All in One Phone, All in Your Fingertips

WHY I BOUGHT THE iPHONE 3G (8 GB)


I wanted a cell phone that I could regularly use to access the Internet and have the BEST experience while doing so!

MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE PRODUCT

I have never had a cell phone that I've enjoyed this much!   Even with a few less than desirable characteristics of this phone, I'm completely impressed!

HELPFUL HINT WHILE READING THIS EPINION

Thank you so much for reading my review.  I tried to include as much information to you as what I would like to know about the iPhone.  I hope that you are able to read some information here that is not talked about as much in other reviews.   So, feel free to scroll through the bold topics to see which sections are most helpful for you. 

WHAT'S IN THE BOX

iPhone
Cleaning cloth
SIM card remover tool (be careful not to loose this.  It's attached to a piece of black folding paper)
Wall outlet attachment that the USB cord plugs into in order to charge with a wall outlet
USB cable
Headphones
Some pamphlets to read

SPECS & FEATURES

8 GB storage
"Supports: UMTS/HSDPA (850/1900/2100MHz) and GSM (850/900/1800/1900MHz), Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), EDGE, GPS and Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR" (copied stats from the back of the box).

INTERNET

Keep in mind that when you purchase an iPhone, you have to have an internet package on your phone.  This is a $30.00 package, on top of your minute package.  However, I was told by an ATT rep that if you get desperate in your financial issues, that they may work with you to take off the Internet package/media package.  I don't know how hard it is to actually get them to do this for you.  I just called and asked out of curiosity since  I have not hit the six figure digits in my career!

PORTS AND PLUG-IN OPTIONS

SIM car slot
Headphone jack
Basic iPod/iPhone adapter slot on the bottom of the phone for charging and docking

HARD DRIVE

My iPhone is an 8 GB.  However, the iPhone is also available in 16 GB as well. 

There are applications available through the App store that allow you to access your iTunes on your home computer from your iPhone wherever  you have Internet access.  This may be the perfect App for many of you.  Think about it, if you have 45 GB of music in iTunes on your home computer and only 8 or 16 GB on your Ipod,you have a big problem!  However, you can purchase the App from iTunes and then you can download your favorites to your iPhone and still have access via internet to all 45 GB of music that is stored on your home computer!  Check out the App store on iTunes for those Apps.  Some are cheaper ($3) and others are more ($10+).

HEADPHONES

There is something unique about the white headphones (or ear buds) that come with the iPhone.  When you first look at the earphones, they look like the typical white, apple ear buds, but WAIT, these are different!  These have a little microphone on them.  So, when you're listening to the iPod feature on the iPhone, and a phone call comes in, the iPhone automatically pauses the music and allows the phone call to come through the ear buds!  You can also use the ear buds to pause/play music and skip through the songs.  All from the ear buds.   Not bad, eh?  Technology rocks!  -- Even if you're not a technological minded person. 

BATTERY LIFE (Is it really that bad?)

Perhaps the biggest complaint that I hear people talk about is the battery life.  While I do agree that the battery life is not the best in the world, I don't believe it hinders my use or enjoyment of the iPhone.   I talked nearly 6,000 minutes the first month of owning my iPhone (due to the nature of my job), and I was not too disappointed with the battery life.  To give you an idea, this is how my personal charging schedule usually goes (keep in mind, that I talk on average of 4,000-6,000 minutes a month): 

First, I charge it when I go to sleep each day
Second, from about 10am till 4pm, I use the phone for about 1-2 phone calls per hour
Third, from about 4pm till 4am, I use the phone about 30-40 minutes per hour
Fourth, I recharge the phone around 9pm for about an hour or two
Fifth, I place the phone on the charger when I go to bed around 5 or 6am.

The battery will basically charge completely in about 2 hours.  Some people say that it's a good idea to allow several hours of charging for the first 2 or 3 charges.  I've been told that while the battery does not have battery memory, it's good to still allow the battery to deeply charge the first few times.  I realize that batteries have come along way and that they don't need the exact same treatment as earlier electronic batteries.  But, you know what?  Whether it needed deep charging at first or not, I went ahead and gave it that extra charge.

I've read that the battery will charge at nearly 100% capacity for the first 400 charges.  After that, the battery will charge at about 80% capacity.  So, if that is true and the battery is consistent in it's capacity levels, at about 2yrs, when it's about time to upgrade your phone anyway, your battery life may still be about 75% talk time after each charge.  So, in my non-expert opinion and experience, the battery life is shorter than other phones that I've owned, but not nearly as bad as some make it out to be. 

If you are truly concerned about battery life, here are a few suggestions and hints:

You can adjust features on the phone to conserve battery life.  The adjustments that I'm familiar with are turning down the brightness of the screen, turning off 3G when you don't need it,  and turning off the push feature or not using as many applications that automatically update several times throughout the day.

