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Some Smartphone Salesmen Aren't Sold on the iPhone X (cnet.com)

A CNET reporter visited four carrier stores to ask their salesmen if they'd recommend an iPhone X. But after visiting stores for Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon, "I couldn't even find a salesperson to tell me it was the best iPhone I could buy." So he finally tried asking three salesmen at Apple Stores -- and still got equivocal answers. An anonymous reader quotes CNET's report: "Well, it depends on what you like," the salesman said, somewhat coyly. "The biggest problem I have with it is using Face ID for Apple Pay. You really have to put the phone at a certain angle or it doesn't work." He started with a problem. I was already suspicious. I was in something of a hurry, but I asked him: "So are you selling a lot more of these than other phones?"

He turned into a high-ranking member of a political party. "All our phones sell well," he said. Which sounded not entirely reassuring. Indeed, it sounded like a "no."

Chatting next with an Apple store "Genius" (who was testing his iPhone 6), CNET's reporter was told that "The X and the 8 are the same phone... Inside, I mean. With the X, you're just paying the extra money for the design." Unfortunately, that salesman's $999 iPhone X was wrapped in an ugly pink case, because after four weeks he'd already cracked it. And a third Apple salesman -- who touted the glories of an OLED screen -- also kept his iPhone X in a case at all times "It's glass," he explained. "You'll definitely need a case."

"But what about not being able to see the lovely phone?"

"Get a see-through case," he replied with a smile.

230 comments

  1. iPhone X is a CF by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The lack of Bezel and presence of Face ID make it a non starter for many and the price hurts it too. I can scan my fingerprint very easily.

    1. Re:iPhone X is a CF by Tough+Love · · Score: 2, Informative

      The lack of Bezel and presence of Face ID make it a non starter for many and the price hurts it too. I can scan my fingerprint very easily.

      The stereo minijack is missing.

      --
      When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
    2. Re:iPhone X is a CF by jandrese · · Score: 4, Funny

      I'm trying to imagine the person who goes "This screen doesn't have a bezel? But that's the best part of the phone! No sale!!"

      --

      I read the internet for the articles.
    3. Re:iPhone X is a CF by Dayze!Confused · · Score: 1

      I actually love my bezel and think it's a highly attractive feature. I want to be able to easily place the phone face done and have no light leak, or to hold it firmly without accidentally pressing anything. I like that I can place a stand that grips it for a tripod, and that if it somehow slips from my hand it has less of a chance to smash directly on the face.

      Most people I know with their bezelless Samsungs have put cases that, guess what, makes a bezel. Yet another reason to stick with my 6s.

      --
      "All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent." [Thomas Jefferson]
    4. Re:iPhone X is a CF by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Jack is missing along with a iPhone 4 design. This newer hybrid is nowhere close to sturdiness of iPhone 4, with both being glass.

      iPhone 4 design is just very ergonomic. iPhone X on the other hand is very slippery, I tried it in store and it's a miracle it sits in my hand at all.

      Fire Tim Cock, and fire Jony Ive, both are incompetent clueless bastards.

    5. Re: iPhone X is a CF by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No bezel and I wonâ(TM)t buy it either. Fingers naturally curve over the edge of the screen. Without a bezel, unwanted movement due to inadvertent screen touches occur.

    6. Re:iPhone X is a CF by TheCastro1689 · · Score: 1

      I'd rather have a decent bezel then need a case.

    7. Re: iPhone X is a CF by dbialac · · Score: 1

      Jony Ive oversaw Apple's last decline. Is there any reason for surprise?

    8. Re:iPhone X is a CF by pastafazou · · Score: 1

      I'd rather need a case and then have a decent bezel

  2. What's an iphone? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Didn't know they still bothered making those!

  3. Salesman by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    Lmao. How old are you? 80? It's sales associate or at least salesperson.

    1. Re:Salesman by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No wait, girls still like iphones doncha know? At least, your mom does.

    2. Re:Salesman by ayesnymous · · Score: 1

      Don't you mean salesperchild?

    3. Re:Salesman by ChunderDownunder · · Score: 1

      salesperchild

      1, maximum.

      If I had a kid and she broke her expensive toy, I sure as hell wouldn't be buying her a second one.

    4. Re:Salesman by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's salesxir you gross neanderthal! It's 2018!

    5. Re:Salesman by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What if your kid turned out to be a boy?

  4. Re: Shanghai Bill loves his job as shilling bitchm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    STFU APK

    And yes, only APK would stoop to this level of spamming.

  5. Obligatory Dilbert by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 5, Funny

    And a third Apple salesman -- who touted the glories of an OLED screen -- also kept his iPhone X in a case at all times "It's glass," he explained. "You'll definitely need a case."

    "But what about not being able to see the lovely phone?"

    "Get a see-through case," he replied with a smile.

    http://dilbert.com/strip/2017-...

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
    1. Re:Obligatory Dilbert by MrL0G1C · · Score: 1

      +1, siaxuaaion ovwe

      Lemme try that again

      +1 discussion over

      --
      Waterfox - a Firefox fork with legacy extension support, security updates and better privacy by default.
    2. Re: Obligatory Dilbert by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You are a faggot, just like APK.

      The jabronies we deserve.

    3. Re:Obligatory Dilbert by stooo · · Score: 1
      --
      aaaaaaa
    4. Re: Obligatory Dilbert by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Awww, someone is in love.

    5. Re:Obligatory Dilbert by sad_ · · Score: 4, Insightful

      this is so true.
      have you ever seen anybody use an iphone without a protective case? never ever seen it.
      but, ooooh, the design is so pretty and it is so thin.

      yes, but you can't see any of that with your ridiculous, ugly, fat case (which you bought on the cheap?) around it

      --
      On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.
    6. Re:Obligatory Dilbert by OpenSourced · · Score: 1

      There is the option of using a sheath. A nice leather sheath will protect your phone and will let it be seen when used.

      --
      Rome taught me patience and assiduous application to detail. Virtues which temper the boldness of great, general views.
    7. Re:Obligatory Dilbert by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I do and always have since the first iphone. Never roken one either. But you arelikeall the other idiots i see. You cant have noce things. So get the case. For me no problems. Carry in mront left jeans pocket..no case. Even riding the motorcycles. So obviously you like so many others need some sort of potection and will probably still break your phone. You are probably as careless with the rest of your life. Funny thing is my devices tend to last working beyond their useful lives. I have very good luck with electronics. But then again im not a clumbsy animal such as yourself and the rest of the idiots with phones. You people.....are ridiculous.

    8. Re:Obligatory Dilbert by XxtraLarGe · · Score: 1

      "Get a see-through case," he replied with a smile.

      That's exactly what I did for my iPhone 7 Plus. It works perfect, best case I've ever owned: SUPCASE Ares Bumper Case with Built-in Screen Protector

      --
      Taking guns away from the 99% gives the 1% 100% of the power.
    9. Re:Obligatory Dilbert by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      this is so true. have you ever seen anybody use an iphone without a protective case? never ever seen it.

      So you are seriously claiming that you can recognize an iPhone only when it is in a cover, but not when it's not.

    10. Re:Obligatory Dilbert by JeffOwl · · Score: 1

      Yes, of course I have. I've also seen them dropped and broken. I've seen other brands dropped and broken too. My Motorola has been dropped a number of times, no case, and the screen is still in tact after 2.5 years. The corners are dinged up a bit though. Guess I'm lucky.

    11. Re:Obligatory Dilbert by The+Grim+Reefer · · Score: 1

      I do and always have since the first iphone. Never roken one either. But you arelikeall the other idiots i see. You cant have noce things. So get the case. For me no problems. Carry in mront left jeans pocket..no case. Even riding the motorcycles. So obviously you like so many others need some sort of potection and will probably still break your phone. You are probably as careless with the rest of your life. Funny thing is my devices tend to last working beyond their useful lives. I have very good luck with electronics. But then again im not a clumbsy animal such as yourself and the rest of the idiots with phones. You people.....are ridiculous.

      I can't tell if you are trying to be funny or not. Either way, your post gave me a good laugh.

    12. Re:Obligatory Dilbert by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I use my iPhone SE without a case. It's not broken because I don't drop it. If you think it's necessary to drop your phone then please don't ever have babies.

    13. Re:Obligatory Dilbert by kisrael · · Score: 1

      I think the phones have gotten slim enough that you can kind of think of the case as an optional part OF the phone.

      (Going without a case is kind of like how the Rebels always take off the back panels of their Y-Wing Fighters)

      And relative to other parts of the phone, pretty damn customizable! So it seems like a win.

      --
      SO YOU'RE GOING TO DIE: The Comic for Dealing with Death
  6. Schwing! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    Apple bashing gives me such a raging boner! Join me in this circle jerk my fellow slashdotters!

    1. Re: Schwing! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      LOL my Pixel beats an IPhone any day.

    2. Re: Schwing! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      LOL my Pixel beats an IPhone any day.

      Well, the battery replacement costs more. As does the headphone jack dongle. So yeah, it certainly beats the iPhone there.

  7. Re: Shanghai Bill loves his job as shilling bitchm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Go away, faggot.

  8. Re: Shanghai Bill loves his job as shilling bitchm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Get lost, asshole.

