Apple Fall Event: Gather Round - Live Discussion and pre-purchasing thread (1 Viewer)

[Clinton McClure]

iWant an Watch 4. (See what iDid there?) (<- And there?)

That being said, there’s no way I’m going to get WAF on a $400 watch (I don’t care about the cellular on it) after buying a Series 1 last year. The ability to take an ECG is a game-changer and kudos to Apple for bringing it to market. Your move, every other smart watch maker.

I was totally “meh” on the iPhones. I still love my 7+ and it works for everything I need it to. If I was shopping for a new phone this fall, I would probably buy the Xr, but I’m not in the market for at least another cycle.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Yes, small form factor phones are dead. People say they want em but not enough actually follow through and buy em.

I'm not sure it's fair to jump to that conclusion. I would think it's more likely perhaps that people who like small form factor phones probably overlap with people who do not wish to upgrade on an annual or semi-annual basis. Which would mean that, while they're happy the small form factor exists and plan on staying with that form when they need a new phone, that they're not actively looking to go out and buy a phone each year. So if Apple or any other company just looks at how many phones they're selling in a calendar year, or whether there's growth in that category on par with the categories of items that people want to replace on a year basis, it would make sense to me that the small form can't compete.

The SE is the perfect phone for a lot of people because it gets you off that merry-go-round of yearly upgrades and replacements. But that also means that people who buy them aren't going to be looking to get a new one each calendar year or even every other year. I don't think that means that people aren't interested, or that people who want them aren't following through in buying them; it's just that the people who buy them are probably not viewing an iPhone purchase as a yearly expenditure.

I don't know what I'm going to do when my MacBook Pro finally bites the dust, because Apple doesn't make a single product today that would serve as a replacement for the features I use most on it. Same with the iPhone. I don't know what I'd do after the iPhone SE stops working, because I'd prefer to stay in the Apple ecosystem, but the larger models hold no appeal for me.

 

[Carlo_M]

I've read all the updates on Macrumors, but I have not had time to watch the Keynote (work was packed). I'll try to watch it in the next day or so.

As of now, from what I've read, I will likely stand pat with my X (256GB). I'll own it outright by the time the XI (I assume) comes out in October 2019 so I'll have a solid backup and for funsies device in late 2019 to go with my XI. There was nothing in the Xs that has me wanting to spend $1500 (I'd be buying the largest memory size offered).

I am 100% sold on Apple Watch Series 4. ECG is 100% awesome feature. As I hit mid-life, even though I'm in pretty decent health, I've definitely noticed I'm not 18 anymore, and anything that helps me track my health and enables my doctor and health provider to make better informed decisions based on data...I'm sold.

Now comes the task I like least: deciding size, color, band, etc. iPhones are easy: max memory, black (okay, Space Grey). Watch...ugh...I hate shopping.

 

[Carlo_M]

I will also give myself a potential out: reading things online versus seeing how something works can inspire very different reactions. If after watching the Keynote something truly stands out in the Xs as a must have, then maybe I'll spring for it.

I don't think my hesitancy at upgrading is a criticism on the Xs, rather I think it's a testament to how well made the X was. As a long time iPhone purchaser, I've never been so satisfied with one as much as I have been with the X.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I don't think my hesitancy at upgrading is a criticism on the Xs, rather I think it's a testament to how well made the X was.

That makes a tremendous amount of sense to me.

I think Apple would like us all to be excited about buying a new phone every single year, or at least, every other year. But they're making quality products that have a longer lifespan than that, and to a certain extent, it seems the big game changing innovations have already happened. We can now buy tiny computers more powerful than what NASA used to send a man to the moon, we can do it for under $1000, and they fit in your pocket. They all have cameras and video recording devices, can be used to talk or text, can be used to play back pre-recorded media like music and movies, can surf the web, etc., etc. I don't mean to take away from the power of the incremental improvements because they are clearly improving what's under the hood. The question is just, does it matter the average consumer to get each of those upgrades, or to upgrade when the phone as a whole breaks or no longer meets their needs? And it would seem that it takes a long time for a phone to become truly obsolete vs. just not being top of the line anymore.

