Thinking about a new iPhone

Ted DuPuis said:
So the compare on the Verizon site doesn't give me much useful... what are the extras that the Pro has over the base 11?
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I got the Pro over the 11 both for the size (smaller) and for the third telephoto camera. The telephoto is nice to have, but it is obviously not near as good as on a "real" camera. Otherwise, the quality of the pictures are great. Not sure how it compares with the base model, though. One thing I have noticed is that the image stabilization works really well. This video was hand shot by me, standing on the deck of a boat. You can see the waves we were encountering, but the video is rock steady.

 
Ok, let's look at this from another angle (pun intended)...

Wait, this is going to require a new thread.
 
Since I feel snarky tonight.....

Which one comes with the Tesla attachment? :D
 
I've had a Motorola flip phone for the past 10 or 12 years - until yesterday when my first-to-me smartphone was delivered. I got the 11Pro for the smaller size and the camera. I've been very impressed with some of the photos posted on the web, and so far have been impressed with how easy it is to use. I like having the wide angle, and the camera seems to handle low light very well. I also like the wireless charger, but I'm not sure how new that feature is.

I'll still plan to use my iPad for Foreflight and the phone will just be a back-up nav but a handy in-flight camera.
 
Everskyward said:
I got the Pro over the 11 both for the size (smaller) and for the third telephoto camera. The telephoto is nice to have, but it is obviously not near as good as on a "real" camera. Otherwise, the quality of the pictures are great. Not sure how it compares with the base model, though. One thing I have noticed is that the image stabilization works really well. This video was hand shot by me, standing on the deck of a boat. You can see the waves we were encountering, but the video is rock steady.

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the pro is better in two ways I cared about, plus some small ones
1. slightly smaller and lighter than the 11 standard
2. slightly more waterproof (4m vs 2m for 30 minute)
3. higher contrast, brighter, higher resolution screen (though it's smaller, it's better.


https://www.apple.com/iphone/compar...52344194894313_&cid=wwa-us-kwbi-iphone-slid--
 
MIFlyer said:
I get the joke, but just FYI, the Pro at least comes with an 18W wall wart and will charge to 80% in like 1/2 hour.

you can also use your old, slower charger, or charge it wirelessly (built in wireless charging)
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It actually charges faster on the new USB high power standard and the overpriced adapter cable. Apple’s charger is actually slower.

And they’re too cheap to include even their not-the-fastest 18W brick in their other models, because why not screw their customers out of the best possible charge speeds?

Brilliant ain’t it? LOL. They’re such pricks nowadays.
 
I've been charging my 11 Pro with my old 5V charger because it fits better on my power strip. It doesn't seem to charge slower than my old 6S, although I haven't timed it.
 
I've kinda taken a liking to our wireless charger. Set the phone on it and it charges - not much to it.
 
Matthew said:
I've kinda taken a liking to our wireless charger. Set the phone on it and it charges - not much to it.
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. . . and it can make it easier to find your phone.
 
Matthew said:
I've kinda taken a liking to our wireless charger. Set the phone on it and it charges - not much to it.
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I use those mostly now too. Only 7.5W but it’s just sits there so it works.

But I picked up one super fast car charger for those mornings when somebody forgot to park one in the usual places. :) Or hammering the GPS chipset and long range cell site hopping on rural trips.

The newish vehicle has big standard USB charge speeds and that ain’t going to cut it for a totally dead phone that needs significant top up headed somewhere there won’t be charging available.
 
Rumor is that Apple plans to go "all wireless" on charging. That may be fine at home, but for those of us who travel and consider carry-on space to be a premium, I t will be a real pain in the rear to carry a wireless charger instead of the small wall wart.e
 
wsuffa said:
Rumor is that Apple plans to go "all wireless" on charging. That may be fine at home, but for those of us who travel and consider carry-on space to be a premium, I t will be a real pain in the rear to carry a wireless charger instead of the small wall wart.e
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I bet Apple will come up with a $olution.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
My current phone is an iPhone SE, 64 GB. I've had it for over 4 years now. To be fully honest, I have little to complain about with the phone itself. Still works fine, runs what I need it to. I had it in an Otterbox case up until a few months back so it more or less looks new. Touch screen works, few scratches.

