At 238 MB, it seemed rather small for the length of time waited for performance fixes. I was expecting something three times the size. Then again, when I first downloaded iOS 7, I was on my iPhone 4s and now, I have an iPhone 5c.
The brand new iOS 7 really downgraded the performance of the 4s--no, not to the sad level of the iPhone 4, but it was truly disappointing. I had a game at a critical point and the phone was lagging badly, trying to run the game, and there was no chance of succeeding.
For those using an iPhone 4, it's likely safe now, but not a final step. I was remembering my second generation iPod touch and how iOS 5 had killed the performance. iOS 5.1.1 brought the device back to life, but I think it wasn't until 5.2.1 that it was actually almost as good as the previous 4.x version. It never fully recovered. I suspect more performance enhancements to make it before iOS 7.x is finished.
It looks as though there were a lot of little tweaks that they didn't quite finish before sending iOS 7 out the door and they've included those now. I don't recall anything in particular but it looks a bit more integrated already. Performance seems enhanced but not supremely fast. At least, nothing seems to have become worse...yet.
Update 2014.03.19: I guess I'm lucky. I'm new to using iOS 7.1 as a mobile hotspot and it seems to be just fine. I guess I spoke too soon. If I don't leave the hotspot functionality active, it isn't so good. There is trouble with the MacBook Pro finding it after a few times, and I have to re-boot the phone. It seems to occasionally connect, if I go back to the Personal Hotspot display, without re-booting. Those who were using the functionality prior to 7.1 are experiencing issues. In an episode of He said-She said, Apple is not taking responsibility, and naturally, the carriers are not.
At least, there will be another update before iOS 8.0.
Showing posts with label iPhone 5c. Show all posts
Showing posts with label iPhone 5c. Show all posts
Monday, March 10, 2014
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Do carriers boost the mobile hotspot data usage numbers?
Back in mid-2012, when I was looking for a mobile hotspot, I noticed that at almost unusable speeds, I was tearing through the Verizon Hotspot's 10 GB data limit. It didn't make any sense. Except for the trip from the Verizon store, I didn't have access to LTE. At home, I was barely able to get e-mail. Yet, most of the allotment was being used very quickly.
Saturday, I bought one of their newest hotspots and I'm already more than 33% through my monthly allotment of 5 GB. The firmware update was surely included in the usage, since obviously, that wouldn't go to the company. (Why put out a device that is updated when you can charge for the update indirectly?) I had 12 GB with Sprint, and even when I had 5 GB, it didn't go this quickly, though they seem to count all of their overhead as part of my usage.
Since there aren't a lot of alternatives here, I will be using the mobile hotspot, either the hardware device from Verizon, or the software functionality on the iPhone 5c from Sprint. I'm guessing that I'll be close on data at the end of the billing period.
The salesperson told me that Verizon charges $10 per 1 gigabyte over the limit, which doesn't seem horrible. I expected something more like $1 per extra megabyte.
To be clear, I had already stopped the automatic update of tablet applications. People often seem upset than Apple take so long to authorize an update to an application, but the other side is annoying. I see developers on Android updating their applications daily. I don't develop mobile software, but unless there is an emergency, why not get several updates into the app every week?
Of course, Google applications on (Mac) OS X can't be stopped. These days, I rarely find that Chrome hasn't been updated ahead of a notice on a news site, unless of course, I don't have a connection while I'm out. Picasa is the Google exception, and the company has major problems there. The Update menu item doesn't work. It never finds an update, even when there is one. When there is an update, I receive a pop-up dialog box asking me to run the installation. I do that, and when I go to one of normal user accounts (as opposed to Administrator), it asks that I download and install it there, also. Obviously, it's the same software across user accounts, download it once.
Update 2014.03.09: I'm about 40% through my monthly allotment in about 1 week. That's scary. I hope it isn't repeated the next month.
Update 2014.03.16: I'm about 80% through my monthly allotment, with half a month to go. I can only wonder as to what is using all the data, since I'm not watching videos. It looks as though Verizon doesn't count the same way as Sprint did. I would rarely go beyond 6 GB in a month. I'm going to end up using my Sprint phone as a hotspot, which could last me the rest of the month, but who knows?
Funny that ABC News was running a story about prepaid phone calls and how AT&T and T-Mobile charge you for the operational length of the call, rather than the talk time of the call. They said that Verizon only charged for the talk time. I hope that they're not making up for it here.
Update 2014.03.17: I've apparently used 0.765GB in almost exactly 48 hours. This will be the second time I've tried to update this blog entry with the addition of the graphic. Well, the graphic was still being held by Google, even though Blogger did not update this blog entry--small favors. In any case, I can only imagine that Google Maps is responsible for using so much data. I watch videos on my Unlimited Data phone, not through the hotspot.
Update 2014.03.19: I turned off the Mifi hotspot just after I read the total usage. When I went to the local affiliate to pay my first bill, I asked them about the current number and he had just switched from that page, but he said that it seemed to be what I mentioned. I was half-hoping that it would have still increased with it completely off, to prove that there was a problem.
Since I've been using the phone on Sprint as a hotspot for two days, usage has been minimal. I also noticed that MacRumors was mentioning a problem with iOS 7.1 and hotspot functionality, but since I didn't use it prior to 7.1, I am probably not having any issue.
Update 2014.03.21: I've been using my phone as a hotspot and it's been a bit troublesome if I stop the hotspot functionality.
It seems very different in usage but that may be because it's so slow most of the time, and in frustration, I leave the computer or tablet without achieving much, though it might be some other reason. I still find it humorous that Sprint wants to confuse the issue by measuring in KiloBytes. Maybe, it confuses them, too. It's sadly amusing that on their Sprint-labeled Speedtest.net page, they mistakenly identify the results in MegaBytes per second instead of MegaBits per second. I'm sure Sprint would have more customers if their data services were 8 times as fast. With the Tri-Fi hotspot, I often had trouble getting e-mail. Isn't that pathetic? I always thought that a dedicated device would be so much better than a phone doing double duty but not so with the Sierra Wireless/Netgear devices, especially since they offer cradles to boost the signal gain.
I caved and changed from 5 GB on Verizon to 10 GB per month. It's an extra $30, which is better than $10 per 1 GB or $50.
It's still easier to remember the phone than the mobile hotspot when I leave town for a quick trip. It's still important to watch the usage, as I could suddenly exceed 10 GB. e.g., I have the Asphalt 8 game on the phone and the Nexus 7 tablet. It's 1.5 GB on one and 1.3 GB on the other. Since they'll likely charge for their overhead, that 2.8 GB will probably balloon to 3.5 GB easily. Try finding some free WiFi source to let you update that much easily. I know of places but I'll have to drive 25-45 miles to go there.
Gaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!
I had not used 5 GB and I changed to 10 GB so, they gave me a lot less than 5 GB. For the sake of clarity, I should have had it start on the next billing period, don't you think?
I tried to call customer service but the sound was so awful, I couldn't really hear the menu options well. Was that a tactic to get me to change my phone to Verizon? I don't remember the problem in 2012. I don't make many phone calls, so who knows?
Update 2014.04.04: I needed to back date (retroactive) the plan to the first day of the period. They took my change on the 21st day of the month and used pro rata math to give me 3.871, which knowing my situation, no one knowledgeable and in their right mind would have done because it caused an overage.
Update 2015.01.31: This hit hard today, though I haven't been keeping track of my usage strictly.
Most of the month I've been using a FreedomPop home internet connection over LTE. If I go over 2 GB on Verizon, it's pretty much the same as 10 GB on FreedomPop. When I went over by 4 GB, uploading my new video work, I had to do something.
So, I didn't use the Verizon mobile hotspot until the 21st really. I was updating the computer and phone and it showed 2.2 GB, which is a lot from 10 GB monthly. Today, I got a message that I was over 75%--or over 7.5 GB. In the last 3 days, I've been working on a few videos from skateboarding, and a musical performance the other night. I find it difficult to believe that I used 6 GB, and only have about 1.4 GB remaining. Thankfully, that was after the latest group of videos were finished and up on YouTube. I was uploading to YouTube and Vimeo, so that's part of the problem, but Vimeo let me upload the full load of the second video and told me that it wasn't HD because I need to pay extra for more than a certain small amount.
In any case, it's going to be back to zero on the 2nd, but in the meantime, I have to be a bit more frugal.
Saturday, I bought one of their newest hotspots and I'm already more than 33% through my monthly allotment of 5 GB. The firmware update was surely included in the usage, since obviously, that wouldn't go to the company. (Why put out a device that is updated when you can charge for the update indirectly?) I had 12 GB with Sprint, and even when I had 5 GB, it didn't go this quickly, though they seem to count all of their overhead as part of my usage.
 |
| 3 full days |
Since there aren't a lot of alternatives here, I will be using the mobile hotspot, either the hardware device from Verizon, or the software functionality on the iPhone 5c from Sprint. I'm guessing that I'll be close on data at the end of the billing period.
