25-12-2022, 11:33 AM
Yes, I think that if you are new to touch interfaces, so don't already have a tablet or similar, then you'd probably experience quite a learning curve. I certainly remember going through that. I was relatively late to them - probably 2012 or 2013 IIRC - so there were plenty of people around me who helped me with the basics.
Once past that, I really wouldn't like to say how Apple compares to Android - as I haven't played with Android for many years, I'd be speaking from a position of ignorance (but that shouldn't stop me - this is the internet after all! :-). I know that iOS has a reputation for being user-friendly, but I personally find iPhones harder to drive if they don't have a home button (the SEs retain this; everything else from the X onwards has dropped it). Without the home button, there are a few new gestures to learn. Some of them work on the iPad, so I'm aware of those - but mostly ignore them - but I know I'd need help from my teenage kids if I was gifted a posh phone. In the meantime, my basic SE is all I need.
Whichever smart phone you choose, you do need to create an account with either Google (Android) or Apple to use them. That feels like a pain, but it does ease things - again, speaking about Apple here because that's where my recent experiences are - like upgrading your handset as everything just transfers across. All photos and data are automatically backed up, and you can access everything from the iCloud web site (or install iCloud on your PC - I've tried it, but generally don't bother). You get a reasonable amount of storage space for free, and if it wasn't for the rest of the family, I'd still be using that. I pay a nominal sum each month (couple of quid - can't remember exactly) for extra storage for their photos, etc. The family sharing features work really well. I've got a decent level of control over what they can do and for how long, and that's really helped them to be good at managing their screen time. Also you can see where they are, which is really good for parents learning to give them their kids some freedom as they get older. Perhaps Android offers similar facilities by now? I remember being a little reluctant to dive into the "ecosystem", but have to admit that it does work well. Of course, all of this contributes to the price - software isn't free to develop (and actively support with new functionality and security updates for 6 years).
Just checking CEX, I see that 2020 SEs are around £200, and 2022 SEs are around £300. If the condition is "A", they are basically unused, most are "B", which is fine, but they did once tell me that grade C are best avoided. The most recent SE has the best processer and battery life, but otherwise they are much the same in practice. Obviously not necessarily saying that this is the best option for Gary, but at least it gives an idea of the price of entry if curious. I'd definitely recommend CEX over eBay for something like this - you need to inspect it in the flesh, and it's nice to be able to take it back if there are issues (only happened once, but they were brilliant about it). And if an iPhone is what you're after, I'd repeat the point about the home button making it easier to use - I'd definitely pick a 2020 SE over an iPhone X that was released in 2017 and has an older chipset (and a battery that is 3 years older).
Happy Christmas to all, and hope you get well soon Gary
Once past that, I really wouldn't like to say how Apple compares to Android - as I haven't played with Android for many years, I'd be speaking from a position of ignorance (but that shouldn't stop me - this is the internet after all! :-). I know that iOS has a reputation for being user-friendly, but I personally find iPhones harder to drive if they don't have a home button (the SEs retain this; everything else from the X onwards has dropped it). Without the home button, there are a few new gestures to learn. Some of them work on the iPad, so I'm aware of those - but mostly ignore them - but I know I'd need help from my teenage kids if I was gifted a posh phone. In the meantime, my basic SE is all I need.
Whichever smart phone you choose, you do need to create an account with either Google (Android) or Apple to use them. That feels like a pain, but it does ease things - again, speaking about Apple here because that's where my recent experiences are - like upgrading your handset as everything just transfers across. All photos and data are automatically backed up, and you can access everything from the iCloud web site (or install iCloud on your PC - I've tried it, but generally don't bother). You get a reasonable amount of storage space for free, and if it wasn't for the rest of the family, I'd still be using that. I pay a nominal sum each month (couple of quid - can't remember exactly) for extra storage for their photos, etc. The family sharing features work really well. I've got a decent level of control over what they can do and for how long, and that's really helped them to be good at managing their screen time. Also you can see where they are, which is really good for parents learning to give them their kids some freedom as they get older. Perhaps Android offers similar facilities by now? I remember being a little reluctant to dive into the "ecosystem", but have to admit that it does work well. Of course, all of this contributes to the price - software isn't free to develop (and actively support with new functionality and security updates for 6 years).
Just checking CEX, I see that 2020 SEs are around £200, and 2022 SEs are around £300. If the condition is "A", they are basically unused, most are "B", which is fine, but they did once tell me that grade C are best avoided. The most recent SE has the best processer and battery life, but otherwise they are much the same in practice. Obviously not necessarily saying that this is the best option for Gary, but at least it gives an idea of the price of entry if curious. I'd definitely recommend CEX over eBay for something like this - you need to inspect it in the flesh, and it's nice to be able to take it back if there are issues (only happened once, but they were brilliant about it). And if an iPhone is what you're after, I'd repeat the point about the home button making it easier to use - I'd definitely pick a 2020 SE over an iPhone X that was released in 2017 and has an older chipset (and a battery that is 3 years older).
Happy Christmas to all, and hope you get well soon Gary
