KPH tech blog

Apple released the iPhone 12 series in September 2020, and it’s given me food for thought.

While I’m not really a fan of iPhones, I did buy an iPhone 6s in 2019, and overall the experience has been okay. I still prefer Android as a platform, but I must say, I’m very impressed with the design of the iPhone 12 series.

While I was never initially a fan of the chamfered edges of the iPhone 4, iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5s and original iPhone SE, it was a design that grew on me.

Back in 2016, when I visited my local tech store, and held the iPhone SE in my hands, that’s probably when I first liked the design. By then, the main iPhone releases had the new, striking curved edge design – first introduced on the iPhone 6, and present on my 6s.

Apple has – at least in my opinion – now returned to the flatter edges with the iPhone 12 series. This not only improves the looks but also how components are packaged within the phone – there’s more space.

Another advantage is the improved durability – as proven by Zack at JerryRigEverything – and it’s given me a lot to think about.

Apart from protecting my phone, the other main reason I put my phone in a flip case is the added bulk.

Wait a minute, I hear you ask… you want/like the added bulk? WTF is wrong with you? 🤣

Haha, yes, I like it. I’ve already mentioned how my S9 Plus falls out of my hands in one-handed use, and that’s really only part of the problem. The sides of the phone are so slim and curved, that there’s nothing for me to hold on to – nothing for me to establish a firm grip on my phone.

In fact, when I first got my S9 Plus in December 2018, I remember feeling a bit disappointed by its size. It was much bigger than my Galaxy S7, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to manage with a bigger phone.

For the most part, I’ve had to use it with 2 hands, but those initial few days were the scariest.

Not having anything to grip onto, meant that while I was trying to take a photo in the town square – on my way to a store to buy a case for it – I almost dropped my brand new, one day old, £850+ phone on the concrete beneath my feet.

In just one day, I had so many heart-stopping scares, that I was glad when it was finally in a case. I opted for a flip case for extra protection – because it has a ‘waterfall’ display, a slim case like the Spigen Rugged Armor only just has a lip above the screen.

If I were to ever drop my phone while it was in a flip case, I’d have peace of mind that the screen would at least be a little bit more protected than it would in a slim case.

Although I’d also protected all my previous smartphones with flip cases, the fear of dropping and breaking a naked phone was never an issue with my Galaxy S7 – and, similarly, is not an issue at all with my iPhone 6s.

Sure, the Galaxy S7 had metal edges, but it was also small enough that I could get a firm grip on the phone. It didn’t stop me from protecting it with a flip case, but its size was an advantage.

The same can be said with my iPhone 6s. Although I have it in a flip case, the few times I’ve had it out of its case – and naked – it’s small enough that I’ve been able to establish a firm grip in the palm of my hand.

At least for one-handed use, my iPhone 6s is much better than my S9 Plus.

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iPhone 12 series, for the win

And this is why I love the design of the new iPhone 12 series. The flatter edges would allow one-handed use. The better durability could mean I wouldn’t need a case – although I would still buy one anyway, as iPhones are expensive phones to repair or replace.

The issue I’d have, though, is which iPhone to pick…?

While I would love the smaller iPhone 12 mini (which is the perfect physical size of phone for me), reports have come through that its inferior battery capacity has – you guessed it – inferior battery life to the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max.

That’s no surprise, but I find it disappointing that Apple didn’t put a bigger battery in the 12 mini.

Okay, so it was never going to get the same 3,687 mAh battery as the iPhone 12 Pro Max, but it would’ve been nice if the 12 mini had at least the same 2,815 mAh battery as the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro.

Instead, the 12 mini has to make do with a rather meagre 2,227 mAh cell – meaning it’s initial capacity & battery life will only be marginally better than my iPhone 6S.

Aside from the battery, my budget constraints & wish for a smaller device size mean that the only other iPhone’s of the 12 series that I could even consider, would be the iPhone 12, or the iPhone 12 Pro – which both have a 6.1″ screen.

But this is where things get tricky. Theoretically, I could afford the 256GB iPhone 12 mini, but for the iPhone 12, I can only afford the 128GB model.

