High-end mobile gadgets often spawn many thoroughly unfounded myths about them. The Apple iPhone is no exception to this. In what follows, we will shed light on the truth behind a few common misplaced beliefs about the iPhone.
It’s understandable when a person has misconceptions about a pricey, high-end gadget that (s)he does not own. Surprisingly, when it comes to mobile handsets – such myths are common even among those who have been using popular smartphone models for relatively long periods. A case in point would be the Apple iPhone – about which plenty of such baseless beliefs clout the minds of owners. We will here debunk some of these iPhone-related myths:
“iPhone Is The Most Popular Smartphone Model”
Apple would like iPhone-buyers to believe that iOS is the undisputed leader in the worldwide mobile handset markets, but the figures reveal quite the opposite story. In most countries, Android enjoys the dominant position in the smartphone sector, with hefty leads over iPhones. What’s more – the gap between Android handsets and iPhones in most of these nations is increasing over time. Apple has a very strong presence in UK, US and, to a lesser extent, China – but that’s about it.
“Using A Screen Protector For The iPhone Is An Absolute Must”
Nothing of the sort. Try scratching the Gorilla Glass screen of iPhone 5 – and the only thing you will end up with is a sharp pain in your fingernails. The iPhone screen is, on average, nearly thirty times tougher than plastic. That, in turn, makes it virtually scratch-resistant. However, iPhone app developers do recommend putting on a light screen cover – to prevent the screen from getting soiled.
“The Fingerprint Sensor Has Been Key For The Success Of iPhone 5”
Fingerprint detection is an important security feature on iPhone 5, it was hyped up to the skies before the model’s launch – but it can’t take all the credit for the success of the phone. There are cell phone contracts that Apple get into, which make the older phones no longer available in certain markets. iPhone 5 becomes the only viable option for Apple fans – and surveys have shown that buyers opt for it due to many of its other cool features, instead of only the built-in fingerprint sensor. The feature ain’t strong enough to lure customers on its own!
“It’s Difficult To Earn Profits By Making iPhone Apps”
Apple has a 30% share on all the proceeds from the downloads of mobile applications from iTunes. That, however, does not mean leading iPhone app development companies cannot make hefty profits from the app-making business. Makers of gaming apps like Angry Birds and Candy Crush Saga have made quite a fortune, even after paying Apple its share.
“The Notes App On iPhones Has A Single Font Option”
If you believe this, you have not explored the features of your handset properly yet. Comic Sans is the default font on the Notes app – but you can easily change it from the Settings of your device. There are several fonts to choose from – ranging from outright formal ones, to the more casual writing styles. Simply select the one that would be the most appropriate.
“iPhone 5C Showed That Apple Could Reach Out To the Lower-End Of The Market”
Hardcore Apple fanboys/girls might disagree, but iPhone 5C was nothing more than a poor concept (that too, clumsily implemented) by the company. The plastic-body, colorful phones have performed poorly in the markets till date, and most researchers have felt that it is not cheap enough either (to be the preferred choice of average users). iPhone 5C showed that Apple is not afraid to experiment, but this was an experiment gone horribly bad.
“iPhone Does Not Allow Printing”
There are plenty of applications developed by third-party mobile app companies to enable seamless printing over the wireless network. In case you are using the latest version of iOS, you will also find AirPrint – an in-built printing tool, that enables users to give print commands directly from your iPhone. The only thing that might be a problem is – there are not too many printers that are compatible with the iOS Airprint feature.
“Tim Cook Has Stepped In Well Into Steve Jobs’ Shoes”
Try telling this to Yukari Iwatani Kane (author of ‘Haunted Empire: Apple After Steve Jobs’), and you’ll face a mighty strong reaction. In general too, Cook cannot be said to have built on anything significant to Jobs’ well-laid empire – at least till date. The two major gadgets that might shape Cook’s fortunes at Apple Inc. are the iWatch and the iPhone 6 (albeit, to a lesser degree). If either of them bombs, Tim Cook is going to face further flak.
“Users must NEVER Touch The Antennae Of iPhone”
This myth stems from some reports about reception-loss that came in from early iPhone 4-users. Whenever the antennae area – near the lower left side of the device was touched – there were network connectivity problems. However, Apple has fixed this issue quite some time ago. No longer do you have to be careful about how you hold your iPhone – it would remain properly functional at all times!
“iPhone Is Being Ably Backed Up By iPad In Terms Of Sales”
This used to be the case, but there have been telltale signs during the past few quarters that people’s interest in the Apple iPad is steadily waning. Last quarter, the sale of iPad dropped by over 16% compared to the corresponding period last year – while iPhone sales shot up by nearly 19%. It’s won’t be wrong to state that the iPad is no longer one of the most important money-earners for Apple. The company has become rather too dependent on the iPhone.
“Overcharging Can Permanently Damage iPhones”
Let alone iPhones, overcharging does not pose any risks for handsets that use lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries. Once your device gets fully charged, the ‘trickle charging’ starts – which basically means, the charge automatically drops by 1%, and is made up again, in a loop. You cannot, technically, ‘overcharge’ an iPhone. So, you can keep the mobile on charge for the whole night, without worrying about it!
“Performing An iOS Jailbreak Is A Punishable Offence”
Of course Apple does not encourage buyers to do a jailbreak on their iPhones – but considering it to be a crime would be stretching the imagination too much. Leading mobile app developers highlight that, doing a jailbreak to install third-party apps does not violate any copyright regulations, and hence, cannot be a legal offence. The official warranty on the iPhone would be rendered void, and that’s the only risk you have to be prepared to face. If jailbreak had been illegal, the demand for Cydia would not have been so high!
“Siri For iPhone Is An Amazingly Efficient Voice Assistant”
This is a myth that is more common among people who do not own an iPhone. Siri, the digital voice assistant for iPhone, is not a bad application – but it’s not the most efficient either. There are language and accent-related problems, that lead Siri to misunderstand/ignore several commands. Many iPhone-users even consider Siri to be more of a distraction. Siri is supposedly witty, but for having a laugh – few people turn to their phones.
“Getting Apps Approved at iTunes Is A Long-Drawn, Tough Process”
Sure, Apple has a set of guidelines that every mobile app developer has to follow. Provided that is done, apps can get approved at iTunes within a matter of a few days. There are certain naming conventions, apps have to be pre-tested for bugs, and there should not be any sexual connotation in the name/features of the mobile applications submitted to iTunes. There are plenty of rather useless apps showcased at the store too – which got approved simply because they adhered to the guidelines.
“The Chief Cause Of Battery Drain In iPhones Is The Set Of Installed Apps”
Again, incorrect. How quickly the battery of your iPhone gets drained out of juice depends on how you use mobile apps on it – and not by the number of them installed. Most iPhone applications do not keep running in the background, which rules out probabilities of excess battery power wastage. Closing the apps that are not being used is easy too. In fact, battery drainage gets accelerated if you set up frequent push notifications for emails, repeatedly open certain apps (e.g., Facebook), and other such ways in which the applications are utilized on an iPhone.
Several of these iPhone-related myths show Apple in a more favorable light than it deserves (the market share case, for instance). Many of them lead to incorrect use of the device as well, leading to shorter life-span for the handset. If you are planning to get an iPhone anytime soon, it’s high time you stopped being shrouded by any of the above myths!
Hussain Fakhruddin
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