Thoughts on the iPhone SE

As the coming of the new iPhone looms near, I would like to share my thoughts on the iPhone SE. It's been a long time coming but I wanted to really think about what I feel about this device...

So, while walking in one of my favorite Metro Manila mall, I chanced upon the iPhone SE. While inside the store, I was able to test the many features of the new phone. I was even able to sneak in some shots.

My preliminary findings are as follow...

First of all, I will discuss the elephant in the room: the "old" design... To be honest, the iPhone 5s is my most favorite iPhone design so far. It has a 4-inch screen and, as the old advertisement for the 5s showed, it's perfect for us with opposable thumbs.

Also, the boxy design makes the phone highly grippable. In the whole time I had the 5s, I never put it in a case since I wasn't afraid that I was gonna drop it. The iPhone 6s+ is a different story altogether: the rounded edges make it really, really slippery and, the day after I bought it, I immediately bought a case for it.

So why am I discussing the iPhone 5s whereas this should have been a post about the iPhone SE? Well, it's because the two phones share the same design. Really, all the cases you bought and is in existence for the 5s (and even the iPhone 5 before it) would fit the SE. There really is no design difference. (And I believe accessory-makers breathed a big sigh of relief when Apple released the SE. All of their accessories made in 2012 will still work with the new phone!!!)

Is this a bad thing? Well, some Apple pundits deem this as a sign that the company is running out of ideas. I don't know about this. For me, this is a sign that Apple is reusing the design, the components, etc, to bring the cost of the phone down. You see, if the company didn't need to product test something for, say, rigidity, strength, etc, then that would bring the cost down. If they are able to recycle some of the parts, like the aluminum case, the screen, then that also will bring the cost down.

Also, when it comes to design, I wouldn't bet against Jony Ive...

Anyway, as far as the exterior is concerned, the only thing new are two things: the phone is now branded with "SE" at the back and it now also comes in, yep, "do-not-call-it-pink" Rose Gold. So the iPhone SE now comes in Space Grey, Silver, Gold (which appeared first on the 5s), and now Rose Gold.

But, as most things new from the company, it is what's inside that matters. The iPhone SE has a new processor, a new embedded motion co-processor (the very first one of which also appeared in the iPhone 5s! Are you seeing some trend here?!?), a new 12-megapixel stills and 4K video capture from the rear camera, and a NFC antenna which, as of this writing, is useless for us in the Philippines since Apple Pay is not yet available in the country. Essentially, these features can be found in the newest flagship phones, the 6s and the 6s+.

Conspicuously absent though are the 5-megapixel front camera, 3D Touch, the second generation Touch ID and the barometer that can read elevation. Apple doesn't explain the absence of these things but I am guessing that it is due to the limitation of the space in the SE. Of course you can put more sensors in a bigger volume and I feel that the company was constrained and, thus, they limited the capabilities in the SE. My second guess is they also, again, want to bring the cost down so they limited the functionalities that they put in the new phone.

So, how did the phone fare?

Well, in the brief amount of time that I got to spend with the phone, I noticed a couple of things:

One, this phone is really, really snappy compared to my old iPhone 5s! Apps open faster, multi-tasking does not slow the phone down, and changing from one app to another is a breeze. However, I feel that it is still slower than my 6s+, though I just might be biased... (Remember, I only spent a few minutes with the phone) But, if you are coming from a one-year old phone or older, you will be blown away by the processing speed of the iPhone SE.

Another thing that blew me away was the SE's rear camera. It has the same module as in the iPhone 6s and they essentially produce the same photo quality. The only thing missing on the SE is the optical image stabilizer which will reduce blur in low-light situations. Or when you had too much caffeine... Take note though that the optical image stabilizer feature is only available in the iPhone 6+/6s+.

The SE also has a super slo-mo camera capture, True Tone flash, panorama and auto-HDR. Again, these same features are brought down from the iPhone 6s/6s+.

