iPhone For Dummies. Bob LeVitus

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      If you were caught up in the initial iPhone frenzy of 2007, you may have plotted for months about how to land one. After all, the iPhone quickly emerged as the ultimate fashion phone. And the chic device hosted a bevy of cool features.

      Owning the hippest and most-hyped handset on the planet came at a premium cost compared with rival devices. To snag the very first version, you may have saved your pennies or said, “The budget be damned.”

      That’s ancient history now. Well past a decade later, the iPhone went mainstream and, through many versions, you got more bang for your buck. But you also had to part with more of those bucks. The tenth anniversary iPhone, known as the iPhone X, was the first to crack $1,000. Even now, a maxed-out iPhone 13 Pro Max with 1TB costs $1,599. Not cheap, of course, but plenty of bang too. If that’s too rich for your budget, a new second-generation iPhone SE, as of this writing, starts at $399.

      We can list a bunch of prices here, but pricing for the wireless industry, and accordingly the iPhone, is in a state of flux. You used to be able to buy an iPhone for a subsidized and relatively low upfront price that was tied to a two-year contract with your carrier. Such contracts are passé. Instead, wireless companies and retailers push installment pricing options, in which you can choose to put little or no money down but are then obligated to pay for the device over typically a two- or three-year term. In some cases you lease the phone; in others, you buy the phone outright.

Of course you still must pay for cellular and data coverage and data from a wireless carrier. And taxes and fees are extra.

      You may also get a nice trade-in deal on your existing phone, from Apple or other retailers.

Activating the iPhone

      You will typically activate the iPhone where you bought the thing, just as you do with other cellphones. However, if you buy your iPhone from Apple’s online store, the folks there will ship it to you, and you then activate it at home, likely wirelessly through iCloud or even via an older iPhone you may have lying around. If you’re already a customer upgrading from an earlier iPhone or a different phone, you can convert your plan during the ordering process. Suffice to say that plans vary by wireless carrier and are subject to change. Unlimited data plans are more common than they used to be.

      

Many “unlimited” plans are subject to data-speed throttling after a customer reaches a certain threshold of data, though such levels are being raised in the consumer’s favor.

      

iPhones are available also from smaller regional carriers such as C Spire and UScellular.

      Certain prerequisites for enjoying the iPhone have been in place since the original release and remain — at least for most US customers:

       One, unless you’re already in the fold, there’s the aforementioned business of becoming an AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile subscriber or a customer of any other company that subsequently sells the devices. Or you can bring your own SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) from a pre-paid carrier and insert it into your iPhone.

       Two, you may have to free yourself from any wireless contract that you’ve already entered into. As we point out, such ironclad two-year contracts have all but disappeared in favor of installment pricing. Heck, your new wireless company may even pay any early termination fees due your old carrier. A number of retailers will give you a credit for your old iPhone that you can use toward a new model. The amount of the credit depends largely on the condition of the device. You must pay off the phone over a set period but at least you’re shifting to the latest models.Under its own trade-in program, Apple will give you estimated trade-in values that range from $30 for an iPhone 6s up to $790 for an 12 Pro Max. You can get a discount trading in some Android phones too. Keep in mind that you may get a better trade-in deal elsewhere.Apple has its own upgrade program, based on a 24-month installment. Consult Apple’s website for current pricing and storage capacities, always subject to change. Under Apple’s upgrade program, you get to choose your own carrier. AppleCare warranty protection is included.

Turning the iPhone On and Off

      Apple has taken the time to nearly fully charge your iPhone, so you’ll get some measure of instant gratification. After taking the phone out of the box, press and hold down the side button, which is on the right edge. (On old iPhone SE models, press and hold down the sleep/wake button, on the top). The famous Apple logo appears on your screen.

      Soon, the word hello and its foreign language equivalents (hola, bonjour, ciao, and so on) take turns greeting you on the screen. Over the several screens that appear, you get to choose your language (English by default) and country or region.

      You'll see a screen asking you to place your old iPhone (or iPad), if you have one, next to your new one for a quick setup. Or you can proceed manually. You then choose a Wi-Fi network, if available and enter its password. Or you can proceed using cellular.

      To transfer apps and data to the phone, you can connect it to your PC or Mac, or go computer-free by restoring via iCloud. You can also move data from an Android device. Of course, if you’re a smartphone newbie, you won’t need to transfer apps and data.

      You're then asked to kindly sign in with an Apple ID (if you already have one) or create one. Apple ID is the credential used to set up your iCloud and iTunes Store accounts, which include such places as the Book Store, Apple Arcade, and Apple Music. Through iCloud, you can also access your music, photos, contacts, calendars, and more on all your devices automatically. Worth noting: You can use different Apple IDs for iCloud and other Apple services.

      

If you proceed using an existing Apple ID, you may have to enter a two-factor authentication code that appears on one of your other Apple devices, as an extra security measure.

What’s more, if your Apple ID is recognized from another iPhone, you can transfer apps and data and mirror the settings on that other handset. However, you also have the option to customize apps and settings on the new phone instead.

      If you choose this latter route, you get to decide whether to automatically keep your iPhone fresh through iOS feature and security updates and whether to enable Location Services, which means the iPhone will know where you are. This setting is useful for Maps and other apps that rely on your whereabouts, but Apple is also big on privacy, so it’s your call.

      Enabling your location also lets you take advantage of the Find My feature, which we think is smart. Seems like a no-brainer to us in fact: Why wouldn’t you want to turn on a tool that can possibly help you retrieve a lost or stolen phone? (For more on Find My, check out Chapter 14.)

      As part of the setup, you’re also invited to learn more about Apple’s Data & Privacy policy and to agree to the terms and conditions for iOS, iCloud, and the privacy policy. Apple says it's important that you read this stuff — and who are we to disagree? We’ll just leave it there.

      Another optional tool we take advantage of that you meet during setup is Screen Time, which provides all-too-enlightening insights into the amount of time you and your family spend on the phone. You can set limits to curtail your usage and that of the kids.

      You also get to choose or verify the СКАЧАТЬ