# California Streamin’



## SuperMatt

It seems like a foregone conclusion that Apple’s event tomorrow will feature new iPhones.

There is plenty we don’t know.

New watches? Macs?

Will new App Store policies be addressed?

Does the “streaming” just mean they will talk a lot about Apple TV+ offerings or will there be other things related to streaming?


----------



## Eric

SuperMatt said:


> It seems like a foregone conclusion that Apple’s event tomorrow will feature new iPhones.
> 
> There is plenty we don’t know.
> 
> New watches? Macs?
> 
> Will new App Store policies be addressed?
> 
> Does the “streaming” just mean they will talk a lot about Apple TV+ offerings or will there be other things related to streaming?



It's my year to upgrade the iPhone but if there aren't any significant updates I'll probably hold off.


----------



## Runs For Fun

I think it will be just the Apple Watch and the iPhone. I think we’ll see the iPad and iPad Mini along with MacBooks in a separate event.

I’m on the iPhone upgrade program so I’ll be getting a new one. I really want that 120Hz refresh rate. AoD would be pretty cool too. 

Almost certainly going to skip the watch this year. No new sensors. I’ll be waiting for the Series 8.


----------



## Clix Pix

I bought an iPhone 12 Pro in May 2021 and also still have and am using the iPhone 11 Pro so this really isn't going to be a year when I get all excited about the iPhone 13 and want to rush to preorder one or go over to the store on Launch Day and stand around for hours waiting for the opportunity to buy one in the model, capacity and color of my choice....   Even so I will be watching the keynote with interest, as I always do!  

As for the Apple Watch, I probably will be buying one later in the autumn, so am definitely interested in what is going to be said about the new Series 7 (or is it 8?)  To be honest,  I've lost track and get confused between the actual number of the series model versus the number of the software version!) because my lovely Series 3 definitely has seen her better days and yet has valiantly kept on trekking in spite of all but is really ready for a nice retirement now.  I am not in any urgent rush to replace her, though, can wait through the usual preorder and early-adopter madness and then when things have settled down go over to the store and choose what I want and get it at that time.

What I am really waiting for is the new MacBook Pros and what the configurations will be, the specs, etc., and although I wouldn't be buying immediately,  one day sometime this winter or in the spring of 2022 I will be replacing my beloved  15" 2018 MBP, my wonderful workhorse, with one of the new machines -- assuming that the specs will work out to my satisfaction.   Having spent rather a lot of $$$$ on photography equipment over this past year and especially recently, now I need to give my bank account some breathing space!  

Looking forward to tomorrow's keynote......


----------



## ronntaylor

We got a couple of iPhone 12 Pro Max in November. So no plans to update any time soon. Got a couple of Apple Watches a bit later. So definitely not upgrading those. I'm not expecting much: new iPhones; new Apple Watch; some software upgrades, with new App Store policies due to the partial loss in the Epic case, and the screaming & hollering from smaller developers.

We're waiting till the next event (late this month, some time in October?) where they'll hopefully introduce new desktops. We both want something to compliment our M1 MacBooks. Probably iMacs for both of us. He's a bit limited in terms of what he can buy through his school account. I'm not so limited and we saved a bit the last 15+ months of the Pandemic.

I don't get too excited by "leaks" and just wait to see what's introduced at the event. So much chatter winds up being so wrong.


----------



## Pumbaa

SuperMatt said:


> It seems like a foregone conclusion that Apple’s event tomorrow will feature new iPhones.



I for one am hoping for a new awesome iPhone as I’ve started really considering an upgrade of my trusty old 8 Plus.

That said, it would amuse me to no end if they didn’t talk about iPhones at all. MR for example is labeling their countdown to the event “iPhone 13 Event”.


----------



## JayMysteri0

I'm still on my iPhone XR and have no desire to move on yet.  I've played a tiny bit with the beta iPad OS so I'll be interested to see how Apple spins it as being the best OS yet.

I'm also waiting for the next event to see if new Macbook Pros are already on the way, as I'm thinking I may trade in my M1 air towards the new 16 if it has the ports & magsafe back.


----------



## Eric

JayMysteri0 said:


> I'm still on my iPhone XR and have no desire to move on yet.  I've played a tiny bit with the beta iPad OS so I'll be interested to see how Apple spins it as being the best OS yet.
> 
> I'm also waiting for the next event to see if new Macbook Pros are already on the way, as I'm thinking I may trade in my M1 air towards the new 16 if it has the ports & magsafe back.



I'm considering the iPad Pro with the pencil (and procreate) for artwork, landscapes, trees and stuff. I'm still a beginner but really dig it with charcoal, it's just messy and I've seen a lot of great tutorials that have sold me on it.


----------



## DT

There was one rumor about another rumor that the new Watch was going to be delayed due to some kind of manufacturing difficulty.  We have have an S5 (mine), and an S4 (wife's) and they run great, support the latest OS, etc., I'm not in as quick of a cycle with the Watch (I mean, I only got this S5 about a year ago after having an S0 since launch).

I think I'm about ready for a new iPhone though, I usually do every other year, sometimes 3, depending on the details of that "second year" device.  I held off a bit longer this time, I'm still on an X, so I passed on an XS, 11, 12.  Wife has an 11 Pro, Daughter has an XR (so same generation).  

The main deficit is the camera, 3 generations has improved that hardware/software a ton, especially with low light photography.

Plus, I think I'm ready to go back to a larger device, so I guess, assuming the rumors are correct, my interest would be in a 13 Pro Max.

Hahaha, so glad I won't be reading through the train wreck that is the event thread(s) over on MR, full of name calling, "disappointment", etc.  We'll be watching on the main TV, a couple of drinks, I'll be kicked back with the iPad babbling into this thread, where the Happy People live


----------



## Pumbaa

DT said:


> The main deficit is the camera, 3 generations has improved that hardware/software a ton, especially with low light photography.



For sure. That’s my main reason for considering an upgrade. Multiple “nice to have” improvements on the new phones so far, but nothing that’s tempting enough to warrant an upgrade save for the camera tech.

If the new iPhones are either “disappointing” or too pricey I might just replace the battery in my 8 Plus and wait. Or maybe get a used 12 Pro Max if I get a good deal somewhere.


----------



## Edd

I have an iPad 5th gen (2017). Works perfectly except the speakers went out 3 years ago and I’ve been living with it for some weird reason. It’s my main computer, as my demands and hobbies don’t require more. Tempted to go for a new Air but feels like a splurge for my needs.


----------



## Pumbaa

Ah, the traditional “Why do they have to take the whole store down for a new product” posts and threads.

I’m sure the answers will be completely different this time…


----------



## Alli

My interest in a new MBP has now waned, and the work I wanted it for is already in progress on my old Mac. I really can’t justify one now, definitely not a month from now. However, I am jonesing for some new Apple goodness, so I will watch with great interest when they discuss the new phone. I’m on an 11 Pro Max, so I could upgrade….


----------



## Runs For Fun

DT said:


> There was one rumor about another rumor that the new Watch was going to be delayed due to some kind of manufacturing difficulty.  We have have an S5 (mine), and an S4 (wife's) and they run great, support the latest OS, etc., I'm not in as quick of a cycle with the Watch (I mean, I only got this S5 about a year ago after having an S0 since launch).
> 
> I think I'm about ready for a new iPhone though, I usually do every other year, sometimes 3, depending on the details of that "second year" device.  I held off a bit longer this time, I'm still on an X, so I passed on an XS, 11, 12.  Wife has an 11 Pro, Daughter has an XR (so same generation).
> 
> The main deficit is the camera, 3 generations has improved that hardware/software a ton, especially with low light photography.
> 
> Plus, I think I'm ready to go back to a larger device, so I guess, assuming the rumors are correct, my interest would be in a 13 Pro Max.
> 
> Hahaha, so glad I won't be reading through the train wreck that is the event thread(s) over on MR, full of name calling, "disappointment", etc.  We'll be watching on the main TV, a couple of drinks, I'll be kicked back with the iPad babbling into this thread, where the Happy People live



I went from the 8 Plus to the 12 Pro Max and the camera absolutely blew me away. Everything about the camera was such a massive upgrade. Night mode is really cool and even if you're not holding it completely still, the picture still comes out crystal clear.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Eric said:


> It's my year to upgrade the iPhone but if there aren't any significant updates I'll probably hold off.




Last year was my year to upgrade and I didn't for the first time in my every other year since version 1 cycle.  I'm burnt out on the upgrades and it's nice not having a monthly iPhone purchase payment.


----------



## tobefirst

Just upgraded my phone to the 12 mini in February. It was the first time I didn't upgrade after 2 years (it ended up being 3.5). New watch in January. I am looking forward to new AirPods, but I had trouble with both my first and second gens not consistently charging, so unless they make them water-resistant – I'm assuming it was my sweat that makes them not charge? – I'm not interested. 

So, I won't be purchasing anything, but I'll still watch and see what's new.


----------



## shadow puppet

I am in need of upgrading my iPhone.  Almost did last year but waited.  My iPhone 6 (surely a collector's item by now), is working fine.  But the OS is old and more and more apps aren't available to reap the benefits of upgrades due to my old OS.


----------



## Alli

And it’s starting. Let’s see if they can sell me a new iPhone.


----------



## Pumbaa

Alli said:


> And it’s starting. Let’s see if they can sell me a new iPhone.



Bah. Who cares about that? Let’s see if they can sell _me_ a new iPhone!


----------



## SuperMatt

It‘s happening…

I was expecting the TV+ montage, but I wasn’t expecting them to spend a bunch of time on iPad and iPad mini. Gotta say that removing the home button from the mini was well overdue. For a small device, it ate up a lot of real estate. And the magnetic pencil is a nice bonus.


----------



## shadow puppet

$499 for the iPad mini?!


----------



## Alli

SuperMatt said:


> It‘s happening…
> 
> I was expecting the TV+ montage, but I wasn’t expecting them to spend a bunch of time on iPad and iPad mini. Gotta say that removing the home button from the mini was well overdue. For a small device, it ate up a lot of real estate. And the magnetic pencil is a nice bonus.



I’m half tempted to go back to an iPad mini. But I’m so addicted to the floating keyboard that I’m sticking with what I’ve got.


----------



## Alli

shadow puppet said:


> $499 for the iPad mini?!



$599 if you want cellular.


----------



## shadow puppet

Alli said:


> $599 if you want cellular.



I don't need a cellular iPad.  I just hot spot if ever I need it.


----------



## Alli

I wonder how many millennia it will take before we can design watch faces?


shadow puppet said:


> I don't need a cellular iPad.  I just hot spot if ever I need it.



I did that for a while, but it never seemed consistent. I like my cellular.