So, if I were to sum up the reason for getting an SE, it will be these two: faster performance and better rear-facing camera.

One thing which I wish Apple put in the iPhone SE is the newer front-facing camera. The company put it in the iPad PRO 9.7 (and the 6s and 6s+) and yet they didn't put it in the SE. If it's a question of engineering, i.e. they couldn't put it inside because of the smaller space, then I would have understood the situation. But if it's a matter of saving cost, then I wish the company had taken a slight hit for it: we live in the age of selfies and snapchats and I believe the company is short changing their potential customers with the lower-spec'd front facing camera.

But all-in-all, the iPhone SE has become a very nice entry level for those who want to get into the Apple ecosystem but are turned off by the high entry price of the iPhone 6s/6s+. And anyway, Apple's hardware are just a gateway drug... The company doesn't stop earning after one buys an iPhone (or anything in their lineup...). The company also earns from music, movie, app downloads... And each "Made for iPhone" accessory also brings in licensing revenue money for the company. So those old accessories from 2012? Apple will also earn from those...

But, the main question still is: would you get an iPhone SE?

I love my iPhone 6s+ and I couldn't think of going back to the smaller phone. Well, maybe a 4.7-inch iPhone... But if, say, I am using a non-iPhone device and if I am not willing to spend so much on a phone, then I would consider getting the iPhone SE. It is a new phone in an old form factor, a form factor that I actually love the most... So yes, if I were you, I'd get it.

It will be a great primary phone or, as in my case, it would be a great second phone!

Highly Recommended!

Photos shot with an iPhone 6s+ using the iOS app VSCO

Playproof by Rhinoshield

Apple makes absolutely gorgeous devices. I use a laptop bag whenever I lug around a MacBook. But whenever I use one, I generally don't put them in a case. This is because my laptop is, most of the time, put on a table when I use them and there is only a slim chance of them falling to the ground.

However, the same cannot be said about iPhones and iPad. This is because these devices are meant to be held while being used and there is a great chance of them slipping and falling to the ground. This is especially true with Apple's latest smartphones, the 6s and the 6s+: the rounded edges of these devices make them really hard to hand-hold and are, therefore, drop-prone. My iPhone 5s was never in a case, but I felt that I couldn't do the same with my iPhone 6s+.

Thus, a shock-proof case might be a really good investment after you buy an iPhone 6s/6s+. And what better way to protect your precious investment than wrapping it up in something that promises protection from drops of up to 11 and a half feet?

First off, the Playproof does not add much to the dimensions of the phone. It is thin and it wraps beautifully around the phone. The back is fully covered and the same is true for all four sides. There are cut outs along the sides to give way to the mute switch on the left, and the headphone jack, lightning port and speaker grill at the bottom. There is a cut on the back to give way to the camera lens and the TrueTone flash.

The lip of the case is elevated so even if you put your phone face down, the screen of the phone won't be touching any surface. (And if you want more protection, you might consider getting a screen protector for your iPhone also!)

But all these things mean nothing if your phone won't be protected from drops. And boy does this case deliver! I personally witnessed the case tested several times and I have the videos to prove it! If it was my phone I'd still feel uncomfortable having my phone dropped on purpose, but with this case, I am confident that my phone will be saved from accidental drops.

This Playproof by Rhinoshield is Highly Recommended!

Photos shot with an iPhone 6s+ using the iOS app VSCO

Olloclip Studio - The Perfect iPhone 6s+ Case for Olloclip Photographers

I've always been fascinated by the Olloclip lenses. With it, my iPhone photography has gone beyond what the phone itself can accomplish. The iPhone camera in itself is already very good, but the different Olloclip lenses add more muscles to the already capable camera phone.

To recap, there are several types of Olloclip lenses. The ones in my arsenal are, first, the wide angle lens and the 10x macro underneath it and the fish-eye lens with the 15x macro underneath it. My second set is composed of the 2x zoom lens, the wide angle lens and the polarizing glass.

