Some updates. So my iPhone SE 2nd Gen that I've had for several years has finally stopped holding a charge. It used to be that after an overnight charge it would easily last the entire next day, and sometimes longer. But in the past week the battery has only lasted a couple of hours before needing to be plugged into a power source.
So I went shopping for a new iPhone. Yes, I am an unapologetic Apple FanBoy.
I have my phone service through Verizon Wireless, and after a bit of poking on their website I decided on an Apple iPhone 16e.
UPS delivered the new iPhone 16e yesterday, and I added it to my Apple account and checked for updates.
Which is why I'm here. Yes, the iPhone 16e needed an update right out of the box, and is now running iOS 26 (23A341). I have no idea what the numbers in parenthesis mean, but that's what it says when I check the iOS Version in the About section of the General settings on my iPhone.
One annoying thing is that the new iPhones come with USB C connectors, a change from the Lightning connector that the previous generation of iPhones used. Which of course means all of my cables are no longer any use to me.
One of the interesting things is that I have a iPad Mini that has a USB C connector on one end and a USB A connector on the other, so I did have cable that I could use to plug my new iPhone into my computer. I also had purchased a non-Apple USB C to USB A cable for the iPad Mini.
I did go buy a Belkin USB C/USB A braided cable to use in my truck, and it works perfectly with my new iPhone.
And I just went out to test my new iPhone with my Spyder.
First I turned on the bluetooth headset in my helmet and saw on my Spyder's display that it connected.
Then I powered on my new iPhone 16e and connected it to my Spyder over Bluetooth. There was a momentary bit of confusion which I'll come back too.
Of course Apple CarPlay on my 2024 Spyder RT requires the iPhone be plugged into the USB port in the glove box.
So I plugged it in with the first USB C/USB A cable. The CarPlay screen came right up.
Then I disconnected and switched to a different USB C/USB A cable. Again, the CarPlay screen came right up.
I just confirmed, again, that my new iPhone 16e is running iOS 26, so that version did not break Apple CarPlay for my 2024 Spyder RT Sea2Sky.
Oh. Yeah. That "bit of confusion" comment.
Apple has designed a built in process to upgrade from an old iPhone to a newer iPhone. It basically clones all of the apps, files, and settings from the old iPhone to the new iPhone. Works pretty good, although it took a bit over an hour to complete the process.
So the confusion came when I plugged the new iPhone into my Spyder. The Spyder said it was named "iPhone SE" which was the name of my old iPhone. I didn't know that the clone process also cloned the "Model Name" setting on the iPhone.
That's now fixed, and my new iPhone is named "iPhone 16e".
The final piece is thst I'm still waiting for the new QuadLock case for my new iPhone to arrive so I can continue to use the QuadLock mount I was using with my old iPhone. I'm hoping it gets here by Thursday, when I'll be riding to the Motorcyclist Map's Appalachian Fall 2025 event in Kodak, TN. If it's not here, than the phone will be tucked in a jacket pocket and connected by a long cable to the Spyder. And I'll also be packing my Garmin Zumo XT motorcycle GPS, just in case.
Get ready for an unforgettable ride! Join Motorcyclist Map’s Appalachian Fall 2025 event — epic roads, scenic views, and great company, all for a cause that matters.
www.motorcyclistmap.com