posted
Just thought I would share this. I guess the new price on the device is $199.00 with 2 year agreement. It also utilizes the 3g network system now as well. What do you guys think, worthwhile to switch?
Posts: 4229 | Registered: Dec 2002
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My husband is going to be upgrading from his iPhone 1.0, and I'll probably be getting the old one. Such is the life with a geeky Apple lover.
Posts: 2409 | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Switching from Verizon to AT&T, since I won't be living where I'm living for much longer. AT&T's signal is worst in my current residence, but OK everywhere else.
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posted
I've been anticipating its release and plan on getting one. I'm a little upset that more of the rumors didn't turn out to be true, I was expecting a bit more.
But at this price I can't really complain, and really...that, the 3g network, and the gps were my biggest new draws, so I'm happy.
I *was* hoping for video recording capabilities though. oh well.
edit: i should say that i'm already with AT&T and have been needing to upgrade my phone for a while. i've also been wanting to get a new mp3/video player so this purchase just makes sense. and i'm buying it through my business, so my bank account won't be mad at me either!
Posts: 8741 | Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
That would have been nice. I only wish I would have waited on the iPod now.
Oh well, I'm sure I would max out the 8gb base model fairly quickly. My library is only 3.59gb at this moment.
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posted
I'm with AT&T and eligible for an upgrade, but I won't be going with an iPhone. The biggest issue for me is the thing can't send picture messages. I mean, really, what's up with that? My first low-end camera phone could do that five or six years ago.
And there's still no flash support for the web browser and no stereo bluetooth.
I'm also a bit skeptical about the practicality of the whole touchscreen interface, but I know that's just a matter of preference.
It's definitely tempting at the new price, but those missing features are a deal-breaker for me.
Posts: 1945 | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
No picture messages? Really? That's not a deal breaker for me, but that's definitely surprising.
I don't know if flash support is all that necessary for a mobile web browser. I would only ever use the web on the iPhone to look at maps, google things, etc.
The touchscreen had me skeptical too, but now that I've used one, I'm hooked.
Is stereo bluetooth where the device transmits its music to an external sound system? I'm not familiar with that term. I didn't even know such things existed.
Posts: 4229 | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
If I had AT&T I would get it...but I don't want to break my contract with verizon. When my contract runs out, I might switch over to AT&T to get the iphone though.
Posts: 1901 | Registered: May 2004
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posted
rollainm: one nice thing is that, despite no flash support, the biggest flash website on the web (youtube) is still usable, with special iPhone support.
The picture messages (MMS) lack is definitely annoying; it can be replicated, though, just email (with picture attachment) to the person's phone's email address (every carrier creates one, pretty much).
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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posted
i'm with you on the stereo bluetooth. That was on my list too. like i said, definitely disappointed with the lack of new features. same camera. no video. no stereo bluetooth. no 32GB alternative.
but still worth the purchase I think.
Posts: 8741 | Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
I don't think an iPhone is a good substitute for having a primary music player, such as an iPod. Certainly, that's not the way my husband uses it, nor is it the way I plan to use it. Instead, we have an older gen iPod in the car for music, we use our computers hooked into stereos at home & work, and use a shuffle & nano for exercise. (Yeah, we're nerdy DINKs.) The iPhone's music is used more for walking random places, on the train, etc - places where it's not easy to pull out your laptop for music purposes.
The lack of flash has never been an issue for us - like Nick, I mostly use the iPhone for maps, email, and googling things when an argument needs to be settled at a restaurant or whatever.
The touchscreen is amazing. Seriously. If you've never had a chance to use it, I understand being skeptical (I was), but the navigation is really, really easy.
Regarding the picture messaging - you can't message pictures, but you can email them easily, which is just as good IMO.
Posts: 2409 | Registered: Sep 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Selran: I was hoping for a 32G model. The 16G isn't enough for me to ditch my regular iPod.
I would need a model with at least 120G to make the switch. My current ipod is 80G, and that really isn't enough for me, I have about 200G of media, and perhaps 100G of music.
Edit: that may seem excessive, but if you're spending the money on such an extravagant device, why not take all your movies and music with you too?
Also, I am absolutely FED UP with apple's refusal to support .avi videos. It's ridiculous that there are barely any supported and stable programs for even converting these videos to ipod format. That's pathetic and mean in my opinion.
Posts: 9912 | Registered: Nov 2005
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quote:Originally posted by fugu13: rollainm: one nice thing is that, despite no flash support, the biggest flash website on the web (youtube) is still usable, with special iPhone support.
The picture messages (MMS) lack is definitely annoying; it can be replicated, though, just email (with picture attachment) to the person's phone's email address (every carrier creates one, pretty much).
Has anyone actually done this? If it actually works, then that changes things a bit.
I probably still won't get one, though. The competition just seems so much better. Touch screen alternatives like LG's Vu and Voyager and Samsung's new Glyde outdo the iPhone in practically every way, with the exception of multi-touch.
Posts: 1945 | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
My husband takes tens of pictures everyday on his iPhone, then emails them to himself & coworkers. They do a lot of whiteboard planning at his work, so that's the best way to save plans. It's very easy.
Posts: 2409 | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Let me warn you: if you go with 3G on the new iPhone, you will be billed for a data plan at a minimum of an additional $30 per month (on top of your voice plan).