The salesperson told me that Verizon charges $10 per 1 gigabyte over the limit, which doesn't seem horrible. I expected something more like $1 per extra megabyte.
To be clear, I had already stopped the automatic update of tablet applications. People often seem upset than Apple take so long to authorize an update to an application, but the other side is annoying. I see developers on Android updating their applications daily. I don't develop mobile software, but unless there is an emergency, why not get several updates into the app every week?
Of course, Google applications on (Mac) OS X can't be stopped. These days, I rarely find that Chrome hasn't been updated ahead of a notice on a news site, unless of course, I don't have a connection while I'm out. Picasa is the Google exception, and the company has major problems there. The Update menu item doesn't work. It never finds an update, even when there is one. When there is an update, I receive a pop-up dialog box asking me to run the installation. I do that, and when I go to one of normal user accounts (as opposed to Administrator), it asks that I download and install it there, also. Obviously, it's the same software across user accounts, download it once.
 |
| 1 full week |
Update 2014.03.09: I'm about 40% through my monthly allotment in about 1 week. That's scary. I hope it isn't repeated the next month.
 |
| 2 weeks |
Update 2014.03.16: I'm about 80% through my monthly allotment, with half a month to go. I can only wonder as to what is using all the data, since I'm not watching videos. It looks as though Verizon doesn't count the same way as Sprint did. I would rarely go beyond 6 GB in a month. I'm going to end up using my Sprint phone as a hotspot, which could last me the rest of the month, but who knows?
Funny that ABC News was running a story about prepaid phone calls and how AT&T and T-Mobile charge you for the operational length of the call, rather than the talk time of the call. They said that Verizon only charged for the talk time. I hope that they're not making up for it here.
Update 2014.03.17: I've apparently used 0.765GB in almost exactly 48 hours. This will be the second time I've tried to update this blog entry with the addition of the graphic. Well, the graphic was still being held by Google, even though Blogger did not update this blog entry--small favors. In any case, I can only imagine that Google Maps is responsible for using so much data. I watch videos on my Unlimited Data phone, not through the hotspot.
Update 2014.03.19: I turned off the Mifi hotspot just after I read the total usage. When I went to the local affiliate to pay my first bill, I asked them about the current number and he had just switched from that page, but he said that it seemed to be what I mentioned. I was half-hoping that it would have still increased with it completely off, to prove that there was a problem.
Since I've been using the phone on Sprint as a hotspot for two days, usage has been minimal. I also noticed that MacRumors was mentioning a problem with iOS 7.1 and hotspot functionality, but since I didn't use it prior to 7.1, I am probably not having any issue.
Update 2014.03.21: I've been using my phone as a hotspot and it's been a bit troublesome if I stop the hotspot functionality.
 |
| The next morning after turning off the MiFi hotspot |
 |
| 2.5 days after the first Sprint measure |
It seems very different in usage but that may be because it's so slow most of the time, and in frustration, I leave the computer or tablet without achieving much, though it might be some other reason. I still find it humorous that Sprint wants to confuse the issue by measuring in KiloBytes. Maybe, it confuses them, too. It's sadly amusing that on their Sprint-labeled Speedtest.net page, they mistakenly identify the results in MegaBytes per second instead of MegaBits per second. I'm sure Sprint would have more customers if their data services were 8 times as fast. With the Tri-Fi hotspot, I often had trouble getting e-mail. Isn't that pathetic? I always thought that a dedicated device would be so much better than a phone doing double duty but not so with the Sierra Wireless/Netgear devices, especially since they offer cradles to boost the signal gain.
I caved and changed from 5 GB on Verizon to 10 GB per month. It's an extra $30, which is better than $10 per 1 GB or $50.
It's still easier to remember the phone than the mobile hotspot when I leave town for a quick trip. It's still important to watch the usage, as I could suddenly exceed 10 GB. e.g., I have the Asphalt 8 game on the phone and the Nexus 7 tablet. It's 1.5 GB on one and 1.3 GB on the other. Since they'll likely charge for their overhead, that 2.8 GB will probably balloon to 3.5 GB easily. Try finding some free WiFi source to let you update that much easily. I know of places but I'll have to drive 25-45 miles to go there.
 |
| How does adding an extra 5 GB get to 3.871? |
Gaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!
I had not used 5 GB and I changed to 10 GB so, they gave me a lot less than 5 GB. For the sake of clarity, I should have had it start on the next billing period, don't you think?
 |
| I think Verizon may have a problem |
I tried to call customer service but the sound was so awful, I couldn't really hear the menu options well. Was that a tactic to get me to change my phone to Verizon? I don't remember the problem in 2012. I don't make many phone calls, so who knows?
Update 2014.04.04: I needed to back date (retroactive) the plan to the first day of the period. They took my change on the 21st day of the month and used pro rata math to give me 3.871, which knowing my situation, no one knowledgeable and in their right mind would have done because it caused an overage.
Update 2015.01.31: This hit hard today, though I haven't been keeping track of my usage strictly.
Most of the month I've been using a FreedomPop home internet connection over LTE. If I go over 2 GB on Verizon, it's pretty much the same as 10 GB on FreedomPop. When I went over by 4 GB, uploading my new video work, I had to do something.
So, I didn't use the Verizon mobile hotspot until the 21st really. I was updating the computer and phone and it showed 2.2 GB, which is a lot from 10 GB monthly. Today, I got a message that I was over 75%--or over 7.5 GB. In the last 3 days, I've been working on a few videos from skateboarding, and a musical performance the other night. I find it difficult to believe that I used 6 GB, and only have about 1.4 GB remaining. Thankfully, that was after the latest group of videos were finished and up on YouTube. I was uploading to YouTube and Vimeo, so that's part of the problem, but Vimeo let me upload the full load of the second video and told me that it wasn't HD because I need to pay extra for more than a certain small amount.
In any case, it's going to be back to zero on the 2nd, but in the meantime, I have to be a bit more frugal.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
No more Sierra Wireless/Netgear mobile hotspots
Is this odd that it follows my "No more Panasonic lenses" blog entry? It's been a week.
I've been fighting with my Sierra Wireless Tri-Fi mobile hotspot for quite a while. I got it in June 2012, after auditioning similar LTE devices from AT&T/SBC and Verizon Wireless. (N.B. you can't buy Sierra Wireless-named devices now--Netgear bought the company, so everything is labeled Netgear now. At the Sprint store there was another Netgear mobile hotspot with a cradle, this one a tri-band (Spark) LTE device. If it needs a cradle to work correctly, it's a poor design. Don't buy it! By the way, I'm not against Netgear networking equipment otherwise. In fact, I use it.)
At the time when I bought the hotspot in 2012, there wasn't much LTE coverage, and what was there was already overwhelmed. WiMAX was more likely to be available.
AT&T/SBC enabled HSPA in town, not HSPA+ but merely the so-so topology that was similarly constrained like EVDO Rev. A or B. Since most people were accustomed to GPRS or EDGE, it was reasonably fast. Today, it's likely bogged down with all the extra traffic, and there is no LTE.
Verizon offered LTE in town a couple of months after I took their device back to them but at the time I got the device, their 3G data speeds were worse than Sprint (getting e-mail was a problem), and their LTE speeds weren't great in an area that had already matured.
Today, the reality hit the fan.
I couldn't get a connection with the mobile hotspot at all. The device sat there between 15 and 30 minutes and wouldn't connect. I went to the store, which is about 2 miles from home. I tried to check-in with Yelp on the phone and even that didn't work outside or inside the store. (They're upgrading the towers for LTE, but if the phone doesn't work well, what's the point? The Sprint store and Verizon affiliate store are very close to the tower but so are the shopping centers. At Christmas, I could hardly get any service.)
In the store, I waited and waited, as Saturdays are busy. When someone talked to me, I tried to be calm. In the end, he told me to call customer service, and demand that my contract be canceled and that the ETF be credited so that I would pay nothing.
I drove near the Verizon Wireless affiliate, near the tower, so I could hope to make a clear call. I called and navigated the menu system to "end contract" or some such menu item. Janelle answered within the 30 seconds that they stated and we did a little dance.
In the end, she ended the contract, credited the account, so that I would pay nothing. I also had her turn on the Personal Hotspot feature on the phone, so I could at least get e-mail. She was extremely pleasant and took care of me well. They've increased the prices for the hotspot add-on. I think the 6 GB hotspot add-on was $49.99, instead of $29.99 for 5 GB previously, and I selected the 2 GB add-on for $19.99.
I walked into the Verizon Wireless reseller after the call. They had one beat-up mobile hotspot on display. When I got to talk to someone, I learned that they only had two others in the store. I chose the Novatel Wireless device. I'm trying to be a good American, okay? The other device was the ZTE (890L?) mobile hotspot I tried in 2012, and I would rather have a newer, less intensive chipset for better battery life, especially since the batteries were half the size (1800 mAh vs 3600 mAh) of the Sierra Wireless unit I'd been using. I read my initial blog entry and I had problems with that ZTE brand device but lots of firmware changes have probably fixed everything.
