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diff --git a/memos/WM-017.txt b/memos/WM-017.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ba7bbdc --- /dev/null +++ b/memos/WM-017.txt @@ -0,0 +1,348 @@ + + + + + + + +Document: WM-017 P. Webb +Category: Tech 2017.09.12 + + iPhone X is my dream phone + +Abstract + + This looks like everything I've ever wanted + +Body + + For as long as I can remember, I've always wanted a futuristic + communication device *that also looked the part*. Arguably, every + smartphone today fits the former description. The latter? A whole + bunch of *meh*. Sharp's Aquos Crystal[1] was the best contender + before the X IMO, but I don't use Android. + + 📸[Dat sweet design, dayum][IMG1] + + Enter iPhone X[2], a device leaked by a disgruntled employee inside + Apple days before today's event. It *would have been nice* to have a + proper surprise but here in 2017, assholes are a dime a dozen. + Anyhoo, this futuristic communication device succeeds in looking like + such and that pleases me *immensely*. For context, I am currently + rocking a 256GB Jet Black iPhone 7 Plus. I purchased this phone and + configuration primarily for the camera…*and shiny body*. + + My fiancé used to find my ~~constant filming~~ role as family + historian irritating but has come to accept it now, yahaha[3]! She + was pregnant with our son when I bought it and I correctly predicted + that most of my content would be of him. My daughter is becoming a + ~~pain in my ass~~ tween and I don't want to miss out on her + development/funny moments as well. Believe it or not, I've filled my + phone at least twice over the past year and would've reached my + phone's storage limits a helluva lot quicker if I chose a + lesser capacity. + + I explain all this to say I'm going to be one of those people + plunking down $1149 for the piece of mind 256GB gives me. Fight me. + (No really, some people seem pretty mad about the iPhone X on + Twitter) 🤷🏾♂️ + + I'm going to run down my favorite new features about the + *definitive* iPhone. + + *BUCKLE UP GANG* + + 1. Cameras + + Anyone who visits my Instagram page[4] can see that I clearly + *love* taking Portrait photos. While not perfect (Apple needs to + find a way to deal with curly hair), I can usually get some damn + good shots on a consistent basis. The optical image stabilization + allows me to run after my kids and get awesome action shots that + aren't blurry as hell. + + For the X, Apple includes a *second* optical image stabilizer. + This will make my favorite kind of photo to take *even better*. + In additional to a better-looking Portrait mode, we gain a new + feature called "Portrait Lighting". Thanks to the extra sensors + Apple seems keen on packing into iPhone, Portrait Lighting allows + me to light my subjects in five different ways: + + 1. Natural Light + 2. Studio Light + 3. Contour Light + 4. Stage Light + 5. Stage Light Mono + + These modes emulate studio lighting and of course, since this is + software it can (and will) improve over time. The X will + automatically optimize images as I take them. In theory that + sounds great but, I don't know just yet if I'll like how this + optimization happens. + + When Apple initially introduced Portrait Mode, I've wanted it on + the front-facing camera and it's a reality now with the X (and + iPhone 8 Plus, the Plus model always has a better/extra camera + than the non-Plus model). FINALLY. Get ready for yours truly (and + aspiring Instagram models) to use this feature a LOT. + + Another feature I'm particularly excited for is the capability to + shoot *4K video at 24fps*. This is cinema-quality videography, *in + my friggin' pocket*. Are you *kidding* me?! This, coupled with the + Steadicam[5] coming in the mail soon, is going to make my videos + *amazing*. I do believe I win for best family historian this year, + the holidays are gonna be cinematically *gorgeous daaaaahling*. + + 2. Face ID + + 📸[Internal shot of what makes Face ID possible][IMG2] + + ~~When Craig Federighi bungled the initial demo of Face ID, I~~ + ~~was concerned for obvious reasons. Then he tried several more~~ + ~~times and it worked consistently each of those times, which~~ + ~~leads me to believe he messed up somehow that first time (go~~ + ~~watch first impressions videos from people who were actually~~ + ~~at today's event, Face ID gets demoed in some.~~ + + Update from Apple to 9to5Mac[6]: + + > "People were handling the device for stage demo ahead of time," + > says a rep, "and didn't realize Face ID was trying to + > authenticate their face. After failing a number of times, + > because they weren't Craig, the iPhone did what it was designed + > to do, which was to require his passcode." In other words, "Face + > ID worked as it was designed to." + + My main concern continues to be, *will this work for me?