New iPhone 2.0 - thoughts?

[Pugwash]

Does anyone know if the new software will work on the not new iPhone? I have Model A1203, which is running version 1.1.4 firmware

Yes, it will.

I won't go to the new v2.0 because the only thing missing in mine is GPS and you KNOW that's coming.

The new 2.0 has GPS.

[mps925]

It may be cheaper up front, but there is a catch...

The iPhone unlimited data plan will be 39.99 a month instead of the original 29.99. So, it ends up costing you more in the long run.

[Pugwash]

It may be cheaper up front, but there is a catch...

The iPhone unlimited data plan will be 39.99 a month instead of the original 29.99. So, it ends up costing you more in the long run.

In the UK, we have the base plan at $70, and it's a bargain.

[noslen]

Meh, I hate these things. Touch screen, camera, mp3 yadda yadda. To me phones (and laptops, gadgets etc) are just tools to do a job. Hey guys, mobile phones ceased to be a status symbol in 1989. No chick (or guy) is going to sleep with you because you have a Mac. Maybe if it was a Sparcstation running Solaris.....

For me my phone must:

1: make calls

2: do email

3: do SMS

4: Last for about a year until I get a new one.

Nokia perfected the art with the 6310i back in the day. The only thing this phone really lacked was a decent native email client, but you could download one. The battery lasted for weeks without charging, and the phone was solid as a rock.

[Guest carlsbadrolex]

I will stick with my treo 750, my Nokia n95 and my Blackberry Curve. THEY are tools!

[Pugwash]

For me my phone must:

... entertain me on my boring commute. Of the 2+ hours I travel each working day, I spend 95% of it on my iPhone.

[martiniman]

I love current ver. and definitely i will buy new one

Sent from my iphone

[Shundi]

Yeah if you read the fine print ATT upcharges for the data so the cost over a year or so actually is around $459 ish... not much of a "price drop"

I've got the first gen...on my third one due to faulty screens, crap battery and a slew of other errors...seriously considering going back to BlackBerry (The new Bold looks tasty)

Also, many corporations (like the one I work for) use BES for email and (with my promotion) will actually provide me with a new blackberry of my choice so, I'll probably move to that 100% of the time...

[mps925]

No chick (or guy) is going to sleep with you because you have a Mac.

True.... but it could possibly spark a conversation, a foot in the door, as they say

[Dani]

On my computer i had like 12 diffrent phones attaced to BT transfer, when i got iphone i stuck to it.

Iphone is brilliant and i was a nokia user for 10years have had like maybe 100 diffrent phones since i was 13.

[TeeJay]

I'm half tempted.

I say 'half', as many of the new (and existing) features, are features I don't really use or need. Yes, it would be nice to have them, but they're not essentials, as I don't miss not having them at present. The price of the new iPhone is certainly good, but, I suspect that it will have many of the same issues which put me off 1.0, ie non-removeable battery, 18 month contract (and paying upfront for the phone where most 18 month contracts will give the person whatever they want free) PC software required for synching to iTunes (which renders some of my own programs inoperative due to their age)

I'll stick with my iClone (i32 HiPhone )for now, as, even with the firmware twitches, it does what I need it to do, with none of the issues I mentioned above

[Pugwash]

I suspect that it will have many of the same issues which put me off 1.0, ie non-removeable battery

You'll notice that no-one has complained about this since the release of the 1st gen, apart from people that didn't own one. It turned out not to be a problem.

[yogi2]

I'm going to have a good look at the new one. I have had one for 6 months put a body shield on it took it on a ski holiday dropped it in the snow and the pub works great. For the web its great fast to use for texting its crap a

[hiker01]

You guys who plan to drop Verizon for an iPhone on the AT&T network: Think twice. Before you lock yourself into a contract on an inferior network, you should buy a GoPhone (AT&T's prepaid service), and check out their coverage where you live and work. Maybe you'll be lucky in your area, but on average across the US, Verizon operates a far superior network from a quality standpoint.

I beg to disagree! I have a Curve 8300 right now with AT&T and it make and recieve calls practically anywhere! My basement at home; my gym, which is in the basement of our 60 story bldg.; at the train; lots of airports and hotels in CONUS.......

It may be cheaper up front, but there is a catch...

The iPhone unlimited data plan will be 39.99 a month instead of the original 29.99. So, it ends up costing you more in the long run.

Will they sell it to you without the Data Plan? Have someone bought it without?

