Apple iPhone

[LDR]

These 'iphone costs a grand' things are a bit stupid aren't they? I mean, any phone will cost you hundreds and hundres when you take the contract length into account.

I got mine off eBay for £60 and and £20 for a 4MB card. Suits me. I spend about £20 month on a contract at the minute which runs out soon. I'm taking the phone back to NZ and then switching to PAYG.

 

[LDR]

I mis-typed that, the W880i is what I meant to put in.

That's what I found in the post this morning. TBH I find it no better or worse than navigating on a dedicated MP3 player and I've owned both an ipod and a Creative Zen.

Actually it's a Sony Ericsson W810i Walkman.

 

[jæd]

I had a play with an iphone last night.

"meh" is about as much enthusiasm as I can manage about it tbh.

Had a play with on yesterday. Very impressed, but I don't like the way its a hassle to unlock, theres no easy way to install 3rd party apps. Also a bit concerned a bit battery life + length.

But a very good effort for a first time phone...!

 

[editor]

This article suggests that Apple might try to 'brick' any unlocked iPhones.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/pos...e-unlocks-may-result-in-expensive-bricks.html

 

[DJ Bigga]

OK so I'm already on 02, already on an 18month contract (which ends in err....November!). I'm a self confessed gadget freak and I want a flippin Iphone!
Can anyone convince me it's not a good idea?

 

[UnderOpenSky]

its got a touchscreen which will look shit in 12 months time if you dont break it (if your like with phones)

 

[tarannau]

OK so I'm already on 02, already on an 18month contract (which ends in err....November!). I'm a self confessed gadget freak and I want a flippin Iphone!
Can anyone convince me it's not a good idea?

Erm, it's pricey, yet hasn't got all the features you'd expect. The camera's of a low standard really; good in light and little else. It's got silly restrictions on ringtones and needs you to run some Apple-sourced software on your pc to experience the full effect. And there'll almost certainly be a greater and better version just around the corner at lower cost.

But if you're determined to spend....
...it's a lovely bit of kit. Multitouch gives you the full poncey 'I'm on Startrek' experience; it's fast and slick and works just as you expect it to. The browser's genuinely impressive, it flips view intuitively, the screen's very nice indeed. And being able to select voicemail in any order from a list is so simple and useful that you just want to shout 'why hasn't anyone done this before?'

It's probably not worth it. I prefer my phones more discrete and smaller, something to pocket and forget, not worry about. But I'd still want one if I had money to burn.

 

[editor]

Erm, it's pricey, yet hasn't got all the features you'd expect. The camera's of a low standard really; good in light and little else.

Plus NO VIDEO! No MMS (picture messaging)! No cut and paste. Barely any apps at the moment - there's zillions more programs available on WM/Palm/Symbian platforms. And, of course, NO PROPER KEYBOARD!

But as an expensive shiny gadget for flashing about and fiddling about on, it's rather lovely.

 

[editor]

And being able to select voicemail in any order from a list is so simple and useful that you just want to shout 'why hasn't anyone done this before?'

It's a great innovation although I don't really get enough voicemails to make it of much use to me.

What I find weird is that just about all the other smartphone manufacturers failed to copy two of Palm's greatest innovations - threaded SMS and a simple external ringer on/off switch - until Apple came along.

Even more bizarrely, Palm's latest WM phone - which offers tons more functionality than the iPhone for a load less moolah - gets rid of those two great features! Crazy!

 

[tarannau]

Rubbish, you can watch videos from an accredited, Apple approved online stockist, I mean itunes. Or tinker around with codecs and upload from yor computer.


I don't deny, it's not all there yet. It isn't a true enterprise-ready jack of all trades. But if you're after a fantastic media player and web browser, with a excellent,intuitive phone attached, plus a growing number of applications with a lot of promise, it's far from a bad option. Is it worth the money with that in mind? Even with that interface and satisfyingly innovatuve-feeling multitouch gubbins? Perhaps.

(ok, so I'd like one....)

 

[editor]

Rubbish, you can watch videos from an accredited, Apple approved online stockist, I mean itunes.

