Betty LaRue Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Does anyone have the new iPhone 6? If so, how do you like it? I've been wavering on it ever since it was announced. Unhappy that Apple didn't increase the pixel count, yet I like everything else about it. My take on the pixel count is this. Apple made some nifty new improvements in this year's offering, so I think they held back increasing the pixel count until next year. After all, they need something to make everyone trade in their old models for the new in 2015, right? Anyway, while I like my LG G2's picture quality (outstanding), I don't like the interface and how to navigate to areas that was easy on the iPhone. I doubt it would be a problem for you techy-type people, but for me, I struggle. Besides, Siri and I became good friends when I had my 4S. I get into cat fights with Google's offering. I went into the AT&T store yesterday and looked the phones over. I'd taken a quick peek at the Apple store a few weeks ago, but didn't handle the phone. This time, I did. I took some pictures in-store, and I believe the quality is improved over what I had before. I really liked the Chrome app. Instantly makes the picture pop. While the 6 is smaller than my LG, the 6S is too big. It looks like the usable part (screen) is the same size as my LG, but the ends make it quite a bit bigger. I have recently been able to upload my android pictures via my iPad, which I've recently purchased, but it is unhandy having to email them to myself. I bit the bullet and ordered the iPhone 6. Should be here in the next 5 days. Again, I'll be all Apple. IMac, phone, iPad. What's cool is I now have ordered three (overkill) custom cases for the phone, from my own work on Pixels.com. Pixels doesn't make them for the LG. Can't wait. If any of you Stockimo contributors know of some neat photo apps that make great Stockimo pictures, point me at 'em, please. Betty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ann m Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 having tried quite a few apps on my 5s, the ones I tend to use the most are 'snapseed' which is a good place to start, 'distressedfx' for grungy/distressed effects, 'vsco cam' for more subtle filter effects & mostly, 'mextures' which I enjoy using the most. I've enjoyed the whole process & have even opened an instagram account! I hope you enjoy your iphone6, Betty ann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betty LaRue Posted October 22, 2014 Author Share Posted October 22, 2014 Thanks, Ann. It sounds like using them can be fun. I use a lot of effects on my pictures for FFA, so it's right up my alley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 I'm a firm believer in 'timing.' Screwy planets this week with Mercury retrograde and a partial solar eclipse tomorrow. My ancient iPhone is on it's last breath but I will hold off until mid November to bring my old phone to Verizon for a trade in. I may get the 6 Plus because the battery is much longer lasting and that camera has image stabilization. Verizon I read is much cheaper than AT&T.My contract is up so I am on the GoPhone rate and since I rarely use it I am paying $70 a month and if I went over the allotted data my phone would just die on me. So....Verizon per month is appx $1000 cheaper over the course of 2 years. I have hundreds of APPS on my phone and look forward to getting more use out of them. I have an old iPad that is too heavy and will sell that one soon for an air or a mini. Just read where the iOS update is causing problems: http://www.gottabemobile.com/2014/10/21/ios-8-1-problems/ L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulstw Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 I have an Iphone 5S and I won't be upgrading to any of the new ones. They don't feel as solid as the 5S and feel lighter. One of the reasons I switched from Android to Apple was the fact that I could keep the phone in one hand and operate it while still holding the camera in my left hand. This got totally ridiculous with Android screens getting bigger and bigger. Apple seem to have fallen fowl to market pressure with this. Apple are very good at making you need the product. You walk into the store and the hyperlapse video on the 6+ of the grand canyon (or wherever) would sell that device alone, but everyone knows that the second you get that home and the honeymoon period is over, it's just another iPhone with a big screen. Apple haven't been very innovative over the past few devices, and are no longer ground breaking. They have created a family that stays strong. Android really has come on leaps and bounds but their software is out of control. Microsoft reporting this week that it's killing the Nokia name for their future line of phones won't win over hearts, as the mobile generation have a soft spot for that name it seems. I feel personally that the 5S is a solid performer and with it still getting software updates, I'd be comfortable skipping this set of phones until the 5S stops getting updated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin P Wilson Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 I agree that dropping the Nokia brand could be a major own goal by Microsoft. Mergers or sales of mobile device companies don't seem to work: Ericsson and Motorola spring to mind both had popular, and at the time innovative and trendy, products but their purchasers have not been making much real impact on the market.It seems to be more about taking a competitor out of the market rather than merging (visible) strengths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulstw Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 I believe it's a testing time for manufacturers of phones these days, and all just seem to be producing the same stuff. A few have bespoke techy advantages that just turn out to be gimmicks. I put it next to the CPU wars of years ago with the race to the fastest clock speeds. No thermal output was considered and it got to a ceiling pretty fast with Intel and AMD bringing stuff out every other year. That's the way I see Android. They are very innovative, but have hit the ceiling. The next phase will end up having to go back to grass roots. Battery technology being the most important