168: ‘You’ve Got the Nubbin’ With Serenity Caldwell

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode is a wide-ranging review of Apple’s 2016 ecosystem updates, with the hosts praising the smoother upgrade experience for iOS 10 and macOS Sierra while criticizing pain points like Apple Watch migration, 3D Touch discoverability, and iOS download interruption. The conversation also dives deep into iPhone 7/7 Plus camera advances, Jet Black finish durability, Apple Music syncing quirks, and early impressions of AirPods and Apple Watch Series 2.

Main Topics: Smoother iOS 10 and macOS Sierra upgrade cycle (Priority: 5/5): The hosts agree Apple’s latest OS rollouts are unusually stable and less disruptive than prior major upgrades, especially on iOS, though Mac upgrades remain more conservative for power users. Apple Watch upgrade and backup pain points (Priority: 5/5): A major complaint is the awkward watch-to-phone migration process, lack of easy manual backups, and slow pairing/restore behavior, which remain confusing even for experienced users. 3D Touch / Force Touch usability issues (Priority: 5/5): They argue Apple has added too many interactions that depend on pressure vs long press, making features harder to discover and less reliable than tap-based interactions. iPhone 7/7 Plus camera and video improvements (Priority: 5/5): Much of the episode focuses on the leap in mobile photography: optical image stabilization, improved low-light performance, 2x telephoto, and especially Portrait mode on the Plus. Jet Black finish and device materials (Priority: 4/5): The hosts discuss the tactile appeal and scratch visibility of Jet Black iPhones, debating whether the finish is worth the micro-abrasion tradeoff and noting production yield issues. Apple Music and content syncing behavior (Priority: 4/5): They explore confusion around restoring music libraries, cloud sync behavior, downloaded tracks, and the desire for a clearer way to keep a full local library on-device. Apple Watch Series 2, AirPods, and future hardware direction (Priority: 3/5): Brief but enthusiastic discussion covers improved battery and brightness on Watch Series 2, plus strong early impressions of AirPods and Apple’s broader haptic/interaction future.

Key Arguments: Apple’s iOS 10 and Sierra upgrade cycles are among the smoothest in recent memory, with relatively few reports of major breakage. The Apple Watch is still too tightly coupled to the iPhone backup/restore process, making upgrades frustrating and error-prone. 3D Touch is not consistently reliable enough to serve as a core interaction method because pressure sensitivity varies and users confuse it with long press. The new iPhone 7 cameras, especially the Plus, materially improve everyday photography and video in ways that justify the larger device for camera-focused users. Portrait mode is impressive because it can produce DSLR-like results in small-screen viewing, even though it is still imperfect and labeled beta. Apple Music’s cloud/local library behavior remains confusing; users want a straightforward way to keep all owned music downloaded locally. Jet Black is physically attractive and more comfortable in hand, but is vulnerable to visible micro-abrasions and may not be ideal for everyone. Apple is likely still iterating on haptic feedback and touch interactions, and future OS versions may unify force press and long press more elegantly.

Data Points: iMac uptime: 23 days - One speaker checked terminal uptime on an iMac that had not been restarted for 23 days. iOS 10 download size: about 1 GB - Used as an example of why large OTA updates are inconvenient on the go. Battery level after a mixed-use day on Apple Watch Series 2: 20% remaining - A 38 mm Series 2 survived a day with workouts, Siri, directions, and Apple Pay-like use. Battery level after forgetting to charge iPhone 7 Plus overnight: 44% remaining - Illustrated the strong battery life of the Plus model. Portrait mode comparison rate vs DSLR: 50% to 60% comparable shots - The speaker compared iPhone 7 Plus Portrait mode shots against a Canon Rebel XTI setup. Portrait mode beta preview frame rate: about 20 fps - The live preview in the beta was described as visibly under 30 fps. High-speed video mode: 240 fps at 720p - Used to discuss improved slow-motion capture in lower light. Optical zoom in video: up to 6x video framing equivalent to 10x - The iPhone 7 Plus can shoot video with zoomed framing, though quality drops at higher zoom. Jet Black production yield rate: 30% to 40% failure rate - Citing a supply-chain report that many Jet Black casings do not meet Apple’s standards. Backblaze trial: 15-day free trial - Sponsor message describing Backblaze’s onboarding period. Backblaze price: $5/month per Mac - Unlimited backup pricing after the free trial. Automatic Pro price: $129.95 - Sponsor message for the new 3G-connected car adapter before discount. Automatic discount: $20 off - Offer code mentioned for the sponsor deal. Watch screen brightness improvement: 2x brighter - Series 2 display brightness was described as roughly double that of the original model.

Pivotal Quotes: "Touch ID is slide to unlock for the modern secure world." — Serenity Caldwell: Explaining why the old gesture made sense historically, but no longer fits modern iPhone security. "If you just hold there, you'll get the same thing. And I think that would be an accessibility win." — Serenity Caldwell: Advocating that Force Touch actions should also be available via long press. "It does seem to me like the phone's in the watch." — John Gruber: Reflecting on how Apple’s platforms have evolved and become more familiar over time.

Implications: Apple’s software and hardware are getting better, but friction remains where the company mixes old interaction patterns with new ones. The strongest wins are in camera quality, battery life, and system polish; the biggest risks are complexity and discoverability.