I meant you can't record videos with the iPhone like you can on just about every other modern smartphone in the known universe.

 

[lights.out.london]

Stick 'Apple' on it and charge a lot more?

I'll stick with my BB Pearl.

 

[dada]

one more thing about iphone that i dislike is,
i can't send image via bluetooth!
something so basic for a mobile.
a damn given standard that it doesn't have.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

So, how many of these flaws do people think can be fixed with a firmware update?

 

[dada]

it's beautiful and sleek.
photo viewing is excellent.
web browser is fantastic.
but texting sucks cos it can never compete with hardkey input which gives you reassurance.
camera quality ain't that great neither.
and it's not even 3G.
not worth buying it at the moment.
wait til 3rd or 4th generation.

 

[editor]

it's beautiful and sleek.
photo viewing is excellent.

The lack of a memory card slot is a massive drawback too.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

What I find weird is that just about all the other smartphone manufacturers failed to copy two of Palm's greatest innovations - threaded SMS and a simple external ringer on/off switch - until Apple came along.

Smartphone manufacturers - at least the big two - have long since stopped bothering to care about user experience I would say, which was one of the reasons I was keen to see the iPhone. The N73 I have at the moment is functionally almost identical to the 3650 I had, oh, five years ago? Hardware-wise it's much better of course; in UI terms it is still confusing and crap. The Sony I had before that was also crap, the only good part about it being the jog-wheel (fair's fair, that's a good controller).

They're a bunch of complacent bastards quite frankly.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Agreed, its seems that they drop features that are usefull to add more. I'd love to be able to design my own phone OS with all the things I want on it. Things I find bizzare is that high end nokias dont come with something usefull like a stopwatch, whilst the cheap ones do.

That said my E61 is probably the best smartphone I've owned, but still, its not quite there. Give it a scroll wheel to move through web pages fast as well as the joystick, a copy and paste feature and an app to turn the white lite which lites up when you get an email into an emergency torch and it would be better. The web browser is shit, but opera sorts that out.

 

[dada]

The lack of a memory card slot is a massive drawback too.

exactly.

i wanted one too.
and i have one at work.
after playing with it for 2 days.
i concluded i wouldn't use it as a phone.
i want my phone small.
and be able to take good macro pics.
plus easy texting.
... yes, i have a lovely sony ericsson.

 

[dada]

Things I find bizzare is that high end nokias dont come with something usefull like a stopwatch, whilst the cheap ones do.

out of curiosity,
how many of you use the stopwatch function?

 

[editor]

Agreed, its seems that they drop features that are usefull to add more. I'd love to be able to design my own phone OS with all the things I want on it. Things I find bizzare is that high end nokias dont come with something usefull like a stopwatch, whilst the cheap ones do.

One of the benefits of using the Palm OS is there's almost always a free/cheap app for just about everything (although it may not look that slick).

 

[editor]

Fucking hell, this is a bit heavy. Anyone thinking about using an unlocked iPhone might want to think again - unless it's all bluster of course.

CUPERTINO, Calif., Sept. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Apple has discovered that many of the unauthorized iPhone unlocking programs available on the Internet cause irreparable damage to the iPhone's software, which will likely result in the modified iPhone becoming permanently inoperable when a future Apple-supplied iPhone software update is installed.

Apple plans to release the next iPhone software update, containing many new features including the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store (www.itunes.com), later this week. Apple strongly discourages users from installing unauthorized unlocking programs on their iPhones. Users who make unauthorized modifications to the software on their iPhone violate their iPhone software license agreement and void their warranty. The permanent inability to use an iPhone due to installing unlocking software is not covered under the iPhone's warranty.

Has any phone manufacturer threatened to bork an unofficially unlocked phone before?

 

[dada]

Fucking hell, this is a bit heavy. Anyone thinking about using an unlocked iPhone might want to think again - unless it's all bluster of course.

