Is anyone starting to hate their iPhone?

[Tinman]

1. Hit the home button to wake it up.
2. Slide the slide to unlock it.
3. Hit the phone icon (or if I left off in Safari or something first I have to hit the home button again to get back home so I can hit the phone icon)
4. The phone dialer comes up and this is certainly much faster and more user-friendly than any cell phone keys... however...
5. Once the pager number answers I have to hit the "keypad" button to get to the keypad"
6. Enter the number I want to be called back on.

In reality I've "touched" the phone many more times than I would touch my $49 Nokia to make the same call. But it's lots more fun.

Not sure if you are always leaving the same call back number on the pager (didn't know those were still around) but if so you might try entering the whole number in your address book.

I did this with my bank's automated system so I didn't have to type any numbers to log in. When setting up the number pressing the +*# key will show a keypad with "Pause" on it. Insert as needed. Only problem is that the tones it sends are very long.


--
Mike

 

[Norwest]

Not sure if you are always leaving the same call back number on the pager (didn't know those were still around) but if so you might try entering the whole number in your address book.

I did this with my bank's automated system so I didn't have to type any numbers to log in. When setting up the number pressing the +*# key will show a keypad with "Pause" on it. Insert as needed. Only problem is that the tones it sends are very long.


--
Mike

Yeah, every ATT field tech has a pager... they're still around mostly because they have better coverage than cellphones. They'll go off in places where you can't make or receive a phone call. Sub - sub basements etc and dead cell areas. Probably could get a pager message in the middle of the desert somewhere.

It'll be a long time before cellular networks will come close to that. Think about it... I call your cell and leave you a critical voicemail. Even with visual voicemail you have to be in a coverage area to get it, or at least know you have it right away. With a pager 99.9% of the time I can send you a text message most anywhere and you know much faster what I need you to know. Time is money.

BTW, are SMS text messages delivered later if you're out of a coverage area when it's actually sent or do you just miss it?

More on topic, the number I use as a reply when paging changes a lot depending on where I am and where I want to receive the call or even if I want to receive the callback and not direct it to someone else.

What I've also done on the iPhone is build secondary email addresses to employees pagers so I can send text messages to them quickly (and multiple recipients at once). Can't do either through the iPhone SMS.

 

[SingleDouble]

Thinking about it, I really think the title of this thread is off and sparking such strong responses from both sides of the fence.

Hate is a strong word. Especially for this device. I would imagine that if anyone really HATED the iPhone, they would have either returned it for a refund or eBay'd it; making the HATE posts pointless and a waste of the posters time. That would be like me hating Blackberry's and spending all day in the blackberry forums ragging on it. I do agree that we need to discuss both the positive and the negatives about the device but frankly, if you HATE it, it's probably time to find it a new home. And you a new forum to hang out in.

I don't see how anyone could outright HATE this device unless you were just an anti-Apple antagonist, which there are some here. I don't think anyone here, that still owns and uses the device, really HATES it or is growing to hate it. I think some of the WOW factor may have worn off and the longer you use it, the more you tend to take the feautres for granted.

Worse case, it will turn out not to be the right device for you.

You're being far too literal. It has to do with a kind of hate that comes from love. And many of us are feeling both. Something you love attracts strong feelings, and the more things go wrong, the more you start to move towards hating that which you love. It's not meant to be taken literally though, but as a general sign of frustration.

 

[cdodkin]

Sorry, that's simply not true.

UK 3G is patchy - covering 75% of the population probably equates to far less that 50% of the actual land area. That's why marketing people who work for cellphone companies always talk population, and not square miles - it's a simple trick.

I know - I've used it! - Try using UK 3G outside a city center!

Mainland Europe is good in places - Spain being way ahead of most with 3G.

However, as I stated, there is no single European carrier, with 3G, that will sign-up iPhone across Europe.

The deals will be done by country, and roaming would thereforee be required.

I never said Europe was behind the UK - they are (in places) way ahead!

We know that O2 appear to have landed the iPhone deal - any reasoning around that deal going to O2 is pure speculation on your part.

You're welcome to speculate, and you have (at length), but that doesn't make any of it factual or relevant.

As for being distant from the UK market - I travel from US-UK-US, and have an office in the UK. I have to use the UK network - I still keep my Voda SIM and a tri-band phone - I know just how good/bad it is in the UK, and I can directly compare with the telco's and service I experience in the US.

3G in the US is patchy as well - same deal as the UK and a few years behind in many areas.

Demand for the iPhone.. Time will tell - Can you name me any phone that has sold 700,000 units in the first week of release? Other than the iPhone of course.

It's almost as if you don't want it to succeed....

As for the impact on the provider - it's huge - getting let's say 350,000 new subscribers (being conservative) in a single week, each with a 2 year contract, is a significant step change.

Any telco would like to have a product that delivers that many new customers.

As for 3G requirement being overplayed..

Well, I'm using an iPhone, I use it every day on EDGE and wi-fi. I've had mine since launch day - used the Email for work and home, surfed the web, used Google maps, apps, SMS, iPod etc etc - I think that qualifies me to say that:

a) It works
b) It works without 3G
c) 3G would be 'nice to have' but is not essential or a deal breaker for the functionality of the iPhone.

