The iPhone thread - Page 29

Stephen · 05-01-2009, 22:06

I have had my 3G since a month after the launch and must say I would not change it for any other phone that is out now. Yes it has a few flaws but the good points are a lot bigger.

Browsing is pretty good on the phone, the safari browser is fairly competant.

The UI really is one of the best out there, so simple to use yet everything you could need is there.

As its also a fully fledged iPod touch its great as a portable media player, and it all works through iTunes.

Lastly as a phone it works really well, I have not had any issues with that part of the phone at all.

Also if they decide to add MMS then they can do with a software update.

Best advice is try to get a shot on one in an O2 store or an Apple store and play about with it for a while to see what you think.

The App store is a great thing too there are so many applications and games both free and paid for that you can get.

Derek · 05-01-2009, 22:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt D

Is it really that good?

Yep.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt D

Is the UI really as awesome as it's claimed to be?

Oh yes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt D

What's it actually like as a phone?

Err you can hear the other person, they can hear you and thats about it really.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt D

What's it like as a portable media player?

Superb. I've got a couple of movies, some episodes of South Park and Family Guy plus 3-4 gigs of music on mine and watching video is pretty good. Virtually everyone I've shown it to have been blown away by the quality of the screen.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt D

What's it like for web browsing etc.?

Pretty good. 99% of the webpages work just as well as on a 'normal' browser.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt D

Are there any decent Apps yet?

Yep. Some of the games are superb and some of the free apps are amazing.

Tezcatlipoca · 05-01-2009, 22:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stephen & Derek

snip

Cheers guys

Does texting with the touchscreen take a lot of getting used to?

Stephen · 05-01-2009, 22:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt D

Cheers guys

Does texting with the touchscreen take a lot of getting used to?

Not at all, its really easy to use as its a qwerty keyboard and you will easily get the hang of it.

Russ · 05-01-2009, 22:19

Will it work if you're wearing gloves?

Derek · 05-01-2009, 22:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russ B

Will it work if you're wearing gloves?

Nope. Although you can get gloves that work with iPods/iPhones. I've got a pair of these which work fine.

http://www.tuaw.com/2006/12/12/iglov...i-ipod-gloves/

Tezcatlipoca · 05-01-2009, 22:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stephen

Not at all, its really easy to use as its a qwerty keyboard and you will easily get the hang of it.

Cool.

I think I'll follow your suggestion & have a look in the O2 or Apple shop.

Stuart · 06-01-2009, 00:29

Well, I'm probably going the same way. My N95 is brilliant, and although the iPhone isn't as good in some areas (the camera being the main one), I'm looking at the iPhone.

1) My N95 has been repaired a few times, and I am not entirely happy with the service I have received either from Nokia or Carphone Warehouse (first time it was repaired, CPW broke the GPS, so it went back to Nokia. Nokia sent a snotty letter saying it was beyond economical repair, but repaired it anyway).

2) The battery life sucks.
3) Even though our systems at work are almost entirely Windows based, the iPhone integrates with them a lot better than the N95.

Plus I actually miss a touch screen,

**Chris** · 06-01-2009, 10:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt D

'Cos, well, I don't actually really care about having a decent camera on a phone (I rarely ever use the one on my N95), don't ever use MMS, don't ever record video on my phone, don't ever transfer files over Bluetooth, and don't have a stereo Bluetooth headset.

I'm sure Apple would like to get to a place where their product spec stacks up, like for like, against other smartphones, but in the interim, I'm sure they have made a similar calculation to you - there are enough people out there who aren't sufficiently bothered about that stuff for it to put them off buying one.

Bearing in mind that Apple is a public listed company that has to be seen to be doing all it can to turn a profit, I suspect they thought it was better to launch the iPhone when they did, and incrementally improve its specs with each new generation, rather than have nothing on the market for another 2-3 years while their R&D department frantically tried to build, from scratch, what other companies have grown almost organically over many years, with the revenue from older generations of their products funding development of the newer ones.

