New iPhones/Apple Watch?

[Ready]

I order a new iPhone and Apple watch every year. I use the products every day and I enjoy them so I don't mind splurging.

I have a Series 4 LTE watch on order for pick up next Friday. As for the iPhone, I'm just not that excited this year. First of all, the iPhone X didn't come out last year until November, so I'm only in month ten of the upgrade program. So I need to pay at least two more months before i'd be eligible for the new phones.

But trying to identify any meaningful differences between the X and the XS is like looking for a needle in a haystack. I just don't think I'd care about any of the changes. The Max model is nice but I don't think I need the bigger screen. I'll take a look at it in the stores when they come out but I'm probably just going to hang on to the X for another year and save a few hundred dollars.

Now if they come out with a new iPad Pro 11 inch model, I'll be placing my order on day one and giving my 10.5 Pro model to DH, who is currently using a 5 year old iPad that has seen its better days.

 

[Katsmeow]

I order a new iPhone and Apple watch every year. I use the products every day and I enjoy them so I don't mind splurging.

DH and I were just talking about this issue today. We both have updated our iPhones each year for the last few (before that it was every 2 or 3). I just ordered my first Apple Watch. We also buy high end computers.

But we use them every day. We each use our computers for several hours a day. We use our iPhones a lot. DH uses the smartphone features a little less than I do so he says he may go back to an every few years upgrade cycle. For me, I end up using the new features.

As for the iPhone, I'm just not that excited this year. First of all, the iPhone X didn't come out last year until November, so I'm only in month ten of the upgrade program. So I need to pay at least two more months before i'd be eligible for the new phones.

Check your upgrade eligibility if you haven't. I got my X last year on release date. DH got his a week or so later. We only had to make one month's payment to upgrade. That said....

But trying to identify any meaningful differences between the X and the XS is like looking for a needle in a haystack. I just don't think I'd care about any of the changes. The Max model is nice but I don't think I need the bigger screen. I'll take a look at it in the stores when they come out but I'm probably just going to hang on to the X for another year and save a few hundred dollars.

If I hadn't wanted the larger screen of the Max I would not have traded my X for an XS. It would have been too incremental an upgrade.

Now if they come out with a new iPad Pro 11 inch model, I'll be placing my order on day one and giving my 10.5 Pro model to DH, who is currently using a 5 year old iPad that has seen its better days.

Deciding to get the XS Max led to 2 other decisions for me. First, I decided to finally get an Apple Watch (despite having had Fitbits for several years) just to get the LTE version of the Watch for when I wanted to go places where I might not want to carry the larger phone (i.e. the gym).

The other decision I made was to trade in my iPad Pro to the Apple store for $250. I had a first generation 12.7" screen iPad Pro. I had used it a lot but had realized fairly early on that a tablet of that size was awkward to use. I ended up mostly using my phone for stuff, only using the tablet where I really needed a split screen or when my phone battery was low.

When the smaller iPad Pros came out I was going to get the smaller iPad Pro. I still planned to eventually do that. But, I realized that with the XS Max (which does have a split view) that it was large enough that I didn't really get enough incremental gain from an iPad to make it economically worthwhile to me.

So, today I went in and traded my iPad Pro for a $250 gift card. It was too late to apply it to my Apple Watch order, so when the Watch gets here I will take it in, "return" it, and then rebuy it applying the gift card....

 

[Ready]

So, today I went in and traded my iPad Pro for a $250 gift card. It was too late to apply it to my Apple Watch order, so when the Watch gets here I will take it in, "return" it, and then rebuy it applying the gift card....

I had the original 12.7" iPad Pro and also thought it was way too big to be useful. So I used it at work but otherwise it sat on my desk. When I switched to the 10.5" iPad Pro it was a completely different experience. It's the perfect size to hold while reading in bed or on a sofa and I love using it so much that I think it's pretty much by my side whenever I'm home. The screen quality, speed and overall premium feel of it is amazing. And with the rumored new model coming out soon going with Face ID, you will get more screen and less bezel, making it even more amazing.

I'm sure the XS Max will have a great screen but I don't think I'd want to read news and browse the web at home on a phone. I still prefer the larger iPad screen when I'm not on the road.

You'll love the watch. I've had every model since the original and wear it every day. I'm more than happy to pay a few hundred dollars each year to sell my current version and upgrade to the new one. The cellular option for me is very nice because I frequently am working out for long periods of time where I leave my phone in my gym bag.

 

[audreyh1]

DH inherited my older iPad mini when I upgraded to the latest thanks to a great Best Buy online deal, but now with his iPhone X, he doesn't feel like he needs the iPad mini anymore for travel. He is just fine reading on his phone.

