization or power user tools found in Android.

For this thread to be actionable, I am looking at changing wireless service providers and they offer huge discounts on the latest Android and iPhone and so I am genuinely interested in what people see in the iPhone. I've always used Android primarily with free and open source software, and although I hate Google more than most big organizations, atleast they are honest in their attempt in gathering all of your data for their own purposes whereas Apple takes a stance that they don't yet everything that they do is proprietary.

Why did you choose an iPhone?
How often do you upgrade?
Why did you upgrade?
Have you ever used an Android OS based device, and if so, what do you like more about iOS versus that of Android?
alex_686
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by alex_686 »

LoveTheBogle wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2019 4:00 pm Some people I've spoken with said the simple reason they chose iPhone is because "it just works". I've even seen engineers who are in the tech industry absolutely LOVE their iPhone even though it has nearly zero customization or power user tools found in Android.
I would like to point out that your criticism of the iPhone is one of the primary reason why "it just works". Apple has complete control over the hardware and the software. It is totally locked down. You can't blow it up with some weird configuration of "technically meets specs" hardware, software, and customized settings interacting in weird ways.

It is also is some ways the Cadillac of phones. The engineers take time to balance out hardware and software. I have seen some phones that have great specs but just don't work very well. Apple does not put out cheap stuff.

And I have mixed feelings on iPhones. I use my wife's iPhone when she gets a new one. Still works well after many many years. I am still using a iPhone 2 as a MP3 player.
Former brokerage operations & mutual fund accountant. I hate risk, which is why I study and embrace it.
stoptothink
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by stoptothink »

alex_686 wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2019 4:14 pm
LoveTheBogle wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2019 4:00 pm Some people I've spoken with said the simple reason they chose iPhone is because "it just works". I've even seen engineers who are in the tech industry absolutely LOVE their iPhone even though it has nearly zero customization or power user tools found in Android.
I would like to point out that your criticism of the iPhone is one of the primary reason why "it just works". Apple has complete control over the hardware and the software. It is totally locked down. You can't blow it up with some weird configuration of "technically meets specs" hardware, software, and customized settings interacting in weird ways.

It is also is some ways the Cadillac of phones. The engineers take time to balance out hardware and software. I have seen some phones that have great specs but just don't work very well. Apple does not put out cheap stuff.

And I have mixed feelings on iPhones. I use my wife's iPhone when she gets a new one. Still works well after many many years. I am still using a iPhone 2 as a MP3 player.
My wife is all about the Apple ecosystem, she's used their laptops exclusively for about a decade, but she had so many issues with the phones that she gave up and begged her employer to get her an Android. They provided her a moto g7 power, <1/4th the cost of her previous iphone and she's happy as a clam. I think she had 4 iphones previously, and had issues with all of them. That's my +1.
Notsobad
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by Notsobad »

I started with iPhone and didn’t want to learn a new system. It works well with other apple devices. My wife and I get a new one every 3-4 years and pass the old one to my kids (or parents)

What it doesn’t do well is overcome by what it does well.
MrBeaver
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by MrBeaver »

LoveTheBogle wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2019 4:00 pm Why did you choose an iPhone?
First smartphone available.
LoveTheBogle wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2019 4:00 pm How often do you upgrade?
Once every 4-5 years.
LoveTheBogle wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2019 4:00 pm Why did you upgrade?
When new OS required a new phone, or near an OS trigger when a phone that is desirable to me is available. I went:
Original iPhone > 4s > SE. Will likely upgrade this year or next, but hoping for a ‘small’ phone option.
LoveTheBogle wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2019 4:00 pm Have you ever used an Android OS based device, and if so, what do you like more about iOS versus that of Android?
Not full time, but I have played with one. Three main reasons:
  1. Longevity and OS updates. This could be achieved on Android by sticking with a Google Pixel, but it would be just as expensive as an iPhone.
  2. Security. This requires #1, but even once you achieve that, iPhone zero day exploits sell for considerably more than android zero days, which is a reasonable proxy for the difficulty of hacking a patched, up to date phone.
  3. Design. I’ll say that the physical phone designs have mostly converged, so this is not a big difference. But software is night and day. I’d say Android let’s you do almost anything, but there are a dozen ways to accomplish each thing which makes it more cluttered and confusing. iOS is more limiting, but clear, simple, and uncluttered. I prefer the latter.
rich126
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by rich126 »

Everyone has their preferences.

I've been using computers for 40+ years (since the 70s). For a long time almost everything was Microsoft Windows based. Around 2005 I got my first Apple computer (a laptop) and while it had its quirks, it was much more stable than any Windows computer I've used. Since then I've bought a couple of iMac 27" computers. Rock solid. (I've built most of my computers and even upgraded an iMac which was an adventure.)

I had a LG phone and got an iPhone sometime back about 10 years ago (?). Like the computer it is rock solid and was very handy while traveling. I'm not into getting the latest trend/fad and I'm still using the iPhone 6. I'll be getting a new one probably within the next year.

