iPhone For Dummies. LeVitus Bob

12-megapixel camera (iPhone 6s and newer) is now paired with iOS 10’s improved Camera and Photos apps, so taking and managing digital photos and videos on your iPhone is a pleasure rather than the nightmare it can be on other phones. Plus, you can automatically synchronize iPhone photos and videos with the digital photo library on your Mac or PC.

      The iPhone 6s Plus has better cameras than the iPhone SE or iPhone 6s, and the iPhone 7 models have the best cameras yet. Of course, both iPhone 7 models include all the features of the previous generation (iPhone 6s and 6s Plus) camera, including autofocus with focus pixels to help prevent out-of-focus pictures. But the 6 Plus and both iPhone 7 models have one of the coolest features we’ve seen on any camera-in-a-phone: optical image stabilization, which uses data from the processor, gyroscope, and motion coprocessor to determine camera motion when you’re shooting. It then provides precise lens movement to compensate for your shaky hands or low light. The iPhone 7 models shoot better low-light photos than we’ve seen from any previous iPhone, and the iPhone 7 Plus, which has two lenses and true optical zoom, shoots the best pictures and videos yet.

      Finally, don’t miss the Live Photos feature (all current iPhone models), which captures a bit of video before and after the still image. This brings images to life when viewed and may be the coolest iPhone camera feature since, well, since last year’s optical image stabilization.

      

Before iOS 10, if you chose to edit a live photo with the Photos app, you destroyed its “liveness” and turned it into a still image. With iOS 10, you can edit and adjust live photos without turning them into stills. Yea!

      Another of our favorite phone accouterments is visual voicemail. (Try saying that three times fast.) This feature lets you see a list of voicemail messages and choose which ones to listen to or delete without being forced to deal with every message in your voice mailbox in sequential order. Now, that’s handy!

      Finally, all iPhone models include Siri, an intelligent voice-controlled assistant that understands what you tell him or her (most of the time). We say “him or her” because you can (since iOS 7) choose the optional man’s voice for Siri (see Chapter 5). Regardless of which gender you choose, Siri can figure out what you mean and determine which (if any) iPhone app should be used to find the right answer. And, like a real personal assistant, Siri replies in a natural sounding human voice. Furthermore, he or she has become even smarter in iOS 10 with “proactive assistance,” which provides the most relevant information and suggestions at a particular moment. One last thing: Both flavors – male and female – take dictation!

      If you’ve tried voice control before, forget everything you’ve learned and give Siri a try. We think you’ll be as impressed as we are (as long as you have a good Internet connection when you try it – Siri can be close to useless if your connection is slow) – and are in a relatively quiet environment.

      We’ve mentioned just the highlights of the iPhone’s superb set of features. But because we still have the entire book ahead of us, we’ll put the extended coverage on hold for now (pun intended).

The iPhone as an iPod

      We agree with the late Steve Jobs on this one: The iPhone is a better iPod than any iPod Apple has ever made. (Okay, we can quibble about the iPod touch and the iPad, as well as wanting more storage, but you know what we mean.) You can enjoy all your existing iPod media content – music, audiobooks, audio and video podcasts, iTunes U courses, music videos, television shows, and movies – on the iPhone’s gorgeous high-resolution color display, which is bigger, brighter, and richer than any iPod display before it.

      Bottom line: If you can get the content – be it video, audio, or whatever – into iTunes on your Mac or PC, you can synchronize it and watch or listen to it on your iPhone.

The iPhone as an Internet communications device

      But wait – there’s more! Not only is the iPhone a great phone and a stellar media player, but it’s also a full-featured Internet communications device with – we’re about to drop a bit of industry jargon on you – a rich HTML email client that’s compatible with most POP and IMAP mail services, with support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync. (For more on this topic, see Chapter 12.) Also on board is Safari, a world-class web browser that, unlike on most other phones, makes web surfing fun and easy.

      Another cool Internet feature is Maps. By using GPS, Maps can determine your location, let you view maps and satellite imagery, and obtain driving directions and traffic information for much of the United States. You can also find businesses such as gas stations, pizza joints, hospitals, and Apple Stores with just a few taps. And iOS 10 adds information on public transit for even more cities. Finally, the Compass app not only displays your current GPS coordinates but also orients Maps to show the direction you’re facing.

      You might also enjoy using Stocks, an included app that delivers near real-time stock quotes and charts any time and any place, or Weather, another included app that obtains and displays the weather forecast for as many cities as you like.

      The Internet experience on an iPhone is far superior to the Internet experience on any other handheld device we’ve seen, except the iPad. (Technically, we’d call a full-sized iPad a “two-hands-held device” because it’s difficult to hold in one hand for more than a few minutes. But we digress.)

Technical specifications

      One last thing before we proceed. Here’s a list of everything you need before you can actually use your iPhone:

      ❯❯ An iPhone

      ❯❯ In the United States, a wireless contract with AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, one of the smaller carriers, such as C Spire or Cricket, or a contract-free T-Mobile or other service

      ❯❯ An Apple ID

      ❯❯ Internet access (required) – broadband wireless Internet access recommended

      In addition, we think you’ll find that some tasks are faster and easier if you perform them on a computer using iTunes instead of on your iPhone’s much smaller screen – although you don’t technically need a computer to use your iPhone. And some tasks, such as reordering Home screens, can only be accomplished in iTunes on a computer.

      If you decide to introduce your iPhone to your computer (and we recommend it for anyone who has a computer), here’s what’s required for syncing with iTunes:

      ❯❯ For Macs: A Mac with a USB 2.0 or 3.0 port, OS X v10.9 or later, and iTunes 12.5 or later

      ❯❯ For Windows: A PC with a USB 2.0 or 3.0 port; Windows 7 or later; and iTunes 12.5 or later (free download at www.itunes.com/download)

      A Quick Tour Outside

      The iPhone is a harmonious combination of hardware and software. In this section, we take a brief look at what’s on the outside. In the next section, we peek at the software.

On the top and side

The top of iPhone 6 and 7 models is as smooth as a baby’s bottom, as shown in Figure 1-1. If you have one of the iPhone 6 models, your sleep/wake button is on the side. For all models, the SIM card tray is on one side, and the ring/silent switch and volume buttons are on the other side. We describe these elements more fully in the following list:

      ❯❯ Microphone: Used for FaceTime calls and noise suppression during phone calls.

      ❯❯

      SIM card tray: The SIM card tray is where you remove or replace the SIM card inside your iPhone.

      

A SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card is a removable smart card used to identify mobile phones. Users can change phones by moving the SIM card from one phone to another – kind of. The iPhone uses a nano-SIM.

      ❯❯ Sleep/wake button: This button is used to lock or unlock your iPhone and to