DH notes that they raised the prices quite a bit on the watch.

 

[Katsmeow]

You'll love the watch. I've had every model since the original and wear it every day. I'm more than happy to pay a few hundred dollars each year to sell my current version and upgrade to the new one. The cellular option for me is very nice because I frequently am working out for long periods of time where I leave my phone in my gym bag.

I am so looking forward to it. I've had Fitbits since March 2013. I have the Fitbit One, Force, Charge, Blaze, Alta HR, and Versa.

There is a lot I like about Fitbits. But, I've wanted an Apple Watch for awhile given that I have the iPhone. I think it was finally gotten a point where the fitness aspect of it will work well and I love the idea of the cellular version.

On the iPad, it is possible that I will get one later although it would definitely be the smaller size. We'll see how much I miss it....

 

[KCGeezer]

I’ll be updating my iPhone 4 to something. Actually debating just going with the new watch and losing the phone altogether. With a year old iPad Pro at home for browsing and reading i only rely on the phone for emergencies.

All the new models will be at the nearby apple store Friday so I’m waiting till then to decide which way to go.

 

[audreyh1]

I’ll be updating my iPhone 4 to something. Actually debating just going with the new watch and losing the phone altogether. With a year old iPad Pro at home for browsing and reading i only rely on the phone for emergencies.

All the new models will be at the nearby apple store Friday so I’m waiting till then to decide which way to go.

I'm not sure you can use an Apple Watch complete independently without an iPhone. It's pretty tightly integrated with the iPhone.

 

[braumeister]

I'm not sure you can use an Apple Watch complete independently without an iPhone. It's pretty tightly integrated with the iPhone.

Yes, if nothing else you need the Watch app on the phone to make some adjustments on the watch display, set up which apps are on the watch, update the software, etc.

 

[KCGeezer]

Hmmm, I wondered about that. Guess I’ll find out.

 

[TrvlBug]

I'm not sure you can use an Apple Watch complete independently without an iPhone. It's pretty tightly integrated with the iPhone.

You can't. Your iphone has to be ON in order to receive/make calls on the watch. Ask me how I know .

 

[Katsmeow]

You can't. Your iphone has to be ON in order to receive/make calls on the watch. Ask me how I know .

So if even if you have cellular service on the watch if you go somewhere and your phone runs out of battery then you can't receive a call. Probably not an issue for me as I usually keep my battery up, but still...

 

[audreyh1]

So if even if you have cellular service on the watch if you go somewhere and your phone runs out of battery then you can't receive a call. Probably not an issue for me as I usually keep my battery up, but still...

I'm not sure this is true if you have the LTE version with service enabled. If your phone is off, or out of range, what is the difference?

 

[Katsmeow]

I'm not sure this is true if you have the LTE version with service enabled. If your phone is off, or out of range, what is the difference?

I don't know. I don't have mine yet, just going by the other post by TrvlBug.

 

[audreyh1]

I don't know. I don't have mine yet, just going by the other post by TrvlBug.

I suspect iPhone off and iPhone out of range are handled the same way with the Apple Watch with LTE data plan.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205547

The LTE capability is only Series 3 and later. Lots of folks have older Apple watches or ones without an LTE plan. We have LTE capable watches, but never bought a plan.

 

[TrvlBug]

Appears that the Genius Bar geniuses need more training. When we couldn't get the Series 3 LTE watches (with data plans) to make or receive calls we took it in to the store and were advised that the phone had to be ON to make or receive calls. It obviously does not.

 

[Ready]

The Apple Watch can not function without an iPhone. You use the iPhone to install the software updates to the watch. The iPhone does not need to be on for the watch to receive phone calls. The watch technically has a separate phone number but the carriers sync the watch to the iPhone so that calls going to your iPhone will also ring on your watch if the watch is not connected to the iPhone.

Cellular models are charged an additional $10 per month device charge on top of your monthly cell phone bill. Typically they do not include any additional data, so the fee is simply a device charge to allow you to use a secondary device to access your existing data and calling plan.

 

[bloom2708]

The watch creates a "virtual SIM" with the information from your phone SIM. You do not need a second wireless plan with your apple watch.

You do not need to be within range of your phone. That is the whole point of the LTE version of the watch that costs more.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207578

 

[audreyh1]

The watch creates a "virtual SIM" with the information from your phone SIM. You do not need a second wireless plan with your apple watch.

Well, you need an additional data plan added to your current wireless plan. But no, you don’t need another phone #.

