I'm thinking about getting an iPhone, the old one, not the newest one. Can anyone offer pros and cons? I would be changing from Verizon to AT&T.
iPhone
- Thread starter Sallie
- Start date
If you think of the iPhone as an iPod Touch with a phone tacked on, I think that would set the expectations correctly. I am not super impressed with it as a phone, and it turns out the house we bought last year is kind of flaky when it comes to signal strength from AT&T. But as a handheld music player, game box, and even web browser, it was worthwhile.
--paulr
--paulr
I have had an iPhone since the beginning, and I also have a Verizon cell phone. The AT&T coverage is still not as good in Maryland as Verizon but has improved from very annoying to almost as good as Verizon over the last two years.
I don't normally carry the iPhone, it is too big for me to carry at all times. Keep in mind that I went out of my way to get the smallest cell phone Verizon offers. But when I am traveling the iPhone is invaluable. My step daughter loves it so much we ended up getting her an iPod Touch so I could actually use the iPhone without getting badgered constantly because she wanted to watch her movies or play her games.
The first generation iPhone is fine, a little slower than the new one but just fine to use. The iPhone was the first device that gave you an always on Internet connection, which in really transformative if you learn to use. Maps, traffic reports, weather radar, restaurant reviews, price checking on Amazon, tells you what song is playing, movies, music, games, the list of features that have made a difference in our lives is practically endless.
I don't normally carry the iPhone, it is too big for me to carry at all times. Keep in mind that I went out of my way to get the smallest cell phone Verizon offers. But when I am traveling the iPhone is invaluable. My step daughter loves it so much we ended up getting her an iPod Touch so I could actually use the iPhone without getting badgered constantly because she wanted to watch her movies or play her games.
The first generation iPhone is fine, a little slower than the new one but just fine to use. The iPhone was the first device that gave you an always on Internet connection, which in really transformative if you learn to use. Maps, traffic reports, weather radar, restaurant reviews, price checking on Amazon, tells you what song is playing, movies, music, games, the list of features that have made a difference in our lives is practically endless.
I have an iTouch now. Is it the same size? I have been with Verizon for years and would rather stay with them if I could get any kind of phone with them.
I know, what I said isn't technically true. But it is true in practice. There never was anything before the iPhone that you could carry around easily and use the web browser easily. Laptops with cell modems do not count, way too big, and everything smaller had web browsers that were an exercise in frustration at best, and often didn't work at all.EskimoPie said:
Molson
LifeTime Supporter
I thought my blackberry browser was pretty simple to use, just like sitting at my desk.
The browser in the new Blackberry is quite good. The browser in the older Backberry, from when the iPhone first came out, wouldn't render most web sites correctly.
My husband had a Storm, and it was a disaster from the beginning. He kept it longer than I would have, and then he got something else.
Why would you call the Storm a disaster? I am looking to get my first smartphone, ever.
Long background note: I currently use a near dead little Nokia flip phone with a so-so music player (good volume, bad randomizer) and an aging palm T-3. Neither will keep a charge, so I am looking to upgrade to something that will combine them both. I am looking at iPhone vs Storm vs Palm Pre. My husband has a Blackberry from work, and it has much of I want, just cannot take the dinky thumbnail sized screen. I suppose I could do iPhone, but want memory expansion, preferably through a micro-SD slot. My two devices that I use now together have a total memory capacity (with mini and micro SD cards) of 6 gig, and that is about full. Never enough memory. Don't watch movies, don't play games- no movie is worth that tiny screen. I mostly use for calendar, todo's, contacts, memos, documents, spreadsheets (yes I use my Palm for actual work) reference works for teaching (about 30 volumes worth), but my phone is also my music player out by the pool, so I want a decent player, plus Pandora. And taking care of e-mails without having to lug the laptop would be great.
Long background note: I currently use a near dead little Nokia flip phone with a so-so music player (good volume, bad randomizer) and an aging palm T-3. Neither will keep a charge, so I am looking to upgrade to something that will combine them both. I am looking at iPhone vs Storm vs Palm Pre. My husband has a Blackberry from work, and it has much of I want, just cannot take the dinky thumbnail sized screen. I suppose I could do iPhone, but want memory expansion, preferably through a micro-SD slot. My two devices that I use now together have a total memory capacity (with mini and micro SD cards) of 6 gig, and that is about full. Never enough memory. Don't watch movies, don't play games- no movie is worth that tiny screen. I mostly use for calendar, todo's, contacts, memos, documents, spreadsheets (yes I use my Palm for actual work) reference works for teaching (about 30 volumes worth), but my phone is also my music player out by the pool, so I want a decent player, plus Pandora. And taking care of e-mails without having to lug the laptop would be great.
His storm re-booted constantly, even though he tried to go to the web site to download any updates. Also, when he got his new phone, they could not transfer his contacts or retrieve them from the Storm. He had about 300 names, addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, etc.
He had it from the first of December until about the first of May of this year. It gave him trouble from the beginning. I could not believe that he did not go back sooner. He got a Blackberry Curve and likes it a lot. I think the Storm also dropped calls, too. Now, supposedly they were aware of problems with the Storm and a patch was available to fix things, but the people at Verizon couldn't fix his phone either. I will say that he usually has problems with phones and computers, but he is satisfied with the Curve so far.
If your primary focus is any of web browsing or music player or games or third party apps get an iPhone. If your primary focus is e-mail and/or messaging then get any Blackberry except the Storm. The Storm is a so so Blackberry and a terrible iPhone. If you want an iPhone but hate Apple, get a Palm Pre. If you want an iPhone, but are completely committed to Verizon, wait a few months and get the new Android phone that will be coming out on Verizon in the fall.