----------



## Pumbaa

I don’t know what would entertain me more: The new iPhone being “one more thing”, or it not being part of today’s event at all.


----------



## DT

All those Watch design rumours were totally wrong!


----------



## Alli

Ooooooo - swipe keyboard on Watch 7!


----------



## Alli

USB-C for the new watch? Goddamn it! Why can’t they choose one and stick with it!


----------



## shadow puppet

Alli said:


> I did that for a while, but it never seemed consistent. I like my cellular.



I went back and forth on cellular when I bought my iPad Air.  I never needed the cellular so returned it.  I mostly use my iPad at home and when hot spotting, I've never had a problem with my Verizon.  That's not saying it won't ever be, I just prefer the savings.  My phone is cellular & that works for me.


----------



## SuperMatt

DT said:


> All those Watch design rumours were totally wrong!



Wait, the watch can tell you your Tennis serve speed??!?!?!?!


----------



## DT

SuperMatt said:


> Wait, the watch can tell you your Tennis serve speed??!?!?!?!





I know that flew by so fast I was 100% sure what they were saying, is there a function detecting wrist speed?


----------



## Alli

SuperMatt said:


> Wait, the watch can tell you your Tennis serve speed??!?!?!?!



Who knew.


----------



## Alli

Sorry, @Pumbaa - here’s iPhone.


----------



## Pumbaa

Pumbaa said:


> I don’t know what would entertain me more: The new iPhone being “one more thing”, or it not being part of today’s event at all.



Darn it! iPhone!


----------



## Pumbaa

Alli said:


> Sorry, @Pumbaa - here’s iPhone.



Alrighty then. Let’s see if it’s your iPhone or my iPhone!


----------



## lizkat

shadow puppet said:


> I am in need of upgrading my iPhone. Almost did last year but waited. My iPhone 6 (surely a collector's item by now), is working fine. But the OS is old and more and more apps aren't available to reap the benefits of upgrades due to my old OS.




That's where I'm at in terms of a full size iPad.   I have a 10.5 iPad Pro which is starting to feel vintage-y at this point.  So I'm looking at the mini because my mini is even older!   Iphone has to settle for back of the line in my budget...


----------



## SuperMatt

DT said:


> I know that flew by so fast I was 100% sure what they were saying, is there a function detecting wrist speed?



There could be other applications for that functionality……


----------



## SuperMatt

The “shell” they introduced the new iPhone from is a new concert venue used by the San Diego Symphony. I was reading about it a couple weeks ago and instantly recognized it when I saw it on the screen.









						2021 Season
					

single tickets and CONCERT PACKAGES FORTHE conrad prebys INAUGURAL SEASON 2021 atTHE RADY SHELL @ JACOBS PARK ARE ON SALE NOW!




					www.theshell.org


----------



## Pumbaa

SuperMatt said:


> There could be other applications for that functionality……



Time to switch hand for privacy?


----------



## SuperMatt

iPhone 13 mini confirmed.


----------



## Alli

I like the cinematic mode.


----------



## Alli

Still waiting on Max or Pro or whatever they’ll call the big one this time.


----------



## Runs For Fun

Guess I was wrong on iPads at this event lol. So tempted to go back the Mini but I just got the Air 4 a while ago. I probably should have waited. Ugh!


----------



## shadow puppet

lizkat said:


> That's where I'm at in terms of a full size iPad.   I have a 10.5 iPad Pro which is starting to feel vintage-y at this point.  So I'm looking at the mini because my mini is even older!   Iphone has to settle for back of the line in my budget...



I'm in collector's land on my iPad as well.  I'm still using an original iPad Air.  But I need the upgraded iPhone more at this point.  Just glad they are still offering a mini iPhone version.  The pro's are heavy and large in my small, arthritic hands.


----------



## Pumbaa

Alli said:


> Still waiting on Max or Pro or whatever they’ll call the big one this time.



Hopefully they’re just keeping us waiting a bit because it is awesome. Given what they’ve shown so far, I won’t go for a used 12.


----------



## SuperMatt

128GB minimum storage on iPhone 13…


----------



## Alli

Pumbaa said:


> Hopefully they’re just keeping us waiting a bit because it is awesome. Given what they’ve shown so far, I won’t go for a used 12.



Looks like you and I will be parting with some cash soon.


----------



## Runs For Fun

128GB base storage on the iPhone 13 with a 512GB option. Calling it now 1TB on the Pros.


----------



## JayMysteri0

That Black iPhone 13 is sexy!

If the trade in deal is as good as it was for my iPhone XR, I will be very tempted.


----------



## tobefirst

Haha. The day after Apple says "Don't mount this on your motorcycle," they show it mounted on a scooter.


----------



## Alli

Here we go…the pro….nail biting, savings account checking time.


----------



## Pumbaa

Alli said:


> Looks like you and I will be parting with some cash soon.



Sure looks that way. As they say: Someone cool and their money are soon parted. Hello prophone!


----------



## SuperMatt

The color choices match the American flag… intentional?


----------



## shadow puppet

The sierra blue color is gorgeous.


----------



## Pumbaa

SuperMatt said:


> The color choices match the American flag… intentional?



I’m getting a case.


----------



## SuperMatt

shadow puppet said:


> The sierra blue color is gorgeous.



Agreed - fantastic color.

120Hz display only on pro models it looks like.


----------



## Alli

Pumbaa said:


> I’m getting a case.



Should be able to use my old cases. If not, maybe it’s time to try some MagSafe accessories.


----------



## shadow puppet

Any guesses on how much this bad boy is going to cost?


----------



## Runs For Fun

iPad Mini 6 has the A15. Oh man I'm so tempted to get it








						Apple unveils new iPad mini with breakthrough performance in stunning new design
					

Apple today introduced the powerful new iPad mini with a larger 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display in four gorgeous finishes.



					www.apple.com
				






shadow puppet said:


> The sierra blue color is gorgeous.



Love it! Absolutely beautiful!


----------



## Alli

shadow puppet said:


> Any guesses on how much this bad boy is going to cost?



Starting at $999?

But look at that macro camera! I love macros.


----------



## shadow puppet

Pumbaa said:


> I’m getting a case.



I always get a clear case.


----------



## Pumbaa

shadow puppet said:


> Any guesses on how much this bad boy is going to cost?



Would it be inappropriate to post this?


----------



## Runs For Fun

Pumbaa said:


> Would it be inappropriate to post this?
> 
> View attachment 8662



No posts containing only a meme! Reported!


----------



## SuperMatt

The Mac Pros in the studio where they filmed the iPhone Pro segment have wheels…. They spared no expense!


----------



## SuperMatt

Assuming a 90-minute presentation, there’s not a lot of time left for new Macs.


----------



## Alli

SuperMatt said:


> Assuming a 90-minute presentation, there’s not a lot of time left for new Macs.



I think they’re doing Macs next month.


----------



## Alli

Alli said:


> Starting at $999?



Called it.


----------



## Runs For Fun

Called it! 1TB!


----------



## Pumbaa

Alli said:


> I think they’re doing Macs next month.



We better get that PowerBook G5 this year. Steve Jobs would never have let us go this far without it!


----------



## shadow puppet

Alli said:


> Starting at $999?



You nailed it!


----------



## Alli

First order of business, set alarm for Friday morning. Usually at 2 a.m. my time. I think I’ll go for silver. Pro Max. Yes.


----------



## Eric

After watching that I see absolutely no reason to make the move from my 11 Pro Max.


----------



## JayMysteri0

Alli said:


> First order of business, set alarm for Friday morning. Usually at 2 a.m. my time. I think I’ll go for silver. Pro Max. Yes.



I have discovered patience with buying iPhones, that I do NOT have with iPad Pros & Macs.

When I know what I can get for my old phone, then I start the mental gymnastics in convincing myself to upgrade.


----------



## shadow puppet

If I were to choose right now, I'd go with the starlight iPhone mini 128gb.  That way, I can hope for an upgraded iPad soonish. My iPhone 6 is 64gb and I keep it pretty lean.  I still have 30gb avail so 128 should be more than fine for my use.


----------



## Alli

JayMysteri0 said:


> I have discovered patience with buying iPhones, that I do NOT have with iPad Pros & Macs.
> 
> When I know what I can get for my old phone, then I start the mental gymnastics in convincing myself to upgrade.



I have no patience. Period. For anything. Ever.


----------



## Pumbaa

Eric said:


> After watching that I see absolutely no reason to make the move from my 11 Pro Max.



Great. Less competition!


----------



## shadow puppet

Not even $30 offered for an iPhone 6 trade in anymore.  The cut-off is the 6s.  Pffft.


----------



## JayMysteri0

My trade in would pretty much just cover Apple + with Theft & Loss protection.

So I'd just be paying for the phone and getting Apple care for the price of my old phone.


----------



## Pumbaa

Alli said:


> I have no patience. Period. For anything. Ever.



I bet you couldn’t wait to say that.


----------



## Runs For Fun

Almost placed an order for the iPad Mini but I’m not sure if I could go back to the smaller screen size even if it is slightly bigger than the Mini 5’s screen. I feel like I need to see it in person.


----------



## Eric

Me and my wife definitely have interest in the watches, we're currently on the series 4 but I can wait, we'll upgrade hers if she wants though.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

shadow puppet said:


> I went back and forth on cellular when I bought my iPad Air.  I never needed the cellular so returned it.  I mostly use my iPad at home and when hot spotting, I've never had a problem with my Verizon.  That's not saying it won't ever be, I just prefer the savings.  My phone is cellular & that works for me.




I got the cellular versions on my first 3 or 4 iPads, found I rarely used it.  Nowadays if I did ever need it due to lack of WiFi availability, a cellular connection also isn't available in that location.  Ironic.


----------



## lizkat

Alli said:


> I have no patience. Period. For anything. Ever.




Sigh.   I'm getting good at being patient while stirring the beans I have to settle for after busting a gear budget...

Thanks god i love my XR.   The iPad mini might be the pick of this event's litter for me...


----------



## lizkat

tobefirst said:


> Haha. The day after Apple says "Don't mount this on your motorcycle," they show it mounted on a scooter.




Yeah I'm half-convinced that advice was just a special shout-out to @jkcerda.


----------



## DT

Runs For Fun said:


> Almost placed an order for the iPad Mini but I’m not sure if I could go back to the smaller screen size even if it is slightly bigger than the Mini 5’s screen. I feel like I need to see it in person.




Interestingly, the Mini went to an even higher aspect ratio than the 11" Pro, i.e., 1.5:1 (vs. the 11" 1.4:1) where the previous model was 1.3:1 like the 12.9" pro model.

(In other words, it's has more height (in portrait) to width than the 11 or 12.9 pro)

And this new Mini is really spec'ed like a Pro series iPad, from the physical design, support for Pencil 2, A15, etc.