[Shundi]

QUOTE (TeeJay @ Jun 11 2008, 08:59 PM) *

I suspect that it will have many of the same issues which put me off 1.0, ie non-removeable battery

You'll notice that no-one has complained about this since the release of the 1st gen, apart from people that didn't own one. It turned out not to be a problem.

I'm on my third (or is it fourth?) 1.0 iPhone. Two were returned because the battery lasted less than 2 hours on standby after 2-3 months of light use. The latest (returned today, as a matter of fact) had splotchy areas of the screen that would increase/decrease depending on the usage (IE heavy video, etc). The 5' 2" gentleman at the "genius bar" (which either holds the title of "Most Undeserved Name" or "Most Pompous Name" (or both) ) informed me that this was "normal." When he took a look at the video he decided that yet another replacement was in order. More synchronizing, more running around, more scheduling time with a "genius," = less productivity.

I noticed the iPhone had crap reception around my house/work which, needless to say, is where I spend about 70% of my week. A few forum searches showed that turning the phone completely off daily (or twice daily) was necessary for the SIM card to re-register with the nearest towers, improve call quality, et al. Some phones have this issue, some don't. It is annoying to drop calls though, so either way, heads up on that.

All in all, it's an innovative piece but I feel as if Apple spent way to much time marketing and not enough time including things like software to take video (it has been proven through 3rd party applications that the phone can record video), iChat (battery concerns I'd imagine), mass email management, Exchange, et al. Some of this will be fixed in the newest firmware upgrade, some of it will not.

Hopefully Apple can get a handle on quality control and spend more time on the hardware then the stupid "Mac/PC" commercials.

[Guest avitt]

I beg to disagree! I have a Curve 8300 right now with AT&T and it make and recieve calls practically anywhere! My basement at home; my gym, which is in the basement of our 60 story bldg.; at the train; lots of airports and hotels in CONUS.......

You can disagree, but what I've said is a fact.

Verizon spends tens of millions each year on a benchmarking program, to ensure that their coverage and service quality is superior to their competition. No other US service provider puts as much money and effort into assuring a quality experience for their users (all those Verizon "Can you hear me now?" ads are based on reality).

That you live in a 60 story building indicates you're in an urban setting, where most carriers provide decent service, and in-building and walking coverage dominates. You won't necessarily see much of difference when making static calls from a fixed location. But try holding up a conversation while driving, and it's usually night and day. Add to that the fact that AT&T has never really integrated their Blue and Orange networks (on AT&T, I can still drop a call with 1 bar on my phone while driving, and immediately come back up at full strength...it's maddening. They can't hand off between the two networks, and their handovers are far from optimized.)

Again, if AT&T works for you where you live and work, great! But on average, if you dropped out of an airplane randomly anywhere in the country, your chances of making a quality voice or data call is greater with Verizon.

Edited June 11, 2008 by avitt

[Nicke]

Hi

since you talk about Iphone i just can recomend SonyEricsson P1 its f.,...-,ng greate phone, a little shitty with symbian but still works like an ETA (Trying to be funny NOOT)

(N

[Guest avitt]

The hot ticket from Sony Ericsson is the upcoming Xperia X1. It's one of only two announced quad-band WCDMA smart phones, which means that it can be used on networks worldwide, including T-Mobile's US AWS system (at 1700 MHz up, 2100 MHz down).

[Shundi]

@ Avitt:

Someone's got VZ as a stock

I'd tend to agree...there is a def. disconnect between what my phones (not just the iPhone) say I have for a signal and the amount of dropped calls.

[Guest avitt]

@ Avitt:

Someone's got VZ as a stock

I'd tend to agree...there is a def. disconnect between what my phones (not just the iPhone) say I have for a signal and the amount of dropped calls.

Nope...I've got no horse in that race. But I've worked in the wireless industry for many years, so I know the subject. There's much more to operating a clean network than laying out a lot of power.

This article is a little old, but it gives a little insight into the type of effort that Verizon continues to undertake in the name of quality.

Don't get me wrong...The other service providers also make efforts to monitor an improve their networks...It's just that nobody does the job as thoroughly as Verizon.

Edited June 12, 2008 by avitt

[TeeJay]

You'll notice that no-one has complained about this since the release of the 1st gen, apart from people that didn't own one. It turned out not to be a problem.

I'm sure I read a review which showed a huge laundry list of issues with 1.0, and very little positive about it, and one of the things they mentioned, was the non-removeable battery.

