I am switching to an iPhone 6!

[RV_]

I bought my first Windows phone, an 822, from Credo mobile several years ago but not to use on Credo. We have supported Credo's petitions and contributions to causes and were really sad that we could not use them because they were on Sprint towers which have no signal at our house, and little around the area. They have better prices than any carrier!

 

I ended up with Verizon prepaid after a year of issues with Straight Talk using Verizon towers. Verizon pay as you go had no issues and we finally found out what real 4g speeds felt like. Then Verizon offered their pay as you go plans a two year contract, trade in allowances that made our two Lumia 735 Windows 8.1 phones, now 10, free, and offered us a military 15% discount and total cost with taxes and surcharge is $88.00 a month for both of us and 3GB of Data.

 

Today I found that Credo switched from Sprint towers to exclusively using Verizon towers!! Woo hoo!

 

With their Labor Day only special they are paying any early termination fees (ETF) and are giving us a two year 50% off our bills for the duration of the two year contract with them. http://www.credomobile.com/phones

 

For the same plan we have now, on Credo it is 68 dollars and $3.90 taxes and fees for a grand total of around $72! under contract for 2 years! So we save almost $20 a month, and Lynn's iPhone 6 is free with 16GB of storage, and mine is $99.00 with 64GB of storage, activation fees waived. Even unpopular Windows 10 phones will fetch me the 99 bucks back with our glass screen protectors and wireless charging and spare Qi charger.

 

So for the first time we are trying an Apple product. And that only because I can get the 64 GB one for 99 and the other free. We are keeping my Windows phone only but inactivated.

 

I was not going to do it because of Apple's intent to force customers to use the cloud and stay in the Apple system and because they are far behind. But my main concern in getting a Windows phone was to have all on one ecosphere. Also no Google anything. Now we will be splitting into three systems. Our two Amazon Fire HDX 7" tablets which replaced our Kindle PaperWhites, and one 8.9" Fire HDX for media. We stream swith our three full size Fire TV devices, the last two the new model Fire TVs with 4k hardware and software sets, one jailbroken. So we get Amazon Store Apps no Google store or Apps needed. With Amazon Prime, Kindle unlimited, Netflix, Sling TV (Blue,) and Over the air 1080p HDTV, our media needs are way better and cheaper than cable TV, since we have unlimited 200mbps Internet anyway.

 

But Apple is great for privacy, and I trust them not to do what Google does with Android and their apps. I have always said that.

 

My show stopper was that the iPhones and iPads were always a few years behind Microsoft tablets and computers. And even now the iPhones have no SD card slots hoping we will use their cloud services and buy iPods I guess.

 

The deal with the free 16 GB iPhone 6 for Lynn, the 64 GB iPhone 6 for $99 for me, combined with a ten dollar a months savings for the same data and unlimited everything else on Verizon towers we are in.

 

The last show stopper was the lack of Qi wireless charging built into the iPhones like our Lumias and Androids have. At least they added NFC finally a year or two ago. I searched on eBay for the iPhone 6 and found that covers with built in wireless chargers were around $13! One person said it causes a bump that spoiled the beautiful lines and design . . .WHAT???

 

Our Lumias are in dayglow green and black hybrid two part cases that have a jelly cover that goes on first and then the hard black plastic part over that. We have tempered glass screen protectors just like we had on our previous phones. If I want a work of art I will buy it. I like non-slip armored comm devices. My Windows tablets are in their own leather cases and the Surface Pro 3 travels in a neoprene sleeve and its typecover on. Our Fore HDX 7" tablets have hard shell cover that are slim and auto wake and sleep with the magnetic catches. The 8.9" Fire HDX came with its own Otterbox with built in screen protector. I don't care about my phone looks. Just performance.

 

So for wireless charging these:

 

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=iPhone+6+wireless+chargimng+cover&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.XiPhone+6+wireless+charging+cover.TRS1&_nkw=iPhone+6+wireless+charging+cover&_sacat=0

 

And for glass screen protectors these:

 

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=iPhone+6+wireless+charging+cover&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR11.TRC2.A0.H0.XiPhone+6+glass+screen+protector.TRS0&_nkw=iPhone+6+glass+screen+protector&_sacat=0

 

Credo on Verizon, better plan pricing, almost free premium phones, and no problem getting then to use our triple coil wireless chargers!

