iPhone / iOS Thread

I'm still waiting for "Who is calling" app - app that would tell me who is calling before answering. There just isn't one that would work like the ones on Android.

Yes, that sucks. Apple doesn’t allow devs free access to caller ID on the fly.



So, I left my MBP at the Apple store today. I’m currently making this post using the same USB-C monitor and BT keyboard and mouse I typically use with the MBP, but with my iPad as the brains. It works and feels a lot better than expected. I’ve come across a couple of little weird things so far:

1) When you open a picture in the Photos app, iPadOS stops mirroring the screen and just displays the picture in fullscreen and nothing else on the external display. When you drop back to thumbnail view, mirroring comes back.

2) Everything is huge, because it’s a UI made for 11” blown up on a desktop monitor. Obviously. It also doesn’t scale to widescreen.

3) iPadOS sees my Lenovo monitor as a sound output device and refuses to let me change to bluetooth or anything else while it’s plugged in.

The monitor actually does have a sound device in it and a 3.5mm jack on the side, but there’s no volume control so it’s effectively useless. I mean, tying to change the volume in macOS with the Lenovo selected as output just produces the usual speaker icon crossed over with an Ø. I don’t know what the Lenovo guys were thinking. It makes the Lenovo sound card useless for a normal set of headphones, and annoying to use with my desk speakers because I have to reach over and turn the actual volume knob to adjust volume.
 
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I'm still waiting for "Who is calling" app - app that would tell me who is calling before answering. There just isn't one that would work like the ones on Android.

I get around that by just not answering the phone the first time if I don't recognise the number, if someone actually wants me they'll call back again. Even with those apps the crap calls can come from spoofed numbers now so I'm not sure they're much help. Would be nice to have though anyway.
 
A proper caller ID API is the one feature I really would like to have. My company phone is my only phone and between work and hobbies I get lots of calls.
 
These days, just let it go to voicemail. If it's important, they'll leave a message, if they're stupid, they'll call back over and over.
 
These days, just let it go to voicemail. If it's important, they'll leave a message, if they're stupid, they'll call back over and over.

Nobody ever uses voicemail, not around these parts. And that’s good because it’s a hateful invention that should die.

And not answering is not an option anyway.
 
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Also, me likey iOS 14! The beta gave me a bit of a heart attack during installation because, unlike all the other betas I have installed over the years, it didn’t go 100% smoothly. But one hard reset and some extra patience were enough. No data loss and no unexpected problems discovered yet.

Widgets on the home screens seem a bit gimmicky, but I can see them becoming useful once more apps support the feature.

Picture-in-picture for video is something I have been wishing for for years and I hope that the YouTube app will soon support that; the screenshot is from an embedded YT video.

App Library seems unnecessary, but only because I keep my apps tidy anyway.
 
Did anyone watch the event today?

I'm now 100 % sure that I will upgrade to the iPhone 12 mini from my iPhone 7, as soon as they are available. It looks like the perfect size for one handed use. I'm unsure about the storage, but I will most likely have to go with 256 GB on it, as I'm already using 97 of the 128 GB on my iPhone 7, but I can cut down on about 50 GB by using the optimized storage for photos with full size images kept in iCloud. Going forward I can easily see myself keeping the 12 mini for the next 4/5 years.
 
I'm not seeing much that I want other than putting fucking USB-C on the phone itself.
 
Did anyone watch the event today?

I'm now 100 % sure that I will upgrade to the iPhone 12 mini from my iPhone 7, as soon as they are available. It looks like the perfect size for one handed use. I'm unsure about the storage, but I will most likely have to go with 256 GB on it, as I'm already using 97 of the 128 GB on my iPhone 7, but I can cut down on about 50 GB by using the optimized storage for photos with full size images kept in iCloud. Going forward I can easily see myself keeping the 12 mini for the next 4/5 years.

I did. I like the idea of the iPhone 12 mini, I just don't like what it'll end up costing here. I might grab one next year, when iPhone 12S/13 comes out, but then, I might grab a Google Pixel 5a/6 next year instead.
 
The 12 Pro is relevant to my interests. I really want the best possible camera. It's also slightly smaller than my XR and has the same size screen. I really don't want to go bigger, for pocketability's sake.

MagSafe looks great, but I wouldn't be surprised if this is them laying the groundwork for removing the charging port completely next year. I sure hope not. I was hoping for USB-C on the Pro just like the iPad Pro has vs. the cheaper iPads, but no dice. I guess they're afraid to switch connector after the huge (and silly) outcry when they switched to Lightning. Everyone that didn't care when anyone else changed connectors suddenly lost their minds when Apple did it.
 
Fans of smaller phones can indeed rejoice on this one. the mini is close enough to a 5S that people who are still stuck on a gen1 SE or just dislike large phones can upgrade with confidence.

Screenshot 2020-10-13 154112.png



...watch it flop :p
 
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MagSafe and the move back to flat sides are interesting, probably time to upgrade my X to a 12 Pro. The Pro Max is tempting to get the better cameras but I'd never be happy carrying such a big phone around.
 
I really don't like that the 12 mini takes over the price point of the 11, and the "normal" sized 12 moves up $100. I'll probably be buying an 11 now because of that.
 
Also I can't find any actual leather cases on their site, only silicone which is weird. Oh, and that silly clear case that looks like it's 2009 again and accessory manufacturers haven't figured things out yet.
 
I really don't like that the 12 mini takes over the price point of the 11, and the "normal" sized 12 moves up $100. I'll probably be buying an 11 now because of that.
If I'm going to have a guess, I think they decided that they wanted the range to start at the same $699 as last year, but giving the 12 and the 12 mini the same oled-displays and 5G modems as the pros probably added to the cost. Take a look at Samsung and their Galaxy S20 lineup, until the FE came along the range started at the same price level as the 12 Pro, which kind of shows the cost of 5G.

That being said, I would love if it was somewhat cheaper, also a little cross about Apple being stingy with the storage still, 128 GB should have been standard across the range.
 
It's a difficult situation. 5G phones aren't useful until there are 5G networks, and 5G networks won't be built until there's a customer base with compatible phones... so right now we have expensive first-generation 5G chips that we need to pay for even though we don't have any use for them.
 
OR COMPATIBLE BRAINS! Otherwise we're just going to end up with cancer!

(I am kidding, I promise.)
 
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