iPhone? (Merged threads)

[06blaksi]

[tennisfan16]

When you go to cingular and buy one, do you have to sign up right then for a contract. I am thinking about getting one, I already have cingular/att service, but I don't want to extend my contract another two years. How can people go and buy ten of them if you have to sign up for a service plan?

[CHRIS]

Originally Posted by tennisfan16

When you go to cingular and buy one, do you have to sign up right then for a contract. I am thinking about getting one, I already have cingular/att service, but I don't want to extend my contract another two years. How can people go and buy ten of them if you have to sign up for a service plan?

you would have to pay full price

[tennisfan16]

Originally Posted by CHRIS

you would have to pay full price

What is the full price then, is it more than 500 and 600?

[Obsidian6]

to my knowledge the only way to buy it at this point is w/ the contract.

however, say you bought one at the apple store, you would then activate it at home via iTunes. and if you're already an existing AT&T/Cingular member, then just add the iPhone data plan for $20/mo.

[tennisfan16]

Ahh I see. Well I guess the main thing I want to know is, if you buy one do you have to sign a 2 year extension on your contract if you are an exisiting customer?

[HkyGrL2]

Here is what you do. You open itunes and plug in your phone. Make sure you have the latest 7.3 itunes. also, make sure that you are not connected into an external hub port. it didnt' work with mine. I had to plug it directly into my computer.

once it's plugged and itunes is open you will get a pop up screen from itunes to activate. it's real easy! took me 1 or 2 minutes.

If you are not a customer then I don't know the process. I think it's the same except you have to get credit approval. Basically, whatever they would normally do at the AT&T store you will do on your own on your computer.

[HkyGrL2]

Originally Posted by JonnyBruha
Here's the short list:

1. Bluetooth is ONLY good for connecting a headset. That's it.
2. There is no file browser on the device at all. Data must be organized (if at all) in the appropriate application.
3. The camera is a simple application that has ONE button: the shutter. Pictures come out okay on the device, but nothing too fancy on a monitor, especially if it was an attempt at a macro shot.
4. SIM card is damn near impossible to open, if at all. I didn't look into it extensively.
5. Web browser is slow, even over WLAN. Even the simple OneList web app that was created takes around 20 seconds to load over WLAN. You can not highlight, cut, copy, or paste and text from a website, and you can not save any images you find from a website either. The only nice thing about it is the tabbed browsing, which crashed on me when I went to Engadget and YouTube on two tabs. This is the only application that allows you to use the keyboard in landscape mode.
6. The keyboard sucks. It gets slightly better after the iPhone "learns" you, as the employees said, but even then, it's not a device you can use with one hand comfortably, much less without looking.
7. You can only send one picture at a time in an email.
8. No custom ringtones (yet, as we were being told) and the alert tones can not be changed whatsoever.
9. The default ringtones are incredibly lame.
10. The only form of customization outside of a lame default ringtone is the wallpaper, which you'll only see when you need to unlock the device or when you get a phone call.
11. "Picture pinching" or using two fingers to zoom on any content is certainly fun to play with, but not practical whatsoever. This operation depends solely on using the device with two hands.
12. No document editor or native viewer. You can not store documents on the device to be viewed, they can only be viewed as attachments when they're sent to your in an email.
13. Visual voicemail is laggy and reacts about the same way as pushing the fast forward and rewind buttons on traditional voicemail systems. The only advantage is for those that get that many voicemail messages a day that they need to sort them according to priority.
14. NO games. None.
15. No voice dialing.
16. No speed dialing (which can be made up by the "quick list", but getting to that quick list isn't as fast as holding a single key on a real keypad).
17. No video.
18. No MMS.
19. It's still <4GB for $500 and <8GB for $600
20. It only takes around 2 hours to explore every menu without any options for expandability except to scrounge around for new web apps that will load slowly and nowhere near as smoothly as the native apps.

This device looks like it was aimed at the general consumer who has the money to spend on such a flashy device, but it leaves so many basic features behind that it's almost impossible to consider it a success as a mainstream device. It encourages the advanced user to move away from MMS and into email to send images, but leaves out any advanced features advanced users would be accustomed to, and still retains a huge price tag on top of it.

It's certainly pretty and Americans will buy it because of that simple UI, but anyone who's familiar with other operating systems would be appalled. This phone needs to be unlocked and cracked WIDE open to make much better use of the multi-touch system. That, or it needs an immediate update in iTunes to rework every feature.

I have the phone and because of #8, 9 and 15.....
might sell it. I've only had it for a day, so if anybody wants one..PM me.


oh and no AIM.
I've been researching and it seems that apple will have software upgrades via itunes. Unfortunately, it might happen before my return period...ugh!

[Obsidian6]

I have an 8GB one in my posession, I was going to use it for a month until I got my.. Other one. then sell it to a co-worker for $100 off, but I think I might just return it and wait.

BTW - I can't confirm yet, But i've heard there's a way to get skype onto the phone.

[Cybergypsy]

go buy one activate on itunes, put 999 99 999 as your SS# and t will let you pre paid service, or it will tell you to contact ATT to activate, then you can buy as many as you want:)

[Cybergypsy]

a few tricks are out there for getting them without service, or just data :)

[Cybergypsy]

Originally Posted by Obsidian6

I have an 8GB one in my posession, I was going to use it for a month until I got my.. Other one. then sell it to a co-worker for $100 off, but I think I might just return it and wait.

BTW - I can't confirm yet, But i've heard there's a way to get skype onto the phone.

I have heard that toooo coming with next update :)

[darna]

Originally Posted by tennisfan16

Ahh I see. Well I guess the main thing I want to know is, if you buy one do you have to sign a 2 year extension on your contract if you are an exisiting customer?

yes sir, at&t/cingular will renew your contract no matter how many days/months/years you still have on your current one.

btw, you have a better chance of finding iphone at an apple store than at&t/cingular. i called more than a dozen at&t stores and everyone's sold out. i found one at the mall at apple store, they have plenty!

[06blaksi]

[Cybergypsy]

apps are out...

[Zeuceone]

http://poststuff5.entensity.net/0702...dia=iphone.wmv

possible *nws*.....this is hilarious.

[e60.deluxe]

Originally Posted by Cybergypsy

....i always had issues when in another area and buying a car...looking up KBB or carfax....its a godsend for me and it a piece of art :)

umm...my phone can do that way faster than your iPhone and it costed me $69.

[8thgenuser]

Originally Posted by e60.deluxe

umm...my phone can do that way faster than your iPhone and it costed me $69.

Of all the cool technology that went into the iPhone, I can't believe they're using 2.5G technology.

[Cybergypsy]

Originally Posted by e60.deluxe

umm...my phone can do that way faster than your iPhone and it costed me $69.

Fast is not what i care about i love style, so I have found a perfect phone my last was a Nokia 8860 and a nec n908...all awesome phones....its like saying a civic is just like a sleek m3....not :)

[HkyGrL2]

Originally Posted by Zeuceone

http://poststuff5.entensity.net/0702...dia=iphone.wmv

possible *nws*.....this is hilarious.

lol what a dumbass! I went around 11pm to the apple store. They had plenty in stock and I didn't even have to wait in line. It was kinda of a spur of the moment thing lol