I really hope you get your 3G iPhone, but to suggest that it will fail if the first model is non 3G is overly negative.

You're dooming the product, before it's even been announced for release, based on zero actual iPhone experience.

Like I said - almost sounds like you're willing it to fail.

 

[vanslam]

Nope not me I like my iPhone.

 

[Ramesh]

All of these issues/problems were reported in the reviews, which is why those who did their homework decided to stay away; at least for now.

And many also decided that counting on AT&T's "bottom of the barrel" rated cell/data service, just wasn't worth it. Don't you have 30 days to bring it back? The upcoming updates won't address the hardware issues you mention, however.

I've asked twice now in this thread. SHOW ME! Show me a review PRIOR to release day that said you can't IM multiple people, you can't copy and paste, there are no camera controls... etc..

I'm not trying to start a fight, or continue one, or whatever. I truly would like to see something that states these things BEFORE launch day...

 

[willio]

can anyone explain why there are at least THREE different key pad layouts? (there might be more)

There is the one when you are making a call, there is another when you are entering a phone number in the contacts and there is a third when you are on a call and you need to use they keypad.

each one looks different, each one has a different size and one of the is really different.

its these little things.....

 

[cdodkin]

can anyone explain why there are at least THREE different key pad layouts? (there might be more)

There is the one when you are making a call, there is another when you are entering a phone number in the contacts and there is a third when you are on a call and you need to use they keypad.

each one looks different, each one has a different size and one of the is really different.

its these little things.....

willio willio, because there is no restriction to use physical keys, the software designers are free to design the GUI that best fits the application.

That's what makes the iPhone the next generation device - physical keyboards are so last century.

You got anything else you want to throw into the iMoaner category while you're at it?

 

[nydmx]

way to much attention paid to this post, please let it die!
he found everything the phone couldn't do, and then pretended he needed it in real life, like his secretary send him directions in text lol, why wouldn't she email them (this imaginary woman) and then you could just forward them!

Just let this thread go! if he wants to send his phone back let him!

So long! hope you enjoyed it while you had it!

 

[telePhono]

sorry but i had to return it. i agree with the first post. love the phone. HATE CINGULAR/ATT. maybe once, if ever unlocked, ill get it again.

 

[Hondamaker]

No wonder those jobs are being outsourced.
--
Mike

coming from a guy who rides his motorcycle with an expensive phone on his belt!

 

[Sleeper]

UK 3G is patchy - covering 75% of the population probably equates to far less that 50% of the actual land area. That's why marketing people who work for cellphone companies always talk population, and not square miles - it's a simple trick.

So who are they going to phone in that other land area? Sheep? There's no point having fast coverage where it's not going to be used - GSM is the fallback for that.

I know - I've used it! - Try using UK 3G outside a city center!

I do every day.

Mainland Europe is good in places - Spain being way ahead of most with 3G.

However, as I stated, there is no single European carrier, with 3G, that will sign-up iPhone across Europe.

The deals will be done by country, and roaming would thereforee be required.

Which is really the same as the standard GSM and EDGE networks is it not? The difference is that the speed is quicker - if the coverage is there then it's used. For example, I use T-mobile in the UK which switches to different carriers in Germany, the Czech Republic and Latvia depending on the partnership agreements the carrier has. However, if 3G is available then that's used, the fact that it's a different carrier makes no difference.

I never said Europe was behind the UK - they are (in places) way ahead!

You said 3G coverage was 'patchy' when it's actually th enorm in westen Europe. Sure, it won't extend to unpopulated rural areas but then neither will Wi-Fi.

We know that O2 appear to have landed the iPhone deal - any reasoning around that deal going to O2 is pure speculation on your part.

You're welcome to speculate, and you have (at length), but that doesn't make any of it factual or relevant.

Absolutely although the market is somewhat intrigued as to why the biggest carrier - Voda - would not enter a partnership agreement with Apple.

As for being distant from the UK market - I travel from US-UK-US, and have an office in the UK. I have to use the UK network - I still keep my Voda SIM and a tri-band phone - I know just how good/bad it is in the UK, and I can directly compare with the telco's and service I experience in the US.

That's fine, but it's not the European phone market you're talking about, merely the use of the UK's services.

3G in the US is patchy as well - same deal as the UK and a few years behind in many areas.

Which is why I think Apple were right not to include 3G in the US launch.

Demand for the iPhone.. Time will tell - Can you name me any phone that has sold 700,000 units in the first week of release? Other than the iPhone of course.

Let's be clear here: This is an Apple device for which much hype has been built up. It's their sole product in the cellphone market and there are a lot of fans of Apple - with good reason I may add. Comparing the launch of the iPhone to the roll out of providers latest models is a bit disingenius.

That said, I'd be interested to see the sales figures for the RAZR over its first few months.

It's almost as if you don't want it to succeed....

Quite the reverse. I want it to suceed and to do so it's going to have to raise its game over here.

As for the impact on the provider - it's huge - getting let's say 350,000 new subscribers (being conservative) in a single week, each with a 2 year contract, is a significant step change.

