iPhone

[Big Phil]

Anyone here own one? What do you think?

My wife and I are looking to get iPhone's for our respective birthdays, and are wondering what the positives and negatives are.

Also, reviews of the Apple Bluetooth headset for the iPhone are pretty shitty - anyone know of a 3rd party Bluetooth headset that works with the iPhone and is good (and costs less than the $140 Apple sells theirs for)?

[Admiral Valdemar]

£270 plus an 18 month contract for a 2G phone? To say it's pure style over substance is an understatement. Wow, it has a touchscreen and an Apple logo.

I had considered one, but then I engaged my brain and got an N95 8GB. Half the price, twice the functionality. I'm sure there are Palm and Blackberry alternatives too depending on what you want, but given the US mobile networks, I doubt what I get from my Nokia is appreciated as widely in the States.

[Big Phil]

£270 plus an 18 month contract for a 2G phone? To say it's pure style over substance is an understatement. Wow, it has a touchscreen and an Apple logo.

I had considered one, but then I engaged my brain and got an N95 8GB. Half the price, twice the functionality. I'm sure there are Palm and Blackberry alternatives too depending on what you want, but given the US mobile networks, I doubt what I get from my Nokia is appreciated as widely in the States.

$399 for an 8GB iPhone actually, plus $140/month for service for the two of us.

[Xisiqomelir]

Anyone here own one? What do you think?

Awesome device. We buy a few every month and send them to the Asian branch, so I constantly get to use new ones. Unless you have ogre hands, the soft keyboard works really well, and all the other functionality is really good.

I always use mine at the office with our network though, so if you need heavy untethered internet use the AT&T data plan might be inadequate.

Also, reviews of the Apple Bluetooth headset for the iPhone are pretty shitty - anyone know of a 3rd party Bluetooth headset that works with the iPhone and is good (and costs less than the $140 Apple sells theirs for)?

http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/review ... ades/C278/

[The Jester]

Note that because the N95 has a sliding face and it is prone to breaking. I know a couple coworkers who have had this happen to them. Personally, I wouldn't go for any phone with moving parts as that's usually the most fragile aspect of the phone and I like my phones to last. Though how that compares to the iPhone's touch screen, I have no idea.

$399 for an 8GB iPhone actually, plus $140/month for service for the two of us.

AV isn't talking about the memory when he says 2G. 2G, or 2nd Generation, refers to the fact it doesn't support the high data rates that the N95 (which is 3G) does. 2G and 3G use different frequency bands and access methods, though the 3G phone will work perfectly well on any 2G network. However note that the 3G capability is wasted if you don't have access to a 3G mobile network.[/quote]

[Admiral Valdemar]

Note that because the N95 has a sliding face and it is prone to breaking. I know a couple coworkers who have had this happen to them. Personally, I wouldn't go for any phone with moving parts as that's usually the most fragile aspect of the phone and I like my phones to last. Though how that compares to the iPhone's touch screen, I have no idea.

If you happen to sit on your phone, then sucks to be you. Because that's the only way you'd be breaking the slider like that, so I don't see that as a valid criticism at all. And it certainly doesn't exonerate the iPhone, which needs toughened glass to make sure the whole thing doesn't flex and snap with ease. Personally, I wouldn't want a touchscreen as the only input feature.

[The Jester]

If you happen to sit on your phone, then sucks to be you. Because that's the only way you'd be breaking the slider like that,

Actually, they were just sliding it open. Not to say that they're all breaking, but this is one area where I've seen them being prone to failure.

[Admiral Valdemar]

Actually, they were just sliding it open. Not to say that they're all breaking, but this is one area where I've seen them being prone to failure.

That was likely fixed in the original model (along with internal flaws), because I've never heard of any issues with sliders from Nokia or anyone else for that matter, and I was wary of going for a mechanical design. I've always had candybar models, like the Sony Ericsson K-series, but the slider design is just much better at giving more functionality, increasing size for use, while also being compact when not in use. It's far preferable over clamshell designs, to be sure.

