Here’s how I managed to enjoy my iPhone 6 Plus, aka iPad Micro 😀
For a while I had the iPhone 5. I chose to skip the 5S model and held on to my upgrade until I saw what the 6 series would be all about. I also had an iPad Mini (first model).
Then two 6 models were released. I visited the Apple store at least three times to play with both models.
On the first visit I discovered that I could trade in my 5. $209 credit toward the purchase of a 6.
The catch? I had to buy in-store. An online upgrade would be a mess to then bring into the store, return it, buy it back, restore the upgrade, apply the upgrade, apply the trade-in.
What a nightmare that would have been.
I had no problem buying in-store. Supply was the issue. I ended up driving an hour and a half to the Apple store in the Mall at Wellington Green in south Florida.
Picked up a white 6 Plus 64gb. Why did I get white? Because black wasn’t available lol. I got tired of waiting. Also picked up an Apple leather cover.
1. Determine how you use your phone most.
I always used mine as a tool first, phone second.
Tool; contact book, texting, remote desktopping, email, and sporadically, iMovie and Pages.
If you use your phone AS A PHONE I would recommend the regular 6. I was leaning that way until I sat down and determined that the phone function was really secondary in my usage pattern.
2. Try them out in-store.
I played with three key functions while in the store: landscape for most everything, iMovie, and Pages. The three things I used most between my iPhone and iPad Mini.
That’s right, I chased the Plus to replace both my phone and tablet.
The additional function keys have turned out to be much handier than anticipated. I’ve drafted query letters and entire chapters on my 6 Plus now.
3. Get an Apple leather cover.
A bit pricey but fortunately it’s worth it.
Feels real good, maintains the thinness of the phone, and allows for a nice, secure grip on the phone.
I had the Apple leather cover for my 5 and was very pleased with it. I also had the Apple leather case for my Mini and was impressed with that as well.
If you appreciate the minimalist approach you can see that the Apple leather cases are well thought out.
4. Use your new iPhone 6 Plus exclusively during the 14 day trial period.
You have 14 days to return the phone, no questions asked, if it really doesn’t work out for you. Make the most of that time by using it exclusively.
I used my store visits to make my determination.
5. Don’t upgrade the software until you’re sure it won’t mess things up.
I used to upgrade right away. Fortunately, with iOS 7, I began to wait, to see how the ‘update’ affected things.
I purchased my iPhone 6 Plus with iOS 8.1 and Set Up As New. I lost my text history but that’s ok. Everything else was always in iCloud (except photos).
I also turned off Auto Updates … period.
I peruse the New Changes first whenever an App update shows up. Then I decide if I want to upgrade it at that time lol.
Same thing with the operating system. If it works great I’ll wait a couple of upgrade versions before I think about making any changes. Again, same thing with Carrier Settings. I’ll wait, see what the online forums says about it.
So that’s it! Enjoy your new iPhone 6 Plus!
Dan Passaro 