iPhone 3G

[Lazybones]

Got it yesterday, had to change my number because of a Corporate plan issue that prevented porting.

Any questions?

Switching from my Windows Mobile Device I have had for 2 years here are my first impressions:

Pro:
- Great screen
- Great UI / touch interface
- Lots of storage (8GB - couldn't find a 16)
- BEST mobile browser
- Very responsive
- MOST readable email interface
- Amazing document viewer

Con
- Limited customization of system sounds (notification sounds such as SMS and Email)
- Slow response to change from portrait to landscape at times
- two finger pinch zoom does not always register
- Rogers 3G network speed not all always quick
- Have to back track through menus to switch between email accounts
- Not backward compatible with many iPod accessories

[Melbosa]

Gratz and Nice.

[Tonnica]

Oh that browser is nice!

I've got some questions, apologies as they've probably been answered on HowardForums already:

• How's the overall response time when going between menu items/screens?
• How's the signal strength and call clarity? (subjective to the Rogers network)
• What is your impression of the on-screen touch keypad versus the slide-out HTC QUERTY keypad?
• Does the iPhone require you use iTunes to transfer music/files to and from the device? And does Rogers charge for file transfers?

[Lazybones]

Oh that browser is nice!

I've got some questions, apologies as they've probably been answered on HowardForums already:

How's the overall response time when going between menu items/screens?

Better than windows mobile by a mile, however it some times takes a second to respond, but so far it is very responsive.
Tilting the screen to switch between portrait and landscape sometimes lags

How's the signal strength and call clarity? (subjective to the Rogers network)

- Haven't made many calls on it yet.. I have noticed signal strength dips in places it didn't with Telus. need more time with it to answer this better

What is your impression of the on-screen touch keypad versus the slide-out HTC QUERTY keypad?

• Does the iPhone require you use iTunes to transfer music/files to and from the device? And does Rogers charge for file transfers?

You need iTunes for ALL of the PC interaction. It performs a similar role to what Active Sync does for WM phones, you can however access the Apple store directly from the phone over WiFi if you wish.
There is no FILE storage option as far as i have seen, but there is a file storage App being developed by a 3rd party.
Rogers only charges you for Voice and Data over Edge/HSPA 3G

[Lazybones]

If you want to get a better idea of how responsive the UI is, find a Rogers or Fido store they should have live demo units.. or look at an iPod touch at futureshop or some other store, they are VERY close.

[Lazybones]

- The browser has crashed on me a few times now.. It is a little annoying but it at least launches to the last page it its history so you can get going again fairly quick
- I have seen some slowdown and unresponsiveness in the onscreen keyboard, specifically when used with the web browser.

[Tom]

You got an iPhone? I never would have expected

[Lazybones]

You got an iPhone? I never would have expected

Really?

I did a fair amount of research on them before switching, also it helps that one of the other techs got one first and had the same phone I did so it was easy for us to compare them.

[Tom]

I hope you got a nice deal through work...

[Lazybones]

I hope you got a nice deal through work...

$0 works for me.

[Mr. Analog]

Do the menus lock up or become slow? I know previous iterations of the iPhone had menu transition problems.

[Lazybones]

the browser crashes some times and I have seen the keyboard lag at times

[TheDruid]

I've had my 3G for a week and a half so far.

I love it for what it is, and hate it for what it *could* have been.

Finally I have that convergence device I?ve been waiting for. For years I?ve wanted a good PDA, a video mp3 player, decent portable gaming device and something to track my meetings and emails with a good calendar. I have experimented carrying different devices: Nintendo DS, iPod touch etc. but always abandon carrying the device because basically I found it was a pain to carry 2 devices and keep them charged (Cell Phone + other). Basically the only thing i could ever commit to carrying and keep charged was my cell phone. So the writing was on the wall the device had to start out as a cell phone.

Ironically for the last 7 years I?ve had nothing more than the bottom of the line crappy LG flip phone. Oh I?ve kept an eye out for a good PDA phone or "Smart Phone" as they were eventually re-branded. But i could never find one that i liked, they all seemed "clumsy" or not "sexy" enough; even the blackberry never turned my crank. When the first iPhone was announced 18 months ago i was pumped; finally a phone that grabbed my attention and appeared to be everything i ever wanted in a convergence device. I started planning for one right a ways, i even made sure that i didn?t jump into a new contract or anything that could delay me from getting this device as soon as possible. Just one problem; Canada got jerked around and never did see the first gen phone. I could have eBay'd one; my boss at work had got his last December and been using it just fine jail broken the whole time. But i wanted something official.

My wait paid off as the 3G was announced for Canada. Although my joy was short lived when i saw Rogers eye gouging data rates. Which of course a quick B***h slap by apple corrected. A week after launch by chance i walked past a Rogers booth and got 16GB iPhone that just arrived.

Although I?m not quite as lucky as you Lazy, I had to promise Rogers my first Born child and a pound of flesh each month for the next 3 years (i think there was also something about eternal damnation in the fine print... best not to dwell on that).

The Good:
Is it everything i ever hope it to be. Hell ya I love it, it?s changed my lifestyle. Internet anywhere is a scary thing (i got the 6GB/$30month plan). I could now stand in long lineups and not mind, just whip out the iPhone and surf some digg postings. Listen to POD casts of D&D 4e being played or catch an episode of "The Ongoing History of New Music - By Alan Cross". Check my email, or watch a ripped episode of ThunderCats or Astroboy. Very dangerous device when i can get caught up on my work emails on the train to work before i even get to the office.

