I did my typical news sweep this morning and was greeted with something incredibly familiar. There is a new iPhone “gate,” this time related to charging. Evidently, there are some users who are having problems charging their devices if they plug the lightning cable while they are in standby with the screen off.
I have been a big fan of Urban Armor Gear, or UAG for short, for a few years now. I owned a Pathfinder case for a previous iPhone, and I reviewed the Plasma case for the iPhone 7 Plus last year, and was very impressed with the construction and overall value of both products. I am also currently testing a UAG case for the Surface Go for a future review that has been a pleasure to use, so far.
UAG currently offers six different case models for the iPhone XS and XS Max that provide different levels of protection, all of which look good and are reasonably priced in my opinion.
Like many other iPhone owners, I keep mine in a case pretty much all of the time. My now shipped off iPhone X and my new XS Max are no exceptions. While the look, basic shape and screen are still there in front of you every day, when you don’t handle the phone alone very often, it is easy to forget just how attractive it is and how good it feels as an object.
I was reminded of this today as I packed my iPhone X up to send back to Apple to fulfill my iPhone Upgrade Program. I took it out of the case and slid it around and flipped it over in my hand a bit before I disabled Find My iPhone and reset it. It really is the most gorgeous and beautifully designed gadget I’ve ever owned. Hands down. As good as the iPhone 4 and 4S were, nothing else is even close.
There were widespread reports of users struggling with poor LTE and WiFi signal on their brand new iPhone XS and XS Maxs just after release. They started rolling in on Reddit and the Apple Support Forums after devices started arriving on Friday and kept up all weekend. This certainly isn’t what anyone wants when they get an expensive new iPhone. Negative reports are also the LAST thing Apple wants killing their post-launch buzz.
Launch days rarely work out for anymore. I thought I had it all set up today, and that I would be able to come home a little early to start playing with the new toys. Well, real life and work both intervened and that didn’t happen. In fact, I didn’t get home until after 8 PM, so my phone is still restoring, and I’ve only had a little while to play around with my new 44 mm Apple Watch.
My iPhone XS Max will arrive sometime tomorrow, along with many thousands of others across the US and the rest of the world. I was ready for this phone as soon as I laid my hands on the iPhone X a year ago, so I’m ready to see how much size matters. That said, this is a good time to look back on what I can honestly say is my favorite smartphone that I’ve owned to this point.
Some of the usual suspects have started to weigh in on Apple’s Watch and iPhone XS and XS Max preorders. Leading off, Ming-Chi Kuo says that sales are following the pattern that I suggested yesterday (I make no claims of genius or inside knowledge, just common sense). He reports that sales of the iPhone XS Max are meeting expectations, which I don’t think is a surprise. It has a novelty factor that the XS no longer holds. Speaking of the XS, Kuo says that pre-orders are “lower than expected.” I don’t find this surprising in the least, either, as the majority of people who wanted this design got an X last year.
Now that the dust has settled, many in the tech press and analyst community are proclaiming that Apple’s iPhone announcement event was boring. To be fair, I can’t blame hem too much. The Apple Watch Series 4 grabbed some headlines with its bigger screen and impressive new health features, but the consensus on the new iPhones is that they don’t really bring anything new to the table.
I love Apple hardware events and all the reveals. This year was a little light on those thanks to all of the leaks, but there were still bits and pieces to be enjoyed. I also love getting my hands on new Apple hardware. It’s the getting up at 1:45 AM Central part that I’m not so thrilled with.
The iPhones XS, XS Max, and XR and the Apple Watch Series 4 weren’t all that was announced today. There were just a few other morsels that Tim Cook briefly covered at the end of the event. Continue reading
The new iPhones are here, and are exactly what we’ve heard from the leaks, so far, but the A12 sounds quite impressive.