iPhone For Seniors For Dummies. Dwight Spivey

syncing.

      Apple has set up its software and the iCloud service to give you two ways to manage content for your iPhone — including apps, music, or photos you’ve downloaded — and specify how to sync your calendar and contact information.

      There are a lot of tech terms to absorb here (iCloud, syncing, and so on). Don’t worry. Chapters 3 and 4 cover those settings in more detail.

Where to Buy Your iPhone

      You can’t buy an iPhone from just any retail store. You can buy an iPhone at the brick-and-mortar or online Apple Store and from mobile phone providers, such as AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon. You can also find an iPhone at major retailers, such as Best Buy and Walmart, through which you have to buy a service contract for the phone carrier of your choice. You can also find iPhones at several online retailers (such as Amazon.com and Newegg.com) and through smaller, local service providers, which you can find by visiting https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204039.

      

Apple offers unlocked iPhones. Essentially, these phones aren’t tied to a particular provider, so you can use them with any of the four iPhone cellular service providers. Although you may save a lot by avoiding a service commitment, purchasing an unlocked phone can be pricey up front.

What’s in the Box

      When you fork over your hard-earned money for your iPhone, you’ll be left holding one box about the size of a deck of tarot cards.

      Here’s what you’ll find when you take off the shrink wrap and open the box:

       iPhone: Your iPhone is covered in a thick, plastic-sleeve thingy. Take it off and toss it back in the box. Save all the packaging until you're certain you won't return the phone. Apple's standard return period is 14 days.

       Documentation (and I use the term loosely): This typically includes a small pamphlet, a sheet of Apple logo stickers, and a few more bits of information.

       Lightning-to-USB-C cable: Use this cable to connect the iPhone to your computer (if your computer has a USB-C port) or to a USB-C power adapter (not included).

The iPhone box is a study in Zen-like simplicity. Where's the charging plug? Apple now feels that just about everyone has several chargers laying around their home, so they think it's wasteful (not to mention a little more expensive) to include one with every new iPhone. If you need a charger, Apple will certainly sell you one, and many third-party options are available as well.

      

Search for iPhone accessories online. You’ll find iPhone covers and cases (from leather to silicone), car chargers, and screen guards to protect your phone’s screen.

Take a First Look at the Gadget

In this section, I give you a bit more information about the buttons and other physical features of the newest iPhone models. Figure 1-3 shows you where each of these items is located on the iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, and 13 Pro Max.

      Here’s the rundown on what the various hardware features for iPhones without Home buttons (including all iPhone 13 models) are and what they do.

      

If you have an iPhone model with a Home button, read your iPhone’s documentation or visit https://support.apple.com/iphone to discover the hardware features specific to your device.

       Side button: You can use this button to power up your iPhone, put it in sleep mode, wake it up, lock it, force a restart, power it down, and much more.

       Lightning connector: Use the Lightning connector to charge your battery (with the Lightning-to-USB-C cable), listen to audio with EarPods (not included), or sync your iPhone with your computer. (See Chapter 4 for more on syncing.)

       Ring/silent switch: Slide this little switch to mute or unmute the sound on your iPhone.FIGURE 1-3

       Built-in stereo speakers: The speakers in iPhones provide rich stereo sound and deeper bass than previous models, and are located on the bottom edge of the phone and at the top part near the earpiece.

       Volume up/down buttons: Tap the volume up button for more volume and the volume down button for less. (You can use the volume up or volume down button as a camera shutter button when the camera is activated.)

       Built-in microphones: Built-in microphones make it possible to speak into your iPhone to deliver commands or content. This feature allows you to make phone calls, use video calling services (such as Skype or Zoom), and work with other apps that accept audio input, such as the Siri built-in assistant.

Chapter 2

      Exploring the Home Screen

      IN THIS CHAPTER

      

See what you need to use your iPhone

      

Turn on your iPhone for the first time

      

Say hello to the multitouch screen, tap, and swipe

      

Add widgets

      

Meet App Library

      

Use the onscreen keyboard

      

Flick to search

      I won’t kid you: You’re about to encounter a slight learning curve if you’re coming from a more basic cellphone. (But if you’ve owned another smartphone, you have a good head start). For example, your previous phone might not have had a multi-touch screen and onscreen keyboard.

      The good news is that getting anything done on the iPhone is simple, once you know the ropes. In fact, using your fingers to do things is an intuitive way to communicate with your computing device, which is just what the iPhone is.

In this chapter, you turn on your iPhone, register it, and then take your first look at the Home screen. You also practice using the onscreen keyboard, see how to interact with the touchscreen in various ways, get pointers on working with cameras, and get an overview of built-in applications (more commonly referred to as apps).

      

Although the iPhone’s screen has been treated to repel oils, you’re about to deposit a ton of fingerprints on your iPhone — one downside of a touchscreen device. So you'll need to clean the