Early Experiences with the iPhone 6

I�m truly not an �Apple fanboy�.   I�m a believer in �do-acracy�, rewarding people and companies that create useful products which save me time.

I stay objective about every company.  I recently emailed one of my favorite companies which has slowed its innovation, �we need products not powerpoint�.

So what about the iPhone 6?

Although I�m an early adopter of many technology ideas - social media, mobile, analytics and cloud, I tend to be a laggard when purchasing devices for myself.   I do not drive a Tesla, I drive the simplest, most cost effective Prius.   I used an iPhone 4S from 2011 to 2014, skipping the entire iPhone 5/5S generation.

After thousands of charges, my 4S started to falter so replacement with a 6 seemed reasonable.   Also, since BIDMC will be developing several Healthkit applications, it�s reasonable to have an iPhone 6 for testing.

On Friday, I copied all my iPhone 4S data (not patient information) to the iCloud and then activated the iPhone 6 using my iCloud resources.

Everything worked flawlessly, although I did need to call Verizon because the volume of new iPhone activations caused delays in cellular account transitions.     Verizon re-pushed my account transition and the iPhone 6 activated with my existing cell number.

I left the office on Friday afternoon to join a conference call while driving home and forgot the iPhone 6 charger.    This would have been a major mistake for the iPhone 4S, but after 48 hours, the iPhone 6 still has an 80% charge.

The game changer for me has been the use of fingerprint ID rather than PIN code to access the encrypted device and the optimization of the hardware/software for one handed operation.

Also, as I�m composing email, I�m offered word suggestions that reduce my typing about 50%

Finally, the accessibility features work very well for me.   I have glaucoma with a somewhat narrowed field of vision, nearsightedness (-7 diopters) and the presbyopia of age that reduces my reading focus.   I use the iPhone 6 in Zoom mode which creates a very easy to read screen for all functions.

One last thought - given that the iPhone 6 is a bit larger than my iPhone 4S, I have yet to master how to carry it.  I�m using a shirt or pants pocket until my holster arrives next week.    Since my early Blackberry days, I�ve used a holster.    It may be time to use a simple silicone case and carry the device with me in my messenger bag.     I'll test the holster verses messenger bag for usability and report back.

Thus far, the iPhone 6 is a usability winner.