iPhone 6S vs 6 – In under 3mins (well depends how quick you are)

Dear friends,

Its been a while since we met. But what better occasion than an Apple launch event to talk and discuss the pros and cons of the newly announced gizmos at the world’s largest tech company. So in short here are the things Apple did announce yesterday at their annual pre-holiday season event.

1. Apple Watch
2. Apple TV
3. iPad Pro and iPad Mini 4 and accessories
4. iPhone 6S and 6S Plus

Although there’s so much to discuss, today I’m going to discuss only the difference between the iPhone 6 and 6S. I have used some mobile screenshots (from my OnePlus One) to show you the differences. So here goes:

The new iPhone 6S is slightly thicker in depth, slightly wider and slightly heavier as shown above. Just slightly!!

The iPhone 6S (and 6S Plus) come with an upgraded processor – A9 chip with a brand new M9 motion coprocessor.

Some more connectivity/network tech added.

Apple claiming having NFC (cheeky actually) when it is quite restrictive to only Apple Pay and not a generic NFC sensor.

Apple finally has upgraded its camera for the iPhone after three years of 8mp lenses. Your new iPhone 6S and 6S Plus come with a 12mp camera with larger pixel sizes. The camera is also capable of clicking ‘Live Photos’ which is nothing but a photo taken with some video content recorded 1.5 seconds of video before and after the clicked picture.

The iPhone 6S clicks a stunning 63mp (compared to 43mp before) picture when used to capture panorama shots.

Finally Apple has launched 4K video recording with the two new iPhones this year.

Slo-mo videos now support 1080p at 120 fps and 720p at 240fps. Previously it was only at 720p.

New feature (yet to be talked about or reviewed) – playback zoom. Not sure what this is yet. Will have to wait for reviews.

5mp front facing FaceTime Camera. Also uses the entire screen as a two tone flash called Retina Flash to act as a light source for night time shots.

4K video playback options included in the literature.

Now one of the most interesting feature I think WAS NOT ANNOUNCED and one that I cannot confirm yet to be true seems to be Siri. What I did notice in the new commercial for the iPhone 6S/6S Plus is this part where the user is trying to make some tortellinis and asks Siri to show some pictures of tortellinis. What’s so great about that, you ask! Well notice how he’s talking to the iPhone – HANDSFREE! That’s right.

But that feature’s been there for a while, you say! True, but that until now would work ONLY when the iPhone is plugged in to charge.

If the commercial were to be believed to be true, the iPhone 6s/6S Plus should have an always listening Siri. The phone shown below is with Siri activated without the user having to touch the phone and it is not connected to any power source. Unless of course they’ve secretly included a wireless charging feature on that wooden block behind. So if my guess is right, an Always On Siri might be a boon for those who are driving and want to turn on bluetooth without having to plug it in to charge.

Well that’s my quick assessment of the two new iPhones launched yesterday. Keep visiting this page for more news and reviews in the near future.

Here are the videos (not all are commercials) for all that was launched yesterday:

iPhone 6S and 6S Plus:

iPad Pro:

Apple Pencil:

Apple TV:

Apple Watch:

Keep the Obsession strong.

Regards,

SiD….

TeCH Update – 05th Feb 2015

Greetings Readers,

I thought of summarizing and presenting to you some of the most significant news that have been doing the rounds in the tech world yesterday. So here they are:

1. Xiaomi Does Not Intend To Enter The U.S. Market Anytime Soon:

Chinese hardware manufacturer and new poster child of the mobile masses – Xiaomi is conducting an SFO based event this 12th of February. However Hugo Barra, (one of the key figures at Google previously who then joined Xiaomi as VP-International) insists that they are not entering the US market anytime soon. This could very well be a check on the interest levels of the company’s products amongst American audiences, carriers.

For the sake of the ‘value-for-money’ seeking Americans I hope Xiaomi devices hit your shores soon.

Source: Technobuffalo

2. “Paper” Given Free To Promote “Pencil” Sales:

The popular drawing/sketching/painting app called “Paper” by 53 (Company name – FiftyThree or 53) yesterday announced that the so far paid ‘in-app purchase’ will be available free of charge from today.

Quick, download it from here: Paper App

They have done so to improve the sales of the hardware device by the name “Pencil”, shown above. The “Pencil” by 53 is a slick new device that when paired with the iPad can be used to draw practically anything.

