Other Advice for the rest of us: don’t read MacRumors forums!

[profmjh]

This happens pretty much every time Apple brings out a new product. I get excited, I read the MacRumors forums, I read endless threads complaining about what a disaster the new product is, and I worry that the new product is a complete lemon.

Today I saw an iPhone X in real life. One of my friends bought one. I was expecting it to have a number of flaws. I expected the screen to be weirdly narrow. I expected the colours to go weird if I moved the phone or my head. I expected the notch to be so distracting I wouldn’t be able to concentrate. I expected the lack of a home button to make the phone an unqualified disaster. I expected horrifying grey strips all over the place that would ruin the visual appeal.

I should have known better. It’s a beautifully designed phone with a great screen and terrific user interface. I saw no change in colour when I moved the screen around. The proportions seemed fine. It fit great in my hand and my pocket. The screen seemed very similar in overall size to my iPhone 7+. The notch is beautifully integrated and not remotely distracting. It’s not even ugly. Gestures were easy and effective. I didn’t miss the home button at all. The keyboard looked fine.

I’m still not going to buy one. It’s a thousand pounds. For a phone. When I already have a great phone. But I’m not scared about buying one (or its successor) in the future.

To coin a phrase, these forums do often seem filled with fake news.

(Sadly my friend had the phone in a case, which made it look awful. I didn’t ask him to remove it, so I can’t speak to the aesthetics of the phone in the nude. I imagine it’s great. The rest of it is.)

Edit: He’s had the phone for a week. He had two negative comments. First, not all apps have been optimised for the X, which is annoying. Second, he has the case because he’s just too scared that the glass will shatter when he inevitably drops it.

 

[eoblaed]

Thats primarily the reason I started this thread this morning:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/one-week-with-the-x.2087322/

 

[sdwaltz]

Not so much "fake news", just a lot of really, really, really (one more time for the people in the back) REALLY picky people who do nothing but attempt to find flaws.

 

[Zune55]

This happens pretty much every time Apple brings out a new product. I get excited, I read the MacRumors forums, I read endless threads complaining about what a disaster the new product is, and I worry that the new product is a complete lemon.

Today I saw an iPhone X in real life. One of my friends bought one. I was expecting it to have a number of flaws. I expected the screen to be weirdly narrow. I expected the colours to go weird if I moved the phone or my head. I expected the notch to be so distracting I wouldn’t be able to concentrate. I expected the lack of a home button to make the phone an unqualified disaster. I expected horrifying grey strips all over the place that would ruin the visual appeal.

I should have known better. It’s a beautifully designed phone with a great screen and terrific user interface. I saw no change in colour when I moved the screen around. The proportions seemed fine. It fit great in my hand and my pocket. The screen seemed very similar in overall size to my iPhone 7+. The notch is beautifully integrated and not remotely distracting. It’s not even ugly. Gestures were easy and effective. I didn’t miss the home button at all. The keyboard looked fine.

I’m still not going to buy one. It’s a thousand pounds. For a phone. When I already have a great phone. But I’m not scared about buying one (or its successor) in the future.

To coin a phrase, these forums do often seem filled with fake news.

(Sadly my friend had the phone in a case, which made it look awful. I didn’t ask him to remove it, so I can’t speak to the aesthetics of the phone in the nude. I imagine it’s great. The rest of it is.)

Mac rumor is a forum where people talk about their experiences their views opinions. They may not be the facts, when you go in public people do express their opinions it doesn’t mean that they are facts. So we should stop listening to them as well?. They could be wrong or they could be right. But to tell people not to use this forum I don’t think it’s correct.


Edit: In this forum I was told something about GSM model that it won’t work with Verizon but when I use myself it worked completely fine. That was the knowledge of some people and the Mac rumor credibility is not lost in my sight.

 

[profmjh]

Mac rumor is a forum where people talk about their experiences their views opinions. They may not be the facts, when you go in public people do express their opinions it doesn’t mean that they are facts. So we should stop listening to them as well?. They could be wrong or they could be right. But to tell people not to use this forum I don’t think it’s correct.

Well, my title was click-bait, but I do think you can easily come away with a very negative impression of Apple products if you read too much on here. It sews seeds of doubt in your mind about some major flaw.

For example, the colour change thing sounded awful. Turns out I didn’t notice it at all.

 

[eoblaed]

Mac rumor is a forum where people talk about their experiences their views opinions. They may not be the facts, when you go in public people do express their opinions it doesn’t mean that they are facts. So we should stop listening to them as well?. They could be wrong or they could be right. But to tell people not to use this forum I don’t think it’s correct.

I think his point was to not judge a product based solely on what forums are saying. Like I've pointed out before, it's human nature that upset people are far more likely to post whereas happy people are far less likely to. The net result is that you get much higher percentage of negative posts compared to positive ones which can lead to the inference that the device is crappy, when the reality is often quite different.

So, I think the OPs advice to not view all the negative comments as the reality of the device, but instead to experience it for yourself, is sound.