On my iPhone 6s, the on-board 128GB has been just the right amount of storage for me, so that would be the target minimum storage option. In fact, my 6s tells me that I have 97GB available – meaning that, with all the music, photos & games I have on there, I’ve only used 31GB of its internal storage.

But, my 6s isn’t my main device, so those numbers should be taken with a pinch of salt. If I was to add a lot more music on there – about 35GB worth – and a few more photos & videos, I’m sure that available storage would soon change.

Although the iPhone 12 Pro comes with a better camera setup than the 12 and 12 mini – as well as the standard lens & ultrawide camera, it also has an extra telephoto lens – my budget means I can’t really afford the base 128GB model. If a 64GB version existed, it’d be a possibility, but I’d obviously have less storage for music, photos & games.

Unfortunately, the same goes for the iPhone 12. While I possibly could afford the 128GB iPhone 12 mini, I would not at all be able to afford the 128GB iPhone 12, and would have to settle for the base model – the 64GB iPhone 12.

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But… I don’t have the Apple ‘Ecosystem’

Design and prices aside, there’s another issue I have to consider: I don’t have the Apple ‘Ecosystem’ set up and running at home.

The only Apple product I own is my iPhone 6s. If I were to get an iPhone 12 or 12 mini, with no Ecosystem in place, it would be a pretty useless device.

The Ecosystem I do have is a hotchpotch of devices from different manufacturers: Android phone & tablet, Windows laptop, 2 Sony Bluetooth speakers, and only 3 Philips Hue lights.

That’s it. That’s as far as my not-so-smart home stretches. All the great features of having photos & media sync across your iPhone, iPad, iMac & Apple TV wouldn’t work in my house.

Go and buy the Ecosystem, then, I can hear you say. But… why? What would all those products do for me, that my existing ones don’t do?

And that’s where my main issue arises with Apple’s iPhones. The design of the 12 series is perfect. I’m not too fussed on iOS but it’s okay, and I guess I could learn to live without the 3.5mm headphone port – or buy a dongle to use with an iPhone.

But they’d be pretty feature-less compared to an Android phone, which would more perfectly ‘fit in’ with my current lifestyle.

On cost alone, the 12 mini would be the more affordable, cost-effective option, albeit with a smaller/inferior battery capacity.

That said, the iPhone 12 mini’s reported battery life between charges is about on a par with what I can currently achieve with my S9 Plus, so it wouldn’t be too bad, but definitely not an upgrade over my S9 Plus – and not on the same scale as the purported battery life from the Google Pixel 5.

But, I think despite its small size being so appealing, I think I’d be more happy with the standard iPhone 12. Not too big, but also not too small, which makes it a nice compromise between usability & functionality.

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So… will the iPhone 12 mini be My Next Phone?

No. Having analysed the storage, the size, the frame and everything that impresses me the most about the iPhone 12 mini, at this point I’ve come to realise something: the only thing that would be an upgrade, is the price ¯\_|-_-|_/¯

I realise why the price is so high for iPhone’s – because Apple’s devices are [supposedly] the crème de la crème of smartphones. Apple is a premium brand, and their products reflect this with their prices.

People will pay more for an Apple iPhone, even if it’s not the best or the most suitable for them. They will pay more for the name – something that was proven with the iPhone X.

I’d be fine with that. Although I’d be going for the 12 or the 12 mini, I realise why people want the most premium phone money can buy.

I think Android offers up far more than iOS – for me personally – and sometimes at a much cheaper price, but I can also see the advantages of iOS. For instance, apps are better supported, and OS & security updates are more consistent than with Android OEM’s.

Although Pixel devices also receive regular monthly updates, Android updates on the whole are (for most other brands) still rather fragmented, which means less updates and less often.

But, although I like the design and price of the iPhone 12 mini, there are some things I don’t like.

First, I need to get a couple of things off my chest. I don’t buy into the whole ‘Android doesn’t have iMessage‘ scaremongering, mainly because (to me at least) it looks just like any other messaging app.

I’ve heard it’s a much bigger deal in the US, but as I’m British and live in the UK, most people here don’t use iMessage at all. Even if they own iPhones.