----------



## shadow puppet

Eric said:


> Me and my wife definitely have interest in the watches, we're currently on the series 4 but I can wait, we'll upgrade hers if she wants though.



I also have an Apple watch 4.  I'm going to hold off even though the 7 is tempting.  I need a new iPhone more than a watch upgrade.


----------



## shadow puppet

lizkat said:


> Sigh.   I'm getting good at being patient while stirring the beans I have to settle for after busting a gear budget...
> 
> Thanks god i love my XR.   The iPad mini might be the pick of this event's litter for me...



The iPad mini is extremely tempting but not sure if I could handle the smaller screen real estate after being used to an iPad Air (ancient as it is).  I don't have a TV in my bedroom so often watch shows on my iPad Air when in bed.  But I _should_ be weaning myself off bedtime screen usage so I sleep better.


----------



## Pumbaa

Great. Now I have to figure out how much storage the different video options will require and see if I can get the 512 without regretting it every other day…


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

From what I read the new iPhone is a big snooze-fest.   I'm always up for an improved camera but considering they were already releasing movies in theaters 3 or 4 years ago filmed entirely on an iPhone, I'm not exactly in bad need of a better camera now.  I've been using Final Cut Pro for years which can easily compensate for an older iPhone camera (I have an 11 Pro) and I'm not filming tentpole blockbusters anyway.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Runs For Fun said:


> Almost placed an order for the iPad Mini but I’m not sure if I could go back to the smaller screen size even if it is slightly bigger than the Mini 5’s screen. I feel like I need to see it in person.




I have an iPad Mini 4 which has almost exclusively been used as my drone controller and that's it.    

I've had all 3 sizes and including the iPhones the only thing I found the Mini is perfect for is driving games, but I also haven't played those in years.


----------



## Eric

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> From what I read the new iPhone is a big snooze-fest.   I'm always up for an improved camera but considering they were already releasing movies in theaters 3 or 4 years ago filmed entirely on an iPhone, I'm not exactly in bad need of a better camera now.  I've been using Final Cut Pro for years which can easily compensate for an older iPhone camera (I have an 11 Pro) and I'm not filming tentpole blockbusters anyway.



Agreed. The iPhone will always be a great point and shoot camera but if you're serious about photography, you'll get real photography gear. I don't care how many bells and whistles they put on it (granted some of the software changes are pretty cool) you'll only ever get so good of a picture with a pea sized lens and a non-DSLR sensor.


----------



## JayMysteri0

Eric said:


> Agreed. The iPhone will always be a great point and shoot camera but if you're serious about photography, you'll get real photography gear. I don't care how many bells and whistles they put on it (granted some of the software changes are pretty cool) you'll only ever get so good of a picture with a pea sized lens and a non-DSLR sensor.




I always thought that was the selling point of iPhones were for many.  The fact that you actively didn't need to tote around expensive camera gear, you are just always ready for the moment when you need to take a shot.  For that crowd that envisions themselves always needing the best, the iPhone is really convenient for when they see a shot looking up a stairwell and think it's "artsy" & discovered great photography.

The iPhone as a vlogging camera though has really been impressive.




Eric said:


> I'm considering the iPad Pro with the pencil (and procreate) for artwork, landscapes, trees and stuff. I'm still a beginner but really dig it with charcoal, it's just messy and I've seen a lot of great tutorials that have sold me on it.




Was always torn on charcoal.  It is way to messy, but I love the things you can do with smudging ( paper cigars ) tools.  Graphite was a little better as it's basically charcoal with a point & a handle.  Fortunately Procreate is such a great program with plenty of choices for additional brushes ( if you don't find your charcoal fix ) that the app runs on pretty much any iPad.  You could do some nice portable studies on the new iPad mini and new pencil.  Or just go with the new iPad.


----------



## Pumbaa

Eric said:


> Agreed. The iPhone will always be a great point and shoot camera but if you're serious about photography, you'll get real photography gear. I don't care how many bells and whistles they put on it (granted some of the software changes are pretty cool) you'll only ever get so good of a picture with a pea sized lens and a non-DSLR sensor.



True. But having a great point-and-shoot camera for all those everyday shots and videos is a perfect complement to the more cumbersome DSLR gear with fancy lenses (most costing at least as much as an iPhone). Since my 8 Plus I don’t bother bringing a dedicated point-and-shoot camera with me anymore, it’s either just the iPhone or iPhone plus DSLR.

The 13 Pro Max should be a worthwhile point-and-shoot upgrade from the 8 Plus for me.


----------



## Eric

JayMysteri0 said:


> I always thought that was the selling point of iPhones were for many.  The fact that you actively didn't need to tote around expensive camera gear, you are just always ready for the moment when you need to take a shot.  For that crowd that envisions themselves always needing the best, the iPhone is really convenient for when they see a shot looking up a stairwell and think it's "artsy" & discovered great photography.
> 
> The iPhone as a vlogging camera though has really been impressive.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Was always torn on charcoal.  It is way to messy, but I love the things you can do with smudging ( paper cigars ) tools.  Graphite was a little better as it's basically charcoal with a point & a handle.  Fortunately Procreate is such a great program with plenty of choices for additional brushes ( if you don't find your charcoal fix ) that the app runs on pretty much any iPad.  You could do some nice portable studies on the new iPad mini and new pencil.  Or just go with the new iPad.



I don't think the pencil works with my first gen iPad Air or I would just use that, I'm actually really psyched about trying this software out. You sound like you know what you're doing with this way more than I do so maybe I'll pick your brain. Do you have any of your artwork online? I love checking out other people's work!


----------



## Clix Pix

Having spent rather a bunch of money already this year on photo gear -- new camera body, a couple of new lenses -- I watched the presentation with much less enthuasiasm and excitement than I have in past years.  The new iPhone 13 and its camera upgrades sounds nifty, but it sure as heck wouldn't ever replace my lovely Sony mirrorless gear!   The macro function is interesting -- I've shot macro or closeups with my iPhones before and they already do a pretty good job with that.  My iPhones are usually an adjunct to my "real" cameras, not a replacement for them.   The new iPad Mini sounds rather appealing, a nice upgrade from my current one, but definitely it is not something I absolutely need, as I tend to use the Mini more for travel than for around home, and I haven't done much traveling lately, that is for sure!  No trips planned for the immediate future, either.

Since my Apple Watch Series 3 is showing her age, that is the Apple device that I am most likely to update and even that I am not in a hurry to do.....  I am waiting to see just what will be offered with the new M-whatever MBPs, as a 14" or 16" one of those is something in which I would really be interested.


----------



## DT

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> From what I read the new iPhone is a big snooze-fest.




There's rarely any brand new features on any phones.  There's just not any unique new use cases that can be done on a phone - they already had (going into this event) tons of instrumentation, loads of performance, high quality camera systems, depth cameras for 3D/AR,  voice recognition systems,  payment system integration, NFC/BT/WiFi/5G ...

I mean, there's only so many different hardware / interaction models,  as the few years before this - and my expectation going into this event - it's all about incremental improvements on existing subsystems (camera, display, CPU/GPU, etc.)

Look at computers for the last several years, what has really changed?  They've gotten faster, with more storage/capacity, a few new port specs here and there (that also, really come down to just more speed).  It's the same for most industries, look at cars, they've gotten faster, with efficiency improvements, then there was a big change with EVs, but major paradigm shifts in any industry is super rare.


----------



## JayMysteri0

Eric said:


> I don't think the pencil works with my first gen iPad Air or I would just use that, I'm actually really psyched about trying this software out. You sound like you know what you're doing with this way more than I do so maybe I'll pick your brain. Do you have any of your artwork online? I love checking out other people's work!



I had one those "issues" where I kind of "nuked" all my old work.

I do have books that are online somewhere that featured my earliest work, but nothing recent as my seeming ADHD makes it so nothing is ever good.

I have to do some character sketches tonight, I'll post something from that I guess.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

DT said:


> There's rarely any brand new features on any phones.  There's just not any unique new use cases that can be done on a phone - they already had (going into this event) tons of instrumentation, loads of performance, high quality camera systems, depth cameras for 3D/AR,  voice recognition systems,  payment system integration, NFC/BT/WiFi/5G ...
> 
> I mean, there's only so many different hardware / interaction models,  as the few years before this - and my expectation going into this event - it's all about incremental improvements on existing subsystems (camera, display, CPU/GPU, etc.)
> 
> Look at computers for the last several years, what has really changed?  They've gotten faster, with more storage/capacity, a few new port specs here and there (that also, really come down to just more speed).  It's the same for most industries, look at cars, they've gotten faster, with efficiency improvements, then there was a big change with EVs, but major paradigm shifts in any industry is super rare.




That's why I think these events have become silly, or at least attempting to give them the same amount of excitement buildup as the Jobs years, and shortly after.  I don't really blame Apple though for that perception, and really, we cut our teeth on an Apple forum before we got here.  So maybe the excitement has died down and it's just our bubble that makes it appear otherwise.


----------



## Joe

iPad mini looked cool. I’d get that if I didn’t buy an iPad Pro 11” last year. I plan to keep this thing until the wheels fall off

The watches were a let down. I think we all expected flat edges. I’ll keep my Series 4 that’s still going strong.

I have an iPhone 12 Pro so I’m good.  I Think lol Sometimes I wish I’d gotten the Pro Max but I don’t think it’s worth spending the extra money if my 12 Pro gets the job done. Who knows. I may change my mind when I see them next week. But for now I’m good.


----------



## DT

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> That's why I think these events have become silly, or at least attempting to give them the same amount of excitement buildup as the Jobs years, and shortly after.  I don't really blame Apple though for that perception, and really, we cut our teeth on an Apple forum before we got here.  So maybe the excitement has died down and it's just our bubble that makes it appear otherwise.




Yeah, I'm kind of glad they're not even live, they don't have the "magic" that would make them better live, it's more like an hour advertisement.

Heck, the most excitement I've had in the last couple of years was with the M1 machines, particularly the laptops.  More of the same like I talked about, i.e., just faster and better battery life, but the improvement of both was so radical, it really changed how you can use the device.

I've noticed Apple has even dialed back the whole AR thing, where it was front and center when they first introduced the new depth sensors.

Most of the notable changes comes by way of OS updates, new features, the SDK allowing for devs to utilize the hardware better, etc.

My money on the next epic shift, is going to be some major shift of computers / tablets to a more unified platform, that's not sticking a touch display on a Mac or running MacOS on a tablet.