However, the front camera on the phone is somewhat scratched up and now low quality, and there's no image stabilization which I think some of the current iPhones have. Since I'm using my phone for recording "editing" (if you want to call it that) my YouTube channel with my phone I could produce better quality videos with a better phone.

Other thing is that I now basically only do approach plates on my phone, and so a bigger screen would be really nice for that.

It seems like the 8 Plus, X-something (with the large screen), or 11 Plus would all be contenders. I'm not convinced that I like the face recognition that the X and 11 use for unlocks. That said the fingerprint unlock I was also not sure I like and theoretically my face is more consistent than my burned-off fingerprints from wrenching on hot engines for years.

The 8 Plus is significantly cheaper than the other two. I do tend to hold on to phones for a long time, so that could make the argument for the 11. But I also don't use high horsepower applications and don't plan on it. So really, the 11 would win me over for better camera/editing features, or if iOS 13 is really so bloated that it needs the 11 to run well.

Regardless I'll want the big screen and also opt for one of the higher storage capacities. That does seem to work very well for me.

Thoughts?
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This may be helpful or not. I just switched from smaller 8(64) to smaller 11 Pro(256).

I liked the 8. 11Pro is better, but not in everything
  • Power. Processing power is just fine in 8, even for iOS 13. You have to use some heavy apps to tax that phone and I never really did. 11 Pro is not really noticeably faster in normal use.
  • Memory. If you are taking a lot of photos or videos, you cannot have 11Pro 64. I was somewhat running out of memory in 8, but it's still usable and in 11Pro that's a non-starter unless you always off-load your pictures
  • Size. 8 is smaller and is ok in one hand use. I have small hands and it just can be used completely in one hand. 11Pro is not much bigger(that's good for me), but with a much taller screen it becomes 2 hand phone.
  • Screen. eh, i really don't notice a lot of difference between the LCD in 8 and much better OLED in 11Pro. But of course you get a lot more screen and that is good. I also didn't want 11 because it is larger than 11 Pro.
  • Battery. 11Pro is pretty amazing when it comes to battery life. 8 was fine, 11Pro is in another world completely. I don't plug it in at work and i don't even usually leave the house to go to work with more than 50%. This was the major reason i bought 11Pro vs 11, but i was still surprised. Also, i think it takes less current to charge 11Pro. My car's USB was barely charging 8, 11Pro is charging a lot faster.
  • Camera. Yeah, it's a lot better in 11Pro. Not even a contest. But it's probably an overkill as well. 11 would be fine as well. Also, most of the special type shots like portrait mode can be done in post-processing. But 11 just makes it simple. If you do go tele or wide, 8 is far inferior
  • Face ID vs Touch ID. This is a tricky one. Face ID is superior when it comes to detection. It's fast and very reliable. Better than 8's touch Id. Takes just a little bit of practice to get used to it. The problem I have is that I hate Raise to Wake and I had to disable touch to wake(unless I want 100s of pictures of nothing by a toddler). So instead of 1 simple touch and press of home button, i have to press side button and then swipe up This is a 2 hand operation usually. Most of the time is not an issue, but in some cases it's inconvenient.
  • Durability. I keep my phone in front pockets. Jeans, pants, whatever. Never had any issue with it. It is in a bumper-type case that is designed for abuse. No screen protector. I've dropped both 8 and 11 a few times. Toddler has thrown both. No issues. 11 is more durable(i feel). A LOT heavier. But with a bigger screen is probably more likely to break. And that will cost a lot more money to fix. AppleCare
  • Other. Without a case, 11 is really slippery. I've had it without a case for a while. And really would prefer it that way, but it's too slippery and the camera bump was annoying the crap out of me. But 8 isn't much better.
I think 8 is a pretty great deal. Probably the best phone for money(now) Apple ever made, but 11Pro is a lot better. You just have to pay for it. A lot. 11 is probably a better deal than 11 Pro for most
 
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Whatever you get you should also get one of these tripods for it on Amazon. They apparently fill your iPhone with helium as part of the purchase.Clipboard01.jpg
 
Well this decision has been accelerated. My current phone got dropped while recording some cloud nine video and the screen shattered. I’m surprised it still works at all.

