iPhone

[badger]

I'm debating if I should get an iPhone - those who have one, what are your thoughts? love it/can't live without it? not worth the $? And what GB size? 16 or 32? (difference is $100 or $200)

[Irulan]

I love mine. I find it extremely useful, and it's very easy to use. I think that's why they are so "addictive"... it's the ease of use. I try to think of it as a tool and not a toy. No Angry Birds for me.

DH and I have the 16 which is more than enough for us. You can put days worth of music on it. I guess it depends on how much video and large apps you'd use.

Things I use all the time that I had no idea I would use:
flashlight, timer, calculator, camera, contacts, calendar, maps, note taking, reading books, grocery list app, New York Times app, dictionary, web browser., wikipedia, cheap gas finder.
This is addition to texting, phone and email.

It's been great for travel - maps, finding restaurants on the road, where to find cheap gas, where to find a home depot in an unfamiliar town, hotel reviews, using Wikipedia for more info on historical sites...

I suppose any smart phone does most of this stuff. ;)

[Irulan]

I'm going to get this out of the way right now so no one else needs to post it: what do you need a smart phone for anyway? I do just fine with a land line, and an answering machine and a regular cell phone..

[Crankin]

Yea, I swore I would never get one, but my phone started breaking and I kind of do have to check my email when I am on the road going from client to client.
DH set it up for me, so I can't comment on that. I have been able to figure out what I need to do, which is use the phone, check email, and search the web. Of course, it was all synched from my Mac Book, so that was easy.
The only app I put on there is Facebook. I doubt I will even put any other apps on it... it's not a toy for me and it's a little annoying to try and read stuff on the small screen. I did use the camera, but I can't figure out how to get the pics to my computer... the first time they automatically loaded from "the Cloud," of which I have no idea what that is. But, it was kind of a pain to get the photos out of I Photo into a format I could post on TE.
This forced me to actually use my address book on the computer, so I could get the contacts into the phone. Before, I just let the mail program keep track of that. I still have much of that in my head, anyway.
My kids are happy I am now in the 21st century and I have been texting them and DH, when necessary. I could never figure out how to text on my old phone.
We shall see if i use it for anything other than phone, email, or text. I don't listen to music at all, except on the car radio, and I keep (gasp) a paper calendar.
Siri is really silly. DH had fun asking *her* dumb stuff, but I can absolutely predict I will never use her.

[badger]

I lived in the dark for much too long. This is part of my break up healing process because I've wanted a smart phone for a long time but my ex always told me I don't need one. So, now that I don't have to listen to him, I want to do what I want, and I want a smart phone.

I did get an Android phone, but it's not all that exciting, and my friends all have an iPhone and they're doing this that and other and every single one of them loves theirs. I should also note that right now I don't have a data plan with my phone (I have wifi at home so do my internet stuff on my phone at home), but it's eventually I know i'll want data and I'll only be paying just a little less than an iPhone so I might as well just go for the whole deal.

when you use the ireader, I'm assuming you have to download the books onto the phone itself (like music) rather than accessing it remotely? I'm now just debating if I want the 16GB or the 32GB.

[Irulan]

There are tons of free books, library books and books you can purchase. The space they take up is really minimal. It's music and video that will take up your space. and yes you transfer them but I find it to be pretty easy.
We each have the minimum data plan which here is 200 MB a month. I use mine mostly on wifi and have yet to max out my data. I think where you get into needing the unlimited plans is when you start streaming video or radio like pandora... that will use a ton of data in no time flat. It's very easy to track usage, too.

I have the one that came out before this version that talks to you.

[GLC1968]

I was a smartphone hold-out until last spring when my company provided them for engineers. Now that I'm no longer an engineer, I thought for sure I'd have to pay for it, but my boss agreed to take on the contract because of all the travel I do.

When I was an engineer, I used a VPN app and my email like crazy. I was able to log into our systems and address problems from anywhere and it was incredibly convenient.

Now that I travel so much, I find I rely on it a ton. Directions, check in and boarding passes, lists, reading, etc.

As far as iphone vs andriod? My husband and I got our phones about a week apart. He's got the Droid X from Verizon (mine is the iphone 4 from AT&T). He has had to replace his and call for service on his twice in that time. Mine has had ZERO issues.

Mine is a 16GB and I have hardly filled it (I don't keep video or much music on mine). Two of my coworkers just got the iphone 4S and wow, it's slick. It's probably got more stuff than I need though, so I'm happy with mine.

[BikeDutchess]

I also swore I would never need/get a smartphone, but I'm addicted to my iPhone. I use the camera a lot - photography is a hobby of mine, and while I lug my DSLR around sometimes, I take many more photos with my phone. And I use a lot of the photography apps as well.

I also like it when I travel, to find restaurants, read the forums & my email, surf the web, get the news, listen to music, even watch an occasional movie, everything in one small little package. To me it's too small to comfortably read books. I may look at the Kindles in the future.