Android is more customisable than iOS, so I can achieve the same level of functionality as iMessage with the default Messages app and Gboard – both apps made by Google.

I also don’t buy into the whole Blue Bubble syndrome – for the last few years, all of my contacts have had different colours, and I like it. I can even set the colours myself, so that I always know to whom I’m writing – association by colour.

The only reason I can see that people stick with Apple, is the ‘Ecosystem’ of devices – iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, iMac, Apple Home, etc. If you’re already fully invested in the Ecosystem, switching to Android has no advantages.

It’s the thing that keeps you glued to iPhone’s, and Apple knows this – and, therefore, can get away with charging a little more for their phones. And because no other phone will ‘just work‘ with any of the other devices in the Apple Ecosystem, an Apple user will have to spend more money on their phone for the privilege.

But… as I’ve already explained, I’m not invested in the Ecosystem at all. My iPhone 6s is currently the only Apple device in my household, so neither the luxury item tag, nor the Ecosystem, would be reasons that I personally might buy a new iPhone 12/mini.

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Why not?

I’m fine with the reasons other people buy iPhones, but as I said before, there’s a few reasons why the iPhone 12 mini – and, by extension, any iPhone – wouldn’t be the right primary phone/daily driver for me:

– Gestures: if I bought the iPhone 12 mini, I’d have to acclimatise to using the phone via gestures – swiping to go back, change apps, go back to home, etc. On my S9 Plus, although I do occasionally use the back swipe to go back a Page on Chrome – swiping from left to right – I have all other gestures switched off.

I still use the traditional, Android navigation bar at the bottom of my screen – Recent apps, Home, and Back. In fact, thanks to some tweaks courtesy of the Samsung Good Lock app, I actually have a few more buttons there as well.

From left to right, in the screenshot above, I currently have these buttons on my nav bar: Screenshot; (Drop-Down) Quick Settings; Recent apps; Home; Back.

For nostalgia, I’ve even set the Home & Back buttons as the original Android symbols for those buttons – or, at least, the nearest symbol that I could find in the Good Lock app.

I still use this nav bar heavily. I’ve tried using gestures, but they don’t play well with games, and even with the simplest of navigation gestures, I still yearn for the old nav bar.

If I switched to an iPhone, I’d have no choice. I would have to get accustomed to Gestures, especially now that there’s no physical Home Button. I’d be stuck with gestures.

Granted, I could solve that problem by going for the iPhone SE 2020, which has the Home button à la the iPhone 8 – but, I’d be getting a much smaller screen, and with a really small battery.

The 12 mini, while being a smaller physical device, has a bigger screen with almost no bezels – but, again, I’d have to settle for using gestures. Not a great position for me to be in.

– Sharing Files & Photo’s: because we don’t have the Apple Ecosystem in my house, one of the core issues I’ve faced with my iPhone 6s is sharing photos to other devices. I can’t simply use AirDrop, as that doesn’t ‘talk‘ the same language as my Android phones or Windows PC. Bluetooth also doesn’t play nice, despite all my devices having it as standard. I also can’t back them up to iCloud, as I can’t then access those photos on other devices. I have to manually upload my photos to other cloud storage sites – like OneDrive, Google Drive or Dropbox – and then download those photos onto whatever device I want them on.

It’s a laborious process, which ultimately has led to me not using my iPhone 6s as much for capturing photos & videos.

It’s a shame, as that’s one of the only reasons why I bought it in the first place. Not necessarily to take better photos than my S9 Plus or DSLR camera, but to take different ones.

– File storage & access: because Android is so much like a computer – being based off a few kernels it shares with the Linux OS – it handles files much differently to iOS.

For example, I have a folder of Christmas photos in the Pictures folder on my Micro SD Card. In the Gallery app, the metadata for those images (see the above screenshot) shows the storage path as /SD Card/Pictures/Memories/Christmas 2020.

If I now go to the My Files app, go to the SD Card folder, Pictures, Memories, and then ‘Christmas 2020,’ all of the files in that folder can then be copied, shared & edited the same way as they can from within the Gallery app.

Note the tick boxes that have appeared in the screenshot below, and the options that have appeared at the bottom of my phone screen such as Move, Copy, Details, Share, and Delete.