  9. Re:MODERATION IS CENSORSHIP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Because you and me are the same...we are fucking trolls...everytime you comment more bro...the more I masturbate about you!

  10. Re: MODERATION IS CENSORSHIP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    APK is a raging faggot

  11. Re: MODERATION IS CENSORSHIP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You must be APK. Everyone knows that APK is a faggot.

  12. iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... then... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    You can't really argue much that Apple pushed at the right time with the right product with the right app infrastructure, support etc. iPhones were king mainly because of the app store and how easy it was to use. Noone could even compare (no they couldn't) and Droids, or whatever they were called were lackluster in support, the apps were trash and the app stores were trash. Hell they couldn't even agree on the same os to support things. Apple succeeded because it had all that.

    Fast forward to today. Apple has lost that edge. They've also lost the vision people have when using their smartphones. They are moving back to their roots where "Apple knows best" except now... there are much better offerings. I'll be honest, I've been an Apple phone guy since iPhone 4 and bought a 5, 6 and 7. It ended with 8 and their "we know best" removal of ports, constant fighting with app developers and trying to control the playing field when it's not their field anymore.

    The X was the real shining moment that Apple was completely out of touch with what the majority of people want. Followed up by the bonehead move involving the batteries. Apple is struggling as people aren't playing ball with them anymore and instead of accepting what they are giving... now demand something better.

    I honestly have no idea what my next phone will be but I know for sure it won't be an iPhone. They aren't even close to the best phone anymore.

  13. I won't pay that sort of money for any phone by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'd like to think I'm past the "ooh, I want the new shiny" thing - more or less. Going forward, my "new phone" budget is going to be roughly $500, and it's going to be spent every 3-4 years.

    But, in any case, this reads like a hit piece. "Tech writer goes into a story with an agenda, manages to confirm it."

    --
    #DeleteChrome
    1. Re:I won't pay that sort of money for any phone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      pay $1000 for a phone, only for it to become obsolete in two years, and then intentionally slowed-down by apple to gently "encourage" you to spend another $1000 on the next new shiny. no thanks. $40 flip phones, ftfw (for the fucking win).

    2. Re:I won't pay that sort of money for any phone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I'm not even sure what his agenda was.

      That was a totally bizarre article - particularly the questions about whether they were selling more of it than other phones. Why would you expect a halo product to sell in higher volume?
      The bit about cases was equally odd. The iPhone X isn't the first phone with a glass screen. In fact, the iPhone with a shattered screen is just about a fashion accessory in itself.

    3. Re:I won't pay that sort of money for any phone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I got a $20 AT&T Prepaid smartphone during Black Friday. It's a nice thing for the money. It's even better that Prepaid phones will work on AT&T MVNOs and save even more money.

      I wish some $30 Android One phones would come out in the US. It would be nice to have something cheap and that receives updates. The specs shouldn't matter much: 480p is good enough for making calls/checking messages/internet video, storage isn't a problem with SD cards, and a 3.5 mm audio jack.

    4. Re:I won't pay that sort of money for any phone by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 1

      I would pay that sort of money... if the phone is really worth it. The X is not.

      --
      Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
    5. Re:I won't pay that sort of money for any phone by Stormwatch · · Score: 1

      There are tons of very good phones in the $200-300 range, mind you.

    6. Re:I won't pay that sort of money for any phone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So you're saying your monthly budget is only $500 / (36 .. 48) = $10.40 to $13.90 per month, and you're willing to use a phone for two years after it stopped receiving security updates?

      IMO you'd be MUCH better off spending 24 * ($10.40 .. $13.90) = $250 to $333 every 2 years. That's the exact same budget, but you'll still receive security updates until it's time to buy a new phone. (And yes, there are plenty of really good phones in that price range.)

    7. Re:I won't pay that sort of money for any phone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Two years? My 6s isn't even 2 years old, and it is 3 generations behind their "latest and greatest".

      Never again will I buy an Apple product.

    8. Re:I won't pay that sort of money for any phone by SecState · · Score: 1

      My iPhone 7 matches my three-year-old laptop's Geekbench score. I fully expect another 2-3 years from my laptop -- most of my friends and relatives seem to be keeping theirs for 5-7 years. So, it hardly seems unreasonable to expect a top-end phone to last 4-5 years.

    9. Re:I won't pay that sort of money for any phone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      2 generations behind. The 8 and X are both the same generation. The 7 is one generation behind, the 6s is 2.

      What exactly is your problem with that? I'm guessing it was their latest and greatest when you bought it, but technology moves on. Do you expect them not to release new models?

    10. Re:I won't pay that sort of money for any phone by samwichse · · Score: 1

      Honestly, after Google jumped from the Nexus line (bargain) to the Pixel line (flagship pricing), I bought my first "cheap brand" phone.

      A ZTE Axon 7 for $350.

      It is by far the most trouble free phone I've ever owned. I've got a super-minimal polycarbonate case on it and I've dropped it umpteen times, no cracks. It just works and has amazing battery life. And works. And works.

      You can get a lot in the midrange phone market ($200-500) now.

      The only thing it doesn't have that I wish it did is a removable battery.

    11. Re:I won't pay that sort of money for any phone by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      If you're not in the intended market, don't come around and whine about people who are. iPhones have advantages over $40 flip phones, and, for many people, they're worth it.

      However, if it gives you a baseless feeling of superiority and smugness, I suppose you'll keep at it.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    12. Re:I won't pay that sort of money for any phone by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      I'm still using my iPhone 5S, and it's pushing four and a half years old. I think it needs a new battery, but $80 spent on Apple replacement (yeah, I can do it a lot cheaper, but I'd rather they did it) is cheaper than a new phone.

      So, yes, after over four years I still have a very usable phone that does most of what I want a phone to do.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    13. Re:I won't pay that sort of money for any phone by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      Neither of your alternatives describes the iPhone, which gets security updates for a long time after it comes out. From what I've heard, Android phones are very spotty on security updates, and counting on an Android in general to get updates for two years is not all that bright.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    14. Re:I won't pay that sort of money for any phone by antdude · · Score: 1

      Yep, I stopped caring for the newest stuff. They're costly, buggy, etc. I use old stuff like iPhone 4S, VGA, DVI, PS/2, etc. Frak the newer stuff. I do upgrade to the newer stuff when the old ones die and useless.

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
  14. Solution is to hire more LGBT sales staff by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Because they can persuade anyone to do anything at anytime.

    1. Re:Solution is to hire more LGBT sales staff by greenwow · · Score: 0

      And driver customers off? I work for a chain of restaurants mainly in the Seattle area, and our LGBTQP hires drove customers off. They didn't want, for example, pedophiles, to server them even if we elected one as mayor.

    2. Re:Solution is to hire more LGBT sales staff by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      handchop
            head

          swoosh

  15. There can only be one by PopeRatzo · · Score: 5, Funny

    Chatting next with an Apple store "Genius"...

    As of this weekend, that word no longer means what you think it does.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
    1. Re:There can only be one by msauve · · Score: 0

      "As of this weekend, that word no longer means what you think it does."

      You joke. He's obviously smarter, because he knows what "covfefe" means, and you don't.

      --
      "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
    2. Re:There can only be one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      stable: "a building in which domestic animals are sheltered and fed"
      genius: " a peculiar, distinctive, or identifying character or spirit"

      Clearly, he was calling himself horse shit

    3. Re:There can only be one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      You joke. He's obviously smarter, because he knows what "covfefe" means, and you don't.

      You joke, but I for one am glad that the Pentagon gave him a very big nuclear button, to make sure he couldn't push it with his tiny hands.

    4. Re:There can only be one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh? He did trick the media to put the word 'genius' along side his name in headlines.

      Psy-op successful.

    5. Re:There can only be one by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      As of this weekend

      That phrase no longer means what you think it does.

  16. Upcoming earnings call by Camembert · · Score: 4, Insightful

    End of this month is Apple’s quarterly earnings call, which will include the commercial effect of iphone X. Then we will know whether they were succesful or not. I still see people queuing to pick up their X at the local Applestore, hence my bet is on it being a commercial success, despite cherry-picked negative articles on slashdot.

    1. Re: Upcoming earnings call by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I see nobody lining up here at any of the stores... They even had the stanchions out pointlessly for one

    2. Re: Upcoming earnings call by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You see nobody lining up because the launch was over two months ago.

      Anyway this is a CNET article, which is automatic garbage. The writer samples a few people, rejects any response that doesn't fit the agenda.

      I mean they could actually wait for financial figures instead of anecdotal sales rep opinions, but it's more fun to write a scandal sheet than something based on actual sales figures right?

    3. Re:Upcoming earnings call by Tough+Love · · Score: 3, Informative

      End of this month is Apple’s quarterly earnings call, which will include the commercial effect of iphone X. Then we will know whether they were succesful or not.

      Next quarter is the one. The smart money already called it: X sales 25% below expectation, relying on leading indicators such as Foxcon and supply chain already cut back.

      --
      When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
    4. Re:Upcoming earnings call by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      End of this month is Apple’s quarterly earnings call, which will include the commercial effect of iphone X. Then we will know whether they were succesful or not.