About $120 got me out the door, will 2 years of walk-in-trade-in insurance on the device. $60 for insurance seems okay considering that it would have been $8 per month with Asurion, which would be $192 over 2 years.
When I arrived home, I got connected with the computer. I got 12.79 Mbps down and 4..25 Mbps up. Unfortunately, it hasn't worked since then. It went to do an update and it froze at 48%. I powered off and powered on, and selected the update and it was downloaded completely, and took a very long time to do the actual update. It still isn't working for me. I just checked the tablet again.
Thankfully, while I was terminating the Sprint mobile hotspot, I had the representative enable the Personal Hotspot feature and that is working exceptionally well, as I would expect the connection to be. Unfortunately, their add-on prices were enormous and I only went to 2 GB, Sprint overhead and all. It's an emergency substitute and of course, when the Verizon mobile hotspot is close on data. Verizon charges $10 for an extra Gigabyte which seemed very reasonable, as Sprint has been a pain for overages, not that I've had any for a long time, but they really promote you going with a heavy plan.
So, now, back to the Verizon store to see what the !@#$ problem is.
Who knows? I took my laptop computer, my 2013 Nexus 7 tablet, and the MiFi mobile hotspot. Everything worked perfectly in the store and here at home now. I hope there are no further problems.
It's still fine, although it hasn't been quite as fast. I suspect that as the evening progressed, more people headed to this side of town where more restaurants and shopping exist. When the winter storm hits, I would imagine speeds will be increased--or not decreased as much as when things are busy.
I also returned to the Sprint store to tell them how much better the iPhone 5c handled hotspot duties than the dedicated hotspot device. Isn't that sad that the device wasn't better? They were surprised also.
Update 2014.03.02: The lack of the Tri-Fi hotspot seems to have left the iPhone 5c in a better state of communication. It seems to be faster and smoother in communication with the towers. Could the Tri-Fi have been interfering with this (and the previous iPhone 4s) phone over 1.5 years? That's just scary that one device could be so disruptive, especially since it was meant to be so helpful by granting access to three different topologies/technologies.
Update 2014.03.04: As I wondered back in 2012, I wonder if Verizon cheats on their usage numbers. It has been 3 full days, and I've already used over 1 GB (20%) without any video. I've always felt that Sprint charges me for their overhead, as well as my traffic, but this seems ridiculous. I didn't check to see how much the firmware update cost me, but I'm sure they didn't do that for free.
I tried to write a review of the Tri-Fi mobile hotspot and I was careful to only use the truth, but Sprint don't approve of service-related talk. How can you discuss an item's connectivity without touching on how well it connects?
Update 2014.03.29: Thankfully, the Novatel Wireless MiFi-5510L has performed well. Its touch-capable buttons are not very responsive, but what counts is the connectivity between the computer, tablet, and the internet. That works. Even the iPhone 5c as a mobile hotspot is quite good, though it can be stubborn connecting to the computer, another Apple product, at times.
I extended the Verizon plan to 10 GB, and at the switchover on the 21st, instead of saving 10 GB, it gave an odd, seemingly-unrelated number. I checked earlier and it was just over 9 GB, even though it had several days away. It is now completely off and disconnected. Verizon's $10 per 1 GB isn't so much but I'd rather not use it since I also have the phone for overages, and for those trips where I forget the mobile hotspot device. That gives me the original 12 GB I had on Sprint, but with two devices which hopefully will not be down at the same time. Since Sprint didn't discount anything, I expect the cost to be about the same.
Sprint is testing the waters with LTE in town, so the phone seems to be much better even on 3G/EVDO. At some point in the next few days, LTE will supposedly be deployed on Sprint towers.
I've been fighting with my Sierra Wireless Tri-Fi mobile hotspot for quite a while. I got it in June 2012, after auditioning similar LTE devices from AT&T/SBC and Verizon Wireless. (N.B. you can't buy Sierra Wireless-named devices now--Netgear bought the company, so everything is labeled Netgear now. At the Sprint store there was another Netgear mobile hotspot with a cradle, this one a tri-band (Spark) LTE device. If it needs a cradle to work correctly, it's a poor design. Don't buy it! By the way, I'm not against Netgear networking equipment otherwise. In fact, I use it.)
At the time when I bought the hotspot in 2012, there wasn't much LTE coverage, and what was there was already overwhelmed. WiMAX was more likely to be available.
AT&T/SBC enabled HSPA in town, not HSPA+ but merely the so-so topology that was similarly constrained like EVDO Rev. A or B. Since most people were accustomed to GPRS or EDGE, it was reasonably fast. Today, it's likely bogged down with all the extra traffic, and there is no LTE.
Verizon offered LTE in town a couple of months after I took their device back to them but at the time I got the device, their 3G data speeds were worse than Sprint (getting e-mail was a problem), and their LTE speeds weren't great in an area that had already matured.
Today, the reality hit the fan.
I couldn't get a connection with the mobile hotspot at all. The device sat there between 15 and 30 minutes and wouldn't connect. I went to the store, which is about 2 miles from home. I tried to check-in with Yelp on the phone and even that didn't work outside or inside the store. (They're upgrading the towers for LTE, but if the phone doesn't work well, what's the point? The Sprint store and Verizon affiliate store are very close to the tower but so are the shopping centers. At Christmas, I could hardly get any service.)
In the store, I waited and waited, as Saturdays are busy. When someone talked to me, I tried to be calm. In the end, he told me to call customer service, and demand that my contract be canceled and that the ETF be credited so that I would pay nothing.
I drove near the Verizon Wireless affiliate, near the tower, so I could hope to make a clear call. I called and navigated the menu system to "end contract" or some such menu item. Janelle answered within the 30 seconds that they stated and we did a little dance.
In the end, she ended the contract, credited the account, so that I would pay nothing. I also had her turn on the Personal Hotspot feature on the phone, so I could at least get e-mail. She was extremely pleasant and took care of me well. They've increased the prices for the hotspot add-on. I think the 6 GB hotspot add-on was $49.99, instead of $29.99 for 5 GB previously, and I selected the 2 GB add-on for $19.99.
I walked into the Verizon Wireless reseller after the call. They had one beat-up mobile hotspot on display. When I got to talk to someone, I learned that they only had two others in the store. I chose the Novatel Wireless device. I'm trying to be a good American, okay? The other device was the ZTE (890L?) mobile hotspot I tried in 2012, and I would rather have a newer, less intensive chipset for better battery life, especially since the batteries were half the size (1800 mAh vs 3600 mAh) of the Sierra Wireless unit I'd been using. I read my initial blog entry and I had problems with that ZTE brand device but lots of firmware changes have probably fixed everything.
About $120 got me out the door, will 2 years of walk-in-trade-in insurance on the device. $60 for insurance seems okay considering that it would have been $8 per month with Asurion, which would be $192 over 2 years.
 |
| Sprint LTE in Trotwood, OH |
 |
| Verizon LTE in Richmond, IN |
Thankfully, while I was terminating the Sprint mobile hotspot, I had the representative enable the Personal Hotspot feature and that is working exceptionally well, as I would expect the connection to be. Unfortunately, their add-on prices were enormous and I only went to 2 GB, Sprint overhead and all. It's an emergency substitute and of course, when the Verizon mobile hotspot is close on data. Verizon charges $10 for an extra Gigabyte which seemed very reasonable, as Sprint has been a pain for overages, not that I've had any for a long time, but they really promote you going with a heavy plan.
So, now, back to the Verizon store to see what the !@#$ problem is.
Who knows? I took my laptop computer, my 2013 Nexus 7 tablet, and the MiFi mobile hotspot. Everything worked perfectly in the store and here at home now. I hope there are no further problems.
It's still fine, although it hasn't been quite as fast. I suspect that as the evening progressed, more people headed to this side of town where more restaurants and shopping exist. When the winter storm hits, I would imagine speeds will be increased--or not decreased as much as when things are busy.
I also returned to the Sprint store to tell them how much better the iPhone 5c handled hotspot duties than the dedicated hotspot device. Isn't that sad that the device wasn't better? They were surprised also.
Update 2014.03.02: The lack of the Tri-Fi hotspot seems to have left the iPhone 5c in a better state of communication. It seems to be faster and smoother in communication with the towers. Could the Tri-Fi have been interfering with this (and the previous iPhone 4s) phone over 1.5 years? That's just scary that one device could be so disruptive, especially since it was meant to be so helpful by granting access to three different topologies/technologies.
 |
| 3 full days |
 |
| 1 full week |
Update 2014.03.04: As I wondered back in 2012, I wonder if Verizon cheats on their usage numbers. It has been 3 full days, and I've already used over 1 GB (20%) without any video. I've always felt that Sprint charges me for their overhead, as well as my traffic, but this seems ridiculous. I didn't check to see how much the firmware update cost me, but I'm sure they didn't do that for free.