The one big flaw with the N95, all versions, has always been battery life, but given what it does, it's amazing it lasts as long as it does. My emergency charger, which I use for my iPod and DS, does wonders, however. Plus, turning off UMTS (the net is plenty fast enough for many sites without 3G and 3.5G access as I usually have; I managed on my K750i)) and other power hungry functions like WLAN search, Bluetooth and the toning down the brightness (the light sensor helps too) means improved life. Naturally, if you browse the Internet constantly, take loads of pictures with the flash and use a Bluetooth headset and keyboard, you're not going to last a day.

[Beowulf]

The iPhone has a glass face to prevent scratches, glass being harder than plastic. If flexing was a concern with the iPhone, glass would be the last thing you'd want to use. I've also heard that 3G isn't actually much faster than EDGE, simply because of latency issues. Essentially, due to the nature of the web, you're pulling bunches of little things, which 3G isn't good at.

[Admiral Valdemar]

The iPhone has a glass face to prevent scratches, glass being harder than plastic. If flexing was a concern with the iPhone, glass would be the last thing you'd want to use. I've also heard that 3G isn't actually much faster than EDGE, simply because of latency issues. Essentially, due to the nature of the web, you're pulling bunches of little things, which 3G isn't good at.

From what I remember, EDGE's latest incarnation gives you 1 Mbit/s, while HSDPA gets me over 14 Mbit/s. Really, it's not that major a difference for most sites, though it's better to be future proofed given my contract is new and 18 months and I love using the web. A lot. I don't see how the latency issue, which I don't expect to be that different from experience, really matters when the speeds are over ten times different.

And the flexibility issue was mentioned in a review of the iPod Touch I read a while back. The thin nature of the unit, as with the iPhone, made the use of toughened glass and metal bracings more prominent (though the glass is obviously more for the screen being protected), since the unit would otherwise be quite fragile. Personally, a polycarbonate casing is the best way to go all the same.

[The Jester]

That was likely fixed in the original model (along with internal flaws), because I've never heard of any issues with sliders from Nokia or anyone else for that matter,

Well, Nokia and Nokia-Siemens Networks issues a lot of phones to their employees, so we do see things come up given our large sample set. So far, the most invincible phone we've seen has been the N6600 which managed to survive a toilet filled with vomit. Generally, Nokia tries to maintain very high reliability with their phones (I had a 6100 which lasted years until it fell into salt water).

and I was wary of going for a mechanical design. I've always had candybar models, like the Sony Ericsson K-series, but the slider design is just much better at giving more functionality, increasing size for use, while also being compact when not in use. It's far preferable over clamshell designs, to be sure.

I've had an N80 issued to me, but it has never impressed me that much, but then again, I just use the phone for talking. Symbian's speed is also a major irritation for me.

The one big flaw with the N95, all versions, has always been battery life, but given what it does, it's amazing it lasts as long as it does. My emergency charger, which I use for my iPod and DS, does wonders, however.

Well, if you switch it over to GSM only when you're not using it for data, you should improve the battery life significantly (assuming you're attached to a GSM900 network).

[The Jester]

I've also heard that 3G isn't actually much faster than EDGE, simply because of latency issues. Essentially, due to the nature of the web, you're pulling bunches of little things, which 3G isn't good at.

What the fuck?

This is simply incorrect. I have no idea what these latency issues you talk about are supposed to be or how 3G is supposed to be bad at pulling little things...

If the network you're attached to is properly maintained, 3G is significantly faster than EDGE. The access method is superior and the modulation techniques are superior. End of story.

[Admiral Valdemar]

Well, Nokia and Nokia-Siemens Networks issues a lot of phones to their employees, so we do see things come up given our large sample set. So far, the most invincible phone we've seen has been the N6600 which managed to survive a toilet filled with vomit. Generally, Nokia tries to maintain very high reliability with their phones (I had a 6100 which lasted years until it fell into salt water).

