TABLE 1-1 iPhone Model Comparison

      

One exciting pricing option is the iPhone Upgrade Program. You choose your carrier, get an unlocked phone so you can change carriers, and receive Apple Care + to cover you in case your phone has problems, all starting at a cost of $32 a month. Data usage from your carrier will come on top of that.

      Decide How Much Storage Is Enough

      Storage is a measure of how much information – for example, movies, photos, and software applications (apps) – you can store on a computing device. Storage can also affect your iPhone’s performance when handling such tasks as streaming favorite TV shows from the World Wide Web or downloading music.

      

Streaming refers to playing video or music content from the web (or from other devices) rather than playing a file stored on your iPhone. You can enjoy a lot of material online without ever downloading its full content to your phone – and given that the most storage endowed iPhone model has a relatively small amount of storage, that isn't a bad idea. See Chapters 17 and 19 for more about getting your music and movies online.

      Your storage options with an iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are 32, 128, or 256 gigabytes (GB). You must choose the right amount of storage because you can’t open the unit and add as you usually can with a desktop computer. However, Apple has thoughtfully provided iCloud, a service you can use to back up content to the Internet (you can read more about that in Chapter 4).

      How much storage is enough for your iPhone? Here’s a guideline:

      ❯❯ If you like lots of media, such as movies or TV shows, you might need 256GB.

      ❯❯ For most people who manage a reasonable number of photos, download some music, and watch heavy-duty media such as movies online, 128GB is probably sufficient.

      ❯❯ If you simply want to check email, browse the web, and write short notes to yourself, 32GB likely is plenty.

      

Do you have a clue how big a gigabyte (GB) is? Consider this: Just about any computer you buy today comes with a minimum of 500GB of storage. Computers have to tackle larger tasks than iPhones, so that number makes sense. The iPhone, which uses a technology called flash storage for data storage, is meant (to a great extent) to help you experience online media and email; it doesn’t have to store much it pulls lots of content from online. In the world of storage, 32GB for any kind of storage is puny if you keep lots of content and graphics on the device.

      What’s the price for larger storage? For the iPhone 7, a 32GB unit costs $649; 128GB jumps the price to $749; and 256GB adds another $100, setting you back a pricey $849. iPhone 7 Plus tops out at $969 for a 256GB model. Note that prices may vary by carrier and by where you buy your phone.

      Understand What You Need to Use Your iPhone

      Before you head off to buy your iPhone, you should know what other connections and accounts you’ll need to work with it optimally.

      At a bare minimum, to make standard cellular phone calls, you need to have a service plan with a cellular carrier (such as AT&T), as well as a data plan that supports iPhone. The data plan allows you to exchange data over the Internet (such as emails and text messages) and download content. Try to verify the strength of coverage in your area, as well as how much data your plan provides each month, before you sign up.

      You also need to be able to update the iPhone operating system and share media (such as music) among Apple devices. Though these functions can be utilized without a phone carrier service plan, you have to plug your phone into your computer to update the iOS or update wirelessly over a network. You need to use a local Wi-Fi network to go online and make calls using an Internet service, such as Skype.

      

Given the cost and high-tech nature of the iPhone, having to jury-rig these basic functions doesn’t make much sense. Trust me: Get an account and data plan with your phone service provider.

      You should open a free iCloud account, Apple’s online storage and syncing service, to store and share content online among your Apple devices. You can also use a computer to download photos, music, or applications from non-Apple online sources (such as stores or sharing sites like your local library) and transfer them to your iPhone through a process called syncing.

      Apple has set up its iTunes software and the iCloud service to give you two ways to manage content for your iPhone – including apps, music, or photos you’ve downloaded – and specify how to sync your calendar and contact information.

      There are a lot of tech terms to absorb here (iCloud, iTunes, syncing, and so on). Don’t worry. Chapters 3 and 4 covers those settings in more detail.

      Know Where to Buy Your iPhone

You can’t buy an iPhone (shown in a variety of colors in Figure 1-2) from every major retail store. You can buy an iPhone at the brick-and-mortar or online Apple Store and from the mobile phone providers AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon. You can also find an iPhone at major retailers, such as Best Buy and Walmart, through which you have to buy a service contract for the phone carrier of your choice. You can also find iPhones at several online retailers (such as Amazon.com and Newegg.com) and through smaller, local service providers, which you can find by visiting https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204039.

Image courtesy of Apple, Inc.

       FIGURE 1-2

      

Apple offers unlocked iPhones. Essentially, these phones aren’t tied into a particular provider, so you can use them with any of the four iPhone cellular service providers. Though you save a lot by avoiding a service commitment, these phones without accompanying phone plans can be pricey. But there’s a trend for providers offering cheaper plans and installment payments on the hardware.

      See What’s in the Box

      When you fork over your hard-earned money for your iPhone, you’ll be left holding one box about the size of a deck of tarot cards.

      Here’s what you’ll find when you take

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