I do a lot of engineering and computer security work. The attraction of Android phones to people often fall into one of the categories below:
1. It is cheaper
2. It is more customizable
3. It isn't an Apple product (there certainly is a group of Apple haters out there, just as there are Microsoft haters)

One of Androids biggest flaws is also what some call its strength, that is the ability to customized it and "hack" it. The number of security problems with malware on Android products is huge. And not that unsimilar to Microsoft and its openness (with regards to hardware, drivers, etc.). The closeness of the Apple products makes things a bit tougher to compromise although it is far from problem free.

Also a lot of people aren't very technical and once they get into the Apple ecosystem it is easy for them to function. While I had Apple products I still use a Linux and a Windows machine at home occasionally depending on what I'm trying to do. Sadly most workplaces are still stuck on Windows.

Personally I'm not sure what customization I would do to it. I've written very basic apps for the Android OS and played around with their development kit. Apple also has one you can download (I think it is free since I don't recall paying for it).

I upgrade it when I see a need for it. I got the battery replaced for $29 a year ago. It is starting to be a bit sluggish and at times ignores my swipes (to answer a call, etc.). I certainly do not want a $1,000 phone. And when I get one, I expect it to last at least 4 years.

I still have the original laptop I got about 12-15 years ago and it still boots, I need to wipe and remove the drive before I get rid of it. (And I still have some of the older phones as well.)

Oh, the one thing I can certainly say that I think was horrible, and they are moving away from it, is iTunes. Oh, geez what a mess. I use to rip movies from DVDs I owned, put them on my computer and then download them to my iPad, phone, etc. but managing that stuff and even doing backups wasn't enjoyable.
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HawkeyePierce
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by HawkeyePierce »

iOS has a file browser, FYI.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206481
Last edited by HawkeyePierce on Wed Oct 16, 2019 4:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
palaheel
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by palaheel »

We have two iPhone SEs, purchased 2017. We switched from Android phones.

Why iPhone?

1. Total cost. My cost target is to spend no more than $100/device/year. Our use of mobile phones doesn't justify any more than that.

By mid 2017, the SE was under $250. The odds of the device being updated for the next 2.5 years seemed a good bet. By the end of this year, we'll have covered my expense goal. At the time, I couldn't find any Android devices that were almost certain to be updated for 2.5 years, that were under $250, and that were as capable as the SE.

2. We wanted a small form factor.

3. I am also increasingly distrustful of Google and what they might do with all of the data they collect on me.


We'll keep the SEs until they die, or are no longer updated, or until our old eyes demand a larger screen. At that point, we'll go through the same process again. I'm happy with Apple, so that will be where I look first.

It's harder to play the value game with iPhones than with Android, but it can be done.
Nothing to say, really.
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by RickBoglehead »

What boggles my mind is the discussions of products, like the iPhone, here when there are dedicated forums with product experts on them. But of course opinions from 23 people make all the difference? I don't get it.
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batpot
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by batpot »

RickBoglehead wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2019 4:39 pm What boggles my mind is the discussions of products, like the iPhone, here when there are dedicated forums with product experts on them. But of course opinions from 23 people make all the difference? I don't get it.
This entire forum is 90+% "what x should I buy".
I don't get how you don't this.
JBTX
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by JBTX »

Why did you choose an iPhone?
How often do you upgrade?
Why did you upgrade?
Have you ever used an Android OS based device, and if so, what do you like more about iOS versus that of Android?
I started with iPhone after I bought my daughter an iPod. I've never deviated. One time I bought my young son a cheap android Os phone, and later on my daughter wanted one of the higher end Galaxys. I hated them. After using iOS for years they were just not intuitive. After about a year my daughter switched back. So for me it is more about familiarity.

I upgrade usually between 2 and 3 years. That is usually because my daughter wants an upgrade.

I do like the fact that they are far less prone to viruses / hacks etc. Every few years I have to clean up a major malware on our windows desktop, involving going back to factory settings, usually because kid getting on the PC. If they weren't so darn expensive I'd consider a Mac. My daughter just got a MacBook pro. It will be interesting to see how she likes it.
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by Oreamnos »

My overall take is very, very similar to that posted by rich126 above.

Am also a technologist/computer engineering/software person by long career. I used to get versions of things that allowed me to mod/tweak all sorts of stuff, but that just got old and annoying, especially on phones that get modified with carrier-specific stuff. The whole Android ecosystem is pretty much a total crapshow in terms of compatibility and updates and versions and garbage HW and whatnot. I hate to distill it down to "it just works", because that's not 100% accurate, but it does express the essence of why I switch to an iPhone (and Mac computers) long ago. As a former SW engineer, I have an appreciation for the amount of hard SW work necessary to create something that reliably meets almost everyone's needs, yet has an apparently "simpler" appearance or interface.

I also just feel better about Apple's approach to security.

I don't upgrade on every cycle. Maybe every 3rd or so, when there's been enough evolution to justify it. Photography is one of my many hobbies, and improvements in cameras in my "with me everywhere" device drive some of my motivations to upgrade.

