Bob's Tech Talk
Q. I need help deciding which cellphone to buy. What do you recommend?
A. If you have a tech-oriented friend, get the model they suggest. Just make sure they are willing to help you when you need it.
If I assume you don’t have a friend like that, here is my take:
I purchased my first cell phone in 1989. I have owned or tested countless different cellular phones. As a daily user of cellphones for 35 years, I have strong opinions.
The very best phones available at any price are made by Apple. Any Apple phone is a good choice, so making your choice based on what you can afford is a reasonable place to begin. The entry-level iPhone SE 2 is a top-quality option.
If you look beyond just affordability, here are the basics.
This year, the iPhone 16 is the newest release. There are four models, two sizes, and two feature sets.
Choose the size first. That is a personal choice. Which phone feels comfortable in your hand?
Once you choose a size, the next choice is the Pro model or the non-Pro model. The differences are minor. For example, the Pro model has three camera lenses instead of two.
Size: Check. Pro vs non-Pro: Check. The last decision is the memory size. This decision can get expensive, adding hundreds of dollars to the price. Unlike the first two choices, this one is a bit hard to pin down.
Let me make it easy. The base model is all any new iPhone owner would ever need unless you take hours of video, and if you run out of space then a $3 monthly iCloud plan will solve the problem.
Apple phones are easy to return or exchange, so a less than perfect choice is easy to fix.
My last bit of advice is to buy directly from Apple. If there is a store nearby, go there. If not, use their online store. They sell carrier plans for every network. They treat their customers better than any other electronics store I have ever used.
Q. What is your favorite new feature in Apple’s latest software?
A. The feature that most people are going to find useful when they upgrade to the latest operating system is the Passwords app. I have been recommending Apple iCloud Keychain for several years, because it was free and it worked. The one shortcoming it had was that the keychain was confusing, however its ability to auto-fill fields in many places made it work well enough.
The new Apple Passwords app is a fresh way to interact with your passwords. If you use an existing password manager, it should be able to import your existing passwords. And if you’ve never used an app to manage passwords before, this is the perfect time to start.
Many of the other new features will not be available for several months, but I will cover them.
A few of the other big-ticket features that are here now that I’m impressed with are the sleep apnea detection (in conjunction with Apple Watch) and the hearing aid capability of the new AirPods.
The additive effects of many small features make this year a solid upgrade, with more promised in the coming months.
Q. I saw in the news that Apple AirPods are approved as an over-the-counter hearing aid. Where do I sign up?
A. For me, the hearing aid functionality news is welcome and a bit anti-climactic, because I’ve been testing the existing AirPods Pro as a simple hearing aid for the last few years.
Although I haven’t personally tested the new software, I’m so impressed with how well these unofficial hearing aids have worked that I’m eager for the new release.
That is because unlike the unofficial preview version, the new software is FDA sanctioned, and I expect it will be a bit easier to use. Moreover, it will include hearing tests and long-term hearing health tracking.
The AirPods hardware terminology is a bit confusing. As of this month there are three models, AirPods 4, AirPods Pro 2, and AirPods Max.
The hearing aid functionality will be available on AirPods Pro 2, which is $249, and on the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, which is $179. The entry-level $129 AirPods 4 and the $499 AirPods Max do not support the hearing aid feature.
Wander the Web
Here are my picks for worthwhile browsing this month:
New Apple Software Releases
A closer look at the latest updates, many of which are available to existing iPhone users.
apple.com/ios/ios-18/
Apple-focused Tutorials
This service provides tutorials to help you get started with Apple products or learn a new skill.
screencastsonline.com
Pre-Internet Network
A barbed wire fence was once a communication network commonplace in farm areas.
loriemerson.net/2024/08/31/a-brief-history-of-barbed-wire-fence-telephone-networks/
Bob has been writing about technology for over three decades. He can be contacted at techtalk@bobdel.com.
