Smartphones

Got an iPhone 6 recently. Set up Apple Pay and gave it a shot last night at the grocery store. I can see the benefit in security vs magnetic stripe cards, but I still had the original card in my wallet and could have easily pulled that out instead of my phone. Once NFC payments become commonplace though, I'm sure there will be a new way to 'skim cards', but in the meantime, it's just a cute new way to pay at retailers that support it.

The one thing that I didn't give a second thought about was the health app. I've never had a fitness tracker before and the passive tracking on the iPhone 6 (steps, distance, and number of floors you climbed in a day + history over days/weeks/months) kinda has me wanting to get an Apple Watch.

Neph_sl said:

The one thing that I didn't give a second thought about was the health app. I've never had a fitness tracker before and the passive tracking on the iPhone 6 (steps, distance, and number of floors you climbed in a day + history over days/weeks/months) kinda has me wanting to get an Apple Watch.

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Just get one of the other myriad of fitness trackers. They're cheaper, more attractive (subjective), and will give you a much better battery life over any of the up and coming smart watches.

Mageling_sl said:

Just get one of the other myriad of fitness trackers. They're cheaper, more attractive (subjective), and will give you a much better battery life over any of the up and coming smart watches.

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False, Moto 360 is beautiful and after the first few patches and charge cycles has a great battery life. Borrowed my buddies as a test run to see if I'm getting one and it was still at 50% after borrowing it for 2.5 days (And I forget how much charge it started with when I borrowed it - I didn't have a Qi pad, so it didn't recharge at all under my care) - I didn't reference it a ton - but it can certainly last under light use.

And frankly $100-150 more than the good fitness trackers to add the equivalent of a $200-300+ appearance watch with the practical functionality of not adding an extra item to your pile of items to remember is huge IMO.

Mageling_sl said:

Just get one of the other myriad of fitness trackers. They're cheaper, more attractive (subjective), and will give you a much better battery life over any of the up and coming smart watches.

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I really like the basis peak, price is meh, it looks like a decent sports watch, and it lasts 3 full days on a charge while giving you notifications of text/email/phone call (phone call kinda useless).

I know a lot of time, especially while I'm driving, I won't notice my phone beep or buzz when it's in my pocket while driving, but I definitely can feel when my wrist vibrates. And I can just look at my watch to see the text instead of pulling my phone out is pretty handy. (plus the fitness tracking).

Ideally, I'd like a watch to do all that and last a full week between charges, but I know that's just asking too much, but even still, 3 days is infinitely better than the 1 that a color led smartwatch is going to provide. If I'm going somewhere on a short trip, I'll just shut off the bluetooth and it'll last 4 days or so without needing a charge so I don't have to pack its dock.

Neph_sl said:

Got an iPhone 6 recently. Set up Apple Pay and gave it a shot last night at the grocery store. I can see the benefit in security vs magnetic stripe cards, but I still had the original card in my wallet and could have easily pulled that out instead of my phone. Once NFC payments become commonplace though, I'm sure there will be a new way to 'skim cards', but in the meantime, it's just a cute new way to pay at retailers that support it.

The one thing that I didn't give a second thought about was the health app. I've never had a fitness tracker before and the passive tracking on the iPhone 6 (steps, distance, and number of floors you climbed in a day + history over days/weeks/months) kinda has me wanting to get an Apple Watch.

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I don't understand paying with a phone. There's already payWave and Pay Pass, so other forms of NFC type payment is moot.

So for those looking for an OPO they now have open tuesdays where anyone can order a new phone without an invite. Guessing they are looking to clear out inventory for their next release hehe. Still a great phone. Also the latest CM update just went out. Seems like the screen is a lot more responsive then before.

The Dauntless One_sl said:

I don't understand paying with a phone. There's already payWave and Pay Pass, so other forms of NFC type payment is moot.

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With Apple Pay, you confirm payment using the fingerprint scanner, which seems pretty secure to me vs magnetic stripes or cards with chips.

Re: fitness trackers, not going to get one, was just surprised that a phone of all things got me to appreciate tracking daily activity.

The Dauntless One_sl said:

I don't understand paying with a phone. There's already payWave and Pay Pass, so other forms of NFC type payment is moot.

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You don't understand that having options is a good thing? I don't have any of that shit you mentioned but I always have my phone.

I can't imagine a scenario where pulling out my phone, turning it on, opening an app, and having to press a couple buttons is easier than just pulling out my wallet and swiping a card.

Maybe for women who always lose all of their shit in the bottom of a purse and take forever to fish it out, but I'm a guy, so that's a non-factor.

You don't have to turn on your phone or open an app though. You pull out your phone, hold it near the NFC terminal and your cards will pop up, pick one and then confirm payment with your fingerprint. It's as much hassle as taking out a card, swiping it, and signing your name

refined versions of "coin" card imo is superior.

I buy my wife's Starbucks all the time with my phone. I wouldn't do it if it wasn't for the loyalty aspect but it isn't any more or less of a hassle than pulling out my wallet.

xadion_sl said:

refined versions of "coin" card imo is superior.

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Won't these things basically be already obsolete when the US moves to chip-and-pin in the fall of this year? Says on their website it is only good for magnetic swipes...

Hence why he said refined versions, like Plastc, which has the smart chip.

Every version of this type of product I've seen doesn't have a smart chip currently (Coin, Wocket, and Swyp being the major ones). This is the first I'm hearing of Plastc HENCE me asking my question.

Yea, I loved my GNexus at the time, but going to the M8 from it was just ridiculous. And come next month or so you're going to have the 2015 options rolling out. (M9 looking crazy and I'm sure there will be some competition to them as well)

My cheap ass is still using an original Galaxy S.

One of these days this thing will just stop working.

My iphone 4 was release June 2010.. going to a Moto X was like upgrading an Apple IIE to an i7 gen 5