Have used a wide variety of Android OS devices, and the only arguable edge they have over the iPhone is perhaps cost and modifiability, but I'm not cost-sensitive, and I'm just tired of screwing with all of the chaos that comes with that modifiability. There's no core Android feature that's unique and needed by me.
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by 3-20Characters »

LoveTheBogle wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2019 4:00 pm
Why did you choose an iPhone? Apple ecosystem.
How often do you upgrade?When necessary to stay up to date with iOS and the stock apps (numbers, pages, notes, mail, safari, etc). Usually 3-4 years.
Why did you upgrade? See above.
Have you ever used an Android OS based device, and if so, what do you like more about iOS versus that of Android? No. Much like a 3-fund portfolio, I value things that are simple and work without much attention or fussing. Switching platforms would make zero sense for me. It would mean I would need to change the way is work, store files, etc. Btw, I do practically all my”computing” on an iPad. For Android to appeal to me (as in improving my life) the phone would have to make me breakfast and a bunch of other stuff I can’t list on a public forum. Ain’t gonna happen, so I leave enough alone. Also, I have zero interest in becoming a google acolyte and hardly use any of their products (including search engine) in any significant way.
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by sunny_socal »

I say tomato, you say to-maaah-to. I've never been able to convince an Apple fan to switch regardless of the specs on paper. They are hardcore fans.
(Disclosure: I love my Mac and will likely never go back to a PC, but I'd never get an Apple phone or Apple watch)
Jags4186
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by Jags4186 »

I just don’t get why people are so exasperated over what people spend, in the grand scheme of things, relatively modest amounts of money on.

I spent $3500 on my last mattress. I spend 1/3 of my life on it a mattress so I feel like I should drop some decent coin on making that purchase somewhat pleasurable. I keep a mattress average 10 years.

I spent $700 on my iPhone XR. I’ll upgrade when the iPhone 12 comes out. I spend at least 2-3 hours a day on my phone. I want something I spend 10-15% of my life on to be nice.

I buy new cars every 7/8 years in the $20,000 - $25,000 range. I spend, on average 2 hours or so a day in my car. I want that 10% of my life to be comfortable as well. Assuming I can get $7000 or so on the trade in that nets to $13,000 - $18,000 every 7/8 years.

This means I spend between on average $2,325/yr and $3,300/yr to make sure that 50%+ of my life is luxurious. I think this is rather cheap!
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by abuss368 »

I just purchased an iPhone XR. First upgrade in years. We are usually a few tears and models behind and it works fine.
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by drummerboy »

LoveTheBogle wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2019 4:00 pm Why? Why? Why??
I upgrade about every 4 years. Annual iOS upgrades are simple and support all my phones for 5 years easily.

I upgrade at the 4 year window. The changes are pretty significant at that time frame.

Yes, I've used an Android device. Some of the google apps integration is nice, but many of those same apps run on an iPhone if you are into that ecosystem.
LoveTheBogle wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2019 4:00 pm From the outside what I see are:
It sounds like you've never really used an iPhone (same as your question to the forum about having never used an Android device).

The single button is a non-issue. You can swipe from the left side of the screen (anywhere) to go back.
Headphone jack.... All the Android manufacturers are dropping them too. Bluetooth is taking over.
iOS is Apple's OS. Android is Google's. Yes, phone developers can extend Android, but the base OS (and latest) is usually Android's best offering. Your definition of "proprietary" is based upon your point-of-view.
A File Browser Exists.
Apple has designed certain aspects to be privacy-first. Not perfect, but it is an up-front consideration.
The processor improvements year-over-year are staggering. Read an un-biased publication, they are well ahead of other processors.

Yes, I'm from a technical background. iPhone has a simple elegance. It works. I don't want to fiddle with settings on my phone.

And iPhone is not that much more expensive than Android. The latest phones from Google and Samsung are NOT inexpensive.

If your ecosystem is 100% Google, you probably will prefer Android. Apple has some great solutions too, and 3rd party app support is outstanding.
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by andypanda »

"the insanity (IMHO) about "apple fans" that will shell out $1000+ every time a new iPhone comes out every year "

Your data is old.

iPhone 11 = $699.
iPhone 11 with double the memory = $749
Then there's one more memory upgrade, but we got 2 of the $749 phones this week.

My old 6s worked, but was well used and the battery was only holding 81% and they gave me $100 for it.
My wife's antique 5c wouldn't take the more recent OS upgrades, and won't be running whatsapp, and she didn't have any room for vids of the grandsons even though she downloads them to the laptop and deletes them weekly. She needs whatsapp 'cuz her sister and family live in Spain.

I worked for over 40 years and then retired 7 years ago. I started investing in the '60s and seriously in the '80s. You can't take it with you. Heck, I buy $649 bass rods and $400 and $500 reels.

iPhone 11 Pro = $999.
And more $$ for more memory.

iPhone 11 Pro Max is bit larger and costs more, etc.
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Kenkat
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by Kenkat »

I think the Apple stuff seems to really last. I had an iPad 2 I got 6 and a half years out of, have an iPad Pro first generation still going strong, have 2 iPods - and sold a Gen 3 Nano on eBay recently that still worked great that I bought in 2007. The stuff just keeps working.