for folk. No point in putting all this stuff in if the battery drains after 5 hours. The CPU industry to give them credit did a remarkable job of turning things around when it looked like the industry was flat on it's back. I sincerely hope that the mobile innovators can show the same resolve. However, this whole smartwatch guff seems to me to in place of the absence of any new ideas. The point in my digression is that for the consumer it's not looking very good. For those who can buy devices outright it's not such a problem, however for those entering into 24 month contracts, I'd advise to weigh up the options. An iPhone 5S will still do everything a 6 or 6+ will do at a cheaper entry point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin P Wilson Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 It is why I only change my phone and messaging device (for me, it is not a camera, or computer or ...) about every third upgrade cycle on my contract: ~ 5-6 years unless I break it. I only went smartphone a year ago. And my career was in IT and communications! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulstw Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Smart move. A think £600 is better spent elsewhere for what is effectively the same thing. Although, when you buy into the Canon system, you do just that lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin P Wilson Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 I have been taking same approach with photo kit. Until my recent spend on Fuji kit I had not spent on my camera system since the launch of the EOS-1Ds3, previously I had bought a 1D2. That was it apart from a cheap compact for my wife. I was taking the view that pace of change had slowed considerably in the digital photography market. Most of my lenses (top end) are at least 10 years old and plenty good enough (better than me). I am unlikely to spend much on a dslr system in the future as I believe we are on the cusp of major change led by Sony, Fuji, Olympus et al with mirrorless, I see pro mirrorless (probably even FF, and larger) in the next 5 years. The current upgrades to dslr technology are an example of the sailing ship effect when obsolescent technology sees a final burst of innovation - think the saling tea and wool clippers when steam ships were already developing rapidly. If they don't respond with a serious offering Canon and Nikon could easily go the way of those leading brands that did not embrace 35mm and the slr. If a company gets the technical choices etc wrong it dies: Nokia, Motorola, all those PC companies and the British motorcycle industry.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gaffen Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 I've only just acquired an iPhone 4S, mainly thanks to my wife! As it was offered as an upgrade on her EE account! I was one of those photographers who decided that iPhone photography was not for me. However, I must say that I am enjoying myself shooting wacky, creative stuff, whist not having to lug around heavy D-SLR's all the time. I am slowly collecting photography apps to! The recent IOS upgrade to 8.1, was also good as it fixed a few photography related issues including the accessibility of photo albums. The camera software has also been tweaked and I find the phone more stable now, with less App Crashes! Can't comment on the iPhone 6, but I'm impressed with the build quality of my 4S and like Betty, I now have my own custom made case too! The camera on the 4S has identical spec to the 5S, I believe. I am enjoying it more than I expected and, as Betty said the creative Apps are useful for making products on other art sites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Allison J Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 It is why I only change my phone and messaging device (for me, it is not a camera, or computer or ...) about every third upgrade cycle on my contract: ~ 5-6 years unless I break it. I only went smartphone a year ago. And my career was in IT and communications! i did do the same but now my ancient iPhone 3G [with lots of memory] and iPad won't upgrade to the latest OS nad talk properly to my iMac & Powerbook [ unless, and this is quite possible, I have missed something ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betty LaRue Posted October 24, 2014 Author Share Posted October 24, 2014 It is why I only change my phone and messaging device (for me, it is not a camera, or computer or ...) about every third upgrade cycle on my contract: ~ 5-6 years unless I break it. I only went smartphone a year ago. And my career was in IT and communications! i did do the same but now my ancient iPhone 3G [with lots of memory] and iPad won't upgrade to the latest OS nad talk properly to my iMac & Powerbook [ unless, and this is quite possible, I have missed something ] It's a shame manufacturers don't make things backward compatible, but how else can they force the public to buy new? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 If I go to Verizon and trade in my OLD iPhone 4,I will get the new iPhone 6 for free basically.The monthly plan is appx $20 a month cheaper than what I am paying with my out of contract AT&T iPhone. Online comparison shows I'd save I think $1600 over the course of 2 years by leasing thru Verizon. L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell Watkins Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 I've just ordered the iPhone 6 as my 4S has got a fingerprint on the screen and I can't be bothered wiping it off (not really, the battery control gizmo is futzed, even after I upgraded to IOS8). I now buy my phones outright and unlocked and then go for SIM-only deals. This works out far cheaper than contract although you have to stump up the cost of the phone. It's far more flexible too - if I don't like the 6 I'll just sell it and try something else. I'm all in with the Mac ecosystem though so it's unlikely. Unless I sell the 6 and go for the 6+... