The Apple Thread

[Robin]

This always happens, putting a new iOS on hardware not designed for it results in it being slow and buggy even if it meets the minimum requirements to run. I remember when they moved devices from iOS 6 to 7 there were loads of problems. There have been rumours Apple do it on purpose to subconsciously push you to buy the newer model.

 

[F1GTR]

As expected, there are still a few bugs with iOS 8, SwiftKey is slow to pop up at times (and content doesn't scroll up automatically when it does) and a few apps are broken, but I'm loving the extra control I get in VSCOcam now. Even the default camera app gives you more control.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

I'm loving the extra control I get in VSCOcam now.

Haha, that's the only reason I'm even bothering to update to iOS 8 on my 4S. Hopefully it goes alright, my phone is in great condition still (despite the fact that I don't have a case for it) and has never really experienced any slowdowns since I purchased it shortly after it was released.

 

[Sprite]

Yeah, but there must've been at least some testing and validation to confirm that the hardware of the 4S is sufficient for iOS 8. I think it's also in the interest in Apple to provide an update that works (especially after the desaster that was iOS 6) on all platform that are able to update to iOS 8. If the hardware isn't enough then sorry, then I'm not saying it will work. It was the same with Android 4.4, it was much more resource friendly so the Nexus 4 (and similar speced Moto G) can run it no problem, and people of the Note 2 and so on were left out because the hardware (apparently) wasn't enough.

Oh well, I couldn't care less to be honest, but it's just sad that the consumer is inactively forced to buy a newer device to get the full experience out of iOS8.

Well it looks like Ars have had a look into the 4S and potential issues people may run into. You may want to read before upgrading.

http://arstechnica.com/apple/2014/09/ios-8-on-the-iphone-4s-performance-isnt-the-only-problem/

 

[E28]

Oh well, I couldn't care less to be honest, but it's just sad that the consumer is inactively forced to buy a newer device to get the full experience out of iOS8.

The 4S is 3 years old now, and people typically keep their phones for about 2 years. It's also way behind the current iPhones, and is a lot less powerful. There are some features that it just won't be able to support, because it doesn't have the power, or hardware, and why should the new phones be held back in features by an old one?

By the way, I say this as someone who currently owns a 4S, and I'm holding back on upgrading to iOS 8. Although I do hope to get an iPhone 6 when my contract runs out...

 

[20832]

The 4S is 3 years old now, and people typically keep their phones for about 2 years. It's also way behind the current iPhones, and is a lot less powerful. There are some features that it just won't be able to support, because it doesn't have the power, or hardware, and why should the new phones be held back in features by an old one?

By the way, I say this as someone who currently owns a 4S, and I'm holding back on upgrading to iOS 8. Although I do hope to get an iPhone 6 when my contract runs out...

"...and why should the new phones be held back in features by an old phone?"

The biggest gripe I have with this is, that Apple knows that the 4S is far behind the 5 and especially the 6, so why bothering to supply it with iOS 8 when it wouldn't run properly anyways?

 

[Mikeybc]

I updated my iPhone 4s yesterday (from iOS 6.xx), the 4s runs iOS 8 better than my old iphone 4 ran iOS 7...no lag at all when typing, even using swiftkey, though as said above swiftkey takes maybe 2 seconds for the keyboard to appear. There is a minor lag here or there (1 of maybe 5 times) when swiping the lock screen to get in but otherwise no issues. Icon animations are smooth. Think it's the performance geeks who think a 500 millisecond lag or an app that takes a second or two longer to open renders the phone unusable....it's really not that bad. So far I'm quite happy with iOS 8

 

[JAHHAJ]

I reserved a 16GB silver iPhone 6 last week, I'm going to pick it up tomorrow, I'm trading in my iPhone 5 16GB and I have a couple of questions. 1. Should I do a data reset before I take it into Apple? 2. Since I'm using the same SIM card, should I take it out before I go to the Apple Store or should I just tell Apple I want to keep my SIM and let them take it out?

 

[Sprite]

Well I've shot myself in the foot. I've switched providers from Orange/EE to Three. I forgot to have my iPhone 5 unlocked before my contract was canceled, I've got a funny feeling they're not going to oblige in unlocking it now.

I'm pretty angry with myself for forgetting this major step.

I'm really enjoying iOS8 on the iPad.

 

[GBO Possum]

I reserved a 16GB silver iPhone 6 last week, I'm going to pick it up tomorrow, I'm trading in my iPhone 5 16GB and I have a couple of questions. 1. Should I do a data reset before I take it into Apple? 2. Since I'm using the same SIM card, should I take it out before I go to the Apple Store or should I just tell Apple I want to keep my SIM and let them take it out?

1. Yes, you should wipe the old phone.
2. I don't know about the SIM card, but if it's going into the new phone, I'd have them do it in front of me, just to verify. I have no idea why I say this, so call me paranoid.

 

[FoRiZon]

As expected, there are still a few bugs with iOS 8, SwiftKey is slow to pop up at times (and content doesn't scroll up automatically when it does) and a few apps are broken, but I'm loving the extra control I get in VSCOcam now. Even the default camera app gives you more control.