Check out their awesome video: Pencil by 53

Source: Macrumors

3. Worlds Most Expensive “Typo” – By Ryan Seacrest

Ryan Seacrest (the popular TV Celeb of American Idol fame) had launched an external case for the iPhone with a physical keyboard. This case bears a stark resemblance to the keyboard that a lot of Blackberry devices have (refer image below). The courts had ordered ‘Typo’ to stop sales for the same reasons, yet the order was not honored by the company. This has now resulted in a fine of $860,000 that Typo must pay Blackberry. What needs to be mentioned however is that Blackberry had demanded a compensation of $2.6 million (in penalties) + legal charges, so its isn’t as bad as it seems. 

Fun Fact: $860,000 is just about 1/75th Ryan’s annual salary and about 1/350th his net worth according to CelebrityNetworth.com.

Source: Macrumors

4. Swatch Is About To Enter The Smartwatch Game Soon:

The swiss watch giant apparently has made it clear that they are entering the smart watch industry. Their first smartwatch is expected to be launched in the next two to three months. This puts it head-on against Apple’s AppleWatch release dates expected to hit shores around April 2015.

Game on Apple!

Source: Macrumors

5. Fresh Breath Of “OxygenOS” For OnePlus One Soon:

OnePlus, the Chinese manufacturer that has created a lot of buzz with their first device the OnePlus ‘One’ has announced their new ROM’s name – “OxygenOS”. This device although has been announced for more thanhalf a year has not seen widespread adoption, thanks in part to the extremely lean supply of devices. The new ROM OxygenOS is expected to be as close to stock android Lollipop (Android 5.0.X) as possible with as least bloatware as possible. This has a lot to live up to considering the freedom of customization CyanogenMod has given and users have gotten used to.

Source: OnePlus Facebook

Special Mention: Next post is going to be on Mr. Satya Nadella (CEO, Microsoft)

Thank you for your time…

Regards,

@TeCH_SiD

Tech Design – Apple vs the new ONE on the block!

Greetings friends,

I have taken a very radical approach to thinking about product design today. I have decided to set my Apple biases aside (have done for close to a week or so now) and write an objective piece on how OnePlus has taken product design to a whole new level riding on the shoulders of many others. Let’s dive right into it, shall we?

Product Packaging:

Apple is known for its immaculate attention to detail for their products, including their packaging. Regardless of which product you choose amongst their line-up, they are the gold standard when it comes to packaging tech and quality. What Apple takes pride in with their packaging is the fact that it is minimal and avoids wastage in material and hence saves space while shipping. This plays a significant role in saving the planet by shipping more phones in fewer flights.

Well Bravo! But it is time to move on as other companies have started reducing their carbon footprints as well.

The OnePlus One comes in a slick new book-like case that is not only awesome to unbox but truly functional too. Argument could be that they haven’t put everything in one box. The charger block comes in a separate box.

The packaging is not only brilliant but so is the thought behind each and every item inside the box. The charging/USB cable for instance is flat and does not entangle like the ones you get with other devices. It even comes with a recoil band that helps keep it from wearing over time. The SIM tray removal pin comes inside a rubber cover of it’s own that can be clubbed on a keychain. Although why we’d log that around all the time puzzles me. However nice touch. They also have included a NanoSIM to MicroSIM adaptor for switchers from the iOS devices. “Smart or Cocky? You decide!”
Reference images – below.

Now for the more important bit which Apple seems to have ignored right from the beginning – ‘device comfort’ in the hand.  I bet you’ve not thought of this before. Over the years, the iPhone has come a long way in product design and it has almost set the standards with their product and packaging design. However, they now seem to have taken a break in developing breakthrough designs. The iPhone looks and feels incredibly sexy in your hand and even better in photos. But does it really serve the purpose of being a good phone while using it? Of course it is a very subjective topic but do you fell comfortable holding it WITHOUT A CASE? If your answer is Yes then you are a minority with sweaty palms.

To me it is far from a comfortable design to hold. Jonathan Ive is brilliant, no doubt but he’s designing great looking phones. Someone needs to remind him that the phones are going to be held and used, not only clicked pictures of. Right from the first iPhone the devices have had extremely smooth surfaces and have inevitably been slippery.
Now cut to the OnePlus One. This device has two variants – 16Gb white and 64Gb sandstone. The sandstone model feels like soft sandpaper and apparently the white model had the feel of baby skin. Besides these OnePlus also has a few other backs that can be bought to customize the look and feel of the device.