The files system on Android is consistent across apps, and all the files you see in one app, appear in the same location in another app. It’s just like using a computer or Mac, and is exactly like using a USB drive with a screen.

This is not the case on iOS, and I find it both very confusing and an infuriating experience. Although iOS has a Files app, file storage doesn’t function the same way as on Android. It’s getting better with each OS update, but is still mainly for managing files stored on your iCloud drive, rather than for managing local files stored ‘On My iPhone.’

The reason I know it doesn’t work the same way, is because none of the photos & videos I’ve taken on my iPhone show up in the Files app under the ‘On My iPhone’ section. None of them.

Nor does any of the Music I’ve purchased & downloaded to my iPhone. None of those files appear as ‘On My iPhone.’ I’d say this is understandable, given that, in the T&C’s of using iTunes MP3 downloads, you’ve merely bought a licence to play that song on your device, rather than having actually bought the song.

But I find this to be very confusing. If I use iTunes on my PC, I can download the AAC/MP3 files onto its HDD & then sync them across to my Android device. Why can’t I transfer those songs straight from my iPhone, without having to go near my PC?

Also, the Files app can’t actually be used to see where files & photos are stored, or to manipulate them.

So… what is the Files app actually for? What is it’s purpose?

It’s not so much of a problem for photos, but if I were to create video content, with large video files, I wouldn’t be able to extract those files without using cloud storage.

I know why this inhibiting behaviour of iOS still exists, and I’ve just said it: iCloud. Apple want me to subscribe & pay for more storage. But even if I did pay for more iCloud storage, I wouldn’t be able to access those files on my PC, as you can’t access iCloud files on a Windows PC – so, paying money to subscribe to something I can’t access anywhere else is pointless, and rather defeats the purpose of using an iPhone to do anything. It would also still leave me being unable to extract those huge video files to my PC for editing.

This is where having the Ecosystem would be a massive help, as I could share my video files with AirDrop to an iMac & edit them there.

But as I’m not yet invested into the Apple Ecosystem, and have no immediate plans to invest into it, the way iPhone’s handle their storage is a hindrance.

If using and sharing files between devices was a lot simpler on iOS, I’d have no quarrels with the Operating System, and would be perfectly happy with using an iPhone.

But, it isn’t simple – deliberately so, to make you buy into iCloud & the Ecosystem – and so, on therefore, an iPhone 12 mini, iPhone SE 2020 or, in fact, any iPhone just does not make any sense for me.

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Conclusion

It’s a shame, because I really love the design of the iPhone 12 series, but these issues alone are enough to keep me away from iOS for the foreseeable future.

That, of course, means that My Next Phone will not be an iPhone.

That said, I do like my iPhone 6S, and I’m going to keep it. It’s a great phone & I love using it, but it’s iOS as a whole which I don’t like.

I’m particularly glad I only paid £250 for a pre-owned iPhone in April 2019, as over the past 2 years, I’ve had the opportunity to use an iPhone at home and see how it would benefit my life, but also to experience its drawbacks.

It’s the kind of knowledge that you can’t really get from a quick demo in a shop, or extract from places like Reddit or YouTube reviews – or, indeed the multitude of clickbait YouTube videos with tiresome titles like “why I switched to iPhone,” or “I’ve switched from iPhone to Android,” or “long time iPhone user,” etc., etc., etc.

For my iPhone 6S, though, I’m thinking I might get the battery replaced either later this year or in 2022, once Covid-19 restrictions are a thing of the past.

Also, given that iOS 14 will probably be the last major OS update for my iPhone 6S, I may choose to buy a newer, but still pre-owned, iPhone in the future. That could mean a new iPhone for me in 2022 or 2023, and of the available phones, the most likely contenders are the iPhone XR, the iPhone SE 2020, the iPhone XS, or the iPhone 11.

Either way, despite its mediocre battery life, my iPhone 6S is the perfect companion device at the moment, and lets me listen to all my iTunes MP3’s from the last decade. And it can rest assured that it’s not going to be replaced any time soon with a newer iPhone…

-Chris JK.