{"id":5892,"date":"2014-11-15T16:30:33","date_gmt":"2014-11-16T00:30:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/?p=5892"},"modified":"2024-12-15T19:19:16","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T03:19:16","slug":"497","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/2014\/11\/497\/","title":{"rendered":"#497 choosing between iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Bluetooth keyboards, RGB Express game and iOS app design and marketing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Allister Jenks guest hosts the show this week and talks about his decision process on buying a new iPhone in 2014. Donald Burr reviews two Bluetooth keyboards for his iOS devices. Then Allister reviews the iOS game RGB Express<\/a> and finally on CCATP talks with Andrew J Clark about all aspects of building a unique and successful iOS app except<\/em> the coding.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/nosillacast\/traffic.libsyn.com\/nosillacast\/NC_2014_11_16.mp3<\/a><\/audio>
\n\"itunes\"<\/a>
\nmp3 download<\/a><\/p>\n


\nHi this is Allister Jenks standing in for Allison Sheridan on\u00a0the NosillaCast Mac Podcast, hosted at Podfeet.com, a technology geek podcast with an EVER so slight Macintosh bias. Today is Sunday November 16, 2014 (in my part of the world) and this is show number 497. On this week\u2019s show I\u2019ll take you through my buying decision for my latest iPhone, Donald Burr reviews a couple of super portable bluetooth keyboards, I\u2019ll give you a quick review of a game that has taken my whole family by storm and then on CCATP we\u2019ll hear from an iOS app developer in Australia about his experience releasing a unique and high quality app.<\/p>\n

So, let\u2019s start the show.<\/p>\n

Decision 2014 \u2013\u00a0iPhone 6 versus iPhone 6 Plus<\/h3>\n

Like many Apple aficionados, I watched the Apple announcement of the 2014 iPhone models with wide eyes at the wonderment of a giant<\/em> iPhone \u2013 the iPhone 6 Plus. Would this be a device I would want?<\/p>\n

\"iPhoneI devoured all the early hands on reviews and watched with bated breath as friends made their decisions and each carefully justified their choice of 6 or 6 Plus. Being in a second wave release country, I had the luxury of watching many friends and public figures get their new phones and experience them before I could even order mine. I think I got a few giggles out of some of the justifications for the 6 Plus, but in the back of my mind, I realised, I was doing the same.<\/p>\n

As a then owner of an iPhone 5 \u2013 a very capable device \u2013 I looked at the choice of new models and my overriding thought was \u201cgo big or go home!\u201d Was the iPhone 6, I wondered, enough of an upgrade from the iPhone 5 to justify spending that amount of money? I should point out that I always buy my phones unlocked and without subsidy. So any new model is a lot of money.<\/p>\n

I came to the conclusion that a slightly bigger, slightly faster phone (in typical use) wasn\u2019t enough to justify the upgrade. Sure, it had touch ID, which I liked the thought of, and being newer it would remain viable for more years in the future, but it just didn\u2019t seem enough<\/em>. Apple Pay may come in the future, but there are no announced plans for countries other than the US and, well, our credit card systems aren\u2019t in such dire need of supplanting.<\/p>\n

But what if the upgrade brought me a WAY bigger screen? I love my retina iPad mini and it has long now served specific functions that I just cannot comfortably do on a 4\u201d phone. Would a larger iPhone reduce or even remove the need for the iPad? See, there goes that \u201cjustification thinking!\u201d And then I thought about that extra battery life. My iPhone 5 was never lasting me until bed time without a bit of a juice up in the afternoon or evening.<\/p>\n

I quickly came to the realisation that I would get an iPhone 6 Plus unless<\/em> I could find a reason not to. And the biggest candidate there was how well it would work in a real world carry situation. Would it fit in my pockets? Would I be able to get it in and out of those pockets? Would the size make it so difficult to handle I would be more likely to drop it? Would I be able to use it one handed?<\/p>\n

So I set about answering those questions. The printable templates that circulated were a great help. My brother was trying to make his decision and he printed and pasted both sizes on some art board of appropriate thickness. Yes, the 6 Plus would fit in my pockets, and quite comfortably. Yes, I could easily hold it in one hand. No, I could not easily reach large portions of the screen.<\/p>\n

Was this the death knell? I pondered this for days. Until I realised that in real world, on the go, single handed operation of my iPhone 5 \u2013 I couldn\u2019t comfortably reach all of the screen either! Not to mention I rarely use it when I only have one hand available. Much of my one handed use was out of convenience rather than necessity.<\/p>\n

So, my mind was made up. Or so I thought. Our local carriers had the phones available a week before they were orderable from Apple, so, I thought, I should actually pick one up and hold it. For real. After several attempts at picking a time there would be no crowds, I picked one up in my hand. Except it had a giant security device attached to the back. Argh! But that steeled me. A 6 Plus it would be!<\/p>\n

The following day I discussed the purchase with my better half and placed my order. I decided on Space Grey and then I decided on the capacity. Remember \u2013 go big or go home! I got the 128GB model. I figured I\u2019d be taking all sorts of cool videos, watching HD movies, and much, much more.
\nThe device arrived way quicker than Apple had lead me to expect and I eagerly got to work setting it up as a new device. And that is how I have come to think of it both in software and hardware \u2013 a completely new device. A new software appearance (when adapted for the new models) and new hardware presence in my hand.<\/p>\n

So how has it been? The first day or two gave me wrist strains until I learned to stop handling it like a 4\u201d phone. I\u2019ve slowly loaded apps on it \u2013 some old favourites but also some new when they support the large screen size well. Much of my iPad use has dropped off, but not all. There are still some things that the physically larger screen is more suitable for. I have yet to charge it any time other than overnight. The lowest I\u2019ve seen the battery is 26%. It fits in my pockets, but it is harder to get in and out. I had to move my FitBit to clip on my other pocket. I\u2019ve not once come close to dropping it although I do tend to have it in an Apple leather case when I\u2019m out of the house and that helps a lot with grip. I still feel a little awkward using it when I\u2019m not sitting down, but I get by. I love<\/em> the screen \u2013 both the clarity and the amount of stuff I can fit on it. In summary, I\u2019m still getting used to this new class of device, but I\u2019m glad I went this way.<\/p>\n

The unexpected outcome from all of this is that, despite two years with a 4\u201d iPhone 5 and four years with prior 3.5\u201d models, the 6 Plus seems perfectly \u201cnormal\u201d in size to me now, only a month after I got it. Amusingly, when I see the occasional 3.5\u201d device now, it looks positively tiny<\/em>!<\/p>\n

A Tale of Two Keyboards \u2013 Bluetooth keyboard reviews by Donald Burr<\/h3>\n