 

Done deal. Any advice?

[lasttruck]

No real advice, but after being lifelong WP users, we switched to an iPhone 6s and 6s plus this past April.

 

Very glad we did. We use facetime with our kids and grandkids and they are able to follow us with the find friends app.

 

No regrets and no turning back.

[rynosback]

I went with Apples Iphone and Ipad because the hardware and sortware is all Apple. And there customer service and support is the BEST in the industry. I do not regreat going with Apple at all.

[Smitty77_7]

RV - I look forward to your future posts on our experience with the iPhone.

 

Once the pried my fingers off of my tired and true Ericsson T29 World Clamshell Phone (I had people ask me to show them this little gem of a phone, as they thought it was either 'cute' or 'an antique'!), I jumped into the new world with a Motorola Droid phone. Obviously this was 'awhile back', and I went with it because the person I knew that handled the Cell Phone distribution for or Corporation, said Motorola's seemed to do the best pulling in weak signals. (5,000 phones plus under her distribution, with many demanding 'Exec's'. Most wanted the Blackberry (I called these 'Instant Assignment Platforms', when my boss made me start carrying one way back.), but a few had both the Blackberry, and then a Motorola phone so they had the best chance of having coverage. (Yep, they were hot stuff. A 1st generation Blackberry on their belt. And next to it, or on the other side, a Motorola phone!!! Oh for the days of a simple pager...)

 

Anyways, hope the learning curve on the iPhone is not too tough on you, coming from the MS phones. I use my wife's iPhone 5S from time to time. And having little experience with Apple before this, really do not find them to be all that 'intuitive':)! To be fair, they may have been so in the earlier, simpler, days of iPhones. But sometimes I get hung up, and after using my intellect (All three cells I have remaining.) to try and figure something out. I finally say 'Dear, please show me how to...'. And of course, she says 'Oh yeah, you sort of need to know how to do that one...'.

 

I'd also be interested in your perception of how they hand fringe coverage areas. For both Voice, and Data. I just shifted from a history of Motorola phones, to the Samsung S6. I have found both Data and Voice, to not seem to come in as strong in the fringe areas I know well, as m Motorola phones used to do.

 

Enjoy the new phone!!!

Best,

Smitty

[RV_]

We went through the Motorola flip phones, then Samsung Galaxy phones and Galaxy Tab 10 and 7 tablets. So we know the knew the quality of the Samsung devices but the Google user agreement to allow them to monitor everything, saying that it is to present us with advertising we were interested in and to tailor our online experience in searches etc. If they were indeed anonymous how would they know who to send your tailored Internet to instead of another? So I went to a Windows phone with the 822 and Windows phone 8, then 8.1 Denim. My wife kept her Galaxy Android and after a year of Straight Talk issues with 4g Not working even at 3G speeds I switched to prepaid Verizon and was hooked. I then got my wife to go along with switching to both Verizon and two new Windows phones with Verizon's trade in deal to switch with free Lumia 735s.

 

We have had our Lumias a year now and were ready to go to Surface phones as out 735s do not do the messages and time as a lock screen at low power, and cannot do hey Cortana voice command because of the hardware restrictions. I figure Windows phones will be ready for prime time in about two years. See, all the new Windows phones still available are GSM not CDMA for Verizon and now Credo carriers.

 

The bad part is that there are a lot of nasties online that affect/infect iOS that do not infect Windows phones because we are less than 2% of the market as of now. The roles of security by obscurity are reversed in mobiles because the money is in Apple and especially Android systems, not Windows mobile.

 

So why Apple? I know, some folks think I am anti Apple but if one reads things I write about the OS' I always say that I like all my devices in one ecosphere, and Windows will always be my computer OS of choice for tablets/Laptops/desktops. I really still like the one drive interaction and having my alerts and appointments and Cortana reminders show up across all my devices not just the phone or tablet etc.

