iPhone 6s: In the End, It’s the Little Things

I do not usually write product reviews or unboxing reports, so this is not one. I simply would like to share some of my first impressions of Apple’s new iPhone 6s and Apple Watch, running iOS 9 and watchOS 2, respectively specifically around usability.

While using the iPhone 6s, I paid close attention to which of the new hardware and software features had a positive impact on my user experience. I adopted this perspective because, after the novelty of the features wears off, it is the ones that have lasting impact on one’s day-to-day that keep a user engaged with the platform and limit the inclination to consider moving to a different OS.

Once my interaction with the new features coalesced, it became apparent that my overall satisfaction with the iPhone experience was coming from what seems to be an increased focus on efficiency and simplicity – on the ability to move seamlessly through screens and options, with richer information now more at hand.

The result, I would say, is the most enjoyable and engaging iPhone experience yet!

 3D Touch
It took only a few minutes to master the “peek and pop” function, and I now wonder how I lived without it. Using 3D touch in email is probably the best showcase for this new feature. I find that the new capabilities of the call function, the links embedded in text messages and emails, and the shortcuts in the apps are the places where I most appreciate 3D touch.

 As often happens with Apple, it is the finesse within the execution of the features that represents the real “hook.” When you press on the phone icon, you not only see your VIPs, but you get them in the order of the most recently used contacts. Even if you stumble upon the 3D touch capability unintentionally, it is obvious the phone is predicting what you will do next.

Live Photos and Camera
When the Live Photos function was introduced at the recent Apple keynote, I was not terribly excited about it. I had experienced similar features on other devices and had not found them to be life changing. Now, after playing with it a little more, I really appreciate the photos as screen savers on my phone and watch. I am curious to see where Apple can take Live Photos next, both in terms of device compatibility (wallpaper on my Mac), and the smartness of what is captured.

With 56% of US iPhone owners using the iPhone to take pictures every day, I am sure the iPhone 6s camera will play a big role as a purchase and satisfaction driver. I have no complaints about the camera on the iPhone 6, nor did 39% of US consumers who mentioned the camera as a satisfaction driver, but believe the enhancements to the iPhone 6s iSight camera will certainly increase consumer engagement.

 Siri Gets Clever
Siri certainly seems to be getting smarter, or at least she is getting better at understanding and responding to my European accent, which was a problem for me before. For this reason, Siri and I have not always been the closest of friends.

While I appreciated her sassiness, her stubbornness in wanting to pronounce my name “Care-oh-LIE-na” (as in the name of two southern US states) instead of “Car-oh-LEE-na (I am, as Siri should know, Italian), has discouraged me from using Siri on a regular basis. With the new, always-on “Hey Siri” command, and having compromised by allowing her to refer to me simply as “C,” I am giving her more chances, asking her to open apps for me, tell me who my last missed call was and having her read my text message.

 Here are a few other benefits of iOS9 that are making a difference in my day-to-day activities: 

• The batteries section in “my today” shows both phone and watch
• The new apps carousel that displays open apps makes it faster and easier to close them
• Touch ID is much faster
• Battery life, so far, seems improved

Apple Watch
While I believe the best is yet to come with the new generation of apps that will take advantage of watchOS 2, my Black Steel Apple Watch with a Product Red band certainly did not feel like just a pretty face – no pun intended!

Aesthetically, I like the new colors added to the complications options (matching the new bands). I especially like to see the colors of the activity rings versus the grey option on the utility face, because this allows for a quick check-in throughout the day. I very much appreciate the enhancements to the activity app with the weekly summary on the watch as well as the suggestions to how to adjust your daily move calories goal – sadly in my case it was to make it easier to achieve it!

While I do not expect users to go through the process very often, changing the Watch is straightforward, and even easier than setting up a new iPhone from cloud backup.

As for the iPhone, Watch also received a fair amount of focus on simplicity and ease of use. The new number pad for entering your passcode has drastically decreased my mistakes, especially if I type while I am walking. Night Stand Mode is also a welcomed feature. Despite my fear of not waking up if I did not wear the Watch, it has not failed to bring me back from dream Nirvana.

 Time Travel is a very simple way to see what is coming up or review what happened in your day, but is dependent on the settings you choose for your watch face. This can be as simple as just presenting the local weather or the time in a different location.

Final Assessment
In the end, it’s not only the big things that Apple does. In terms of the overall experience with the iPhone 6s with iOS 9 and Apple Watch on watchOS 2, it’s really the little things that draw a user into the OS and the larger ecosystem. Once one gets beyond the eye-catching things that everyone (including Apple) talks about, it’s the little touches that engage.

And it may be that different things engage different people, but it’s the attention to detail, the avoidance of clutter, understanding the user’s needs and eliminating unnecessary steps: it is simplicity and elegance combined with a greater richness of the experience that makes a difference in keeping users loyal. In the three months ending in July among US consumers who bought an Android phone only 4.5% came from Apple while among Apple new buyers 9.3% came from Android.