While I could have the screen fixed, it doesn’t make much sense given that I was already thinking about replacing this one.

So, next question: I have Verizon right now, my wife and I both have phones that are past the contract renewal date (by a lot). Verizon has what seems to be the best overall network for our worldwide travels, but I also want to try to get some of the advantages/deals that are generally offered to switching customers, and I’ve had Verizon for 17 years. Has anyone had luck trying to negotiate for better phones?
 
Other question - my wife and I have numbers from states we no longer live in and don’t really want to be associated with. Is it possible to keep the current number while getting a new number so we can start moving people over and hide the fact that we ever lived in states we don’t like?
 
Ted DuPuis said:
Other question - my wife and I have numbers from states we no longer live in and don’t really want to be associated with. Is it possible to keep the current number while getting a new number so we can start moving people over and hide the fact that we ever lived in states we don’t like?
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I suppose you could set up a new plan, and temporarily keep the old one while you do the transitioning.
 
Sac Arrow said:
I suppose you could set up a new plan, and temporarily keep the old one while you do the transitioning.
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That’s undesirable. If I do that I’ll just let everyone know who I want to know via text
 
You could get a Google Voice number with your preferred area code and have it ring your new phone that still has the old number. Not sure if sometime in the future, you could have your phone number changed on your cell phone to the Google Voice number and drop Google Voice. It's something you might ask Verizon.
 
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Ted DuPuis said:
My experience is that the people who feel that way are more technical than I am. Back in college my roommate got me convinced on switching my machine over to Linux. Yes, I did enjoy the operating experience, but I couldn't make it work well without his help and if something went wrong, there was nothing I could do to fix it without his help.

Granted, it's been a while since I've tried to mess with an Android phone, but I also know that the primary ap I use on my phone is much better on iOS than Android and will always be more cutting edge on the iOS side. So, that's another reason.

I will concede that a lot of the Android phones have cameras that are equal or better than the iOS ones. So, to convince me, here's my question for the Android fans: What's the movie editing like and camera features? Image stabilization, cool stuff, convince me.
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I've used Samsung Galaxy Note phones since forever. The latest versions [8 and later] have great cameras (when I got to the 8 I stopped using my DSLRs for snapshots), and do very good video, but I'm reluctant to use any phone for editing, other than just posting a straight-up video or photo to social media. The Note has a large enough screen, and a stylus, so editing can be done, but if I can use my 4K 30" screen, so much the better! No issues with computing power for those tasks, but certainly not up to PC/Mac desktop standards.
I'll skip a generation and then get another Note.
 
we just got Barb a new Sumsung, I like it better than the iPhone I'v been using. and it is half price of the iPhone
 
Ted DuPuis said:
Well this decision has been accelerated. My current phone got dropped while recording some cloud nine video and the screen shattered. I’m surprised it still works at all.

While I could have the screen fixed, it doesn’t make much sense given that I was already thinking about replacing this one.

So, next question: I have Verizon right now, my wife and I both have phones that are past the contract renewal date (by a lot). Verizon has what seems to be the best overall network for our worldwide travels, but I also want to try to get some of the advantages/deals that are generally offered to switching customers, and I’ve had Verizon for 17 years. Has anyone had luck trying to negotiate for better phones?
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I keep Verizon for the same reason. My employer has discounts arranged with many companies (Dell, Travelers, Verizon, etc.). Maybe you or your wife have some sort of discount available? Otherwise, go to a Verizon store with one of those deals offered by the competition and see if they offer a discount at all.
 
I have T-Mobile which is known to have poor service outside of major metros. In the past few years it has seemed better. I switched to T-mobile from Verizon due to the free international low speed data/text roaming and lower cost international long distance plans - I work for a Canadian company and call to/from there significantly. As well as travel to Canada and previously Mexico.

My wife and I have had mobile provider diversity for many years. Used to be Verizon/ATT, then T-Mobile/ATT, now T-Mobile/Verizon. It costs more to be on different providers, but there have been a number of times where only one of us had service while traveling. And yes at times it has been me with T-Mobile.
 