 

I also say that Apple, like Windows, has products for sale. So they do need to sell our data to stay in biz. Google only has our data and buying information to sell and gain revenues. Apple and Microsoft want us to buy from them. Amazon is another unique case. They developed an Android derivative OS for their Fire Tablets and Fire TV/Alexa assistant systems. They have their own store and want me to buy everything from them so I am sure that, aside from their privacy policy, that they will not give my data to third parties to sell me things.

 

So as long as I stay away from any Google Playstore visits, which apps do work on Fire devices, and stick to Amazon App store amazon apps, I feel assured they will not sell my data like FaceCrook and Google. Our privacy and security online is going to the highest bidder just like state laws that make competing with the cable companies or getting fair treatment for a solar system, or for goodness sake having the freedom to buy the car we want, direct from the manufacturer as Tesla does now, and later Elio will do. The lobbies found that state laws written and handed out by ALEC, are easily hidden. When the FTC tries to pry loose the cable company monopoly their supporters cry foul! States rights! Then those states decide that they can regulate the cities and towns and municipalities and force them as having no rights. On the very same issues they decry regulations and legislation from the federal level as denying states rights and that all legislation is bad are the very ones to pass legislation against their own citizens ability to choose freely, or compete.

 

Apple has been in the lead along with Microsoft to maintain the privacy of their users. They have fought the federal legislated spying that our very legislators that claim all regulation is bad that protects the consumer, blatantly keep passing renewals of the Patriot act. The black ops and spy agency budgets are secret, and kept that way by the very legislators that cry foul, the federal budget must be trimmed.

 

I support and admire Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft. I do not support Google. If a website does not want Ad Blocker Plus used and blanks it out they lose my biz. I have but only very rarely dropped my ad blockers.

 

I have nothing to hide from the manic overspending to spy on us federal spies, nor from Google. Today I can still make a choice. From what I see, not much longer.

 

Giving up freedom for a bit of false security is a habit for many.

 

So for two years we are going to try the iPhone. By then the Surface phones should be out, and the bugs mostly worked out.

 

I look forward to seeing the iPhone from the user perspective anyway, and I will post some early and later feedback about what I like and what I don't.

 

I will also ask for help when I need it and that will be interesting.

 

If I were working fulltime I might stay with Windows so all my data is on all my devices. But I leave my phone in the car while shopping and only access the Internet from home. I am seeing young folks who have no home phones anymore, and only use the Internet from their Cell networks much like RVrs. I can live without a cell phone. My choice is to play with them. From the time I retired and all through our 7 years of fulltiming we had no cellphones and my last biz issued one to me. But I never bought a cell phone or provider until 2010 for me. My wife had one since 2003. My friends know to email or call voice, and leave messages or they will never get a callback.

 

So folks I am not going over to Apple computers, nor am I eliminating that possibility, if the cost benefit analysis justifies a change.

 

They are just devices for goodness sake!

 

I owned a Porsche 911 Targa. When I went to sell it folks said how can you do that? I played them and said "Oh I just put an ad in the paper (remember those days?) and then sell it to whoever comes by with money to buy it." They would say noooo, I mean how can you part with it?

To which I said hey, they made millions of them, if I want another, I will simply buy it. As if a hunk of metal and paint would make me a better more attractive person. Or showed I was "somebody!" Sheesh!

 

It is just a a cell phone folks, a square shape with or without rounded corners. When I rely on inanimate objects to represent me, shoot me. I don't buy my toys to say something to others about me, or to impress others or "belong."

 

I buy them to use, or because I want to play with them. I am actually taking a step backwards and getting less features than we have now. Neither of us used Apps when we had Android phones and we won't now either. That is not a deciding factor for either of us.

 

We get them Thursday!

[RV_]

Smitty,

I will let you know as my wife still works and does Estate sales and Senior living moves. So she is in the boonies on and beyond the fringe regularly. I use Bluetooth and am curious to see how well the Apple system does with that. My wife does not use Cortana at all, heck her tablet stays in the case most of the time. I am the tech heavy user from a hardware perspective.