Thanks, Jason. I would be willing to change to another service. I know what I have with Verizon, don't know what to expect with others. I did not know about the Verizon phone that's coming out. I'm really not in a hurry to do anything.
Anyone have experience with the Palm Pre?- I lean that way partly because of being an early adopter of Palm many moons ago. But am wondering how the phone integration has gone? Is it still a Palm (touch screen, stylus, graffiti, etc) with a phone built in, or a phone with a Palm kind of built in. I have avoided the Palm Centros, etc, because I just cannot see the dinky screens.
The Palm Pre isn't even a little bit like any previous Palm. They started over from scratch and made something completely different. They claim that there will be an emulator that will allow you to run the old Palm apps, but it hasn't shipped yet.
The Palm is the most like an iPhone of anything currently shipping. However, it is also very different. It's best feature is a very complete integration with many different web services. If you use any Google apps, or Yahoo mail, or Facebook, or Twitter, or any of a dozen others, everything is synced to your Palm Pre. The address book automatically integrates info from all of your web accounts, even pulling in photos from Facebook so you can see who is who.
Palm has a ways to go to make the Pre a mainstream device. They are only allowing a couple of developers to write apps so far, and there are some bugs in the initial release. When they allow full third party app development, and fix the obvious bugs, it will be much more attractive.
The big thing the Pre has going for it is that it isn't an iPhone, yet its features are comparable. Right now it is selling to people who want an iPhone but hate either Apple or AT&T.
The Palm is the most like an iPhone of anything currently shipping. However, it is also very different. It's best feature is a very complete integration with many different web services. If you use any Google apps, or Yahoo mail, or Facebook, or Twitter, or any of a dozen others, everything is synced to your Palm Pre. The address book automatically integrates info from all of your web accounts, even pulling in photos from Facebook so you can see who is who.
Palm has a ways to go to make the Pre a mainstream device. They are only allowing a couple of developers to write apps so far, and there are some bugs in the initial release. When they allow full third party app development, and fix the obvious bugs, it will be much more attractive.
The big thing the Pre has going for it is that it isn't an iPhone, yet its features are comparable. Right now it is selling to people who want an iPhone but hate either Apple or AT&T.
Hmm. I'm on ATT, have been since we got cell phones because that was all we could get in the sticks years ago. It works well enough for our area. We now have pretty good Verizon coverage I'm told. Not so sure on Sprint. I don't hate the iPhone. It just seems really restricted. Everything goes through the iStore. I subscribe to a number of apps for my Palm T-3 that are available for iPhone and Blackberry, but "iVersions" change how they work and limit what they can do and how they can be packaged. Have also considered the Android, but not much seems to be happening for software on that front. Odd considering it's Google, land of a million apps, yet none of mine are available for it.
The big thing for me is that I do not type or navigate with little tiny buttons. I am a stylus and trackball user from way back, so touch screen or stylus screen is still going to be the best for me. I take notes on my Palm, write documents, navigate spreadsheets, read the Bible and research commentaries, look up dictionaries and encyclopedias, navigate maps, all with my stylus on the screen. I LIKE that format. The little tiny scroll ball on my husband's Blackberry is workable, but it will never be a stylus. Any other the other phones anywhere near that yet?
The big thing for me is that I do not type or navigate with little tiny buttons. I am a stylus and trackball user from way back, so touch screen or stylus screen is still going to be the best for me. I take notes on my Palm, write documents, navigate spreadsheets, read the Bible and research commentaries, look up dictionaries and encyclopedias, navigate maps, all with my stylus on the screen. I LIKE that format. The little tiny scroll ball on my husband's Blackberry is workable, but it will never be a stylus. Any other the other phones anywhere near that yet?
Sallie said:
If you really like verizon, Wait about 14 more months... Supposedly ATT's exclusive contract with apple will be up and rumors have it that Verizon will be offering an iphone.
I purchased an iphone about 3 months ago, but returned it 21hrs later and was able to get out of my contract. I love the iphone but after having verizon for the last 8yrs, I have become accustomed to where I have service and where I don't... att doesn't even come close to the coverage that Verizon does in my area.
Rubygrrl
0
I love my iphone 3G!
I bought it back in September 2008, when I wasn't upgradeable--so I paid 500 dollars for it! (which I really thought I would regret)! I got the 16GB version. I am glad I did. I have a TON of music--and filled nearly half of my phone's space with music! :lol:
However, it was the best money I have spent (well, in a long while anyway).
I love the iphone--because not only is it my phone--it's also my mp3 player, mini-computer (it connects fast when I am connected wi-fi--but 3G isn't available in my city yet--so it's slow when I am not able to connect to a wireless network), AND I love all the apps too.
So, yes!! I would highly recommend it.
For AT&T expect to pay 30.00 for the IPHONE plan (in addition to whatever plan you have) and 20.00 for unlimited texts. That's the ONLY downside IMHO!
I bought it back in September 2008, when I wasn't upgradeable--so I paid 500 dollars for it! (which I really thought I would regret)! I got the 16GB version. I am glad I did. I have a TON of music--and filled nearly half of my phone's space with music! :lol:
However, it was the best money I have spent (well, in a long while anyway).
I love the iphone--because not only is it my phone--it's also my mp3 player, mini-computer (it connects fast when I am connected wi-fi--but 3G isn't available in my city yet--so it's slow when I am not able to connect to a wireless network), AND I love all the apps too.
So, yes!! I would highly recommend it.
For AT&T expect to pay 30.00 for the IPHONE plan (in addition to whatever plan you have) and 20.00 for unlimited texts. That's the ONLY downside IMHO!
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