(disclaimer: This isn’t meant to be an sort of extensive review of the iPhone 6 or iOS 8. Just some thoughts on using my new phone and OS for the last few days with some apps i’ve used for a long time)
I received my iPhone 6 Friday morning like many readers of this blog.
The short review: it’s the best mobile device I’ve ever owned.
It’s interesting that many apps I’ve used for a long time feel so different in this new form factor (ie bigger screen + iOS 8) while others do not. Just some quick observations of some better known apps that released updates on Friday in time with the new phone and OS.
Tumblr.
The new Tumblr for iOS 8 and the bigger screen is absolutely stunning. Photographs bleed edge to edge and text renders beautifully. Everything is in it’s right place. It’s a pleasure to see the team continue to execute a year or so after the Yahoo acquisition.
I’m an Instagram user but I must say Instagram now looks dated on my new device. Photographs don’t look as good as they did previously. I see many users posting non-square cropped images thanks to 3rd party apps like this. I imagine the square format at Instagram is as sacred as 140 characters at Twitter. Nevertheless it would be a huge improvement if they allowed for full screen mode of the photos. Maybe a long tap a la Snapchat would be a good way to do it.
I’m loving the new profile page on Twitter for iOS. They look great. I discovered a little bug in the timeline. Tap on a photo and it fills the screen. Rotate your phone to landscape the photo doesn’t fill the screen. Otherwise it’s another really nice refined improvement to my darling Twitter.
Facebook on iPhone 6 now looks just like using it on an Android device. I’m sure it was intentional but I think it’s a mistake. I prefer apps on iOS that look native for iOS.
Hype Machine
This app wasn’t updated on Friday but it looks even more gorgeous on the big screen. Kudos to Anthony and team for designing such a wonderful product.
Evernote
I like how Evernote created a widget for iOS 8. I like having their tool bar within one swipe. Love to see Swarm, Trello and Runkeeper widgets in the future.
Keyboards
I’ve tried a number of 3rd party keyboards. I still the native iOS 8 keyboard. It’s substantially better than iOS7’s keyboard and feels smoother than 3rd party alternatives.
1Password
The new version is a game changer with iOS 8
That’s it for now. How ya liking the bigger screen and OS?