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So over the last few days I've been experimenting with and using shared photo streams for my iPhone 5 and my wife's iPhone iPhone 4 and it's really simple to share pictures between my iPhone and my wife's.
Firstly I open the photos app and go to camera roll, tap "edit" in the top right hand corner and select the picture(s) that I'd like to share.
These are highlighted with a red tick, really I guess it should be a green tick as these have been selected not deselected. Happy with you choices tap "share" in the bottom left.
How would you like to share? A new share menu appears. From here you can choose to print, share with Facebook, copy, mail or share with photo stream. If you haven't previously share photographs this way before your greeted with another slick looking menu, click in the cloud icon with the plus on it, to add a shared photo stream.
Tap on the blue plus icon to add people from you contact list. You may notice not everybody in your contact list is available to share with, those in black ink are available, because you have previously added email details for them. Contacts without email details are inked in grey.
When you have selected all the contacts you would like to share wit, give the stream a name, like family event or Bert's Birthday. Thankfully the public website option is set to off my default. Ready? Tap next, top right
A postcard along with your selected pics papercliped to them us display. There's room for a few lines if personal message too, tap post to well you get the hang of it.
After a notification the snaps magically they appear on your recipients photo stream, under their shared streams.
Both party's can comment on the pictures and like the pictures and both parties can save them to their camera rolls.
But what's really interesting is that Apple hasn't yet built in the ability for the recipient to add pictures of their own to this photo stream, they can of course create a stream to share with you though.
This recipient sharing, Apple would name it more cooly no doubt, would make it truly social, to rival Facebook, Instagram and the like.
Think of it like this mum, dad and their grown up children visit the Olympics this summer, obviously lots of pictures are taken. Mum takes some shots of the crowd, her daughter is lucky enough to be snapped with an Olympic boxer and the son takes a picture of them all there. In the past before you parted back to your own abodes you might say, "you'll have to post or email those pics"
If photo stream was a completely shared experience everyone in the family could instantly share all (select the ones they wanted) the photos. Surly this would be brilliant, all the members of that stream could individually comment, like and print their favourites, what great shared memories.
It's true, iPhone 5, promises a better battery life over iPhone 4/4S. Officially Apple states...
Talk time:
Up to 8 hours on 3G
Browsing time:
Up Up to 8 hours on 3G (+2 hours)
Up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi (+1 hour)
Standby time:
Up to 225 hours (+25 hours)
Talk time:
Up to 8 hours on 3G
Based on Apples comparison between iPhone 5 and 4S. Interesting to note, no change in talk time battery length between 4S and 5. In fact iPhone 4 claims the best stand by time at around 300 hours. Personally I haven't been able to verify the stand by times as I can't put my 5 down, in addition it's mainly used for browsing, apps, games, ect. Rather than an actual phone.
I have found the battery does pretty much last the day now, even lingering on the low 20%'s for what seems like ages. Which I great, as presently I have only one lighting cable and on 30 pin dock connector.
Overall battery 9/10
Faster
Apple claims...Faster CPU performance.
With the new A6 chip, just about everything you do on iPhone 5 is noticeably faster — up to twice as fast compared with the A5 chip.
So apps launch, web pages load and email attachments appear almost instantly.
Faster graphics.
The A6 chip also offers graphics performance that’s up to twice as fast as the A5. So you can power through graphics-intensive apps and games. And enjoy higher frame rates for smoother, more realistic gameplay.
Several sites have performed a tare down of the A6 chip (Apples latest chip to power the iPhone) and what has been discovered is its a dual core processor additionally with three Graphic Processing Units (GPU). Meaning its quick, really quick to launch apps and load web pages (signal dependant) and for graphics intense games or maps animations butter smooth.
9/10
Passbook
Holding off giving you my thoughts on passbook as UK comparable apps is a bit scarce. Looking forward to a Starbucks and or Costa integration, so I have an excuse to spank the caffeine juice.
Current UK Passbook compatible apps
Lighting connector
Apples posts...
Making iPhone 5 thinner and lighter required a pivotal change: replacing the 30-pin connector with something newer, smaller and better. Introducing the Lightning connector. It features an all-digital, eight-signal design that’s significantly more durable than the 30-pin connector. Another brilliant feature of Lightning: it’s reversible. Which means there’s no wrong way to plug in the cable.
My experience with lightning has been fine. I really like the fact it's smaller and best of all, it's reversible, meaning there's no wrong way up. Handy when your tired and trying to connect your iPhone in a dimly light bedroom, trying not to wake your partner by turning the big light on! At first, I was a bit apprehensive it seemed like it might easily snap, but its just because I was so used to the old 30 pin style.
I would have really liked an adaptor to be included, it what is the first change to connecting and charging iPhones and iPods since they were invented. Even if adapters could have been supplied with this, the first device to use lightning and purchased separately going forward.
