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iOS 17 - What you actually need to know

by George Lovell | | 0 comments


When will it be available?

iOS 17 was launched on Monday 18th September. If your device is compatible, you can update to iOS 17 in Settings > General > Software Update.

What has changed in iOS 17?

New features include StandBy, live voicemail, interactive widgets, and Apple Maps offline.

If you want to see all the new features in action, Nick Ackerman has a great 16-minute demonstration video here.

As usual, the interface receives a visual refresh. Some of the icons look a bit more aesthetic and some of the menus have been cleaned up and re-organised.



Should I update to iOS 17?

iOS updates always improve on previous versions, so you'll benefit from updating, even if the new features don't appeal to you.

However, new software versions always have some bugs. We haven't seen or read about them yet, but can guarantee that there will be reports of software corruption, data loss, battery drain and app crashes. Most users won't have any issues, and can freely enjoy the new features in iOS 17, but some users will inevitably run into problems when they update. Apple has a team of software developers working frantically around the clock to fix these bugs, which is why they release subsequent software updates so frequently.

I usually recommend waiting until the ".2" version. You almost certainly won't miss out on anything by waiting for a few weeks, and once you've made the jump, there's no going back. Take 2 minutes to check that your data is backed up first, just to be safe.

Will updating to iOS 17 kill my battery life?

One common complaint that floods the forums as well as our phone lines following an iOS update is reports of decreased battery life.

Most users will indeed experience decreased battery life for the first two days following a major software update. Even after the update has finished being installed, there's still a ton of background processes occurring, and these will consume more power. The device undergoes a series of complex operations to organise all of your new and existing files, apps and other bits of software. This is called indexing. Most of your apps will automatically download updates so that they are optimised for the new OS.

If battery drain persists for more than 48 hours, you may be one of the unlucky few who's device does not like the OS - in which case, you'll have to sit and wait for the developers to fix it. It could also be coincidence. Batteries degrade over time. If your phone is more than three years old, the battery itself may have been on its way out anyway. We are more likely to notice something following a big change, which can lead us to drawing false causations.

Is my device supported?

If you have an iPhone XS, XR, SE 2, SE 3, 11, 12, 13 or 14, you're good.

2017 models, iPhone 8 and iPhone X, will not update to iOS 17. They will still receive security updates for at least two years though. 

It feels like yesterday the iPhone X was the all-new, cutting-edge piece of premium hardware. Time & tech moves fast...

FYI: Apple's software support is good. 6 years of updates plus 2 years of security updates is a solid return on a smartphone.

What about iPads?

iPadOS 17 arrives at the same time as iOS 17, and brings most of the same new features and improvements to the iPad.

Supported devices are:
  • 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2nd Gen & later
  • 11-inch iPad Pro
  • 10.5-inch iPad Pro
  • iPad Air 3rd Gen & later
  • iPad 6th Gen & later
  • iPad mini 5th Gen & later
iPad Pro 1st Gen and iPad 5th Gen will not update to iPadOS 17.

I can't upgrade to iOS 17 - is my life over?

It's unlikely that you'll notice anything or have any problems by sticking with your iPhone 8 on iOS 16. As mentioned above, you'll still get security updates, which are important for protecting your sensitive data. All the third-party apps that you use (WhatsApp, Instagram, Waze, NatWest etc.) will continue to work as normal for years to come.

Eventually app developers will stop releasing updates for iOS 16, but this won't occur for quite a while. You can still use WhatsApp on an iPhone 5S, and you can still do mobile banking on an iPhone 6S.

Yes, the newer models are better, but if you're happy with your old phone, then stick with it! Nothing has changed.

Thanks for reading!

See Our Blog for the latest industry news, tech tips, company updates, and anything else we feel like writing about. 

     

What are cookies?

by George Lovell | | 0 comments


"Web Cookie" was derived from the term "Magic Cookie", which is a packet of data that a program receives and sends back unchanged. This was derived from "Fortune Cookie", which a crisp and sugary cookie wafer made with a piece of paper containing information - typically a vague prophecy or lucky numbers. You'll associate fortune cookies with Chinese takeaway, but they actually originate from 19th-century Japan.

A cookie is a small text file that a site stores on your device when you visit the site. The site can then access that file whilst you are on the site. Cookies are necessary for a site to remember you as you navigate through it's pages.



Web browsers support cookies, which allows the site to store information about your visit. The site can then use the information to tailor and improve the users experience. It also enables them to collect an aggregate set of usage statistics.



Let's say you spend some time watching car reviews and funny cat videos on YouTube. You close your computer and come back to YouTube the next day. You're already logged in, you can see which videos you watched yesterday, and resume them from the exact second that you stopped watching. Your feed has been refreshed with suggestions of similar content, including videos of cats driving cars.