Has any phone manufacturer threatened to bork an unofficially unlocked phone before?

oh, my one at work it's an unlocked one
what they gonna do?
it's pretty ridiculous that they don't offer sim free phone i say.
to ensure the 10% profits off from the operators them?

 

[editor]

oh, my one at work it's an unlocked one
what they gonna do?
it's pretty ridiculous that they don't offer sim free phone i say.
to ensure the 10% profits off from the operators them?

I guess you'll find out later on this week if it's still working or not - but if it is borked, you'll have no warranty!

Word is that O2 will have to return to Apple as much as 40% of any revenues it makes from customers' use of the device, so there's a lorra dosh at stake here.

 

[dada]

I guess you'll find out later on this week if it's still working or not - but if it is borked, you'll have no warranty!

Word is that O2 will have to return to Apple as much as 40% of any revenues it makes from customers' use of the device, so there's a lorra dosh at stake here.

40%?!!!!!
gosh!
and lol, vodafone refuses to join the crowd.

 

[DJ Bigga]

Erm, it's pricey, yet hasn't got all the features you'd expect. The camera's of a low standard really; good in light and little else. It's got silly restrictions on ringtones and needs you to run some Apple-sourced software on your pc to experience the full effect. And there'll almost certainly be a greater and better version just around the corner at lower cost.

But if you're determined to spend....
...it's a lovely bit of kit. Multitouch gives you the full poncey 'I'm on Startrek' experience; it's fast and slick and works just as you expect it to. The browser's genuinely impressive, it flips view intuitively, the screen's very nice indeed. And being able to select voicemail in any order from a list is so simple and useful that you just want to shout 'why hasn't anyone done this before?'

It's probably not worth it. I prefer my phones more discrete and smaller, something to pocket and forget, not worry about. But I'd still want one if I had money to burn.

Well I've never been one for phone pictures and to be honest could really do without a camera on the phone. The main thing for me is can I get full net browsing like at home? Will it double as a music player like my current phone does? And does it have a bit of a wow factor?
I think we know the answer to all those. Downside for me? I hate fucking Itunes IStore IShit! I don't want ANY Apple software on my PC! It's contamination!
Anyone reckon they'll be a way of using it without flippin Itunes?
BTW my current blower is a N91.

 

[dada]

Well I've never been one for phone pictures and to be honest could really do without a camera on the phone. The main thing for me is can I get full net browsing like at home? Will it double as a music player like my current phone does? And does it have a bit of a wow factor?
I think we know the answer to all those. Downside for me? I hate fucking Itunes IStore IShit! I don't want ANY Apple software on my PC! It's contamination!
Anyone reckon they'll be a way of using it without flippin Itunes?
BTW my current blower is a N91.

about browsing at home.
it was actually kinda fun using the wifi.
i was reading and posting on urban the other day with it in bed.
but when you're laying down or on your side, the phone can't really detect the correct orientation of your view.
something that can't be easily sorted.

 

[editor]

Bigga: you might find this UK-based discussion abut the iPhone interesting:
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/09/24/review_apple_iphone/comments/
They're talking about a glowing review that the site had just posted up.

Bear in mind (AFAIK) that there's also no embedded chat client, no user changeable battery, no DIY ring-tones, no 3G, no Java, no A2DP, no built-in VoIP and you apparently can't delete or forward individual text messages or send the same message to more than one receiver.

But it still looks lovely.

 

[DJ Bigga]

Cheers Ed. The more I read about missing features the more put off I get What's an alternative? If if I dont get one my contract is still up and I need a decent smartphone.

 

[editor]

Cheers Ed. The more I read about missing features the more put off I get What's an alternative? If if I dont get one my contract is still up and I need a decent smartphone.

Oh don't ask me because I'll only bang on about the Palm Treo phones. I love 'em!

They're not without their limitations mind - in particular no wi-fi and a pretty duff camera - but it's got a bright 320x320 screen, a proper keyboard (yes!), there's tons and tons and tons of software available and can do just about anything I ask of it.

There's a new Palm OS Treo expected out soonish and if it's anywhere near as good as the Windows version I just reviewed, I'm buying it!