Dwight Spivey - iPhone For Seniors For Dummies

Any iPhone model from the iPhone SE (first generation) forward can use most features of iOS 15 if you update the operating system (discussed in detail in Chapter 3). This book is based on iOS 15. This update to the operating system adds many features, including (but definitely not limited to) the following:

Focus: Think of Focus as an extension of the Do Not Disturb feature. You can customize a focus to filter notifications based on what you’re doing at the moment. The default focus modes are personal, work, and sleep, and notifications are filtered based on their settings.

Safari: iOS 15 gives Safari a whole new look and makes navigation easier. Tab groups are a welcome new feature that allow you to group your open web pages any way you like.

Maps: Like Safari, Maps got a nice interface overhaul. Three-dimensional items like mountain ranges, buildings, trees, and more get nice upgrades to render them more lifelike, making it easier to follow directions and recognize locations. A more detailed driving map is also a great enhancement.

FaceTime: You can now schedule calls using FaceTime (this one falls into the “it’s about time” category …) and send links to participants. Also, the interface got a refresh and the enhancements to sound technologies make hearing call participants much easier.

Weather: Weather gets better graphics and more detailed forecasts, as well as precipitation notifications. This update (finally) brings the Weather app more in line with some of the better weather apps for iOS.

Live text: Live text lets you interact with text in images. For example, if the text is an address, you can tap it to open the address in Maps. Or you can select text from a photo and copy it into a document. Live text is a great addition to iOS 15.

These are but a few of the improvements made to the latest version of iOS. I suggest visiting www.apple.com/ios/ios-15 to find out more.

Don’t need all the built-in apps? You can remove them from your Home screen. When you remove a built-in app from your Home screen, you aren't deleting it — you’re hiding it. (Note that the built-in apps take up very little of your iPhone’s storage space.) And if you change your mind, you can easily add them back to your Home screen by searching for them in the App Store and tapping the Get button.

A variety of iPhone models are on the market; it can be daunting when trying to decide which one you want to purchase. In this section, I focus on Apple’s newest models, the iPhone 13 series. If you’d like to explore others, Apple has a great tool for making comparisons at www.apple.com/iphone/compare .

The sizes of the latest iPhone 13 models vary:

iPhone 13 measures 2.82" by 5.78" (6.1" diagonally) with a depth of .30 inches (see Figure 1-1).

iPhone 13 mini measures 2.53" by 5.18" (5.4" diagonally) with a depth of .30 inches (also shown in Figure 1-1).

iPhone 13 Pro measures 2.82" by 5.78" (6.1" diagonally) with a depth of .30 inches (see Figure 1-2).

iPhone 13 Pro Max measures 3.07" by 6.33" (6.7" diagonally) with a depth of .30 inches (also shown in Figure 1-2).

You can get iPhone 13 and 13 mini in Starlight, Midnight, blue, pink, and a beautiful Product Red version. iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max come in gold, silver, graphite, and a great-looking Sierra Blue.

Image courtesy of Apple, Inc.

FIGURE 1-1

Other differences between iPhone models come primarily from the current operating system, iOS 15, which I cover in the remaining chapters of the book.

Image courtesy of Apple, Inc.

FIGURE 1-2

Not sure whether to get an iPhone 13 model? Here are a few more key differences:

The battery life of the iPhone 13 Pro Max is longer than the other models. For example, audio playback time on the 13 Pro Max is rated at 95 hours versus 75 hours on the 13 and 13 Pro, with the 13 mini maxing out at 55 hours.

iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max have triple rear-facing cameras, providing amazing optical zoom, portrait mode, and other features. The 13 and 13 mini have dual rear-facing cameras.

Screen resolution: The higher the resolution the better, especially for larger screens since you need to pack more pixels (the tiny dots of color that make up the images) into a larger space. The iPhone 13 and 13 Pro provide 2532 x 1170 resolution; 13 mini boasts 2340 x 1080; and 13 Pro Max provides a stunning 2778 x 1284.

Table 1-1gives you a quick comparison of iPhone SE (second generation), 11, 12, 12 mini, 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, and 13 Pro Max (models currently sold by Apple). All costs are as of the time this book was written. (Some carriers may introduce non-contract terms.)

TABLE 1-1iPhone Model Comparison

One exciting pricing option is the iPhone Upgrade Program. You choose your carrier, get an unlocked phone so you can change carriers, and receive Apple Care+ to cover you in case your phone has problems, all starting at a cost of $35.33 a month (depending on the iPhone model you select). The price does not include data usage from your carrier. Check out www.apple.com/shop/iphone/iphone-upgrade-program for more information.

Storage is a measure of how much information — for example, movies, photos, and software applications (apps) — you can store on a computing device. Storage can also affect your iPhone’s performance when handling such tasks as streaming favorite TV shows from the web or downloading music.

Streaming refers to playing video or music content from the web (or from other devices) rather than playing a file stored on your iPhone. You can enjoy a lot of material online without ever downloading its full content to your phone — and given that the most storage-endowed iPhone model has a relatively small amount of storage, streaming is a good idea. See Chapters 18and 20for more about getting your music and movies online.