Cookies save the products in your cart. They remember your password and your shipping address. They authenticate that it's you accessing sensitive information. They maintain your visual and audio preferences, such as light or dark mode.



Sites are required by law to ask your permission to store bits of data in the form of cookies.



There are occasions where you might want to reject cookies, like when you're entering personal information such as your social security number or bank details, or when you don't recognise or trust the site.



Generally, they are useful, convenient, and harmless, so it's good to "Accept Cookies" in most cases.



If you made it through this post, reward yourself with a proper cookie. Soft oatmeal & raisin with cinnamon and a cup of tea for me. What's your go to? 🤤



Delicious! 

Thanks for reading!

See Our Blog for the latest industry news, tech tips, company updates, and anything else we feel like writing about. 

     

For the last time...

by George Lovell | | 0 comments

There's a first time for everything. And as mortal creatures, there's a last time for everything.


We always know it's the first. We don't always know it's the last.

A last bike ride
A last time we put up a Christmas tree
A last time we exchange a hello with the barista
A last time we buy new trainers
A last time we do a pull-up
A last vacation abroad
A last time we listen to our favourite song
A last time our dog wakes us up
A last Sunday Roast with family
A last time we speak to our best friend
A last time we take our child to the park
A last breath in...


There is a growing list of things that we have presumably already done for the last time:

Buy a DVD or video cassette from a shop
Organise a CD or vinyl collection
Get a pick and mix at the cinema
Score a goal or a try in a match
Play a giant game of tag
Read a spy novel
Finish a geography exam
Ate our favourite meal at our favourite restaurant
Stood in the rain at 4am waiting for an Uber
Gotten drunk in a park and woke up in McDonald's
Made a cup of tea for a grandparent
Get carried to bed by Mum

As you go about your day, you will inevitably but unknowingly keep adding to this list - doing things for the last time. You will see someone today that you will never see again. You will experience something unique today that will never happen again. There's a small chance that this will be the last post that you ever read - though I sincerely hope not!

Sometimes, you know you're doing something for the last time - like having a pint at your local pub on its closing night. These rare moments provide a richer experience than they usually would. You're not concerned with any little imperfections or inconveniences - you may even consider them part of the charm. You could have enjoyed every pint as much as this one, but there was no reason to be so intentional because you'd be back next week anyway.


Many of our customers are elderly, and some have been dropping in for the best part of a decade. Sometimes we find out that they have passed on or moved away, but more often a customer will pop into my head and I'll think "Gosh, I haven't seen them for a while", and I can typically assume that I probably won't see them again.

Sometimes I dig out an old iPhone 3GS or 4. Replacing screens and batteries on these built our business whilst keeping a roof over our heads and putting food on the table. Countless times sliding the back glass off or finishing a screen replacement only to realise that I'd left the home button out. Every time we take in an old model, it brings back a bit of nostalgia. Every time we repair one, there's a good chance it will be the last time. 


Inserting and turning the key to open the shop door for the last time is a vivid yet difficult thought to reflect on. Something we've done every single day for so long that the thought of not doing it is strange and unsettling. The distinct and satisfying click of the lock, the pressure on the handle and friction on the hinge, and the subtle but distinct combination of light, sounds and aromas that inhabit the atmosphere. Such a trivial thing - but one that given attention brings some joy that would otherwise be taken for granted.

We'll set someone up with their first smartphone for the last time. We'll fill the last column in each spreadsheet, cut or burn our fingers doing a repair, drink our morning coffee, write a blog post, and achieve a long-term goal for the last time. One day, we'll flick the lights and close the door for the last time.

We're not going anywhere anytime soon, but we will miss it when it's gone.

Tiny moments of satisfaction, pleasure and connection: these accumulate towards a good life - as do events, achievements and peak experiences. It's the small moments though, in my observation, that are underrated and underappreciated. 

Even our perception of frustrating or upsetting moments and occurrences can be viewed through the last-time lens - making them seem less significant, or even worthy of gratitude.

Being "in the present" is an abstract notion that we hear all the time. It's not always clear what this means, how or when we can get there, or even if we should want to get there.

This is a very simple, quick and worthwhile lever you can pull on to bring yourself into the present.

Every now and then, take a moment to reflect and appreciate what you're doing as if it is the last time. Do this not to create a sense of despair or urgency, but rather to infuse everyday occurrences with meaning. This probably won't be your last sip of tea, but why not appreciate it as if it is?

Because every single thing you experience is finite, and therefore, valuable. It's there for the taking. Once it's gone; it's gone.
Thanks for reading!

See Our Blog for the latest industry news, tech tips, company updates, and anything else we feel like writing about. 

