Apple iPhone | Gear Diary

Top 10 Reasons I Switched from the 5.7″ Galaxy Note 3 back to the iPhone 5

A few weeks ago I bought a brand new Samsung Galaxy Note 3 on a great deal, and wanted to see if it would be possible to use it to replace my iPhone AND iPad, much as I would try to do with an iPhone 6+. As usual I went ‘all in’ with my attempt – and failed. Here is why! Until getting the iPhone 5 in 2012 I had been an Android-only phone user, and had sampled pretty much every new 7″ Android tablet since the Samsung Galaxy Tab. I had a huge library of Android content between Google…

Reviews

Apple iPhone 6 Plus Leather Case Video Review

I woke up at 2:55am EST when iPhone 6 pre-orders began. I placed my order and was asleep ten minutes later. Of course, AT&T completely screwed up, and my phone won’t come for weeks. Fortunately, Wayne posted on a different way to shop, and I have an iPhone 6 Plus AND an Apple iPhone 6 Plus Leather Case in hand.

Reviews

iPhone 6 Plus – First Impressions of This Mobile Goliath

So, I got my iPad Mini today! Oh, that’s embarrassing … I mean, I got my iPhone 6 Plus today. Any which way you slice it, the iPhone 6 Plus is a large phone. In fact, I’ve been referring to it as my new “gigantic iPhone” all day. Keep reading to hear my iPhone 6 Plus first impressions …

News & Features

Apple Love letter: Gives Me More Apple iCloud Storage for Less!

Here’s something you don’t see everyday, Apple just emailed me that they are increasing my iCloud storage from 55GB to 200GB. That’s nothing unusual as Dropbox recently did a similar upgrade. But Apple also changed pricing of Apple iCloud. 55GB was $100 while the new 200GB is under $45. Without my asking Apple is sending me a refund. That $45 comes just in time to help defray a tiny bit of the cost of my new iPhone 6+. How about you? Did you just get a love letter from Apple?

Gear Bits

Verizon Wireless Offers Free iPhone 6 Deal

Verizon Wireless is offering the newly announced iPhone 6 (16GB version) free to customers who turn in their existing iPhone and sign a two-year agreement with them. In this Verizon Wireless iPhone 6 deal, participants have to trade in their functional iPhone models 4, 4S, 5, 5S or 5C.

News & Features

Apple’s September iPhone 6 Event – Our Predictions, and ‘Live’ Updates

Michael Anderson asked a question on our back channel this morning about what we hoped to see with today’s Apple announcement at 10am PT. It’s fast approaching, and we all plan on watching together here. In the meantime, we thought it would be fun to post our predictions and see how many of them come true.

News & Features

The Real Story About All Those People in Line for an iPhone 6

Yes there are people waiting in line outside the Fifth Ave New York City Apple Store. No they are not regular customers. No they are not crazy people rabid to get their hands on the latest and coolest new iPhone 6 whose existence and release date has not yet been announced. So who are they – and why are they waiting outside in a line ?

News & Features

A Waterproof Smartphone Is No Gimmick

When I got my Sony Xperia Z2 smartphone I didn’t think much about the fact that it is a waterproof phone that can be submerged without the need for a special sealed case. But after Carly’s son dumped, and ruined, her wife Sarah’s iPhone 5C into the water twice I realized a waterproof smartphone is no small thing.

Reviews

EyeFly 3D Nanoglass: Will It Protect the iPhone In 3D?

It is always smart to utilize a screen protector to keep your iPhone screen safe and sound. What if you were able to protect the precious screen while also achieving 3D media viewing? This is actually possible with the EyeFly 3D Nanoglass screen protector. For just $29.95, the screen protector and free apps promise to bring the iPhone to life.

Gear Bits

How Asurion Rescued Us After a Watery Disaster

Last week I mentioned that Sarah’s iPhone 5C had briefly and tragically became a water table toy. While it did miraculously boot up, the speakers tended to drift in and out of functionality, and we feared there might be further issues down the road, so we initiated an insurance replacement, and discovered Asurion‘s excellent customer service!

