Roger Fingas
The iPhone XS, XS Max, and Apple Watch Series 4 shipped this week, alongside iOS 12, tvOS 12 and watchOS 5. There was plenty to discover about of all of them.
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Here are some of the most popular news items and features:
- Being practical about iPad Pro, Mac mini, iMac and other possible Apple launches in October > >
- Video: Here are over 150 new features and changes in iOS 12 for iPhone and iPad > >
- Kuo: High preorder demand for Apple Watch Series 4, low expectations for 5.8-inch iPhone XS > >
- Video: Hands on with the new Apple Watch faces in watchOS 5 > >
- iPhone XS LTE speeds up to 266 percent faster than iPhone X, early test reveals > >
- Photographers share stunning photos shot on iPhone XS > >
- Video: Hands on with Apple's new lineup of iPhone XS and XS Max cases > >
- Apple's iOS 12 is here, adding improved performance, Life Balance features, Memoji, Augmented Reality, ARKit 2, and more > >
- Video: Hands on: 44mm Space Gray Apple Watch Series 4 > >
- Hands on: Apple's iPhone XS Max is gorgeous, and a boon for photographers > >
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Wesley Hilliard
Marko Zivkovic
Christine McKee
Malcolm Owen
Amber Neely
1 Comment
I have to say that I'm enjoying my iPhone XS. It's a huge upgrade from my iPhone 6. I upgrade every 4 years.
I love FaceID. I love how well LastPass is working so well in iOS12. There's just been a couple cases of the app not working smoothly with it. Getting around, and getting logged into things automatically without having to touch the Home Button for TouchID. Getting more apps turned on to use FaceID, and Logging right in using the info from LastPass. All that Data from Lastpass working on my Windows computers also. I disabled Apple's Keychain, and just use LastPass. It's just overall and quicker and easier. Not having to fight with both of them. Keychain in general is OK so long as you ONLY use Apple Devices and ONLY Safari as your browser. I don't.
I've been going through apps to see what I really want and what doesn't even run anymore. So lots of deleting. Basic House Cleaning!!! I still have a lot of apps to go though. But I'm making sure I can log into everything. That I can get on with LastPass. That FaceID is doing it's thing.
I like that this new iPhone is basically the SAME SIZE as my iPhone 6, but that the screen is just over a inch larger. It makes a big difference. My old phone is looking smaller. It is smaller, but even more so. The Notch on this new phone doesn't bother be at all. When I'm watching video's it's black bars on the left and right side. Though the Icon of the group your in on Youtube for example, shows up on the bottom right of the screen in the black bar area there. I like it. You are seeing the whole video. Why you never see this shown? Because every picture I see of video, you see the notch as it fills the whole screen. When in reality, to get that effect of the video into the notch, you have to stretch the video out, make it larger to fill every bit of screen. Which also cuts off a bit of the top and bottom of the video to enlarge it.
The rest of the time, the clock and battery and so on are really out of the way in what would have normally been a full black bar on other phones. So giving a little extra space on the side of the notch to throw that stuff into was a great idea. When you have to have all those sensors for FaceID, and can't do something like hide behind the screen, moving everything into the middle as much as they could and giving us a little more screen, Nice!!! It's giving people what they want. More screen and Less Bezel. Playing with this new phone all day, I just don't get why some are making it out to be some huge deal as it's not at all. I do have to say that Apple is clearly trying to hide the Notch with that planet picture which fits the screen in just such a way as to not go into the Notch making it look like there is no notch!!! It's so obvious!!!
Now this new phone is just as slippery as my old iPhone 6 and really, you should put it into a case. If you crack the back and want it fixed, it's BIG MONEY!!!! Get a Clear case if you want everyone to see it. I have one with a stand. It's Temp until I figure out what I really want. It's not a perfect fit as it's really only a iphone X case that they updated to XS also. It's really not. It fits ok and you don't really notice unless you really really close at it. The Camera location is slightly different between the iphone X and the XS. Same with the Speaker holes on the bottom. A case not only adds some protection, but some bulk and a little rubber grip of the case making it much less of a worry that it'll just slip from your hand.
This is the case I'm currently using with my iPhone XS. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074CMHVKY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Now I need to figure out what Apple Watch to get to replace my Original Space Grey 42MM one. I know I'd get the 44MM version, past that, Color? Do I really need LTE? I don't think so and most of the time if I don't have my iPhone on me, my Watch is still connected over the Wifi Network at home and at work. I'm with T-Mobile, and so I'd have to switch to their One Plan, and then pay another $10 a month or more, not sure just for the watch that would rarely, if ever be without a phone link. So I'm still trying to figure that out. Thank goodness that got rid of that huge red dot which stands right out when I see it on other people.