That said, the other issues, such as contract, up front cost, and computer software, are the reasons why I won't be buying one, and, as mentioned, the features it has, which my i32 doesn't have (such as GPS and WiFi) I can live without. For me, it's just not a product I need to buy at the moment, as it wouldn't really be offering me anything I needed. Even if it was available without the contract, the software requirements would be prohibitive to my other needs, so it's a no-go for me

[Pugwash]

I'm sure I read a review which showed a huge laundry list of issues with 1.0, and very little positive about it, and one of the things they mentioned, was the non-removeable battery.

That said, the other issues, such as contract, up front cost, and computer software, are the reasons why I won't be buying one, and, as mentioned, the features it has, which my i32 doesn't have (such as GPS and WiFi) I can live without. For me, it's just not a product I need to buy at the moment, as it wouldn't really be offering me anything I needed. Even if it was available without the contract, the software requirements would be prohibitive to my other needs, so it's a no-go for me

No-one's saying it'd suit you, much like those who prefer a Kowoon to an iPod. You don't need to buy one, especially as there are better fits to your usage.

I still think there's no better convergence device than an iPhone. It's not the best at some stuff (not a great camera) but those it does well (mail, web, etc) it does better than any device. If you're looking for a camera phone, for instance, you'd be better looking elsewhere, but if you need a movie-watching, web-surfing iPod, it's the king.

Oh, when the App Store opens, all bets are off. We'll all have to start this discussion from scratch then.

[TeeJay]

No-one's saying it'd suit you, much like those who prefer a Kowoon to an iPod. You don't need to buy one, especially as there are better fits to your usage.

I still think there's no better convergence device than an iPhone. It's not the best at some stuff (not a great camera) but those it does well (mail, web, etc) it does better than any device. If you're looking for a camera phone, for instance, you'd be better looking elsewhere, but if you need a movie-watching, web-surfing iPod, it's the king.

Oh, when the App Store opens, all bets are off. We'll all have to start this discussion from scratch then.

Basically, the iPhone is Jack of all trades, Master of none

It looks good though, so maybe that would make it a Captain Jack

[davethecat]

Through an odd set of FCC & SEC events, I happen to have worked with both VZ and the "blue" side of T. I actually knew Lowell & Lanman quite well & on the other side Lurie & Shay are in my extended set of friends. I have great respect for those guys.

There's no meaningful difference between T and VZ networks. Looking for differences between the two is like splitting hairs. Even where there are tangible differences, you often give a little to get a little. For example, what you get from CDMA you lose in bandwidth propagation in the old PrimeCo & other 1900-only PCS block markets. VZ hates to talk about cell shrinkage on congested 1900 cells, but its true and it makes their coverage maps very organic if you know what I mean. T's got some shortcomings from running parallel platforms.

I don't know to what degree it has been cited, but T is going to allocate a data-only range of their signal for the new iPhone. Think of it as a member's only toll-road Autobahn.........

Lots of exceptional people built those two organizations. Either is a safe choice.

[Guest avitt]

Through an odd set of FCC & SEC events, I happen to have worked with both VZ and the "blue" side of T. I actually knew Lowell & Lanman quite well & on the other side Lurie & Shay are in my extended set of friends. I have great respect for those guys.

There's no meaningful difference between T and VZ networks. Looking for differences between the two is like splitting hairs. Even where there are tangible differences, you often give a little to get a little. For example, what you get from CDMA you lose in bandwidth propagation in the old PrimeCo & other 1900-only PCS block markets. VZ hates to talk about cell shrinkage on congested 1900 cells, but its true and it makes their coverage maps very organic if you know what I mean. T's got some shortcomings from running parallel platforms.

I don't know to what degree it has been cited, but T is going to allocate a data-only range of their signal for the new iPhone. Think of it as a member's only toll-road Autobahn.........

Lots of exceptional people built those two organizations. Either is a safe choice.

Largely agree with what you've said. (Except the part about propagation...Both network operate at 1900, which does not penetrate building as well, and therefore requires smaller cell diameter. Any differences can be attributed to power control on CDMA. This is a function of capacity...With more terminals being served by a cell, each is allocated a lower power level, which effectively "shrinks" the cell. This is accounted for in a well designed network.)

However, I've been directly involved with Quality of Service measurement for several years, and I can unequivocally say that VZ network offers superior quality.

You say that there's not much difference in the networks, which is true. But, until recently, there has been a significant difference in their philosophy...and in the amount of money and resources dedicated towards measuring and improving QoS. (T, for instance, believed that they could learn everything they needed to know about their network from switch statistics.) Only now, with Verizon surpassing T in terms of new subs and lower churn (and not with the acquisition of Alltel, which will make them the largest), has T decided to make a similar effort in measurement and improvement of their quality.