      Next quarter is the one. The smart money already called it: X sales 25% below expectation, relying on leading indicators such as Foxcon and supply chain already cut back.

      Hell, I've already seen articles about the demand being so low that they had way more inventory than planned.

      I still think the Apple has been going downhill steadily since Jobs died. Yes, he was a complete asshole, but he at least knew what the hell he was talking about.

      These things take time, but the market (and consumers) will eventually catch on to the fact that Apple's best days are all behind them.

    5. Re:Upcoming earnings call by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This article is not negative, it's Apple fans outraged at the heresy of people not buying into the iMyth. If anything, it's as pro-Apple as those pathetic unboxing videos.

    6. Re: Upcoming earnings call by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      You see nobody lining up because the launch was over two months ago.

      Nobody was lining up for them at launch, either. I remember going to a mall on what turned out to be the iPhone X launch day and seeing the Apple Store with a carefully blocked out line area that was completely empty, watched over by a really bored salesman from the Apple Store with an iPad, waiting for the crowds that never showed up. It was hilarious: they obviously expected a massive rush, and there was just no one there.

      Turns out no one wants a $1000 phone that does nothing a $300 phone can't do.

    7. Re:Upcoming earnings call by Bing+Tsher+E · · Score: 1

      The best unboxing video of all is the My Little Pony Happy Meal Unboxing Video.\

      It simply rocks. Nothing else comes close.

    8. Re:Upcoming earnings call by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Are you saying this will be a bad quarter? Should I sell my stock before the earnings announcement? Serious question.

    9. Re: Upcoming earnings call by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't know, once it's mentioned, I've never actually seen one in the wild. The only place I've seen them so far is in commercials.

    10. Re: Upcoming earnings call by mlw4428 · · Score: 1

      Generally I assume it's because most people bought online. And online they sold out within 30 seconds and this included ship times of 3+ weeks out from the desired "day 1" ship day. Personally I like my iPhone and so far, unlike my Samsung 7 Edge, it hasn't gotten slower and slower with each update. And each update isn't making weird shit bug out. Maybe it's not a performance powerhouse - I don't know, I don't play video games on a tiny phone. That's what god gave us computers and consoles for.

    11. Re:Upcoming earnings call by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Obviously my anecdotal observation is not representative, but it did strike me that I noticed so many iPhone Xs (I have an 8) being used on my commuter train in Chicago beginning in early December.

    12. Re: Upcoming earnings call by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Personally I like my iPhone and so far, unlike my Samsung 7 Edge, it hasn't gotten slower and slower with each update.

      L O Fing L.

      Apple JUST GOT caught intentionally slowing down iPhones with each update. Apple hasn't promised to stop doing it, instead hoping that selling batteries for 5 times what they're worth instead of 10 times what they're worth will trick customers into ignoring the fact that APPLE INTENTIONALLY SLOWS DOWN OLDER PHONES WITH UPDATES.

    13. Re:Upcoming earnings call by stephanruby · · Score: 1

      Are you sure that queue was for people buying an iPhone X, and not people who got too shitfaced during New Years and who broke their iPhone?

      PS: This is not a dig at Apple specifically. Samsung has the same problem. The Samsung S8 is also made of glass and will break the first time you drop it (for people who were too stubborn not to get a case for it right away). This is not to say that having highly breakable phones is not a commercial success. It is to some degree. But it does hurt those brands in the long run. After all, it's not like Apple and Samsung are the only two smartphone makers to choose from.

    14. Re: Upcoming earnings call by nicholasjay · · Score: 1

      Personally I like my iPhone and so far, unlike my Samsung 7 Edge, it hasn't gotten slower and slower with each update.

      L O Fing L.

      Apple JUST GOT caught intentionally slowing down iPhones with each update. Apple hasn't promised to stop doing it, instead hoping that selling batteries for 5 times what they're worth instead of 10 times what they're worth will trick customers into ignoring the fact that APPLE INTENTIONALLY SLOWS DOWN OLDER PHONES WITH UPDATES.

      How do 'other phones' deal with the reality that battery output drops after a few years? Their solution is to simply stop providing updates after a year and a half after the phones first went on sale. After the 'other phone' starts misbehaving too much, the owners junk them and get a new phone.

      That's a much worse solution than giving degraded performance during intensive tasks to ensure the phone doesn't randomly shut off.

    15. Re: Upcoming earnings call by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How do 'other phones' deal with the reality that battery output drops after a few years?

      They sell phones with batteries that are specced to match the processor, so that they won't need to play games later.

      There is no technical reason that Apple should need to slow the processor. There are two reasons they're doing it: trick people into upgrading, and to mask the fact that the batteries they use are defective.

  17. Well duh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No one pays spiffs on iphones, so why would salespeople push them? I'm sure they recommended the LG chocolate or whatever voyeur garbage they make.

    Tell me more about about how the fire stick is better. How is this news?

  18. Re:iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... then by msauve · · Score: 1

    "Droids, or whatever they were called were lackluster in support, the apps were trash and the app stores were trash."

    The IOS "pull my finger" app is _so_ much better than the Droid one that it's not even fair to compare them.

    --
    "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
  19. Without understanding their comp plans... by Tangential · · Score: 1

    If you donâ(TM)t understand how they are compâ(TM)d and which product sales make them the most money then their advice is at Best suspect and probably worthless. That being said I would guess a lot of people are going to wait out the X and see how it shakes out. New interface, new security, new case. Thereâ(TM)s a lot of Delta in the product to deal with.

    --
    Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of congress. But then I repeat myself. -- Mark Twain
    1. Re:Without understanding their comp plans... by Tough+Love · · Score: 1

      Please turn off your dumbquotes.

      --
      When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
    2. Re:Without understanding their comp plans... by Frosty+Piss · · Score: 0

      Please turn off your dumbquotes.

      Or maybe Slashdot can enter the 20th century and handle UTF-8 correctly?

      --
      If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
    3. Re:Without understanding their comp plans... by jonnythan · · Score: 1

      Says the six-digit.

      Wait, what?

    4. Re:Without understanding their comp plans... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How the hell does this even happen? Do people compose their Slashdot comments in Microsoft Word, then copy and paste?

    5. Re:Without understanding their comp plans... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, its people posting from iPhones. Apple refuses to send the normal quote that has worked for 30 years.

      I actually prefer it. It makes it easier to call the fanbois out when they come in to defend apple

  20. Salespeople are honest? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I guess hell has frozen over!

    Or at least the eastern USA has...

  21. Re:iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... then by Dracos · · Score: 3, Informative

    Apple has lost its edge mainly by succumbing to its own "function follows form" dogma. The main features of any iPhone are sleekness and thinness, which both compromise functionality.

    Cases are a necessity because these devices are designed to be fragile, gouging the customer again for the case itself and/or the inevitable repair/replacement of the device.

    It's a vicious scam, and unfortunately every handset OEM is convinced they must follow Apple's lead.

  22. With bad design comes great misinformation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Durability, longevity and quality are not terms one can use with any smartphone vendor. I thought we were past the back glass design with the iPhone 4(?) and all it's flack, but no iPhone X brings it back and making it twice as fragile as previous lineup. I'm glad FaceID is only on the iPhone X as Apple still has somethings to work out. Of course there's been kids using their dad's fingers to unlock the phone while he was sleeping and now twins and siblings can unlock other's phones.

    The worst part for Apple has to be that the iOS is far more useful than MacOS for those who don't develop and that's got to be a driving factor to rush out half-backed features to keep customers buying their products.

    I still don't know anyone with an Apple Watch or a smart watch really.

    1. Re:With bad design comes great misinformation by Tough+Love · · Score: 1

      Durability, longevity and quality are not terms one can use with any smartphone vendor.

      Speak for Apple. There are plenty of solid Android products that come to mine, Moto is a shining example, solid as a rock. My LG/Nexus 4, with glass both sides, survived an arc through the air onto solid concrete with nothing more than a chipped corner, now 5 years old and still in service.

      --
      When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
    2. Re:With bad design comes great misinformation by tsa · · Score: 1

      I stick with Apple for the time being. Too many security and other problems with Android.

      --

      -- Cheers!

  23. Ah yes the 18yo who Is compâ(TM)d by hsmith · · Score: 2

    On moving some garbage LG phones is really going to push iPhones that he makes $0 on. More at 11.

  24. Hard to believe for me... by aaarrrgggh · · Score: 5, Interesting

    While I do have two issues with FaceID, and a couple others regarding the missing home button... it is impossible for me to believe this story. The screen is a huge selling point, and you get the same real-estate as a plus but in the smaller form factor. FaceID is great for trivial security and for securing the phone.

    So, my complaints: I am not comfortable with FaceID for securing banking passwords... but it is too secure for storing my /. password; I can't use FaceID while laying on my side in bed. For the home button, the inconsistencies between devices now is a pain.

    But hell.... it is the best phone I have owned.

    1. Re:Hard to believe for me... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You say it's the best phone you have owned after admitting you are experiencing some very serious limitations and inconvenience in how you need to use your device (isn't being convenient the point?). This only tells me that you have historically made many abyssal choices for phones.

    2. Re:Hard to believe for me... by aaarrrgggh · · Score: 2

      Heh.