You can also buy solar chargers for your iPhone.  They seem to start at about $15.00 and go up from there.  You can buy solar chargers that are built-into cell phone cases and you can buy some that simply use adapters to connect to your phone (this is the type that I have).  Using solar power allows you to have extended battery life when you're not able to have access to a wall, pc, or car charger.

In case you're tired of spending so much money on different chargers, can save money on a car charger by purchasing a cigarette lighter adapter that has a USB port built in.  Simply plug the white USB adapter that comes with the iPhone into the cigarette lighter adapter I paid about $10 for this type of adapter at Wal-Mart.   The one that I bought came from the automotive section and it has a USB port along with 3 additional wholes for other chargers.

Keep in mind that you can often find chargers and adapters online for less than what cellular stores and name brand stores may charge you.

After having experienced the iPhone's battery life for about 2 months, I would still buy the iPhone all over again

EASE OF USE/NAVIGATION OF iPHONE

Even with all the bells and whistles, the iPhone is simple to use.  I would encourage you to not be afraid of the touch screen, even if you've never owned a phone without a physical keypad.  In fact, the touch screen along with the Apple software allows for incredible ease of use.  I think that the touch screen actually allows for quicker nagivation.  In fact, I can find my way around the iPhone as easily as I could much simpler pre-historic phones that I used physical buttons.  The phone uses a slide feature that makes moving through the screens simple and fast.  The phone uses icons that you simply press with your finger much like you click with a mouse on your home computer.  The icons are simple to use, re-arrange, and even delete if you need to.

CAMERA

I think the picture quality is excellent with the iPhone.  I fefinetly have not owned a camera phone this clear before.  If you like to take self portrates and pictures with you and your friends in them, finding the 'take picture' button on the camera can be difficult, but it is possible.  There is not a mirror on the back of the camera to help you center the camera before you press the 'take picture' button either.  Basically, if you want a picture of yourself and your friends, it might be easier to have someone who can take the picture for you (no more holding your arm out in front of you and taking your own picture).

Another disadvantage of the iPhone, is that it does not have a flash and it does not zoom in or out (at least not on the 2nd generation iPhone).  Maybe they will change this on the next generation.  There are some applications that you can purchase off iTunes that may give you more options with your camera.  

When you get ready to view pictures on your iPhone, I think you will find it very easy to do.  The iPhone uses a feature that allows you to simply swipe your finger to the left or right to flip through your pictures.  Also, if you turn your phone sideways, it gives you a nice horizontal or landscape view of your pictures.

I have not been able to figure out how to send a text message with a picture in it from the iPhone. 


SPEAKER

I am glad to have an external speaker on the iPhone.  It is located on the bottom edge of the iPhone (right noxt to the slot for the USB adapter).  I don't find that the speaker is good for use when you and your iPhone are across the room from each other; however, if you are sitting down next to your iPhone, I think the speaker works very nicely to be so small.  If there is a lot of excess noise around you, the external speaker may be difficut to hear.  None the less, it's nice to know that you can listen to you iPhone without the need of headphones.  I do find that the external speaker works really well for when you're using the speaker phone.

KEYBOARD

One concern that I had when I originally thought about purchasing the iPhone, was the lack of buttons to dial numbers or to spell words.  I enjoy texting and emailing on my cell phone and I was not sure as to how I would like a virtual keyboard.  It's not as bad as I had originally wondered about.  I actually find the virtual keyboard to be very easy to use. 

There are two different virtual keyboards that you can use on the iPhone (it's important to note that not all programs or applications allow for both types of keyboards).  First, you have the normal keyboard that you see when you hold the phone in the upright position and this keyboard is about 2 inches wide.   Second, there is a landscape keyboard that is accessible when you hold the iPhone on its side.  This keyboard is about 3 inches wide.  This key board is a full inch wider than the standard key board and is much easier to use if you have big fingers or if you want to use more than one thumb to type.

APPLICATION STORE

One of the coolest things that I like about the iPhone is that you can access what they call the App store.  This is an online store, found through the iTunes program, that allows you to buy all kinds of applications for the iPhone and iPod touch.  There are thousands of Apps (applications) to choose from.  For example:

Game Applications:
Racing games
Old arcade style games
Fighting games
Hunting games
Word games

Books Applications:
Bibles
Cook books
Dictionaries
Literature

Productivity Applications:
GPS
To do lists
Cooking aids
Measuring tools
Address and phone number Apps
Business Apps for office use

These lists are in no way accumulative.  There are literally thousands of apps.  Many of the Apps are free.  A lot of them have a small price which varies from .99 and up.  The App store, like iTunes Music and Movies, provides hours and hours of fun for your iPhone or iPod!

iPod (8 GB)

Are you tired of caring around multiple electronics?  The iPhone helps as it has an iPod built in.  When you go to the iPod function, the layout is the same as the iPod touch.  There is a row of icons on the bottom of the screen that allows you to move through your music library by searching through Playlists, Artists, Songs, and Videos.  If you want more search options, simply press the 'more' icon and you can now search through 6 additional methods:  Albums, Audiobooks, Compilations, Composers, Genres, and Podcasts.