I think my 3310 has seen a lot of rough stuff that no modern mobile would survive. I'd love to know where I put it, given a single charge on that lasted me weeks almost. I blame my brother getting all the new Sony Ericssons and showing off their features you'd normally not care for. I have to admit, having a camera and GPS in my pocket is useful when I'd considered getting such devices separately at one point in the last year.

I've had an N80 issued to me, but it has never impressed me that much, but then again, I just use the phone for talking. Symbian's speed is also a major irritation for me.

A co-worker has an N80. I, too, am not impressed with it and it nearly put me off the N95. I know Symbian S60 3rd Edition is much improved in the latest firmware though, I think it was down to the new RAM chip in the 8GB over the normal N95-1 which did seem slow at times.

Well, if you switch it over to GSM only when you're not using it for data, you should improve the battery life significantly (assuming you're attached to a GSM900 network).

I don't think my network uses GSM only. The option isn't there on my settings, and the 3 network specialises in third/fourth generation services such as a fast browsing, video calling and the like.

[Vertigo1]

What the fuck?

This is simply incorrect. I have no idea what these latency issues you talk about are supposed to be or how 3G is supposed to be bad at pulling little things...

If the network you're attached to is properly maintained, 3G is significantly faster than EDGE. The access method is superior and the modulation techniques are superior. End of story.

Fuck, even using the phone as a dial-up modem is faster than anything edge has to offer. I've seen pages load faster on a PC with a 14.4 modem (while downloading a movie) than on the iphone using edge. (No I don't own one, though I do know someone that does.)

Honestly, if you're hellbent on getting an iphone, then wait until they roll out with the 3G capable phones.

[Admiral Valdemar]

Vert is right. Even if the iPhone had all the features I routinely use on my Nokia, I'd still avoid until it was 3G. In the US it may be less of an issue for many, simply because of the coverage. But here, it's pure folly to spend that kind of cash and be locked in for nearly two years with a phone that is already pretty much ancient technology, which is especially hilarious given the majority of TV ads for the iPhone here boast about having full Internet (y'know, because NO other phone can do that. Oh wait, my Nokia has Flash Lite 3 and Java).

Additionally, it pays to wait for a technology to mature. Apple is new to this and many see the iPhone as an iPod with telephony features rather than a true smartphone. When they get the hang of things, I expect the successor will be far less gimped and buggy and you can judge it more on what it does than how it does it.

It does look nice and shiny though.

[The Jester]

From what I remember, EDGE's latest incarnation gives you 1 Mbit/s,

Pity the iPhone can't use that. The top theoretical speed for the iPhone in downlink is 296 kbit/s (5 timeslots using MCS-9).

while HSDPA gets me over 14 Mbit/s.

N95 can handle 3.6 Mbit/s in downlink. (HSDPA category 5 or 6, I'm not sure.)

I don't think my network uses GSM only. The option isn't there on my settings, and the 3 network specialises in third/fourth generation services such as a fast browsing, video calling and the like.

Since you're on a contract, it's entirely possible that the option has been locked for you.

[Admiral Valdemar]

N95 can handle 3.6 Mbit/s in downlink. (HSDPA category 5 or 6, I'm not sure.)

Quite, I was going by maximum possible for the network, since 3 also offer USB modems for laptops, so I could go that route too. Really, for websites you're not going to notice at those speeds on any phone. It's only video that may be improved, and even then all of YouTube is able to run on the fly, rather than wait for buffering even without 3.5G capability.

What I'd rather have than more speed, is better compatibility with Flash and Java which, while good now, can always be improved. Adobe need to pull their finger out, or better yet, have less cretins use Flash as the sole method for accessing their site.

[weemadando]

I just bought a Hacha PA20 4gb touchscreen media player and new prepaid 2g mobile phone. The combined price is less than half of what the iPhone would retail for in Australia.

