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Quick Thoughts on iOS 8

While you can gleam all the details of Apple’s new iOS 8 mobile operating system from links like this one, this one and this one, here are a few thoughts after just 12 hours on the beta.

 

  1. The best changes in my opinion are with Messages. Specifically, things like including all of the media between you and another person really make finding that sent picture easy. Other great stuff includes being able to name your group texts, excuse yourself from said group texts and quickly fire off recently taken pictures to your friends. The “coolest” feature might be what I’d like to call “Quick Voicemail”, which allows you to easily send an audio message to a person or group of people. Those people can easily respond. I still haven’t figured out the actual point of this, but you can do the same thing with videos and pictures as well. Finally, you can now respond to a message right from the notification, probably the biggest time saver. It is still a little glitchy with the beta, but this will be the most used feature, I’d bet.
  2. The most handy small feature to me is definitely the double-click to show recent contacts. This will save me a ton of time as I call my wife, Jared and like two other people. That is it. Apple does all of these things without it being a major change, as the contact pictures appear right above open apps when you get to that screen.
  3. Speaking of Apps, I have been having some problems with certain Apps on the beta. I’ve read that some have had the same issues while others have not. Namely, Facebook refuses to open. I also had problems with Safari, but they were fixed with a Cookies and Cache clear. Apple does not allow developers to update their Apps for iOS 8 until the Golden Master comes out, and that will likely be in late August.
  4. There are some other things that came down. Like the “Quick Type” system, which predicts your next word and gives you the chance to hit it. We’ll see how it evolves with my typing prowess, but right now it just slows me down. The Handoff system, which allows you to go from iOS to OS X and back, transferring documents, emails and websites quickly, was working. What I could not figure out was how to easily do this AND use Touch ID when moving to Mobile. It was just a clunky move, in my opinion.
  5. I’m not going to talk about Health because Health isn’t usable yet. Sure, you can enter height and weight, and certain data points, but the true usefulness will come with apps that sync with it.

 

I’ll be back with more later.

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Here’s to CarPlay not being resigned to the rich and famous

CarPlay
The Apple CarPlay system will mimic the iPhone, but be catered to those on the road. (Apple.com)

I spoke the other day about Tesla’s Model E, and how it could revolutionize car buying by bringing a technology to the masses that is currently for the wealthy at the moment. On that same day, Apple announced their CarPlay system, which was previously referred to as “iOS in the Car.” The integration would “iPhone-icize” the touchscreen interfaces that have become standard in most new cars, allowing for a deeper experience for the driving iPhone user.

Immediately, videos began to surface of carmakers showcasing CarPlay in their new automobiles. Volvo says the tech will be introduced in their XC90 model. Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari have also uploaded youtube videos of their interfaces built into their fancy cars. On the CarPlay website, Apple lists those three makers along with Jaguar, Honda and Hyundai as “available in 2014.” Neither Honda nor Hyundai has commented on the model at press time.

I own a Mazda2. At the time (October 2011), it was the cost-effective way to get myself in a new car. Today, I am on the verge of shopping again, this time for a Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra or an American mid-size sedan. My question is this:

Will the car I buy have, whether standard or as an option, access to the new CarPlay interface?

The XC90 version looks fantastic, but the starting price for the large Volvo SUV is $40,000. The Mercedes-Benz in question, the S-Class, starts at $92,000. The Ferrari costs twice as much as my house.

While Honda and Hyundai could come out today and say that they are putting CarPlay in their Civics and Elantras or all of their cars, I am going to guess that the new toy will not be available to the mass-market at start. Apple is careful at over-saturation and if carmakers can charge a premium for a feature that most people want (and who wouldn’t want an iPhone inspired interface in their car), they are going to do so.

So while I am excited that this feature is out there and Apple continues to expand it’s footprint on the technology world, I am hesitant to think that, barring a MegaMillions win or late-Aunt I’ve never met, I’m not going to be able to enjoy these new toys.

Prove me wrong car makers, please prove me wrong.

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Sapphire Crystal iPhone screens will put Android phones on ice

I’ve had three iPhones in the past two years, having smashed my iPhone 5 fumbling with my mailbox.

My sister, a 22-year-old, is the worst when it comes to iPhones. I swear she has single-handedly moved Apple’s stock from $400 to $500. She’ll buy a phone, break it, deal with it or fix it at the mall, and then break it again. At this moment, I currently have a friendly wager with her that her current 5s will be broken within the month. I’ll keep you updated.

There is no worse feeling than that half-second from when your iPhone leaves your hand to when it hits something hard. You pick up the phone, knowing that you’ll now have to deal with the spider cracks across the front. Gone is the beauty of owning an iPhone, as now you have a broken iPhone. It is functional and, for the most part, still does what you need it to — but it just is not the same.

All this might be changing, and boy, is it a game changer. It is no rumor that Apple is planning on using Sapphire Crystal in an upcoming device, whether it be a iPhone or the rumored iWatch, but I don’t believe the average consumer understands what this means. See below:

Just imagine no fear when that phone flies out of your hand, hitting a sharp corner or a hard surface. Imagine those minuscule scratches not being apparent on a device of just six months of use. A phone that could be considered tougher than most, without a case, with the popularity of an iPhone.

This will be copied. Samsung will come in and have a Sapphire Crystal phone soon after the possible iPhone is released, just like they did with the fingerprint scanner. The problem is, the new material will need new factories. Apple has already begun crafting this for the new phone, and they are doing so in the United States. This jump on the competition, and the infrastructure to support it, will allow a more expensive material be produced at cost. And while Android sales continue to rise, the profit margins for the phones will start to go up as well. Samsung will not be manufacturing their own crystal. Neither will HTC or Motorola.

They’ll either use a lesser material, like Corning’s Gorilla Glass (of which Samsung owns about 10%), or they will sell the phone at a loss. These phone makers cannot charge more because that is their product’s appeal, that they are slightly cheaper than Apple’s product.

This will be an exciting year in Apple world. We might see a new AppleTV, as Jared pointed to yesterday. We’ll probably see a watch. And we might get a phone that you can drop a cinderblock on.