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iPhone 5 (and other iOS devices) FAQ - 2012
So, I finally got around to picking up the iPhone 5, and my iPhone related posts, whilst still relevant (a surprising number of apps are still existent and updated, and the security tips are still good), need a bit of updating. This is pretty much just going to be a random collection of new stuff that I happen to have opinions about. Some of it is not specifically iPhone 5 related, it's more iOS 6 related, so applies to all devices.
Also, if any of this post is confusing, tell me about it? I'm hoping that this is readable for non-geeks. :-) If there's something you don't understand, it's me, not you, please let me know so I can work out how to explain it better!
Apple discovered that mapping is hard. Buying access to good map data is a massively hard problem, and Apple don't have their own cars driving around. :-) Some research and my own experience seems to indicate that Apple Maps refuses to return "near enough" results if it can't find an exact match (which can result in giving you no results or "middle of the street" results if it can't find the street number), whereas the Google maps searches try hard to return something, even if the something is wrong (usually it's near enough, but sometimes it can be way off too). The data will improve as more people use it, no doubt, but Google maps has a several year head start. I've been using Metroview GPS Navigation for turn by turn navigation a few years now, and it's quite good for the rather low price. If you particularly need or want google map data, you can install the Google Maps app. Nokia Here Maps is also a pretty good alternative if you want to try it out. Personally I've been happy using Apple Maps, have had no significant issues, and found the Siri integration quite useful.
Games are slowly catching on to just using GameCenter. My GameCenter ID is thorfi if you happen to want to add me.
Surprisingly nice - I particularly like the FB Calendar integration into the Calendar app.
Privacy settings are improved lots - you now get prompts when apps want to access your contacts, calendars, reminders, photos, bluetooth sharing, twitter and facebook. Location services privacy protection is still there, of course. Hit Settings - Privacy to go and tweak settings later if you want to. Sneakily, you probably want to go to: Settings - General - About - (scroll down) Advertising - Limit Ad Tracking and turn that on.
The new plug adaptor - it's nice. I hated having to fiddle around and work out which way was up with the old dock connector, especially in the dark. Sure, I'm now going to have to live with having just one expensive old connector to Lightning adaptor for a bit until cheaper cables come out, but such is life.
This thing is tall/wide. I like that I can still reach the whole screen with my thumb one handed, and watching video in widescreen on it in bed is awesome. Looking at my old iPhone 4, it seems short and squat. And now I can fit a zillion more apps in folders on my front screen. 4 more per folder x currently 20 folders = +80, woot! Yes, I have a lot of apps. No, I'm not going to list them all.
As usually, they bumped the camera specs, and the much faster CPU means much quicker image processing as well, hence the new Panorama built in feature.
The new in ear headphones are probably the best in ear headphones I've owned. They fit in my ear canals very happily, don't jostle loose at all, sound quality is definitely better, and I can still hear environmental noise through them. As a side note, the new plug position on the bottom next to the Lightning connector means that you don't have things sticking out two sides, which is nice. They're no doubt not a replacement for decent over-the-ear headphones if you're an audiophile, but that's not my main use case.
I use Air Video to view videos stored on my home computer. Air Server is the go if you happen to have a computer that you want to have pretend to be (one or several!) Apple TV(s) so you can send Airplay Mirroring to it. Also ABC iView and SBS On Demand now have apps.
iCloud has fully replaced the aged MobileMe, and is rather good. If you want to, you can send your device's backup to iCloud, instead of backing up to iTunes (over WiFi or wired). I'm quite happy keeping my backups local, but iCloud backups are more convenient. Find My Friends is rather nice - although the only person I trust enough to permanently have as a "friend" via that is my wife. Temporary events are very nice, though, allowing you to share your location for the duration of an event.