One major benefit of having the Internet on the iPhone is that you always have continuous access to the iTunes store.  This allows you to purchase music, videos, and music for your iPod function any time you want.  While, the iPod has Wi-Fi access, it may not have continuous connection to the Wi-Fi if you change your location.  Keep in mind that the iPhones Internet connection can also be lost if you loose cell phone signal; however, this is not near the concern as it is to find a Wi-Fi connection for your iPod touch.

They also make a 16 GB iPhone as well which gives you the ability to have twice as much music, video, and movie storage than the 8 GB. 

Keep in mind that you can purchase an application from the App store which allows you to wirelessly access your entire iTunes library (located on your home computer) through your iPhone's internet access.  So, even though all of your iTunes library will not fit onto your iPhone, you can still have access to it wherever you are via the internet.

I cannot verify this, but I was told that Apple spent a very large amount of money making sure that you have exceptional sound quality when you use the factory Apple earbuds with your iPhone's iPod. 

BUYING THE EXTENDED WARRANTY (service plan)

I chose NOTto buy ATT's service plan.  Here is why:

I was asked if I wanted to buy an extended warranty for $79.99.  I asked how it worked and they said that it extends the original warranty to 2 yrs (they said the original warranty is 1yr).  Plus, they said, if you need to replace your iPhone, you would only pay $199 for a refurbished, instead of a new price of $399.00.  When I did the math in my head, this is what I came up with: If I had to replace my iPhone, using the extended warranty, I would have already paid $79.99 for the extended warranty, and then I would have to pay the additional $199 for a refurbished iPhone.  That totals up to basically, $280.00.  Keep in mind a brand new iPhone is only $399.00 new and without a contract.  So, my thought is that if worse comes to worse and I need to replace my iPhone, I would rather just pay an extra hundred dollars (plus tax) and buy the newest and most up to date iPhone.  This is just my opinion.  To some, saving a $100 is worth buying the warranty.  It's a personal decision.

Also, keep in mind this little thought.  I'm not completely sure, but if the iPhone's extended warranty is like some other electronic warranties, ATT may only replace one Iphone per extended warranty purchase.  To be more exact, check with ATT to clarify exactly what their extended warranty will or will not cover and how many times you can use the extended warranty to fix your Iphone. 

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

The iPhone does not come with a paper instruction manual.  It's basically available in electronic form.  There is a way to view the instruction book from your iPhone; however, it may be easier to find it online with your home computer so that you can read it on a full size screen.

Also, due to the craze of the iPhone, you can go to youtube.com and see numerous videos for free that offer how-to's and other interesting information concerning the iPhone.  You can watch these videos to learn about upcoming updates, new features, how-to's, and even an odd torture test that some people put the iPhone through.  Check them out for yourself. 

PRICE

I originally paid $199.00 for my iPhone 3G (8 GB) when I signed a 2yr contract; however, 2 days later, I got an additional $50 off because ATT matched a sell that Best Buy was having.  So, my final price was $150.00 (I had to approach ATT and ask for them to match the price). 

CUSTOMER SERVICE

As with all customer service departments, some people are going to be happy with them and some are not.  I've had some challenges dealing with ATT's customer service with different issues over the past 10yrs or so; however, when dealing with them concerning help with my iPhone, they have been very helpful and knowledgeable in answering my questions.

FAILD CALLS

Over the past couple of weeks, I've noticed several ‘failed calls' on my iPhone.  After doing some quick investigation, I learned that some people are having several failed calls due to the fact that ATT's network for the iPhone may be having problems keeping up.  I don't know how true it is, but I've had the failed calls several times myself when there was not a lack of signal otherwise.  While this could be an issue, I don't want to discourage anyone from getting an iPhone due to this issue.  I don't think it's that big of deal (like the battery issue).

RETURN POLICY

Are you unsure as to rather or not you would still like owning an iPhone?  ATT offers a 30 day return policy if you are not satisfied with the phone you purchased.

CONCLUSION

I am completely impressed by this phone!  I recommend this phone to anyone who enjoys a phone that has internet capabilities.  If you are a person who isn't tech savvy, I believe that you will find this phone easy to use.  If you are a person who is tech savvy, I believe this phone will still provide more than enough technology to keep you happy!

© 2009 namiej