[RV_]

Here is where the iPhone falls behind both Android and Windows phones.

 

What the iPhone 7 needs to stay ahead of Android (and Windows)

 

Excerpt:

 

"While Apple likes to focus on making the new iPhone lighter, thinner, and faster, here are the five features the next iPhone needs. But will it get them?

 

Wireless chargingA new and unique gimmick

 

As much as I think that the Edge feature of the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is a gimmick, it's a gimmick that users tell me is useful, and sets the handset apart from the crowd, both in terms of looks and usability.

 

Waterproofing

It seems to come as a bit of a surprise to Apple that people want to take their iPhones into the outdoors, where it sometimes rains.

 

Shatterproof screen

 

Drop the 16-gigabyte storage option"

 

Details on each, explaining why, are in the full article here: http://www.zdnet.com/article/what-the-iphone-7-needs-to-stay-ahead-of-android/?ftag=TRE17cfd61&bhid=19724681974700635514865380622813

[Max Signal]

In case you want to wait

 

http://money.cnn.com/2016/09/06/technology/apple-iphone-7-event-what-to-expect/index.html

[Biker56]

 

Neither of us used Apps when we had Android phones and we won't now either. That is not a deciding factor for either of us.

I just counted the apps I installed on my iPhone 6 Plus 16GB and the total is 59. Not counting the apps pre installed from Apple.

 

I have only had mine for 2 years next month and never had a smart phone before only a flip with voice only.

 

Google maps is the coolest. I just moved yesterday to a new campground and the car is dirty. I just asked google map by voice "where is the nearest car wash" and up pop ed the location of one. And directions to it.

[RV_]

Gord,

Thanks but we are in for two years then dropping back into (hopefully) Surface Phones. I don't do the latest in Cell phones. See we have 200 mbps unlimited data with our cable Internet account. We have yet to use more than a half GB of cellular data in any month, ever. We have come close to 350GB of data at home. This iPhone experiment is because I have heard but there is no understanding until we use them daily. It is like a Chevy fan buying an eco diesel 1500 from Ram because no one else makes an American truck with that mpg.

[Biker56]

iPhone 7

 

IPx7, the water resistance rating, means the iPhone 7 can withstand immersion in water to one meter (3.3 feet) for 30 minutes, tested in laboratory conditions. IPx7 is the second-highest rating, below IP8, which indicates an ability to withstand long periods of immersion under pressure. Samsung's devices, by the way, are rated at IP68, suggesting better overall water resistance.

Apple describes the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus as "splash, water, and dust resistant," and it should hold up to accidental drops in the pool, bathtub, or shower or light splashing. It shouldn't be used in high-pressure water conditions, such as in direct shower water, and it shouldn't be kept under water for extended periods of time.

[Zulu]

So for the first time we are trying an Apple product.

 

It was only a matter of time, RV, because . . .

 

[RV_]

Actually Zulu, 2016 was our year to try other device OS'. We have and love our Windows computers in tablet form factor. iPads will never be in our try out list. We sold our Kindles because we found better readers that could also do email and regular tablet functions that the PaperWhite Kindles could not. We bought two used/unused 7" Fire HDX tablets 4th gen (newest) that sat in their folio cases for a year for $50.00 each. Then I found a used/unused 8.9" Fire HDX tablet in its Otterbox with built in screen protector for $100! These are not Fire HD low resolution but their best they ever made, and have instant live real person video help within 10 seconds. They replaced our Kindles nicely.And now I was going to try an iPhone however . . .

 

Showstopper!!!

 

OMG! I got it activated, and got all my info in, Wi-Fi connected, Apple ID and PW and logon fingerprint and passcodes I was ready to learn how to put my music on the phone. I figured I would have to buy an adapter for the lightening connector to USB to load my music on the iPhone. NO WAY???

 

I just got off the phone with the second person at Apple customer service ( NO accent Americans! Yay!) and I was told I had to load iTunes on my computer with the music.