I think I made the better choice.

[The Jester]

N95 can handle 3.6 Mbit/s in downlink. (HSDPA category 5 or 6, I'm not sure.)

Quite, I was going by maximum possible for the network, since 3 also offer USB modems for laptops, so I could go that route too.

I don't remember there being any category 10 capable devices (required for 14.4 Mbit) on the market, but I could be mistaken. (Note that you would need 10 free channels on the base station and be receiving excellent reception in order to achieve something close to this limit.)

[Admiral Valdemar]

I don't remember there being any category 10 capable devices (required for 14.4 Mbit) on the market, but I could be mistaken. (Note that you would need 10 free channels on the base station and be receiving excellent reception in order to achieve something close to this limit.)

I'd need to go and check with the local store, but I'm sure the new USB modem released this year has, if not the maximum grade, near to it. For laptops on the go, it's becoming more common to use telecom companies for their net access via mobile cell networks, as opposed to pricier and less convenient Wi-Fi accounts.

Though the gig data allowance I have is more than adequate and it's not like I'm watching only videos or other bandwidth intensive media on my phone (the laptop USB modem deals go up to 7 gigs, IIRC).

[Big Phil]

Folks - I'm in the US, so talking about UK or AUS phones and plans and rates doesn't help a whole lot.

Also, this isn't a referendum on which phone my wife and I should get; I asked about people's experiences with the iPhone, not for you to tell me why the iPhone sucks and something else is better. If you prefer something else, that's fine, but you don't get a vote on which device I'm going to buy.

AV - I understand your style over substance point, but the fact is we're not looking to conduct all of our business over mobile device, so functionality is less of an issue than it might be for you. We just want something to replace our existing mobile phones that allows us to check email, occasionally browse the Internet, look at maps, and maybe listen to music while we're at it. We've played with the Sidekick at the store, and can't say that we're huge fans.

[Admiral Valdemar]

AV - I understand your style over substance point, but the fact is we're not looking to conduct all of our business over mobile device, so functionality is less of an issue than it might be for you. We just want something to replace our existing mobile phones that allows us to check email, occasionally browse the Internet, look at maps, and maybe listen to music while we're at it. We've played with the Sidekick at the store, and can't say that we're huge fans.

I would still advise you look at other phones on various networks first then, before settling for something that tries to do everything and pulls it off half-assed for the most part. If you're not that serious about browsing the web, media and having cameras and navigation systems up the wazoo, then the iPhone and N95 are out. Both are the best part of a grand unlocked, so any tariff will reflect that.

I found my Sony Ericsson K750i was good for general tasks, though the K800i is cheap now and has full Internet (near enough), expandable memory and a nice camera to boot. It's even a candybar, so no worries about mechanical issues should that keep you awake at night.

[Xisiqomelir]

Sanchez, why don't you just buy one at first? Then you'll know whether you like it or not before you're both committed.

Unless you're getting some kind of deal for signing up 2 contracts at once.

[Big Phil]

Sanchez, why don't you just buy one at first? Then you'll know whether you like it or not before you're both committed.

Unless you're getting some kind of deal for signing up 2 contracts at once.

My wife's current phone is dying, and our current mobile contract expires at the end of May, so regardless of what we do we'll have to buy a new phone anyway. Buying only one at first might not be a bad idea though.

Which phone is the best given what we want isn't even the primary issue; in Washington State only T-Mobile (our current wireless provider) and AT&T Wireless have coverage that I would consider adequate. Most other providers have a nasty habit of dropping calls or having too many dead spots.

[RThurmont]

I have an iPhone, but I don't reccommend purchasing one, due to its extremely closed nature (and the fact that Apple seems to enjoy breaking its customers' phones with impunity if those customers do anything that displeases Apple). My advice would be to wait for some of the new Android-based phones that will be coming out later this year.