Now, a question for all you iPhone users, if I may: Is anyone here using an unlocked phone? I would like to own one at some point but the only mobile network with any coverage around where I live is Orange, so I can only realistically own a handset that can work on that network. Is unlocking safe and reliable? Which unlocking service did you use? TIA.

Russ · 06-01-2009, 10:14

The unlock for the 3G iPhone has just been released, have a potch about online for it.

Not sure how stable it is yet though...

Stuart · 06-01-2009, 11:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

I'm sure Apple would like to get to a place where their product spec stacks up, like for like, against other smartphones, but in the interim, I'm sure they have made a similar calculation to you - there are enough people out there who aren't sufficiently bothered about that stuff for it to put them off buying one.

I suspect the limited bluetooth, lack of MMS and lack of cut and paste functionality (I know Matt didn't complain about that, but I know people who have) could be sorted in a future software update anyway.

Of course, that won't fix the camera, but, tbh, Apple have done staggeringly well with the iPhone without a decent camera, so maybe a good camera is not as much of a selling point as the other manufacturers would have you believe.

**Chris** · 06-01-2009, 11:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuart C

I suspect the limited bluetooth, lack of MMS and lack of cut and paste functionality (I know Matt didn't complain about that, but I know people who have) could be sorted in a future software update anyway.

Of course, that won't fix the camera, but, tbh, Apple have done staggeringly well with the iPhone without a decent camera, so maybe a good camera is not as much of a selling point as the other manufacturers would have you believe.

I've never felt the need to have a camera on my phone. I have a proper, dedicated digital camera for taking pictures, which allows me to set the shot up the way I want it. A camera attached to a phone is possibly a bonus but would be way down the list of things I wanted to check out before buying a smartphone.

Actually, I think I use my camera more than I use my phone. Maybe I should get a camera with a phone built in?

Russ · 06-01-2009, 11:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuart C

I suspect the limited bluetooth, lack of MMS and lack of cut and paste functionality (I know Matt didn't complain about that, but I know people who have) could be sorted in a future software update anyway.

Of course, that won't fix the camera, but, tbh, Apple have done staggeringly well with the iPhone without a decent camera, so maybe a good camera is not as much of a selling point as the other manufacturers would have you believe.

This is what puts me off though. I use MMS and Bluetooth a lot. I also mark out for a good camera. To me the iPhone is a flawed diamond and those flaws would irritate the life out of me.

The point with the camera is also annoying. See, if only Apple could have provided a decent and respectable one then the iPhone would have been a world-beater and they'd have gained a stranglehold in the industry.

**Chris** · 06-01-2009, 11:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russ B

This is what puts me off though. I use MMS and Bluetooth a lot. I also mark out for a good camera. To me the iPhone is a flawed diamond and those flaws would irritate the life out of me.

The point with the camera is also annoying. See, if only Apple could have provided a decent and respectable one then the iPhone would have been a world-beater and they'd have gained a stranglehold in the industry.

And I still say that anyone who thinks you can find a 'good' camera in a phone - any phone - has no idea what a 'good' camera is.

There's more to life than megapixels.

Stuart · 06-01-2009, 11:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

I've never felt the need to have a camera on my phone. I have a proper, dedicated digital camera for taking pictures, which allows me to set the shot up the way I want it. A camera attached to a phone is possibly a bonus but would be way down the list of things I wanted to check out before buying a smartphone.

Actually, I think I use my camera more than I use my phone. Maybe I should get a camera with a phone built in?

I have to admit, before I had an N95 (which does have a good camera, although it can have problems in low light), I didn't really use the camera on my phone. Now, I do. In fact, despite the fact I have a more decent digital camera, I often used it on Holiday to save carrying the camera round, especially when I was on my way back and spent an extra day in Istanbul, but, tbh, that was as much because the camera was packed in my luggage, and I couldn't be bothered to unpack it.

Oh, and it's good for taking photos of nights out (both drunk and not), but, I am not sure that is a good thing.

When I get rid of the N95 (which I probably will), will I miss the Camera? If I go for an Iphone, probably, but I am not sure it's actually enough to stop me getting an Iphone.