 

OK this is not up for discussion, as I told the Apple young lady and the level 2 Guy. I use Adobe Flash only because there is no alternative and it is embedded in Windows now and updated through them. Other than that no Adobe programs are allowed on my computer, certainly not reader because they are the only way through to infect a Windows computer, Windows itself is hardened as much or more than any other from direct attack. I also have no Java on my computers.

 

Safari, iTunes, and especially QuikTime for windows were riddled with vulnerabilities back in the day. Amazon wants me to stream and pay them for music but I can load my pics and music on the Tablets and play them using the micro SD port.

 

So what is the show stopper? They told me that there is no adapter to load MP3s directly from a USB flash drive or computer into the phone. They said I need to load iTunes bloatware on my Windows system to transfer them!

 

It is alright I have 14 days to return it and get my money back.

 

My wife uses no music streamed or otherwise on her phone and has never used her SD card music I loaded for her. I will assume that there is a way for her to load her pictures from the phone and phone messages directly to her computer without loading iTunes on it. If that is like the music show stopper not only will we not be assimilated, but you can have your walled garden of antiquated devices.

 

I have 14 days to back out and I may have found a solution with this: http://www.copytrans.net/copytransmanager/ But this is a third party program and not approved by Apple so may be a cause for vulnerabilities.

 

I am pretty frustrated and PO'd right now. I just realized that it would cost me more to have a single phone on my Verizon account. and another on Credo than it cost for both of us on Verizon!

 

Amazon never required me to load their programs on my Windows computers to download songs I bought on Prime. ( I declined the download assistant.)

 

iTunes ain't happening and virtual machines to replace a phone isn't happening either. If anyone can help I would appreciate it.

 

I am not much in the mood for gloating crap right now.

 

Any non church of Apple tech help here?

 

My Fire tablets play nice, so far not my iPhone. I already have several music and media players on my Windows 10 systems built in, and VLC so the Codecs for the rest are covered.

 

iTunes will go on my Windows computer the day I load old versions of Adobe reader and Java 1.1 on it.

 

This has turned into what in the military was termed a Charlie Foxtrot. Apple is living in the 90s. Long live the iPods to get revenues instead of having an SD card slot. I don't like Google spying but have had no trouble using an App to easily transfer my contacts and could use my Windows PC wireless keyboards on my Galaxy Tabs with the USB adapter. I could also load my music on my Android phones just by popping in an SD card.

 

BTW Zulu whether you call it humor or whatever it is just hardware and software, nothing to be smug about unless you wrote the software and made them yourself. And the iPhone and all of their computers use the same parts and are made in the same factories in China as all the rest of the computers in the world, be that mainland or nationalist China (Taiwan)

 

So again, any suggestions one of you guys use/used??

 

I will be doing a lot of research tomorrow to try and find a workaround. Next week I fly to Laser Spinal for the week of pretests. Copytrans looks good but now I am paranoid about anything Apple. I don't have time to develop my own workarounds for an inferior digital device that plays badly with others.

 

I am going to stop now because I am just getting angrier and feeling very foolish for trying something I knew better than to try. I am not going to jump over hoops to use a phone. I got my contact and Microsoft account synced in the first half hour. Making calls is no sweat as are most of the other functions. I have no more interest in or use for iClouds than we do for MS One Drives. We have no use for them.

[RV_]

Aha! I am not alone!

http://www.copytrans.net/support/product-related-faqs/copytrans-manager/

[Biker56]

I only listen to music on my iPhone while on a walk or at times in the car with the USB port. Get music while charging the battery at the same time.

I use the FREE Pandora app. Works good with my unlimited data plan on Sprint.

OH! I forgot you are not going to use apps.

[Zulu]

BTW Zulu whether you call it humor or whatever it is just hardware and software, nothing to be smug about unless you wrote the software and made them yourself. And the iPhone and all of their computers use the same parts and are made in the same factories in China as all the rest of the computers in the world, be that mainland or nationalist China (Taiwan)

 

It was just a joke. Chill out.

 

 

I just got off the phone with the second person at Apple customer service ( NO accent Americans! Yay!) and I was told I had to load iTunes on my computer with the music.

