by June 2024
On the day before travelling back from Lavarone, Italy, I did a daft thing and left my Vollaphone on top of the top-box on the Guzzi (motorcycle). Of course, it fell off at the next roundabout and was promptly run over by the car behind which broke the display. This was a bit sad because a) a silly thing to do and b) I had built up a good system without google on android and had a dual-boot ubuntu touch system which was beginning to work well. To cap things off, I wrote to the volla company to get a new display and they are currently out of stock and not sure when they’ll be available. This gave me the push to perhaps give an iphone a go!
I had been eyeing up iphones for a while mainly because the camera seems to be very good and I was always a bit jealous of people’s iphone photos which were simply way better than mine with the vollaphone. My oldest daughter had been working on me for a long time to go applewards so I decided to give it a go and have now ordered a refurbished iphone 12 pro max with 256GB.
This post will be a sort of scrapbook dealing with “going iphone” from a background of android and linux-based phones and will be updated as we go. The phone should be arriving at the beginning of the current week so will take it step by step.
I think I will try to keep it simple at the start and resist the temptation to empty the app store onto my device. First things that will need doing will be basic setup, updates and integration of my nextcloud system and various emails into the iphone…
A bit of iphone history 🙂
Here we go:
to continue as it happens 🙂
29th June 2024:
Thus we have started!
“Anything worth doing, is worth doing right.”
― Hunter S Thompson
Sometime earlier this week my refurbished iphone 12 pro max arrived with a blue case and a gorilla glass protector. It is definitely a solid chunk of technology and smacks of quality even without switching it on. Having set up many different devices over the years and decades starting with self-built PCs with Windows 98 through all the variations, in recent years Linux dual-boots and laptops and in the phone-zone numerous androids, degoogled androids and linux-based mobile devices. Thus, the apprehension and joy at the prospect of setting up a new device with my usual functionality and connectivity remained within modest boundaries.
I was absolutely clear that the setting up would be slow and well-considered and certainly not rushed. Basic setup was good with all language and input options available. I first setup the nextcloud in accounts and started integrating it for calendars (CalDAV) and contacts (CardDAV). Probably the main reasons to choose the 12 pro max were the excellent camera and the screen size (due to the usual over 50 problems 🙂 ). One definite finding is that the iphone is a device with massive potential and that I am only slowly discovering its possibilities and ways of using it.
I have a central “cloud” for all devices using nextcloud which is handy and enables iphones, androids, ubuntu touch devices, linux laptops and desktops and even windows PCs to use the same file system. “No file shall be left behind.” It also is the reference file for calendar and contacts and can do more than that, for example, tasks but I haven’t done that yet. I also use Joplin for intersystem notes and this works for all except ubuntu touch.
So back to the iphone. The app store is huge and, of course, dominated by the big hitters. Some apps such as Osmand (which I greatly like) are there but don’t have the free functionality of, say, the f-droid version which is “plus” (unlimited) from day one. I suppose this is fair in that they “robin hood” the users, i.e. taking from those who have and giving to those who have less. This is fine by me and I suppose the iphone crowd is mostly better-off.
Afternoon and evening 29th June 2024:
First serious test of the camera today and I have to say the camera and software are absolutely amazing, the results are stunning and the optical zoom is exceedingly useful, particularly for better framing of portraits. Even as an iphone newbie, I can safely say that the photos are next level! Another very impressive aspect is the battery life and optimisation which gives me easily 2 to 3 days between charges (which is similar to the volla phone 22 btw 🙂 ).
7th July 2024:
Another week with the iphone and still very happy with it. I have continued setting it up in small bursts of activity and have now got the travel apps linked up AND got the nextcloud photo backup working so that it now just works in the background! My minimal banking apps are also up and running so basically most everyday apps are in and running. I haven’t installed Whatsapp yet or, in fact, any meta apps and am trying not to although not having whatsapp is a bit wearing for everyone else. I’m looking for an alternative solution here and will shout up when I’ve got it working.
The camera is still excellent and I’ll post some sample pictures maybe later after a walk in the park. Are there any gripes? Well, not really at the moment. I am missing my ubuntu touch project at the moment but that is no fault of the iphone. When I’ve repaired the vollaphone I shall hopefully get it working again and continue.
I am using OsmAnd maps+ for offline navigation so shall give that a good test soon and will report back. Ice cubes for Mastodon appears to be a bit of a battery hog so am considering switching to something else. Garmin Smartlink works but seems to like lurking in the background so will look into it to see if it’s set up properly.