      No, my complaints are specific to FaceID and some corner cases on UI. The phone as a whole is great-- awesome cameras, great speaker, good feel, great screen, solid battery, etc.

      Not everything is black and white you know....

    3. Re:Hard to believe for me... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I guess I place a different value on not having a phone that will constantly annoy me. Living with those flaws sounds horrid to me. It's not worth marginally better capability. Sure not everything is black and white but that's a pretty big trade off.

    4. Re:Hard to believe for me... by windwalkr · · Score: 2

      But hell.... it is the best phone I have owned.

      I have to second this. It's not perfect. No phone is perfect. But it's very good.

      Whether ANY phone is worth that kind of money is a personal decision. But the X is undeniably an improvement over the previous iPhones in many ways, and realistically doesn't step backwards anywhere except for price. Maybe a step sideways in some areas (trading off one weakness for a new, different, weakness) but not backwards.

    5. Re:Hard to believe for me... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I guess I place a different value on not having a phone that will constantly annoy me. Living with those flaws sounds horrid to me. It's not worth marginally better capability.

      It will be interesting to see what you end up with for a spouse.

    6. Re:Hard to believe for me... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2, Informative

      Face ID and the missing home button are a poor compromise to avoid having to "copy" other phones that put the fingerprint sensor on the back.

      They reduced usability and performance just to avoid the obvious, tried and tested solution.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    7. Re:Hard to believe for me... by aaarrrgggh · · Score: 2

      Honestly, I disagree. I wouldn't want a back fingerprint reader; I would just like security levels for different apps/websites. Just being able to use a PIN for my bank and not bother me on my /. password would be enough.

    8. Re:Hard to believe for me... by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1

      After people pay $1000 for something, they are likely to be happy even if the product isn't very good. Psychology, you know.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    9. Re:Hard to believe for me... by _merlin · · Score: 1

      I went for a wife that may not be as sleek and sexy as some models, but has high functionality, low maintenance, and doesn't annoy me. Haven't had to replace/upgrade yet, so I think I made a good choice..

    10. Re:Hard to believe for me... by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 1

      Face ID kicks ass. It feels as if the phone is not even locked. Sure, it's not as secure as a passcode, but for everyday use it's fantastic. If I ever get in a situation where I'm really concerned about complete security I'll disable it. But the convenience is really nice.

    11. Re:Hard to believe for me... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      Fingerprint sensor on the back is the same. You quickly learn to touch it as you pick up the phone or take it out of your pocket.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    12. Re:Hard to believe for me... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I only paid $500 for mine (employer paid 1/2). It isn't perfect, but it is very good. FaceID is better overall than TouchID as is. The UI was weird at first because it's different, but I'm used to it now. I think its likely apple will tweak it over the next 2 years.

      It's called support. And that, is why I still by apple.

    13. Re:Hard to believe for me... by Arkham · · Score: 1

      Face ID and the missing home button are a poor compromise to avoid having to "copy" other phones that put the fingerprint sensor on the back.

      They reduced usability and performance just to avoid the obvious, tried and tested solution.

      Having come from a TouchID (6 Plus, then 7 Plus) phone to FaceID, I'd never want to go back. FaceID is easier and faster and just works better for me. Wet hands? No problem. Gloves? No problem.

      Honestly, I really like the whole thing. The screen is nice, it's lighter and fits in my pocket better than the Plus while still giving me the two cameras (my main reason for getting the plus). It's not perfect, but neither was any iPhone or Android I've owned. On the whole though, having used it for two months, it's a great phone and I am happy with my purchase.

      --
      - Vincit qui patitur.
    14. Re:Hard to believe for me... by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 1

      Fingerprint sensor on the back is the same

      So then you agree that's it's not a poor compromise?

    15. Re:Hard to believe for me... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you don't want a back fingerprint reader, then don't use it. But why is it a good thing for Apple to omit it? Just give the users a damn choice.

      A well positioned rear fingerprint reader is nice to use.

    16. Re:Hard to believe for me... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      PLEASE don't use FaceID for bank passwords. I've had 100% success in opening people's iPhone X with a picture of them contorted slightly. It is a gaping security hole that is being exploited in droves right now. One of my best friends got rid of his X because of how insanely easy it is to fool it. Luckily he didn't have anything major attached to it at the time, using it in public wifi only got his apple account compromised, which he could fix relatively easily.

  25. Huh? Why do I care? by mhkohne · · Score: 1

    Explain why I care what a sales-weasel thinks?

    --
    A thousand pounds of wood moving at 300 feet per minute. Don't get in the way.
    1. Re:Huh? Why do I care? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, if you should care is entirely dependent on if you own Apple stock. You may personally not care what they say, but many people do, and if the sales people are pushing other products over iPhones, then that's bad for Apple stocks.

  26. Don't get it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why would everyone consider the iPhone X the best iPhone? Maybe they prefer the smaller iPhones, I would buy the smallest size available if I liked iPhones. Strange article.

  27. I'll bet the 7 and 8 by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    have a better spiff. These are sales people. If the Windows phones had a better spiff they'd be singing their praise.

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
    1. Re:I'll bet the 7 and 8 by Kryptonut · · Score: 1

      Very valid point. A few years back when I was made redundant, I was working as a repair tech in a major retailer....sales people are completely self serving.

      I remember we had some year old stock that had gone end of life, massive markup (and therefore commission) on them....sales people pushed them super hard even if they weren't the right match for what the customer was wanting.

      All about the commission, not the needs of the end user.

  28. Re:iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... then by exomondo · · Score: 1

    iPhones are still really the king of the smartphone world but they are more the Microsoft Windows of the smartphone world. They have a vast array of applications and the user experience is pretty consistent across their devices which makes it easy for users.

    Their flagship, "best we can do" phone is really just a copy of the Essential Phone's design and having a fingerprint reader, even if it was relegated to the back of the phone, would have made sense particularly for things like Apple Pay and for unlocking the phone when you don't want to bring it up in front of your face.

    My next phone will most likely still be an iPhone simply because I see no reason to switch, everything works fine and there's no really compelling alternative - maybe I just have a relatively boring or average set of requirements for a smartphone - but if they are continuing this path it will be the iPhone 9 (or whatever they call the successor to the iPhone 8) rather than whatever the next iPhone X.

  29. Re: iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... the by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The 7 lost the headphone port. That's when they lost me.

  30. Yes, the stupid ones. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I've made thousands of dollars on commissions already. What kind of a fucking dimwitted idiot is unable to sell the best phone ever made?

  31. The only phone I want is... by cheesyweasel · · Score: 2

    A phone that has a shatter proof screen, is waterproof, has user replaceable batteries and is not a portable spying device for every company and its government. What I want is a commercial failure.

  32. X and 8 are not the same phone by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 1

    X and 8 plus actually. Both have two cameras but the 8+ has only one image stabilizer, the X has 2.

    --
    Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
    1. Re:X and 8 are not the same phone by gmb61 · · Score: 1

      The X is also the only phone with portrait mode selfies with the front camera.

  33. Alternate Take by SuperKendall · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I bought the iPhone X and think it's one of the better phone upgrades in some time. Because of FaceID it is the first phone in a while that feels like a real jump from a previous model instead of incremental improvement. For me I prefer generally how FaceID works generally over TouchID, which includes ApplePay... FaceID works without conscious thought, so it feels like you are using a phone with no passcode.

    I will agree that the X is slippery, but I still use it without a case in day to day life. However traveling with it I still plan to use a case.

    There is no way going forward I would buy a phone that did not have FaceID. I was planning to upgrade an iPad but I'm going to wait until that supports FaceID as well... If they do that they will need to support more than one person though.

    I've seen people claiming the sales were lower than expected but I'm pretty sure that will not be the case since the pre-order wait times were really long compared to other phones.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:Alternate Take by Stormwatch · · Score: 1

      Because of FaceID it is the first phone in a while that feels like a real jump from a previous model instead of incremental improvement.

      That "real jump" is just a slightly fancier kind of facial recognition, which has been around for years.

    2. Re:Alternate Take by jittles · · Score: 1

      I bought the iPhone X and think it's one of the better phone upgrades in some time. Because of FaceID it is the first phone in a while that feels like a real jump from a previous model instead of incremental improvement. For me I prefer generally how FaceID works generally over TouchID, which includes ApplePay... FaceID works without conscious thought, so it feels like you are using a phone with no passcode.

      I will agree that the X is slippery, but I still use it without a case in day to day life. However traveling with it I still plan to use a case.

      There is no way going forward I would buy a phone that did not have FaceID. I was planning to upgrade an iPad but I'm going to wait until that supports FaceID as well... If they do that they will need to support more than one person though.

      I've seen people claiming the sales were lower than expected but I'm pretty sure that will not be the case since the pre-order wait times were really long compared to other phones.

      TouchID is great in a lot of scenarios where FaceID is an automatic no-go. I ride motorcycles and sometimes I need to pull over to look at my phone for some reason or another. Taking off a glove to get TouchID going is a lot less work than taking off my helmet to get FaceID working. And typing in the pin code is slower than either one. With TouchID, I put my finger on the reader as I pull the phone out of my pocket and it is already unlocked and ready to go before my face even sees the phone. So I don't see how FaceID is any better than TouchID in any regard.