Speaking of SwiftKey, did it feature the same feature from Android counterpart and when it works, does it has the same performance?

 

[Sprite]

I know a few are wondering how the iPhone 6 is going to cope with photos and videos. Well enjoy..

http://austinmann.com/trek/iphone-6-plus-camera-review-iceland

 

[F1GTR]

Speaking of SwiftKey, did it feature the same feature from Android counterpart and when it works, does it has the same performance?

Don't know about Android since I don't use it, but when it does pop up it's as responsive as the standard iOS keyboard (i.e, very).

 

[KM964]

I got my 6 around noon today. It fits pretty good inside my hand, reaching doesn't seem to be a problem. The fingerprint scanner is pretty cool. The screen is a bit more bright and vibrant than my 5. Audio sounds pretty similar to my iPad Mini, a good thing. Overall, I REALLY like it.

Just waiting on my case and screen protectors from eBay, since Apple's cases are sold out until October apparently.

 

[JAHHAJ]

I got my 6 just before noon, going back and forth between the Apple shop and various other places that buy phone was a hassle but, eventually a good deal was found and I managed to get my phone just before noon. I like it a lot, not a massive step up from my 5 but a big enough one, I like it a lot but I wouldn't want it any bigger, it nearly feels too big in my hand.

It's been insured and now just waiting on a case which has been pre-ordered from Amazon, it would've been bought of the Otterbox website but on there you have to pay 20% VAT and a delivery fee because for some reason you can't have standard delivery and I'm not paying an extra £35 for a case that's worth £25, so I can't take my phone to College until that comes.

 

[Bram Turismo]

The 4S is 3 years old now, and people typically keep their phones for about 2 years.

I'm still rocking a 3GS in perfect condition. Possibly the best piece of hardware I have ever owned in my life.

I don't want to sound like an Apple fanboy, which I'm not, but everyone at work has Android phones they constantly send in for repairs. One of my colleagues has a 1-year old S3 that he has had in for repair twice because of a broken microphone. One other colleague was fed up with his Samsung and got himself an iPhone 4S. And the other one ruined her Alcatel screen after having had it for 2 weeks.

And yet I'm still using a 5-year old 3GS that I've only had to change the battery once with.

I'm refusing to upgrade my 3GS until the day it dies.

 

[Keef]

I'm still rocking a 3GS in perfect condition. Possibly the best piece of hardware I have ever owned in my life.

I don't want to sound like an Apple fanboy, which I'm not, but everyone at work has Android phones they constantly send in for repairs. One of my colleagues has a 1-year old S3 that he has had in for repair twice because of a broken microphone. One other colleague was fed up with his Samsung and got himself an iPhone 4S. And the other one ruined her Alcatel screen after having had it for 2 weeks.

And yet I'm still using a 5-year old 3GS that I've only had to change the battery once with.

I'm refusing to upgrade my 3GS until the day it dies.

I can't vouch for Apple being bulletproof though because they aren't. I've had two 4S phones where the earpiece speaker has quit working. I had my old one replace for free one day out of warranty.

Nevertheless, any reliability concern (they're all technology and we all know technology sucks) is a non-issue because Apple products are still the best designed, most efficient and highest quality products on the market. For something that I had in my hand and use so often, I expect the best and am willing to pay for it.

 

[Danoff]

Apple products are still the best designed, most efficient and highest quality products on the market. For something that I had in my hand and use so often, I expect the best and am willing to pay for it.

uh.... what? No. Apple products are largely window dressing. My wife has an iphone 4S and a Nexus 4. She uses the Nexus 4 for everything and hates the 4S. I've tried to use her 4S and I have to say it's years behind the N4.

Also my N4 is has been a rock solid piece of hardware, so has hers. My HTC G3 before that refused to die no matter what I did to it.

Edit:

I just told my wife this story, which she enjoyed, and asked if she could imagine paying MORE for the iphone 4s than the N4. She said she couldn't imagine paying anything for the 4S. She has to use both regularly.

 

[cbarbosa]

Felow members,

Besides the known issues of iOS8 update already reported, does anyone with an Ipad has noticed that its way slower after the update? I notice a lot in Safari, in many situations, my browser stops responding and everything else, including Ipad itself stops working...

Thanks in advance.

 

[Aki Ko]

I don't own a iPhone and probably won't, but I'm really surprised at this


Are people that willing to wait for THREE WEEKS... THREE weeks for a phone? I mean... that's just crazy.

 

[Grayfox]

This is why they call it a cult.

 

[F1GTR]

And every company and advertising agency in the world is incredibly frustrated that their own work doesn't elicit such hysteria amongst the media and the general population. It's quite remarkable really. I could be considered an Apple fanboy but there's no way I'd queue up like that!

 

[Dan]

I'm an Apple user, but you would NEVER see me wait outside a building for a month just to get a stupid piece of plastic. Ever. These people are out of their minds.

 

[Cobra_GT500]

So is it worth getting an iPhone 6? I'm on a iPhone 4S quite happy with it. But thinking about upgrading and changing phone providers. Its either to a 6 or a htc.