I have a 32GB iPhone 4 & am glad I got the larger size. About half is music, and that leaves me a decent amount of room for photos and apps. The iPhone 4S has a better quality camera and photo file sizes will be larger.

I love how easy-to-use the iPhone is. My dad got an Android-type (I think) and it's not nearly as intuitive (at least for me). I also have a blackberry for work, and hate it.

[GLC1968]

Books don't take much space. I use the kindle app (I have a kindle, too but I actually find that I read on my iphone more than I do on my kindle!) and right now I've got 8 full sized books on it (and 12 more archived that I can access if I have wifi or 3G available) and it takes up almost zero room. I've got 11GB of free space, so after you pull out all my apps and music and stuff, the books can't account for much.

I was also shocked at how quickly books download from the archives. Even using 3G, they only take a few seconds!

My only complaint about the phone is not really a complaint about the phone at all. I hate that I cannot see it without my reading glasses (any of it...not just the books). That part is a pain. I need bifocals. ;)

[maillotpois]

I love mine. I had the regular 4, then about 3 weeks ago it ended up in the toilet :rolleyes:, so I had to replace it. I was a little over a year into my contract so I was eligible for "upgrade" and ended up replacing it with the new 4s. I LOVE that. The dictation function for messages, email, etc., is extremely handy. And it is noticeably quicker both in processing and in web access (AT&T). Siri and I are just getting acquainted, so other than the dictation stuff, I have not talked to her much. I have a 16 an it is fine. If it starts to get full, I move photos and video (video is what eats it up) to my PC.

The camera is also great.

I have had a smart phone/email phone for 13 - 14 years, since the beginning. I originally had a series of Treos. For a time, I had a cell phone separate/in addition to the phone that did email. I think that was when smart phones weren't so smart and you couldn't email and talk at same time, etc.

It took me a long time to finally convert to iPhone, and in so doing, I betrayed my DH who has an ongoing Mac/PC battle with his dad (I am still otherwise PC - well, aside from the iPad.) But it was worth it.

[OakLeaf]

As far as iphone vs andriod? My husband and I got our phones about a week apart. He's got the Droid X from Verizon (mine is the iphone 4 from AT&T). He has had to replace his and call for service on his twice in that time. Mine has had ZERO issues.

Don't confuse hardware and software though. I've got an HTC Incredible running Android, and I was really surprised how counterintuitive my neighbor's Motorola Droid X is. She asked me for help setting it up, since I'd had my Android phone for close to a year when she got hers, but I couldn't make heads or tails of hers without RTFM (and I made her do that ;)). I can't speak to reliability though - she hasn't had any trouble with hers, nor have I, and the last Motorola phone I owned myself was a flip phone probably ten years ago (no problems there either, but not a whole lot to go wrong!).

Honestly, if I were getting a new phone right now, if you live and/or work somewhere that there's 4G service or will be soon, I'd get a 4G phone. We've seen over and over again, first with wired electronics and now with wireless, that data expands to fill the pipe, and I wouldn't tie myself to 3G. If you really have to have an iPhone, wait until the iPhone 5 comes out (whenever that happens to be ... and if it really turns out to be 4G as rumored, and as it obviously needs to be).

Plus, some of the claimed battery life on the 4G phones is pretty spectacular. I don't know whether to believe it or not ... but the Motorola Bionic and the Samsung Charge both claim usage times approaching 11 hours.


DH has an iPhone 3GS. He's plenty happy with it.

[TsPoet]

I'm going to get this out of the way right now so no one else needs to post it: what do you need a smart phone for anyway? I do just fine with a land line, and an answering machine and a regular cell phone..

I assume you are joking?
I don't have a land line and will never have one again. it is illegal for people to call a cell phone for sales calls. Even with the do not call list, they still can call land line. A land line is stuck in your house, I'm never home. On a land line, you don't get messages until you get home, if you bother to look. A land line can disturb you any time you are home... never never never again.
My cell phone ringer is rarely on. I either feel it vibrate or I don't. It tells me the number of who called, and if they are a friend, their name.
I prefer email as a way to communicate - I get them right away and can answer whenever I want, using my smart phone. Most of my friends seem to like texting, while I don't, that also is convenient.
when I'm stuck on a city bus, I can browse the web, or play a game of backgammon or listen to music or... when someone mentions a play or an event that I might be interested, I can look it up, no need to wait and possibly forget the name....
I have an iphone and love it. I'm not a fan of ATT. I planned on going to Verizon and getting an iPhone 5. Now I'm still waiting on the 5!

[GLC1968]

Don't confuse hardware and software though. I've got an HTC Incredible running Android, and I was really surprised how counterintuitive my neighbor's Motorola Droid X is. She asked me for help setting it up, since I'd had my Android phone for close to a year when she got hers, but I couldn't make heads or tails of hers without RTFM (and I made her do that ;)). I can't speak to reliability though - she hasn't had any trouble with hers, nor have I, and the last Motorola phone I owned myself was a flip phone probably ten years ago (no problems there either, but not a whole lot to go wrong!).