With the zoom lens, I don't "pinch to zoom" to get "closer" to my subjects. Doing this is actually a really terrible idea because you will just be enlarging the pixels - you are not actually moving closer. If you want to get closer, you have to walk!

The iPhone has an equivalent of 34mm focal length, making it perfect for street photography, but if you want to get a wider field of view, you would need a wider-angle lens. This is where the wide angle lens of Olloclip comes in handy.

And with the fish-eye lens, you get a much, much more of the view!

And of course, macro photography is something the iPhone cannot do on its own: it simply is not capable...

Finally, the polarizing lens helps reduce glare and reflections in your photos.

However, no matter how great the Olloclip lenses are, it has one limitation that may discourage a lot of people: since you slide the lenses to the body, using the lens prohibits you from using a case. I myself often found myself in such a dilemma: I bought an Apple silicone case but when it comes to using the "clips", I still needed to remove the case. And I missed several photographic opportunities because of this...

The solution to this problem is the Olloclip Studio. This is a case made specifically for either the iPhone 6/6s and iPhone 6+/6s+. The case provides ample protection for the phone and it covers all sides of it. There are cuts along the sides to give way for the mute switch, the speaker grill, the power port and the headphone jack. You can place the phone face down and still feel confident that the display will not touch the surface.

With the case on, the iPhone-case system is built like a tank. Though I rarely drop my phones, I feel confident that, if ever I do, my iPhone 6s+ will be able to handle the impact.

But, the thing that sets this case apart from all the rest is its compatibility with the different Olloclip lenses. The cut at the top of the case makes Olloclip photography (yes, that's a thing) a possibility. You don't need to remove the case anymore if you want to use your Olloclips.

But not only that, there is a railing at the back of the case where you can attach the different accessories that came with the case. Yes, there are accessories that came with the case!

First off are a couple of cold mounts where you can attach, say, an iPhone-compatible microphone and external lighting. There are also a couple of attachments that will enable you to mount the iPhone on a tripod - one for the vertical orientation, the other for the horizontal orientation. There is a hand grip that will stabilize the phone when you, say, hand hold the iPhone during a video session. This will also provide a more stable grip during daily use.

Attaching these accessories to the case is simple via the railing that I mentioned. It is a quick and easy method that will help you expand your iPhone photography and videography.

What is not mentioned in the Olloclip website is there actually is a slot where you can thread a hand strap, similar to what you can find in the box of your point-and-shoot camera. I don't know why Olloclip does not advertise this, but this makes shooting with the iPhone a similar experience to that of using a point-and-shoot.

There is one last accessory but this one is not photography-related: a stand... With it you can prop your phone and you can watch a movie hands free. Standing your phone in the vertical orientation with this accessory is doable but highly unstable...

But of course, not all is perfect with this case. Using a case, outside of Apple's silicone cases, will add heft to the phone. For me, this is not actually an issue. And the alternative, the one where I don’t use a case, is a no-no because I find a case-less iPhone 6s+ to be really, really slippery. If you want a thinner case, this might not be for you. And of course, if you use an Olloclip lens, you won't be able to use a screen guard on the phone's display. If you decide to use an Olloclip, you risk having your screen scratched when, say, you put your phone in your pocket together with some loose change.

But all-in-all, the Olloclip Studio is a must-have accessory if you are a big fan of Olloclip lenses. It just makes you Olloclip-iPhone photography a more fun and fuller endeavor. And your phone will also be greatly protected from behind and from the sides.

Highly Recommended!

Also, check out my video review here!

Note: You can purchase the different Olloclip accessories on amazon.com on the following links: Olloclip Studio, Olloclip 4-in-1 Lens, Olloclip Telephoto + Wide Angle + Macro 10x Lens + CPL Lens.