When I bought smartphones for the first time, I bought Samsung because they were cheaper - way cheaper since I managed to get them for $400 off on Black Friday. 3 S6’s and an S6 Edge. One phone got dropped and broke, the charging port failed on one after 3 years, the charging port on a second failed after 4 years and one got replaced because the battery life was terrible. So out of 4 phones, only one (barely) made it the 4-5 years I was hoping. Granted, the drop doesn’t really count, but I am giving Motorola phones a shot this time. We will see but part of me feels like Apple phones cost twice as much but they last 2-3 times as long. So overall cost of ownership is the same and the iOS is pretty darn good to use.
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by 3-20Characters »

sunny_socal wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2019 5:35 pm I say tomato, you say to-maaah-to. I've never been able to convince an Apple fan to switch regardless of the specs on paper. They are hardcore fans.
(Disclosure: I love my Mac and will likely never go back to a PC, but I'd never get an Apple phone or Apple watch)
Specs don’t matter to me. I use a phone, not it’s specs. I have used my iPhone 6s Plus with broken screen and all for 3 or 4 years and it still works great (now have iOS 13 installed). Same for my iPad—which may be even older. When I go to upgrade a year from now, is saving a few bucks amortized over 4 years going to factor into my decision? No. Why? I prefer Apple over google ecosystem and I prefer Apple OS X over something more complicated that won’t run my legacy and specialty software which I need (like InDesign). What’s hard to understand about all this? If this makes me “hardcore” or a “fanboy,” I’ll wear a shirt that says so.
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GerryL
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by GerryL »

I was an early Mac person. Used to write software reviews for MacWorld and other Mac-focused mags. But by the time I decided to get my first smart phone in 2013, I was living entirely in the PC world, so I considered both iPhone and Android.

Ultimately, decision was based on the fact that most of the people I was likely to communicate with were in the iPhone world. So, I did not need to pay for a text plan and I had a ready crew of people to help me if I had questions. Have become more immersed in Appleland with two iPads (the first having replaced a Nook/Android tablet).

Just upgraded my phone this summer. The 5c was running on an old OS and could no longer be upgraded. It now serves at home as an iPod Touch and, when traveling in Europe, as an actual phone with a sim card from Le French Mobile.

My new phone is a 7. Wanted small.
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baconavocado
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by baconavocado »

I think iphones appeal to folks who aren't too techy, don't want to mess with anything to make it work, and just want it to be reliable. And who uses phones the most in your ecosystem? In mine, it's the women in my life. My wife gets a million texts a day and she's constantly in touch with her mother and female friends and relatives. And, at least in my experience, women do not like to fix things, they just want stuff to work. On the rare occasions when it doesn't work, they take it to the Apple store which is in . . . wait for it . . . wait for it . . . a shopping mall!

I've also noticed that many of the male contractors I encounter use iphones. These are guys who fix things for a living, but I don't think they are that techy in the computer-ish sense of the word, and they absolutely rely on their phones and need them to work easily and flawlessly.

I'm an android guy myself.
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by Jags4186 »

baconavocado wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2019 6:15 pm I think iphones appeal to folks who aren't too techy, don't want to mess with anything to make it work, and just want it to be reliable. And who uses phones the most in your ecosystem? In mine, it's the women in my life. My wife gets a million texts a day and she's constantly in touch with her mother and female friends and relatives. And, at least in my experience, women do not like to fix things, they just want stuff to work. On the rare occasions when it doesn't work, they take it to the Apple store which is in . . . wait for it . . . wait for it . . . a shopping mall!

I've also noticed that many of the male contractors I encounter use iphones. These are guys who fix things for a living, but I don't think they are that techy in the computer-ish sense of the word, and they absolutely rely on their phones and need them to work easily and flawlessly.

I'm an android guy myself.
Why would anyone want to have to “mess with anything” to make it work?
fareastwarriors
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by fareastwarriors »

Why did you choose an iPhone?

My first iPhone was a gift.

How often do you upgrade?

2 Years.

Why did you upgrade?

No reason in particular. Got money to burn I guess. I don't break my phones.

Have you ever used an Android OS based device, and if so, what do you like more about iOS versus that of Android?

Yes I have used other Android phones. Many Andriod phones might have better this, faster that but I don't feel like I need to switch. iPhone is just good enough for me.
fareastwarriors
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by fareastwarriors »

baconavocado wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2019 6:15 pm I think iphones appeal to folks who aren't too techy, don't want to mess with anything to make it work, and just want it to be reliable. And who uses phones the most in your ecosystem? In mine, it's the women in my life. My wife gets a million texts a day and she's constantly in touch with her mother and female friends and relatives. And, at least in my experience, women do not like to fix things, they just want stuff to work. On the rare occasions when it doesn't work, they take it to the Apple store which is in . . . wait for it . . . wait for it . . . a shopping mall!

I've also noticed that many of the male contractors I encounter use iphones. These are guys who fix things for a living, but I don't think they are that techy in the computer-ish sense of the word, and they absolutely rely on their phones and need them to work easily and flawlessly.

I'm an android guy myself.

Many "techies" use iPhone here (SF Bay Area). Maybe I'm just meeting the wrong people.
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by bluebolt »

Number one biggest issue for me is OS upgrades. Unless you have a Pixel, you may be at the whim of the device manufacturer AND carrier.

Case in point - I bought a Motorola phone in Fall 2016 that came with Android Marshmallow and advertised that Android Nougat would be supported. Nougat was released in August 2016. Over a year and a half after the Nougat release (with no interim communication or timeline), the upgrade for Nougat for my phone was announced. At the same time, it was announced that Nougat would be the last supported version of the OS for that phone. If that wasn't bad enough, critical security updates took 3-6 months to make it to my phone.

