The Apple of My i(Phone)

Jim's iPhoneWe hear it a lot, “The Geeks only teach Android,” or “I thought you only teach PC.” It’s not true. Much of what we teach is non-OS specific, both with computers and mobile devices like smartphones and tablets.

I wanted an iPhone when they were first introduced way back in June, 2007. The reason we didn’t get one then was that they were only available on AT&T. We had Verizon. We didn’t want to change carriers mainly because AT&T didn’t have the nationwide coverage we needed for our lifestyle. Even today, Verizon still has the best overall coverage. The first smartphone available on Verizon was the Motorola Droid in 2009 running Android. That is where we started and I’m glad.

We just got an iPhone 6 Plus on T-Mobile. We justified the purchase because of T-Mobile’s International cellular plan. We’re going to England and Belgium this June and need to stay connected. Another reason was to round out our cellular connectivity arsenal. Our main data connection is through Verizon. Our iPad Mini has an AT&T data plan we can use when that signal is better. Now we have T-Mobile. I know that is overkill for most people, but for us it means we will almost always have a data connection. Notice I stress the data connection more than voice or text. It’s also very important that we are able to share that data with our other devices.

The iPhone 6 Plus is big. I like a big screen. It’s pretty and it feels good. It is about the same size as my Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Both devices do same basic things. They just do them a little differently. The iPhone seems a little more restrictive, forcing me to do things the “Apple Way.” That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though. One of the reasons Apple has such a good reputation is that they control the hardware and software. The change takes some getting used to. There is no back button. If you never had one, you would not miss it. Things are in different places than I expect them to be but they are consistent on all iOS devices. Since I’ve already used an iPad, that makes learning easier.

The camera on the iPhone is really nice but it is missing some features I really like on my Note 3 like voice shutter control.

Security on the iPhone is more in your face. If you forget your Apple ID password, many things just cannot be accomplished.

I’m glad we have the iPhone mainly for demonstrating on our weekly live “What Does This Button Do?” web show.

After living with and learning the Android though, I don’t think I would really want to change to iPhone. So, now I have an Android (Galaxy Note 3) AND an iPhone. I have my phone number forwarding from the Android to the iPhone. That was quite easy. So the iPhone is my primary phone now. I’m learning to juggle!

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2 replies on “The Apple of My i(Phone)”

  1. I too like my I6+ on Verizon –until it went swimming!
    Now replaced in a Lifeproof case (check out their deal),I’m looking for a backup on another carrier with a simple hopefully annual prepaid plan.
    Suggestions?
    Thanks,Lee

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