My Verizon phone has service where my wife’s T-Mobile doesn’t.

After a year and 3 weeks my iPhone XR’s audio section died. I replaced it with a 11. It has the same form factor as the XR. I had them install a heavy duty screen protector and cut a section out of the case to uncover the sensor and flash. I got a battery case from Amazon for the same price as the 11 case only at Verizon.

Ironically, my 5CEwas replaced because its battery died, mostly because of inadvertent over charging. I got was really careful with the XR even though it has overcharging protection.

The battery case also monitors the 11’s battery charge and charges the phone before it charges itself. Both phone and case are cord or wireless rechargeable. I’ve read wirelessly recharging cuts your phone’s battery life in half, so I generally don’t recharge wirelessly.
 
On my motorcycle trips with friends, I find Verizon gets signals in many places the others don't. In fact, I'm sometimes surprised when I get signals in way back woods areas.
 
I saw a couple of posts about Verizon's network. This. A whole bunch of this. I work in defense contracting and get to travel to all sorts of out of the way places in the US. Verizon's network coverage is, hands down, no close second, the best in the boonies.

You can get cheaper, but you will not get the coverage with anyone else.

John
 
Bill Jennings said:
On my motorcycle trips with friends, I find Verizon gets signals in many places the others don't. In fact, I'm sometimes surprised when I get signals in way back woods areas.
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Yeah, that's my hesitation with actually leaving Verizon (rather than just threatening to do so). My wife has AT&T for her work phone and it just isn't as good. Lots of times that the signal is poor on it but fine on the Verizon phone.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
Yeah, that's my hesitation with actually leaving Verizon (rather than just threatening to do so). My wife has AT&T for her work phone and it just isn't as good. Lots of times that the signal is poor on it but fine on the Verizon phone.
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Given your travels to airports all over the place, I'd stick with Verizon.
 
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Ted DuPuis said:
Yeah, that's my hesitation with actually leaving Verizon (rather than just threatening to do so). My wife has AT&T for her work phone and it just isn't as good. Lots of times that the signal is poor on it but fine on the Verizon phone.
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I have found that as well, but I have also found the reverse to be true just as many times.
 
Definitely compare the LTE bands supported which will vary between 8&11 in comparison to your provider. That is where T-Mobile has filled in their holes...if you have the right phone.
Provider-wise, best value has been T-Mo. they do throw money at you for switching.
Also check with Apple/ your employers as you may get a Corp discount.
 
End result: We bought two new iPhones.

My wife and I both needed new phones. We both had SEs (bought about the same time, over 4 years ago), and hers had been running slow for some time. And while I'd already been thinking about one, it getting dropped on the concrete and shattering the screen made it a foregone conclusion.

While walking through WalMart today they were advertising a special and we went for it. An iPhone 8 Max 64 GB for my wife, and I went for an iPhone XS Max 256 GB. End result is that the pair of them cost about what just an XS Max would've cost from Verizon if I'd ordered it from their website.

Laurie didn't want the larger phone, but because of the deal we got it made sense. I didn't really want the facial recognition, but I'm liking it and clearly Homeland Security already knew what I look like (reference 10 years ago when I got stopped and my Aztec got searched because I flew too much).

Resolution: So far, we're happy enough. Verizon did put in the protection plan automatically, which I'm going to cancel once our Otterbox cases show up from Amazon (at about half the price of what WalMart had for them, and they wouldn't/couldn't price match.
 
We are going to need two phones when moving back in a few months. I have an iphone for work but personal phones have always been android. Choices choices. Hope you enjoy your new gadgets.
 
NealRomeoGolf said:
We are going to need two phones when moving back in a few months. I have an iphone for work but personal phones have always been android. Choices choices. Hope you enjoy your new gadgets.
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Yeah, certainly a lot to be said for Androids. Laurie had one about 8 years ago and both of us hated it. We’re just not very techy so the simple iOS stuff is better for us.
 
I thought about scanning the kitty cat in to the facial rec unlock feature just to throw the Man off.
 
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