This is one critical area where iOS has major advantages over Android (for most phones).
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by bluebolt »

baconavocado wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2019 6:15 pm I think iphones appeal to folks who aren't too techy, don't want to mess with anything to make it work, and just want it to be reliable. And who uses phones the most in your ecosystem? In mine, it's the women in my life. My wife gets a million texts a day and she's constantly in touch with her mother and female friends and relatives. And, at least in my experience, women do not like to fix things, they just want stuff to work. On the rare occasions when it doesn't work, they take it to the Apple store which is in . . . wait for it . . . wait for it . . . a shopping mall!

I've also noticed that many of the male contractors I encounter use iphones. These are guys who fix things for a living, but I don't think they are that techy in the computer-ish sense of the word, and they absolutely rely on their phones and need them to work easily and flawlessly.

I'm an android guy myself.
The vast majority of people I know who work in tech (male and female) have iPhones.
michaelingp
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by michaelingp »

LoveTheBogle wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2019 4:00 pm ... and the insanity (IMHO) about "apple fans" that will shell out $1000+ every time a new iPhone comes out every year that have the exact same functionality as the iPhone they intend to replace.
Straw man. From the responses here, it doesn't seem many Bogleheads are waiting in line to spend $1000+ on a new iPhone. Plus it's not $1,000 since they either trade in their old phone or hand it down to a family member.
Apple implies security, privacy and safety but there is no guarantee that they provide those items.
Correct, there are no security guarantees in life, but I find it comforting that, reportedly, the FBI paid an Israeli company almost a million dollars to crack an iPhone after the San Bernadino shootings.

I had Android phones, and I found them unreliable and didn't connect well with other apps. I buy my iPhones used on eBay, so I think they are actually less expensive than the two short-lived Android phones I've owned. I've had iPhones now for a few years and I love the Apple ecosystem. When you call my phone, all my iPads ring. All my texts appear on all my devices and I can respond on the iPad if the receiver has an iPhone. The Apple cloud is what makes the iPhone so useful and easy to live with. If you use up your 5 GB, it's only 99 cents a month to increase it. If I take a picture with my phone, I can see it on my Windows PC in a few minutes. If I get a new phone, I just transfer the SIM card and the new phone automatically loads all my data and apps. I assume that some of these features are on Android as well, or will be someday, but when I had Android it did not all work together seamlessly like my iPhone.
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by Gnirk »

I currently have an Apple iPhone 8. I like the size, the easiness of using it, that it syncs with my other Apple products...mini iPad, and MacBook Pro.
I find the Apple systems easier to use than the windows systems, which I used for many years before changing to the MacBook Pro.
I'm probably not the only Senior Citizen who feels this way. Every time I go into the Apple store, it is overflowing with people in my age category.

Whenever I upgrade to a new iPhone, I give my current iPhone to my husband. I hope he's happy with his iPhone 6, because I'm not planning to do any upgrades for several years. Especially since the wireless companies are no longer subsidizing the upgrades.
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by Ron Ronnerson »

My wife and I each bought an iPhone 6s in 2015. They are still working fine and we hope to get at least another year out of them. Prior to that, we both had an iPhone 4s that we kept for 3 years. At this point, it's largely a matter of what we're used to and that's mainly why we have these phones. Also, certain features are nice to have (air drop, Apple Play, auto syncing, iMessages).

We bought our iPhones (both the 4s and the 6s) over Black Friday weekend. This has resulted in a slightly better price. Additionally, we got discounts for switching carriers when we purchased last time ($100 per line transferred).

We buy the phones outright from a cell phone provider using a Chase Business Ink credit card to earn 5 Chase Ultimate Reward Points per dollar spent. This means 5% cash back or more like 7-8% if the points are used for travel by transferring them to a Chase Sapphire Reserve Card.

When we purchased our last phones, I had a market research company that wanted to ask questions of people looking for a new phone. They followed me around a store and then interviewed me. I got $225 for an hour of my time.

Between the discounts for porting the number to a new carrier, making use of credit card points, and money from the market research company, it resulted in something like $550 off the price of the phones the last time that we purchased them.

Our current carrier is MInt Mobile and we pay under $20/month per line (for two lines) for 8 GB of data and unlimited talk & text. So, our monthly cost for cell phones (both the phone itself and the plans) after accounting for the discounts and at least 5 years of usage is really not all that bad.

Eventually, it will be time to replace the 6s. While I will miss the headphone jack, I'm still looking forward to the next upgrade.
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by RJC »

I believe it's the best phone if you want privacy (e.g. encryption).
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by baconavocado »

fareastwarriors wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2019 6:23 pm
baconavocado wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2019 6:15 pm I think iphones appeal to folks who aren't too techy, don't want to mess with anything to make it work, and just want it to be reliable. And who uses phones the most in your ecosystem? In mine, it's the women in my life. My wife gets a million texts a day and she's constantly in touch with her mother and female friends and relatives. And, at least in my experience, women do not like to fix things, they just want stuff to work. On the rare occasions when it doesn't work, they take it to the Apple store which is in . . . wait for it . . . wait for it . . . a shopping mall!