I tried to write a review of the Tri-Fi mobile hotspot and I was careful to only use the truth, but Sprint don't approve of service-related talk. How can you discuss an item's connectivity without touching on how well it connects?
Update 2014.03.29: Thankfully, the Novatel Wireless MiFi-5510L has performed well. Its touch-capable buttons are not very responsive, but what counts is the connectivity between the computer, tablet, and the internet. That works. Even the iPhone 5c as a mobile hotspot is quite good, though it can be stubborn connecting to the computer, another Apple product, at times.
I extended the Verizon plan to 10 GB, and at the switchover on the 21st, instead of saving 10 GB, it gave an odd, seemingly-unrelated number. I checked earlier and it was just over 9 GB, even though it had several days away. It is now completely off and disconnected. Verizon's $10 per 1 GB isn't so much but I'd rather not use it since I also have the phone for overages, and for those trips where I forget the mobile hotspot device. That gives me the original 12 GB I had on Sprint, but with two devices which hopefully will not be down at the same time. Since Sprint didn't discount anything, I expect the cost to be about the same.
Sprint is testing the waters with LTE in town, so the phone seems to be much better even on 3G/EVDO. At some point in the next few days, LTE will supposedly be deployed on Sprint towers.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
iPhone 5c cases: Otterbox Defender vs Ballistic SG MAXX
Bottom line: I'm using a Ballistic SG MAXX with an Invisible Shield screen protector.
Since I got my iPhone 5c, it's been inside an Otterbox Defender case. I didn't even have a chance to handle it at the store. This is much the same situation I had with my iPhone 4s, until such time as I needed to wash the case.
The big difference between the two Otterbox Defender cases was the fit. Where the iPhone 4s case was sloppy, the 5c case was taut, and vice versa. There was one huge problem: the fit of the screen protector. It didn't fit against the surface of the display, so that there were two presses--one press against the screen protector and another as the screen protector contacted the display. It made for poor touch screen performance because you wouldn't actually end up pressing precisely where you intended.
There seem to be hundreds of reviews on Amazon.com about the screen protector, and I was told by the salesperson at the Sprint store that three of his customers simply cut away the screen protector. However, on a US$49.99 product that should have been designed correctly, I wasn't about to damage it intentionally. There is something about being first to market with your product, but if being first brings you hate mail because of an incorrect design, why not wait?
So, I bought a Ballstic SG MAXX (apparently renamed to Tough Jacket Maxx) for my iPhone 5c. Apparently, the Hard Core case is not available for this device. Amidst the Christmas buying and shipping season, I waited a few days for this case to arrive from the Miami, Florida area, normally an 24 hour drive for me.
It arrived in a fairly big box with only the case in a Ziploc-type bag with the paperwork inside it. There was no packing. There were no instructions but there was a "Ballistic" sticker that I could use along with my Apple stickers.
Getting the phone out of the Defender case was the big deal. I suspect no one at Otterbox considered that one would remove it, ever. Taking away the rubbery silicone layer isn't difficult. Being careful avoids damage, of course. Removing the hard shell is the painful part. As with the 4s case, looking from the back, you release the clips on the left and right sides. Replacing the 4s case clip on top is a !@#$ tiny piece of plastic which acts as a retainer on the 5c case. It's impossible to grasp, and I couldn't seem to make it collapse by pressing on it. Somehow, with a little force, I managed to release it. At that point, you tilt the back and remove it (as with the 4s case), and remove the phone from the front piece.
The SG MAXX case was quite different. The rubbery silicone fits on the phone first, along with the somewhat rigid screen protector, which is a separate, loose piece. You then add the hard shell, and work with the silicone piece to make sure everything is covered properly. It can be placed in the holster at this point. There was an included graphic on the interior of the holster depicting another product, but reminding you to face the display inward to avoid damage.
It works quite well, although the screen protector gives a sparkly, matte look to the display. However, as a thin sheet, it can be removed easily and something else, such as Invisible Shield can be put in place instead. Having been out into the world to use the phone and case, I've noticed something odd. It doesn't want to stay in the holster all that securely. Maybe, it's something I've done and it's wider than it should be. I'll keep working on it. Update 2013.12.29: That didn't take long to annoy. The fit of the screen protector is not quite right, and changes the more you mess with the case. I finally removed it and bought an Invisible Shield protector for another US$14.95, which means that I've spent over US$100 on two cases and one screen protector. Grrrrr.
For those trying to impress people with your Apple-ness, the logo on the back is not visible with the Ballistic SG MAXX case. With the Defender case, it wasn't centered properly, but it was visible. My take is that it's better not to show it. If people think that they can steal something to sell it later, they will try. Besides, it's just a phone, and it's not worth your life.
I'm not quite sure whether I'm going to try to return the Otterbox Defender to the point of sale or request an RMA to send it to them for a warranty exchange. They really need to know what's wrong with it, although I suspect that they know quite well, and have re-designed the case after getting an iPhone 5c.
Update 2014.06.12: This morning, the little flap over the Lightning connecter port broke. I guess it shouldn't be totally unexpected. I have to move it out of the way frequently, and the phone goes into the holster and that goes into the pocket a lot. Will I notice a difference in protection? Probably, I won't. The rest of the case, both hard and soft parts seem to be okay.
Update 2014.08.24: A month or so ago, I was in a mall and someone selling cases was pushy and told me that Otterbox had glass as their latest screen protector. Recently, Invisible Shield also has a glass version. Certainly, it would be helpful for maximum display clarity. My Ballistic SG MAXX case continues to be fine, even after dropping it a few more times.
Update 2014.12.13: I've switched to the iPhone 6, and I refused to buy another Otterbox Defender, since it was so difficult to remove. All the Sprint kiosk had otherwise, was a Griffin case that said it had been tested to 3 feet. About a week later, I found some Best Buy-only Ballistic brand cases at, you guessed it, Best Buy. I bought the Tungsten Tough for $39.99. It mostly seems like the SG MAXX/Tough Jacket Maxx without the holster clip, but it has an aluminum plate on the back, as though it is hiding that it is a Ballistic product.
Update 2016.11.16: I've got an iPhone 7 and a pair of Ballistic cases of it. Read more here.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
I bought an iPhone 5c (over the LG G2) and stayed with my carrier, Sprint
There is always hope, but sometime, it's almost minimal. That's how things are today.
Friday, I went back to the local Sprint store and traded my iPhone 4S for an iPhone 5c. Everyone working at the store was wearing an LG G2 t-shirt. I really thought about buying a G2 or the Google Nexus 5. I wasn't 100% sure about either for various reasons. They're both big. The Nexus 5 didn't have Otterbox or similar brand cases, and it only came in a 16 GB capacity. The G2 had 32 GB capacity but I was uncertain about operating system updates and the various complaints against the interface, even though it has the Sprint ID crap on top of the Sprint version--something I know that didn't get in the way too much.
You can call me cheap but the iPhone 5c fits my conservative feeling about technology. I've already read too much about weirdness with the iPhone 5s, as I read about troubles with the iPhone 5 when it was new, and I generally don't go for the first of Apple's trial runs because I've paid painfully for being first.
The iPhone 5c is slightly more technically than the iPhone 5, in a newer design. It has 2 bands for LTE, rather than 1. If Sprint were deploying all 3 bands soon, and LTE was my main goal, then the G2 or Nexus 5 would have been better choices. However, the 1900 MHz and 2500 MHz bands will do, with the 800 MHz band coming later. The Sierra Wireless/Netgear mobile hotspot I have only does 1900 MHz for LTE and 2500 MHz for WiMAX, and only 1900 MHz for EVDO. By the time I get my next phone, everything will be settled.
Still, US199.99 for the 32 GB iPhone 5c and a trade-in value of $143 for my iPhone 4S, made a difference of $56.99, which is a cheap price to switch a generation (or two, if you look at the timing). Of course, I had to buy another AppleCare+ plan for $99.00 but that's not bad, and then, a cable with a Lightning connector. It wasn't cheap, but for the quality, it wasn't expensive really. Monoprice would have a better deal, but I didn't order it ahead of time and deals at Target or Best Buy were worse than Sprint. I ended up giving all of my extra iPhone 4S accessories to a friend who still has his. At some point, Lightning cables and accessories will become common, and therefore, inexpensive.
The only thing that doesn't seem a great deal is the Ottberbox Defender case for US$49.99. Of course, it's changed for the new form. What seemed sloppy in the iPhone 4S case is taut and what was taut in that case is now loose. The screen protector is no longer hard plastic and there is a gap, so you must press the plastic against the display. Does this protect it better? I don't think so because dust can enter through the opening for the Home button and the speaker/front camera opening. Oddly, the porthole for the Apple logo is not correctly placed.