----------



## DT

JagRunner said:


> iPad mini looked cool. I’d get that if I didn’t buy an iPad Pro 11” last year. I plan to keep this thing until the wheels fall off
> 
> The watches were a let down. I think we all expected flat edges. I’ll keep my Series 4 that’s still going strong.
> 
> I have an iPhone 12 Pro so I’m good.  I Think lol Sometimes I wish I’d gotten the Pro Max but I don’t think it’s worth spending the extra money if my 12 Pro gets the job done. Who knows. I may change my mind when I see them next week. But for now I’m good.




The flat edges would've been a pretty major design shift, I kind of wasn't totally sold on the concept.  My next purchase is when they add a major new health sensor like something to measure glucose levels.

Oh yeah, if I had a 12 Pro, I wouldn't be buying, heck the wife isn't interested and she has an 11 Pro.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

DT said:


> My money on the next epic shift, is going to be some major shift of computers / tablets to a more unified platform, that's not sticking a touch display on a Mac or running MacOS on a tablet.




I'd like to see Logic and Final Cut come to the iPad fully featured and being able to easily bounce between tablet and Mac on the fly, although that would probably take some epic iCloud functionality and power.  I do believe that is probably a goal they are setting.


----------



## Apple fanboy

Still on an ageing iPhone XS Max Pro here. Pretty sure I'll be ordering on Friday though! 83% battery life isn't going to be any better in a year.


----------



## Runs For Fun

JagRunner said:


> The watches were a let down. I think we all expected flat edges. I’ll keep my Series 4 that’s still going strong.



Yeah there were a bunch of rumors about a flat edge redesign. I was actually surprised they didn’t really redesign it.


----------



## Pumbaa

Runs For Fun said:


> Yeah there were a bunch of rumors about a flat edge redesign. I was actually surprised they didn’t really redesign it.



Rumors are funny beasts. Sometimes they have a base in reality, like say Apple were indeed working on a flat edge redesign but failed to make it work before a deadline and went with a proven option this time, sometimes they are based on educated guesses, sometimes they are based on wishful thinking, and sometimes they are planted by trolls.

Don’t worry, sooner or later it will get a redesign! Or get discontinued.


----------



## User.45

This was the most underwhelming event i can recall. The functionalities they’ve rumored for the watch aren’t coming (glucometer or blood pressure monitoring) because you can’t do it in an affordable watch format that isn’t a total gimmick. They can probably cheat and use the mountains of data to get a decently correlating “AI” estimate but I doubt it’s meaningful on an individual level.
So im fine with the watch being an incremental upgrade.

no touch ID in a pandemic however is a no go for me. If I’m outside of my administrative office, I’ll wear a mask all year. Dows faceid work now with a non translucent mask on?


----------



## DT

P_X said:


> no touch ID in a pandemic however is a no go for me. If I’m outside of my administrative office, I’ll wear a mask all year. Dows faceid work now with a non translucent mask on?




It doesn't, however, there's an unlock available via an Apple Watch that works really well (basically wearing a passcode protected Watch, will authenticate your iPhone).


----------



## Eric

DT said:


> It doesn't, however, there's an unlock available via an Apple Watch that works really well (basically wearing a passcode protected Watch, will authenticate your iPhone).



Yes, this feature has been a lifesaver (maybe literally) and works flawlessly for me. It's actually a really smart and well thought out design.


----------



## DT

Eric said:


> Yes, this feature has been a lifesaver (maybe literally) and works flawlessly for me. It's actually a really smart and well thought out design.




I know, when it was finally up and running, I was like, "I could've used this 6 months ago!!"

For me, 99% of the time it's for use in the grocery store, but I bet it's a huge help for folks dealing with masks + phone + onsite work


----------



## lizkat

DT said:


> My money on the next epic shift, is going to be some major shift of computers / tablets to a more unified platform, that's not sticking a touch display on a Mac or running MacOS on a tablet.




Look ma, no ports at all...   on anything.    And can roll up whatever it is into an invisible cylinder that weighs just an ounce unless it's a laptop and then it will weigh less than a 2.6oz packet of tuna  and the box will contain two sheets of paper warning you not to throw out the device with the packaging.

And at that point Apple will have become why we can't have nice things. 

Ok back to considering the new iPad mini... while it still has more heft than a sheet of plastic.


----------



## Alli

Eric said:


> Yes, this feature has been a lifesaver (maybe literally) and works flawlessly for me. It's actually a really smart and well thought out design.



The unlock from watch works amazingly well with masks. It still struggles when I have sunglasses on though. 

I can’t believe how easy Apple is making it now. No longer just add to your wish list, but fill out everything so that you only have to complete your order on Friday. Everything is already done including your payment options!


----------



## JayMysteri0

The mini is a very tempting mobile notebook / sketchbook + media consumption device, then I do the numbers...





That's 256GB ( 64GB?!!! ) including another pencil as the Apple Pencil has to be unpaired and re paired to each device, a cover, and Apple Care.  That's a bit


----------



## lizkat

Wow, 64GB seems way too small now, i mean even my actual phones now are 128 and 256.

So 256GB on the iPad mini, yeah.  And everything else sure does add up.

Hmm....  "thinking...  thinking...." 

[thinking yeah my old mini is really old but my 10.5 pro is way old too]​
Thinking I'm gonna be in a thinking loop for awhile here.   Getting the mini would put me almost a grand behind the hit of getting a newer big iPad a little farther down the road.  Even though I really like the mini for when I'm reading or watching TV series (not movies for some reason).


----------



## Clix Pix

Just ran the numbers on a Space Grey iPad Mini with 256 GB, cellular data, AppleCare (monthly plan) and Smart Folio (Electric Orange -- WOW!), and it would be $909.00 plus state tax, of course.....  Yeah, a bit steep, that!    I didn't bother checking to see what the trade-in value on my current iPad Mini 5th generation is, but presumably that device is still worth something.    Not in any big rush to get anything new but the 6th-gen iPad Mini is a wee bit tempting.....   Before that, though, a new Apple Watch would be higher priority, and before either of those enters the household, I still want to see what the new MBPs will be offering....


----------



## Runs For Fun

I think I'm going to stick with the iPad Air 4 for now. I like the bigger screen but I'll know for sure once I can see the Mini 6 in person. I could get a really good trade-in deal though!

I was kind of surprised they made the AW S7 charge even faster than the S6. That's pretty cool as the S6 charges really fast already. I'll still be skipping this one though.

I got my pre-pre-order set up for the 1TB 13 Pro Max Sierra Blue set up!


----------



## User.45

DT said:


> It doesn't, however, there's an unlock available via an Apple Watch that works really well (basically wearing a passcode protected Watch, will authenticate your iPhone).



Nice! So i can spend $400 with an extra device to charge so i can get a functionality of a 10-year-old iPhone 

even apple fitness was shocking when i learned you need the watch to use it. FTS


----------



## shadow puppet

Alli said:


> The unlock from watch works amazingly well with masks. It still struggles when I have sunglasses on though.



Does the watch v4 have this capability?  Is it built in or is it some kind of app?


----------



## DT

shadow puppet said:


> Does the watch v4 have this capability?  Is it built in or is it some kind of app?




Yes!  Assuming the correct WatchOS:

What you need​Unlocking your iPhone with your Apple Watch requires these devices:

An iPhone that uses Face ID (iPhone X or later) and has iOS 14.5 or later
An Apple Watch Series 3 or later with watchOS 7.4 or later
The feature also has these requirements:

Your Apple Watch needs to be paired with your iPhone.
Your iPhone and Apple Watch need to have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on. (You don't need to be connected to a Wi-Fi network.)
Your Apple Watch needs to have a passcode, and wrist detection must be turned on.
Your Apple Watch needs to be on your wrist and unlocked.
You need to be wearing a mask that covers your mouth and nose.


----------



## shadow puppet

DT said:


> Yes!  Assuming the correct WatchOS:



Thanks huge @DT !!!


----------



## Herdfan

shadow puppet said:


> I don't need a cellular iPad.  I just hot spot if ever I need it.




Do the WiFi only ones come with GPS yet?  I know that earlier ones didn't.


----------



## Joe

The Apple Watch working with the phone to unlock while wearing a mask has been hit or miss for me. It fails more than it works for me. 

Also, I noticed one time my co worker asked to see my phone because she was thinking of getting an iPhone. She had a mask on and when she looked at it, it unlocked LOL - I only realized it because I got the ping on my Apple Watch that my phone was unlocked.


----------



## Runs For Fun

Herdfan said:


> Do the WiFi only ones come with GPS yet?  I know that earlier ones didn't.



No they don't. Only the LTE/5G ones do.


----------



## Runs For Fun

JagRunner said:


> The Apple Watch working with the phone to unlock while wearing a mask has been hit or miss for me. It fails more than it works for me.
> 
> Also, I noticed one time my co worker asked to see my phone because she was thinking of getting an iPhone. She had a mask on and when she looked at it, it unlocked LOL - I only realized it because I got the ping on my Apple Watch that my phone was unlocked.



It seemed to work pretty reliably for me. Maybe too reliably because I've had it unlock my phone accidentally a few times when I wasn't even looking at my phone.


----------



## Joe

Runs For Fun said:


> It seemed to work pretty reliably for me. Maybe too reliably because I've had it unlock my phone accidentally a few times when I wasn't even looking at my phone.




Yeah I have that problem too. It'll open when I'm not even looking at the phone. Like when I'm putting it in my pocket. But when I look at it and want it to work it doesn't lol Most of the time I just put in my passcode. It's not a deal breaker.


----------



## Runs For Fun

JagRunner said:


> Yeah I have that problem too. It'll open when I'm not even looking at the phone. Like when I'm putting it in my pocket. But when I look at it and want it to work it doesn't lol Most of the time I just put in my passcode. It's not a deal breaker.



That's exactly what happened to me. Picked my phone up to put it in my pocket and it triggered the raise to wake and somehow thought it saw my face with a mask on and unlocked.


----------



## shadow puppet

I'm starting to cave.  I wanted the mini size but that starlight looks a bit off white to me and I prefer a pure white or silver white.  That sierra blue is sexy as hell and it's only about $5 more a month using the Verizon payment plan for the pro.  

Send help please.


----------



## Pumbaa

shadow puppet said:


> I'm starting to cave.  I wanted the mini size but that starlight looks a bit off white to me and I prefer a pure white or silver white.  That sierra blue is sexy as hell and it's only about $5 more a month using the Verizon payment plan for the pro.
> 
> Send help please.



I can try. Are you weak-minded?

*waves hoof in front of @shadow puppet*

_These aren’t the iPads you're looking for. _


----------



## tobefirst

I'm thinking about selling my 2018 11" iPad Pro and moving to the new Mini. Hmmm...


----------



## shadow puppet

No matter which model I end up with (13 mini or pro) after my 6, I'm looking forward to playing with the more evolved camera options.