 

So what is the show stopper? They told me that there is no adapter to load MP3s directly from a USB flash drive or computer into the phone. They said I need to load iTunes bloatware on my Windows system to transfer them!

 

First, I don't think it's common practice for any company to tell you . . . Sure you can get around using our software jewel! Would you like me to email you a list of 3rd party vendors? Apple is no different.

 

I did a couple of Google & YouTube searches like this: "how to add music to iPhone without iTunes" or "how to transfer music from a flash drive to an iPhone". There seem to be a lot of options.

 

There are many Apple/IOS users who don't use Apple SOP. I use a software tool (iTools Pro) to transfer files to my iPad -- thus avoiding iTunes. Basically, for my iPad I manually update my own music/videos and prevent the iPad's iTunes software from automatically updating anything. Does "automatic updates" sound familiar?

 

Anyway, I suggest that you go to one of the iPhone/Apple forums (Apple's is actually really good) and ask your question(s). However, if you use one of these forums, I'd suggest the following:

• Keep your question(s) short. Your posts here are way too long. For example, How do I transfer music from a flash drive to my iPhone w/o using iTunes?
• Lose the attitude.

[RV_]

Biker,

I have about 40 GB of music on my Lumia 735 and all my docs in Word docs, about 4GB, and most of my pics and videos, about 10 GBs, on my 64GB SD card. I was planning to get a 128GB SD card which our Lumia 735s can handle. I get in the car and switch on the Jabra Cruiser hands free and Bluetooth to FM transmitter all in one to play my music and phone calls through my car stereo. My music is set on shuffle and I can swap out SD cards if I choose and just drag and drop my docs and pics to the new one in a few minutes. Cortana asks if I want her to read any of the few texts through my hands free and stereo, and lets me even answer hands free.

 

Our phone plans are 3GB and we have never used even 1 GB in the last two years. Why? Because all our upgrades and updates are done at home on 200mbps unlimited no throttling no matter how much I use Cable Internet. I leave my phone in the car because I do not do text messaging except when I have to, and can do without a phone except for the security of having an emergency phone now that I am 64 and slower than before. I could actually make do with a flip phone and an MP3 player. We have triple coil fast Qi wireless chargers, one on my night stand and one on Lynn's. If the iPhone charger cases were iffy that would just be more time and money wasted.

 

Here is a pic with Android phones on the ends and my Lumia 735 next to the iPhone six in the middle:

 

My wife and I just discussed it. We would be spending about 1/3 more for two phones on different services, and she wants nothing to do with a learning curve without me to bail her out, because I won't know the iPhone system settings and shortcuts like I do the Windows phone.

 

It is a slick case and fingerprint reader in a heavy solid feeling case. My Windows phone has built in wireless charging and is about the same thickness but my Windows phone is lighter. And non of the so called phone design and beauty are visible in the protective cases I use. I don't get broken screens on anything, because mine are not slippery and too thin in their cases.

 

I have both the red case as in the pic above and the Gray case back. I can easily remove and replace my battery and my SD card. And quite frankly, I like the tiles and color better than the pale old school rounded icons the iPhone uses. I can live with my Windows phone.

 

The Fire Phone died and the Surface phone may do for that form factor what the Surface 3 Pro and plain Atom Surface 3 did for their tablet form factor. See, any one Windows device can drag and drop all files between them. The phone is still a bit handicapped but much less so than an iPhone trying to do what a Mac does.

 

Heck, my Venue 11 Pro tablet running Windows 10 Anniversary edition and all, has a user removable back so I can replace the user replaceable battery if need be. They are not dependent on filling landfills with disposable phone and tablets.

 

And Apple gives free support for 90 days? I got a year with my Lumias, and beyond.

 

My verdict? I am actually disappointed. I wanted to play with them. But I have some surgeries to do and no time to take a week to research and experiment how to get around the designed in roadblocks Apple put in. Proprietary is dated. One man's meat is another man's poison and all that. I never used Siri so Cortana should not have to forgive me for cheating.

[RV_]

Zulu,

Thanks but no thanks.