The Bad:
Camera = Crap; if you or your target is moving ever so slightly, blurry pictures are a guarantee. And forget taking video. Only 2mp.

No Open PDF Reader; I cant just load say the 4e D&D book onto the iPhone and open it at any time offline, it has to be through an email attachment or over the net. Not very viable for the D&D book which is like 80MB. Oh and if you do download the 80MB PDF it crashes if you try to open it.

Email Software = Limited; I can?t red flag emails like i do in outlook, can?t synch tasks or notes. Can?t add private appointments into my calendar, oh and everything added to my calendar gets added to my work calendar for everyone to see. So setting up a reminder even for my anniversary means my whole work knows about it.

SMS input and other keyboard input often lags

Apple SDK = Too limited; It appears that apple locked developers from accessing much of the iPhone hardware, so a lot of the cool jail broken apps can never be available through the app store. And forget anything that remotely touches licensed content unless the copyright holder creates the app. You still have to jailbreak your phone to unlock its true potential.

The Ugly
Battery = dead; This sucker has to be charged every night. It's quite conceivable that i plow through the lifecycle of this battery before my contract is up. Oh and to change the battery it?s going to cost you $60+shipping to Apple.

2.0 Software = Buggy; Crashes: yes, Buggy Behavior:  yep, Memory Leaks: very yes. Hopefully apple addresses the majority of these in 2.1

If you can look pasts its flaws its a great device, and will be even greater once i Jail Break it. Im just waiting for Apple to release 2.1 and the Jailbreak to come out for it.

[Lazybones]

I would agree on all of those points, however nearly all of them are common to all of the current smarphones.

if you are not surfing turn off 3g mode you will nearly double your talk and standby time.

[Tom]

One thing that isn't common to most smartphones, the Devkit is still under NDA. Thats one main reason you haven't seen any real good 3rd party apps come out, everyone has their hands tied since apple decided not to drop the NDA when the phone was released.

[Lazybones]

I am hoping that the 2.0.1 release comes out soon. I did actually lock up completely the other day while trying to add a contact photo.

The rumored features in 2.1.x sound interesting as well.. I miss turn by turn navigation but the having a map you can update at the push of a button is still helpful.

[Lazybones]

Another difference between the iPhone and other smart phones: the apple store and apple support.

I have now had two problems that where solved with excellent support:

- one of my ear buds started to crackle: genius tested them, and a known good pair with my phone and handed me a new set

- Phone battery started to discharge rapidly after a full charge: genius connected it and checked the usage since last charge, asked few questions and promptly activated a brand new unit for me. 

In my experience with Telus and phone retailers they will do anything to get out of a warranty situation, Apple just seems to make it easy!

[Tom]

When you have as large of a profit margin as apple, you can afford it.

[Mr. Analog]

When you have as large of a profit margin as apple, you can afford it.

Part of the reason Apple stuff is so expensive is that it pays for "really good" support. I mean, the Apple "genius" guys aren't just till jockeys with a different colour nametag they actually receive training and have an aptitude for doing what they do.

Notwithstanding that Apple can sell things at the prices it does because people will fork out the cash but that's the market they've created for themselves...

[Lazybones]

The iPhone is prices similarly to other smart phones, is a hell of a lot cheaper that the HTC 6700 I had previously.

The thing that gets me is how friendly the staff are. I have tried to get warranty support on tech before and almost always got accused of some form of abuse before troubleshooting even began.

[Mr. Analog]

The thing that gets me is how friendly the staff are. I have tried to get warranty support on tech before and almost always got accused of some form of abuse before troubleshooting even began.

That's what I hear from other Apple owners I work with.

[Lazybones]

I have my eye out for a Mac laptop/desktop at the moment so I can try my hand at iPhone development. My reading indicates that the SDK doesn't work correctly on a Hackentosh in a VM.

[Thorin]

The iPhone is prices similarly to other smart phones, is a hell of a lot cheaper that the HTC 6700 I had previously.

The thing that gets me is how friendly the staff are. I have tried to get warranty support on tech before and almost always got accused of some form of abuse before troubleshooting even began.

In other words, it's Apple's customer service policy that is wowing you.

Every decade, there are a couple of companies that focus on customer service instead of massive sales, and they end up with massive sales because of it (and usually everyone thinks the product is better).

For instance, Toyota focused on customer service through their dealerships when they brought out their new Sienna minivan.  Was it better than the competition, quality-wise?  Some say yes, others say no (look at the large number of engine failures due to sludge buildup).  So why were Sienna owners still so satisfied with their minivans?  Because Toyota didn't give them any hassle about engines being out of warranty - they just fixed them on a "goodwill" basis.  And that worked great for Toyota, as the Sienna became the minivan to buy if you were looking for one.

Same's gonna happen with the iPhone, as long as they keep up the excellent customer service.

[Lazybones]

I like the iPhone better than other Smartphones before I had to use their customer service. However after getting good customer service I am more likely to purchase other Apple products and recommend them.

This however is disturbing and making me think I need to get on the iPhone developer bandwagon soon before the bubble bursts
http://venturebeat.com/2008/12/23/iphone-fart-app-pulls-in-nearly-10000-a-day/