----------



## Deleted member 215

Why no AirPods? WTF. I wanted to get a new pair at the same time I get the iPhone. Should I get AirPods 2 then even though AirPods 3 might be "right around the corner"? 

Seemed like if they were coming, this would've been the time to reveal them.


----------



## Alli

shadow puppet said:


> I'm starting to cave.  I wanted the mini size but that starlight looks a bit off white to me and I prefer a pure white or silver white.  That sierra blue is sexy as hell and it's only about $5 more a month using the Verizon payment plan for the pro.
> 
> Send help please.



Is help the same as enabling? Cause I really think you should go for this.


----------



## Runs For Fun

shadow puppet said:


> No matter which model I end up with (13 mini or pro) after my 6, I'm looking forward to playing with the more evolved camera options.
> 
> View attachment 8691



It will blow you away.


----------



## Eric

shadow puppet said:


> No matter which model I end up with (13 mini or pro) after my 6, I'm looking forward to playing with the more evolved camera options.
> 
> View attachment 8691



Inside look at next year's model.


----------



## Runs For Fun

Eric said:


> Inside look at next year's model.
> 
> View attachment 8699


----------



## Runs For Fun

This is interesting


			Apple Watch 7 a late substitution for upgrade Apple really wanted to deliver


----------



## ronntaylor

Runs For Fun said:


> This is interesting
> 
> 
> Apple Watch 7 a late substitution for upgrade Apple really wanted to deliver



Nope! Just a lot of justifying some wild guesses by "experts"


----------



## User.45

Runs For Fun said:


> This is interesting
> 
> 
> Apple Watch 7 a late substitution for upgrade Apple really wanted to deliver



it totally does. The fact that they've only changed the screen and the cover, yet it still has yet to become available is essentially proof.


----------



## Joe

I can't believe we're at Series 7 and they still can't get the battery to last longer than a day or so.

I'm keeping my Series 4 until it dies.


----------



## Pumbaa

Gee, thanks Apple for bringing down the store again to add to the hype!

Wanted to double check pricing before making a decision but nooooo, no pricing on the regular site, and the “View Pricing” button only leads to the stupid “You’re . . . early.” landing page. Same for the app. Had to hunt for prices through third parties.


----------



## JayMysteri0

Well, Apple still continues to troll the trolls.  Granted Apple helps inspire the trolls because they keep stuff so close to the vest, but it is their business... literally.  Unlike the MR some of you seem to go to, the one I see most often is people screaming that Apple screwed up again because they did or did not do something on a day that ended in 'y'.  One of the more tired screeds was the endless badgering about why some of "suckers" got an iPad Pro, since apps weren't allowed to use all that RAM we paid for.



> iPadOS 15 Allows Apps to Use Up to 12GB of RAM on High-End iPad Pro, Up From Just 5GB
> 
> 
> In June, we reported that starting with iPadOS 15, Apple is giving developers the ability to allocate their apps more RAM, allowing apps to use more...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.macrumors.com




Now we can move on to bitching about something else...

...and we will.

While those who brought the product they wanted will go on using the product that they wanted.


----------



## Pumbaa

JayMysteri0 said:


> Now we can move on to bitching about something else...



Oh, can I bitch about Apple not accepting my preorder?



JayMysteri0 said:


> ...and we will.



Yes, we will.


----------



## Eric

JagRunner said:


> I can't believe we're at Series 7 and they still can't get the battery to last longer than a day or so.
> 
> I'm keeping my Series 4 until it dies.



Same here, quite happy with my series 4 for now, it lasts all day and I just put it on the charger at bed time. I was pretty excited about the new oxygen sensor but after seeing how it worked it's pretty underwhelming, a 10 year old fingertip sensor is still far superior, so I'll let them work on that for a while.


----------



## Alli

First there was this. On both the app and the website. Note the time. When I first tried right at 7 (central time) I got the “you’re early!” Message. Bleh. 

Fortunately with the new pre-order system I only had to check out so there were no other buttons to press and nothing else to do. Took all of 3 seconds. I ordered a 512 silver pro plus.

And I’ve pretty much decided that unless the new watch will have a working oximeter, I’ll hold off another year.


----------



## JayMysteri0

Alli said:


> View attachment 8713
> First there was this. On both the app and the website. Note the time. When I first tried right at 7 (central time) I got the “you’re early!” Message. Bleh.
> 
> Fortunately with the new pre-order system I only had to check out so there were no other buttons to press and nothing else to do. Took all of 3 seconds. I ordered a 512 silver pro plus.
> 
> And I’ve pretty much decided that unless the new watch will have a working oximeter, I’ll hold off another year.



I have wanted to try since the iPad Pro debacle ordering, how the whole walk up situation will work out.  I remember when the system basically kept people from ordering, it made some orders slip to a month behind release date.  On the day of release though, people were able to order the one they wanted on that day for pickup with little difficulty.  So I was wondering if I have a last minute change of heart, giving that a try.  Besides, the in store activation is so comically easy compared to the old luddite days of switching cards, it's fascinating to see them do it for you and take your current phone in trade.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Oh snap.  Just found out macro photography is a selling point for the new iPhone.  That's probably the one area of photography I have the most interest in and the least capabilities currently.  

Still probably won't pull the trigger on getting the new iPhone unless my current iPhone starts crapping out, but it's good to know that is a feature they are focusing on and spending a new iPhone's worth of money on lenses isn't my only option for quality macro photography.


----------



## Eric

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> Oh snap.  Just found out macro photography is a selling point for the new iPhone.  That's probably the one area of photography I have the most interest in and the least capabilities currently.
> 
> Still probably won't pull the trigger on getting the new iPhone unless my current iPhone starts crapping out, but it's good to know that is a feature they are focusing on and spending a new iPhone's worth of money on lenses isn't my only option for quality macro photography.



I'll say the iPhone is the perfect medium for macro photography, the lenses are appropriately sized for this.


----------



## Alli

JayMysteri0 said:


> I have wanted to try since the iPad Pro debacle ordering, how the whole walk up situation will work out.  I remember when the system basically kept people from ordering, it made some orders slip to a month behind release date.  On the day of release though, people were able to order the one they wanted on that day for pickup with little difficulty.  So I was wondering if I have a last minute change of heart, giving that a try.  Besides, the in store activation is so comically easy compared to the old luddite days of switching cards, it's fascinating to see them do it for you and take your current phone in trade.



If there were an Apple store anywhere close, I’d have gone for in-store pickup. But a 2 hour drive to New Orleans just to go to the Apple store is no longer fun. 


Chew Toy McCoy said:


> Oh snap. Just found out macro photography is a selling point for the new iPhone. That's probably the one area of photography I have the most interest in and the least capabilities currently.






Eric said:


> I'll say the iPhone is the perfect medium for macro photography, the lenses are appropriately sized for this.



Macro photography was what got me. I take a lot of pics of the flowers in my garden, especially the cacti. Can’t wait!


----------



## Pumbaa

Alli said:


> View attachment 8713
> First there was this. On both the app and the website. Note the time. When I first tried right at 7 (central time) I got the “you’re early!” Message. Bleh.
> 
> Fortunately with the new pre-order system I only had to check out so there were no other buttons to press and nothing else to do. Took all of 3 seconds. I ordered a 512 silver pro plus.
> 
> And I’ve pretty much decided that unless the new watch will have a working oximeter, I’ll hold off another year.



Congratulations!

Didn’t go as smoothly here. Just couldn’t pay. Desperately tried Apple Pay again after a while and got an error message that the payment didn’t go through before being forwarded to a page stating that everything’s done and here’s the order number. Even got an email confirmation with 24th as the delivery date.

Not gonna happen. Same turd as last time I tried Apple Pay there. Failure, success, email, order not existing in my account, no nothing.

Managed to order later using the credit card I always use with Apple (the same that failed for the first hour). Delivery date had slipped from “24 Sep.” to “29 Sep. - 4 Oct.” by then. Annoying but not the end of the world.

From a technical point of view I’m certain it was the link between Apple and the credit card issuer that got overwhelmed. An interactive confirmation step (2FA) was required but failed to load properly before timing out. Incompetent morons.

Apple Pay is with another bank, never gotten it to work properly. Maybe should look into that some time.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Alli said:


> Macro photography was what got me. I take a lot of pics of the flowers in my garden, especially the cacti. Can’t wait!




My macro photos would mostly be of the insect variety and my current iPhone (11 Pro) has problems focusing, I assume because of all the small body parts at different depths.


----------



## DT

Decided it was time, another year with the current phone was giving me a rash so I ordered a 13 Pro Max, Silver, 128GB 

I opted to pick it up in store on Sept 24th vs. it shipping on Oct 6th-11th, plus I'm doing a trade of my X, so I selected to bring the device in to simplify everything (got the trade in credit right up front, used the Apple Card, 24 month, 0%, 3% cashback ... and we'll just play it off immediately )

The extra delivery time wasn't a huge deal, just thought that might be kind of fun, they schedule you a specific day and time (a 15 minute window).  The Apple Store is about 30 miles away, nice drive up A1A, my appointment is early-ish in the afternoon, thinking that's good window.

Woot.


----------



## DT

Arrows illustrate my last two camera migrations


----------



## Pumbaa

DT said:


> Arrows illustrate my last two camera migrations
> 
> View attachment 8716



Noted the same. I went from 1 to 2 to 3 cameras. Next upgrade gotta be 4, right?

Also noted that the average increase in screen size has been 1” per upgrade. Next phone will be beefy. Apple better get those foldable screens under control…


----------



## Alli

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> My macro photos would mostly be of the insect variety and my current iPhone (11 Pro) has problems focusing, I assume because of all the small body parts at different depths.



I do a lot of bugs too. Especially that crazy wasp that decided he liked collecting the wood from my deck.


DT said:


> The Apple Store is about 30 miles away



I really envy you people with Apple stores so close. My husband and Tim Cook graduated from the same high school - you’d think there’d be an Apple store closer.


----------



## JayMysteri0

Alli said:


> I do a lot of bugs too. Especially that crazy wasp that decided he liked collecting the wood from my deck.
> 
> I really envy you people with Apple stores so close. My husband and Tim Cook graduated from the same high school - you’d think there’d be an Apple store closer.



I actually live between two.

The first store is in a high end mall, where the traffic was stupidly ridiculous.  It got to the point that employees could pick who they waited on, and the rest of the masses got to endlessly window shop.

I myself learned after not getting waited on for quite awhile, to bring my other.  She gets waited on very quickly all the time, and just says "Oh he needs the help."  After enough complaints like that supposedly ( I still have my apology email from Apple about my experience ), they opened a second store in the diametrically opposite direction in the second high end mall that was built.  Very convenient.  

Now the traffic in both stores is just ridiculous.

