On 2017-04-23, Patty Winter <
pat...@wintertime.com> wrote:
>
> In article <
em40ig...@mid.individual.net>,
> Jolly Roger <
jolly...@pobox.com> wrote:
>>On 2017-04-23, Patty Winter <
pat...@wintertime.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> Both Verizon (her current provider) and AT&T (her Internet and home
>>> phone provider) offer iPhones, of course. AT&T has the iPhone 6,
>>> while Verizon starts with a 6S.
>>
>>Whoever told you that is incorrect. You can get the latest phone with
>>either service.
>
> Of course one can get an iPhone 7. I never said otherwise. But she
> doesn't need one.
Ah, okay. I misunderstood you. Sorry about that. But still if the
savings are relatively insignificant, I'd still go for the latest.
>>If I were you I would strongly advise her to purchase her iPhone from
>>Apple directly rather than one of the carriers. Apple will be more
>>knowledgeable about her options, and will even help her get data
>>(contacts, etc) onto the new phone if needed.
>
> I assume you mean data from her iMac? I can't imagine that there's any
> way to transfer data from her flip phone.
Apple can at least advise her about how to transfer the data; but they
may even do it for her. If she brings a Mac with her, it may make things
easier.
>>Don't forget the iPhone SE, which appeals to many people who, like me,
>>appreciate the small form factor over larger, more cumbersome models.
>
> Yes, it's small and less expensive, but will it become obsolete sooner
> than the 6 series phones?
Nah. It's a relatively recent phone. It'll get updates for years and
won't be obsolete any time soon. My wife and I just bought ours at the
beginning of 2017, and we'll probably keep them for a few years before
we think about replacing them. : )
>>>She may need to go with Verizon because she thinks that her daughter
>>>has had some reception problems with AT&T at her house. On the other
>>>hand, maybe she's using a lower- grade voice network with the flip
>>>phone and will experience similar problems with 4G LTE on Verizon;
>>>any theories on that?
>>
>>It sounds like Verizon would be better for her. I've used both Verizon
>>and AT&T, and have had better coverage in multiple states with
>>Verizon, personally. You can find out what the coverage looks like for
>>a given area on their respective web sites:
>>
>><
https://vzwmap.verizonwireless.com/dotcom/coveragelocator/>
>>
>><
https://www.att.com/maps/wireless-coverage.html>
>
> Oh yes, I was zoomed in on both of those last night. They both claim
> that she has full 4G LTE coverage at her house. Her daughter's
> experience suggests otherwise, at least for AT&T. Is there any way of
> predicting whether Verizon only seems better now because she isn't
> using it for 4G LTE?
I've never bothered to investigate it. You could call them and ask, or
look for people in your area with experience with it, I suppose. There's
an app called CarrierCompare on the App Store that lets you test and
compare your local service connectivity and compare it with others in
your area:
<
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/carriercompare-compare-speed-across-networks/id516075262>
>>> Any thoughts on the best way to proceed in this situation?
>>
>>Rather than putting it off to wait for new models, I'd just get the
>>latest model that is available now. I'd definitely avoid getting an
>>older model unless money is a significant factor, in which case I'd
>>still recommend looking at the iPhone SE, since it's cheaper than the
>>larger models yet is fairly up to date in terms of the technologies
>>included.
>
> So the SE isn't likely to get obsoleted at the same time as the 5s?
> (That's the plural "5," not "5ess.") I was concerned that it might.
The iPhone 5 is a successor of the iPhone 5S which came after the iPhone
5; so no.
> She could easily afford a 7; I just don't see how it's worth it for
> her except for the fact that Apple will be supporting it later than a
> 6. Is that enough of a factor to warrant the extra $100 over a 6?
There are other differences to consider:
The iPhone 7 is waterproofed, while the 6 is not.
The 7 has the A10 Fusion processor that's said to be two times faster
than the A8 in the 6; it also has a faster GPU said to be three times
faster than GPU in the A8.
Battery life is better too (roughly a couple hours longer than the 6S).
The 7's screen is 25% brighter with a better color gamut (richer
colors).
The lowest 7 comes with 32GB of storage, while the lowest 6 comes with
only 16GB.
The 7 has 3D Touch, while the 6 does not.
The 7 has a 12-megapixel rear camera capable of 4K (versus an
8-megapixel on the 6) with a better lens than the 6; and the front
camera of the 7 is updated to a 7-megapixel camera with image
stabilization and Retina flash (the screen acts as a flash).