I've also noticed that many of the male contractors I encounter use iphones. These are guys who fix things for a living, but I don't think they are that techy in the computer-ish sense of the word, and they absolutely rely on their phones and need them to work easily and flawlessly.

I'm an android guy myself.

Many "techies" use iPhone here (SF Bay Area). Maybe I'm just meeting the wrong people.
Could be that their employer gives them a phone and their employer chose Apple. Also, there are a lot of people who work for tech companies that aren't necessarily what I'd call techy, e.g., marketing, design, customer relations, etc.

When I was working, the guys who worked in app development and IT support mostly used androids.
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jhfenton
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by jhfenton »

LoveTheBogle wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2019 4:00 pm Why did you choose an iPhone?
How often do you upgrade?
Why did you upgrade?
Have you ever used an Android OS based device, and if so, what do you like more about iOS versus that of Android?
I have used an Android. It was an HTC M1, a well-built, at the time flagship Android device. I didn't like the fundamental UI metaphor. I didn't like overall functionality of the software. And I despised the tracking that Google made it almost impossible to avoid. (I realized after about 6 months that I could log into Google and see everywhere that I had traveled in the United States in the previous 6 months. It took some effort to delete the location history and turn tracking off.)

We have 4 iPhones in the family. 3 purchased by us (iPhone 7, iPhone 7, iPhone SE), one purchased by my employer (iPhone 8). We upgrade only when necessary. All 4 phones are still supported by the latest iOS 13. We are about to get a $49 battery replacement on our younger teenager's SE.

If I were buying a new iPhone now, I'd buy an iPhone 11 128 GB at $749 and expect to use it for at least 4 years. I'd buy my wife an iPhone 11 64GB at $699 and expect the same.

(My favorite Apple products are actually my Apple Watch Series 4 and my AirPods. I can listen to music, audiobooks, and podcasts, and track my runs without any cords or my phone.)
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by stoptothink »

baconavocado wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2019 7:52 pm
fareastwarriors wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2019 6:23 pm
baconavocado wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2019 6:15 pm I think iphones appeal to folks who aren't too techy, don't want to mess with anything to make it work, and just want it to be reliable. And who uses phones the most in your ecosystem? In mine, it's the women in my life. My wife gets a million texts a day and she's constantly in touch with her mother and female friends and relatives. And, at least in my experience, women do not like to fix things, they just want stuff to work. On the rare occasions when it doesn't work, they take it to the Apple store which is in . . . wait for it . . . wait for it . . . a shopping mall!

I've also noticed that many of the male contractors I encounter use iphones. These are guys who fix things for a living, but I don't think they are that techy in the computer-ish sense of the word, and they absolutely rely on their phones and need them to work easily and flawlessly.

I'm an android guy myself.

Many "techies" use iPhone here (SF Bay Area). Maybe I'm just meeting the wrong people.
Could be that their employer gives them a phone and their employer chose Apple. Also, there are a lot of people who work for tech companies that aren't necessarily what I'd call techy, e.g., marketing, design, customer relations, etc.

When I was working, the guys who worked in app development and IT support mostly used androids.
My wife works in data security; as I mentioned earlier, they provide employees iphones and she had to beg to get an android.
Momus
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by Momus »

baconavocado wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2019 6:15 pm I think iphones appeal to folks who aren't too techy, don't want to mess with anything to make it work, and just want it to be reliable. And who uses phones the most in your ecosystem? In mine, it's the women in my life. My wife gets a million texts a day and she's constantly in touch with her mother and female friends and relatives. And, at least in my experience, women do not like to fix things, they just want stuff to work. On the rare occasions when it doesn't work, they take it to the Apple store which is in . . . wait for it . . . wait for it . . . a shopping mall!

I've also noticed that many of the male contractors I encounter use iphones. These are guys who fix things for a living, but I don't think they are that techy in the computer-ish sense of the word, and they absolutely rely on their phones and need them to work easily and flawlessly.

I'm an android guy myself.
So true, most of iPhone users 85% are almost always completely not tech savvy. Think of a population of 65+ yo who can't use their computer well and swear off Windows OS.

Also, they repeat the same phrase over and over, "better security". Bla bla bla. It's like a sheep parroting non sense over and over. You haven't seen anyone here got hacked or it'll be all over the forum. You know anyone is affected? loool... I haven't gotten a single hack over what? probably 10 years of using Android OS now even if I use an outdated OS (4 years on Marshmallow).

Here, I am now with Android 10 enjoying a way more advanced OS compared to iOS.
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by LilyFleur »

baconavocado wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2019 6:15 pm I think iphones appeal to folks who aren't too techy, don't want to mess with anything to make it work, and just want it to be reliable. And who uses phones the most in your ecosystem? In mine, it's the women in my life. My wife gets a million texts a day and she's constantly in touch with her mother and female friends and relatives. And, at least in my experience, women do not like to fix things, they just want stuff to work. On the rare occasions when it doesn't work, they take it to the Apple store which is in . . . wait for it . . . wait for it . . . a shopping mall!

I've also noticed that many of the male contractors I encounter use iphones. These are guys who fix things for a living, but I don't think they are that techy in the computer-ish sense of the word, and they absolutely rely on their phones and need them to work easily and flawlessly.