We were hoping the plans would be cheap, but $10 a month was just too much for what to us was pretty limited additional functionality. We were hoping they would drop too, but they haven’t.

 

[TrvlBug]

Well, you need an additional data plan added to your current wireless plan. But no, you don’t need another phone #.

We were hoping the plans would be cheap, but $10 a month was just too much for what to us was pretty limited additional functionality. We were hoping they would drop too, but they haven’t.

The $10/mo. does not include junk fees and taxes. We pay $18/mo. for the watch.

 

[audreyh1]

The $10/mo. does not include junk fees and taxes. We pay $18/mo. for the watch.

Yuck! When T-mobile offered no added taxes/fees I jumped on it! Even when we have international call charges we don't get charged extra fees. Those niggly little taxes/fees can add up as they did on our last plan.

Another reason we hesitate for any add on to our current plan.

 

[explanade]

When the smaller iPad Pros came out I was going to get the smaller iPad Pro. I still planned to eventually do that. But, I realized that with the XS Max (which does have a split view) that it was large enough that I didn't really get enough incremental gain from an iPad to make it economically worthwhile to me.

I've had the Plus phones for the last 4 years or so but I always take iPads when I anticipate needing to do a lot of browsing/reading of web sites, including ER.

On landscape mode, Safari on the Plus phones kind of approximates what you get with iPads, with the horizontal tabs.

You also get two column view in the Mail app. as well.

However, it's still not the same as iPads. I used to have the iPad mini 2 and even that will show you more of a web page than the Plus iPhones.

I would assume it's similar with the XS Max. More real estate but not as much screen real estate as the iPads.

For one thing, the X phones have a wider aspect ratio so while the Max may be 6.5 inch diagonally, it's not that much wider if at all than my 8 Plus, which has 5.5 inch diagonal screen.

If the XS Max was 6.5 inch diagonal with the same 4:3 aspect ratio as the old 7.9-inch iPad mini,, I could probably make it a good go, to try to use the phone for everything.

I'll check it out in the stores and see if it offers more than my 8 Plus in the landscape UI but I'm guessing they want to give people reasons to keep buying iPads.

 

[explanade]

I still put a Fitbit One in my pocket every day.

I don't always put on my Apple Watch though. And I have apps. for logging hikes and I often forget to turn them on.

Battery on Fitbit isn't what it used to be but will last several days.

I do like the Watch but feel no urge to upgrade.

 

[Katsmeow]

Well, you need an additional data plan added to your current wireless plan. But no, you don’t need another phone #.

Why would I need an additional data plan added to my current wireless plan. I have shared unlimited data (Verizon) for everything on my account. Why wouldn't that also apply to the Watch? If I have to buy a separate data plan for it that would be a huge negative!

I would assume it's similar with the XS Max. More real estate but not as much screen real estate as the iPads.

For one thing, the X phones have a wider aspect ratio so while the Max may be 6.5 inch diagonally, it's not that much wider if at all than my 8 Plus, which has 5.5 inch diagonal screen.

If the XS Max was 6.5 inch diagonal with the same 4:3 aspect ratio as the old 7.9-inch iPad mini,, I could probably make it a good go, to try to use the phone for everything.

The XS Max is both longer and wider than my X.

I just got my XS max new case in the mail today. Here is how it compares in size to my existing X case.

 

[explanade]

Right but iPads still have more screen real estate, especially in landscape.

Try opening the ER forums on even the XS Max vs. an iPad. Even an iPad mini, which hasn't been updated in 4 years.

You will see a lot more per screen, not have to scroll as often to see the whole page.

 

[Katsmeow]

Right but iPads still have more screen real estate, especially in landscape.

Try opening the ER forums on even the XS Max vs. an iPad. Even an iPad mini, which hasn't been updated in 4 years.

You will see a lot more per screen, not have to scroll as often to see the whole page.

Oh, for sure you get more real estate on an iPad than a phone. But, mostly for that kind of thing, I have been using my desktop with dual monitors. The times that I used my iPad for when I needed a lot of screen real estate were mostly times when I would just go use my desktop.

I would mostly use the iPad when I am in the bedroom -- but that is usually casual web surfing or reading a Kindle book and my phone is OK for that. Or, if I travel. I don't travel as much now as I used to. I did recently go out of town and took the iPad since I don't have a notebook computer any more. I found the iPad too limited as compared to a notebook.

So current plan is to have the XS Max, Apple Watch 4 and probably buy an inexpensive notebook (since I don't need to use the notebook all that often) instead of an iPad. That said -- if I end up missing the iPad will get a regular sized iPad Pro later on.