Yes - DH's problem was with the phone hardware, not the Andriod software. I should have mentioned that specifically. I also can't speak to the ease of use on the Droid X platform because my H is also a computer whiz, so not much makes him pause. I, on the other hand, love the technology, but HATE, HATE, HATE when things don't work as they should and I have very little patience for bugs. Luckily, the iphone 4 suits me.

(I would bet that the iphone 5 won't be available until about a year from now and yes, it should be 4G....don't ask how I know this. If I told you, I'd have to kill you ;) )

[jessmarimba]

I still have the 3GS and I love it (though I do want to upgrade).

I'm not sure if they still have a 1-year automatic warranty, but the modem (? whatever senses the data network) went out in my first one. I walked in to the apple store, they ran some tests on it, and went to the back and got me a brand new phone. As soon as I got home I synched it and voila! everything was normal again.

The only complaint I have is that I dropped the phone and broke the "silent" switch on the side, so there is no way to turn the sound off entirely anymore. I wish there was a backup way to do that without the switch, but oh well.

[tangentgirl]

iPhone means I never have to be bored again.

Not sure if that is good or bad.

[Irulan]

Of course I am joking.

[Velocivixen]

Badger, just get one. You've wanted one and now is your chance.

[pll]

Of course I am joking.

Ha, ha. You know I am *that* person, with a land line and a dumb cell phone (as opposed to a smart one). I jumped on the smart phone bandwagon when they first hit the market and got it off my system. I don't miss them... and much less the monthly charges. I'd rather use the money for traveling or buying bike-related stuff.

[ny biker]

I have a landline phone because sometimes a cell phone doesn't work. In big emergencies, cell networks get overloaded and you can't make a call. If I lose electricity, I can plug in an old-fashioned not-cordless phone and still be able to communicate with people, without worrying about draining a battery that I can't recharge.

Anyway.

I am very happy with my HTC Droid Incredible. Having internet access and maps on my phone comes in handy all the time. If I'm running errands and I want to find the nearest location of a certain store or check what time they close, I can look it up easily. If I'm on vacation, I don't need to bring my laptop in order to check email or the twitter feed (or the TE forum). When Delaware closes a highway for construction and doesn't bother to put up detour signs, I can pull over, fire up the map and find an alternate route that allows me to avoid the tollbooth because they just don't deserve my money.

The camera is decent and it's easy to upload photos on facebook or picasa or flickr, or I can send them to people via text or email. I take pictures of things while I'm out shopping so I can compare them to similar items at other stores. I photographed my kitchen window so I could show it to the salesperson at Next Day Blinds who helped me figure out what kind of shades I should get for it.

I find it useful for things that I never thought about before I had it.

And I kick a$$ in Words with Friends.

My sister has an LG Ally (an Android phone) which she doesn't like. But it's the phone, not the Android part, that's a problem. She's thinking of getting an iphone -- can anyone comment on the call quality of iphones on Verizon vs. AT&T? Is there still a problem with calls getting dropped on Verizon?

[Blueberry]

If I lose electricity, I can plug in an old-fashioned not-cordless phone and still be able to communicate with people, without worrying about draining a battery that I can't recharge.


Not necessarily. The phone substations run on generators and battery backups. They can and do go out (they did during the last hurricane). The cell phone was the only thing that worked. I agree it's good to have a choice -but sadly phone lines do require power somewhere....

[Crankin]

Well, despite my IPhone, i still have a land line and I won't give that up. I want it for the fact that in an emergency, the cell phone doesn't do so well with 9-1-1, and my house is hard enough to find anyway.
I had a weird thing happen yesterday, related to the topic of phones. I was at a meeting for one of my 5 year old clients. It was noted that she doesn't know her phone number. I thought, well, that's because she doesn't have a phone number. Her mom only has a cell phone and I don't think kids see their parent's phone as *their* phone. She will have to learn that number, but I can see this being an issue in the future. Obviously, we won't be giving 4 and 5 year olds their own cell phones.
Both of my kids and their spouses only have cell phones. I have no chance of "accidentally" talking to either of my D-I-Ls when I call my sons. While this may or may not be a good thing, I think it might enhance the relationships if they were the ones answering the phone once in awhile.

[Jolt]

I don't have a smartphone yet...maybe when it's time to upgrade. I can see where some of the stuff would be nice to have, but the flip side of this technology is that it creates such an expectation for people to be connected ALL the time and I don't think that's healthy. There need to be some boundaries b/c we all need our space, some more than others. Yes, it's convenient to be able to contact someone anywhere, but it can easily turn into an electronic leash (as can regular cell phones for that matter, but my family and friends know there are certain times I may not answer like when on a hike or while driving) and that's just not cool. My dad has one for work and he's found that people expect him to check his email more...because he can do it anywhere. That's the kind of situation I really don't want to find myself in. As for the land line, I don't have one--makes no sense to pay two phone bills when I am working at paying off my student loans and on track to do it in five years.