I'm an android guy myself.
I'm an android girl myself.
Northern Flicker
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by Northern Flicker »

Simple answer: reliability. I’ve had two androids that failed in less than 18 months of usage, both highly recommended brands/models for reliability. My iPhone is still going strong after 3 years.
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by DJN »

Why did you choose an iPhone? Its an ok phone and does most things well. I get really fed up sometimes as it doesn't allow me to synchronise my Samsung smart watch which is way better than the Apple watch. There is no solution to this problem.
How often do you upgrade? Every year.
Why did you upgrade? Because I can and its free for me.
Have you ever used an Android OS based device, and if so, what do you like more about iOS versus that of Android? Sure, I still do. They have different purposes.
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by LuigiLikesPizza »

For me it goes all the way to the early 90s...lol - there were two environments for computing and one was friendlier to use. It has always been this way, IMO. I have tried to defect on several occasions and believe me, I have had my share of devices on other platforms, but I always return to the intuitive functionality of Apple products. I place a very high value on my time, so spending time on inferior devices is a losing game for me.

I am open to alternatives, but no one has topped them yet.
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by onourway »

baconavocado wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2019 7:52 pm
fareastwarriors wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2019 6:23 pm
baconavocado wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2019 6:15 pm I think iphones appeal to folks who aren't too techy, don't want to mess with anything to make it work, and just want it to be reliable. And who uses phones the most in your ecosystem? In mine, it's the women in my life. My wife gets a million texts a day and she's constantly in touch with her mother and female friends and relatives. And, at least in my experience, women do not like to fix things, they just want stuff to work. On the rare occasions when it doesn't work, they take it to the Apple store which is in . . . wait for it . . . wait for it . . . a shopping mall!

I've also noticed that many of the male contractors I encounter use iphones. These are guys who fix things for a living, but I don't think they are that techy in the computer-ish sense of the word, and they absolutely rely on their phones and need them to work easily and flawlessly.

I'm an android guy myself.

Many "techies" use iPhone here (SF Bay Area). Maybe I'm just meeting the wrong people.
Could be that their employer gives them a phone and their employer chose Apple. Also, there are a lot of people who work for tech companies that aren't necessarily what I'd call techy, e.g., marketing, design, customer relations, etc.

When I was working, the guys who worked in app development and IT support mostly used androids.
In my experience it’s the pseudo-techies who tend towards Android because if you have serious work to do, who wants to spend time customizing their phone?

And on a technical level, what Apple does, making a device with top of the line hardware, while remaining easy to use, AND incredibly secure is FAR more challenging than plopping an Android skin on some parts-bin hardware.
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by onourway »

I’ve been computing since the early ‘80’s. Work environment is entirely Windows computers and about 95% iPhones.

The innovation curve has certainly flattened out over the past few years, and with market saturation the prices for used iPhones has plummeted as well. For years we upgraded while selling the old models and the out of pocket cost was kept very low (under the old subsidized phone model you were essentially paying for a new phone every month as part of the bill so you might as well take the hardware).

Once they switched that model to paying full price we’ve backed off the upgrades a bit. We just upgraded a 6s and a 7 for an 11 and 11 Pro. Old devices still worked fine, and we liked carrying that size device better, but the upgrades, especially the camera upgrades, are substantial. With small kids around we have lots of opportunity to take pictures with kids in action and/or in low-light. The old cameras were basically worthless in those situations; the new ones are between passable and excellent. Well worth the amortized cost over several years for something we use heavily every day.
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by Fletch »

1. Why did you choose an iPhone?
2. How often do you upgrade?
3. Why did you upgrade?


1. My wife and I have had iPhones since the 4. My first Apple laptop (a work machine) was 1991. I have two personal Apple laptops presently (mid-2009 MacBook Pro which still works fine but will not run the last few operating system updates or 64 bit apps, and a 2018 MacBook Pro which is now my main laptop computer). I also have an Apple TV and an Airport router. Main reasons for iPhone is as other have detailed: stability, security, I trust Apple re privacy more than the other big tech companies, phones just work, compatability with my laptops, Apple TV and router - for example mail, photos, notes, spreadsheets, documents, music, etc. all sync automatically with the laptop without my having to jump through hoops. I can spend more time doing what I want on the phone without having to problem solve operating system or hardware issues. I also have had Windows desktops, the first a Gateway in 1998 and a Dell from about 10 years ago; I still have the Dell and have updated to Windows 10. Windows is great when it works and horrible when it has glitches which are far too frequent compared to the Apple products.

2. Usually get new phones every three years plus or minus one.

3. We both recently updated to the 11 Pro Max due to failing batteries in our former 6s and 7 Plus and still could get a hundred or two dollars for the old ones when traded in. The iPhone is my primary computer and screen size is important for aging eyes. I use the iPhone for email, web browsing, documents and spreadsheets, phone calls, camera, photos, shopping, music, podcasts, messaging, reading books, and a host of other things. The new phone is definitely pricy, but is an item that I do not mind paying for - that is, it is high value to me when considering price, quality, service and ease of use. It also has a fantastic camera! YMMV
Last edited by Fletch on Thu Oct 17, 2019 6:57 am, edited 2 times in total.
bluebolt
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by bluebolt »

Momus wrote: Thu Oct 17, 2019 1:51 am So true, most of iPhone users 85% are almost always completely not tech savvy. Think of a population of 65+ yo who can't use their computer well and swear off Windows OS.