    3. Re:Alternate Take by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I've seen people claiming the sales were lower than expected but I'm pretty sure that will not be the case since the pre-order wait times were really long compared to other phones.

      That's what happens when you have no supply. If you don't remember, the iPhone X's "Face ID" camera had a ton of production issues so that their first shipment was something like 40,000 units. For all of Europe.

      That's why you had long pre-order wait lines: they couldn't make them. In the end they lowered the requirements on the Face ID camera (so who knows what that did to its ability to recognize faces) in order to produce enough of them. But "enough of them" doesn't mean they're selling well. Every indication is that they're selling horribly. The longer people use the iPhone X, particularly Face ID, the more they hate it. I have to wonder how many were returned as people discovered that Face ID barely works.

    4. Re:Alternate Take by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I bought the iPhone X and think it's one of the better phone upgrades in some time. Because of FaceID it is the first phone in a while that feels like a real jump from a previous model instead of incremental improvement. For me I prefer generally how FaceID works generally over TouchID, which includes ApplePay... FaceID works without conscious thought, so it feels like you are using a phone with no passcode.

      I will agree that the X is slippery, but I still use it without a case in day to day life. However traveling with it I still plan to use a case.

      There is no way going forward I would buy a phone that did not have FaceID. I was planning to upgrade an iPad but I'm going to wait until that supports FaceID as well... If they do that they will need to support more than one person though.

      I've seen people claiming the sales were lower than expected but I'm pretty sure that will not be the case since the pre-order wait times were really long compared to other phones.

      TouchID is great in a lot of scenarios where FaceID is an automatic no-go. I ride motorcycles and sometimes I need to pull over to look at my phone for some reason or another. Taking off a glove to get TouchID going is a lot less work than taking off my helmet to get FaceID working. And typing in the pin code is slower than either one. With TouchID, I put my finger on the reader as I pull the phone out of my pocket and it is already unlocked and ready to go before my face even sees the phone. So I don't see how FaceID is any better than TouchID in any regard.

      FaceID is great in a lot of scenarios where TouchID is an automatic no-go. I bake and cook a lot, and when I got dirty fingers, I can just tap my knuckle on the screen and it'll automatically unlock and show me the rest of the recipe. Washing my hands to get TouchID going is a lot more work than just looking at my phone. So I don't see how TouchID is any better than FaceID in any regard.

    5. Re:Alternate Take by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Every major jump in technology can be boiled down to "just a slightly fancier kind of X". Capacitive touch screens are just a slightly fancier kind of touch screen. But they're fundamental to modern touch computing and allow interactions that were difficult or impossible on resistive screens. Smart phones are just a fancier kind of Palm Pilot, but again, those extra bits enable them to be superior devices. Hell, the computer you're posting to slashdot on is just a slightly fancier Comodore 64.

    6. Re:Alternate Take by Bing+Tsher+E · · Score: 1

      When you are baking and cooking, why the hell does your phone have to be 'locked' in the first place??? Do you bake on a demo stand in a shopping mall or something?

      Just turn off the screen lock and relax in your kitchen, dude. You'll be safe, your housecat won't try to sneak on your phone and give it cooties.

    7. Re:Alternate Take by Stormwatch · · Score: 1

      Smart phones are just a fancier kind of Palm Pilot

      Fun fact: smartphones came first.

      IBM Simon Personal Communicator: 1994
      US Robotics Palm Pilot 1000: 1996

    8. Re:Alternate Take by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In my anecdotal experience, the return rate is 100% :) Even diehard Apple fanbois (the kind who buy two of each phone and keep one in the box for "collecting") returned his. He still kept the boxed one though as a collectible.

  34. Smartphone Salesmen by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Who cares about the opinions of some teenager (or a young adult who might as well be a teenager) working their dead end retail job for a bit of pocket money?

  35. Re:iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... then by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This silly idea of Apple ever having an edge on phones comes from the fact that American carriers had long cockblocked Nokia. The original iPhone was a sleek-looking featurephone that could not hold a candle to the true flagship smartphone of that year, the N95.

  36. Welcome to retail by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Nobody in retail will ever tell you whether one product sells better than another. They might push you towards more expensive items, but they'll never broach the subject of sales figures.

    No sales person will ever suggest that a customer is anything other than a unique snowflake that requires a custom retail experience, because if it were as simple as running up The Latest Hotness on the till, you could replace the sales people with a vending machine.

    Get some first-hand perspective.

  37. That's a big part of what killed the Win Phone by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    Microsoft refused to give out extra spiffs. I don't think it was for the sake of propriety; just arrogance. Still, it meant the only way to get a Win phone was to look in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying 'Beware of the Leopard.”

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
  38. What happened with the OLED screen? by kriston · · Score: 0

    What happened with the OLED screen on the iPhone X, anyway?

    I own two Samsung Galaxy S phones, the S3 and the S5, which both have OLED screens, and neither of them have any burn-in. A recent report noted iPhone X burn-in within 16 hours.

    What the heck is Apple doing wrong, here? My Samsung Galaxy S5 phone with OLED screen has been powered on continuously since the Fall of 2014. My older S3 has been for longer than that.

    --

    Kriston

    1. Re:What happened with the OLED screen? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Cranking the hell out of the brightness, so they can lay claim to the "brightest phone screen evar!!!!"

      Android users and manufactures who have been using OLEDs for half a decade now know how OLEDs can burn in and don't leave their phones cranked up to full brightness.

      Apple doesn't have some special magical pixie dust that keeps their screens from burning in more than any other OLED. It's the nature of the technology using organic compounds that they are going to degrade.

      Apple can claim all they want about their screens, but samsung makes them, do you really think samsung is going to be putting something inferior in their flagship products than what they are selling to their competition? Even if the X's screen is ever so slightly better on release day, you can bet samsung will surpass it in whatever they release this year.

    2. Re:What happened with the OLED screen? by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 2

      I own two Samsung Galaxy S phones, the S3 and the S5, which both have OLED screens, and neither of them have any burn-in. A recent report noted iPhone X burn-in within 16 hours.

      That's contrary to what this report says.

    3. Re:What happened with the OLED screen? by kriston · · Score: 1

      Thanks for that information.

      My comment is from articles like this:
      https://arstechnica.com/gadget...

      --

      Kriston

  39. Re:iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... then by Dayze!Confused · · Score: 1

    At least with Windows I could create a program to run an alarm with a decent snooze function. Apple got this idea that an old style of snooze in mechanical alarm clocks that set 9 minutes for the snooze time was the only thing users ever needed and would never want to snooze for 5 minutes or 15 minutes. You could install another alarm, but with their lock hold on background apps it has to be literally the last program you use before going to sleep, and to hell with you if you happen to check email or Facebook just before turning off the light and forget to bring the alarm app back up.

    I'm thinking my next phone will probably be a Samsung, or some other Android and not an Apple.

    --
    "All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent." [Thomas Jefferson]
  40. There is some available data by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    https://mixpanel.com/trends/#report/iphone_8_X Looks like X has outsold Plus which outsold plain 8

  41. Re: iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... th by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They lost me when they introduced NFC and Apple Pay. No one has been asking for these

  42. Re:iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... then by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So true I think the reason only some phones appear and are promoted in the USAIAN market is because only some phones know how to play the right game and are willing to give the bribes to the retailers to get their products in the store. You will be hard pressed to find a BLU or an ASUS phone in the store. It is not that the products are defective, it is their business managers are not giving places like Best Buy enough free hookers to get their products distributed. Nokia made the stupid decision to focus on phones as opposed to smoozing the powers that be with drugs, money, and bitches.

    So the moral of the story is that want to succeed in life and business, you need to have a steady supply of hookers. Fuck all that bullshit about building a better product. Pussy rules the world. If you have a supply of puusy, you can make the world buy your crappy phones.

  43. Maybe the high price is to blame? by MtViewGuy · · Score: 1

    I think THE issue with the iPhone comes down to the silly high price for the phone. US$1,149 for the 256 GB version makes even the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 look like a bargain in comparison.

    1. Re:Maybe the high price is to blame? by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 1

      I think THE issue with the iPhone comes down to the silly high price for the phone.

      If price is the key issue in your purchase decision of something you use everyday, many times per day, then you're doing it wrong. Price is not irrelevant, but it should be a secondary consideration.

    2. Re: Maybe the high price is to blame? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When the $1000 just gets you the same old shit but now more fragile, then the price is relevant.

    3. Re:Maybe the high price is to blame? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The iPhone X cost more than my bed. I use my bed WAY more than I use my phone. I have a fairly nice bed and I'm very happy with it. Price wasn't the primary consideration when I bought my bed, but it was a factor. It's also lasted me 5 years so far, and I don't plan on replacing it any time soon. The phone gets used less than my bed, it's not as important to my health as my bed, it doesn't last as long as my bed, I get more satisfaction out of my bed. Why the fuck would I spend more money on a phone than my bed? My bed cost $900 for reference.

    4. Re:Maybe the high price is to blame? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Price is ALWAYS relevant to any thing that isn't immediately saving your life.

      This is why the ER can cost so much.