 

The jewel as you call it is a dated approach IMO. Heck remember when it was the Evil Wintel? And then in 2005 Steve switched the Power PC chips, which a month before he advertised were superior to the intel chipsets PCs used and developed for Windows specifically, and has been using them ever since. Anyone can look up the why.

 

I know folks that still use well made well designed flip phones and swear by em. To each their own. Go ahead and do the workarounds.

 

We don't do emails or word processing on our phones like RVrs and younger kids do. We don't use anything but the music and take calls when out of the house. We read kindle books when we are waiting in a docs office. No we are not dependent on our phones. We do use Skype a lot at home. I prefer my big screen 2720 for that. emails in the mornings on the desktops.

 

"Anyway, I suggest that you go to one of the iPhone/Apple forums (Apple's is actually really good) and ask your question(s). However, if you use one of these forums, I'd suggest the following:
•Keep your question(s) short. Your posts here are way too long. For example, How do I transfer music from a flash drive to my iPhone w/o using iTunes?
•Lose the attitude."

 

Lose your own attitude, I don't have one other than my dislike of the iPhone today. If that bothers you get over it. You can skip my posts. If you think they are long try reading a book! (jest)

 

I made a Huuuuge mistake. The iPhone for my purposes is a boat anchor.

 

The phones go back tomorrow. All of the music loading options with iPhone involve loading their player drivers on my systems. They are designed not to be worked around. I prefer Windows where I can use any browser, media player, and not have to filter it through a Windows approval filter. MP3 is MP3 on everything but i-devices.

 

At least I can return them and not pretend it was not a huge mistake for me. My 2014 Lumia 735 has wireless charging built in.

[Zulu]

Sigh . . .

[RV_]

I'll second that, < sigh > I really wanted to switch to Credo for their activism. I was willing to try a two year free iPhone experiment to do that. I did like that fingerprint reader. I hope I can switch back and our plan stay the same. This was just supposed to work. If you like iPhones and iTunes and that sort of thing Credo is a great carrier. Maybe later when they have other than iPhones.

[RV_]

Biker,
We do use a few Apps. I am charging up my Windows phone in preparation for a long day reversing our service back to Verizon and my Lumia tomorrow.

 

We do use a few apps as I mentioned, we just don't use apps in place of large screen and keyboards. Weather radar, QR Code/bar code scanner, and our D-Link app for our WiFi security cameras, soon to be joined with Ring doorbell and battery wireless outdoor camera. So some Apps. Should I count MS Office as Apps? Because we do use Word to read incoming attached docs on our phones. I also have Apps that either came with it or we loaded but use neither like Pandora, Netflix App, and Duolingo to brush up on my Spanish and German which I never got around to. So yes we use a few Apps. Skype came built in so if you count that we use it at least once a month. I am not against Apps. It is just that we do not use our phones as tablets. We have tablets with full Windows 10. Why use a phone tiny screen. I carry a Kindle, well now a Fire HDX 7" tablet with me as well as my phone as they are tiny and I prefer the larger screen for reading Kindle books.

 

Full time RVing it would be different. Last year while the new house dirt pad and concrete foundation was bein built and set up we lived in the 28.5 foot Sunnybrook 5th wheel. But we had cable to it and our stuff stored in our remaining buildings. Glad that is behind us. Swing by if you are passing by anytime. Coffee is always on and we always enjoy meeting our on the road friends who have stopped by in the last 18 years since we started fulltiming for 7 years back in 1997.

 

Anyway all sorry if I sound sour because I have been severely let down. I thought we had a great deal here and would get to play with a top line device. I was very disappointed as I had hoped for a new toy, not to take several steps backward. Lynn is relieved as she does not like change and said she would be just as happy skipping the learning curve without me right there with her.

 

Safe travels!

[Biker56]

 

I have about 40 GB of music on my Lumia 735

WOW!!! That is around 10,000 songs. On average I spend less then 2 hours a week in my car.

Each song may average 3.5 minutes. So it would take me around 285 days to hear every song you have with no repeats.

Then I would be 285 days behind on all the new songs that came out in those 285 days.

