Apple Event Thread (9/12/17)

[Bebpo]

I finally updated my iphone 6S. Been holding off because usually the newer OSs are built for the new models and slow down the older models, but damn, ios8 is fricken fast on my 6S. Phone feels like it's running much smoother now. First time I've been impressed by an Apple OS in a long time.

[chronovore]

I'm so reluctant to install iOS 11 on my devices. point-oh releases are never a good idea, even with Apple. Still, anecdotal evidence from friends says it's safe. I'm torn!

My AppleTV self-updated to something this morning, but it still has the one, unidentified source problem as before. Streaming is fine, speed test is ridiculously fast 80mPS down, 70 up. But for some reason, specific TV shows' top-pages, the episode selection page, won't load. It just hangs forever, I have to back out and re-try. 30 Rock ALWAYS has this problem. This is not the future liberals want.

[Tasty]

Just read The Verge's review of Apple TV 4K, sounds like it's literally in shambles right now.

https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/21/16341876/new-apple-tv-4k-review-2017

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Still got a 7.5 lol.

[close]

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Now, you do get a lot for that $179: the Apple TV is currently the only standalone box that supports the Dolby Vision HDR standard, which is a big deal. (The $69 Chromecast Ultra supports it, but it’s spotty and it lacks its own interface.)

"You do get a lot for $180, like Dolby Vision, even though there's a $70 device that also supports it... uhh... well that's not as good because it doesn't have its own UI, and also it supports it on only some apps... Like the Apple TV's 4K support. Wait, shit. Supposed to spin this as a positive for Apple."

[close]

[G The Resurrected]

I'm so reluctant to install iOS 11 on my devices. point-oh releases are never a good idea, even with Apple. Still, anecdotal evidence from friends says it's safe. I'm torn!

Do it! 11 is rock solid and been the best OS update I've seen from Apple in years. If you have an older device you'll notice a nice little jump in performance too.

TV 4k shipped today... I'm not looking forward to being pissed off with it.

[Bebpo]

This is ios11? Man I thought it was ios8; I'm so far behind on firmware updates 

[chronovore]

This is ios11? Man I thought it was ios8; I'm so far behind on firmware updates 

Still a software update, just at the OS level. I bit and now my old 5S isn't chugging as much as it was. My iPad Air 2 is about 80% through the install now.

My "older" devices were really feeling slow prior to this update. Super annoyingly slow. Now I wonder if Apple messing with things behind the scenes.

[G The Resurrected]

I went from a Mini 3 (basically a Mini 2) iPad to a hand me down Air 2 from the Missus when the 10.5 iPad Pro came out. Got right into the beta for iOS 11 and loved it since day one. Made that device feel brand new and fresh. Apple made a choice with iOS 11 to go full 64bit which runs better on their custom SoC's which is why it is such a huge improvement over past iOS updates.

Got my hands on the 8's today and I'm conflicted. I'm on iUP for upgrades and I should get the 8 plus, but the glass has got me concerned the demo units were not holding up well around the edges after just one day of use. You can see tiny little fractures in the glass on the rear and the new rounded front glass seems more flimsy. I have to wonder if years of not having glass backs really hurt their repair business and this is a way to make additional income off of customers. On the plus side True color is awesome and when you shine a flashlight right on the screen you can tell the difference and see your screen, something you can't do with the 7. Cameras are awesome and smoother, as a beta tester for the dual lenses in the 7 plus it seems like they figured out how people take pictures and made a software/hardware fix that seems like a meaningful update.

The Genius lead let me know they will apply any additional months paid in iUP if I choose to hold out for the X. Which I might just do...

Apple TV 4k SUCKS  What a fuck up of a device. HDR is either turned on or off essentially and there is no good fix right now. Thus making the device useless since everything that isn't HDR content looks like shit!

[TakingBackSunday]

I got the 8 Plus instead of the X.

I'm on the yearly upgrade program just in case the X-2 fixes the issues the X will inevitably have. 

I like it a lot so far, especially coming from the 6.  But good lord,

[Tasty]

Apple TV 4k SUCKS  What a fuck up of a device. HDR is either turned on or off essentially and there is no good fix right now. Thus making the device useless since everything that isn't HDR content looks like shit!

Lulz

[G The Resurrected]

Rental report of The Mummy 4k HDR

PQ on this release on Apple TV 4k was awesome so much higher bitrate than Vudu or Google Play. Defacto 4k rentals are gonna be iTunes for sure due to price and the fact they seem to not crush blacks at all due to higher bitrates. Even in motion you could tell the detail is there unlike other streaming services which suck for 4k rentals.

Edit: I watched it on UHD....

[chronovore]

This is ios11? Man I thought it was ios8; I'm so far behind on firmware updates 

Still a software update, just at the OS level. I bit and now my old 5S isn't chugging as much as it was. My iPad Air 2 is about 80% through the install now.

My "older" devices were really feeling slow prior to this update. Super annoyingly slow. Now I wonder if Apple messing with things behind the scenes.

Update's update: My 5S seems about the same, my iPad Air 2 is like using a new device, it's peppy and fun to play with. Unfortunately, the iPhone 6 update was borked so badly, repeatedly, that it put itself in Restore mode and I had to revert to backup. It took several hours to finally get it working again.

And now that it's on there, I can almost WATCH the battery draining. Had an hour of web browsing and facebook, watched it drain from 99% to 76% — glad I've got a battery case for it, but this is NOT an efficient OS so far.

Rental report of The Mummy 4k HDR

PQ on this release on Apple TV 4k was awesome so much higher bitrate than Vudu or Google Play. Defacto 4k rentals are gonna be iTunes for sure due to price and the fact they seem to not crush blacks at all due to higher bitrates. Even in motion you could tell the detail is there unlike other streaming services which suck for 4k rentals.