Photos shot with an iPhone 6s+ using the iOS app VSCO

Apple's new Lightning-to-SD Card Camera Reader

There are now a lot of cameras out there that have wifi antennas. You can use the antenna to transfer your photos from your camera to your phone. And if you have an Android phone, you can even use the NFC receiver on your phone and the cameras to transfer photos just by "tapping" the two together.

However, wireless transfers are not always reliable. With the iPhone, you have to go to Settings, choose the camera as the wireless modem. Then, after it's connected, you open the app from the camera maker, fire the app, choose the photos you want to transfer, hope the wireless connection doesn't disconnect, and on and on and on...

This process is really tedious, to say the least!

So, the easier, and for me, still the best way to transfer photos from your camera to your iPhone is by using Apple's new Lightning-to-SD Card Camera Reader. (Yes, that's a mouthful...) With this accessory, you can easily transfer photos from the SD card to your phone. No messing with settings, no opening up the different camera makers' applications... After you connected the card reader to your phone, just open up the Photos app on your phone and you will instantly see the photos you took. You can either select individual photos for importing or you can choose to import all.

That's it. Then, you can use any of the million photos apps that are already in your iPhone.

Words of caution though. One, only the second generation of these card readers are compatible with the iPhone (from iPhone 5 to the present). The first generation is only compatible with iPads, so, if you are using an iPhone, make sure you get the right one. How to make sure that you have the latest generation of card readers? Check at the back of the box and make sure that the product code is MJYT2AM/A. Two, you must have iOS 9, or later, in your iPhone otherwise, the phone will not recognize the accessory. If you satisfy both conditions, then, you are all set!

The Apple Lightning-to-SD Card Camera Reader is Highly Recommended.

Photos shot with an iPhone 6s+ using the iOS app VSCO

The Cheero Power Plus Danboard Version Battery Charger - A Quick Review

Some weeks back, my LimeAde battery pack gave up the ghost. It has served me for about four years before dying out. I would have wanted to get a new battery pack from the same brand, but since it is not available in the Philippines, I decided to look for something else.

Enter the Cheero Power Plus Danboard Version battery charger. (Yes, it's a mouthful...)

The battery pack is a cute one! When you look at it, it seems to be smiling on you. It brings about a warm feeling, it cheers you up! Yes, that's how I feel every time... It has a playful look and that is not surprising since the design of the battery is from a manga character Danbo!

To use the device, just plug your USB cable to the battery and then plug the other end to any of your devices that can be charged this way. Then push the button above the rows of LEDs to start charging. Pressing that same button will tell you the amount of charge there is in the battery via those same LEDs.

The battery is rated at 10,400mAh, which means, theoretically, it can charge an iPhone 6s+ and an iPad Pro 9.7 from zero to full capacity! It has two USB ports which means you can charge two devices at the same time. And when you need to charge the battery, you just need to use the included micro-USB cable. Unfortunately, it doesn't have an included wall charger so you will have to use the one that came with your phone or tablet.

You will also find a small pouch inside the box.

I got my Cheero Power Plus Danboard Version Battery Charger in orange and I am loving every bit of it.

It is Highly Recommended!

Photos shot with an iPhone 6s+ using the iOS app VSCO

Quick Review of the MBQuart Speaker QUBOne - Loud, Quality Sound, BadBattery

The MBQuart QUBOne is a neat speaker. It is small, has Bluetooth connectivity and has an aux port for those devices that do not have Bluetooth. The sound is great and loud for such a small speaker. The design is very nice and, from the outside, the speaker is well-built.

Connecting to the speaker is very easy: just turn on the speaker, go to the Setting app of your device, whether a smartphone, tablet, or computer, and select the QUBOne as your output. To increase the volume of your music, you push the jog dial all the way to the right and hold it. If you just push to the right, then you will go to the next song...

The only other control is the power switch. There isn't even a switch for pairing devices. 