Note:  I did NOT know Apple stores had shopping carts until I went to the first Apple store and you see the amount of stuff people buy in that store like it's a grocer.


----------



## Pumbaa

Alli said:


> I do a lot of bugs too. Especially that crazy wasp that decided he liked collecting the wood from my deck.



As a developer and scientist, I have done my fair share of bugs too. More into finding and squashing them, though. Sometimes using macros. 



Alli said:


> I really envy you people with Apple stores so close. My husband and Tim Cook graduated from the same high school - you’d think there’d be an Apple store closer.



Even I got one close! Envy me! About 23km/14miles driving, or 16km/10miles walking, or about one hour using public transport.

Didn‘t get the option to pick up my phone there, unfortunately. Must be because I don’t have any personal connection to Tim Cook?


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Alli said:


> I do a lot of bugs too. Especially that crazy wasp that decided he liked collecting the wood from my deck.




My main annoyance is attempting to take slomo videos of seemingly slow-moving docile bees.    Looks totally doable until I get the phone camera on them and then they are always moving just out of frame to the next flower while the lens fails on making them the focus.


----------



## Runs For Fun

Looks like everyone is having problems with the iPhone Upgrade Program and the Apple Card. It wouldn’t take my Apple Card so after multiple attempts I used a different card and it went through. However that ended up causing my ship date to slip into October. If it would have went through the first time I would have had it on launch day.


----------



## Joe

Runs For Fun said:


> Looks like everyone is having problems with the iPhone Upgrade Program and the Apple Card. It wouldn’t take my Apple Card so after multiple attempts I used a different card and it went through. However that ended up causing my ship date to slip into October. If it would have went through the first time I would have had it on launch day.




Yeah, it appears it was only people on the upgrade using Apple Card...talk about FAIL


----------



## Clix Pix

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> Oh snap.  Just found out macro photography is a selling point for the new iPhone.  That's probably the one area of photography I have the most interest in and the least capabilities currently.
> 
> Still probably won't pull the trigger on getting the new iPhone unless my current iPhone starts crapping out, but it's good to know that is a feature they are focusing on and spending a new iPhone's worth of money on lenses isn't my only option for quality macro photography.




I keep reminding myself that I've got "real" cameras and "real" macro lenses plus various accessories to make even a regular prime lens a "macro" or at least able to get up closer and so I don't need the new iPhone 13 Pro.....      But, yeah, I've had pretty good luck over the years with my various iPhones shooting closeups and abstracts -- an iPhone is small and maneuverable in ways that sometimes a regular camera and lens just are not. 

While obviously a macro lens is an ideal situation for someone who wants to do a lot of macro photography, also there are other ways, including using close-up filters in varying sizes and extension tubes in various sizes that can be used with prime lenses.    One can get pretty good results with either of these methods if striving for that shallow DOF and getting up-close and personal with one's subject(s).


----------



## Clix Pix

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> My macro photos would mostly be of the insect variety and my current iPhone (11 Pro) has problems focusing, I assume because of all the small body parts at different depths.




Ah.....for insects and such are better shot with a lens that provides some distance between you and the subject so that you don't spook them!   With a macro lens on a regular camera one can control things so much more than with an iPhone, as there are the various settings on the camera, and the user can adjust Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO and (manual) focus plus distance from the subject so that the insect's parts are all in focus.    In some situations one can also use a technique called "focus stacking," but that's not something one can do on an iPhone, just a real camera.


----------



## Clix Pix

I"m fortunate in that I live in an area where there are five or maybe it's six Apple stores all within comfortable driiving distance, and one of them is only a few miles away.....  Actually, it has the distinction of being the first Apple Store on the East Coast -- the Tysons Apple Store.    It's always, always, always busy!!!


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Runs For Fun said:


> Looks like everyone is having problems with the iPhone Upgrade Program and the Apple Card. It wouldn’t take my Apple Card so after multiple attempts I used a different card and it went through. However that ended up causing my ship date to slip into October. If it would have went through the first time I would have had it on launch day.




I don't miss 1st day preorder purchasing issues.  It also seemed to fail more spectacularly on years when I initially wasn't going to upgrade but then decided to at the last second.  I probably should have seen that as a sign.


----------



## Alli

JagRunner said:


> Yeah, it appears it was only people on the upgrade using Apple Card...talk about FAIL



Hrmmm…I used my Apple Card. No problem.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Clix Pix said:


> Ah.....for insects and such are better shot with a lens that provides some distance between you and the subject so that you don't spook them!   With a macro lens on a regular camera one can control things so much more than with an iPhone, as there are the various settings on the camera, and the user can adjust Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO and (manual) focus plus distance from the subject so that the insect's parts are all in focus.    In some situations one can also use a technique called "focus stacking," but that's not something one can do on an iPhone, just a real camera.




I have a Moment macro lens for the iPhone (probably the highest quality and most expensive lenses you can get for cell phones). Most of my insect macros are of praying mantises and jumping spiders and due to their inquisitive nature spooking them isn’t the issue. Seeing the lens as a jungle gym to explore on is the issue.   

As a sidebar, for people wondering what to do about dealing with today’s stresses, I highly recommend watching insects. I find it fascinating and relaxing, and they give zero fucks about our human problems. They have insect things to do.


----------



## Joe

Alli said:


> Hrmmm…I used my Apple Card. No problem.




Are you on the upgrade program? It looks like it was only iUp folks. I used my AppleCard no problem, but I'm not on iUp.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Alli said:


> Hrmmm…I used my Apple Card. No problem.




I tried to use the Apple Card to purchase something from Apple with an installment plan once.  I didn't have enough available on the card to pay the full total price, thus went for the installment plan option.  But it seems they still require you to have the total purchase amount available on the card even if you want the installment plan, or at least that's what appeared to happen to me.


----------



## SuperMatt

JagRunner said:


> Are you on the upgrade program? It looks like it was only iUp folks. I used my AppleCard no problem, but I'm not on iUp.



I am on the IUP. Last year the iPhone was released a bit later than this year. So I can either pay one monthly installment now to fulfill the 12-months of payments required to get a new one, or wait until later this month to place my order. I decided I will wait. It’s only 2 weeks.


----------



## DT

Alli said:


> I really envy you people with Apple stores so close.




It makes a big difference, it's one reason I always talk about convenience of service channels with Apple gear, but of course, that's highly dependent on actually having a store reasonably close by.

Of course, "reasonably close" is pretty subjective too (in my head, that feels like an hour or less travel time).




JayMysteri0 said:


> Note:  I did NOT know Apple stores had shopping carts until I went to the first Apple store and you see the amount of stuff people buy in that store like it's a grocer.




Holy hell, hahahah, "Let me get this Mac Pro in my cart, these wheels, this XR display ..."   




Pumbaa said:


> Even I got one close! Envy me! About 23km/14miles driving, or 16km/10miles walking, or about one hour using public transport.




Wow, that is close, @JayMysteri0 how close are your two?




Runs For Fun said:


> Looks like everyone is having problems with the iPhone Upgrade Program and the Apple Card. It wouldn’t take my Apple Card so after multiple attempts I used a different card and it went through. However that ended up causing my ship date to slip into October. If it would have went through the first time I would have had it on launch day.




When I went to order, about 9a-ish (EST), the delivery dates were Oct 6th - 11, but the in-store pickup was Sept 24th, not sure if you can re-config your order this late[?]




Clix Pix said:


> I"m fortunate in that I live in an area where there are five or maybe it's six Apple stores all within comfortable driiving distance, and one of them is only a few miles away.....  Actually, it has the distinction of being the first Apple Store on the East Coast -- the Tysons Apple Store.    It's always, always, always busy!!!




I've been to the Tysons Corner store, I have an ongoing gig in DC (it's 99% offsite), but I have occasionally ventured up into the area, once I got caught without some cables/adapters Metro'd over from the Rosslyn area.


----------



## JayMysteri0

DT said:


> Wow, that is close, @JayMysteri0 how close are your two?




I believe the stores are less than 20 miles apart from one another.

The crowds they cater to, make it worth.  The original store is pretty much smack next to where doctor's & execs live, so every time I've gone in someone is always buying the most expensive products.  The newer store is a nice mall, but caters to a wider crowd I believe, which is why I favor it.


----------



## Pumbaa

DT said:


> Wow, that is close



Pretty lucky considering the neighborhood. Not a lot of those Apple Stores up here.


----------



## Runs For Fun

JagRunner said:


> Are you on the upgrade program? It looks like it was only iUp folks. I used my AppleCard no problem, but I'm not on iUp.



Yeah it seemed to be isolated to people on the Upgrade Program.


----------



## Runs For Fun

DT said:


> When I went to order, about 9a-ish (EST), the delivery dates were Oct 6th - 11, but the in-store pickup was Sept 24th, not sure if you can re-config your order this late[?]



There was no pickup available at either of the stores near me.


----------



## Joe

The iPad Mini looks tempting, but I am just gonna keep my 2020 11inch iPad Pro. I got it last  year. It's not even a year old lol


----------



## MEJHarrison

Clix Pix said:


> I"m fortunate in that I live in an area where there are five or maybe it's six Apple stores all within comfortable driiving distance, and one of them is only a few miles away.....  Actually, it has the distinction of being the first Apple Store on the East Coast -- the Tysons Apple Store.    It's always, always, always busy!!!




I have 3 that are within a 30 minute drive or less.  One of those is 3 miles away.  That one has the distinction of... being closest to me.

I used to enjoy going there to pick mine up, then dropping it off at Zagg before even powering it up, then grabbing some lunch while they put the screen protector on.  It's seems weird, but I've never touched the actual screen on the last few phones I've owned.


----------



## Alli

JagRunner said:


> Are you on the upgrade program? It looks like it was only iUp folks. I used my AppleCard no problem, but I'm not on iUp.



I paid the whole thing outright. I tried iUp once, maybe 4 years (2 phones) ago. It was such a pain to pay off that I decided never again.


----------



## Alli

It’s now been so long since the next os was announced, I’ve totally forgotten if there was anything exciting coming on Monday. Anyone remember what they’re looking forward to?


----------



## lizkat

Alli said:


> I really envy you people with Apple stores so close. My husband and Tim Cook graduated from the same high school - you’d think there’d be an Apple store closer.




Yah here the closest Apple store is 180 miles round trip.  I did it for the first iPhone launch and it was great fun indeed,  but since then it's been online ordering for me.    And usually a long long wait until whatever it is turns up in the refurb shelves on Apple's website.

I've managed to make myself crazy doing math on assorted configurations of iPad Air plus a new mini to replace a 10.5" pro and an iPad mini 4.

