Let's Talk Tech
I’m on a quest to stay connected, but I want to handle my phone less. Where I was somewhat disappointed with recent changes to iOS, I was hoping the Apple Watch would deliver more organic interactions. Did it live up to my expectations? Of course it did!
But that price tag though…
Let’s take a look! Continue reading “Apple Watch Series 4 LONG Term Review: The cure for the common iPhone…”
When a new phone is announced, manufacturers often point to improvements like new processors and GPUs as things consumers desire. We want more powerful gadgets, but what does that really mean? What do we actually get with these generational improvements?
More gratifying benchmark scores don’t correlate with performance improvements for your favorite services.
Continue reading “What do we really get from “more powerful” smartphone processors?”
Better Siri support! Better audio quality! An optional wireless charging case for $40!
But, I’m sad to see the same “open ear” design, which does nothing to block or reduce surrounding noise.
As rates of hearing loss continue to rise in all age demographics (but fastest in kids in young adults), it’s always worth pushing back against a fashion trend, and sharing good data with people you care about.
Even though they look ridiculous, and will make you go deaf sooner, it’s pretty likely that the AirPods2 will be one of the most popular wireless headphone solutions of the year. If that’s the case, we can at least share tips and tricks on how to use these earbuds (and Apple’s wired EarPods, and Google’s lame PixelBuds) as safely as possible. I made a video on setting volume limits in iOS, to show where those volume and normalizing settings live on your iPhone.
And for more information on hearing loss, please check out my interview with Dr. Alison Grimes, head of Audiology at UCLA.
Remember, once you damage your ears, they never really fully heal or recover. Even if your hearing is already damaged, it can always get worse. And, while BT headsets are relatively cheap and convenient, hearing aids often cost around $5000 a pair, and usually aren’t covered by insurance.
Listen healthier. Listen happier.
Every manufacturer makes claims about their products, but Apple is makes a HUGE claim about their smaller, premium, iPhone XS by attaching a HUGE price tag. Judging value is extremely difficult (and often very personal), but let’s break down the pros and cons one month later. Does the iPhone XS live up to its price tag? Continue reading “iPhone XS One Month Later: Good Phone, POOR Value”
Just got my iPhone SE back from the Geniuses, and all is right with the world.
Apple got into trouble for throttling performance on iPhones as their batteries aged. It was a reprehesible business practice disguised as a consumer experience “benefit”. Apple installed a meager battery capacity, basically the bare minimum size battery your phone would need to last the day brand new. As those batteries aged, they would no longer power your phone completely through the day.
Instead of disclosing this, Apple’s “solution” was a special (low) performance mode baked into iOS. Apple activated this mode with no user notifications or permissions. At around the one year mark, your phone would get slower based on the wear and tear on the battery. Right around the time you might be looking to shop a new phone, if you like to stay on the leading edge of Apple hardware…
This was a consumer hostile move towards planned obsolescence, and it isn’t the first time Apple has had issues with phone batteries. This manufacturer ignored iPhone 5 problems until the weight of a class action lawsuit forced Apple to address the issue out of warranty. Of course, by the time the iPhone 5 issues had been disclosed, the iPhone 6 had already launched. Wouldn’t it just be EASIER to get a shiny new phone then deal with a battery warranty issue on your OLD iPhone?
The situation with performance throttling was a bigger deal still, spanning SEVERAL generations of iPhones. The resolution? A cheaper out of warranty replacement for anyone affected (basically everyone who owned an iPhone). From the iPhone 6 to the iPhone X, you can get your battery replaced for $29, instead of the normal price of $79. The price on this repair jumps to $49 after December 31st on all phones except the iPhone X which jumps to $69.
Of course, Apple hasn’t made a lot of noise about this replacement program. Your phone doesn’t alert you in any way. You have to dig into the iPhone settings to see your battery health, but it’s not like there’s a link to schedule a service appointment there. You have to know where and what you’re looking for on the Apple Support site to get the right info, which I’ll just go ahead and link directly, right here.
There was a brief flutter of discussion about this issue in the general media. Tech enthusiasts held on to this conversation a little longer. What’s disturbing though, this replacement program has reached NONE of my family and friends using iPhones.
Aunts. Cousins. Grandparents. I’ve sent roughly twenty people to the Genius Bar, but each one of them had to be told and reminded about this situation individually. Every single one of them has decided to hold off on a future iPhone purchase. Before the replacement they were all complaining about terrible performance. With a new battery, it’s like their phones are brand new again. Why spend more money on a new phone, when their old phone FEELS new again. It’s almost like you could make a business model out of breaking a consumer’s gadget, and charge them to fix what you broke… Apple would never do that right?
If you’re reading a cranky editorial like this, you’re probably a little tech savvier than the average bear. It’s also VERY likely that you’re a resource for your family and friends when it comes to making future tech purchases. I think all of us gadget enthusiasts have a responsibility here. The message on this battery replacement program really didn’t break through to general consumers. With only two and a half months left for this program, I would highly encourage all of us techie folks to reach out to our family and friends. Make sure the people we know personally are aware of this program, and are able to take advantage of it before the price hikes.
Everyone I’ve encouraged to do this replacement has felt better about a $30 battery, than having to buy a more expensive new phone.
Synthetic benchmark scores don’t always reflect real world performance. App speed runs look fun, don’t actually measure performance. What are some tests we can perform to gauge improvements from year to year on our electronics? How can we compare processing power looking at the differences between Android and iOS?
Continue reading “How should we benchmark the iPhone XS (and every other phone)?”
Coming from an iPhone SE as my daily iOS driver, it’s really tough to beat the convenience and security of Touch ID. I was hoping that one year after the iPhone X launch, Face ID would be smarter or easier to use, but no. Face ID is still really dumb.
Continue reading “Face ID is still SUPER dumb…”
Cleaning up iOS 12!
Minimizing distractions on our tech is becoming increasingly important. A whole new conversation surrounding digital health is starting. Apple has delivered new software to help you track your use, but we still haven’t addressed the basics. Apple’s software is a mess of icons, with terrible organization tools.
Without jail breaking, how can we fix this up a LITTLE so our phones are cleaner and easier to use?
Continue reading “iOS is a MESS! Cleaning up my iPhone XS…”