My only criticism of this speaker is the battery. Supposedly you can get use get 5 hours out of the battery. However, the battery of the speaker that I got cannot even hold a charge. I thought that, out of the box, the battery was simply flat, but after charging the thing overnight, the speaker simply has no life when I disconnected the USB charger. It is such a pity for I consider this speaker as a nice thing to have when you are out and about. It is so small that putting it in your bag won't add much weight. But, again, this battery issue is a big downer.

So, when you decide to get one of these, make sure you keep the receipt for you might need it to exchange the one you bought for a different unit. Better yet, test the speaker right away before you leave the store...

The MBQuart QUBOne is Recommended with Reservations.

The iPad Pro 9.7 Review - A Capable Laptop Replacement

NB: This review originally appeared on the GMA News Online Network. The link to that post can be found here.

When you use one iPad, you've used all of them. Ever since Steve Jobs first introduced it in January 27, 2010, in terms of usage, the iPad has not really changed much. Sure it's faster now, it's thinner, it's now in it's 7th iteration... But when you have learned how to use one, you will be able to use any one of them: there is a home button, the volume rocker buttons on the upper right corner, and the power button near it. Yes, the ringer/lock switch has disappeared since the iPad Air 2 but there is still the same sense of familiarity that you get with all iPads out there.

Even the finger gestures remain the same.

(I get the same sense of familiarity when I use a Canon camera, another brand that I admire. Whether I use a DSLR or a point-and-shoot, my fingers seem to know the layout right away. The same is true with its menu system.)

However, despite not changing much, despite the familiarity one feels when one upgrades to a newer model, one cannot help but be impressed with the progression Apple has made regarding this "laptop-replacement" device.

So, what impressed me the most regarding the new iPad Pro 9.7? (Ok, I'm getting tired or writing "iPad Pro 9.7" every time. So let me just call this "the new iPad" or simply "the iPad".)

First of all, this new iPad now comes in - don't call it pink - Rose Gold. Yes, it's the first iPad to come in this color. And with the arrival of this iPad, the biggest capacity now comes in 256GB! It is as big as the ones on the starting configuration of most MacBooks!!!

The screen of this iPad is glorious! It has the same resolution as the previous iPad Air but there is something different with the latest device. It is bright and texts are highly readable even in direct sunlight. The new screen has reduced glare and reflections are reduced to a minimum. And with the new "true tone" technology, the color of the screen adjusts based on the color of the ambient light. It is not the same as the screen on, say, a Kindle, but this iPad is the closest one can get to reading on a real piece of paper. I was able to read the Kindle e-book Dune on this!

When iOS 9 was introduced, picture-in-picture within an iPad (and iPad Mini) became available. With the new iPad Pro, this transition is really fast and really smooth. For example, if you are watching a movie and you decide to use the four finger swipe to change to a different app, then the movie you are watching will automatically be reduced to a smaller size! This transition, as I've said, is really smooth! There is no lag, the sound will continue playing.

And I can't believe I will be saying this, but this new iPad is the one where I can see myself taking pictures! Its cameras, the back and the front, have the same specs as that on an iPhone 6s! Yes! Including, but not limited to, 12 megapixel back camera, 5 megapixel front camera, Live Photos, True Tone flash, panorama, auto HDR, and 4K video recording. The camera on the new iPad is really, really good! However, having similar camera module means the camera on this iteration of the iPad also has a protruding camera... (Hence the new sapphire lens on the new iPad also... This is so that the lens will not be scratched even if you put the iPad, or the iPhone 6s/6s+ on a rough surface.)

Now if only I can find a way to mount this iPad to a tripod...

Now, speaking of rough surfaces, I still recommend that you don't put it down on one. The metallic back is glorious and when you put it down unprotected, the back will surely be scratched. It's just the way Apple products are... The irony here is, if you want to protect your latest device, you have to put it in a case, which will hide the device's true beauty. Ironic, isn't it?