Bottom line, if they make a quality product, and what we use that product for doesn't really change, there's less of a compelling reason to upgrade as frequently, and that has nothing to do with Apple suddenly not making good stuff, but just that it's a lot of money for improvements that many people won't really notice or feel.

 

[JohnRice]

Not today

Well, mine was introduced in November, so there’s still hope for this year.

 

[Clinton McClure]

Now comes the task I like least: deciding size, color, band, etc. iPhones are easy: max memory, black (okay, Space Grey). Watch...ugh...I hate shopping.

If I were to buy a Series 4, I would go straight for the 44mm silver aluminum GPS sport model. My Series 1 is the 42mm silver aluminum sport model and the face could stand to be just a big larger.

 

[Mark Booth]

I'm going to buy the iPhone XS in 256GB. It's the same price as the original iPhone X with faster CPU & GPU and improved camera features. My iPhone 6 is really getting long in tooth. I'll maybe keep it on the plan for my wife if I can convince her to carry a mobile phone. If I decide to do that, I'll pay the $29 for a genuine Apple battery upgrade.

Now, when I stay up until midnight tomorrow night to order, fingers crossed there aren't server issues. I suspect very few people will upgrade from iPhone X to XS. That should lighten the early demand. But I *have* read that there are a LOT of iPhone 6, 7 and 8 owners that are waiting to upgrade this year. We'll see.

Mark

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I hope to never, ever, ever pay more than $1,000 for a phone. I got my Galaxy S7 for $240 via a Verizon Wireless Black Friday deal a couple years back, and I thought that was an outrageous amount to pay for a phone.

 

[TonyD]

Unless you’re getting phones from private sellers or lower level brands those days are gone.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I'm going to buy the iPhone XS in 256GB. It's the same price as the original iPhone X with faster CPU & GPU and improved camera features. My iPhone 6 is really getting long in tooth. I'll maybe keep it on the plan for my wife if I can convince her to carry a mobile phone. If I decide to do that, I'll pay the $29 for a genuine Apple battery upgrade.

Now, when I stay up until midnight tomorrow night to order, fingers crossed there aren't server issues. I suspect very few people will upgrade from iPhone X to XS. That should lighten the early demand. But I *have* read that there are a LOT of iPhone 6, 7 and 8 owners that are waiting to upgrade this year. We'll see.

Mark

I own iPhone 6 that I'll probably have the battery exchanged because it's not holding a charge as long as it should. I'll probably wait until next year to upgrade my phone as I like the idea of not having to play monthly charges to own a phone.

 

[DaveF]

My iPhone 8+ is too big; I don’t love it. I’d like very much to upgrade early to the iPhone Excess. But: $999. A year after buying an $800 device. And though I don’t use portrait much, having it makes me loathe to lose it with a “downgrade” to the iPhone Exer. I’ll probably stay the course, and upgrade in 2019 on my normal two year schedule. Even though I’m impatient...

My wife wants the Watch 4. I’d get her 3. I use her old original version as a fitness tracker, which I’ve come to like but it’s pulse rate monitor is garbage for half my workouts for unknown reasons. So that makes me want to upgrade to a 4 as well. But, expensive fitness tracker.

Too many toys...

 

[Nelson Au]

This conversation reminds me of the olden days of 2000. Back then I was at a design firm that worked on the Palm V and then the company split and formed the company Handspring and they made the Treo. This is one of the early PDA cellphones on the market. I remember thinking, why would anyone want to put such a large thing to my face to make phone calls. One of the options of course then was to use a headset. And now we’re totally at ease with the larger phones. I think the main difference now is the large screens we have and the user interface is massively improved. One can be so much more productive with the modern phones.

