In Depth iPhone review from a real user

[John C. Chu]

I couldn't help myself today. After touching and playing with the iPhone for just 2 minutes at the Apple Store, and replicating every move I saw in the commercials-- I went ahead and got one for myself and my wife.[It's a huge "indulgence" but the phone is really that compelling.]

There was plenty in stock--you should be able to walk into any Apple store and walk out with one.

Apple definitely made enough of them [or enough for the Apple Stores anyway.]

My dumbest move was knowing full well that the iPhone was arriving and renewing my Verizon contract this past Feb[I'm paying hefty termination fee]. But it is worth every penny.

The thing is so intuitive and well thought out--everything is logical and makes sense.

And yep---that Youtube commercial with the skateboarding dog plays exactly like the commercial. [As long as you are connected via Wi-Fi]

Be forewarned, if you touch this thing at a store or a friends...you might be really tempted to get one.

[Nate Weaver]

Posting this from my new iPhone now!

I think they've done an amazing job with it, much better than I expected.

[Jacob Mason]

I would have liked this phone, but the following shortcomings make me want to wait for something else.
Emphasis on #17 - NO VIDEO shooting capabilities that other phones have.
Of course, many of us know what good video is, so we have dedicated tools for that, but at the price they're asking, it would have been nice to see some other features that other less expensive phones have.

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.

Discovered through DIGG & Howard Forums

Also, from Engadget
The iPhone is not supported under 64-bit Windows XP or Vista.
I'm sure that'll be worked out soon though.

And even with all that said, if an iPhone just magically landed in my lap, I'd still use it over my current phone.
:)
Hope everybody has fun with it.
It'll be interesting to see if they have a 'mini' or 'nano' version soon.

[Nick Hiltgen]

I hope to be posting my iphone review soon, but as of right now I just have an ibrick. Come on at&t activate the stupid thing.

[Christopher Witz]

so can I buy apple stock monday moring at fridays close price....?

Also... it's funny how my current phone ( tmobile dash ) is suddenly locking up and missing calls..... does steve also have control over devine intervention? plea pass the coolaid!

[Nick Hiltgen]

Wahoo posting from my iphone. I wonder how much aapl and t will jump tommorow.

[Rik Sanchez]

Hopefully by the time it comes out over here in Japan next year they will have worked out all the kinks in it and will come out with a newer version of it. I am already giving my wife all the reasons why I "need" to get one.

[Heath McKnight]

I love what SciFi Tech talked about and linked to:

http://blog.scifi.com/tech/archives/..._day_is_h.html

heath

[Steven Davis]

Originally Posted by Jacob Mason

I would have liked this phone, but the following shortcomings make me want to wait for something else.
Emphasis on #17 - NO VIDEO shooting capabilities that other phones have.
Of course, many of us know what good video is, so we have dedicated tools for that, but at the price they're asking, it would have been nice to see some other features that other less expensive phones have.


Discovered through DIGG & Howard Forums

Also, from Engadget
The iPhone is not supported under 64-bit Windows XP or Vista.
I'm sure that'll be worked out soon though.

And even with all that said, if an iPhone just magically landed in my lap, I'd still use it over my current phone.
:)
Hope everybody has fun with it.
It'll be interesting to see if they have a 'mini' or 'nano' version soon.

This sounds a lot like the ipod I have on my hip. You can keep your calendar and contacts, but can't add or edit to them without an external application. You can have a song list, but can't add or edit without itunes. This issue and the fact that my ATT/Cingular coverage is horrid where I live puts me out of the iphone list. I think Apple really messed up by not releasing it to more carriers. The only interest I had in the device is the ability to play my demos, sortof like I do with my ipod now, but with the iphone, I would have sound. I just hope sprint comes up with something decent, but I doubt it since all they want to release are more stupid camera phones.

About the fact that the iphone doesn't do shoot video, that seems silly to me. That makes the defice more of a tv than a personal device.

[Bill Ravens]

who really cares about any of these "hip" gadgets. you couldn't get me to wait online for a product if you paid me. excuse me, but, get a life.

[Steven Davis]

Yeah, Bill, when I was watching the news of people standing in lines, it brought back memories of the Cabbage Patch dolls. Although I haven't heard stories of stampedes or death from this release.

[Christopher Witz]

"get a life".... what life would be better without apple?

I shudder at the consequence of not.

Now where's my cool-aid?

I agree that the lemmings are full tilt over a "phone".... but at least it is a communication device and not a product that makes them less attractive or worse fat! ( not that I have anything against obesity or unattractive people )

and I'll admit.... I'd like an iphone... but I'd rather have a merlin vest upgrade... and an hdcam ex..... and a RED.... and a Aimes lounge chair.... and a date with heather graham ( if I was single )

[Dylan Couper]

This nearly became the very first Apple product that I would consider owning except for three things:

1) They won't be in Canada for months (although I could Ebay one)
2) From what I read battery life is terrible.
3) My phone is a more important tool than my camera and there's no way I'm going to risk my main communication tool to Apple. Ipods are one of the most unreliable devices out there, I'm not taking a chance buying a phone from the company that makes them, no matter how much I like it spec wise. I'll stick with SE for now, but probably going to Nokia or RIM for my next phone.

If they are proven rock solid after a year or two and a revamped version comes out with a great battery, I'm in.

[Pete Bauer]

"Get a life?"

Not sure how that is the type of constructive comment that helps fellow DVinfo users.

This new iPhone doesn't happen to be for me either, but the hip gadget that my colleagues and I communicate with constantly (happens to be Blackberry) has dramatically improved our work efficiency. If a device isn't for you, cool, then you don't need to invest in one. Doesn't mean your circumstance or personal opinion applies to all and warrants a generalized derision.

All you iPhone folks, enjoy. Carry on!

[Chris Hurd]

Just a reminder to keep the spirit of DV Info Net friendly... or else!

I'm perfectly happy with my Moto Q on Sprint, but can certainly understand the appeal of the iPhone to the Apple crowd. More power to ya,