 

Sorry to hear the iPhone doesn't work out for you. My 2 year contract is up next month on my iPhone lease. And I don't think Sprint will give me a Free iPhone 7 to replace it

The buy out on the phone($210) will be cheaper then another year of $25 month lease payments plus tax. So I will probably go that way.

[Mark and Dale Bruss]

I just having the leading edge product, Samsung, where Apple gets there next features.

[RV_]

Biker,

I read the user agreements for Apple today and that finalized it. No one is more sorry than I am, I wanted to use Credo Mobile. I bought my first Windows phone, a Nokia Lumia 822, outright from Credo years ago, to use on Straight talk back when they were half the cost of Verizon. We had Samsung Galaxies before then as well as Samsung Tab 10 and Tab 7 tablets. I loved the IR TV remote built in and the TV guide on the Tab 7. Of course in October 2012 Windows debuted Win 8 and the first Windows tablets. I hated having to go around the block to do things that my Windows computers do easily. I could not believe it and Bought the RT Surface first, and then when it could not do IMAP email bought the HP Envy x2 and a Lenovo Lynx for my wife both 11.6" then the Venue 11 for me with the quad core Atom 3770 and then gave her my HD Venue 11 sold her Lynx and got the Transformer by ASUS T200, with the Atom Z3795, 4GB RAM, 64GB SSD and full 64 bit Windows, which I still have. She will not give up her Venue Pro now despite it being 10.8", and I have

a Surface Pro 3 with the Pro 4 typecover which is backlit. The only reason I am going to sell the T200 is that it is 720p not full HD and that does make a difference.

I am on hold now with both Credo on the iPhone, and Verizon on our home phone, porting my number back to my Lumia 735 with Verizon. I was amazed at the restrictions and requirements for using the i-anything. I have had a Microsoft account since 1995 and have not had to filter any of my music through their approved process like iTunes. I can use any media player. MS has no credit card on my account. Nor any services I pay for. The 30 GB we accumulated with our devices is more than I need as I use local storage. I know I am not using the latest and greatest. I also see where Microsoft has a niche for the folks that like good hardware but also like open software from third parties as well as systems we can work on without calling up MS.

 

I have gotta tell you folks that Credo Mobile as a carrier, using Verizon towers, has the best deals for us on data and phones, and I love their activism and charities. But right now they only have iPhones. I will be switching to them as soon as they get a Windows phone of any kind with quad core like my 735, sexta, or octa core, SoC power. I did not get a chance to check the data speeds as I need my phone back active ASAP. iPhones are easy to use, that isn't the issue. They just demand too much control over what I own, which isn't just my music and how it is stored and used, but also includes the phone. We are paid up and under the Verizon no contract plan. If someone wants new iPhone 6s and a company to pay the ETFs Credo has some great specials now but with two year contracts. I am bailing one day after receiving them so it is well within the 14 days for canceling and return.

 

As soon as they have Windows phones again I will be joining them.

[RV_]

Mark, I can't disagree with that. The solid but heavy build quality of the iPhone 6 was very much like my old Nokia Lumia 822 that I traded in for the one of the 735s. My wife traded in her old Straight Talk Galaxy in at the same time for her Lumia 735 and she loves it. I am no fan of Google so Android is out. I can live with my phones until Verizon or Credo has Windows phones again. If not, we can go back anytime. I understand the warranty id void if anyone else works on it like for a screen replacement and on and on. I could not check out a music test without signing my life away.

 

Oh well just got done and now to call Apple and cancel my account there and get Credo to send the shipping labels. I have just enough time to get to the base to fill a prescription for three Xanax for my Laser Spinal institute MRIs next week in Florida. I started out no issues but with each one got less tolerant and the last time took a lot of will to hang in there and not bail. Weird that as I was never claustrophobic in my life not fearful of surgeries etc. This time I will smile all through it I hope. I've never taken a tranquilizer of any kind or Xanax. I only do NSAIDs. No other pain relievers synthetic opiates or otherwise. Lots of addict in my age group that used to be upright citizens. Such a shame.