Overall 7/10
Siri
I upgraded from an iPhone 4 to the iPhone 5, I didn't have an iPhone 4S, like my sister does. So Siri is new to me. Sometimes Siri surprises me in a good way, I get the info I was looking for quickly and well presented. Like when I ask "when is my dad's birthday?", ask Siri the same question, but for my mum and Siri stumbles, offering a web search. I would have I thought though, because Siri knows a birthday (you may have to tell him first time around) and because Siri know today's date, a question like "How many days to my wife's birthday?" Would have been answerable. I feel Siri is very useful for quickly finding out about the weather, us Brits are obsessed. Apples says Siri spent the summer learning sports, I would say some sports translates to premier league, no F1. In my limited experience unlocking Siri's potential lies in correctly wording your questions to him. When I first asked for films showing at my local cinema, I was provided with results for a cinema across the Thames, Siri has learnt my local picture house and now prioritises these results first. Much more helpful.
Overall 6/10
Free Turn by turn
Much has been said about Apples new maps app. Actually I would be more accurate to write, all that can be said has been said. Sp lets explore turn by turn instead. I really like this feature, it's simple and easy to use. Clear motorway style signs and Siri's voice to guide you. I trialled navigation serval times as a passenger, in conjunction with a dedicated Tomtom sat nav. I have to say the iPhone faired very well, ok the detail in maps maybe a little sparse in places. It terms of going off route, the iPhone recalculated much quicker than my Tomtom unit, which has on certain trips spent the whole time just on the splash screen! Once the iPhone had recalculated it didn't spend the next few miles trying to turn us around, it seemed to accept our changes and we both moved on.
Turn by turn with Siri 8/10
Earpods
Here's what Apple has to say...Just like fingerprints, ears are unique parts of the body. Which means earbud headphones fit differently on everyone. So rather than use the speaker as the starting point for new headphones, Apple designers and engineers started with the ear. They tested over a hundred prototype designs on hundreds of people. All with the goal of creating earbuds that rest comfortably inside — and stay inside — a variety of ear types, while also producing quality sound. The result is a breakthrough for earbud headphones: Apple EarPods. They’re unlike anything you’ve ever seen or heard.
I feel they are the most comfy in ear headphones I've tried, after an hour or so with older style Apple earphones it would actually be a bit uncomfortable. With earpods, once you get used to the very different design the fit is snug and comfortable and the sound bright. I tested them extensively by listening to The Killers, Battle Born, while composing this post. Since releasing them from their neat travel case I haven't managed to successfully to re home the pods. I'm not the only one right?
Overall 9/10
Even before iO6 was officially announced the Internet had inklings of a new maps application. When Scott Forstall took to the stage, in early June, at this years WWDC, it was confirmed. Apple had built from the ground up, a new native maps application using vectors for seamless navigation.
This was the first official look at the new maps app. The demo of course, is slick, very slick. The audience appear audibly impressed by the way the labels rotate along the maps rotation.
We were introduced to 3D maps, flyover and Siri guided free turn by turn directions.
Journey forward four months, to the official iOS6 released date and iPhone, iPod touch and iPad users get thier first chances to try maps, for real. On the Friday of that same week, I had my first destination maps, when I purchased my iPhone 5.
The inter-web has been awash with photos and comments, as you would expect. I have read many articles on people's take on Apple's maps. There's been a lot of wooha about missing places, wrongly titled cities, warped roads, blocky trees and bushes and Bonsai beaches extension.
Let's up this into perspective, Google maps launched in February of 2005 and as such has had 7 years of improvements. An application like maps, isn't the sort of thing that can be developed solely in a tech lab, it needs customer and developer feedback.
These crowd sourcing improvements are a feature of Tomtom's devices, users can make map improvements straight from their sat nav. With an app like Waze, which it totally community created, when it first came to the UK, it didn't even have motorways. When I joined a helped map parts of the A13 and its adjoining roads.
Maps will only get better, I promise. No sat nav is perfect and road networks are continually changing (15% of roads change every year suggests Tomtom)
Tonight I used turn by turn navigation on my 30 minute approximate commute home. I was a passenger so I could completely test the app safely. I found Siri's directions simple, timely and clear. I found the maps themselves clear to, the places of interest were a little scarce. When we strayed from the route Siri quickly recalculated, without fuss (much quicker than my Tomtom device) and gave new directions. What was great was not hearing "turn around when possible."
Traffic was light tonight, and I would like to see how well traffic problems were flagged on another run. Next time a think I would plug my iPhone into the in car charger, as like most sat nav units using GPS (and 3G data services on a phone) it does gulp down your battery. Although I am finding my battery does properly last the day now, yay!
On the overall I was impressed with maps on iOS 6. It's clear instructions and clean visual layout were smooth and easy to use.
Where ever you are in the word, chances are there's a iPhone 5, for you (your territory anyway). It's often said we are not all created equally, in 5's case the industrial design is outstanding and world leading. Meaning your iPhone 5 is precision and your neighbours is too.
Here's the thing, and more accurately all networks are not created equally. This has for the most part always been the same, wether you measure its size, speed, consistency, coverage or customer care.