Also, if any of this post is confusing, tell me about it? I'm hoping that this is readable for non-geeks. :-) If there's something you don't understand, it's me, not you, please let me know so I can work out how to explain it better!
iOS6
Maps
Apple discovered that mapping is hard. Buying access to good map data is a massively hard problem, and Apple don't have their own cars driving around. :-) Some research and my own experience seems to indicate that Apple Maps refuses to return "near enough" results if it can't find an exact match (which can result in giving you no results or "middle of the street" results if it can't find the street number), whereas the Google maps searches try hard to return something, even if the something is wrong (usually it's near enough, but sometimes it can be way off too). The data will improve as more people use it, no doubt, but Google maps has a several year head start. I've been using Metroview GPS Navigation for turn by turn navigation a few years now, and it's quite good for the rather low price. If you particularly need or want google map data, you can install the Google Maps app. Nokia Here Maps is also a pretty good alternative if you want to try it out. Personally I've been happy using Apple Maps, have had no significant issues, and found the Siri integration quite useful.
GameCenter
Games are slowly catching on to just using GameCenter. My GameCenter ID is thorfi if you happen to want to add me.
Facebook/Twitter integration
Surprisingly nice - I particularly like the FB Calendar integration into the Calendar app.
Privacy Settings
Privacy settings are improved lots - you now get prompts when apps want to access your contacts, calendars, reminders, photos, bluetooth sharing, twitter and facebook. Location services privacy protection is still there, of course. Hit Settings - Privacy to go and tweak settings later if you want to. Sneakily, you probably want to go to: Settings - General - About - (scroll down) Advertising - Limit Ad Tracking and turn that on.
iPhone 5
Lightning (very very frightening)
The new plug adaptor - it's nice. I hated having to fiddle around and work out which way was up with the old dock connector, especially in the dark. Sure, I'm now going to have to live with having just one expensive old connector to Lightning adaptor for a bit until cheaper cables come out, but such is life.
Tall/Wide screen!
This thing is tall/wide. I like that I can still reach the whole screen with my thumb one handed, and watching video in widescreen on it in bed is awesome. Looking at my old iPhone 4, it seems short and squat. And now I can fit a zillion more apps in folders on my front screen. 4 more per folder x currently 20 folders = +80, woot! Yes, I have a lot of apps. No, I'm not going to list them all.
Camera
As usually, they bumped the camera specs, and the much faster CPU means much quicker image processing as well, hence the new Panorama built in feature.
Magic Headphones
The new in ear headphones are probably the best in ear headphones I've owned. They fit in my ear canals very happily, don't jostle loose at all, sound quality is definitely better, and I can still hear environmental noise through them. As a side note, the new plug position on the bottom next to the Lightning connector means that you don't have things sticking out two sides, which is nice. They're no doubt not a replacement for decent over-the-ear headphones if you're an audiophile, but that's not my main use case.
Other
Video
I use Air Video to view videos stored on my home computer. Air Server is the go if you happen to have a computer that you want to have pretend to be (one or several!) Apple TV(s) so you can send Airplay Mirroring to it. Also ABC iView and SBS On Demand now have apps.
iCloud
iCloud has fully replaced the aged MobileMe, and is rather good. If you want to, you can send your device's backup to iCloud, instead of backing up to iTunes (over WiFi or wired). I'm quite happy keeping my backups local, but iCloud backups are more convenient. Find My Friends is rather nice - although the only person I trust enough to permanently have as a "friend" via that is my wife. Temporary events are very nice, though, allowing you to share your location for the duration of an event.
no subject
(Even more annoyingly BBC iPlayer Global shuts off the AirPlay video if you turn the iPad screen off. Really!)
On the maps thing, have you tried Nokia Maps? They have a web version where you'd expect and it works great in Mobile Safari.
Oh, and Telstra customers get a free copy of Garmin Navigator. No idea how good it is as I don't drive.
no subject
Oh yes, I did try Nokia Maps, quite good.
Free Garmin Navigator for Telstra customers? Ah, there. Nifty. I'm mostly likely to stick to the app I've got, since it's local map data storage, but always worth a poke at other things. :-)
no subject
Nokia launching Here maps app on iPhone and Android SDK.
The key bit: Nokia will be releasing their maps app on iOS, with turn-by-turn and transit, both local and remote storage of mapping data.
no subject