 

[Zune55]

I think his point was to not judge a product based solely on what forums are saying. Like I've pointed out before, it's human nature that upset people are far more likely to post whereas happy people are far less likely to. The net result is that you get much higher percentage of negative posts compared to positive ones which can lead to the inference that the device is crappy, when the reality is often quite different.

So, I think the OPs advice to not view all the negative comments as the reality of the device, but instead to experience it for yourself, is sound.

I agree with you and the OP, I do learn a lot from Mac forum about how to use Phone and other products but I was also misinformed about something until I experienced myself.

 

[lordhamster]

Based on my experience on this forum, I wrote a thread on the eve of release day outlining my predictions of what all “gates” would be.

I called the screen complaints and minor scratches and a few others... unfortunately I got wastelanded. But you are right, every year the same OCD crowd comes out claiming to exchange their device 8 to 10 times in seach of the perfect one.

 

[5105973]

Well, my title was click-bait, but I do think you can easily come away with a very negative impression of Apple products if you read too much on here. It sews seeds of doubt in your mind about some major flaw.

For example, the colour change thing sounded awful. Turns out I didn’t notice it at all.

The color change thing probably IS awful on some of them. There seems to be some variance among OLED displays. I’ve noticed that on Android phones for some time now. It’s all a bit of a lottery. Apple made millions of these phones and there were bound to be some flaws that consistently pop up and plague a few people here and there. It’s only natural they gravitate toward a forum to seek input and see where their issue falls on the spectrum of being isolated weirdness or a common problem. I’m happy to say so far, knock wood, the one my husband got seems very nice. It has gotten very good battery life and has a lovely display and so far seems to work well in the cold weather. Let's hope its excellence holds up!

I forgot to add, despite our fears regarding Intel modem quality, his AT&T iPhone X with the intel modem seems to perform as well, if not better than his iPhone 7 Plus with the Qualcomm modem.

 

[CTHarrryH]

It is too bad because you could actually use a forum such as this to track down why some problems occur and help people but more people want to talk about ruined their lives and worst ever and never seem to wan to fix

 

[5105973]

It is too bad because you could actually use a forum such as this to track down why some problems occur and help people but more people want to talk about ruined their lives and worst ever and never seem to wan to fix

Many of us try to do that. We let each other vent and get the ill feelings out and then get back to asking specific questions to get at the pertinent facts. Some great people on this forum have taken the time to help me troubleshoot issues while patiently letting me express my frustrations when things go wrong and talking me back to a calm mood. It’s the people who attack or mock people for being upset or confused or mistaken about problems who run the discussion off the rails. Fortunately we have good moderators who are quick to put a stop to things like that if it’s brought to their attention (they can’t be everywhere at once on a forum this large).

 

[DNichter]

It's sad, but yea you're right, it happens every year. It's always best to make up your own mind and actually use the device for some time. Glad you like it.

 

[jasonklee]

$1000 for a phone does seems crazy (StarTAC, Nokia). $1000 for a miniaturized pocket-sized Mac, not so much.

 

[haqsha23]

I've been so impressed to be honest. A bigger size would have made this the perfect phone for me.

 

[MarcMller]

Coming from a 7+ to the x.. this phone really is perfect. It hasnt been out that long... apps still need to be updated, apple needs to clean up a few things. Lets not forget apple takes pride in their products.. they'll continue to update the UI and make it perfect.

 

[John-F]

I have the iPhone X and am really enjoying it.

Not just MacRumors forums, but many reviews in the media all describe the fatal problems with the iPhone. It has happened with each new release.

Some reports say how easy it is to break and gives warnings not to put the phone in your back pocket and sit on it. They forget they gave the same warmings with the 7+, which was more likely put in the back pocket if too large for the front pocket.

Remember the antenna-gate, I think with the iPhone 4? If you held your hand a certain way the signal would drop one bar.

Make sure to not hold the iPhone X behind your left knee. The sound might not be too good.

Bottom line: Some of the problems might be valid, but over 10 years with as many releases, Apple has not struck out yet. So people have in practice not needed to use the phone behind their left knee.

It's good to listen to concerns and see if anything is a show-stopper for you, but remember, Apple has a good track record of customers being satisfied with each release.

 

[democracyrules]

This happens pretty much every time Apple brings out a new product. I get excited, I read the MacRumors forums, I read endless threads complaining about what a disaster the new product is, and I worry that the new product is a complete lemon.

Today I saw an iPhone X in real life. One of my friends bought one. I was expecting it to have a number of flaws. I expected the screen to be weirdly narrow. I expected the colours to go weird if I moved the phone or my head. I expected the notch to be so distracting I wouldn’t be able to concentrate. I expected the lack of a home button to make the phone an unqualified disaster. I expected horrifying grey strips all over the place that would ruin the visual appeal.

