First look: What’s inside matters in new iPhones

SAN FRANCISCO—Don’t let looks deceive you.

The new iPhones look the same as last year’s models on the outside. But changes on the inside matter, from camera improvements to new sensors that enable quicker access to tasks.

I had only about 90 minutes to try out the new Apple products unveiled Wednesday—not enough time, given that Apple Inc. has a larger iPad, a new Apple TV device and new software for the Apple Watch, alongside the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. I wasn’t able to test the new iPhone cameras in natural settings, for instance, to say whether pictures are really better with 12 megapixels, instead of 8 megapixels in the previous iPhones.

But I was able to try 3D Touch, a new way to interact with the iPhone. You save a few taps by pressing and holding on an app icon to go directly to a particular function. Microsoft’s Windows phones let you create shortcuts as home screen icons, but few people have Windows phones. On iPhones, the 3D Touch feature isn’t about enabling new functions, but getting you there quicker.

If you want to take a selfie, for instance, you currently have to launch the camera app and hit a corner button to switch to the front camera. If you were taking video before, you need to slide the camera to “Photo” first. With the new iPhones, just choose “Take Selfie” when you press down on the Camera app. The phone makes all the switches automatically.

With Maps, you can use 3D Touch to get directions home, find nearby businesses or message your location to a friend. With Mail, go directly to your inbox or create a new message. I used 3D Touch to quickly post a status update—”Hi”—on a test Facebook account.

From a message, you get a preview of a Web page by pressing on a Web link. Similarly, you get a map preview by pressing on an address. Press harder to switch to the browser or Maps app. A new iPhone software update adds a back button so you can jump right back to what you were doing, even in a different app.

As for the camera, selfie fans will appreciate having the phone’s display mimic a flash. It’s not a real flash like the main camera, but the display lights up briefly so that you can see faces in low-light settings.

With a feature called Live Photos, the iPhone camera records an extra second or so before you take still shots so that images appear in motion. You need an iPhone, iPad or Mac with the latest software to view it, though, which could limit sharing with your Android and Windows family and friends.

Those expecting revolutionary changes will be disappointed, but the new iPhones have enough new features to consider buying over an older model. Of course, wait for a full test rather than just first impressions. The new phones aren’t coming out until Sept. 25 anyway, although advance orders begin Saturday.

As for Apple’s other products:

iPad Pro (coming in November)

As someone who prefers an iPad Mini over the full-size version, I’m probably not the right customer for an even larger iPad.

But the iPad Pro does have promise for heavy-duty users, particularly if you pay $99 for a stylus and $169 for a physical keyboard cover, on top of the $799 starting price. The keyboard doesn’t feel as flimsy as ones for Microsoft’s Surface tablets, but you don’t get to change viewing angles as the Surface’s adjustable kickstands allow.

What I like most is the new stylus, known as Apple Pencil. That’s not an Apple Pen, mind you. The stylus does mimic a pencil when you try to draw on the iPad Pro’s screen. When you choose a black pencil, it comes out gray, like a real pencil. The line appears thicker when you press harder, and you can shade in areas by drawing with the Pencil lightly from an angle.

Apple TV (coming in October)

Although Apple TV’s new app store will enable non-video apps, such as games and home automation, video will remain the centerpiece.

The new remote shows a lot of promise, with a touchpad much like what’s found on laptops. You can fast forward through commercials more quickly, or even hit the microphone button and tell the Siri voice assistant to “fast forward five minutes.” And when you encounter dialogue that’s mumbled, just say, “What did she say?” Siri will rewind 15 seconds and temporarily turn on closed captioning.

New software (coming next Wednesday)

I’ve been using a preliminary, “beta” version of the new iPhone and iPad software, iOS 9, for more than a month. I particularly like that you can get transit directions on Apple Maps and scroll through photos more quickly. The font is bolder and easier to read. The update isn’t as huge as what you got in previous years, but I’m not complaining when it’s free.

Likewise, the Apple Watch’s software update will enable new types of third-party apps. It should address many of the watch’s current limitations, but it’ll take time to try out.

source: technology.inquirer.net

Review: Larger iPhones eliminate reason to switch

NEW YORK —It’s easy to dismiss Apple’s new iPhones as merely catching up to Android.

