Honestly I dont think it does anything that a gold coin cant do in practical level.

However, a gold coin will remain valid if dropped into water or fire.

Simply go south and take a look what's happening in Hong Kong right now. Is that bad enough?

That is exactly my experience too. My parents just kept calling me when they were using Android phones. I bought them iPhone to get my free time back.

There is not much difference there. iPhone might be more confusing for people who are used to android.

On an Android device, there are lots of relatively simple to follow guides to be able to download 'free games'.

Rooting your phone is all well and good if you know what you're doing. It's not so good when you don't, and I'm your tech support phone call.

No, it depends on your iCloud account location instead of where you are.

Does that mean that a Chinese citizen can register their account in the US or buy a US account and avoid having their data handed to the Chinese government?

I personally think it's a bit more complicated than that.

Yes, a Chinese citizen can register an US or any other country’s account to avoid using GCBD data center. In fact, before Apple transferred all Chinese iCloud account data to GCBD, it sent out emails to warn related users, and instructed them to change regions if they don’t want to store personal data in China.

Although register an account is easy, maintain such account is a pain. First, not all Chinese citizen can get an international credit card that support US dollars, so no way to purchase apps; second, for those who can get one, App Store may not allow to use it because it’s not a valid US card; third, even they can use that card for purchasing apps, US App Store, iTunes Store may not have those Chinese specific apps or music; last not to mention that the behavior of an US account using non US card outside US for a really lone time may trigger anti fraud protection.

It would be fascinating if that’s the situation.

Would that also mean an individual wanting to avoid five eyes surveillance can register their account in China?

That's very true. CCP controls the communications and spreading propaganda. Those who doesnt know how to get pass GFW are simply living inside the Matrix. There are also some who can receive information from the outside world but choose to shut their mouth as they afraid the consequence to speak the truth.

Of the people that receive information from the outside - and are actually on the outside - there is only an extremely small subset bothered by it in the way you want them to be.

Think about it like if you found out that the Waco disaster was actually a much larger massacre against an ideology that wasn't really that fringe. It wouldn’t really change your mind about the viability of your country or the federal government based on the excessive response to that incident - even after you then found out about rendition sites and border camps. There is an extremely small chance you would consider it a defining moment in history that you would dedicate your own cause to escaping from or changing. Everyone of that ideology thinks you are afraid to talk about it but honestly you’re aware and just got better shit to do, whether there were consequences of caring or not, whether you rationalized how the government responded correctly or not.

Safe to do what is allowed. Make no mistake, I agree this is how all parts of the world should be doing. This is why we need to have laws. The problem in China is that the laws are not being applied equally to everyone. There is no transparency in the judiciary system and you will never know when or what you will be charged one day.

In the past 3 months, Hong Kong has successfully demonstrated that marketing wont save a bad product.