ETA: As far as cell phones/911, I've had to do it a couple of times and never had a problem. Granted, it wasn't from the house and maybe that's different, but if anything that would be less likely to be an issue.

[BikeDutchess]

Crankin, that is an interesting observation that I hadn't thought about yet. The "family phone" phenomenon will probably mostly disappear with our kids' generation.

[OakLeaf]

ETA: As far as cell phones/911, I've had to do it a couple of times and never had a problem. Granted, it wasn't from the house and maybe that's different, but if anything that would be less likely to be an issue.

I witnessed a car accident a couple of years ago and called 911. Thankfully the person was fine, but I didn't know that when I placed the call. I must've gone through at least five minutes of dispatchers giving me grief because 911 had connected me to the wrong jurisdiction for the location I happened to be in. I wasn't home and had no idea where the county and township and municipal boundaries might be or what agency I "should" have called.


But it's true - when you're home, the only time it might be an issue is when there's no one capable of telling the dispatcher your physical location. That's a real possibility, but it's also a small subset of 911 calls.

[GLC1968]

I witnessed a car accident a couple of years ago and called 911. Thankfully the person was fine, but I didn't know that when I placed the call. I must've gone through at least five minutes of dispatchers giving me grief because 911 had connected me to the wrong jurisdiction for the location I happened to be in. I wasn't home and had no idea where the county and township and municipal boundaries might be or what agency I "should" have called.


But it's true - when you're home, the only time it might be an issue is when there's no one capable of telling the dispatcher your physical location. That's a real possibility, but it's also a small subset of 911 calls.

And the flip side of that is if no one had cell phones, how long would it have taken for someone to call 911 in that situation?

[Irulan]

For landlines I think it comes down to some other factors, too.
One is if you have to have a fax. (yes, some people still use those) We need a fax for our home office.
The other thing is, we get really crappy cell reception at our house. I have to run out on the deck to answer a call or it goes straight to voice mail.

The whole "always connected" argument? No one forces it on you. These things do have an off or silent button. They are not attached by a permanent leash to your body. We have a simple agreement at our house. No phones at meals, period, land or cell.No cell phones at a table, ever. We went out to dinner at a super nice $$ place we like. There was a couple at another table, that both were diddling with their phones the whole time. They want to live like that fine, I think I left mine in the car.

[Irulan]

ETA: As far as cell phones/911, I've had to do it a couple of times and never had a problem. Granted, it wasn't from the house and maybe that's different, but if anything that would be less likely to be an issue.

It used to be that 911 dispatch wasn't set up for geolocating off cell phone data, but they can do that now.

[OakLeaf]

And the flip side of that is if no one had cell phones, how long would it have taken for someone to call 911 in that situation?

Oh, I wasn't saying don't have a phone! I don't go anywhere without mine, I've said before IMO it's kind of irresponsible in this day and age. I'm just talking about the reliability of 911 connections (and I'm pretty sure the GPS location does NOT happen when the initial connection to the dispatcher is made - I think it's just something they can get from the phone company if they can't locate the person).

Years ago I made that other call too. I was just a mile from an exit when I saw the car flip in the oncoming lanes, and there was a gas station with a pay phone right there, so I was probably connected to the 911 dispatcher quicker than the time I called from my car ... but I get that it could've been the other way around too.


I've got a landline because the only internet available to me at home is DSL. I don't think you can get that without a voice line too, but I could be wrong.

[badger]

I'm debating if I should keep my landline. I think the only thing I would need it for would be is to call my mother in Japan, but I can probably circumvent that by using a calling card. I've had my phone number for about 20 years now so I'm kind of attached to it, too, but that's a silly reason to hang onto a $40 monthly fee.

[OakLeaf]

I think number portability extends to former landline numbers now. It would be worth looking into, anyway.

[Irulan]

I'm debating if I should keep my landline. I think the only thing I would need it for would be is to call my mother in Japan, but I can probably circumvent that by using a calling card. I've had my phone number for about 20 years now so I'm kind of attached to it, too, but that's a silly reason to hang onto a $40 monthly fee.

You don't use Skype? My sister and her son travel extensively, and that is all they ever use for international calls. It is either free or a very minimal cost.

[Blueberry]

We have multiple voip lines - a business and business fax and a home line. No "regular land line." The voip providers have you identify the location of the home with them, and they supposedly let 911 know that. Thankfully, I haven't needed to test that technology.

[GLC1968]

Oh, I wasn't saying don't have a phone!

