SonnyDickson

The inside story behind P1 & P2: How Apple picked what came to be the iPhone

January 11, 2017

To understand the iPhone today, and how it has shaped Apple and pushed the world forward, it’s important to have a sense of perspective. A critical part of that is understanding how it all started – where the iPhone of today got its roots. Back in the beginning, there were two iPhone projects, the P1 and P2. Tony Fadell had the clout of being “Godfather” of the iPod, but Scott Forsall had been working with Steve since NeXT. The iPhone P2 is what came to be known as the original selling model of the iPhone, paving the foundation of where we are today, 10 years in the future.

Now, where does this concept of multiple projects fit in Apple’s process? P series devices are the first step of any product. They are the earliest stage of real prototyping, they hardly ever get out of Apple, and are the hardest devices to find. They often make hundreds of small little iterations but rarely have finished materials on them. These iPhones, being P devices, have plastic screens, raw bezels, and unfinished home buttons, and do not usually function as complete finished projects. Think of them as Apple’s proofs of concept. Continue Reading

40 4

Exclusive Video and Photos: The iPod-based interface that lost out to iOS for the iPhone

January 6, 2017

While it has always been known that Apple considered a variety of ideas when they were deciding to enter the mobile phone market (with ex employees discussing it behind closed doors, as seen in this Cult Of Mac article, not much was known about alternate versions of the iPhone until now.

Much like the first production iPhone, the prototype features many of the same features including an aluminium chassis, multi-touch compatible screen, 2G connectivity and WiFi radios. However, despite carrying a similar design, the phone itself is extremely different from the iPhone we know today. Continue Reading

40 18

2015 Volvo XC90 Review

February 21, 2016

Volvo makes luxury cars. Awkward to see in writing, I know. But one of Volvo’s latest offerings redefines what it means to have that Volvo logo, up front on the grille. Volvo’s new XC90 is the company’s second-generation luxury SUV. The new XC90 runs on Volvo’s Scalable Product Architecture which is a modular chassis developed by the company. The XC90 contains the very best of what Volvo has to offer in terms of performance, styling, safety, and tech.

Let’s start off with performance. The XC90 is no slouch for an SUV, delivering 316 horsepower from its supercharged, and yes, also turbocharged 2 liter engine coupled with an eight-speed automatic transmission. With the power you can feel inside the SUV, the XC90 would definitely not lead you to believe it had a 2 liter engine underneath as Volvo managed to eek out maximum performance from this highly-tuned piece of machinery. A truly remarkable feat that can only really be enjoyed inside the cabin. The ride you get with the XC90 is quite configurable, with adjusting the steering as easily available as adjusting the seats. This demonstrates the fun, playful side of the XC90, as well as the performance seeking “naughty”, other side. Continue Reading

36 1

First iPad Air 3 Cases Leak

January 29, 2016

It’s a brand new year, which means brand new Apple Products. The iPad Air 3 is rumored to be released at the first Apple Event of the year, most likely taking place on March 15th. The first cases and schematics started to leak late last week, and the team at SonnyDickson.com decided to share our thoughts on them.

As you can see, the iPad Air 3 combines the form factor of the iPad Air 2 with the features of the iPad Pro. The iPad Air 3 case shows that the same dual stereo speakers from the iPad Pro, however, we doubt the output levels of the Air 3 will match the iPad Pro due to the lack of internal space on the Air. Continue Reading

31 0

iPhone 6s and 6s Plus Review

September 25, 2015

Every other year, Apple comes out with their S line of phones. While these phones look almost completely the same from the outside, they bring major improvements internally. These improvements go on to be defining features for future iPhones. The 3GS brought video recording, the 4s brought Siri (which went on to be one of Apple’s biggest features across their product line), and the 5s brought Touch ID security. Once again, Apple has released an iPhone that looks almost exactly the same on the outside, but do the new internal features make this a radical step forward for the iPhone?

The design of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus is almost exactly the same as the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The iPhone 6s is one of the best smartphone designs ever. The edges of the device are rounded, there is not one hard angle on the main body of the phone, which makes it feel really good in the hand. The glass extends from the border of the screen and slopes down into the metal casing of the phone. The antenna bands extend over the sides over to the back, creating a rounded trapezoid shape on both the top and bottom of the back. The Apple logo is the main highlight of the back of the phone. It has been cut from a piece of polished stainless steel, and then inserted into the cutout in the casing. This creates a two-toned transition between the sand blasted aluminum and the polished stainless steel. One problem with last years design was the use of series 6000 aluminum. This, unfortunately, made the extremely thin iPhone 6 and 6 Plus susceptible to bending. This has been fixed in the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus with series 7000 aluminum. Pure aluminum is now mixed with zinc and magnesium, which creates a very strong alloy. Another material upgrade is the dual ion-exchange glass, which is the most durable glass used on a smartphone ever. Rose Gold joins the existing Space Grey, Silver, and Gold. I would describe this color as a metallic peach more than Rose Gold, but I still like the color regardless. Continue Reading

5 0

Motorola Moto X Pure Edition Review

September 15, 2015

Motorola recently has been creating some really impressive low and mid-range phones. Starting in 2013 with the original Moto X, they have tried to perfect the ideal Android smartphone that doesn’t break the bank. Motorola almost got the formula right back in 2014, however lackluster battery life and cameras made it hard to compare the phone to flagships such as the iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy. So the question is, does the 2015 Moto X Pure Edition perfect the mid-range smartphone?