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 I'm content with leasing and getting a new phone upgrade every 2 years. I use to buy but doesn't matter to me anymore. L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell Watkins Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 I'm content with leasing and getting a new phone upgrade every 2 years. I use to buy but doesn't matter to me anymore. L I wonder if there's such a difference in costs in the US as in the UK. We're gouged on technology over here compared to US prices, at least for the hardware. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gaffen Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 The tax rates in the Uk are far higher than in the US. Our Purchase tax, called VAT, (Value added tax) is 20% whilst in the US it varies between 1 -10% depending on the State, I think. In addition, the price of electronic goods seems significantly lower in the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betty LaRue Posted October 24, 2014 Author Share Posted October 24, 2014 The tax rates in the Uk are far higher than in the US. Our Purchase tax, called VAT, (Value added tax) is 20% whilst in the US it varies between 1 -10% depending on the State, I think. In addition, the price of electronic goods seems significantly lower in the US. I have noticed the price difference for years. Can you not order from the U.S.? Or are there charges (shipping, import taxes) that negate the savings? And...would warranties work? Just curious, since I remember a time or two when a photographer from the U.K. vacationed here in the U.S. and picked up a top of the line camera or lens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnnie5 Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Just a side note. A fellow on the radio today said we now carry more computing power in our back pockets and purses than the Eniac 1 computer. The Eniac 1 fit into a very large room. The iPhone 6 also has an f/2.2 lens which should help with low light situations. One new feature of the new phone is you can now get an app that allows manual control of the camera settings. That will give more creative control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lastrega Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 The tax rates in the Uk are far higher than in the US. Our Purchase tax, called VAT, (Value added tax) is 20% whilst in the US it varies between 1 -10% depending on the State, I think. In addition, the price of electronic goods seems significantly lower in the US. I have noticed the price difference for years. Can you not order from the U.S.? Or are there charges (shipping, import taxes) that negate the savings? And...would warranties work? Just curious, since I remember a time or two when a photographer from the U.K. vacationed here in the U.S. and picked up a top of the line camera or lens. If you buy something in the US while on holiday, you need to throw away the packaging and use the item id you want to get it past customs without stumping up hefty export / import taxes. An example of this is people buying golf clubs in the US, where they can be very much cheaper than here, but you need to take them out the box and muddy them up so they look like you have had them for a while. I know a woman who visits the US regularly, so she actually took a contract out with her iphone in America as it is so much cheaper for her to do that than buy it here and use it when in America. I believe some people send stuff marked as 'gift', but I personally don't get involved in that and I don't know if it is something that works anyway. I recently bought a glass paperweight from the US. It cost £35 and the cheapest shipping option was about £27. The cost of the import tax to the UK is around 20% of the total cost i.e item cost +shipping so the tax worked out at about £16. Oh and the UK government also collects 20% VAT (sales tax) on the customs amount - so another £3 something on top of that. So, the calculation roughly is: (US item cost + shipping) x 16% + (20% x the 16% figure) Which in my case meant that I paid £35 for the item and about £47 for the shipping, customs duty and VAT. Simples. I think the import duty varies depending on the category of item being imported, but not sure of that. There is a lot of advice on the Tax office website: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/arriving/arrivingnoneu.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betty LaRue Posted October 27, 2014 Author Share Posted October 27, 2014 Wow, you guys are really penalized. Come on over, rent an apartment in an area you'd like to photograph for a month, stock up on goods, then move back home. Win-win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Endicott Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 Betty, I purchased an iPhone 6 Plus last Wednesday. I previously had a Motorola Atrix. I am EXTREMELY impressed. The camera is incredible, the apps are so much better than for an Android system and I'm even getting reception in areas where I couldn't before. Have I mentioned I'm impressed? I signed up for Stockimo last April with my iPad so I could get in on the existing contributor deal but I hadn't uploaded any images. I'm having a blast with the Stockimo App. I've tried Snapseed and I've tried VSCO. Seems I prefer VSCO. The reason I went with a 6 Plus over a 6 was mostly because of greater battery life and more space to read in - my eyes are starting to tire with my age and the larger text is a relief compared to the old phone. I was told at the Apple store that the 6 Plus also has image stabilization but I have nothing to (reasonably) compare the camera to. I am impressed with the photos it takes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotoDogue Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 I've heard that pre-paid sims are much cheaper outside the US and that until recently "contracts" were much more of an American thing. Back when we had two AT&T phones we paid $200 (US) for each 16gb iphone and close to $200/month under a two year "Family Plan." Now that we have pre-paid service it's $30 and $50 per month through two different providers. fD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Rooney Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 Linda, if someone else owns your phone does that mean they own the conversations on your phone, too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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