So the summer has come and gone, and what are we left with?
Well, if you're a parent then that means engaging in the frenzy of starting school and getting the little ones back on a schedule, and to bed on time. And kids to bed on time means bingeing on Netflix and more adult wine time, yay!! Well, in my case one glass and then falling asleep on the couch, can’t party like I used to folks.
The end of summer also comes with new and innovative changes in the marketplace. As a dad on the go, I am always interested in gear and products that will help make my life a little easier, or at least somewhat manageable. What usually hits the marketplace first are phones, most notably Apple iPhones. I try to follow the trends in mobile technology as it really plays a big part in my on the go dad life. From keeping track of school dates, parent teacher meetings and consulting with clients, mobile technology is at the forefront of my digital daddy lifestyle. Unfortunately as cool as these new lifestyle gadgets are they often put a strain on my limited budget. It also seems as if people around me get whipped into this “Gotta Have it” frenzy, immediately feeling bad when they think they can’t. This is due in part to the hefty price tag some newer phones cost. It’s sad, I really don’t like hearing when owning a product can cause such intense emotion, especially negative ones. So, that being said, the question that I have been hit with lately from friends and family alike is, are you going to get the new iPhone? That is a tough question to answer, one that many of you can relate to, especially if you’re a parent.
As a dad, I try to watch my spending. Don’t get me wrong, I love my dude tech toys but personal finances are always allocated to school supplies, clothes that my son seems to grow out of weekly and saving up for college. All finances are allocated to some arena of my family life. So, how does Apple play into all this? Well I own an Apple phone, an older model which has served me very well. It has withstood many drops, kicks and the occasional baby slobber. Juggling daddy duties and trying to work part time from home, the mobile unit has played a significant tool in my life, and the lives of many parents I am friends with. So I would be lying if I said I wasn't eagerly awaiting the launch of Apple's new iPhone. I was on pins and needles, soaking in the keynote, as I'm sure every Apple fan was. And, you know Apple, they build up anticipation like no one else, as they have made Steve Job's "one more thing" the icing on the cake of many of their presentations.
Now I wasn’t privy to attending the event, someday hopefully, so I was glued to my screen awaiting the big unveil. So after Tim Cook’s, “one more thing”, we were introduced to the new iPhone X. A shiny, all glass futuristic piece of technology, very fit for 2018. Now from what I could see it looks pretty cool with most of the body encompassing an all screen front, glass back and the absence of a home button. Which begs the obvious question, “How does one get into the phone?”
Apparently it incorporates a new facial recognition software, which is just a fancy way of saying you can now open the phone with your face. So screen unlock with one’s face sounds cool but remains to be seen on it’s accuracy after a slight glitch during the presentation. Luckily there is a back up as the new facial-recognition feature on the iPhone X seems to come with a software upgrade that reportedly will allow iPhone users to disable face ID unlocking by simply tapping the power button quickly five times. This procedure seems to revert the phone to its unlock with password feature. So that’s good, as I am not really sold on the whole face unlock feature as it has proven a little glitchy in other phones on the market. So we will have to wait and see if this is as cool as it sounds.
We then have a feature called “Super Retina Display” that apparently will allow you to jump tall buildings with a single bound. Not really, just kidding, although that would be pretty sweet. This super display will allow you to see your pictures and videos with a better visual clarity and color accuracy that outshines older models. But honestly, I don’t know how many everyday users will notice the feature unless you hold it next to older iPhones.
Next is the display size which is the 5.8 inch display which to me is really helpful as I have noticed eye strain and fatigue on my somewhat smaller screen. Apple has finally joined the bezel less bandwagon and gotten rid of those bulky bezels that have adorned it’s phones for sometime now. The iPhone X has a spacey sci-fi, cutting edge look.
We now have a super beefed up “A11 bionic” processor that will make you better than you were before: you will be better, stronger and run faster. Well I don’t necessarily know if it will make me run faster, although that would certainly be cool as I am late to everything. This new processor will seemingly zip through productivity features, such as video and multitasking better than before, making everyone a true bionic man or woman, depending on your tv show preference. I personally loved the bionic dog, but I’m quirky like that.
The camera is enhanced as well, as you will now be able to change the lighting conditions on the subject you are taking a picture of. This sounds really cool because as a daddy on the go, I am constantly snapping pics of my son in various environments and situations. You never know when you are going to want high-res images of your kid playing a turkey or tree in the school play.
Talking about turkeys, Apple hyped up the iPhone X’s latest ability to create animated emojis. Ugh! What is the obsession with Apple and emojis?? I just don’t get it. It was one of the biggest selling features of the latest Macbook Pro, which sounded silly then and sounds sillier now, but maybe that's the rub, allowing for the occasional opportunity to get silly with your friends and family. The animated emoji feature responds to facial expressions in real time. Yes here we have more facial recognition software, can you sense Apple is banking a lot on their facial tech?? As you look at your iPhone, it creates a digital, albeit somewhat creepy, virtual mask of your face that mimics your facial expressions. Personally, I found the feature to look gimmicky; and a feature I will not use all that much, but what I do find impressive is how Apple has managed to create a processor and GPU to make it happen.