In the UK Apple will release Model A1429 (GSM model) which will work on existing 3G networks, ticks for all the major operators there. What has been brought to an iPhone, for the first time, although not the first time to market is compatibility with the next generation network, 4G or LTE (Long Term Evolution). The UK iPhone 5 will be capable of working on 4G networks with these bandwidths (parts of the radio spectrum) band 1 (2100 MHz) , band 3 (1800 MHz) and band 5 (850 MHz). I found this info on Apples website, although not the UK one, the US one. Apple UK's site unsurprisingly has no real mention of 4G, just this statement "Next-generation mobile data and wireless connectivity.
iPhone 5 supports more networks all over the world. That includes advanced networks such as HSPA, HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA. Browse, download and stream content at ultra-fast speeds..."
The Killer feature of the iPhone 5, should be super fast network connections. In the US, where 4G is more established this maybe the case, here in the UK, we are behind the times, behind with our networks and behind with our download speeds.
For the UK, band 5 that's the 850MHz part of the signal spectrum is already being used, as far as I can tell too, there are no plans to free any or part of this band up presently.
Band 1 (2100 MHz) is I believe currently being used by all 3G networks and may become available to O2 and Vodafone, in the long run.
Band 3 (1800 MHz) In November 2911, Everything Everywhere, now EE asked Ofcom to consider a change in use for it's 1800 MHz band, the change now granted will allow EE to launch 4G comparatively quickly by its rivals standards. So here in the UK, EE customers will shortly be able to enjoy 4G speeds. The 3 network has purchased a small part of EE's band, allowing EE to comply with the terms of granting them 4G. Three will launch its 4G network sometime in 2013.
Ofcom's 2100 MHz auction, due sometime next year will provide more scope for UK 4G, but is currently not supported in iPhone 5. Could it be when these bands become live, Apple will release another model iPhone compatible with theses frequencies?
So at the moment 4G in the UK is in its infancy and therefor it's tricky to predict who will have the best 4G network. Or wether its worth jumping to EE, to take advantage of quicker speeds, knowing for the start anyway 4G service will be patchy, like 3G was when it started.
While we wait for 4G, I would like to know what UK networks support DC-HSDPA (which stands for dual-cell high speed packet access), then we could all make a more informed choice about which network to choose.
After searching online for that very question I found this cnet article, posted in May http://bit.ly/Kq1Xi5.
Let's assume for a moment say, O2 has a usable DC-HSDPA network, what will my iPhones network indicator display 3.5G or H for DC-HSDPA?
If Apple chooses to change the classic and now standard 30 pin dock connector for a smaller dock connector, the obvious question is "what about my existing iPhone dock, external speaker, alarm clock, ect?"
Current dock connector
For accessory makers, this could be the golden goose, as the 30 pin dock has been around for as long as there has been iPods (2001) and iPhones (2007). This means an accessory maker investing in docks, radios, speakers and the like could have around 10-12 years lifespan with the new connectors. But for the rest of us it could be a right pain. I am sure Apple would smooth this transition, let's hypothesise what this might look like. As recent as 2009, the big tech companies agreed a new micro standard for USB, which is great, it should mean being able to use the same charger for all products who sign up for this standard. Apple has introduced a dock to miniUSB converter to comply with the EU legislation. When is a charging cable, not just a charging cable? When its an Apple charging cable, in this humble cable is a host of proprietary technology hidden inside, making it small and efficient. This is why Apple are still not ditching the dock connector per-say. (idownloadblog.com)
The next question is why, why would Apple do this?
Let's look logically at it, it's quite large, the dock that goes into the iPhone currently is around 21mm across and about 6mm deep. It's depth has been reduced from the original iPod and iPhone cables. The reason why Apple would want to reduce the size of the dock connector is to make extra space. The same reason Apple are likely to introduce a micro sim, to replace the mini sim first introduced into the mobile fray, by Apple with the iPhone 4. Extra space for a larger screen, larger battery the introduction if an NFC module or the rumour mungers suggest a reconfiguration of microphone/headphone port. The moving of the headphone port would mean the iPhones design was more in line with the iPod touch. Whatever the reason it will give the designers more freedom and scope over their design and function.
With these changes, could more improvements be made. Would Apple introduce a MagSafe style charging cable. MagSafe is an Apple patented technology where the charging cable is magnetically attached, currently used for its MacBook ranges.
Source: Wired
The connector is held in place by magnets so for example if some plum trips over the cord, it will pull out of the socket safely, without damaging the connector, power socket, or pulling your MacBook off the coffee table it's residing on. MagSafe connectors also have a small led built into the cable which glows red, amber or green depending in how charged the battery is, which is kinda cool.
The main benefit though would be convenience, simply snapping into place rather than plugging in like the current dock connector. It may also prevent the "I'm going to bed, must just plug in my iPhone first, why won't it plug in. Oh it's the wrong way around" scenario.
Anyway whatever Apple finalise on, some sort of adapter will be necessary, the final question is will this adaptor ship with new iPhone or will it be an additional extra?
