Any iPhone Users Here?

Vaughn McMillan

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I'm not happy with the recent changes to XM Radio (er...Sirius XM nowadays), so I'm canceling my subscription and had planned on putting the money saved into an iPod, so I can have more entertainment choices in the car and shop. After a bit of studying though, I realized the iPhone can do that, plus pick up streaming music from Internet radio stations via WiFi or 3G networks. So I changed my plans and decided to replace my Blackberry Pearl with a new 16 GB iPhone 3GS. (The monthly service will be the same price I'm paying now.)

I can use it for music in the car and streaming Internet radio via WiFi at home in the shop. I've never been very happy with the keypad and user interface on the Blackberry, so I've used it primarily just for phone calls and a couple of games. Conversely, I expect the iPhone to provide a lot more than just telephone connectivity. I've spent a lot of time poring over the various applications available for iPhones, and I'm curious to know: A) if any of you are using an iPhone, and B) what apps you find particularly useful.

Any suggestions will be appreciated. The new toy will be here in 7 to 14 days. :D
 
Not yet, but next year, when my contract on the Sony Cybershot cell phone runs out, I'll be getting the latest flavor of iPhone, I'm hooked on them!

Best of luck, the apps are amazing, they have one that makes the iPhone act as a carpenter's level :thumb:
 
...they have one that makes the iPhone act as a carpenter's level :thumb:

They have at least three or four different ones. :D They also have some great-looking musical instrument tuner apps (perfect for tensioning your bandsaw a la Phil Thien) and a few other interesting music-related apps. Something like the Shop Calculator app that Darren Wright wrote for the Blackberry would be very useful. I've also seen shopping list apps that "learn" the order of the merchandise in a store's aisle layout, and presents the items in the order that you'll find them at the store. That might be handy for the Borg shopping sprees.

I'm also looking forward to the GPS features. The Blackberry also has that capability, but it's slow to update and impossible to use (see) while driving. Also, AT&T charges $10 per month extra for the GPS capability in the Blackberry, but from what I've seen, the extra charge does not apply to the iPhone. (I guess I'll find out for sure when the iPhone gets here.)
 
I have several friends that have one and they all love it. There is an app for everything and more coming everyday. Me, I still use a motarolla razor that is partly held together by packing tap...:eek:
 
Jeff, I loved my Razor. I'd probably still be using it (my second one, actually...lost the first) if I hadn't worn it out and replaced it with the Blackberry.
 
My son, the saver, bought himself a iPod touch last month. It also has all the app features, as well as WiFi and music. (cellphone and camera are the only differences from the iPhone, as I recall)

From watching him, and from reading stuff on various forums (check out www.macrumors.com) I've got a few thoughts

1- watch the battery life -- I've read that WiFi really drains the battery quickly.

2- This probably won't affect you, but my son primarily loves the iPod touch for the games, so he's gaming all the time -- loves the full colour, fast action, and really nice graphics... But again, this seems to drain the battery quickly -- like about 2 hours. I need to find the time to run a test to verify the battery life, because it is possible that we got a bad battery in our unit.

3- we've stuck with the free apps in the store and there are some fun ones. Couple nice pinball games, as well as others.

4- we bought the iSkin -- which is a thin silicon "jacket" that you fit around the iPod for protection. I know my son will drop it sooner or later. It works well, but check out other brands first, as I find this one a bit tight/fiddly for getting the docking jack to still fit into the unit.
 
Vaughn,
I'll watch with interest. My family is all on the 'can you hear me now? Good!' network, and they kids both text frantically, my wife and I text occasionally to each other, but often with the boys. I'm currently using an ancient LG flip as my normal phone's charger is awol/broken (one of each). We keep this old LG around as a spare as the boys inevitably break or wear out theirs on a semi regular basis.
I just shopped for a new Palm, but it seems they've gone away from the Centro online, and I'm still several months away from re-upping. I've got a Treo 650, and want either a new centro or Pre (wrong network at least for the intitial release).
 
We have 4 iPhones, at least one of each model, I have over 30 APPS. The GPS APPS are the best I use HeyWAY to keep track of everyone location. There are banking APPS from most major banks, Starbucks has an APP to let you check your card balance and find the nearest location. The GPS functions are free if you want to read the directions, AT&T offers a voice enabled upgrade for $10 a month that fully replaces a car GPS. XM radio offers an APP for $3 per month that turns your iPhone into a full blown XM/Sirius radio. Every APP I use is free, though there are some very nice APPS for $.99.

There are several currency and measurement converts and even a digital level that really works.

You can get a discount on APPS, music and the phone through Aisle19.
 
Thanks for the suggestions, Paul. I'll look into Aisle 19, too.

The $3.00 per month you mentioned for XM Radio is in addition to the $12.95 per month they charge for the basic online subscription. (The reviews in the Apple Store really say it all.) XM really went downhill IMHO when they merged with Sirius. The individual channels now seem to have a lot narrower list of material on their playlists, and it seems they're playing more and more commercials and annoying station promos. I'm done with 'em. :rolleyes:

And Art, thanks for the heads-up on battery longivity. One of my frustrations with the little Blackberry I have is the short battery life.
 
Vaughan, my son loves his... as long as it is running on the 2G network. He flips it to the 3G net to show off the features, but has to switch it back quickly to save the battery. Maybe if you listened to saved music rather than streaming, you could have adequate battery life???
 
... Maybe if you listened to saved music rather than streaming, you could have adequate battery life???

I anticipate the vast majority of the time I'm streaming music on it, it'll be tethered to a charger in the shop (or the car, if streaming works OK there). But I am looking forward to having every recorded song I own easily accessible. :)
 
Personally, though I use and program for BB, I like the iphone. It's very responsive, has a ton of apps, and is easy to use. I hate iTunes though. Have you tried Slacker (http://www.slacker.com) out for Blackberry? It's free to use (if you've got plenty of data plan). What is nice is that you can cache music for the stations to the BB (via a pc and usb cable) and play it without using your data plan. I used it when driving to AZ as I had also had cancelled my XM subscription. I've got the stereo bluetooth built into my truck, so can listen to the music over the factory stereo.
 
Well, the 7 to 14 day delivery estimate was a bit off. I'm posting this from my new iPhone. :D It arrived this afternoon, and I suspect I'll be playing with it for the next few hours. ;)
 
Quick update: This thing is absolutely cool. :D The user interface is brilliant, and it's very responsive on a WiFi network. Listening to streaming Internet radio from a little box in my back pocket is just too cool.
 
I'm happy to have a phone that doesn't hang up.

Take all the garbage off, I want to make calls receive calls and get voice mail and be tough. THATS IT!!

Currently using the Casio G'zOne from so called can you hear me now network. NO, most of time I can't hear you at home. My first old flat, non flip, non camera, non video Nokia out performed any phone I have had since. Oh though the current phone comes close. And this one is tough.

If I need music, I can an Ipod, thats what it was made for.

If I get in such bad shape I need GPS, I'll get a gps unit. I don't need one in my phone.

If I need a level, I'll get on frome the shop

Been my experience that the more you make something try to do multiple things the unit suffers as whole.
 
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