[seagrams hotsauce]

I'm so reluctant to install iOS 11 on my devices. point-oh releases are never a good idea, even with Apple. Still, anecdotal evidence from friends says it's safe. I'm torn!

Do it! 11 is rock solid and been the best OS update I've seen from Apple in years. If you have an older device you'll notice a nice little jump in performance too.

Huh? I'm on a 6 or 6s and half my apps bug the fuck out now and my battery is draining faster than ever

[Tasty]

Rental report of The Mummy 4k HDR

PQ on this release on Apple TV 4k was awesome so much higher bitrate than Vudu or Google Play. Defacto 4k rentals are gonna be iTunes for sure due to price and the fact they seem to not crush blacks at all due to higher bitrates. Even in motion you could tell the detail is there unlike other streaming services which suck for 4k rentals.

Edit: I watched it on UHD....

[Tasty]

http://www.androidpolice.com/2017/09/27/google-play-movies-seems-to-be-moving-to-match-apples-new-19-99-uhd-pricing/

Don't say this too often, but thank god for Apple.

[G The Resurrected]

Yeah I know I should have known better. We watched a few more 4k movies and the bitrate is higher than Google/Vudu that much I can say. Missus was fucking with me really good for a day... Got her back by getting her a 8+ and not a X. I'll be getting an X. 


Glad to see the pricing wars have begun! Now if only a digital locker system similar to Disney Movies Anywhere would just be the norm. I've got lots of movies on Vudu that I don't have on iTunes and if the quality thing keeps being an issue I'd like to watch my movies on iTunes instead.

[chronovore]

Yeah I know I should have known better. We watched a few more 4k movies and the bitrate is higher than Google/Vudu that much I can say. Missus was fucking with me really good for a day... Got her back by getting her a 8+ and not a X. I'll be getting an X. 


Glad to see the pricing wars have begun! Now if only a digital locker system similar to Disney Movies Anywhere would just be the norm. I've got lots of movies on Vudu that I don't have on iTunes and if the quality thing keeps being an issue I'd like to watch my movies on iTunes instead.

What's Vudu? Is that actually a thing?

From Japan, it's really opaque. I see a half-dozen streaming movie providers, but for me they're all IP-region-blocked. Other than reading online about them, I have no idea if anyone is encroaching on Netflix successfully. Most people seem to dislike Hulu. Amazon isn't bad, has neat exclusives, but I'm assuming the USA uses an identical app to Amazon.co.jp, which SUCKS sweaty balls.

[seagrams hotsauce]

Amazon has a good selection but the UI in both mobile and desktop is a nightmare. It's disorganized as fuck, and they need to completely separate the streaming part from the pay-to-rent-or-own part. It's way too easy to search for something you want to stream and end up being sold it instead

[Tasty]

Amazon sucks at UI, it is known.

And also hardware design actually.

They're good at retail stuff though, and props for Kindle and Alexa. But yeah... I don't know how anyone could really be an Amazon fanboy in the same way I understand Apple/Google fans.

[chronovore]

 I literally groan in frustration at least once a day due to the Amazon prime streaming video app’s shitty interface. It is way too easy to accidentally back out of a screen, either by selecting past the leftmost item, or hitting the wrong X versus circle button on the PlayStation controller, or misidentifying which item is actually live in currently selected in screen hierarchy.

 On top of this, Amazon has clearly opted out of using PlayStation  virtual keyboard in favor of their own solution, which has its own set of particular quirks.

 It’s just carelessly put together by the lowest bid developer. The other day I was experiencing Internet problems, and it showed a dialogue that said “network error: yes/no“ as my  button options. WTF is that?

[Tasty]

Well what did you say? Yes or no?

[TakingBackSunday]

Amazon Prime Music's mobile app design is also fucking terrible.  The actual UI seems ok, but the UX is atrocious

[chronovore]

Well what did you say? Yes or no?

I said "YES," because a network error appeared to have been the order of the day.  Couldn't even just /dismiss/ the dialog. Jesus, what a fecal stain of an app.

[Brehvolution]

Watch OS4 removed browsing Apple music on your watch.
Now you have to sync your headset to your watch to have any control of Apple music from your watch? 

And you only have the option to play or stream music that has been synced to the watch.

Hands down the dumbest feature removal I've ever seen. I mean, I really can't control what's playing on my phone from my $700 watch now? 

[TakingBackSunday]

it's because they're launching a watch specific version of Apple Music in the late fall, I think

not excusing it, but it IS gonna come back

[Brehvolution]

What I've learned by searching furiously is they separated Apple music app and the Now Playing app. You still have to start music on your phone, then pull up the dock on the watch, and swipe to find the app. The app is not in the dock by default and you have to go into the watch app and add it to the dock.

[Tasty]

via Dow Jones earlier today:

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Obviously they fucked up, lol.

[close]

[chronovore]

it's because they're launching a watch specific version of Apple Music in the late fall, I think

not excusing it, but it IS gonna come back

iOS 11 messed SOMETHING up, because my lock-screen no longer knows what's playing. I'll be listening to Audible.app, it shows the last song Music.app played. I'll listen to Podcasts.app, it shows nothing as playing.

I may have mentioned this here, but Apple also created a feature gap recently where Ringtones were removed from iTunes, but then couldn't be recovered anywhere except from the device where they were installed. It just happened that I was trying to reinstall Star Trek communicator stuff that, ages ago, I'd decided to buy but couldn't find it anywhere. Had to go back to an old Mac's backup of my music and physically locate it, then sneakernet it to my current Mac.

[nudemacusers]

Amazon Prime Music's mobile app design is also fucking terrible.  The actual UI seems ok, but the UX is atrocious

Amazons apps are trash across the board.