"Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
12/30/2018 at 14:54 • Filed to: None
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"Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
12/30/2018 at 14:54 • Filed to: None | 0
| 17 |
My iPhone 6S had a cracked screen, so after three years, I decided it was time to buy a new phone.
Screen: apparently it has an OLED, which is apparently good, I don’t know. It seems the same as my 6S. The screen is bigger, but it doesn’t really make much of a difference. People seem to think having the screen to edge to edge matters, but the amount of space feels the same, because of this fucking thing:
I don’t see why I’d want an edge-to-edge screen, so the notch doesn’t bother me. It’s basically the same black space that was always at the top of the phones, but with the time and battery pushed up. I hate the fact that there’s now no way to see battery percentage, which is part of Apple’s continuing resistance to admitting that battery life and longevity is their weakest spot.*
Processor things: It’s faster, I guess. One of the best things Apple has done was make iOS12 work really well on older phones. In general, the one thing I’ve had against Android is how fragmented it is, and iOS12 shows the value of having software made for specific hardware. I don’t really see that much of a difference from the 6S.
Camera: the camera is really good. Since the 4S, I’ve switched almost entirely to taking photos on my phone when traveling. The good enough-ness outweighs having to carry a proper SLR, and this camera is fabulous, even though the automatic HDR is overzealous and HDR is for boring people who think the actual world isn’t saturated and contrasty enough.
I don’t get the point of the second telephoto lens, outside of collecting depth information. Even at the base 2x zoom, photos look like they were zoomed with garbage digital zoom from an early 2000s camera.
The depth adjustments and bokeh are fun, but really shallow. As someone who can appreciate a good prime SLR lens, I think bokeh is 1) a trade off for getting the most natural light possible and 2) boring as fuck. A good portrait is a good portrait, but I’d still rather have background. Bokeh is just the way shitty photographers say “I can’t compose anything but the subject, so I’ll just blur it out.”
Battery life: it’s okay. It’s about the same as my 6S, which has 94% battery health. If you asked me, I’d say my 6S had a battery problem, but since this is brand new, I think shit battery life is the new normal. It takes forever to charge, though.
Overall: I don’t care about the lack of a headphone jack, because the AirPods are the best product Apple has released in years. I largely bought this phone because my experience with the AirPods has been so good that I thought “Apple hasn’t completely shit the bed when they design products.”
At $1277 (with tax and $50 case, a necessity, because I can’t grip it with more than my ring finger when typing one handed), this phone is stupidly overpriced. I paid $1800 for a maxed out MacBook Air 5 years ago that still runs Photoshop and FileMaker like a boss. These phones are stupidly overpriced for what they offer and people should not be buying them.
Back when carrier contracts were a thing, I alternated between buying iPhones on and off-contract, owning a 3GS, 4, 4S, 5, 6, and 6S. That’s 6/7 phones in 7 years, and I took it for granted that you buy a new phone every year. I don’t know what the fuck Apple is thinking with $1000+ phones, but I kept my last one for 3 years and I’ll keep this for 3-4, essentially dropping the price to $400 a year, because a $1200 phone is fucking stupid.
The value proposition has also gotten a lot lower. Back when I was upgrading religiously, every new phone made the previous one unbearable. The mid-cycle S phones weren’t hugely better, but they were refined enough to be worth the cost. The fully new phones were fantastic (especially the 4, which was so beautiful. The X/XS’s best trait it that it’s the first one since to truly look great). Now, with the top model, three years after my last phone, I can honestly say I could go back to my old phone tomorrow and not feel like I’ve lost anything. I don’t really regret buying it, since my last phone was near the end of its product life, but, Jesus, these phones are overpriced. I’ve yet to find anything that makes me think “yeah, this was definitely worth $500 more than the last phone I bought off- contract.”
Remember the brouhaha about the price of the original iPhone and how Apple dropped prices a few months later? Yeah. Don’t buy these phones and don’t encourage this bullshit.
*c.f., getting rid of battery time estimates on Macs, since the problem was people seeing how many hours of battery life they had, not garbage power management and low battery cycle life.
John Norris (AngryDrifter)
> Honeybunchesofgoats
12/30/2018 at 15:01 |
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For a little bit more you could have bought a Camry .
(just trying to bring some automotive content to this post)
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Honeybunchesofgoats
> Honeybunchesofgoats
12/30/2018 at 15:02 |
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Side note: I have to redesign a lot of mobile layouts for personal FileMaker databases, and for that, fuck you, Apple. Can we please just keep every ratio the same so I don’t have to deal with this shit?