The design of the 2015 Moto X reflects the newer design language that Motorola applies across all of their phones. The swooping lines and curved back make it really easy to hold the phone. These details actually look more inviting and friendly than some other phones that use straight edges. The structure of the phone is made of anodized aluminum and this makes the Moto G feel really solid. The back plate can be customized to use plastic, leather, or wood, and the leather and wood options add a bit of class to an already handsome phone. The two major design changes over previous versions of the Moto X are, first, the camera trim, which has been redesigned to be a little less intrusive and second, the bigger screen. The screen got a sizable bump from a 5.2 inch Full HD AMOLED to a 5.7 inch Quad HD LED display. While the screen is nice, it’s not anything special, however the colors and clarity are perfectly fine for the price. Continue Reading

0 0

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Review

September 4, 2015

Samsung introduced the world to large screen phones branded as “phablets” back in 2011. While many people didn’t think this approach to phones would work in the long run, it actually did. Now if you look around in the phone market, you rarely find a phone that has a screen less than 4.5 inches. In 2015, most phones have the large screen that was once the Note’s biggest feature. So, the big question is: “Does the Note 5 still have the competitive edge in a large screen world?”

When I reviewed the Samsung Galaxy S5 back in 2014, the one thing that stood out to me was just how horribly designed Samsung phones were. The plastic design was actually the focus of a lot of negative reviews directed at Samsung phones before this year. Samsung picked up on this and completely redesigned their handsets to incorporate premium materials, such as metal and glass. The result is a beautiful phone that feels solid in the hand. The front of the phone looks similar to other Samsung phones, but the real design marvel is the curved glass on the back. The back glass not only looks amazing, but it also creates a more comfortable surface to hold. The chamfered edges on the side of the metal enclosure look nice, but, just like the iPhone, do not hold up to long-term wear and tear. Continue Reading

0 0

OnePlus 2 Review

August 21, 2015

The OnePlus 2 is a paradox. On one side, it is a phone that compares itself to flagships like the Galaxy S6 or the iPhone 6. Conversely, the OnePlus 2 is half the price of those very same phones. The OnePlus 1 was a wildly popular phone in 2015, so the question is: “Does the OnePlus 2 have what it takes to be the 2016 flagship killer it claims to be?”

The design of th OnePlus 2 isn’t very exciting. The main frame of the phone is made of aluminum, a material now commonly used on flagship phones. This design decision makes the OnePlus 2 feel really solid, it’s unbelievable that this phone costs less than $400. The phone comes with a removable plastic back that features a rough matte finish that feels somewhat like sandpaper. This texture actually gives you more grip and prevents you from dropping your phone. If the matte black finish isn’t your style, OnePlus will sell you a different back, including a real wooden one, for $27. Continue Reading

0 0

iPhone 6s Back Cover-Analysis and Bend Test

August 19, 2015

Last week, we gave Lew from UnboxTherapy an unreleased iPhone 6s back housing. If you missed Lew’s findings, here is a recap

Just like rumors suggested, the iPhone 6s casing is slightly taller, wider and thicker. Some people suggested that this minor enhancement was to accommodate the hardware needed for Force Touch, but it actually might be more than that. The iPhone 6s casing measures 138.26mm by 67.16mm (versus the 138.09mm by 66.91mm iPhone 6), so the iPhone 6s has become slightly taller and wider. A bigger change is the internal strengthening of the casing, Apple has actually increased the thickness along the power and home buttons up from 1.14mm to 1.9mm. These changes make the iPhone 6s casing as a whole a lot more rigid than the iPhone 6 casing.

As promised, we are back this week with a much more in-depth look at the iPhone 6s back casing.

Not only has Apple physically strengthened the iPhone by adjusting dimensions, they also use a new grade of aluminum to make it even stronger. The iPhone 5 through iPhone 6 used a grade of aluminum from the series 6000 family. Now, they have upgraded to the same alloy found on the Apple Watch Sport, series 7000 aluminum. Apple describes why they chose this alloy for the Apple Watch Sport on their website: Continue Reading

34 0

Older Posts

Newer Posts