Windows 11 has been available for a few months now. It seems that very few Windows 10 users have upgraded yet. The interface looks nicer overall, but the navigation is clunky. Microsoft will continue to support Windows 10 until 2025.
Google Pixel users have had early access to Android 12. Whilst it's very pretty, and has some cool new features, a lot of users are reporting that its very buggy.
Most iPhone & iPad users have upgraded to iOS 15 now. We've had a few customers run into software corruption, which has resulted in data loss. Other than that, it's been a pretty smooth transition, and people are benefitting from the new features. iOS 15.2 for iPhone and iPad has just been released. We think it's always a good idea to wait until the ".2" version before upgrading.
It's important to do your own research and assess the upgrade based on your individual needs. If you're using specialist equipment or software, you should take extra caution before upgrading. For example, media and music production engineers experienced technical issues and a drop in performance after upgrading from High Sierra OS to Mojave OS.
It's often a good idea to wait a little while before updating, as you never know what you're walking into with a large system upgrade. Remember that if you're an Apple user, you cannot jump back once you've made the upgrade.
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The government are under increasing pressure to go digital, with apps being the preferred channel for service provision. Makes sense - we spend 4.2 hours per day using apps, on average. It's also more efficient (cheaper) than telephone or face-to-face.
We think that using apps for public services is going to become increasingly prevalent. In 2022, the Government is going to launch a Gov.UK app. This means that you'll be able to access public services - driving licence & address changes, DVLA, voting, visas, taxation, benefits etc., through the app. Throughout the pandemic, people have had to access public services in new ways, including the NHS app, Track & Trace, and vaccine booking service.
We've been increasingly busy with setting up first-time smartphone users, and helping people register with the NHS app or appointment booking apps.
Many people seem reluctant to use apps rather than logging on in browser. Why use an app? It's essentially a series of pages that's optimised for the interface - a small touch screen. It's more efficient and more intuitive, and allows for better utilisation of other smartphone features - access to camera, instant push notifications, location tracking etc.
The bottom line: Embrace it now. Get your family set up and familiar with these apps, and keep login details and passwords stored securely.
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13 of 'em on the workbench for repair this weekend.
Mostly broken screens; mostly kids. Because tablets are quite heavy compared to a phone, if you drop one on a hard surface, 9 times out of 10 it will break.
We also see quite a lot of iPads with damaged charging ports and audio jacks - where the charging cable or headphone jack snap off inside.
Then there's battery replacements. The battery is about 4x larger than a phone in terms of capacity, and most users don't mind charging their tablet more frequently as it ages. But many of our customers hold on to their iPads for years - typically upgrading their phone twice as often as their tablet. So after 4 years, the iPad battery will typically be at around 70% of its design capacity, and will need replacing.