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Honeybunchesofgoats
> John Norris (AngryDrifter)
12/30/2018 at 15:04 |
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https://oppositelock.kinja.com/my-drunken-review-of-my-girlfriend-s-2018-camry-1830799321
No need.
Also, why would anyone post automotive content on Oppo????
AestheticsInMotion
> Honeybunchesofgoats
12/30/2018 at 15:06 |
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Wireless earbuds in general are my favorite new bit of mainstream tech in the last few years.
I keep hoping Apple will wow the world with something a la the OG ipod, iPhone, iPad, etc., but... N othing. T here’s no more passion. Th ere are better alternatives to everything they make, at a fraction of the cost, assuming you can ditch the ecosystem
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Honeybunchesofgoats
> AestheticsInMotion
12/30/2018 at 15:18 |
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The fact that pulling the earplugs out/pulling the phone out of my pocket onto the ground isn’t a problem any more was worth the cost. Sometimes a feel like a battered wife walking by sharp edges and waiting for my earphones to fly out.
That’s my problem. I won’t ditch the ecosystem. Everything still works together like the gold standard for technology, but Apple hasn’t improved anything in years. I don’t like sounding like one of those “when Jobs was around...” people, because he was an overrated asshole, but he understood UX AND importance. Apple inherited his dictatorial nature towards consumers, but it focuses it on design rather than experience.
Boxer_4
> Honeybunchesofgoats
12/30/2018 at 15:51 |
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I'm planning to make the jump to a 7 from my current 5. I'll have had a 5 for 6 years in January. Rebuilt once 2 years in for sleep/wake switch and battery recall. It's probably time for an upgrade.
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Honeybunchesofgoats
> Boxer_4
12/30/2018 at 16:11 |
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I think the 5 had the best compromise between screen size and comfort, but the size of the 6/7/8 really makes a difference.
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Boxer_4
> Honeybunchesofgoats
12/30/2018 at 16:26 |
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That’s the one concern I have with the 7. I can easily use the 5 one handed. I can with the 7, too, but not as easily. I’m sure I’ll get used the the 7 though.
BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
> Honeybunchesofgoats
12/30/2018 at 16:51 |
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I’m thinking of making the jump from my ageing 6S to a X or XS too, but the price is holding me back. Like you said, there’s no way the phone is worth $1200 in terms of functionality.
Honestly I might just end up putting a new battery in my 6S, as the rest of it is still perfect, both in terms of hardware and software . Although that would mean being stuck with 16GB for a while longer...
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Honeybunchesofgoats
> BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
12/30/2018 at 17:21 |
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It’s honestly not worth it.
Space was the only really improvement for me. I have ~15,000 photos on my phone, so at 100/128gb, I was close to being full up. I went with the 256gb.
Nick Has an Exocet
> Honeybunchesofgoats
12/30/2018 at 17:59 |
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I went to a Xiaomi Mi8 and never looked back. Flagship specs, performance, and features for $400. Done.
C62030
> Honeybunchesofgoats
12/30/2018 at 18:54 |
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The OLED is good because the pixels can shut off individually, meaning when it’s showing black that’s not just a dimly lit pixel, but it’s off altogether. It makes a huge difference in apps with a good night mode.
pip bip - choose Corrour
> Honeybunchesofgoats
12/30/2018 at 19:08 |
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had a look at an XR on boxing day, nope from me, too big
i’ll keep my iPhone SE
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Honeybunchesofgoats
> C62030
12/30/2018 at 19:29 |
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I believe you
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Honeybunchesofgoats
> pip bip - choose Corrour
12/30/2018 at 19:31 |
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I don’t get the size thing. This isn’t better. I liked my phone more when I could type “I’m on the train with this fucking weirdo” without bringing attention to myself.
Just Jeepin'
> Honeybunchesofgoats
12/30/2018 at 19:31 |
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The “ tele” lens is pretty good on my X unless you’re shooting in internal or low light, when it switches to the wider lens for the wider aperture and crops the image . Have you tested in proper lighting?
ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
> Honeybunchesofgoats
12/30/2018 at 19:36 |
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I was using a OnePlus 5, but got tired of Google’s shit and my experience with Android Auto was less than wonderful.
I picked up an 8 Plus and haven’t looked back. While I appreciate some of how Android operates, I am displeased with what Google does to effectively spy on users of the platform. My wife can attest that my complaints about my phone have dropped precipitously since getting the iPhone.
There is no perfect OS. But Apple does a damn good job at making a consistent user experience.