Oh, I know! My comment wasn't supposed to be directed at you...just adding additional commentary! ;)

I had a similar situation when I was in HS. I was on my way to a friends house on a Friday night and I drove by a car that was completely wrapped around a tree. It was on a dark, curvy road where there were very few houses and there was no one around the accident scene at all. I immediately felt panic and of course, this was long before cell phones (or PC's...but who's counting?). I continued on my route because there was a pay phone at the end of the road near the library that I could use. Turns out, before I got there, a bunch of cops with lights and sirens went flying by me, so I figured they'd already been notified. I found out on Monday that the guy was a fellow students father who had fallen asleep at the wheel. He survived, but based on what I saw, I can't imagine how. Scary.

We used to keep a land line for internet when we lived in NC, but we haven't had one since we moved out here 3.5 years ago (cable internet now).

Oh, and personally, I think my smartphone gives me more privacy. I get to choose when I answer it or not. With a land line, there was no 'silent' switch. ;)

[Irulan]

We have multiple voip lines - a business and business fax and a home line. No "regular land line." The voip providers have you identify the location of the home with them, and they supposedly let 911 know that. Thankfully, I haven't needed to test that technology.

I need to look into the cost of VOIP for our fax and bus. line.

[smilingcat]

Hi Oak,

You might want to check into "naked DSL". Check with your internet service provider. Naked DSL is you still have the telephone line. You have DSL service but no telephone service.

Where I live now, the only telephone service is from COMCAST and they have locked out all other DSL service. We are all too aware of COMCAST and decided not to do any business with them.

We use 4G wireless for our internet connection through Clearwire Communication and as a back up I have a 3G wireless back up through Virgin Mobile. The backup service is pay as you go by month. So most of the time its inactive with no bills to pay. I only pay $40 for one month use when I need it. Last time it was active was about 5 month ago.

All telephone calls are made with Ooma VoIP. Their basic plan is free. You just have to pay about $180.00 for their equipment. You can buy it at Costco. No real complaints. all my long distance call is free. All my local call is free. no monthly charge for the telephone.

For us we only pay for clear wire's monthly 4G service around $40/mo. and oh my ISP Earthlink. I guess I could give up earthlink and just use my google account or Yahoo account.

Hope this helps.

[smilingcat]

I tell people like my insurance agent and my CPA to scan the document and send it in e-mail rather than FAX. My real-estate management agent uses e-mail.

Just be aware some may send the file in MS format and you will need to upload a special program to read it. It's on my regular computer so can't remember its name off hand. I think it was winmail????

FAX I hope would die soon. Its more of a hassle. Not happy over 3G or 4G connection. For that matter, not happy over internet connection.

[badger]

I forgot about VOIP. I can't skype my mother because she doesn't have internet connection in her home. But I can make calls to landlines from Skype. I used Skype daily to talk to my ex so I'm just so skyped out and really wanting to avoid it but I suppose for the sake of saving money I can make amends again. And on my iPhone I can have a skype app and I'm sure I can make calls through it!

[Crankin]

I guess I should have said my land line is VoIP. No old fashioned
phones in my house.

[Blueberry]

Fax won't die until the rules of court allow attorneys to serve documents on each other via email.

I've encountered a surprising number of people who don't email, but who do fax. I thought most people had moved into the "digital age"

[jessmarimba]

It is possible to set up a phone number so that when someone faxes something, it goes to an email account. I don't know how to do it, but our research assistant in the corporate office had a "fax" number that worked that way.

[badger]

I got my new iPhone! woo hoo! It's purty!

[Dogmama]

I really went back & forth. I got the Droid Bionic for two basic reasons:

1. You can't change the battery in the IPhone. It has to go back to Apple to maintain warranty.
2. I get 4G with the Bionic. The IPhone only gets 3G.
3. (OK, I lied) I wonder about Apple as a going concern now that Steve Jobs is gone. He took the company from bankruptcy to here. Granted, Apple's technology is probably laid out for the next two years, but then what?

The sound clarity is awesome both on the phone & with the Bluetooth. I wanted a good mapping function so when I'm on my bike at BFE, I can see what's really "down that road." I even pulled up my own address and there was a picture of my house. Spooky. I have zero sense of direction, so I'll be using it a lot. It has Google (not Bing, which I think sux) and responds to voice searches as well as typed.

I also wanted to be able to access the web. This phone can also act as a wi-fi hotspot, although I understand it really sucks out the battery juice. I got the extended battery so I should be good all day. I read books on a kindle & don't think I'll ever watch a movie on my phone.

I sat down with the owner's manual & within a couple of hours, I was completely up to speed, had everything arranged, my calendar put in (you can put your calender on gmail and it transfers to the phone - too cool). I'm NOT a techie, so the phone must be pretty simple.;)

[NbyNW]

It is possible to set up a phone number so that when someone faxes something, it goes to an email account. I don't know how to do it, but our research assistant in the corporate office had a "fax" number that worked that way.

There are third-party services that do this. I use one called faxaway.com. It's quite inexpensive. I'm sure there are many more out there.