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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posted
Of course, almost every other unlimited data plan out there is more expensive. So that's more of an advantage than a disadvantage.
rollainm: as far as the competition seeming better, for some reason all their users are turning in far, far lower per-user internet usage (in particular). So there's something about all that competition that makes it suck to use the internet on them.
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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posted
Yes, all iPhone plans include unlimited data.
The voice parts of the plans, however, are limited (as are the SMS messages), at least in the lower level plans.
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Still, I think that just means people with more money to blow on a cell phone typically spend more time on the internets.
Posts: 1945 | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
That's a pretty untenable position, especially as most of the smart phones are expensive (and are often more expensive, given the iPhone unlimited data plan is now, and was even more before, pretty cheap).
And anecdotally, all the people I know who own smart phones are some of the busiest people I've ever met, with iPhones no exception.
You're the one who brought up comparing them to other smart phones. iPhones are seeing usage far beyond other smart phones, despite no great difference in cost. This indicates some real difference in how nice the phone is to use for those purposes. It isn't like all the other people buying smart phones aren't just as much internet junkies as iPhone users. The superiority of the iPhone browsing experience has been extensively reported by converters, too. Not everything can be compared by a list of features.
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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posted
The only article you linked compares iPhone data usage to that of "any other mobile handset," not just "smart phones," of which the Vu, Voyager, and Glyde that I mentioned are not included. At least I was/am under the impression that these phones are not considered "smart phones," but rather (I believe), "multimedia phones," geared more towards the enthusiast to average mobile phone user as opposed to the business oriented customer that smart phones are catered to.
I admit I could be mistaken about that point, so please correct me if I'm wrong. As I understand it, though, the iPhone is unique in that it caters to both markets (especially now that it supports Microsoft Exchange Server), so I suppose I can understand your assumption of ignorance on my part.
But assuming I'm right, and assuming you don’t have other sources that specifically mention smart phones, and considering that the previous price of the iPhone ($299-$399) was well above that of the average phone catered to the average mobile phone user (at well under $200), I don't think my claim was all that outrageous. It may not be the most tenable theory a member of this forum could propose, but I think it has some merit.
For the average mobile phone user, even an additional $30/month for mobile internet is a just little much, and I think it’s fairly reasonable to assume that a person able to spend $400 on a cell phone is more likely to be able to afford that extra $30/month than the much more common person who goes for the phone that’s $100 or less.
And speaking from personal experience, while I've pretty much always been able to afford the mid-high end phones through carrier discounts and rebates, I've never been able to justify (or had the need for, but that's beside the point) a $90+ phone bill for just one person.
posted
The iPhone has never been for the average mobile phone user; it has always been aimed at the high end mobile phone user.
And if usage is 50 times greater than any other mobile handset, then it is 50 times greater than any smart phone handset, and it is 50 times greater than any multimedia phone handset. Pick your comparison subset with freedom.
If the person goes for a phone that's $100 or less over the iPhone, of course they would have a harder time affording the iPhone fees. They're also not the target audience, and I didn't think the audience we were discussing.
quote:Originally posted by TomDavidson: Let me warn you: if you go with 3G on the new iPhone, you will be billed for a data plan at a minimum of an additional $30 per month (on top of your voice plan).
That's $10 more than the current iPhone plan. $10 for over twice the speed is well worth the money.
Posts: 212 | Registered: Nov 2006
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posted
fugu, I think we're arguing past each other here. I wasn't talking about smart phones at all until my last post. I was speaking solely from what I would consider the average mobile phone user's point of view - an admittedly subjective view, of course. I couldn't care less about how iPhones compare to other smart phones, but if that's your point, then fine. I'm not arguing with you on that. I can and do understand that the iPhone has a beautifully intuitive web browser. That interface alone may well be enough to encourage the average smart phone user to use the iPhone's internet more than other smart phones, but I don't think design alone would be enough to explain outdoing all other mobile devices. That's where my suggestion comes in, along with the fact that the iPhone's browser is a main selling point to begin with. In other words, iPhone owners are inherently going to use the internet more than the average mobile phone (and perhaps even smart phone) user.
I do not think this is at all indicative of the usability of the alternative devices I mentioned (which, except for the Glyde, I've had some personal time with. I'm not just comparing features) as you suggest. In fact, I think that claim is a bit untenable.
And for the record, in my opinion, the iPhone has always been aimed at whoever can afford it. Period. That includes the countless people who can't afford it but get it anyway because it's just so beautiful they can't resist.
But I don't think it's that big of a deal, really. It's just a phone. Of course, I'm more than willing to continue this debate if that's what you want. Posts: 1945 | Registered: Jul 2005
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quote:and considering that the previous price of the iPhone ($299-$399) was well above that of the average phone catered to the average mobile phone user
just thought it was worth noting, the original iphone prices were $499 and $599. Which were then dropped to $399 and $499. And these were for the 4GB and 8GB respectively.
The new $199 and $299 price is not only significantly cheaper, but for the 8GB and 16GB models.
This has nothing to do with any of your specific points really, just throwing some numbers out there.
Posts: 8741 | Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
right nowim with verizon, but i want a new phone. i was thinking the voyager or the new iphone. my birthday is mid July. is the iphone that much better than the voyager to warrant a service change to AT&T for theiPhone?
Posts: 813 | Registered: Nov 1999
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quote:Originally posted by breyerchic04: I thought it was 8 and 16GB to start with, never 4.
Nope. The 4 gig version was dropped at the same time as the first price cut. The 16gb version was introduced a few months later.
Posts: 1099 | Registered: Apr 2005
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