* I'm a + black man with a beard who wears glasses. *Snapchat doesn't think + I exist* most times, whereas my family can use Snapchat's + face-tracking masks without issue. While Apple's site shows a + brown man with/without facial hair, glasses, and a hat, I haven't + seen any press media showcasing dark-skinned people using Face ID + successfully. Color concern may be unwarranted since an infrared + camera, infrared light, and dot mapping is used but facial hair? I + look forward to tech reviewers testing this before launch. If + MKBHD doesn't grow a beard, *I* will be the one to test this for + myself (and share the results with you all). + + Apple claims their Face ID neural networks/machine learning will + track your face's changes over time. It will be interesting to see + how it copes with people undergoing reconstructive surgery and + related facial matters. + + 3. Hardware Design + + 📸[iPhone 4, is that you?][IMG3] + + The iPhone 4 was a favorite to many and I remember the collective + sadness online when the iPhone 5 was released looking very + different from the 4. I had a Palm Pre at the time so I didn't + care, haha. The X has a glass back like the 4, but adds surgical + grade stainless steel for the sides and bottom. The phone looks + seamless and I'm curious to know how it feels in the hand. + + I regularly give my son my phone while it's recording on the + front-facing camera because the results end up being pretty funny. + Being a year and some months old, he *does* + drop/throw/trip over/attempt to eat my phone so the extra sturdy + design of the X will be much appreciated (my 7 Plus is holding up + well though!). I'm thinking about creating a YouTube channel in a + few months to showcase #dadlife, and you may see some of + these clips. + + According to Apple, normal ol' OLED wasn't good enough. They've + made a "Super Retina" HDR display with a million to one contrast + ratio, high resolution and brightness, wide color support, and + excellent color accuracy. In addition, the X gains "True Tone" + technology like the latest iPad Pro. This automatically adjusts + the color temperature of the screen to match the lighting + environment you're in, to reduce eyestrain. + + 4. Qi Charging + + 📸[Qi charging, never saw this coming][IMG4] + + The glass back of the X enables wireless charging and to be + honest, I did not think this would actually happen. Of course, the + Apple-issued charging mat isn't coming until sometime in 2018 but + the fact that it's coming at all is great. In the meantime, you + can certainly purchase Qi charging pads from other manufacturers. + Apple says they've wanted ~~wireless~~ inductive charging since + the original iPhone and a decade later they've done it! *Cue + Android users saying they've had it first.* + + Qi is an industry standard for wirelessly charging devices. One of + my best friends swears by Qi and remarked that some fairweather Qi + manufacturers are gonna come back into the fold (LG and HTC). I + hope Qi and USB-C take the tech industry by storm. One cable to + rule them all and wireless charging for the rest! + + Clarification about Qi and AirPower, from John Gruber[7] + (emphasis mine): + + > The best way to think of it is that AirPower is to Qi what + > AirPods are to Bluetooth. + > + > *AirPower is going to be a superset of Qi with a layer of + > non-standard Apple technology on top of it to make it better*, + > just like how AirPods are a superset of Bluetooth with + > non-standard Apple technology on top. So iPhone 8 and iPhone X + > can charge on any Qi charging pad, like the Belkin and Mophie + > ones that Apple promoted on stage. Likewise, AirPods can be used + > as a regular Bluetooth headset connected to any + > Bluetooth device. + > + > But AirPower can do things Qi cannot — it can charge Apple Watch + > and the upcoming new AirPod case. *Apple Watch and the AirPod + > case are not Qi devices — you cannot charge them on a Qi + > charging pad.* That's similar to the way AirPods (and the Beats + > headphones also equipped with Apple's W1 chip) can do things + > regular Bluetooth headsets cannot — in particular, the seamless + > pairing process, and the lower audio playback latency enabled by + > the W1. + > + > The main difference between the non-standard aspects of AirPower + > compared to AirPods is that *Apple is pledging to offer their + > improvements to the Qi consortium.* If the consortium accepts + > them, third-party companies will be able to make AirPower-like + > charging pads that do work with Apple Watch, the new AirPod + > case, and more. + + I was confused about Apple Watch and AirPod cases charging on + Apple's pad because they didn't specify if only the *latest* + versions of those devices had Air Power capability, or if past and + present versions would work out of the box. I'm still unsure but + I'll update when I find out. + + 5. Animoji + + 🎥[iPhone emoji][VID1] + + The TrueDepth camera on the X (in conjunction with the A11 Bionic + chip) analyzes 50 different muscle movements on your face and then + applies them to one of 12 pre-selected ~~emoji~~ Animoji. You can + record video messages with Animoji (and your voice!) and share + them inside of Messages. It should be possible to export these + videos outside of Messages too. I hope there's a way to create + your own Animoji (if you're a developer). I'd create a 3D version + of myself and use that Animoji exclusively. + + Apple just made it so anyone can be a (generic) Pixar character. + + 6. Criticism + + On social media today, I've seen people complain (some, vehemently + so) about the price of the phone and say things like, "This isn't + worth it", "iPhone eXtortion", "Just get a laptop", and so on. I + believe these people are reactionary and failing to see the bigger + picture. They see the price and think, "That price…for a + *phone*?", and stop their train of thought…*derail it* even. In + reality, *you aren't paying for just a phone*. You are paying for + a phone that rivals a DSLR camera and last I checked, those + cameras are *not* cheap but, no one complains about them (probably + because expectations of DSLRs haven't changed over their lifetime, + at least when compared to phones). + + For me, my personal communication device is only referred to as a + phone because of legacy reasons (and it's shorter to say). It's + kind of like how floppy disks are still the universal symbol for + save but we sync now. Hell, *even the phone icon* is legacy. + Phones these days are flat slabs of metal, only medical and + government facilities have classic telephones. + + Another bit of criticism I've seen is regarding the ease of which + law enforcement can forcefully obtain access to someone's iPhone + X. The owner could be handcuffed while a police officer holds the + phone to their face and then swipe to unlock the phone. As a black + man in America, I find this to be the *only* valid criticism I've + seen thus far. Just a few days ago though, I found a solution for + that! It requires you to be observant and proactive but I tend to + have my hand on my phone when I see police anyway… + + Juli Clover reported[8] about the "SOS Feature" in iOS 11 for + MacRumors (emphasis mine): + + > Emergency SOS is activated by pressing on the sleep/wake button + > of an iPhone five times in rapid succession. When the requisite + > number of presses is complete, it brings up a screen that offers + > buttons to power off the iPhone, bring up your Medical ID (if + > filled out) and make an emergency 911 call. + > + > Along with these options, there's also a cancel button. *If you + > hit the sleep/wake button five times and then hit cancel, it + > disables Touch ID and requires a passcode before Touch ID can be + > re-enabled.* Touch ID is also disabled if you actually make an + > emergency call. + > + > This is a handy hidden feature because *it allows Touch ID to be + > disabled discretely* in situations where someone might be able + > to force a phone to be unlocked with a fingerprint, such as a + > robbery or an arrest. With Touch ID disabled in this way, there + > is no way to physically unlock an iPhone with a finger without + > the device's passcode. + > + > It's also worth noting that *there's no real way to tell that + > Touch ID has been disabled in this manner*. + + After reading this, I tested it immediately and it works like a + charm. I advise anyone with law enforcement concerns to practice + this when you upgrade your phone to iOS 11 or get the iPhone 8/8 + Plus/X. It's probably a good idea to do this while going through + customs as well. + + - 2017/09/16 update: + TechCrunch interviewed Craig Federighi[9] and here's how the + above feature works on iPhones 8 and X (emphasis mine): + + > On older phones the sequence was to click 5 times [on the + > power button], but on newer phones like iPhone 8 and iPhone X, + > *if you grip the side buttons on either side and hold them a + > little while — we'll take you to the power down [screen]. But + > that also has the effect of disabling Face ID.* So, if you + > were in a case where the thief was asking to hand over your + > phone — you can just reach into your pocket, squeeze it, and + > it will disable Face ID. It will do the same thing on iPhone 8 + > to disable Touch ID. + + It's worth noting that the squeeze can be of either volume button + plus the power button. I'm going to test/practice this when I + get mine. + + Closing Thoughts + + I'm excited. + + Like the original iPhone, I think iPhone X heralds a new era in + smartphone design, development, and creative possibilities and I + can't wait to get started. The AR games demoed at the event bored + me, but ARkit demos on Twitter are *amazing*. I'm looking forward + to seeing who creates the breakout AR app everyone's gotta have. I + think there's opportunity for nearly every app to offer something + interesting in the AR space, if only for demo purposes. + + I'm looking forward to upgrading to an Series 3 Apple Watch. The + cellular version is not for me as I'm hardly ever far away from my + phone (and I don't jog). I like the improved heart rate monitor + and since my son's birth I've become more interested in my overall + health. My Pebble Time is also showing its age by slowly breaking + down so upgrade time is soon. + + All in all, it was a great event. Leakers don't deserve happiness. + I'm going to download Final Cut. 🕸 + +References + + [1] <https://www.amazon.com/Sharp-Aquos-Crystal-Sprint-Silver/dp/B00NWYANAI> + [2] <https://www.apple.com/iphone-x> + [3] <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMgK_E6_GAE> + [4] <https://www.instagram.com/spacemanfresh> + [5] <https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tiffencompany/steadicam-volt-smartphone-stabilizer-shake-free-vi> + [6] <https://9to5mac.com/2017/09/13/face-id-demo-fail-details> + [7] <https://daringfireball.net/2017/09/iphone_x_event_thoughts_and_observations> + [8] <https://www.macrumors.com/2017/08/17/ios-11-emergency-sos-disables-touch-id> + [9] <https://techcrunch.com/2017/09/15/interview-apples-craig-federighi-answers-some-burning-questions-about-face-id> + [IMG1] <https://🔥.pixels.wtf/blog/image/2017/iphone-x-dream-phone-a.jpg> + [IMG2] <https://🔥.pixels.wtf/blog/image/2017/iphone-x-dream-phone-b.jpg> + [IMG3] <https://🔥.pixels.wtf/blog/image/2017/iphone-x-dream-phone-c.jpg> + [IMG4] <https://🔥.pixels.wtf/blog/image/2017/iphone-x-dream-phone-d.jpg> + [VID1] <https://🔥.pixels.wtf/blog/video/2017/iphone-x-dream-phone-a.mp4> |