I should have known better. It’s a beautifully designed phone with a great screen and terrific user interface. I saw no change in colour when I moved the screen around. The proportions seemed fine. It fit great in my hand and my pocket. The screen seemed very similar in overall size to my iPhone 7+. The notch is beautifully integrated and not remotely distracting. It’s not even ugly. Gestures were easy and effective. I didn’t miss the home button at all. The keyboard looked fine.

To coin a phrase, these forums do often seem filled with fake news.

(Sadly my friend had the phone in a case, which made it look awful. I didn’t ask him to remove it, so I can’t speak to the aesthetics of the phone in the nude. I imagine it’s great. The rest of it is.)

Edit: He’s had the phone for a week. He had two negative comments. First, not all apps have been optimised for the X, which is annoying. Second, he has the case because he’s just too scared that the glass will shatter when he inevitably drops it.

I second. I also add: please do not read all negative threads.

 

[C. Robert]

It is a drama fest come release time. Its why I come here, for the entertainment.

 

[DiveKitty]

This happens pretty much every time Apple brings out a new product. I get excited, I read the MacRumors forums, I read endless threads complaining about what a disaster the new product is, and I worry that the new product is a complete lemon.

Today I saw an iPhone X in real life. One of my friends bought one. I was expecting it to have a number of flaws. I expected the screen to be weirdly narrow. I expected the colours to go weird if I moved the phone or my head. I expected the notch to be so distracting I wouldn’t be able to concentrate. I expected the lack of a home button to make the phone an unqualified disaster. I expected horrifying grey strips all over the place that would ruin the visual appeal.

I should have known better. It’s a beautifully designed phone with a great screen and terrific user interface. I saw no change in colour when I moved the screen around. The proportions seemed fine. It fit great in my hand and my pocket. The screen seemed very similar in overall size to my iPhone 7+. The notch is beautifully integrated and not remotely distracting. It’s not even ugly. Gestures were easy and effective. I didn’t miss the home button at all. The keyboard looked fine.

I’m still not going to buy one. It’s a thousand pounds. For a phone. When I already have a great phone. But I’m not scared about buying one (or its successor) in the future.

To coin a phrase, these forums do often seem filled with fake news.

(Sadly my friend had the phone in a case, which made it look awful. I didn’t ask him to remove it, so I can’t speak to the aesthetics of the phone in the nude. I imagine it’s great. The rest of it is.)

Edit: He’s had the phone for a week. He had two negative comments. First, not all apps have been optimised for the X, which is annoying. Second, he has the case because he’s just too scared that the glass will shatter when he inevitably drops it.

I give you a 1,000 likes for actually handling the phone and then providing an opinion. Even if your opinion had been negative, at least you would not be on here just regurgitating all those "expectations" you had developed from here as fact.

I too have a case because I am too scared to go naked - though I have AppleCare+. It is gorgeous naked though, hopefully one day you will comfortable enough in your friendship to ask him to expose it all

P.S. I don't blame you for not buying due to price. If I had not got contract discounted price, and was not planning to hold onto this phone for 2-3 years or more, I would have definitely hesitated more than I did! My model is over $1,500 CAD here...before taxes, AppleCare+, and that case to protect the glass a little!

 

[2984839]

I frequent a variety of forums and by far the pickiest, most obsessive, and most needlessly panicky people I have ever encountered post on Macrumors.

 

[NovemberWhiskey]

OP: "Don't read Macrumors"

Also OP: "Read my post on Macrumors"

 

[44267547]

I do think you can easily come away with a very negative impression of Apple products if you read too much on here. It sews seeds of doubt in your mind about some major flaw..

It only seeds doubt IF you allow and believe everything you read on a tech forum. The reality is, tech forums are mainly for those to to congregate about technical issues, complaints, likes and dislikes about Products/services.

If One is easily influenced by every negative thing the read on a tech forum, of course they are going to have a negative perception on something before the even purchase it. That's why I stay open-minded and I will be the one to judge if I like the product or not.

 

[viperGTS]

I wish I didn't fall into the MacRumors trap years ago. All I see here is negativity, yet I stay reading these forums...

Glad to hear you were impressed with the X though. I still have yet to try one in person, but I look forward to doing so!

 

[Septembersrain]

Do you react to base your feelings off every news article you read? Negativity is spoken more often than positivity. That's why you always need to just read things, then just make up your own mind.

If I went just by what I read, I wouldn't have a V30, Toyota Yaris or half of all the other stuff I own.

Just think for yourself.

 

[J.Gallardo]

Although being spaniard, I believe to correctly understand what “rumor” means.
I also understand “forum” is a place to share opinions.
I suppose people tend to post something when they’re in trouble or find an inconvenience; no real need in “everything ok here”.
I like picky questions and moaning, as they help to make our loved Apple dispositives even better. Recently, a guy felt angry when he realized his phone was working slower than expected, because of a non new battery. Now, Apple offers cheap battery replacement for all affected users. We win with every well reasoned complaint.
It didn’t happen at MacRumors Forum... but it could.
That’s why I’ll keep reading all these diverse questions & opinions (as you do).