Also, the use of a case for this iPad seemed to be a necessity. It is so thin and the back is so slippery that you absolutely need to increase friction between the device and your fingers. And that protruding camera? Yes, you're better off using a case so that the camera will not touch the surface when you put it down.

(Ok, let me put this out there since I am already on the subject of cases - one of the best back protection for the iPad is Apple's own silicone back. It doesn't add much to the thickness of the device and it will provide enough grip for those times you want to hand hold the new iPad. This is also the same material used for the silicone cases used for the iPhone 6s/6s+.)

Well, are there times when you don't want to hand-hold the iPad? Well, yes! There are times when I just want to put the device down when I want to watch a movie. That is also true when I am reading an e-book. And whenever I want to do some typing - I want to have a real keyboard to type on, rather than type on the iPad's screen.

When Apple introduced the big iPad Pro, the 12-inch one, they also introduced the Smart Keyboard case for it. This is because the company was trying to sell that device as a laptop replacement. When this new iPad was introduced, it also came with its own keyboard cover. And boy, is the keyboard really, really good!

The keyboard of the 9.7 iPad is, of course, smaller than the one for the 12-inch iPad Pro. I thought that the smaller keyboard would be uncomfortable to type on, but I was greatly surprised at the typing speed I was able to achieve on it. This review is actually typed using the new iPad Pro and the keyboard cover. It is nice to type on and the response of each key click is very precise.

The keyboard draws its power from the iPad itself, via those three new holes on the left side of the device, and, since it doesn't use Bluetooth, you don't need to pair it with the iPad. This is some ingenious design by Apple...

And since it's a cover also, the keyboard will also serve as protection of the new iPad's glorious screen.

Have I told you that the screen is glorious?

However, because of the presence of the keyboard on the cover, the cover has an uneven thickness - there simply is no way around it...

The keyboard cover, together with the back case, makes the new iPad Pro thicker and slightly heavier.

And I wouldn't want it any other way...

If you say that there isn't much changed with the design of the new iPad Pro, you will be mostly right. Aside from the change in the design of the LTE antenna, the iPad Pro is almost identical to the iPad Air. However, what is new with this iPad, and the bigger iPad Pro before that, are the four speaker grills. You will find two speaker grills at the top of the iPad and two also at the bottom. And boy are these speakers loud! With these speakers, you really wouldn't need to pair it with an external Bluetooth speakers. Yes, the bass is on the tinny end, but for casual listening, the built-in speakers would be enough. And these are stereo speakers so sounds originating from the left will come out of the let set of speakers and the same is true for the right set. And Apple made it in such a way that the high frequency sounds are emitted at the topmost speakers - no matter how you hold the thing! And don't worry if you rotate the iPad: the speakers will be oriented accordingly to how the sound is made to come out.

But what about productivity? Can the iPad Pro replace a dedicated laptop?

According to a Wired article, only about 5% of people really requires a laptop/desktop. These are the people who do extensive coding, use photoshop a lot, or edit and render videos for example. But for the other 95% percent, all they do are surf the web, Twitter, Facebook, emails... For majority of users, an iPad will be enough. And since you already get a device to watch movies on, read e-books, a great camera, a great device for surfing the web and updating the web, for a lot of people, instead of getting a laptop, the new iPad would be a much wiser choice.

And when you buy a new iPad, Apple gives you its own version of office suite, iWorks, for free! So you can be productive right off the bat with this device. (The same is true if you buy a Mac.)

Even I, when the wife and I went on a holiday, just brought the new iPad Pro and a wi-fi-enabled camera. I then edited photos on the iPad!

And if you are a creative, you may also get the new Apple Pencil. You might also find it enjoyable to use an Apple Pencil if you do calligraphy, or write in Chinese or Japanese characters for example.

Just don't get the 32GB model. Start at 128GB. And you will be using the new iPad for a long time.

Highly Recommended!

Photos shot with an iPhone 6s+ using the iOS app VSCO