    5. Re:Maybe the high price is to blame? by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 1

      That's why I said secondary, not irrelevant. Honestly, why do I bother even typing this stuff out?

  44. Why would you have to take off a helmet?? by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    Taking off a glove to get TouchID going is a lot less work than taking off my helmet to get FaceID working.

    Counterpoint: Far more people (myself included) benefit from being able to use touch-enabled gloves in winter and being able to unlock the phone without taking them off...

    But I don't I understand why you think a helmet would prevent your face from unlocking the phone. If IR light can get through the visor FaceID can read your face even in a full helmet.

    With TouchID, I put my finger on the reader as I pull the phone out of my pocket

    I'm really confused as to why it's easier to remove a glove (that you may easily lose) than lifting a visor or raising your helmet (which, again, you should not even have to do).

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:Why would you have to take off a helmet?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      I see you've never worn a motorcycle helmet (or apparently seen one). You see, the full face helmet (the only ones a lot of riders will use because turns out wind blinds you, sunglasses do next to nothing to block it and the other types of helmets don't block wind at all, along with they're objectively the safest type) cover everything except your eyes. Your mouth, your nose, your forehead, your cheeks, none of that is visible. Basically, if you ski, the area that's covered by ski goggles, that's the only portion that isn't covered by something opaque with a full face motorcycle helmet.

      As for raising your helmet, well you see, at speed, air travels faster over the top than the bottom, similar to an airplane wing. This causes suction that literally tries to pull your helmet off your head. To combat this, there's typically a strap on the bottom to keep it from falling off. It's a fiddly strap though, and usually to do it or undo it, requires removing your gloves. So to "simply lift your helmet" would involve removing both gloves, undoing the strap, lifting it, using your faceID, pushing your helmet back down, redoing the strap and putting your gloves back on.

    2. Re:Why would you have to take off a helmet?? by jittles · · Score: 1

      Taking off a glove to get TouchID going is a lot less work than taking off my helmet to get FaceID working.

      Counterpoint: Far more people (myself included) benefit from being able to use touch-enabled gloves in winter and being able to unlock the phone without taking them off...

      But I don't I understand why you think a helmet would prevent your face from unlocking the phone. If IR light can get through the visor FaceID can read your face even in a full helmet.

      With TouchID, I put my finger on the reader as I pull the phone out of my pocket

      I'm really confused as to why it's easier to remove a glove (that you may easily lose) than lifting a visor or raising your helmet (which, again, you should not even have to do).

      So you have exactly one use case where FaceID is more convenient than TouchID. But there are plenty of counter examples where it is worse than TouchID, like paying at a credit card terminal, or any time your face may be obscured enough that it can't identify you. And what do you gain from losing the fingerprint sensor and the home button? A notch at the top of the screen. And as the AC who replied earlier said, it's far easier to take a glove off than a motorcycle helmet and if FaceID recognizes you in your helmet then it is no security at all. The helmet covers basically everything but the fringes of your cheek and your eyes. Mine even covers my nose to prevent air from the chin vents from blowing into your eyes.

      I have an Android phone without a physical home button and I hate it. You can't tell which way the phone is oriented when you pick it up. You have to look at it. Now with FaceID you can't unlock your phone without having to look at it, either.

    3. Re:Why would you have to take off a helmet?? by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

      I see you've never worn a motorcycle helmet (or apparently seen one).

      I see you've not watched my video which shows FaceID working with a full hemet on.

      Come back after you have watched that and maybe I'll read your post... or wait...

      As for raising your helmet, well you see, at speed, air travels faster over the top than the bottom

      Wait you would take a hand off the handlebars to use a phone AT SPEED??? Holy shit you are a moron, I'm not even going to bother to read a response from a complete idiot who is not long for this earth.

      --
      "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    4. Re:Why would you have to take off a helmet?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Perhaps you should've finished reading the rest of the paragraph before responding, it finishes with:

      "To combat this, there's typically a strap on the bottom to keep it from falling off. It's a fiddly strap though, and usually to do it or undo it, requires removing your gloves."

  45. Not fancier though - more secure and accurate by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    That "real jump" is just a slightly fancier kind of facial recognition, which has been around for years.

    No - there is a HUGE difference in what FaceID is doing, because it is actually reasonable secure unlike every previous use of facial recognition to unlock things - simply because it cannot be fooled by an image. An image of a face is super easily obtained (especially these days when we handily provide other people with many examples to choose from and print). FaceID does not work at all with an image, and as Apple showed even 3d-printed masks of your face are not enough to unlock the phone. Only a near-clone of your facial features in another human will (sometimes) work.

    FaceID is the first facial recognition system I consider secure and usable enough to lock away truly important information - and in fact it's even more secure than TouchID was. But people didn't go around trying everyone else's fingers with their device to find that out... even so, TouchID was secure enough for me so FaceID is simply improved on that. As far as usability unlike other facial recognition systems it works even in pitch black environments, where nothing would be able to read an image of your face properly.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:Not fancier though - more secure and accurate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ...more secure than TouchID was. But people didn't go around trying everyone else's fingers with their device to find that out...

      Your friends must be boring and proper then... everyone I knew willingly offered their phone for other people to try their fingers.

    2. Re:Not fancier though - more secure and accurate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      and as Apple showed even 3d-printed masks of your face are not enough to unlock the phone.

      And as some security researchers showed, a 3d printed model can indeed be used to unlock your phone. You shouldn't be taking Apple's claims at face value. Getting the 3d image to print the model from isn't that difficult either, it can be done from video footage if you have some from several angles.

      That said, it is a lot more work to fool that previous attempts at facial recognition, unless you have an identical twin (or sibling that looks very much like you).

    3. Re:Not fancier though - more secure and accurate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Unfortunately it has been discovered that FaceID is crackable in 100% of situations. Do some research on it. Many companies aren't allowing employees to use iPhone X's for work purposes because of how trivial it is to unlock anyone's phone.

  46. Not constant by SuperKendall · · Score: 5, Interesting

    He said it was corner cases.

    For me FaceID works more often than TouchID does (and I know for sure because for testing reasons I often still use my iPhone 7).

    In fact the X is great precisely because it REMOVES a lot of small annoyances you didn't even know were present in phones. Like I said in another post using an X feels like using an unlocked phone, in a way TouchID never did (even though TouchID did make it much easier to unlock a phone).

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:Not constant by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Take it easy there, troll.

    2. Re:Not constant by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's because FaceID makes it trivially easy for anyone with a picture of you (especially taken from their phone!) to unlock your phone. Effectively it IS always unlocked. This is why my company won't let employees use their X to connect to work; it has been proven to be insanely insecure.

  47. Bullsh!t by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Carrier sales reps are not going to favor any phone or any manufacturer over another. They want to keep their jobs.
    Apple employees have been instructed not to upsell to the X, probably in large part because it is so pricey and partly because of Apple commitments to buy parts and assemble a zillion iPhone 8 and 8 Pluses, too.
    Face ID is fantastic. With Face ID, one handed use of the iPhone X is a reality. Auto-filling login credentials in Safari is a wonder. Once youâ(TM)ve done it a few times, using ApplePay is easier with the Xâ"it can be done one-handed very quickly, whereas Touch ID needs two hands.
    The telephoto camera on the X is better than on the 8 Plus. The X display is smaller in area, but the brightness of the X and its color accuracy are astounding, not to mention the image of the X is closer to the display surfaceâ"more like you can touch it.

    1. Re: Bullsh!t by reanjr · · Score: 1

      hmmm... been one hand using my Android phones for years. I'm curious how Apple broke the one-handed experience so badly that they can convince someone like you that $1000 is worth being able to use the phone with one hand.

      What have one handed parapalegics been doing all these years without the iPhone X?

    2. Re:Bullsh!t by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I just picked up my Samsung Galaxy S6 in one hand and had it unlocked before it reached the point where I could see the screen.
      With fingerprint.
      With one hand.

      And I didn't even have to think about it. It just happened, in fact, it's how I use my S6 all the time. Either Apple severely screwed up TouchID or you're an idiot.

      Hang on - I have a work iPhone 6 with Touch ID enabled right here.
      Nope, no problem one handed, you're just an idiot.

  48. Re:iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... then by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    > Apple got this idea that an old style of snooze in mechanical alarm clocks that set 9 minutes for the snooze time was the only thing users ever needed and would never want to snooze for 5 minutes or 15 minutes.

    I was not aware of this. The alarm on my old iPhone doesn't work right with headphones installed (it doesn't output to speaker, but it also doesn't output to headphones; if music is playing there will be a short audio skip, but music plays as normal afterwards). Good work, Apple.

    I was shocked at how Apple chose to delete apps from phones. You press on screen until the icons shake, then press an "X" to delete. It's rather non-intuitive. You'd think there would at least be an option in app settings or the App Store. Some functions should be buried, like the format function in Windows.

    Are apps even organized on iOS? Does each app take a slot on the home screen? Do/did people just have dozens of screens for all their apps?

  49. Re:iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... then by Stormwatch · · Score: 0

    The story I heard was, carriers wanted to disable functions from Nokia's high-end phones to sell piecemeal. Say, cut wi-fi so people have no choice but use their expensive data plans. Nokia refused to play that game, so carriers refused to carry their good stuff.