The fit of the case is so much better overall and the Lighning port cover doesn't close accidentally as did the cover for the 30 pin connector. The case is gray and white, so that seems a bit more appealing (at the moment) than the older, black-only case. In fact, Otterbox has several color combinations available by special order. I doubt retailers will carry them all. (Update 2014.01.05: I've changed to the Ballistic SG MAXX, which has apparently been renamed Hard Jacket Maxx or something like that, plus added an Invisible Shield screen protector because the Defender screen protector made it difficult to work the phone.)
As far as usage goes, the phone feels faster, as it should stepping from the A5 processor to the A6 processor. It would have been nice to get the A6x but it probably generates too much heat in a small package. Besides, the cost was likely too much to add it and price the phone were it is.
I had a chance on Saturday to gauge LTE, when I was at a Panasonic photo/video workshop at a camera store in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. I was recently at that store for a product introduction for Olympus, and LTE wasn't healthy. At 0.75 Mbps, I found it mostly useless. Sprintcare advised me that two towers were down and putting strain on single tower. Saturday, a couple of months later, I got 1.0 Mbps, which certainly doesn't even look like 5 Mbps or 10, 15, 20, or 25 Mbps that this technology is supposed to allow. Obviously, the buildout is still in its infancy.
Further into the suburbs, I got not quite 3 Mbps, and there were gaps in coverage along the way. When I was in Greenwood Park mall, one end switched all the way down to 1xRTT (thankfully not the circle since iOS 7 but it's labeled 1x), but near the Sprint kiosk, there was LTE available, not that it worked very well, but it was present.
I was told to expect LTE here in 6 months. Given my 60+ mile drive home, I have no doubt that it will be deployed along I-70, as it went quite a way, covering several small towns along the interstate highway. It stopped in the middle of nowhere, not at an intersection along the highway, which seemed odd to me, but I'm not a communications planner. With about 38 more miles to get to the town where I am now, it looks like progress is actually happening in a very backward area that only got 3G service in early 2009.
When I was outside Cincinnati today, in the Springdale area, I noticed the LTE indicator on the phone. Cincinnati is not an announced area, as far as I know, and the WiMAX there is more overloaded than the 3G service, so it was surprising to see the results.
As for the increased resolution, there is room for an extra row of icons and using my backup from the iPhone 4S, it looks a bit lonely toward the bottom. I wish that they would let me expand the favorite apps at the bottom into two rows. It's not as though it's a hardship, but it could be more convenient. Apple is learning, but learning so slowly that the rest of us need a class on patience.
I'm sure someone out there thinks that I'm ridiculously stupid for staying with a CDMA phone. Here is my reasoning: There was a demonstration of how you could use a $15 phone and a little bit of knowledge to fake a GSM tower and listen to conversations. It's not that I make a lot of conversations, secretive or otherwise, but it's ridiculous to open yourself up when you give that credit card number over the phone and a third party is listening.
They call CDMA old, but GSM goes back to the 1980s--further than CDMA really. I'm excited about VoLTE--voice over LTE technology, where we can give up both GSM and CDMA but it's going to be later in the decade.
Update 2013.11.26: Two weeks have passed already? The phone has proven itself. LTE, where available, works well. I don't see that the phone can fix communications problems but at least, it's not making them worse, as it seemed to be with the iPhone 4S or the LG Optimus S. Perhaps, Qualcomm is better now or it's just that the antenna configuration is much better. I'm holding the phone the same way as always. For a moment yesterday, I was thinking of my Sanyo PM-8200 with the pull-out antenna. That phone had amazing sound but flip phones could be thicker then. Having a phone that sounded better than a landline phone was incredible at that time. It was only when I got to the premium Samsung A900 that my expectations went down.
I was going to say that my problem with compass interference had completely gone away, but I can only say that it's minimized. I haven't seen the actual message about compass interference, but I find that the map is looking the wrong way occasionally.
I haven't seen anything terrible, which is both great and expected of what is mostly a 1 year old phone with some enhancements. When iOS 7 is more mature, I expect that it will be as good as a phone can be.
My 2013 Google Nexus 7 tablet will fill my need for Android.
Update 2013.12.06: My pro rata bill came and that's always a time for panic as it is big. The bill was almost exactly the same, except for the US$36.00 activation fee and AppleCare+ for US$99.00, and of course, there was additional tax because of those two. It's a bit more (~US$60+) than my bill from two years ago when I got the iPhone 4s when they started charging the smart phone premium data fee but I don't recall much about the changes.
Service has been unhappy and great in alternating cycles. LTE is still months away, though it works in the small town of Eaton in Ohio about 12 miles away, though no longer in the Cincinnati area. It would be great to have a really good response from the devices, although the iPhone 5c generally works better than the mobile hotspot. How any carrier buys products to work with their supplied connections, and they don't really work together well, I will never understand. All the carriers seem to have the same problems and it's never their fault, just like the cable company.
Update 2014.01.05: I am definitely not pleased with service lately. It's likely because of holiday shopping and ongoing upgrade work, but service at home is unusable at times. I don't mean that it's pathetically slow. I mean that it's time to shut off the phone slow because nothing is getting data. The mobile hotspot is worse for whatever reason. Checking the network.sprint.com website shows me that cows and horses about 6 miles east of here have LTE service and it's arriving from all sides, but when tiny towns have the service and a town of 35,000 doesn't, it makes me wonder what the priorities are. The phone is great however and hasn't disappointed at all.
Update 2014.03.26: After spending several months with the latest version of Android (4.4.2) and recently updating the iPhone 5c to iOS 7.1, I couldn't be more pleased that I didn't get an Android-based phone. There is always something just a little bit off about Android. Thankfully, the tablet isn't bad as its 2012 counterpart was. I like the 2013 Nexus 7, and it's a much better piece of hardware than the iPad mini but it would be good if Google fixed the operating system, so it wasn't a pig and the battery wasn't half depleted if I leave it off the charger all night.
The iPhone 5c has recently taken up mobile hotspot duties and it works well enough, but there seem to be some flaws in the functionality in iOS 7.1. Otherwise, the phone is quite good, which should be expected since it is a warmed-over iPhone 5 with dual band LTE. LTE works quite well, and I've seen over 12 Mbps with it. However, at home, I'm still struggling with service. I suspect the technician is the same one who couldn't get 3G/EVDO working on schedule, and can't keep the network working consistently either.
I'm no longer using the Otterbox Defender case. I switched to a Ballistic SG MAXX case, tossed the screen protector, and bought an Invisible Shield screen protector. It was a lot of money, but not wasted.
Update 2014.11.26: It's been over a year with the iPhone 5c and it's still a good phone. Thankfully, the rather broken iOS 7.x has been replaced with the somewhat broken iOS 8.1.1 finally. I think Sprint is still my biggest hurdle, but I don't see good alternatives. My service is only really bad at home.
Given that I'm using the SG MAXX case (and they've changed the name of that model), there have been no destructive drops. I'm pleased that the case is both strong and that I can remove it easily.
If there is one odd problem with the phone, it's something that seems to have happened recently. Syncing with the computer has become flaky. I switched from the long, Sprint-supplied cable to the original, short Apple-supplied cable and it is more reliable, but not 100%.
However, part of the problem could be that I upgraded to OS X 10.9.5 about the same time as I upgraded the phone to iOS 8.1. It could also be that my MacBook Pro is often in the backpack with me, but that shouldn't loosen just the USB ports. I'd expect that it would loosen practically everything.
32GB seems not to be quite enough, possibly because the apps are arriving in 32-bit/64-bit combos with enhanced artwork for the upgraded resolutions for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. I have a little bit over 16 GB of music (256 Kbps mp3 encoding), so the rest of the storage is related to apps. Asphalt 8 and Galaxy on Fire 2 (HD) take a lot of storage for data.
In any case, I'm still pleased with the iPhone 5c.
Friday, I went back to the local Sprint store and traded my iPhone 4S for an iPhone 5c. Everyone working at the store was wearing an LG G2 t-shirt. I really thought about buying a G2 or the Google Nexus 5. I wasn't 100% sure about either for various reasons. They're both big. The Nexus 5 didn't have Otterbox or similar brand cases, and it only came in a 16 GB capacity. The G2 had 32 GB capacity but I was uncertain about operating system updates and the various complaints against the interface, even though it has the Sprint ID crap on top of the Sprint version--something I know that didn't get in the way too much.
You can call me cheap but the iPhone 5c fits my conservative feeling about technology. I've already read too much about weirdness with the iPhone 5s, as I read about troubles with the iPhone 5 when it was new, and I generally don't go for the first of Apple's trial runs because I've paid painfully for being first.
The iPhone 5c is slightly more technically than the iPhone 5, in a newer design. It has 2 bands for LTE, rather than 1. If Sprint were deploying all 3 bands soon, and LTE was my main goal, then the G2 or Nexus 5 would have been better choices. However, the 1900 MHz and 2500 MHz bands will do, with the 800 MHz band coming later. The Sierra Wireless/Netgear mobile hotspot I have only does 1900 MHz for LTE and 2500 MHz for WiMAX, and only 1900 MHz for EVDO. By the time I get my next phone, everything will be settled.
