iPhone sizes

My gamble has paid off. I wanted a bigger screen, a fast phone to last me some years, and modern tech to make it fun to use apps now and in a couple of years from now. The 6 was already on sale, but I was on the 5s. I could have waited for the 7, hoping it would be out this March. But it felt very soon. I saved up enough money to upgrade my 5s to the 6s Plus, and I did. Today I learned that I made the right choice.

tl;dr Apple’s keynote today introduced an iPad Pro update, iPhone update, and the iOS update to go along with it. None of these new products apply to me personally. Which makes me a happy bunny.

Don’t get me wrong, if I was swimming in money I would just upgrade to the latest and greatest as soon as possible. I wouldn’t hesitate. But I am not in that position. So my choices are limited. But I have them regardless. There’s variety enough when it comes to smartphones and tablets. Even when my focus is on Apple products alone.

One of the important changes that Apple made today is what Android has done from the start: choice. You want a small phone? A cheaper phone? A modern phone? A big pro version? Little storage? Lots of storage? I’ve never been a big fan of this though. But I do understand that there are enough reasons for people to stick to small sizes, or why some really specifically prefer the biggest size they can get.

Now we can select between the same hardware, spread over various sizes. The old 4″ size and design that many are used to and some prefer over the 6’s design. Or a tad bit bigger, like the 6 range is offering. Or even quite a bit bigger, like the 6s Plus. But I have to say, I have bad eyes, and the bigger screen really helps me personally. And when I have the old 5s in my hands I really wonder how I was able to comfortably use that smaller size. It feels ridiculously small now. But boy does it feel great in your hand and pocket. And perfect for using with just one hand. Something you have to give up on when you go to the Plus.

I really appreciate it that people can now select the size they like, without feeling like they’re compromising in performance. The same 12MP camera, ac wifi, etc. The specs are almost the same between the iPhone SE, 6, 6S. But there are too many phones with too many names. Why not call it the iPhone 6SE or just iPhone 6E? Well whatever, it doesn’t matter. Why keep the 6 around if there’s the 6s and 6s Plus? Who would buy the 6 now if they can get the 6s. And when the SE actually has better specs?

Talking about compromise. The size of the iPad Pro 9,7″ basically tells us “This is the iPad Air 3” or .. “The next iPad”. Now we have iPad mini, but which one is it? The Air, but.. it hasn’t been updated for a while. And the expensive Pro, which my mom doesn’t need, but then there’s the smaller release since today that’s basically the iPad Air 3 (a new one), but with pencil. Erhm. Can’t we just stop this already and perhaps just have the PRO be “the new iPad” with 3 different sizes (mini, regular and larger) — Anyway, I will talk about the iPad in a separate blog post probably.

iOS version 9.3 has been beta tested in private and public. I have had it on my iPad for a while now. It’s a great upgrade. I gladly upgraded my parents their devices as well as my own to this new release today. Which was quick, smooth, and came with no issues. I noticed no sluggish behavior at all on the iPhone 5s that my dad has. So thumbsup for not ruining that experience. Fingers crossed iOS10 will stay snappy as well and makes proper use of that 64-bit power to let us enjoy our older devices as well.

So, considering a new phone, switching to iPhone, or upgrading to the latest greatest? The question isn’t simply answered anymore with “Just get the 6s, it’s the best”, now my response would be: What can you afford, or.. which screen size do you prefer? Smallest? Go with the SE, a little bit bigger? The 6s then. Oh you really want a big screen? The 6s Plus. Just forget that they even have the 6. And yes, upgrade to iOS 9.3 if you haven’t yet.

Okay, so, this gamble.. I decided to not wait and go with the 6s when it came out, instead of waiting for the 7. I’ve learned to skip the first generation of something as well. So I skipped the upgrade to the 6, went with 6s, and didn’t wait for the 7, and maybe my next phone would be the 7s or even the 8s. We will see. But I would have been disappointed today if I waited for the 7, and see them introduce the SE, with no update to the 6s line. So yay for me. I am happy with my choice: no regrets.

If you are on anything lower than a 5, I strongly recommend to just give in and upgrade. Most plans come with free 5s or 6 phones now. It is really worth it. And affordable to upgrade. If you have a 5s, and are happy with it, by all means continue to use it. But if you were clinging on to that small screen and industrial design, then you are now out of an excuse. The SE has basically that design, screen size, and latest hardware and features. It will give you a new phone with a new experience, that will last you for another handful of years probably. If you have the 6 or 6s, plus or not, don’t bother upgrading. Stick to what you have and wait for the 7s, the SE is a downgrade for you.

Details! http://www.apple.com/iphone/compare/


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