24th July 2024:
Now fully operational I must admit that I really like the iphone. There are some irks and quiggles, for example, making it difficult to download a photo from the iphone to send as an email attachment (which I still find immensely irritating if someone sends me an inline photo in an email), but generally it is a smooth experience and the camera is still absolutely stunning and produces pictures just by-the-by which would have been very tricky if not impossible on my old vollaphone.
The issue of privacy and security does require some attention by the user but appears to be ok when compared to googled android. Battery life is also good even though I’m trying to follow recommendations and keep within 20% to roughly 80%. It only really seems to take a hit if gps/location is activated otherwise is fine. I’ve tried to only install apps which are not data-miners although after much wringing of hands I did eventually install whatsapp.
Still, I do miss my old vollaphone and am hoping to reactivate it. The dual-boot to ungoogled android and ubuntu touch was excellent and I’m in half a mind to make it fully ubuntu touch when I get the screen repaired.
-ubports newsletter latest-
Dear Community,
Welcome to your latest newsletter,
Firstly we are pleased to let you known that Lomiri is available with a quick and easy install, for testing on your Linux tablet or desktop without a VM. We are still talking very much about a testing, bug reporting and contributing stage here and not daily stable usage. To find out how and join the conversation check our Forum thread https://forums.ubports.com/topic/10250/install-uninstall-lomiri-session-on-your-linux-desktop-tablet for all the details. Give it a try and let us know how it goes in the thread conversation.Who is Ubuntu Touch aimed at, who is all this time, effort, skill and pride the target for. The simple answer is you of course our community and users. Anyone who tries or uses UT is a very welcome part of and member of our community. Developers, enthusiasts and everyone looking for an alternative to the big two OS out there, you are all very welcome.And that is the point. We want to be an alternative to them that everyone can use, not just developers. That means we must make sure anyone can just pick up a UT device, use it and love it, not just developers and linux experts, and that is what we are going to do.Many people already use UT as their main daily driver and we want many more to do so. That means it all has to work without hassle or the need to use the terminal or any other ( as it is seen by many ) wizardry and dark arts.. You just pick it put your sim in and off you go, make and get calls, messages take photos etc always knowing you are not being tracked or having your data scraped, used and profited from. Something that more and more people are becoming aware of.Does this mean UT is not for those of a more traditional linux outlook, no of course not. This is FOSS after all, it’s your device you can do and use it how you will and you are more than welcome to do so. However, so that as many people as possible can feel confident in using Ubuntu Touch it will remain read write. Want or need to do more? then we are sure you will know how to “get in” and do whatever you please, and enjoy doing it.We are proud that UT as an OS is aimed at the everyday user and we will continue to work hard in making that the reality.While we are on this theme, another thing that is becoming popular among some mobile users is the feeling that being constantly connected to social media in all it’s forms, and always being on it and available, is not great for anyone. Want to change that or know someone who does then show them Ubuntu Touch. The standard install gives you all you may need for a quieter existence, calls, sms camera, clock and web browser and your all set. Anything else you can add if you wish, no reminders that this that and the other is not setup, or you have not added any social media accounts. The settings are there and the apps available from the OpenStore or increasingly snaps, it is purely up to you.
There is a video on the PinePhone Pro you may find of interest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9UaT3Q68Ag More on all things UT and Pine coming up in the next few weeks, this should include news on recovery images and system image updates.latest newsletter from socials@ubports.com
30th June 2024:
When assessing my „plunge“ from ungoogled android and ubuntu touch to the iphone ecosystem, I think it is probably necessary to talk about the framing a bit i.e. what sort of user I am. At the risk of looking a bit silly these days I still think that a smartphone should be an assistant for me and not the other way round. The phone needs to work in the background and to help me organise my time, schedule and planning and to be synchronised with my desktop and laptop.
I don’t have Instagram, tiktok or similar apps and don’t want them because I feel that they are intrusive and also endanger privacy and security. I don’t have games on the phone and try to only install apps which at least try to be privacy sensitive (with the exception of whatsapp which I did install after much gnashing of teeth because …). Things such as ebay etc I use via the browser. I want a good camera on the principle that the best camera is the one that you have with you and want to have it synced with a cloud or backup of my choice and place.
to continue as it happens 🙂
bottom of the page