Still, US199.99 for the 32 GB iPhone 5c and a trade-in value of $143 for my iPhone 4S, made a difference of $56.99, which is a cheap price to switch a generation (or two, if you look at the timing). Of course, I had to buy another AppleCare+ plan for $99.00 but that's not bad, and then, a cable with a Lightning connector. It wasn't cheap, but for the quality, it wasn't expensive really. Monoprice would have a better deal, but I didn't order it ahead of time and deals at Target or Best Buy were worse than Sprint. I ended up giving all of my extra iPhone 4S accessories to a friend who still has his. At some point, Lightning cables and accessories will become common, and therefore, inexpensive.
The only thing that doesn't seem a great deal is the Ottberbox Defender case for US$49.99. Of course, it's changed for the new form. What seemed sloppy in the iPhone 4S case is taut and what was taut in that case is now loose. The screen protector is no longer hard plastic and there is a gap, so you must press the plastic against the display. Does this protect it better? I don't think so because dust can enter through the opening for the Home button and the speaker/front camera opening. Oddly, the porthole for the Apple logo is not correctly placed.
The fit of the case is so much better overall and the Lighning port cover doesn't close accidentally as did the cover for the 30 pin connector. The case is gray and white, so that seems a bit more appealing (at the moment) than the older, black-only case. In fact, Otterbox has several color combinations available by special order. I doubt retailers will carry them all. (Update 2014.01.05: I've changed to the Ballistic SG MAXX, which has apparently been renamed Hard Jacket Maxx or something like that, plus added an Invisible Shield screen protector because the Defender screen protector made it difficult to work the phone.)
As far as usage goes, the phone feels faster, as it should stepping from the A5 processor to the A6 processor. It would have been nice to get the A6x but it probably generates too much heat in a small package. Besides, the cost was likely too much to add it and price the phone were it is.
I had a chance on Saturday to gauge LTE, when I was at a Panasonic photo/video workshop at a camera store in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. I was recently at that store for a product introduction for Olympus, and LTE wasn't healthy. At 0.75 Mbps, I found it mostly useless. Sprintcare advised me that two towers were down and putting strain on single tower. Saturday, a couple of months later, I got 1.0 Mbps, which certainly doesn't even look like 5 Mbps or 10, 15, 20, or 25 Mbps that this technology is supposed to allow. Obviously, the buildout is still in its infancy.
Further into the suburbs, I got not quite 3 Mbps, and there were gaps in coverage along the way. When I was in Greenwood Park mall, one end switched all the way down to 1xRTT (thankfully not the circle since iOS 7 but it's labeled 1x), but near the Sprint kiosk, there was LTE available, not that it worked very well, but it was present.
I was told to expect LTE here in 6 months. Given my 60+ mile drive home, I have no doubt that it will be deployed along I-70, as it went quite a way, covering several small towns along the interstate highway. It stopped in the middle of nowhere, not at an intersection along the highway, which seemed odd to me, but I'm not a communications planner. With about 38 more miles to get to the town where I am now, it looks like progress is actually happening in a very backward area that only got 3G service in early 2009.
When I was outside Cincinnati today, in the Springdale area, I noticed the LTE indicator on the phone. Cincinnati is not an announced area, as far as I know, and the WiMAX there is more overloaded than the 3G service, so it was surprising to see the results.
As for the increased resolution, there is room for an extra row of icons and using my backup from the iPhone 4S, it looks a bit lonely toward the bottom. I wish that they would let me expand the favorite apps at the bottom into two rows. It's not as though it's a hardship, but it could be more convenient. Apple is learning, but learning so slowly that the rest of us need a class on patience.
I'm sure someone out there thinks that I'm ridiculously stupid for staying with a CDMA phone. Here is my reasoning: There was a demonstration of how you could use a $15 phone and a little bit of knowledge to fake a GSM tower and listen to conversations. It's not that I make a lot of conversations, secretive or otherwise, but it's ridiculous to open yourself up when you give that credit card number over the phone and a third party is listening.
They call CDMA old, but GSM goes back to the 1980s--further than CDMA really. I'm excited about VoLTE--voice over LTE technology, where we can give up both GSM and CDMA but it's going to be later in the decade.
Update 2013.11.26: Two weeks have passed already? The phone has proven itself. LTE, where available, works well. I don't see that the phone can fix communications problems but at least, it's not making them worse, as it seemed to be with the iPhone 4S or the LG Optimus S. Perhaps, Qualcomm is better now or it's just that the antenna configuration is much better. I'm holding the phone the same way as always. For a moment yesterday, I was thinking of my Sanyo PM-8200 with the pull-out antenna. That phone had amazing sound but flip phones could be thicker then. Having a phone that sounded better than a landline phone was incredible at that time. It was only when I got to the premium Samsung A900 that my expectations went down.
I was going to say that my problem with compass interference had completely gone away, but I can only say that it's minimized. I haven't seen the actual message about compass interference, but I find that the map is looking the wrong way occasionally.
I haven't seen anything terrible, which is both great and expected of what is mostly a 1 year old phone with some enhancements. When iOS 7 is more mature, I expect that it will be as good as a phone can be.
My 2013 Google Nexus 7 tablet will fill my need for Android.
Update 2013.12.06: My pro rata bill came and that's always a time for panic as it is big. The bill was almost exactly the same, except for the US$36.00 activation fee and AppleCare+ for US$99.00, and of course, there was additional tax because of those two. It's a bit more (~US$60+) than my bill from two years ago when I got the iPhone 4s when they started charging the smart phone premium data fee but I don't recall much about the changes.
Service has been unhappy and great in alternating cycles. LTE is still months away, though it works in the small town of Eaton in Ohio about 12 miles away, though no longer in the Cincinnati area. It would be great to have a really good response from the devices, although the iPhone 5c generally works better than the mobile hotspot. How any carrier buys products to work with their supplied connections, and they don't really work together well, I will never understand. All the carriers seem to have the same problems and it's never their fault, just like the cable company.
Update 2014.01.05: I am definitely not pleased with service lately. It's likely because of holiday shopping and ongoing upgrade work, but service at home is unusable at times. I don't mean that it's pathetically slow. I mean that it's time to shut off the phone slow because nothing is getting data. The mobile hotspot is worse for whatever reason. Checking the network.sprint.com website shows me that cows and horses about 6 miles east of here have LTE service and it's arriving from all sides, but when tiny towns have the service and a town of 35,000 doesn't, it makes me wonder what the priorities are. The phone is great however and hasn't disappointed at all.
Update 2014.03.26: After spending several months with the latest version of Android (4.4.2) and recently updating the iPhone 5c to iOS 7.1, I couldn't be more pleased that I didn't get an Android-based phone. There is always something just a little bit off about Android. Thankfully, the tablet isn't bad as its 2012 counterpart was. I like the 2013 Nexus 7, and it's a much better piece of hardware than the iPad mini but it would be good if Google fixed the operating system, so it wasn't a pig and the battery wasn't half depleted if I leave it off the charger all night.
The iPhone 5c has recently taken up mobile hotspot duties and it works well enough, but there seem to be some flaws in the functionality in iOS 7.1. Otherwise, the phone is quite good, which should be expected since it is a warmed-over iPhone 5 with dual band LTE. LTE works quite well, and I've seen over 12 Mbps with it. However, at home, I'm still struggling with service. I suspect the technician is the same one who couldn't get 3G/EVDO working on schedule, and can't keep the network working consistently either.
I'm no longer using the Otterbox Defender case. I switched to a Ballistic SG MAXX case, tossed the screen protector, and bought an Invisible Shield screen protector. It was a lot of money, but not wasted.
Update 2014.11.26: It's been over a year with the iPhone 5c and it's still a good phone. Thankfully, the rather broken iOS 7.x has been replaced with the somewhat broken iOS 8.1.1 finally. I think Sprint is still my biggest hurdle, but I don't see good alternatives. My service is only really bad at home.
Given that I'm using the SG MAXX case (and they've changed the name of that model), there have been no destructive drops. I'm pleased that the case is both strong and that I can remove it easily.
If there is one odd problem with the phone, it's something that seems to have happened recently. Syncing with the computer has become flaky. I switched from the long, Sprint-supplied cable to the original, short Apple-supplied cable and it is more reliable, but not 100%.
However, part of the problem could be that I upgraded to OS X 10.9.5 about the same time as I upgraded the phone to iOS 8.1. It could also be that my MacBook Pro is often in the backpack with me, but that shouldn't loosen just the USB ports. I'd expect that it would loosen practically everything.
32GB seems not to be quite enough, possibly because the apps are arriving in 32-bit/64-bit combos with enhanced artwork for the upgraded resolutions for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. I have a little bit over 16 GB of music (256 Kbps mp3 encoding), so the rest of the storage is related to apps. Asphalt 8 and Galaxy on Fire 2 (HD) take a lot of storage for data.
