I’m an iPhone lover. I’m sure some of you may have received an iPhone 5 for the holidays, and have questions about how to use this awesome new gadget so I hope this review will help you learn something new (even if you aren’t using an iPhone 5 for the first time).
Let’s get this out of the way, I love my iPhone 5. I once wrote a review of the iPhone 5, and had to tame myself from spouting my full love for this amazing device. It’s my right hand ‘man’, my assistant, my entertainment device, my personal music station, my camera, my video camera, GPS, and my social director. It’s got dozens of smart and easy to use features I use daily for personal use and running my business on the go.
So when I was asked if I wanted to review “iPhone 5 for Dummies” I thought it might be a retread of everything I already knew. While it certainly contains info that an experienced iPhone user knows already, it was also chock full of tips and info that helped me make my iPhone use even better.
Even better the authors, Bob and Edward, are not only knowledgeable but also have a humor that’s refreshing in such an informative book. They took material that could have been dry and injected themselves into it making the book read like an in-person hands-on tutorial.
Throughout the book you’ll find tips, helpful sidebars, things to remember, and items that are new to the iPhone 5.
Here’s how the book is laid out:
Part 1 is about getting to know your iPhone. This includes unveiling the iPhone (including its’ impressive stats, and getting started.
Part 2 is labelled the PDA Phone–a throwback term you may not remember from the ‘old’ days which stands for Personal Digital Assistant. This part is going to tell you all the ways you can use your phone to get organized, how to use Siri, and the most indispensible utilities on your iPhone.
Part 3 covers the multimedia aspect of the iPhone-things an iPhone or Mac user will recognize like iTunes, photos, the ‘cloud,’ and video.
Part 4 discusses the Internet-going mobile, e-mail on the iPhone, maps, tracking stocks and weather, and tons more.
Part 5 is called ‘The Undiscovered iPhone’ and shares all the details about the settings, apps, and what to go ‘when good iPhones go bad.’
The last part, 6, shares lists of 10s. Ten appetizing apps, ten apps worth paying for, and ten helpful tips.
Here are just a few of the tips I gleaned from reading the book, some which I knew already, but others which are entirely new to me!
- Avoid disturbances by setting up the Do Not Disturb setting in Settings. You won’t be bothered by calls or alerts.
- You can to make conference calls on the iPhone, and it’s simple to do.
- Changing the way notifications appear is a great way to keep your phone working for you how you want it to.
- Many iPhone 5 users were getting automatic downloads of their Facebook calendar (including every friend’s birthday) which is easily turned off (or on) through your Settings on iPhone 5 or Facebook.
- Instructing Siri to add calendar events, set reminders, and alerts couldn’t be easier. Just tell Siri what you want to add, the time, and date and it will appear in your calendar just like magic.
- Did you know if you turn your iPhone sideways while using the calculator you will get a more complex calculator to help with tough math problems.
- Reminders is an addition to iPhone recently that allows you to set reminders based on location. That means you get a reminder to get milk when you walk into the grocery store.
- Passbook is another new feature that was initially buggy but awesome enough to wait for the kinks to get worked out. Now instead of carrying a boarding pass or your Starbucks card you can use your iPhone. It will even come up by location, so when you arrive at the airport your boarding pass will be ready to scan.
- Like falling asleep with music playing? You can set a sleep timer so music goes off after a set number of minutes.
- You can take panorama pictures with your iPhone 5. This can be pretty cool at a museum or other local attraction.
- Share photostreams with individuals or a group so you don’t have to send all your photos via email. This is a great way to share photos of a special event, birthday, or holiday with family members and friends.
- You can edit photos and videos right on your iPhone.
- Since many kids borrow their parent’s iPhones you should set up restrictions before you hand it over to your kids including not allowing them to make app purchases, restricting video content, and more.
- Read clutter-free webpages easily by clicking the ‘Reader’ button on a webpage which allows you to see a text only version of the copy (no ads to get in the way).
- When deleting mass emails you can click edit and select multiple emails to delete or move to folders.
- I heart Maps. They help me get around locally, on road trips, and even walking. Use maps to help you find walking directions in most metropolitan areas.
- You can easily set up a personal hotspot using the iPhone 5. Fees vary by carrier. AT&T has a family plan that includes it at no additional cost.
Security features EVERY iPhone user should have setup are the following:
- Find my iPhone app-this will help you locate your iPhone if it’s lost (though it’s no help if you lose it in a hotel for instance).
- Passcode lock-make sure you have a passcode lock (also that it’s not 1234) so no one can use your iPad without unlocking it. Perfect for keeping out would be thieves and children.
My Review:
In a nutshell if you have never used an iPhone or suspect you may not be getting your ‘all’ out of this book I highly recommend you pick this book up. If you just gave one (or received one) as a holiday gift I’d recommend this as an add-on to help you understand and use your iPhone to its’ fullest potential. Experienced iPhone users will glean some helpful tips, tricks, and recommendations.
Where to Purchase:
Amazon has the iPhone 5 For Dummies
Do you have an iPhone 5? What tricks or tips do you have for using your phone?
Kelly
Disclosure: As a For Dummies ambassador (thanks to Wiley and Global Influence Network) for providing me with books for review.