     

Essential Luxury Brand

by George Lovell | | 0 comments

People pay for a luxury brand, more so than the product.

The iPhone 4, iPad 2, MacBook Pro 2008, and OG AirPods were status symbols. Do you remember?

Apple's 1st iPhone to iPhone 14 Pro: Every iPhone Ever Made

Is an iPhone still a luxury item if everyone has one? Anything short of the latest, highest-spec model (14 Pro) won't catch anyone's eye. Having a smartphone of any kind is a privilege, but it hardly signals that you're worthy of great respect and admiration, in a Western country at least.

By contrast, imagine seeing someone in an Armani suit with a Louis Vuitton bag getting into a Lamborghini. A smartphone could never garner such social currency. Though you can guarantee they won't be pulling a Nokia out of that £10,000 bag...

What Apple does have, in a greater capacity than before, is control over people's lives. Not only are users addicted to their Apple devices, they are trapped in the ecosystem, where all their tech connects via Apple Pay, App Store, Apple TV, Apple Home, Apple AI and so on.

One does not simply cut ties with their Apple.

Open "Focus Mode" on your iPhone to switch between work, personal, social and sleep modes. Notice how the Apple has subtly infiltrated every manner; every hour of our lives. 

Each morning, you pass the same people at bus stops and on street corners - all of them, absorbed in their iPhones, totally oblivious to their surroundings - like drug addicts, with cleaner clothes. How many of them would beg for their fix of Apple if they had to?

Luxury is no longer reserved for the upper-class. The mid-range tech market serves to gather those who are not enticed by or cannot afford luxury tech. Entry-level devices include the iPhone SE, which sells at half the price of the flagship model, and lacks just a few modern bells and whistles. A concession ticket into the ecosystem - no stragglers. Every person must know how it feels to ride in first class, so they'll never want to ride in economy ever again.

What was once a luxury has slowly morphed into a necessity. Or has it all happened rather quickly? I'm not sure.

Apple: perhaps the world's first Essential Luxury Brand.

Question for you to ponder: When you're buying a new phone, do you see it as a luxury or a necessity purchase?


Thanks for reading!

See Our Blog for the latest industry news, tech tips, company updates, and anything else we feel like writing about. 

     

It's just a game

by George Lovell | | 0 comments

After a magical evening exploring Hogwarts Legacy, delving into the gaming market seemed only right this morning.



Did You Know: The video game sector is larger than the movie and music industry combined.

The market grew by 26% from 2019 to 2021 as millions of new players got involved during COVID-19 lockdowns.

The industry is set to maintain its rapid growth and could be worth $321 billion by 2026, according to a PwC report.

Men aged 15-24 in the US spend 1.82 hours per day gaming in 2022, compared to 1.08 hours in 2019 (See Graph). That's a 70% increase in three years.



3.36 million consoles were sold in the UK in 2021. Sales slumped in 2022, reaching just over 2 million. This would have been primarily due to stock shortages from supply chain issues. The shortages are long gone: PS5 sales were up 81% in the first 5 months of 2023 compared to 2022.


The Nintendo Switch - like the one we are testing here - is the best-selling console in the UK and worldwide - over 20 million units are shipped per year!


China and the US dominate the gaming market - currently accounting for about half of gaming and eSports revenues. However, developing countries such as Turkey, Pakistan and India are rapidly expanding their network of gamers, so expect to see a more even distribution by the end of the decade.

Why is gaming thriving?

Talent: The games are better; more fun; more addictive. Developers clearly understand human psychology better than just about anyone else.

Technological advancements: Graphics and performance just keep getting better. VR and AR create more immersive experiences.

Incentive: A $300 billion + growing market is a pretty attractive proposition.

Accessibility: Anyone with a smartphone can play a decent game. Consoles and devices are becoming universal, especially in poorer countries, where most people can now afford them.

Social and streaming: Gaming has transformed into quite a social activity. Gamers and influencers alike can connect and build communities within games and on platforms such as Twitch, YouTube, Reddit, Discord etc.

Variety: There's something for everyone: casuals, young and old, boys and girls, and all personality types.

Time to level up

There are currently 3 big players in the market that you know about: Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. Then there are a few giant game developers (See Table).


The other big tech companies are really eyeing up their slice of the pie at the moment. Apple, Meta and Google are investing millions of dollars and man-hours into gaming products. Games have officially been promoted from side quest to main quest. It will be really interesting to see what they come up with. These three, along with Microsoft, are front-runners in AI - a technology which could accelerate progress in numerous directions.

Will this disruption result in massive innovation & growth? Very likely. There's never been a better time to be a gamer, or better yet, a game developer.

I'm excited.

Console Repairs

Thanks for reading!

See Our Blog for the latest industry news, tech tips, company updates, and anything else we feel like writing about.