In any case, I'm still pleased with the iPhone 5c.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
14 days until end of mobile phone contract (solved and switched)
It's been a very long time since I wasn't on a contract with my mobile phone provider. At that time, I had a Motorola StarTac, which served me really well, and I got the phone at a huge discount, considering it cost me $9.99. These phones had been something like US$3000 when they first arrived on the scene.
Since then, I've gone through a number of phones, as technology changed, especially with the 3G data access. I ended up wanting a fast phone, and then, I wanted to be able to tether it to the computer, so I would have internet access anywhere. As I progressed and started to send text messages, I wanted a full keyboard. Lastly, I wanted a smart phone, and then, I wanted one that worked well.
That brings me to today, 14 days away from the end of my contract.
While there is not much wrong with my current phone, I would prefer to have dual-band LTE (compared to 3G only) capabilities, and some extra performance wouldn't hurt.
The choices are:
I was told yesterday that Sprint should have LTE capabilities in town in 6 months, as was told to this person by the network technician who services the towers. Considering that it took the company over 2 years from when I was using 3G elsewhere, that's not bad, if it turns out to be true.
Apple only support two bands at this time. I'm not fully versed in LTE bands, but I gather than the phones support 1900 MHz and 2500 MHz, since those are the earlier bands Sprint will have everywhere they have LTE. They started with 1900 MHz, but Clearwire (which they acquired) has held the 2500 MHz frequency and has outfitted for LTE there. As Sprint de-commissions iDEN at 800 MHz, LTE penetration into buildings will become much easier.
The LG G2 and Google Nexus 5 support all three bands. I'm a bit skeptical about any Android-based phones, given the developers' abilities to support so many different configurations. I've seen loads of requests from users wanting a certain game or application to run on their phones, which isn't unreasonable. That makes me nervous, though. Google is supposedly addressing the problem with fragmentation through their software design, but it's not there yet. As I've said in the past, Android version 4.0 was a good place to start a production operating system.
The Nexus 5 would be the easy choice. It will get the latest, greatest version of Android and related apps. However, the Sprint version is 16 GB only, and as Android has been increasingly porky, it might seem constrained at some point. Certainly, anyone who used the 8 GB version of the 2012 Nexus 7 tablet can confirm that it didn't have enough storage to be entirely useful. That leaves the LG G2, which is rather big, but has the 32 GB of storage and 17 hour battery.
I've had three LG phones, an LG TV, and an LG 3D Blu-Ray player. They seem to leave a lot undone, although the feature phones were less buggy than Samsung's. The Blu-Ray player freezes far too often, and the TV isn't always working correctly. Now, they weren't premium devices, and I don't expect them to give the highest resolution output or the best sound but I expect them to work without having to be unplugged. Still, the LG G2 is hardly an economical device, and I would expect that it will work well, as long as they've worked out their touch screen threshold. I really don't feel like stabbing the display to get it to respond. However, the full HD display may be worth it.
I'm inclined to go with the iPhone 5c, as it's fairly economical, and there are Otterbox (and Ballistic) cases for it, although I would have to order a Ballistic case or anything other than the very standard Otterbox Defender. Thankfully, the cases are thinner than the case for the iPhone 4S. The Defender on the iPhone 4S is uncomfortable at times. The phone itself has the polycarbonate shell over a steel infrastructure, not unlike my 2009 MacBook. The big question is: How outdated will it be in November 2015? Will I want a higher resolution display? ($200 for the phone + $50 for the case + $100 for AppleCare+ and then, there is additional tax and the activation fee, but it's probably still cheaper that way rather than the "helpful" finance the phone plan.
The iPhone 5s has the greater enhancements; unfortunately, they are giving the greater growing pains. The 64-bit-ness of the processor is apparently causing some problems with the way things work. I think I'll wait for the next one or two. I wasn't ready for the iPhone 5 for the same reason--growing pains.
I know that I should just wait to see what happens with the network, but I probably won't do that. I even looked at going with a prepaid feature phone to save money and then, I would use the current iPhone 4S with the mobile hotspot. I doubt I'd last long with the inconvenience of that arrangement. I'd probably find my 12 GB limit limiting.
If I wait until the contract has been finished, will Sprint be more pliable? Would they offer me the cradle for my mobile hotspot as an incentive to stay? I know that it sounds selfish, but I've seen people walk away with accounts requiring minimal payments, phone upgrades, and more. The best I've ever been offered by the company was to buy a phone early at full price, and I'd been a subscriber for 8 years at the time. They always seemed to appreciate new customers more, even after they introduced their "New for You" campaign.
Update 2013.11.08: 2 years remaining on contract now. I traded my iPhone 4S for a iPhone 5c, giving me a credit of US$143. I bought an Otterbox Defender case, which was an extra $49.99 and suffers from a poor design compared to the case for the 4S, which I kept, as they wouldn't give me anything extra. AppleCare+ is still $99.00 for two years. I also bought a 6 ft. Lightning cable since they're difficult to find. I had checked several stores before buying the phone but only Best Buy had short, expensive cables. $24.99 for 6 feet isn't as good as Monoprice's $12.98 but this seems a bit more sturdy.
It took a while to move 2200+ songs and 130 apps from my computer to the new phone, but it was simple. iTunes asked if I wanted to use the current backup, so then, it was just a matter of waiting for it to finish, and then, to download the operating system update.
The Otterbox Defender case fits better around the phone but the transparent sheet in the front is not tight or close enough to the display, plus the porthole for the Apple logo, silly as it is, is in the wrong place. I still don't see the reason to flaunt that you own an Apple product, but whatever.
Since then, I've gone through a number of phones, as technology changed, especially with the 3G data access. I ended up wanting a fast phone, and then, I wanted to be able to tether it to the computer, so I would have internet access anywhere. As I progressed and started to send text messages, I wanted a full keyboard. Lastly, I wanted a smart phone, and then, I wanted one that worked well.
That brings me to today, 14 days away from the end of my contract.
While there is not much wrong with my current phone, I would prefer to have dual-band LTE (compared to 3G only) capabilities, and some extra performance wouldn't hurt.
The choices are:
- Apple iPhone 5c
- Apple iPhone 5s
- LG G2
- Google Nexus 5
I was told yesterday that Sprint should have LTE capabilities in town in 6 months, as was told to this person by the network technician who services the towers. Considering that it took the company over 2 years from when I was using 3G elsewhere, that's not bad, if it turns out to be true.
Apple only support two bands at this time. I'm not fully versed in LTE bands, but I gather than the phones support 1900 MHz and 2500 MHz, since those are the earlier bands Sprint will have everywhere they have LTE. They started with 1900 MHz, but Clearwire (which they acquired) has held the 2500 MHz frequency and has outfitted for LTE there. As Sprint de-commissions iDEN at 800 MHz, LTE penetration into buildings will become much easier.
The LG G2 and Google Nexus 5 support all three bands. I'm a bit skeptical about any Android-based phones, given the developers' abilities to support so many different configurations. I've seen loads of requests from users wanting a certain game or application to run on their phones, which isn't unreasonable. That makes me nervous, though. Google is supposedly addressing the problem with fragmentation through their software design, but it's not there yet. As I've said in the past, Android version 4.0 was a good place to start a production operating system.
The Nexus 5 would be the easy choice. It will get the latest, greatest version of Android and related apps. However, the Sprint version is 16 GB only, and as Android has been increasingly porky, it might seem constrained at some point. Certainly, anyone who used the 8 GB version of the 2012 Nexus 7 tablet can confirm that it didn't have enough storage to be entirely useful. That leaves the LG G2, which is rather big, but has the 32 GB of storage and 17 hour battery.
I've had three LG phones, an LG TV, and an LG 3D Blu-Ray player. They seem to leave a lot undone, although the feature phones were less buggy than Samsung's. The Blu-Ray player freezes far too often, and the TV isn't always working correctly. Now, they weren't premium devices, and I don't expect them to give the highest resolution output or the best sound but I expect them to work without having to be unplugged. Still, the LG G2 is hardly an economical device, and I would expect that it will work well, as long as they've worked out their touch screen threshold. I really don't feel like stabbing the display to get it to respond. However, the full HD display may be worth it.
I'm inclined to go with the iPhone 5c, as it's fairly economical, and there are Otterbox (and Ballistic) cases for it, although I would have to order a Ballistic case or anything other than the very standard Otterbox Defender. Thankfully, the cases are thinner than the case for the iPhone 4S. The Defender on the iPhone 4S is uncomfortable at times. The phone itself has the polycarbonate shell over a steel infrastructure, not unlike my 2009 MacBook. The big question is: How outdated will it be in November 2015? Will I want a higher resolution display? ($200 for the phone + $50 for the case + $100 for AppleCare+ and then, there is additional tax and the activation fee, but it's probably still cheaper that way rather than the "helpful" finance the phone plan.
The iPhone 5s has the greater enhancements; unfortunately, they are giving the greater growing pains. The 64-bit-ness of the processor is apparently causing some problems with the way things work. I think I'll wait for the next one or two. I wasn't ready for the iPhone 5 for the same reason--growing pains.