So....  taking a break from the internetz and resuming trying to find the front and back of a hotmat I wanted to be able to use on my kitchen table this winter.   Can't find the components because didn't note in my quilting journal where I was storing the project, so it's wrapped in muslin (and hopefully tagged) in one of about a dozen shallow wire bins in some bin-rack upstairs.  If I'd had even my old iPad mini fired up and in the pocket of my smock when I stashed these things I'd have a clue, but no, so it's a grand mess I've been making this morning looking for this stuff.   At least I'm quite sure they are stashed together.  See ya Monday lol.


----------



## Runs For Fun

Alli said:


> It’s now been so long since the next os was announced, I’ve totally forgotten if there was anything exciting coming on Monday. Anyone remember what they’re looking forward to?



Yeah this happens every year lol. I don’t remember anything either. I might have to rewatch WWDC.


----------



## Deleted member 215

iOS 15 is probably the most boring iOS update since iOS began. There's a new way of organizing/silencing notifications and that's all I can remember. Everything else was to do with FaceTime collaboration (a.k.a. Apple's answer to Zoom) which I'll never use.


----------



## MEJHarrison

Alli said:


> It’s now been so long since the next os was announced, I’ve totally forgotten if there was anything exciting coming on Monday. Anyone remember what they’re looking forward to?




I've been running the beta on my old XS Max since beta 1.  Usually I'd have all my devices updated by now with the GM.  But, this time, I don't even remember why I would care.

So, going and looking at the features, being able to do FaceTime with an Android person will be nice.  And reading text from images will be fantastic.  That's it.  2 major things I'm looking forward to.


----------



## Hrafn

Alli said:


> It’s now been so long since the next os was announced, I’ve totally forgotten if there was anything exciting coming on Monday. Anyone remember what they’re looking forward to?



It's been years since I've cared, so I don't not remember, I never knew.


----------



## Alli

TBL said:


> iOS 15 is probably the most boring iOS update since iOS began. There's a new way of organizing/silencing notifications and that's all I can remember. Everything else was to do with FaceTime collaboration (a.k.a. Apple's answer to Zoom) which I'll never use.



The FaceTime with Android thing - that’s right. I was anxious to be able to use that with my brother and sister-in-law, but last month they finally caved and bought iPhones.


----------



## Runs For Fun

I'm looking forward to Focus Mode and the text detection thing in Photos. There were also some pretty cool changes in Messages.


----------



## MEJHarrison

Alli said:


> The FaceTime with Android thing - that’s right. I was anxious to be able to use that with my brother and sister-in-law, but last month they finally caved and bought iPhones.




I'll be able to put it to good use with my mom.  The rest of the family is already Apple.


----------



## Clix Pix

I never use FaceTime so any improvements made there are lost on me!   I am interested in that text detection thingy, though -- could be very useful at times!


----------



## Alli

Clix Pix said:


> I never use FaceTime so any improvements made there are lost on me!   I am interested in that text detection thingy, though -- could be very useful at times!



How have you made it through the pandemic without FaceTime?! I think my entire family would have committed hiri kiri long ago without it.


----------



## Pumbaa

Alli said:


> How have you made it through the pandemic without FaceTime?! I think my entire family would have committed hiri kiri long ago without it.



Can’t speak for others, but I’ve made it through the pandemic so far without a single FaceTime session.

Here virtually nobody I even remotely know actually uses FaceTime, save for the grandma of my niece and nephew. WhatsApp is pretty much they way to go for mobile to mobile video calls. Not sure if Apple’s updates will make any difference whatsoever, but more good options would be great.


----------



## Edd

Not a fan of video calls. Star Trek made it look great but there’s always a lag in the connection or spoken words/mouth movements that hurts my brain. I get a headache after a few minutes.


----------



## Alli

Since we don’t live anywhere near each other, FaceTime has been a real godsend. My mother, daughter, son, and I do weekly “bitching and venting” sessions on FaceTime. It’s nice for us to be together and just blow off steam.


----------



## Runs For Fun

Looks like my shipping date got updated! Nice!


----------



## Pumbaa

Runs For Fun said:


> Looks like my shipping date got updated! Nice!



Lucky bastard! Acting Guinea Pig For Fun!


----------



## Clix Pix

Alli said:


> How have you made it through the pandemic without FaceTime?! I think my entire family would have committed hiri kiri long ago without it.



 Texting and emails work just fine, and so do the occasional phone calls.....


----------



## lizkat

Clix Pix said:


> Texting and emails work just fine, and so do the occasional phone calls.....




Yep.  Phone calls for this generation,  and texts w/ the nextgen crowd, whose vmails are always full anyway and who never check their email except in pursuit of an emailed gift cert preceded by a text about it!


----------



## MEJHarrison

lizkat said:


> Yep.  Phone calls for this generation,  and texts w/ the nextgen crowd, whose vmails are always full anyway and who never check their email except in pursuit of an emailed gift cert preceded by a text about it!




I hate phone calls and don't answer them.  I don't want to be on video either.  I prefer texting.  I see no point in email these days.  It's almost become as useless as the mail it replaced.  Most of what I receive every day gets trashed without even getting opened, kind of like the real mail.

My brother prefers phone calls.  So he calls and I ignore him.  Then I text him back and he ignores me.  It really keeps peace in the family.


----------



## Alli

lizkat said:


> Yep.  Phone calls for this generation,  and texts w/ the nextgen crowd, whose vmails are always full anyway and who never check their email except in pursuit of an emailed gift cert preceded by a text about it!



Except for my 87 year old mother who really likes to see us. I like to see her too - who knows when I won’t be able to anymore.


MEJHarrison said:


> I prefer texting.



Same. I don’t use the phone with anyone. It’s 99% text.


----------



## lizkat

MEJHarrison said:


> I see no point in email these days. It's almost become as useless as the mail it replaced. Most of what I receive every day gets trashed without even getting opened, kind of like the real mail.




I am ruthless at unsubscribing from (or blocking) most emails I don't want, just to let the ones I do want get their 30 seconds in the spotlight. One pal whose predilection for forwarding chain-mail jokes really made me crazy, so I gave her a throwaway email to isolate her stuff.  I sort that into the trash a couple times a month and otherwise drop her a note now and then but resolutely never respond to any of the junkmail-forwards.   She asked for my mobile number once and I instantly had a vision of her sending me links to joke websites... ugh...  so I  told her the truth, which is that I live in a dead zone. Thanks god she's apparently unaware that one can use a mobile phone over WiFi in the boondocks.



MEJHarrison said:


> I prefer texting.






Alli said:


> Same. I don’t use the phone with anyone. It’s 99% text.




My messaging is mostly just picking up 2FA codes or else trading hiyas with kinfolk who won't use anything else.   My sibs still seem to prefer email or phone calls, although some of them had used Facebook with their grandkids until the kids migrated to 100% texting.

I would love to have been able to text with my grandma, she was a great one for just dashing off a note through the post to her grandkids away at school, and it would have been a kick to see how she adapted to conventions of messaging.   She'd have been fine with it, I'm pretty sure.  Always one to keep up with the latest gadgetry in the kitchen and laundry, had a list of older stuff she loathed and that included assorted manual versions of today's food processors.   "If they can make a motorboat propeller, then why can't they make something with little blades sorta like that to cut up these darn turnips for my soups?"     She was a gear marketer's dream model of an early adopter, that's for sure.


----------



## Eric

lizkat said:


> I am ruthless at unsubscribing from (or blocking) most emails I don't want, just to let the ones I do want get their 30 seconds in the spotlight. One pal whose predilection for forwarding chain-mail jokes really made me crazy, so I gave her a throwaway email to isolate her stuff.  I sort that into the trash a couple times a month and otherwise drop her a note now and then but resolutely never respond to any of the junkmail-forwards.   She asked for my mobile number once and I instantly had a vision of her sending me links to joke websites... ugh...  so I  told her the truth, which is that I live in a dead zone. Thanks god she's apparently unaware that one can use a mobile phone over WiFi in the boondocks.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> My messaging is mostly just picking up 2FA codes or else trading hiyas with kinfolk who won't use anything else.   My sibs still seem to prefer email or phone calls, although some of them had used Facebook with their grandkids until the kids migrated to 100% texting.
> 
> I would love to have been able to text with my grandma, she was a great one for just dashing off a note through the post to her grandkids away at school, and it would have been a kick to see how she adapted to conventions of messaging.   She'd have been fine with it, I'm pretty sure.  Always one to keep up with the latest gadgetry in the kitchen and laundry, had a list of older stuff she loathed and that included assorted manual versions of today's food processors.   "If they can make a motorboat propeller, then why can't they make something with little blades sorta like that to cut up these darn turnips for my soups?"     She was a gear marketer's dream model of an early adopter, that's for sure.



Same here, I get it texting is the most common way to communicate these days but it's also really impersonal. If I have to explain something in detail I always just say "I'll explain next time we talk" I'm not going to write a book over text messages. For me it's more a matter of idle chatter back and forth.


----------



## Runs For Fun

Eric said:


> Same here, I get it testing is the most common way to communicate these days but it's also really impersonal. If I have to explain something in detail I always just say "I'll explain next time we talk" I'm not going to write a book over text messages. For me it's more a matter of idle chatter back and forth.



Yep texting a lot of details or a complicated story is hard. Way easier to call the person and explain. Texting for me is usually short banter.


----------



## Pumbaa

Suddenly I’m one of the guinea pigs! Interesting birthday week indeed.

I quite unexpectedly got a mail from Apple that my defunct ghost order had been shipped, express delivery scheduled for the 24th. They must have manually resuscitated it as it was now registered as a “Guest order” instead, and possible to add to my account. For a while there I had two valid phone orders. Yay would have been so proud!



I guess this means my attempts at fixing my bank’s Apple Pay problem turned out .


----------



## Alli

Pumbaa said:


> I quite unexpectedly got a mail from Apple that my defunct ghost order had been shipped, express delivery scheduled for the 24th. They must have manually resuscitated it as it was now registered as a “Guest order” instead, and possible to add to my account. For a while there I had two valid phone orders. Yay would have been so proud!



So now you’re going to receive two phones tomorrow?


----------



## DT

Yes!  iPhones are BOGO!!


----------



## Pumbaa

Alli said:


> So now you’re going to receive two phones tomorrow?



Nah, just the ghosty one. The other, real one, was expected “Sep 29-Oct 4”. Gambled and canceled the one not yet shipped. I’m feeing lucky!


----------



## Alli

Pumbaa said:


> Nah, just the ghosty one. The other, real one, was expected “Sep 29-Oct 4”. Gambled and canceled the one not yet shipped. I’m feeing lucky!



Mine shows as shipped and arriving tomorrow. It’s already left Louisville which is a good sign.

Wait…do I need to start a whole thread for this?