[NbyNW]

Yay, Badger! Have fun with the new gardget!

[Irulan]

I got my new iPhone! woo hoo! It's purty!

If you get stuck on how to do something, just google it. There are some great tips for iphone site and more out there.

[GLC1968]

If you get stuck on how to do something, just google it. There are some great tips for iphone site and more out there.

This is so true. I've learned more about my iphone from just googling things than I would ever have guessed! Put in your exact question and there is a good chance that someone, somewhere has already asked it.

[trista]

I have an HTC Inspire and I really like it. I mainly chose android over iphone due to price, but I have yet to find anything that i could do on an iphone that I can't do on the android. I also like that I can carry a spare battery in my purse so that if I was ever in a pinch and drained my battery, I have a backup.

[Catrin]

I have an HTC Inspire and I really like it. I mainly chose android over iphone due to price, but I have yet to find anything that i could do on an iphone that I can't do on the android. I also like that I can carry a spare battery in my purse so that if I was ever in a pinch and drained my battery, I have a backup.

I made the same switch. There are some things that were easier on my iPhone, and some things that are easier on my Inspire. My Inspire, however, is a far better PHONE than my iPhone was...

[pumpkinpony]

I got my new iPhone! woo hoo! It's purty!

Have fun with it!

I had a Samsung Optimus (android) prior to the iPhone, and I have to say I liked it much better.

The iPhone speaker volume sucks when you are driving, basically have to wear a headset. Call quality isn't that great and I get a lot of 'call failed' or calls dropping, though that may be AT&T more than the iPhone. the phone itself is slow when trying to start apps or do something within the app, and Skype is practically useless as the camera is on the back of the phone. The only way for the other caller to see you is to turn the phone around, and then you can't see them! Oh and the quality of the pictures that the camera takes also sucks compared to the Samsung. And my last complaint, maybe someone else has figured it out? I can't find anyway to save a picture from an email via the browser onto the phone. The only pictures I can store on the phone are either taken with the phone or synced via iTunes. :confused:

[jessmarimba]

And my last complaint, maybe someone else has figured it out? I can't find anyway to save a picture from an email via the browser onto the phone. The only pictures I can store on the phone are either taken with the phone or synced via iTunes. :confused:

For browser or email photos, if I hold my finger on it for a second (like I would to copy/paste) a menu pops up from the bottom of the screen and one of the options is "save image." It saves to your camera roll. I don't know if it has changed in the newer iphones but that works on 3GS.

Also I know on the 4G you can take photos of yourself with the front of the phone somehow so I would figure Skype would work correctly on those? Who knows.

[BikeDutchess]

Yep, I've Skyped with the front camera on the iPhone 4. Worked fine. But I think the 3s only had a rear camera and that would be a problem ;)

ETA: I must add that I have an older version of Skype (3.0.1) on my phone. I deliberately haven't updated because the reviews on the updated versions have been so awful.

[badger]

Ha, i'm posting this from my iPhone now. The keyboard is MUCH better than the samsung one, and the address book is better, too. Don't have to have multiple entries for landline, cell, etc

[Irulan]

Have fun with it!

I had a Samsung Optimus (android) prior to the iPhone, and I have to say I liked it much better.

The iPhone speaker volume sucks when you are driving, basically have to wear a headset. Call quality isn't that great and I get a lot of 'call failed' or calls dropping, though that may be AT&T more than the iPhone. the phone itself is slow when trying to start apps or do something within the app, and Skype is practically useless as the camera is on the back of the phone. The only way for the other caller to see you is to turn the phone around, and then you can't see them! Oh and the quality of the pictures that the camera takes also sucks compared to the Samsung. And my last complaint, maybe someone else has figured it out? I can't find anyway to save a picture from an email via the browser onto the phone. The only pictures I can store on the phone are either taken with the phone or synced via iTunes. :confused:

Um doesn't CA law allow only handsfree anyway?

My iphone takes great photos, mostly
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-c4Q7X2fIbZg/TpzhTPVoIMI/AAAAAAAABrs/014aRJ2-xZw/s576/IMG_0277.jpg

[jessmarimba]

Um doesn't CA law allow only handsfree anyway?



I think she just meant that you can't just put the phone on speakerphone and set it in your lap. Which is technically handsfree, but doesn't work with the iphone unless you have a really really quiet car and really really good hearing.

I could be wrong, but that's how I deal with phone calls in handsfree states, and it's a poor solution.

[Irulan]

I think she just meant that you can't just put the phone on speakerphone and set it in your lap. Which is technically handsfree, but doesn't work with the iphone unless you have a really really quiet car and really really good hearing.

I could be wrong, but that's how I deal with phone calls in handsfree states, and it's a poor solution.

Most phones don't work well on speaker when you put them in your lap.
It's a poor excuse for hands free as you have to your fingers on the keypad etc unless there is a total voice command app I don't know about.