  50. The thing is - no home button is simply better by SuperKendall · · Score: 3, Informative

    Face ID and the missing home button are a poor compromise

    The thing is, it's not a compromise at all. The way the iPhone X works is the way phones should work, period. It is WAY BETTER than a home button or virtual home buttons were. Going back to using a home button based device like an iPad or older iPhone just feels archaic now, the gesture based controls are easier for everyone to work with and the way you activate control center actually works 100% of the time now (before pulling up from bottom edge would sometimes not bring up control center if the keyboard was also up, really annoying).

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:The thing is - no home button is simply better by AmiMoJo · · Score: 3, Informative

      The home button is vastly inferior to the Android set of three. One for home, one to switch apps, one to go back. Makes operating the phone so much faster.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    2. Re:The thing is - no home button is simply better by SuperKendall · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Maybe so, but the X way is vastly superior to both. No icons, jus three gestures that work quicker than trying to press the right button.

      The back button on Android I think was a mistake, that has never worked well and just confuses people.

      --
      "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    3. Re:The thing is - no home button is simply better by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      Remember the late 90s when every app was skinned? I think WinAMP started it, or at least was one of the first. Figuring out where the back/close button was positioned was always fun.

      Back is great, works exactly as you would expect. The app switch button is great too, because you can double tap it to quickly toggle between two apps, rather than trying to use split screen or something.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    4. Re:The thing is - no home button is simply better by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      On the contrary, Apple could've probably doubled their total sales on iPhones if it had a back button. The vast majority of folks I've seen use iPhones always ask one inevitable question: "How do I go back?" When you make it a Googleable crusade to figure out how to go back to your previous screen, you will lose the vast majority of your customers.

  51. Re:iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... then by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Uh yeah, lets go ask the public what the Nokia N95 was? I hear lots of crickets and i dont knows. Blackberry and windows mobile would have been the flagship smart phones before the iphone came about.

  52. Re: SalesMEN? Sickening MISOGYNISTS. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    go fuckyouself cunt! and take your pitical correct cancer with it.

  53. Re:iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... then by tsa · · Score: 1

    I had a Nokia E65 back then, which was much smaller and had less features than the N95 and still was better than the iPhone. The first usable iPhone was the 4.

    --

    -- Cheers!

  54. Stores have bigger margins on non iPhone by zaphirplane · · Score: 1

    Irrespective of which phone is better and which company innovates more. When asking a sales person which item to buy take into account the margin and commission on the sale that may drive their answer

  55. Re: iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... the by Dynedain · · Score: 2

    Bullshit. I've been using Sleep Cycle on the iPhone for 5 years and it suffers from exactly zero if the problems you described.

    --
    I'm out of my mind right now, but feel free to leave a message.....
  56. Factor the whole cost; then choose what suits you. by CraigCruden · · Score: 1

    First, when pricing phones and doing comparisons -- include the total cost of ownership of each of those models. People often get hung up on a device costing $100 or $200 more as being 15% to 25% more. I am use to not having a plan in the country I am living in (and total cost is considerably less than my home country of Canada). Phones should typically last 4 years (even sell the phone and get a new one; or recycle it through the family) with being reasonably useful - so that is typically what I use for total cost. In Canada where the market is very costly this could mean over those 4 years you are spending $4,000 on a plan for that phone.... so if a phone costs $600 - your total cost of ownership is $4,600, or more. So in the end being cheap about the actual device is not saving a whole lot of money.

    Most people usually have a strong preference (Android or iPhone) -- my case I prefer my iPhone. If you are an Android user I would probably give preference to a Pixel phone just because a lot of vendors are slow (at most) on updating the phone with the new version or security updates.

    At this point you have probably narrowed down your choice - and you probably know what you use your phone for. If you use your phone alot and it is a very important device, just chose the best phone that you can buy at the time that suits your needs.

    All sales people have their own preferences and unfortunately most are swayed by choices other than what the consumer is actually telling them (be it higher commission for a given supplier, or their own device preferences). If they sound like they are not making sense -- it is probably because they are not thinking of what your needs are.

  57. Dirty Secret, Salespeople do favour ... by CraigCruden · · Score: 1

    Here almost every store (carrier or retailer) will favour a specific manufacturer - it could be as simple as they commission that they make is higher for a given manufacturer because of incentives -- or it could just be what they are familiar with and are therefore more comfortable selling. Bias is normal and pretending it does not exist -- just makes you an easy target.

  58. Re:iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... then by Dutch+Gun · · Score: 2

    iPhones sold because of the app store? There were NO third-party apps at launch. That was something Apple hastily retrofitted in later, because people were demanding it.

    The iPhone was successful because it had a well-designed full touchscreen, and it didn't look like it was designed by and for geeks.

    --
    Irony: Agile development has too much intertia to be abandoned now.
  59. the current fragile iPhones are a joke by ReneR · · Score: 1

    what helps ultra thin and glass fluff when you need to make it thicker and ugly with a case? Better get a real phone, that is less fragile, and use the extra mm for prolonged battery life, ..!

  60. Re:iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... then by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Whooooosh.

    Fucking moron.

  61. The failed strategy that everyone else missed by Immerial · · Score: 1

    If they had pulled off the sapphire glass manufacture... this phone could have been far from fragile. They took a gamble and lost... and the phone we have now is the runner-up to the phone of the future. The amaze-balls thing would be if Apple has come up with the sapphire glass but just needed more time and the Gorilla Glass is just to bide the time [crosses fingers]. Can you imagine a sapphire glass iPhone?! That would be pretty sweet.

    1. Re:The failed strategy that everyone else missed by Algan · · Score: 1

      Sapphire can still shatter. Sure, it's a lot more resistant to scratches and wear, but if your phone takes a fall face down on some rocky outcrop, it's shatter just like glass. That being said, i sure wish the X had sapphire screen/back.

      --
      If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?
  62. OMG a case! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If a slam article can do no better than complaining about the use of a case on an iPhone, then there must not be much wrong. The vast majority of people with expensive phones use cases. Phones with similar parts inside but differing design? You just described the majority of phones. The sales rep said yes but the writer says it "sounds" like no? Journalism at it's finest. Samsung should ask for its bribe back.

    1. Re: OMG a case! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, the vast majority of iPhone users put cases on to protect their fragile devices. No one I know with a Pixel or Essential phone uses a case because high end Android devices are reliably sturdy.

  63. Smartphone salesman by Austerity+Empowers · · Score: 1

    really? I haven't dealt with one of those guys since, ever. Phone salesmen went away with dumb phones, and much like car salesmen, I don't really miss them.

    I figure out what I want and go buy it from whoever has it for cheapest. I have 0 interest in a salesman getting in the way.

  64. Re:iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... then by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That's perfectly believable because they were already doing that for other phones. You might remember the hot new phone before the iPhone was the Motorola RAZR. If you were unfortunate enough to be a Verizon customer, the bluetooth functionality for that phone other than for headset pairing was disabled. If you wanted a custom ringtone on your phone, the only option was buying it from Verizon. That's part of what made the iPhone such a success. Apple was uncompromising on what they wanted from the providers before they would allow them to carry and sell the phone. And before it was a hit, only one provider was willing to take that risk. Remember at the time things like unlimited data plans were even more rare (if they existed at all) than they are today. And phones without vendor crapware were rarer still. Then the iPhone came out and took off and the carriers had to change their tune. Oh sure, they've clawed some of it back, but I put the blame for that partly at Google's feet. They had a chance to keep holding the carriers feet to the fire by requiring the same sort of restrictions from their vendors and carriers with Android, but they wanted marketshare and fast, so they sold out to the carriers.

  65. Asking the wrong people by houghi · · Score: 1

    Salespeople will be working on a commission, most likely. These can vary from company to company and brand to brand. There also will be given an extra bonus if they sell X of that and Y of that.

    So it could be that the kickback for that week or even month from another company was higher. Because if they would be honest, they would say to NOT buy a phone at all, as the one you have now is good enough to do what you need it to do if bought in the last 5 years or so.
    Just change the battery and move on.

    I have seen phone salespeople not wanting to sell a specific phone, because it was work for them and they would get 1EUR out of it. Not worth their time.

    --
    Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
  66. They do sell cases by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    YOu'll find regardless of phones, the salesmen always have cases on their phones. They sell cases too, and they get a much better margin on those cases.

  67. So what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's basically a paid-for public beta, I think we knew that going in, and is why the 8 and 8s exist

  68. Re: SalesMEN? Sickening MISOGYNISTS. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In the same sentence where you SJW whine about a generic pseudogender word choice you then go on to say how sales "women" are better than sales "men".

    The irony is thick with this one!

  69. Re:iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... then by nine-times · · Score: 1

    Cases are a necessity because these devices are designed to be fragile

    I don't know if that's fair. Shortly after the first iPhone was released, it became evident that people kept cracking the screen, and people started buying cases. People buy cases for pretty much every smart phone, not just Apple's. But people still like their phones to be as thin and light as possible, so that's what Apple provides.

    unfortunately every handset OEM is convinced they must follow Apple's lead.

    It kind of works both ways. I think one of the worst design decisions that Apple's made with the iPhone is to go big. In my personal view, the iPhone SE is still the "right size" for a phone to be, but Apple saw that big Android phones were selling, so they had to mimic it.