 

[KM964]

So is it worth getting an iPhone 6? I'm on a iPhone 4S quite happy with it. But thinking about upgrading and changing phone providers. Its either to a 6 or a htc.

Upgrading from a 4S to a 6 is definitely worth it. You'll love the improved camera, bigger screen, fingerprint scanner, and the thinner build.

Felow members,

Besides the known issues of iOS8 update already reported, does anyone with an Ipad has noticed that its way slower after the update? I notice a lot in Safari, in many situations, my browser stops responding and everything else, including Ipad itself stops working...

Thanks in advance.

Which iPad do you have? I'm running iOS 8 on a first-gen Mini, no problems.

 

[Keef]

My wife has an iphone 4S and a Nexus 4.

The Nexus 4 should be a better phone than the 4S. It debuted a year after the 4S, which obviously is based on the 4 which debuted another year earlier. The Nexus 4 succeeded the Nexus which debuted at the same time as the 4S but the Nexus 4 isn't based on the Nexus, it's based on a different LG phone which debuted at the same time as itself. Effectively, the Nexus 4 is a two-year newer design than the 4s.

But if the Nexus 4 is that much better then the 4S, why did LG manufacture it for less than a year while Apple manufactured the 4S for nearly 3, having discontinued it 11 days ago? Is competition too rough or did they not design it to be upgradable over a long life? I suppose they could have simply designed a magnificent piece of hardware with timeless design and then improved every aspect of it over the years through software upgrades? Did they do that?

Don't even get me started on the iPhone 5's milled aluminum frame. Chipping it is a privilege. I've got friends who filed down their chips and then polished the frame. As a matter of fact, one of them has polished the metal parts of every iPhone he's owned, just because he could. That's like a classic Bentley, where the brightwork is real metal, not coated plastic.

 

[KM964]

I got some time to use my 6's camera today. The panoramic ability has been greatly improved and is now pretty much seamless (compared to several obvious seams on my 5). I also got some shots in different lighting conditions. Also, these are right off of the phone. The only thing I had to do was rotate two of the pictures, which I did with PS CS6.


I'll start with the panorama.

Next is this rusty VW Bus. The camera captured the colors very well on this.

Next up, low light in a parking garage.

Detail.

Break in the clouds, so full-on sun on this Scuderia. Very vibrant red, very deep blacks. No color bleeding.

Last one, overcast skies plus focusing on an object at a distance. I was standing about 7-10 feet away from this statue of Kennedy. Despite that and the clouds, the browns came out very deep and rich, and the details of Kennedy are pretty sharp.

 

[Keef]

That top pano looks oddly good considering the different lighting across the frame. Does the new camera automatically adjust the exposure while taking the pano? I know my 4S sure doesn't and it's a real pain sometimes.

 

[Grayfox]

Does apple know which way is up now or are they still spatially unaware

 

[Danoff]

The Nexus 4 should be a better phone than the 4S. It debuted a year after the 4S, which obviously is based on the 4 which debuted another year earlier. The Nexus 4 succeeded the Nexus which debuted at the same time as the 4S but the Nexus 4 isn't based on the Nexus, it's based on a different LG phone which debuted at the same time as itself. Effectively, the Nexus 4 is a two-year newer design than the 4s.

It certainly feels like it. I'd take a Nexus over a 4S too though. The thing is, why were people paying more for the 4S when we bought the N4 if it was so obviously a better phone? My wife received her 4S well after the N4 was purchased. It was the best apple had to offer, and so it was chosen for her over obviously superior hardware.

But if the Nexus 4 is that much better then the 4S, why did LG manufacture it for less than a year while Apple manufactured the 4S for nearly 3, having discontinued it 11 days ago?

Because the android side is innovating quickly while the apple side relies on fanatics to continue purchasing outdated equipment at premium prices.

Is competition too rough or did they not design it to be upgradable over a long life?

Still love the N4, no plans to buy a new phone. I've gotten several OS upgrades and tons of new features over its long life.

I suppose they could have simply designed a magnificent piece of hardware with timeless design and then improved every aspect of it over the years through software upgrades? Did they do that?

No, but then neither did Apple. The iphone is pretty awful compared to the other phones on the market. It's not a timeless design, it's a dated design that really feels antiquated and frustrating to someone who is used to the capabilities that other phones have to offer.

Don't even get me started on the iPhone 5's milled aluminum frame. Chipping it is a privilege. I've got friends who filed down their chips and then polished the frame. As a matter of fact, one of them has polished the metal parts of every iPhone he's owned, just because he could. That's like a classic Bentley, where the brightwork is real metal, not coated plastic.

That's just silly. This isn't a Bently. At this stage in the technological development, phones just don't last. Not because they're cheap or flimsy (some are), but because innovation is marching along too fast. The latest features are lighyears ahead in very short order. Cars haven't been developing at that kind of game changing pace (although, interestingly, vehicle development is accelerating). A car used to be something that you bought and repaired and held. It was an expensive purchase and it needed to last. It was made to endure because that's what customers wanted. But customers don't want to hold on to their phone for 10 years or even 5. They want the new hotness the moment it comes out, and phones have been inexpensive enough that they can afford to do just that.