25 November

The First Iphone X Photo

by Jon Katz
First Iphone Photo

The is the first photo (taken in portrait mode) that I have taken of Maria. I have to take more photos, but I have a hunch I’m going to enjoy taking pictures with the new phone, I loved this portrait of Maria, taken over my left shoulder as she leaned over my chair to help me with something.

The Iphone cameras are getting wonderful, they still don’t have the range of the big Canon or the depth of field and options of the better lenses. But it’s getting closer all the time. Very close.

I de-activated my trusy Iphone 6 today, all of the data (except message archives) has been successfully transmitted. I’m having no problems whatsoever navigating the new apps, opening them, turning the computer on and off.

The Iphone 6 seems slow and sluggish to me compared to the X. I’m excited to be using it.

The Face ID works beautifully and instantly, it opens the phone so quickly I think it’s not working sometimes. The animated Emoji’s have no real function other than to show the power and potential of  new technologies, they actually absorb my facial characteristics into the face of an animal character.

Clearly, the 6, 7 and eight series are excellent devices aimed at utilitarian people.

The IPhone X is a phone for people in the mood to take a leap into tomorrow. It’s a preview of the new world coming in many ways. It’s a good choice for some people, not for others, and you know who you are.

It is definitely the right choice for me, at least so far. I’m enchanted with it, even as I just begin to learn  how it works.

It is more fun than I would have imagined. And it is, as advertised, making me think and better understand the future. As an older man, I need to keep my mind open, I don’t wish to hide from the present, I want to see it and know something about it, for my life, for my writing.

The animated Emoji’s are not just for fun. They reflect an important technology for the future. Come and see my first,  The Chicken Emoji

All the geek hysteria about the terrifying experience of losing a home button seems like some hysterical bs to me. Even young geeks can be old farts.  I am no geek, I was zipping through the phone in minutes. The only problems I have had are the usual start-up problems, when nothing initially works as quickly as it is supposed to work.

I see some online posts about people returning their Iphone X’s because they have to use two fingers to execute some functions. Really? That’s too much for 25 year old IT whizzes to handle? It doesn’t bother me a bit.

I want to be able to communicate with my daughter and granddaughter on their terms, not just my own. I want to see their Instagram photos and text messages, that is their language. I can cluck about the old days, and make sure i don’t miss all of the new ones. For me, that is the real significance of the new phone.

This phone is so advanced it sometimes gives off the vibe of a sentient bing. I feel ti is listening to me.

This is also the wonder of this phone, it seems to have a mind of its own, repairing itself, adjusting itself to being used, and getting me to adjust my own expectations and experiences. it seems to evolve somewhat on its own. Just when I kid ready to call Apple Support, the problems seems to go away.

If you use SIRI as an assistant, as I do, and a keeper of the calendar, it’s nice to be able to just say her name from anywhere and have her pop right up.

She is getting smarter and more intuitive.

The phone camera is impressive, it is a $4,000 camera in conventional terms. As I said, it doesn’t have the range and depth of the better lenses, but it is more than good enough, as my first portrait suggests.I have a feeling that’s how I am apt to use it in my photography.

I am loving the speed of the phone, and last night, I watched my first video, a feature on Netflix. I’m giving the Ipad to a friend, I just don’t need it anymore. The Iphone X will be the death of it for most people.

The color was gorgeous and clear and the notch at the top did not bother me at all. The color is ground breaking, I have not seen anything like it.

This is the phone of the future. It will take a bit of getting used to, by which I mean several hours. It does introduce new technologies – the Face Id, the Emoji’s, the new rich and detailed screen, and it is expensive.

I have also been watching Maria’s new 8 Plus, it is a wonderful phone, it does almost all of the things the X does, but as I said, it is not a phone of the future, but of the present. If you are responsible and sane and just want a great smartphone, it is terrific.

The Iphone X is something special, I’ve only had it for less than a day, these are just first impressions. It is fun, I am loving it this morning. More later. Most phones were just phones to me, the Iphone X seems to have something of a voice and a personality. I’m getting to know  him/her/it, I might just have to name it.

I’ll continue daily updates for a while or as they erupt, and if you have any non-technical questions, feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]. I know there are many people like me fussing over this decision. I hope I can be helpful.

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