After all, phones running Google’s Android system long have had larger screens. In addition, many Android phones already have the wireless chips that iPhones are getting for making credit card payments without pulling out a card at retail stores.

But the new iPhones are a big deal for one simple reason: Only Apple has the advantage of building both the hardware and the software, so iPhones are easier to use and more dependable.

There are many flavors of Android out there, and some phones won’t run the latest apps or work with accessories such as smartwatches. In addition, many leading apps come to the iPhone first or have features exclusive to iPhones.

There are still reasons to go with Android. Samsung’s flagship phones are still slightly larger than the new iPhones, for instance. Their cameras have higher megapixel counts — though that’s just one factor in what makes a good photo.

What the new iPhones do is eliminate screen size as a reason to avoid iPhones.

The question, then, becomes: Which one?

Size considerations.

The iPhone 5, 5s and 5c have screens measuring 4 inches diagonally. The iPhone 6 boosts that to 4.7 inches, while the iPhone 6 Plus is at 5.5 inches. Yet the new phones are thinner than the smaller models.

Apple gets rid of glass in the back in favor of an all-aluminum body with curved edges. The new iPhones don’t feel as boxy as previous models.

And the new phones make good use of the larger screens. Those with poorer eyesight can choose a “zoom” option so that everything gets blown up to fill the extra space, just like larger Android phones. Otherwise, you can fit in more content, including an extra row of icons on the home screen.

The iPhone 6 Plus also allows apps to rearrange their layout in horizontal mode. Content appears in two columns, so you’re not switching back and forth as much. The drawback: The Plus is huge for those who don’t regularly carry a backpack or purse.

I personally find past iPhones easier to carry and fit in the pocket, especially when I go out running. Apple will still make last year’s 5s and 5c available, at reduced prices. The 5c is essentially 2-year-old technology, so the 5s is the better option.

New features.

The 5s doesn’t have the new iPhones’ faster processors, but speed should be adequate for the next year or two. But here’s what you’ll miss, besides the bigger screen:

Only the new phones have the mobile payments technology, so you can start using Apple Pay next month. A new barometer sensor measures elevation, so fitness apps can credit you for climbing stairs and hills.

Where the new phones shine is in the camera. Although the rear cameras stay at 8 megapixels, compared with 16 megapixels in the flagship Samsung phones, performance has improved.

Both phones have new technology for faster and more accurate focus. The Plus model also has a physical image stabilizer to help reduce shake, especially in low-light settings. The iPhone 5s and 6 use software tricks to do that.

I took the iPhone 5s, 6 and 6 Plus, the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Microsoft’s Lumia Icon to Central Park to take about 250 photos and 30 videos.

In my limited tests, photos on the new iPhones weren’t noticeably better, but that’s because the 5s already takes good photos. The Icon takes better shots at night, but its response time is slow and night images sometimes look grainy and distorted. I have found the camera on the 5s to be consistently good, and the new iPhones won’t disappoint.

Where improvement is obvious is in some new features:

— There’s now a second slow-motion mode — for video at one-fourth the normal speed, rather than just half the speed in the 5s.

— A time-lapse feature lets you combine multiple still shots from the same location over a period of time. Think of those fast-moving videos showing an entire building being constructed in just a minute. I had fun making joggers in Central Park appear to be superhero fast.

— The front camera can now take 10 shots a second in a burst mode, matching what the rear camera can do. You can choose the best shot for selfies. The front camera also lets in more light than before.

The time-lapse and front burst features are part of the new iOS 8 software, so the iPhone 5s get the improvements with a free download. All iOS 8 phones also have an easier way to adjust exposure, in case the sensors don’t get it right.

Storage and pricing.

It’s tempting to get the cheapest models with 16 gigabytes of storage — in the case of the iPhone 6, for $200 with a two-year service contract. But phones fill up quickly with photos, music and apps, and iPhones don’t let you add storage.

Fortunately, Apple is doubling the storage for its top two models. So $300 at the contract price gets you 64 gigabytes instead of 32 GB, while $400 gets you 128 GB rather than 64 GB. I recommend getting at least 64 GB.

For the Plus models, add $100 to the price. If you don’t want a contract with your carrier, add another $450 for an unlocked version.

source: technology.inquirer.net