Also, they repeat the same phrase over and over, "better security". Bla bla bla. It's like a sheep parroting non sense over and over. You haven't seen anyone here got hacked or it'll be all over the forum. You know anyone is affected? loool... I haven't gotten a single hack over what? probably 10 years of using Android OS now even if I use an outdated OS (4 years on Marshmallow).

Here, I am now with Android 10 enjoying a way more advanced OS compared to iOS.
Your made up stats are amusing.

As is your dismissal of security concerns. Most Android users are on versions of the OS that are two or more versions ago (https://developer.android.com/about/dashboards). If you don't think that presents major security issues, you are incorrect. And it also leads me to conclude that most Android users are not tech savvy, otherwise they wouldn't be on OS versions that are many years old.
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by Jack FFR1846 »

My previous employer issued phones to employees. They gave me a new (at the time) iPhone 4s. 4 years later, it was in perfect shape and still worked perfectly. I asked my employer if I could buy it as I was leaving. They gave it to me for free as the IT department feels anything more than 4 days old is obsolete.

A year ago, my present employer changed email systems and the 4s would not work as I needed IOS 12 or higher. I bought a "refurbished" 5s from Best buy with a case and new sim card for under $200. My employer pays up to $200 every 4 years for a new phone, so this was free.

As long as these phones remain free to me, I'll keep getting them. Pay $1000 for a stupid phone? Uh, I'm not an idiot.
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by mrmass »

I use both-I have an iPhone 8 plus (new to me) that is my daily driver. I also play around with various androids. Currently an LG V20. The droid
satisfy's my tinkering itch.

IMO, the iPhone is very well put together. OS updates come nicely. I have slightly more trust in Apple to do the right thing.

Also it feels like Microsoft develops more for Android (MS Apps that is). My Android has a tad better experiences when using Outlook, SharePoint, OneDrive, etc. A bit more features.
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by snackdog »

I've never purchased an iPhone (or any phone) because my employer provides them. But the iPhone 11 is the first I have ever coveted. I would love to be upgraded but that might require dropping my iPhone 8 in the toilet or something dumb. If not, I may purchase one because I want the upgraded camera.
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by bpp »

I switched from Android a couple of years ago when my phone started hanging up and freezing randomly. Walked into store planning to get a new Android, walked out with an iPhone. Main reason was price — the iPhone was cheaper than the equivalent-spec Android that I was interested in. Also, rest of my family had iPhones, so figured it might be convenient.

Impressions after 2 years:

Bad things about iPhones relative to Android:

—User interface is extremely unintuitive and hard to figure out, though I have had this complaint about Apple products since the Mac first came out. (Apple seems to have lost their way after the Apple II series.)

—Text editing in particular is needlessly difficult. Why are there no arrow keys on the keyboard??

—Switching languages on the keyboard is an inconsistent mess.

—File management is unnecessarily difficult, though slowly getting better.

—iMessage is terrible. Has to be the worst mail/message client I have used in almost 40 years of using computers. Second worst is the native Mail app. Fortunately, there are easy alternatives. For messaging I just use Line like everyone else, and for mail Gmail.

Good things about iPhones relative to Android:

—AirDrop is brilliant. Makes sharing photos among family members really easy.

—Something like at least 4 years’ worth of system upgrades and security updates. This long-term support is probably the most important feature to me, and the reason I tolerate all the misfeatures above.
Last edited by bpp on Thu Oct 17, 2019 7:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
OnceARunner
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Re: Why so many iPhones??? Why did you pick it? Why do you upgrade it?

Post by OnceARunner »

LoveTheBogle wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2019 4:00 pm

From the outside what I see are:
It has a single button.
The last 3 don't have a button at all.
It doesn't have an audio jack unless you want to pack a set of additional wires to use which are proprietary and expensive.
I have bluetooth headphones, AirPlay2, and wireless speakers and have no need for a jack. But Apple includes an adapter for free with the phones.
The operating system is proprietary. Apple implies security, privacy and safety but there is no guarantee that they provide those items.
The operating system, in my opinion, is extremely limiting to the end user (no customization).
I prefer the operating system of Apple and find it a much smoother experience than Androids I've used in the past. I'm not sure you've used iOS in a long time if you don't think there is a lot of customization available.
Last I checked it doesn't even have a file browser. When you download a PDF to read you have to find it within the PDF viewer. You can't reogranize files and folders how YOU want them because Apple knows best.
Proprietary, proprietary, proprietary.
iOS absolutely has a robust Files system and file browser. This confirms that you have not used or aren't familiar with later iOS versions.
Have you ever used an Android OS based device, and if so, what do you like more about iOS versus that of Android?[/b]
I have, and did not care for it. If I had to point to ONE thing, it would probably be that they generally stop receiving updates 2 years into their lifespan. I typically buy phones 2-3 years after they are released (I don't pay 1000 for that new iPhone when I upgrade...I generally pay around $300-400. But I know that I will continue to receive iOS updates for at least another 3 years after that.
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