For me, my iPhone X is a part of my job. I use it for reading emails and texting co-workers. It’s great to use for reviewing images. I work in tech, and in Silicon Valley. It’s tough not to be caught up in the excitement of the newest iPhones. And Apple Watch. So the new iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max is tempting. But it’s totally nuts after a year to upgrade. I know of course that for many, it’s not nuts amd it’s cool to be up on the latest.

I’m really tempted by the Max. Though when the iPhone 6 Plus was first released, I felt that was too big and the regular 6 was a good size, I used that for three years. The iPhone X is smaller then the Plus but the screen is larger then the Plus and the beautiful screen is one of the elements that makes the iPhone X so nice.

On the Apple Watch, my watch is a first generation, a Series 0. So i’m Really excited to upgrade. I don’t need cellular, but that’s ok to have it if I need it. What I’m liking is having a water proof watch. My Swiss mechanical watch which I wear on the other wrist is great for water proofness and time telling. I’m excited about the activity measuring abilities of the watch and I use it primarily as a workout tool. The ECG is a very nice addition. With the new 30% larger screen, I have to think the 40mm would be good. I wear the 42mm now. The 44mm sounds and looks big.

It would be great if the Apple Stores have the new iPhones and Apple Watches on hand in stores this week so we could see and try before pre-order day.

 

[Nelson Au]

I forgot to add, the eSIM, thing. That could be a very cool feature to have. I don’t always go overseas, but it’s always a fact of the job that a trip to China is going to be a strong possibility. So it would be nice to use the other sim for that. I’ll have to gather more intelligence about that.

 

[Dave Scarpa]

I realize this won't be a popular comment, but I am so glad that when my phone died earlier this year, that I went with the iPhone SE. The SE does everything I need, and these new items don't appeal to me. I'm glad I didn't try to hold out in anticipation of something I would like better than SE, because right now, that doesn't seem to exist.

i have an SE pretty nice phone with the 128gb A9 chip and headphone jack, if i upgrade to anything this year it will be to a 128gb Xr

 

[Carlo_M]

I am not a big man, so I will have to check it out in-store before I decide. When I tried out last year's models, the largest one looked a little unwieldy on my wrist, so I may end up getting the smaller one.

The best reason for me to wait until next year's XI is...I will be able to tell my friends "this goes to eleven!"

 

[DaveF]

The best reason for me to wait until next year's XI is...I will be able to tell my friends "this goes to eleven!"

If Apple goes to counting in Roman Numerals, I’m switching to Blackberry!

 

[Clinton McClure]

If Apple goes to counting in Roman Numerals, I’m switching to Blackberry!

The X is for Ten so you’re already there, Dave.

 

[JQuintana]

Am I remembering right that back in the earlier days of smartphones when folks like Samsung and other Android phone makers were enlarging their screens many Apple fans were very firm and vocal in their belief that NOBODY wanted a larger phone and phones like the S3 and 4 or similar phones and they saying they were too big to comfortably use and hold? Now Apple wants to make huge phones that many will struggle to use one handled but many Apple fans are saying it's the best thing ever to go bigger?

For me the S8 is a good size for me but I wouldn't mind going a bit bigger if I ever opt to update.

 

[Nelson Au]

I was hoping that someone here might be able to help me understand the dual SIM feature in the new Xs and Xs Max. This is all new to me.

I tried to research it last night. Best I can tell is there are cellular iPads now that have this function and an Apple eSIM is a chip embedded on the motherboard in the iPad. When you activate cellular the on-board Apple eSIM is enabled. Then you can add a second SIM for another line or use overseas.

The way Schiller explained it yesterday, it read like a special Apple eSIM is used in a slot on the side of the iPhone Xs and Xs Max. Then a second SIM can be used for a second line or overseas. The second SIM slot is necessary for China that has not approved the use of eSIM. So a standard nano SIM fits there. So the iPhone Xs and Xs Max has two SIM slots. Is that right or do I have it wrong?

Thanks!