What is it with the flagrant violation of hands free cell phone laws? Just because they don't do a great job of enforcing them doesn't mean you should blow them off. You can pick up a cheap bluetooth hands free visor set for $45 at places. There is very little that cant' wait for a return call.

[OakLeaf]

... also please remember that hands free or not might be the law, but even hands free you're more impaired by talking on the phone than you are by being drunk ... seriously, is there a single person on this board who hasn't been run off the road while running or cycling, by someone driving while on the phone???

[jessmarimba]

I'm just not spending $45 for a bluetooth that I only need maybe 5 days a year. As far as I'm aware, CA is the only place I go for work that doesn't allow handheld phones. I don't have that money to spare. Unless its the client for a property I'm en route to, its just better not to answer.

But all iphones (besides possibly the original one) have voice commands to call people, so no, you wouldn't need to dial with the keypad.

[pumpkinpony]

For browser or email photos, if I hold my finger on it for a second (like I would to copy/paste) a menu pops up from the bottom of the screen and one of the options is "save image." It saves to your camera roll. I don't know if it has changed in the newer iphones but that works on 3GS.


I wonder if that is a newer ios? I just tried on mine, if I hold my finger on the image I get Open, Open in New Page, or Copy. If I try copy, I don't see any way to Paste in the camera roll. oh well...

edit: went to check something, if I select "open" it just scrolls to the next picture.

[pumpkinpony]

I think she just meant that you can't just put the phone on speakerphone and set it in your lap. Which is technically handsfree, but doesn't work with the iphone unless you have a really really quiet car and really really good hearing.

I could be wrong, but that's how I deal with phone calls in handsfree states, and it's a poor solution.

^ that. I used to have a blackberry for work, and I would drop it down in the hand slot in the door and it worked great on speaker. The iPhone, not so much. There are several states now with handsfree laws - here (http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html). I do have a bluetooth headset, I just don't always remember to turn it on so now I usually hit answer, speaker, and just tell someone to wait a minute while I get the bluetooth going.

[smilingcat]

When you drive a car, DRIVE!!

It's not about yakking on the phone.
It's not about putting your make up on.
It's not about reading your morning paper.
It's not about playing with the radio station...
It's not about eating your brekkie.

Each second you are distracted, you travel 88 feet at 60MPH. Enough to crash.

Several years ago, in Irvine California, on quiet Sunday morning, on a 4 lane road with very light traffic, a car (I think it was high end BMW) was involved in a crash. Wrapped around a tree. Driver was dead at the scene. No skid mark. No broken pieces of car on the road leading up to the crash scene. It was determined that the driver was going at very high speed and was talking on the phone. He was distracted and veered off the road and bulls-eyed into a big oak tree.

I take my driving very seriously. Maintain my situational awareness around me at all times. You should too. no ear phone/buds... I've seen distracted drivers run a stale red light. Yes on one occasion, it collided and totaled the SUV.

Oregon also has hands-free only law. Hands free should be banned too. I'm bit sensitive. My sister and my twin nephews were just a year old babies when their car was rear ended. It is amazing they survived at all. Nothing was left of their car. My sister was waiting at a red light when they got rear ended by someone going near 60MPH is what I understood.

[Dogmama]

Hands free should be banned too.

Research shows that just talking on a cell, with or without hands free, is a distraction = drunk driving. So, I don't "get" why hands free is OK? Is the phone lobby that powerful in Washington?

[Catrin]

Research shows that just talking on a cell, with or without hands free, is a distraction = drunk driving. So, I don't "get" why hands free is OK? Is the phone lobby that powerful in Washington?

hmmmm....I will play the devil's advocate here. What separates this from talking to someone in the car? That can be at least as serious a distraction, especially for people who are accustomed to driving solo...

[OakLeaf]

I'm not sure they've scientifically identified what the difference is, only that there is one, and multiple studies have confirmed it. Theories include the passenger having some awareness of road conditions and shutting up or even alerting the driver; or psychological factors that say the driver isn't "removing" her consciousness from inside the car.

There are specific behaviors that are stereotypical of people driving on the phone, and most of them relate to tunnel vision. I don't encourage anyone to talk while driving, but if you do it and you're not aware of the tunnel vision you get, you might just give it a try on a flat, straight, untrafficked piece of road. Start talking to someone. (Dial hands free or while you're stopped.) Make sure they know you're doing an experiment and that they're prepared for you to drop the phone at any second. Now make sure you're seeing with your whole eyes. Keep your eyes on the road and (while talking to the person about something ELSE), identify everything in your peripheral vision and predict what it's going to do and/or where hazards might be coming from.

Betcha can't do it. I sure can't. That's why you'll usually see people on the phone "attaching" themselves to other vehicles - either by tailgating or by shadowing someone's blind spot. They can only really see one thing while they're talking and driving, so they attach themselves to another vehicle and do whatever the other driver does.

It can be tough sometimes trying to shake a phone addict when you're driving the car they're attached to!