  70. They're right... by nine-times · · Score: 1

    "Well, it depends on what you like," the salesman said, somewhat coyly.

    Honestly, I don't see why this is anything about the correct answer. Which phone you should buy *does* depend on what you like. You want a small iPhone? The iPhone SE is for you. You want a cheap iPhone? Again, the iPhone SE. You want one of those giant iPhones? The iPhone 8 Plus is a good choice. You want a solid Android phone? Maybe the Google Pixel 2 is a good option?

    The iPhone X is a good option if you're looking for Apple's bleeding-edge phone, and have no qualms paying a premium for it. Apple said at launch that they were calling it the iPhone X (X being the roman numeral for 10) because it was what they thought the future iPhone would look like. They marketed buying the iPhone X like if you were buying a concept car. It's cool and future-looking, but expensive and maybe not thoroughly tested and thought-out. Whether that's bullshit or not, my point is that they didn't even market it as "This is the phone for everyone." They marketed it as, "This is the phone for the people who want the latest coolest thing. Otherwise, get one of our normal phones."

  71. Opposite is true, majority want X by SuperKendall · · Score: 2

    The X was the real shining moment that Apple was completely out of touch with what the majority of people want.

    Actually that is exactly wrong. The X is exactly what the MAJORITY of people want.

    The reason is FaceID is just better. It is better in the winter when the majority of people use gloves, but no longer need to take them off to unlock the phone.

    It is better for the elderly where the majority of people have fingerprints that become harder to read with age, but have faces that grow more distinctive as decades pass.

    The majority of people of all ages would rather have a phone that does not have a passcode. In practice, that is what the iPhone feels like - as if you are using a phone with no passcode.

    And the thing is, Apple is years ahead with FaceID, there is enough technology there it's not like TouchID where other phones makers could buy pretty good fingerprint sensors and have the same ability. Maybe Samsung can deliver FaceID in a year or two... maybe.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:Opposite is true, majority want X by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And for all the R&D wasted to develop FaceID, it is bypassable with a picture of the user with the right bends to simulate "3d-ness".

      It's ridiculous how many folks have had their iPhone X's unlocked using this method. Apple ought to be ashamed of themselves.

    2. Re:Opposite is true, majority want X by LightNecromancer · · Score: 1

      I can unlock my Samsung Galaxy S8 with my face... Maybe years ahead is a bit of a strech. (Not saying either is better than the other, just chopping down your argument :-) ).

  72. Still nope by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    But there are plenty of counter examples where it is worse than TouchID, like paying at a credit card terminal,

    Since I have an X I have actually done this. Have you? I found it EASIER TO DO than to use TouchID, because I just held the phone to the terminal and it was unlocked before I thought about it, and the payment was complete. The experience was great, again echoing my thought that FaceID is like using an unlocked phone, things just work with the device before you think about what to do.

    And what do you gain from losing the fingerprint sensor and the home button?

    Vastly better usability over any other Android or iPhone.

    And as the AC who replied earlier said, it's far easier to take a glove off than a motorcycle helmet

    As the video I posted showed, FaceID works through a helmet so....

    or any time your face may be obscured enough that it can't identify you.

    Which is almost never, or at least vastly less than the times TouchID does not work because your fingers are really sweaty, or your finger is not well positioned.

    Now with FaceID you can't unlock your phone without having to look at it, either.

    Yeah because I so often want to use my phone without looking at it at all.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:Still nope by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And you're susceptible to a 100% success rate crack and unlocks your phone trivially easily.

  73. Re:Factor the whole cost; then choose what suits y by avandesande · · Score: 1

    That's bonkers I spend about 150$ a year on phone and it is plenty for keeping in touch with teenage kids

    --
    love is just extroverted narcissism
  74. Re: SalesMEN? Sickening MISOGYNISTS. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No matter how much you lash out against society, your inferiority complex will remain.

  75. Re:iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... then by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Droids, or whatever they were called were lackluster in support, the apps were trash and the app stores were trash." The IOS "pull my finger" app is _so_ much better than the Droid one that it's not even fair to compare them.

    No, I'll absolutely give you that Android is far ahead in pull-my-finger technology, always was and always will be.

  76. Re: iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... the by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The 7 lost the headphone port. That's when they lost me.

    Ahh, but the real question is: When did you lose it?

  77. Re:iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... then by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I had a Nokia E65 back then, which was much smaller and had less features than the N95 and still was better than the iPhone. The first usable iPhone was the 4.

    Too bad the last usable Nokia was the 3310, everything after that was unusable due to being clunky and overly complicated. IOW perfect for pretentious Techno Hipsters.

  78. Re:iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... then by Archimonde · · Score: 1

    The original iPhone was a sleek-looking featurephone that could not hold a candle to the true flagship smartphone of that year, the N95.

    That is very false. It was obvious that iphone was something completely different. No custom apps? No problem, N95 had complete shit ones anyway. Default apps? iphone had those miles better, easier to use and much nicer to look at. The display was huge at the time. But the most important thing was the internet browser. It was a desktop one while Nokia had a browser which looked like it was made in WW2.

    The revolutionary stuff was that you could have the whole internet in your pocket which was pretty much unthinkable at the time. The iphone 2G started a snowball, and brought much much cheaper data plans and phones which a lot of people use as primary "computers". It really does deserve credit where credit is due.

    --
    Trolls are like broken clocks. They show the truth two times a day. The rest of the day they talk nonsense.
  79. They finally figured out.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How to shrink a spacecraft and send it up your bum!

  80. Re:Factor the whole cost; then choose what suits y by CraigCruden · · Score: 1

    At that rate, you probably are not using the phone very much at all and probably don't even need a smart phone. You are more the exception in this society today.

  81. Re:Factor the whole cost; then choose what suits y by fuzznutz · · Score: 1

    In Canada where the market is very costly this could mean over those 4 years you are spending $4,000 on a plan for that phone....

    Wow. Do they at least buy you dinner first? I spend about $25 for Google Fi each month, taxes included. I use very little data because since most of the time I'm in WiFi areas. My kids cost me $15 per month each for unlimited talk/text with no data on Republic Wireless. We all have recent smartphones (Not Apple) and if I were really interested in lots of data, I could get Straight Talk on AT&T's towers for $45 per month (Unlimited talk/text and 10GB unthrottled data). Some of us don't see spending $1,000 per year for a single line phone service or $1,100 for a phone as a good value for our money.

  82. Re:iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... then by david_thornley · · Score: 1

    I don't think the App Store was retrofitted in hastily. I think it was part of the plan all along. Jobs said you didn't need third-party apps at first, and he was reasonably close to correct - with web apps, you don't need many native apps, and Jobs wasn't going to push native apps until they were available.

    The original iPhone was easy to use. It had a decent browser, decent email, and even worked as a phone.

    --
    "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  83. Re: iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... the by sound+vision · · Score: 1

    Insightful a.f... I felt that the iPhone X was Apple jumping the shark, but to put that in historical context, especially from the perspective of a former iPhone diehard... Bravo. You can bet Apple's going to turn hard towards monetizing everything, ever more planned obsolescence and other shitty practices to keep shareholders fed with the money they're used to. Gotta keep the slope on that graph steep enough. It will likely be a slow decline for Apple, but this is the beginning, and these are the forces that will drive it.

  84. Re:iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... then by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Verizon did all it could to kill Windows Phone. It took 18 months for Verizon to cone out with a the update from 8.0 to 8.1. Verizon said it was "protecting" users from OS issues, meanwhile iOS was under the control of Apple. They did come out with the Lumina 735 (which I still use) and when I got it I updated 8.1 to 10. Microsoft keeps it updated ,aka last wwek it updated .Does Apple update phones that are two years old, how about Google? And my phone has a user replaceable battery and my last three phones have had wireless charging.

  85. Re: iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... the by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They also have stuff that won't run. Such as a remote desktop server.

    Android allows this. Not really sure why businesses would use iphone

  86. Re:Factor the whole cost; then choose what suits y by avandesande · · Score: 1

    Not really on /. though most people here spend their day behind a computer, what is the point of an expensive phone? Also you say I am an exception... who really 'needs' a smartphone today? Most people use it as a toy.

    --
    love is just extroverted narcissism
  87. Re: iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... the by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They also have stuff that won't run. Such as a remote desktop server.

    Android allows this. Not really sure why businesses would use iphone

    Probably because most businesses don't need to run remote desktop servers on their smartphones.

  88. Re:iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... then by tsa · · Score: 1

    I take it you hate every smartphone on the planet.

    --

    -- Cheers!

  89. Re:iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... then by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Curious what these requirements are, given that you acknowledge a fingerprint reader on the back would've been helpful and that's where many Androids now place them

  90. Re:iPhones drove smartphones to the masses... then by exomondo · · Score: 1

    Nothing in particular an Android phone wouldn't suffice for. Switching just means going through the hassle of downloading all the Android versions of the applications, setting up various accounts, somehow transferring SMS/MMS/iMessage messages across, etc...

    If the iPhone devolves further into a form over function annoyance from a usability perspective then I would consider going through the hassle to switch.