The gallery above shows us the difference in material design. The iPhone as always stellar in material design yet not the best fit for a human hand, read Slippery. Especially humans with smaller hands. The OnePlus One is not the most comfortable for smaller hands either but thanks to the slightly sharp edges and the soft sandpaper material (on the 64Gb Sandstone model) it feels extremely reassuring when taken out from a trouser pocket. Whereas the iPhones are dangerously slippery when picked out from one’s pocket. The Apple device accessories industry is thriving thanks to this fact.

However these are my personal opinions and do not stand true for ever user.

Conclusion:

Although a lot can be said about the design language Apple undertakes with its products and the quality of build being far superior to anyone (maybe HTC comes close with its One recently). It is a case of what feels premium does not necessarily be the best for the customer. My vote is for the OnePlus One for the sheer brilliance in choice of material for the back of the device which is what brings out the perception of quality in the consumers mind and also is a highly functional design element. Despite not using premium material like aluminium all around the device they have pulled off design magic with it.

However I would strongly suggest you try out both devices (yeah good luck finding a OnePlus One!) and then come to a conclusion yourself.

Note: I am and for the foreseeable future will remain an Apple Fanboy.

iPhone 6/6+ on Vodafone – Bundled Plans 2.0

Dear Readers,
Thank you for your time. I appreciate your interest in my blog post and more importantly in technology. I’d like to bring to your notice the first (actually second if you consider Reliance with their iPhone 5S deals last year) real push by a telco giant (second largest in India – Vodafone) for postpaid cellular plans with a bundled mobile device. This particular one is significant as it has the most sought after mobile devices in the world – iPhone 6 and 6+.

Vodafone – iPhone 6 plans

This is significant at many levels.

• Firstly it is the biggest push by an international telco in tie up with an international handset manufacturer in India where bundled plans are far from common.

Secondly it is a huge push driving the significance of mobile data as a huge business for telcos and hence the bundling.

Telcos like Idea Cellular are pushing for mobile internet at a grass-root level and now at semi-urban levels too by starting their own internet learning initiative with the IIN (Idea Internet Network).

Effective Cost To Consumer (CTC):

The iPhone 6 retails at Rs.53,500 via Infibeam. Via this plan the final amount you’d be paying considering you are going for the basic iPhone 6 (16GB) model, regardless of the color option would be – Rs.3,599 * 24 = Rs.86,376. Subtract the cost of the device from it and you’d be paying an effective monthly overhead of Rs.1369.

But please remember, this is not what it looks like – a daylight robbery by Vodafone. What they have included is the plan for your monthly usage. The most basic pack is the Vodafone ‘iPhone 6k plan’ which gives the user 6000 local & STD minutes, 6GB of 3G data and 1500 SMS. Without much research into the actual price (and don’t hold me for this) for this plan I’m pegging it at around Rs.1500 per month. They are giving it at Rs.1369 effectively.

Does it make sense to go for this plan?

Well to be honest, this plan is not for everyone. If you have a postpaid plan and are paying a good Rs.1500 and above on a monthly basis and are not too picky about your usage amounts, then this is perfect for you. For heavy users, there’s another plan which is the ‘iPhone 10k plan’ For an additional 500 bucks, you get an additional 4000 minutes, 4GB more data and 1000 SMS. Pretty good value for money if you consider you’re getting a kickass iPhone 6 along with it.

What’s the Downside?

Like they say:

If it seems too good to be true, it most probably is!

Well luckily this isn’t the case with this plan with Vodafone. It isn’t a jaw dropping plan with cheap pricing and kickass features bundled with the best device on the planet. So don’t worry about being conned into something. Having said that, DO REMEMBER You are getting into a contract for TWO years (24 months or 720 days) with Vodafone.

In their FAQs section there are a few caveats listed –

1. “Once activated, the plan cannot be changed for the next 24 months.”
2. EMI transactions (12 & 24 month tenure) are available on following banks/ issuers: American Express | Axis Bank | Citibank | HDFC Bank | ICICI Bank | IndusInd Bank | Kotak Credit Card | RBL Bank | Standard Chartered Bank.

Overall:

Unless you are a die hard phan of Vodafone and Apple (one who has the logo of the fruit company tattooed on one bicep and that of the telco on the other, or plan to get those done soon) don’t go crazy about these. Go for it in a calm and collected manner and think before you sign up for this. You could probably get the device independent of this EMI scheme with a good deal at your bank itself.

“Tread with Caution!”