I know that I should just wait to see what happens with the network, but I probably won't do that. I even looked at going with a prepaid feature phone to save money and then, I would use the current iPhone 4S with the mobile hotspot. I doubt I'd last long with the inconvenience of that arrangement. I'd probably find my 12 GB limit limiting.
If I wait until the contract has been finished, will Sprint be more pliable? Would they offer me the cradle for my mobile hotspot as an incentive to stay? I know that it sounds selfish, but I've seen people walk away with accounts requiring minimal payments, phone upgrades, and more. The best I've ever been offered by the company was to buy a phone early at full price, and I'd been a subscriber for 8 years at the time. They always seemed to appreciate new customers more, even after they introduced their "New for You" campaign.
Update 2013.11.08: 2 years remaining on contract now. I traded my iPhone 4S for a iPhone 5c, giving me a credit of US$143. I bought an Otterbox Defender case, which was an extra $49.99 and suffers from a poor design compared to the case for the 4S, which I kept, as they wouldn't give me anything extra. AppleCare+ is still $99.00 for two years. I also bought a 6 ft. Lightning cable since they're difficult to find. I had checked several stores before buying the phone but only Best Buy had short, expensive cables. $24.99 for 6 feet isn't as good as Monoprice's $12.98 but this seems a bit more sturdy.
It took a while to move 2200+ songs and 130 apps from my computer to the new phone, but it was simple. iTunes asked if I wanted to use the current backup, so then, it was just a matter of waiting for it to finish, and then, to download the operating system update.
The Otterbox Defender case fits better around the phone but the transparent sheet in the front is not tight or close enough to the display, plus the porthole for the Apple logo, silly as it is, is in the wrong place. I still don't see the reason to flaunt that you own an Apple product, but whatever.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Apple's stock price on the downslide, re-evaluated
If you've read my entries on stock pricing, you might remember how I talk about stock "anal"ysts. They can't follow trends. They can't follow forecasts. They don't notice the run-up in Apple stock price prior to an announcement and the sell-off after the announcement. However, they know everything there is to know.
Apparently, the new iPhone 5c has caused Apple to be on the way out of business. It's too expensive for emerging markets, and it's likely too expensive to make. So, three of the world's finest stock brokerages/investment firms have downgraded Apple, after which the stock price dropped due to a sell-off. (Update: As of the end of October, the stock price has rebounded and Apple has sold too many of the iPhone 5s and not as many of the 5c but they are re-working production to help with the demand.)
Could Apple go out of business because of one product? It's not likely. I think they learned their lesson with the Cube. Those were hard times and yet, they didn't go out of business. They just threw away some money and frustrated some people.
Is the iPhone 5c too expensive? (If you have to ask, you can't afford it?)
I've only seen the unlocked price for T-Mobile and that was the 32 GB version for US$649. That seems US$50 too high, compared to other phones selling on-contract for US$199. Is T-Mobile in an emerging market? No, and we don't know the pricing for every country, do we?
I don't expect that everyone in the world will be buying a premium phone, and while cheaper than the iPhone 5 or 5s, the 5c is still a premium phone. At the lowest level, it has 16 GB of storage, most of that is usable by the user. Compare that to a free Android phone that maybe contain anywhere from 512 MB to 2 GB of storage, and may only have 170 MB available to the user. I recall this quite well from my LG Optimus S, which wasn't free at the time and gave me frequent messages about a lack of available storage. The original 8 GB Google Nexus 7 tablet was infamously short on usable space.
So, will someone who can barely afford to eat buy an iPhone 5c? I wouldn't think so. Food is important. Will someone with a good job who already eats well and lives cheaply buy an iPhone 5c? I'd bet they'll take a serious look at it, along with a look at some inexpensive Android-based phones.
Can someone who eats well, owns whatever they want, and manipulates people into buying stocks that they may not want understand how the rest of us live? I doubt it. Of course, they could eat snails because they like them, and the poor could eat snails because those are available. Maybe, the rich really do understand the dirt poor. That was sarcasm, if you didn't notice.
How Apple will survive is anyone's guess. More innovation would be good, and for me, more bug fixing. Being conservative on popular products isn't a great way to handle things, but I don't see a bunch of people dropping Apple products. Those who like Google and Android are there already, and the undecided will search and try things. I'd like to try the LG (Optimus) G2 or Google Nexus 5, but after my Nexus 7 "fun" and my LG Optimus S, I'm not sure I can live with a broken phone.
Update 2014.12.11: Apple has recently had all-time record stock prices. This week, they're falling, but the company is still doing well. It seems that they're still the company in the world with the largest valuation--on paper anyway.
I got one of the new iPhone 6 models with 64GB of storage. I can understand why it is popular. I'm still finding it a pain to switch but it's better than switching to another company's phone. I like Android but my 2013 Nexus 7 tablet hasn't been incredible, with version 4.3.x, 4.4.x, or 5.0.x. The operating system is getting better but it's still a bit like a product in its infancy, unfortunately. You'd hope that it would be more mature. It's probably a lack of real-world testing. Apple does very little real-world testing, but it's a bit more than what Google does.
I wonder what will happen with the Apple Watch. I suspect that will really cause the stock price to drop. The good thing is that they don't need agreements with anyone else to make it work, a la Apple TV. By that time, Apple Pay should be firmly entrenched. I haven't used it yet. I don't trust iOS 8.1.1 completely and I know that 8.2 is in the beta process, and of course, there will be an 8.2.1.
I'm guessing that Apple Pay will help offset Apple Watch.
Apparently, the new iPhone 5c has caused Apple to be on the way out of business. It's too expensive for emerging markets, and it's likely too expensive to make. So, three of the world's finest stock brokerages/investment firms have downgraded Apple, after which the stock price dropped due to a sell-off. (Update: As of the end of October, the stock price has rebounded and Apple has sold too many of the iPhone 5s and not as many of the 5c but they are re-working production to help with the demand.)
Could Apple go out of business because of one product? It's not likely. I think they learned their lesson with the Cube. Those were hard times and yet, they didn't go out of business. They just threw away some money and frustrated some people.
Is the iPhone 5c too expensive? (If you have to ask, you can't afford it?)
I've only seen the unlocked price for T-Mobile and that was the 32 GB version for US$649. That seems US$50 too high, compared to other phones selling on-contract for US$199. Is T-Mobile in an emerging market? No, and we don't know the pricing for every country, do we?
I don't expect that everyone in the world will be buying a premium phone, and while cheaper than the iPhone 5 or 5s, the 5c is still a premium phone. At the lowest level, it has 16 GB of storage, most of that is usable by the user. Compare that to a free Android phone that maybe contain anywhere from 512 MB to 2 GB of storage, and may only have 170 MB available to the user. I recall this quite well from my LG Optimus S, which wasn't free at the time and gave me frequent messages about a lack of available storage. The original 8 GB Google Nexus 7 tablet was infamously short on usable space.
So, will someone who can barely afford to eat buy an iPhone 5c? I wouldn't think so. Food is important. Will someone with a good job who already eats well and lives cheaply buy an iPhone 5c? I'd bet they'll take a serious look at it, along with a look at some inexpensive Android-based phones.
Can someone who eats well, owns whatever they want, and manipulates people into buying stocks that they may not want understand how the rest of us live? I doubt it. Of course, they could eat snails because they like them, and the poor could eat snails because those are available. Maybe, the rich really do understand the dirt poor. That was sarcasm, if you didn't notice.
How Apple will survive is anyone's guess. More innovation would be good, and for me, more bug fixing. Being conservative on popular products isn't a great way to handle things, but I don't see a bunch of people dropping Apple products. Those who like Google and Android are there already, and the undecided will search and try things. I'd like to try the LG (Optimus) G2 or Google Nexus 5, but after my Nexus 7 "fun" and my LG Optimus S, I'm not sure I can live with a broken phone.
Update 2014.12.11: Apple has recently had all-time record stock prices. This week, they're falling, but the company is still doing well. It seems that they're still the company in the world with the largest valuation--on paper anyway.
I got one of the new iPhone 6 models with 64GB of storage. I can understand why it is popular. I'm still finding it a pain to switch but it's better than switching to another company's phone. I like Android but my 2013 Nexus 7 tablet hasn't been incredible, with version 4.3.x, 4.4.x, or 5.0.x. The operating system is getting better but it's still a bit like a product in its infancy, unfortunately. You'd hope that it would be more mature. It's probably a lack of real-world testing. Apple does very little real-world testing, but it's a bit more than what Google does.
I wonder what will happen with the Apple Watch. I suspect that will really cause the stock price to drop. The good thing is that they don't need agreements with anyone else to make it work, a la Apple TV. By that time, Apple Pay should be firmly entrenched. I haven't used it yet. I don't trust iOS 8.1.1 completely and I know that 8.2 is in the beta process, and of course, there will be an 8.2.1.
I'm guessing that Apple Pay will help offset Apple Watch.
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