I'll add that I think it's the tunnel vision that makes phone addicts especially dangerous to us cyclists and runners, because it exacerbates target fixation. As a motorcyclist and bicyclist, I'm well aware of target fixation (both in myself and in other drivers), but it wasn't until I started running (facing traffic) that I really became aware of how enormous a problem it is and how ill-educated most drivers are about it. When a driver can only see one thing (tunnel vision), and then that thing becomes YOU (because they're suddenly looking at something they're not used to seeing on the road) and then they AIM for you (because tunnel vision plus target fixation means they can literally only drive in the direction they can see in - BTDT myself [not on the phone], totalled my moto but luckily only got some bruises and didn't hurt the other driver) - that's how cyclists and little kids walking to school (http://www.cfnews13.com/article/news/2011/october/324318/Concern-increases-over-number-of-kids-hit-by-cars-while-walking-to-school) die. Right? You read all the time how somebody got run over on the shoulder or even on the sidewalk, and the police report says "it's unknown why the driver left the roadway," when in fact it's perfectly obvious why the driver left the roadway. Target fixation. Not necessarily involving a phone, but phones seriously exacerbate it.

This is drifty, but it's important. Please. Seriously. You're not just endangering yourselves - but your own safety is valuable, too, and we'd miss you.

[Dogmama]

http://cdp.sagepub.com/content/16/3/128.short

If you don't want to click on it - here is the gist

Moreover, in-vehicle conversations do not interfere with driving as much as cell-phone conversations do, because drivers are better able to synchronize the processing demands of driving with in-vehicle conversations than with cell-phone conversations.

and another

http://cellphonefreedriving.ca/media/fatal_distraction.pdf

when controlling for driving difficulty and time
on task, cell phone drivers may actually exhibit greater impairments (i.e., more accidents and
less responsive driving behavior) than legally intoxicated drivers. These data also call into
question driving regulations that prohibit hand-held cell phones and permit hands-free cell
phones, because no significant differences were found in the impairments to driving caused by
these two modes of cellular communication.

and finally

http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=506599 (click on the PSU PDF)

People sometimes ask why cell phone conversation is
risky, in that conversation with passengers in the car does
not seem to cause accidents. We believe passengers
moderate their speech based on their observation of
current driving conditions. For example, most people
would stop talking to a driver who is passing a truck on a
two-lane mountain road after dark

[Irulan]

^ that. I used to have a blackberry for work, and I would drop it down in the hand slot in the door and it worked great on speaker. The iPhone, not so much. There are several states now with handsfree laws - here (http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html). I do have a bluetooth headset, I just don't always remember to turn it on so now I usually hit answer, speaker, and just tell someone to wait a minute while I get the bluetooth going.

Here's the thing... in that split second you have to diddle with it to answer it, hit the right buttons for speaker, tell your person to hold on, and then turn on the blue tooth.... you aren't looking at the road. What if a toddler darted out in front of you at that very split second? Someone braked for a turn that didn't have their signal on? I'm not picking on you. I'm commenting on the millions of drivers who think they are safe enough glancing at the phone for just a split second. I see them every day.

Sure. I've done it. I admit it. My state passed a law last year for hand held cell phone use as a primary offense, and you know what... I follow it. I don't have a hands free so I have disciplined myself to not answer the phone. It's amazing, there are places to pull over everywhere when you aren't on the freeway, where you can stop your car and see who called, and return the call right away if necessary. If your employer expects you to be available in the car and won't provide a bluetooth setup, shame on them.

I'm convinced my city could solve their budget crisis if they'd just park a traffic cop at a couple of major intersections and write $124 tickets all day.

So let me ask again, why do people so flagrantly ignore the laws?

[Catrin]

Interesting discussion, for sure. For the record, my bluetooth is wired in my car so all I have to do to answer a call is for my thumb to hit a button on my steering wheel...which is easy to do by feel. I also rarely initiate calls when driving and NEVER in city traffic. If I do want to start a call, my thumb just hits another button and I say the name of the person I am calling - so there isn't much there to distract outside of the conversation itself. I've had enough happen in my life that I KNOW things do happen and can certainly happen to me.

Thanks for the links. I hadn't heard of this research before and will check it out.

[Dogmama]

I upgraded to a Droid Bionic about a month ago. Took it to San Fran & was hoping the navigation would help with the public transportation. It is AWESOME. It found where I was at, I would type in where I wanted to go and it would give me multiple choices depending on when I wanted to leave. It told me what buses to take, what transfers I'd have to do and how long the total trip would be.

Since then, I found out that I can use it for a shopping list. OK, so I'm anal, but I DO grocery shop with a list. I don't even have to type it. I just put a name to the list and then speak each item. It displays it on the screen, I accept it and go onto the next. In the store, I can check off things as I get them. So much better than my scribbled up 5X7 tablets!

Oh, and it also makes phone calls :D