Gear Bits

Betting on an IPhone’s Survival

Our son has a water activity table that he LOVES. Every toy gets a dunk in the water table, and today that included Sarah’s iPhone 5C. We currently have it in a bag of rice, so we will see. The Gear Diary team is pretty pessimistic, with most putting the odds of survival at 20/80 or 30/70. What’s your bet? How discouraging were my “nay-saying friends”? Read onto see their comments on Sarah’s iPhone Disaster: Travis Ehrlich 20/80. Survival/finished. Carly Zektzer What about the likelood the phone works but the speakers are fried? Travis Ehrlich Plausible. In still going…

Reviews

Incipio Focal Camera Case Turns iPhone into Point and Shoot

Shoot, edit, share – the mantra of modern photography in our instant world and the mission statement of nearly every hardware and software developer in this genre. Incipio, a southern California-based designer and manufacturer of mobile device accessories, recently provided GearDiary with the new Incipio Focal Camera Case for iPhone5/5s, a device promising to make you photograph like a pro.

Reviews

Dog & Bone Wireless Charging Case and Battery Review

I have become a huge fan of wireless charging for phones. Being able to toss your phone on a small pad and let it charge is awesome. The only charging case I have used involved battery cases. Dog & Bone has allowed me to test both their wireless charging case with pad ($139.95) and extended battery ($49.95). Read on for the review.

Reviews

Seidio Innocell Plus Combo Review:

One of my daily tasks is finding power for my phone. It sounds so silly, but I use it so much, charging is a must. Since I do not sit at a desk for work, a battery case is a perfect option. Seidio Innocell Plus Combo brings 2X battery life and a nice holster for only $79.95. Let’s take a look.

Reviews

Snappgrip for iPhone 5 Review: A Better Grip on iPhone Pictures

It is often said the best camera is the one you have available. Our smartphones now have cameras that take great photos and always available, but can also be awkward to hold or use with a tripod. The snappgrip for iPhone 5 & 5s turns your phone into a full functioning hand-held camera.

Gear Bits

USB Fever Introduces New Lightning Adapter

While I like the lightning connector on new Apple products, the cables seem to always fail on me. I still have a bunch of 30 pin connectors that work fine, but the lightning adapters are expensive or have limited features. USB Fever has introduced a lightning adapter that does everything but video, and it comes in priced at only $4.99.

Reviews

Griffin Survivor Case for iPhone 5 Review

Protecting our precious phones is a huge concern for most users, but especially if you spend time outdoors. Dropping a phone in a stream, from a ten foot tripod stand, or the rain can ruin most devices. The Griffin Survivor case for iPhone 5 is designed to survive all of those mishaps. Does the $59.99 case provide enough protection?

News & Features

Holy Grail Tempered Glass Screen Protector Winners

We reviewed the Sir Lancelot’s Armor Holy Grail Tempered Glass Screen Protector and announced it was shipping and widely available. We also had one black and one white screen protector for the iPhone 5S away. Well, the winners have been picked and they are… I have one of these screen protectors on my iPhone 5S and love it. I finally got a screen protector on my iPhone without bubbles and, unless you are looking for it, you can’t even tell it is there. We are thrilled that two more iPhones are going to be protected by these great accessories. Winners…

News & Features

What’s Your Daily Driver Smartphone (and Why)?

When we talk about a daily driver device, we’re referring to a smartphone that’s with us no matter where we go — our primary way of communicating with the world, our most favored device which, for now, just might come as close to the perfect device as possible.

Gear Bits

The Uneven Glass Could Make Drinking Social Again!

Smartphones can be evil when you’re drinking; you might look at your phone instead of talking with friends. or you could be tempted to call or text people who aren’t drinking to tell them the brilliant ideas that came to you after a few rounds. If you’re in the right bar in Brazil, the solution is simple: the Uneven Glass.

Gear Bits

Apple Shortens iPhone Return Period to 14 Days

Effective today, Apple has shortened the amount of time you can take to return an iPhone you’ve purchased from them. Previously you had 30 days to decide whether to keep your phone; now the return limit is 14 days – which coincidently or not seems to line up with the average wait time to purchase a new iPhone model.