Augmented reality is new on this phone as developers will now be able to create apps that let you layer computer generated images on top of real-world objects and locations, think Pokemon go but on a larger scale. Gaming looks to benefit from this the most as Apple demonstrated a giant T-Rex dinosaur terrorizing a group of players during a pickup game of basketball. Real world applications look to benefit from this as well as education, medicine and teaching can really take a giant leap forward as information and imagery can now come to life, really enhancing learning and applied sciences.
One of the things I was hoping for was a possible return of the headphone jack. Yes, I know how that sounds, old right? Well I was one of those that really misses the headphone jack as I still have a lot of wired headphones. But it seems as if Apple is sticking to its guns and not budging on this, as the iPhone 8 and 8plus, and the iPhone X only have usb-c and can only be jacked in using the supplied adapter.
Lastly we now have wireless charging which means you will now be able to charge your phone without having to plug an adapter. This feature is not new per se, Android users have had this feature for some time, but now iPhone users can take advantage of the ease of plucking your phone on a pad, or the various Starbucks that offer wireless charging, to juice up when on the go. And speaking as a dad who is constantly running from school functions to meeting clients, this feature can be useful.
So lots of cool features and glitz to the new phones. But what is the price you might be asking? Well, as they say, if you have to ask then maybe you can’t afford it. And that certainly is the case here, because pay you will.
Here is the breakdown: (I have included pricing from the small SE to the current X)
iPHONE SE
The iPhone SE is the smallest iPhone
4-inch display resembling the iPhone 5.
A9 processor and improved camera as the iPhone 6S.
Touch ID button which the larger iPhone X does not.
Prices: 32GB for $349, or 128GB for $449
Colors: Silver, gold, space gray, or rose gold
IPHONE 6S / 6S PLUS
The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus are upgraded versions of the iPhone 6.
4.7-inch screen on the 6S
5.5-inch display on the 6S Plus
3D Touch feature
Animated Live Photos
Faster processor than the older iPhone 6
Prices: iPhone 6S: 32GB for $449, or 128GB for $549
iPhone 6S Plus: 32GB for $549, or 128GB for $649
Colors: Silver, gold, space gray, or rose gold
iPhone 7 / 7 Plus
7 Plus has a dual-camera system and a wide and telephoto lens
A new A10 Fusion chip
IP67 water resistance
Prices: iPhone 7: 32GB for $549, or 128GB for $649
iPhone 7 Plus: 32GB for $669, or 128GB for $769
Colors: Silver, gold, black, jet black, or rose gold
iPhone 8 and 8 Plus
Glass back to facilitate new wireless charging
True Tone display for better color accuracy
New A11 Bionic six-core chip
Prices: iPhone 8: 64GB for $699, or 256GB for $849
iPhone 8 Plus: 64GB for $799, or 256GB for $949
Colors: Silver, gold, black
So as you can see there is a considerable price hike as you go up the line, with the smaller SE being the only cheaper option. The iPhone X starting at $999 for a 64GB version and up to $1,149 for 256GB, it’s “only” $200 more than an iPhone 8 Plus, so if you are on the fence and thinking of buying the fancier iPhone X, then maybe you can rationalize spending an extra $200. If you really need it. Which brings me to the point mentioned at the beginning of this article. Should I/you buy one?
What I have learned as a parent living on a strict budget means to constantly be aware of the options I have around me to manage my lifestyle. I am also constantly evaluating how much I use any products around me (bye, bye cable) which includes my phone. I use the term “phone” loosely because honestly, who talks anymore? Texting is the new means of communicating and many social networking apps include in-product messaging. So the phone is not the only reason one buys a phone but it’s a feature that has simply become an added perk, like solitaire was on PCs, it’s there if you want it.
So ask yourself what do you need? This is what I constantly ask myself whenever making a new purchase. I try to block out all the irrational thoughts that invade my mind, like you won’t be cool if you don’t have that or you will look old if you don’t buy that. On and on the tape plays on, filling my head with mental crap. Today we have many options. Apple is not the only player on the field, yes they are the most popular, but the many features they offer in their line up can be found in less expensive phones, that I personally would be more than happy to own. You can now purchase a rather decent Android phone starting at $200 or sometimes $400 dollars. And, as illustrated in the pricing chart above, you can still purchase an iPhone, if you are willing to settle for an older model, for a lot cheaper than the X.
All these arguments withstanding, the truth of the matter is, many individuals are going to want the iPhone X and I expect the initial demand will certainly exceed the supply, as it always does. But take into account you do have options today, and it’s best to weigh those options when making a purchase. Animated emojis sound great but how many times are you going to really use that feature? 4K video is awesome but do you need that to simply take family vacation videos? If all you do is check emails and social media, well almost every phone on the market does that.
I know for myself, even though the iPhone X looks cool, it’s probably a phone I won’t purchase. My needs are simple, as I use only a handful of apps on any given day. I use Google’s suite of productivity tools, that can be accessed on any device. And all I need is a reliable camera for taking nice, decent pictures for everyday on the go moments, which again can be found on most phones. Worthy notables, and options I am looking at now are, the iPhone 6s Plus if you really need an iPhone fix, LG G6/V30, Google Pixel, Samsung S8 and One Plus. You see, options. So many good options are out there to help manage the latest and greatest game.
I hope this article was helpful.
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Cheers,
Ed