By Dave Dinsmore
I've had both the new iPhones for a little over a month and at this point I can safely say they are the best smart phones ever made and if you are eligible for an upgrade I give you the top reasons to pull the trigger and perhaps get one for someone special (or yourself) this upcoming holiday season:
BATTERY LIFE:
It seemed that battery life was getting worse with each new phone advancement since the original iPhone debuted in 2007. Actually I think it's more a case of how much we now use these devices to track weather, stocks, activity, traffic, etc. in real-time causing the device to be "always on." With the new 6 and especially the 6+ I'm shocked at how long I can go in my busy day before I even see 25 percent remaining.
APPLE PAY:
This is going to be huge!!! No more handing my card to someone who now knows my name, number and that "secret" security code on the back!! With Apple Pay you never give up any information, just enter your card numbers into the phone, it secures and stores the info only on the phone, and approves my purchase without anyone else knowing it was me.
CAMERA:
For years I was carrying my Panasonic camera on trips to get a higher resolution photo. Not anymore. Images from this new camera are jaw dropping! Plus you get to edit them immediately before you share them with the world.
128 GIGS:
This is a big deal in the 6+ because I can now load it up with tons of music and videos and leave the iPad at home.
SPEED:
Wow, the new processor is FAST in these phones. There is a noticeable difference between the iPhone 5 and the 6 even with the IOS8 software upgrade.
Sure you can upgrade your old phone but as with every upgrade the new processor and battery life discussed above make it run beautifully on the new devices.
HEALTH APPS:
I'm a gadget freak and it's one of the reasons I got into various health apps way back to the original Nike+ in my old pair of shoes. With HealthKit on the new phones (and upcoming watch) you can get all this data in one central location and share it with whomever you decide needs to know. Maybe a Facebook post boasting your latest workout or keeping your doctor up to date on your weight. Thankfully even the 5S supports the health app while the new phones have a built in barometer to track even more data.
WIFI PHONE CALLS
These new devices have the ability to seamlessly switch between using the cell tower and a wifi network while talking on the phone. For those of us with HORRIBLE cell service in our home this will be a godsend. Whichever cell company supports it first will get a ton of new customers!!
CURVED GLASS
While I liked the feel of the straight-edged 4 and 5 phones my other half and many others liked the curve of the original iPhone. Everyone should be very happy with the feel of the new devices in your hand, as the new design seems to deliver a happy medium of balance and weight.
BIG SCREEN
I am not a fan of the large screen phones from Samsung and I don't see carrying the 6+ in my pocket, but for those who can only have one device these new models will be very popular.
Apple also has a cool little feature that if you double tap lightly on the home button it shifts the screen down so you can still use one hand to navigate. Until you see it in action its hard to understand how much this helps with these new bigger devices, especially for those of you ladies with small hands.
After only moderate use, the Wife is actually considering getting rid of her beloved 4S. It's a high-tech miracle. You just might consider it miraculous as well after you start using these devices.
Correction: An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated that the iPhone debuted in 2010, and that its operating system is OS X Yosemite. The post has been updated accordingly.