Its fall, time for new iPhones and operating systems
/You can set your watch to it. Every September in recent years Apple has introduced new iPhones. Also, they released new operating systems for iPads, iPhones and Macs.
iPhones
The big news this year is that all of the new iPhones introduced this year have no Home button, use FaceID instead of TouchID (fingerprint sensor) and have edge-to-edge screens. This is clearly the new direction of iPhones. They are revolutionary and a step-function better than their predecessors.
Last year Apple began this revolution with the introduction of iPhone X (Roman numeral 10, not “X”). It was the first iPhone with these characteristics. But last year they also introduced a new model with the old architecture (screen with large boarders, Home button, etc.) It was called the iPhone 8. So, this year it is clear where Apple is going with phone design.
This year, the follow on to the X, the iPhone Xs, was introduced. It is the same size and the same price as the X. It is slightly larger than a standard-size iPhone 6, 6s, 7 or 8, but it has a much larger and more beautiful screen.
In addition to the Xs, a larger iPhone with the same design characteristics as the Xs was introduced this fall. It is called the iPhone Xs Max. It is not quite as big as the older “Plus” size phones, but it is a large phone.
Finally, just released this week is the budget-oriented iPhone Xr. It is also a full-screen model with FaceID. It is a large phone as well. It has a standard LED screen and a single camera (the X, Xs and Xs Max have dual cameras, more later on this).
The pricing of these phones is really on a new scale. The Xs starts at $999. The Xs Max is $1099. The “bargain” Xr is $749.
I bought an Xs last month and I am blown away by it. The screen is like nothing I have ever seen - large, bright and sharp. FaceID works way, way better than TouchID ever did. Simply look at your phone and it is unlocked. However, it’s the cameras that are really mind-blowing.
The Xs & Xs Max both have dual cameras - one is the normal iPhone wide-angle camera. The other has a telephoto lens for “zooming” in on your subject. The Xr has a single wide-angle camera. In addition to all of this Apple has introduced a new “Portrait” camera mode (on all 3 new phones) for taking pictures of people (or pets, I suppose). The lighting is amazing and the background is intentionally blurred to make the subject “pop” in the photo. This is exactly what pro photographers do when shooting portraits. Now it’s in your pocket. Not only is the Portrait mode amazing but after the photo is taken you can edit it and actually change the background blur - making it more sharp or even more blurred than when the photo was taken.
In addition to introducing the new iPhones, these are changes to the entire iPhone lineup:
The iPhone 6s and SE are no longer available.
The iPhone 7 is still offered and is really the bargain of the lineup. It’s a great phone starting at $449 for the regular size and $569 for the Plus size.
The iPhone 8, introduced last year, is still offered at $599 and $699 depending on size. The iPhone 8 is a fine phone, but it is not enough better than the 7 to justify its higher price.
In summary, if you are looking for a new phone that is significantly better and more amazing than your current one, go for the iPhone Xs or Xs Max.
If you are looking for the value in the lineup that includes most of the new tech, the iPhone Xr is for you.
If you are budget-minded go for the iPhone 7. Skip the 8.
Operating systems
iOS 12 is now available for your iPad and iPhone. According to statistics most of you have probably upgraded already. iOS 12 is known as a “robustness build” where there were not a lot of new features added. The engineers instead focused on reliability and robustness of the system and allowing faster performance on older devices. Read more about it here: https://www.apple.com/ios/ios-12/ iOS 12 is solid. There is no reason to wait to update to it on your iPad or iPhone. Settings > General > Software Update.
macOS Mojave (10.14) is now available for your Mac. It includes a new Dark Mode for using your Mac in low light conditions. A new Desktop organizing feature helps you keep your Desktop neat and tidy. It works well. There is a new Screenshot app lets you easily take screenshots of your Mac, including videos! Finally some of your favorite iOS apps are brought to your Mac: News, Stocks, Voice Memos and Home.
As always, if you are nervous about installing the latest version of an operating system onto your device, you can certainly wait. The 10.14.1 macOS update should be released before Thanksgiving. The “.1” releases usually clean up any glaring bugs with the original release.
Read more about it here: https://www.apple.com/macos/mojave/