I have a three-year-old iPhone 5s 16GB on which the home button recently quit working. Thankfully, that happened before I upgraded to iOS 10, where the slick and functional "swipe to unlock" changed into the brain-dead "press home to open." However, the phone is now bricked because I subsequently tried to do a restore from backup, which can't be completed in iOS 10 if the home button doesn't work. Apple's only solution is to have the phone repaired for $130 plus tax.
The other problem is that 16GB is tight these days, so I took that and the broken home button as motivation to look at upgrades. I've been "test driving" an iPhone 7 and iPhone SE for a few days now.
The 7 is nicer in many ways, but being used to the 5s, comfort is not one of them. Even though I possibly have Trump-sized hands, using the 4.7" iPhone 7 isn't comfortably a one-handed operation. The larger screen is nice, but only noticeable in certain applications (ForeFlight is one of them--it may actually be somewhat usable on the 4.7" screen). For what I do most, emails and web browsing, the larger screen doesn't seem to provide much benefit, probably because I end up zooming to read text anyway. The screen is slightly brighter, and appears to have better viewing angles and possibly better (though noticeably different) color rendition. If the phone is not in a case, the camera bump on the back is a major annoyance, because the phone won't sit flat on a desk or table. Similarly, the new non-mechanical home button and haptic feedback works well in the hand but not as well when the phone is resting on a table. Battery life in mixed use can range from 6 - 8.5 hours, which is better than the 5s but not nearly as good as the SE, which hits 9 - 11 hours in my testing. Note that my testing consists mainly of managing emails and web browsing, so the screen is nearly always active during those activities. The larger screen definitely consumes more power when it's active. No headphone jack means you can't charge the phone while using wired headphones. Dust and water resistance of the iPhone 7 is nice, but may not matter to some folks.
As a road warrior, I must have a smartphone for work. I thought that perhaps the 4.7" screen would make some work-related tasks easier, and perhaps it does. The trade-off comes in the loss of quick one-handed operation for other tasks. On the road, battery life is king, but the SE easily bests the 7 in that regard. The SE is also much easier to use and manipulate with only one hand. And its roughly $300 cheaper.
In short, if I had a 6 or 6s I probably wouldn't upgrade. I'm tempted with the 5s because I'd get more storage and increased battery life, but I can get both of those with the SE for under $500 out the door. I'm undecided as to whether the 4.7" iPhone 7 would be able to stand in for an iPad for some activities or not. The smaller SE certainly isn't as suitable in that regard.
As for Apple under Tim Cook, I agree that he's not a visionary, and his reported management style is unlikely to drive serious innovation or inspire greatness. However, the quality of Apple's hardware, OS, and app ecosystem are still light-years ahead of the competition, and they have taken a clear and determined position on personal privacy and security. Until someone who cares enough really steps up their game, Apple's incremental changes are likely to keep them ahead.
JKG
The other problem is that 16GB is tight these days, so I took that and the broken home button as motivation to look at upgrades. I've been "test driving" an iPhone 7 and iPhone SE for a few days now.
The 7 is nicer in many ways, but being used to the 5s, comfort is not one of them. Even though I possibly have Trump-sized hands, using the 4.7" iPhone 7 isn't comfortably a one-handed operation. The larger screen is nice, but only noticeable in certain applications (ForeFlight is one of them--it may actually be somewhat usable on the 4.7" screen). For what I do most, emails and web browsing, the larger screen doesn't seem to provide much benefit, probably because I end up zooming to read text anyway. The screen is slightly brighter, and appears to have better viewing angles and possibly better (though noticeably different) color rendition. If the phone is not in a case, the camera bump on the back is a major annoyance, because the phone won't sit flat on a desk or table. Similarly, the new non-mechanical home button and haptic feedback works well in the hand but not as well when the phone is resting on a table. Battery life in mixed use can range from 6 - 8.5 hours, which is better than the 5s but not nearly as good as the SE, which hits 9 - 11 hours in my testing. Note that my testing consists mainly of managing emails and web browsing, so the screen is nearly always active during those activities. The larger screen definitely consumes more power when it's active. No headphone jack means you can't charge the phone while using wired headphones. Dust and water resistance of the iPhone 7 is nice, but may not matter to some folks.
As a road warrior, I must have a smartphone for work. I thought that perhaps the 4.7" screen would make some work-related tasks easier, and perhaps it does. The trade-off comes in the loss of quick one-handed operation for other tasks. On the road, battery life is king, but the SE easily bests the 7 in that regard. The SE is also much easier to use and manipulate with only one hand. And its roughly $300 cheaper.
In short, if I had a 6 or 6s I probably wouldn't upgrade. I'm tempted with the 5s because I'd get more storage and increased battery life, but I can get both of those with the SE for under $500 out the door. I'm undecided as to whether the 4.7" iPhone 7 would be able to stand in for an iPad for some activities or not. The smaller SE certainly isn't as suitable in that regard.
As for Apple under Tim Cook, I agree that he's not a visionary, and his reported management style is unlikely to drive serious innovation or inspire greatness. However, the quality of Apple's hardware, OS, and app ecosystem are still light-years ahead of the competition, and they have taken a clear and determined position on personal privacy and security. Until someone who cares enough really steps up their game, Apple's incremental changes are likely to keep them ahead.
JKG
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