----------



## SuperMatt

Alli said:


> Mine shows as shipped and arriving tomorrow. It’s already left Louisville which is a good sign.
> 
> Wait…do I need to start a whole thread for this?



I am not really interested in the minutiae of electronics shipping across the globe. However, the posts here made me curious. I looked at MR and saw over TWELVE THOUSAND posts in the thread about waiting for iPhones…. Wow.

At least when people used to camp out in front of the Apple stores, there was fun and a sense of community. Hitting “refresh” on a shipping tracker seems much less fun.


----------



## Joe

Alli said:


> Mine shows as shipped and arriving tomorrow. It’s already left Louisville which is a good sign.
> 
> Wait…do I need to start a whole thread for this?




How much sleep have you lost tracking this? lol


----------



## fischersd

Getting two today - the pro max for the gf and I'm getting the mini (in black).   They're at the sorting centre in Richmond, so, short of my concierge stealing them, I'll have them when I get home from work tonight.


----------



## fischersd

JagRunner said:


> How much sleep have you lost tracking this? lol



I'm a big fan of the deliveries app. 









						‎Deliveries
					

‎Deliveries helps you keep track of all your packages, so you always know when they’re going to arrive. Whether it's the latest gadget you've preordered online, or a new graphic novel you can't wait to dive into, Deliveries will keep tabs on it so you don't miss the doorbell.  The main list...



					apps.apple.com


----------



## Pumbaa

fischersd said:


> I'm a big fan of the deliveries app.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ‎Deliveries
> 
> 
> ‎Deliveries helps you keep track of all your packages, so you always know when they’re going to arrive. Whether it's the latest gadget you've preordered online, or a new graphic novel you can't wait to dive into, Deliveries will keep tabs on it so you don't miss the doorbell.  The main list...
> 
> 
> 
> apps.apple.com



I used to be a big fan. Then it broke for our domestic mail service and they didn’t fix it for what felt like years. Might even have been actual literal years. Then they jumped on the subscription train... _Sad warthog noises_


----------



## Joe

fischersd said:


> I'm a big fan of the deliveries app.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ‎Deliveries
> 
> 
> ‎Deliveries helps you keep track of all your packages, so you always know when they’re going to arrive. Whether it's the latest gadget you've preordered online, or a new graphic novel you can't wait to dive into, Deliveries will keep tabs on it so you don't miss the doorbell.  The main list...
> 
> 
> 
> apps.apple.com




Yes, I have UPS My Choice and it works.


----------



## Alli

JagRunner said:


> How much sleep have you lost tracking this? lol



Not a wink.


fischersd said:


> I'm a big fan of the deliveries app.



Same. Although I’ve been annoyed since the last update that DHL won’t work with it. And I get a lot of DHL deliveries.


----------



## Runs For Fun

fischersd said:


> I'm a big fan of the deliveries app.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ‎Deliveries
> 
> 
> ‎Deliveries helps you keep track of all your packages, so you always know when they’re going to arrive. Whether it's the latest gadget you've preordered online, or a new graphic novel you can't wait to dive into, Deliveries will keep tabs on it so you don't miss the doorbell.  The main list...
> 
> 
> 
> apps.apple.com



I'm a fan of Parcel








						‎Parcel - Delivery Tracking
					

‎If you are looking for an app to track deliveries on Mac, iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch - Parcel is the best choice for you.   With this application you can promptly access tracking information for 300 delivery services, including UPS, USPS, FedEx, DHL, TNT, LaserShip, Aramex, OnTrac, China Post...



					apps.apple.com
				




Got my phone this morning and setting it up now. The Sierra Blue is absolutely stunning in person.


----------



## Runs For Fun

Holy shit that ProMotion! I can never go back now.


----------



## Alli

Runs For Fun said:


> I'm a fan of Parcel
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ‎Parcel - Delivery Tracking
> 
> 
> ‎If you are looking for an app to track deliveries on Mac, iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch - Parcel is the best choice for you.   With this application you can promptly access tracking information for 300 delivery services, including UPS, USPS, FedEx, DHL, TNT, LaserShip, Aramex, OnTrac, China Post...
> 
> 
> 
> apps.apple.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Got my phone this morning and setting it up now. The Sierra Blue is absolutely stunning in person.



I’m envious. I’m still watching for UPS. This is when I miss working. Could have gotten it before noon at school.


----------



## Pumbaa

Alli said:


> I’m envious. I’m still watching for UPS. This is when I miss working. Could have gotten it before noon at school.



UPS, lol, don’t get me started…

My tracking page stated an estimated delivery between 5.00 PM and 8.30 PM, yet 12.02 PM the attempted delivery failed due to me supposedly not being available and the package was rerouted to a “nearby UPS Access Point™“. So much for staying home.

Ah, well, not all bad. Got back home with the package around 2.30 PM, way earlier than the estimated delivery window.


----------



## Joe

UPS delivered my package at 9pm tonight lol


----------



## Alli

JagRunner said:


> UPS delivered my package at 9pm tonight lol



Dayum! I got mine about ten to seven. I was amazed how quickly the transfer went from the old phone. I can remember when a restore took the better part of an hour..


----------



## Roller

I upgraded from an iPhone X to a 12 Pro last year, so will skip the 13. I see many typical comments over on MR that it's a "boring" release, but I think improvements to the camera system, battery life, and display are quite good.


----------



## Eric

Roller said:


> I upgraded from an iPhone X to a 12 Pro last year, so will skip the 13. I see many typical comments over on MR that it's a "boring" release, but I think improvements to the camera system, battery life, and display are quite good.



Pretty much the same for me in that I'm still on the 11 pro max and will skip this release and likely hit it up next year. But I have to say the incremental updates are underwhelming in the last few years, if there still isn't something significant I might even skip the next one too.


----------



## DT

Oh yeah, I already mentioned I got it, but just to elaborate, we did an in store pick up yesterday, a bit crowded but the typical organized chaos, I wound up getting back $15 for some kind of tax/trade/<something>, then I took in an old 7 I had lying around, they took that in trade, got 10% off AC+ in the store, and with the trade/credit/etc., only paid a little over $100 for the coverage.

Guy across from us had been there for like an hour and still couldn't get activated, we took maybe 30 minutes total, and that was with two trades, plus we setup a business account 

We ate at this incredible place near the Apple Store, sat outside, so nice yesterday, took the Jeep (roofless mode) too.





__





						Home to Authentic Fine Southern Cuisine | Open for Dine In! | Ida Claire
					

Ida Claire is all about Southern Hospitality - enjoy vinyl hour, relax in the outdoor garden, and dine on fine southern cuisine from brunch to supper. Takeout & Delivery Available!




					www.ida-claire.com
				




We got WAY too much food, brought a bunch home (early dinner so worked out nicely).




Roller said:


> I upgraded from an iPhone X to a 12 Pro last year, so will skip the 13. I see many typical comments over on MR that it's a "boring" release, but I think improvements to the camera system, battery life, and display are quite good.




Yeah, for me, from a 12 definitely not, from an 11, most likely not either (unless I was maybe going up or down in size, or going from a "regular" to a Pro model ...), heck even an XS I couldv'e possibly kept, but my good ol' X, it was time to retire - and I was missing out on several iOS15 features.

I went Max this time, holy hell, do I love the larger size, I'm way better at typing with the slightly larger display, I mean, it seems to make a huge difference for me.

The phone is pretty spectacular, I meant to shoot some nighttime pics last night, but I'll try again today.

We recently changed our plans and have some 6 month Apple services freebies, and I got some with the phone to, I'll have to check the expiration dates, if it's short term, I wonder if they can be "stacked" somehow.


----------



## Roller

Eric said:


> Pretty much the same for me in that I'm still on the 11 pro max and will skip this release and likely hit it up next year. But I have to say the incremental updates are underwhelming in the last few years, if there still isn't something significant I might even skip the next one too.



Each year I try to balance the cost of upgrading against the real value of new or improved features: 

Better battery life: I usually end my day with about 33% left and charge every night, so a couple more hours wouldn't make a difference.
Speed: I don't often find myself waiting for operations to finish.
Display: TBH, it's been more than adequate since at least the iPhone X. ProMotion may be worthwhile, though.
Network connectivity: Also not a problem, and 5G hasn't yet been deployed on my carrier's network. (I'm on FirstNet, which is still rolling out 5G support.)
Build and appearance: I keep my iPhone in a case, so rarely get to see what it looks like.
Notch: I wouldn't mind it going away, but it's never bothered me much.
Unlocking: Face ID works well for me, but I'd like an under-screen Touch ID option too.
Cameras: This was one of my main reasons for getting the 12 Pro last year. I shoot a lot of photos, and can do much more that I could with my previous phones, especially in low light.


----------



## Alli

DT said:


> We ate at this incredible place near the Apple Store, sat outside, so nice yesterday, took the Jeep (roofless mode) too.



Just shared the link with my mother so we can go there next time I’m out your way.


Roller said:


> Network connectivity: Also not a problem, and 5G hasn't yet been deployed on my carrier's network. (I'm on FirstNet, which is still rolling out 5G support.)



Yesterday we were sitting at lunch down by the river and my husband said “oh, I guess there’s no service here,” and showed me his one bar and LTE on his phone. I then showed him the three bars and 5G on mine. Same carrier.


----------



## Runs For Fun

Why, yes Apple, I will be quite enjoying my iPhone trade-in kit


----------



## DT

Runs For Fun said:


> Why, yes Apple, I will be quite enjoying my iPhone trade-in kit
> View attachment 8979





Hahaha, aka, "a box".


----------



## Pumbaa

DT said:


> Hahaha, aka, "a box".



Perfect for cat owners (eh, servants)!


----------



## Runs For Fun

Pumbaa said:


> Perfect for cat owners (eh, servants)!



Somehow one of my cats would have found a way to fit in it.


----------



## Alli

Runs For Fun said:


> Somehow one of my cats would have found a way to fit in it.



I didn’t give me cats a chance. I brought the box in, opened it, put my old iPhone in it, sealed it, put the label on, and proceeded directly to the FedEx store.


----------



## Runs For Fun

Alli said:


> I didn’t give me cats a chance. I brought the box in, opened it, put my old iPhone in it, sealed it, put the label on, and proceeded directly to the FedEx store.



Same. Packed up my old phone right away. Didn't get to make it to UPS today but planning on dropping it off tomorrow.


----------



## Pumbaa

Alli said:


> I didn’t give me cats a chance. I brought the box in, opened it, put my old iPhone in it, sealed it, put the label on, and proceeded directly to the FedEx store.



Better count your cats, just in case. You never know…


----------



## Runs For Fun

I happened to notice it was supposed to be returned through FedEx which is strange considering it came through UPS. Good thing I noticed before showing up to UPS with a FedEx package.


----------