Any telco would like to have a product that delivers that many new customers.

They would indeed. The question remains if its going to be profitable in the long term though.

As for 3G requirement being overplayed..

Well, I'm using an iPhone, I use it every day on EDGE and wi-fi. I've had mine since launch day - used the Email for work and home, surfed the web, used Google maps, apps, SMS, iPod etc etc - I think that qualifies me to say that:

a) It works
b) It works without 3G
c) 3G would be 'nice to have' but is not essential or a deal breaker for the functionality of the iPhone.

Excellent. Wi-fi is much more available in the urban US than urban Europe though. Once again, our market isn't the same.

I really hope you get your 3G iPhone, but to suggest that it will fail if the first model is non 3G is overly negative.

You're dooming the product, before it's even been announced for release, based on zero actual iPhone experience.

Like I said - almost sounds like you're willing it to fail.

Not at all. I just don't want Apple to trelease a glorious but flawed device. I want to have my cake and eat it.

 

[crane98]

I have read a lot of legitimate complaints about the iPhone and I'll say that yours are just bogus. If it takes you longer to make a phone call and text on this phone than any other phone, you haven't owned enough phones. Any your typing must be REALLY bad if you are only getting 25% accuracy out of the auto correct feature. The worst is, you saying that you can't do much with the phone while driving except answering a call. What do you expect to do with it? Text your buddies? Surf the net? You are supposed to be driving, not screwing around with your phone. Safety is questionalbe at best when talking on a phone while driving let along messing around with other functions. Perhaps you should read the article about the teenage girl in England who just got four years in jail for killing a grandmother while she was driving and TEXTING her pals.

As for your last comment, you think we are all stupid for assuming Apple's going to release patches and fixes for the device? You must really be smoking something or very new to the tech world to think that Apple or any other major tech player won't release updates and bug fixes. Or that a company would never release a product with them.

I hate to say negative things about anyone but you just haven't got a clue and I believe that if you do actually own the device you are one of the few who really, really should have returned it.

Still waiting for that magical update that will fix volume, cut and paste, text message forwarding, picture forwarding, etc etc etc including all the other things people on here claim will be fixed through an update. While driving, it's a hassle to make a call. You have to hit so many buttons to do so, it's a lot more work than just about every phone out there.

 

[willio]

I am so interested in these responses. Its fascinating to see that there are so many people who are now finding not only some great features and tricks, but some serious problems with the iPhone as well. I am a little dismayed that Apple has not put out even a tiny update. Something to pacify us. I still love the phone (bought a new casemate yesterday) but its still an unbelievably inefficient way to communicate. Cool to look at and fun to play with but no good at all for real world use.

 

[TrippalHealicks]

I am so interested in these responses. Its fascinating to see that there are so many people who are now finding not only some great features and tricks, but some serious problems with the iPhone as well. I am a little dismayed that Apple has not put out even a tiny update. Something to pacify us. I still love the phone (bought a new casemate yesterday) but its still an unbelievably inefficient way to communicate. Cool to look at and fun to play with but no good at all for real world use.

I think it's very efficient. Mostly because of the responsiveness of the UI.
Coming from a motorola L2 (Slivr) this phone is a breath of fresh air. Everythig is fast and responsive, and it is ALOT easier to use than some of the phones i've had, and WAY more functional than most of them.

 

[cj sparrow]

No, I still like my iPhone

No. I still like my iPhone very much. As I learn to use all of its functions, I find that it is really adding (in a good way) to what I do each day.

After almost 4 weeks of use, I do not regret buying it.

 

[bberg23]

Voice Dialing

I've thought very seriously about buying an iPhone but for me the major feature keeping me from upgrading is 'voice dialing'.

For someone who uses a headset 90% of the time, I want to be able to call someone without even having to touch the phone.

I can do this on my Razr so it seems silly that Apple left out such an essential feature that can be found on phones that are given away free by AT&T.

My two cents...

 

[linkerjpatrick]

I've thought very seriously about buying an iPhone but for me the major feature keeping me from upgrading is 'voice dialing'.

For someone who uses a headset 90% of the time, I want to be able to call someone without even having to touch the phone.

I can do this on my Razr so it seems silly that Apple left out such an essential feature that can be found on phones that are given away free by AT&T.

My two cents...

This is total speculation but this is a feature we could see when Leopard is released in addition to the notes sync feature, etc. Anyone remember when they pulled some people off the Leopard team to work on the iPhone thus delaying Leopard? Don't be surprised if the iPhone update that includes new features will be a paid update (at least for Windows users) and an encouragement for Mac users who have iPhones to purchase Leopard.

 

[crane98]

Don't be surprised if the iPhone update that includes new features will be a paid update (at least for Windows users) and an encouragement for Mac users who have iPhones to purchase Leopard.

Show me one article that has been published by APPLE that has ever stated as a fact there will even be an update, because it doesn't exist. The only "updates" that are suppose to come out have been fabricated by the hopes of iPhone owners-there has been no official release yet.

 

[cdodkin]

So who are they going to phone in that other land area? Sheep? There's no point having fast coverage where it's not going to be used - GSM is the fallback for that.

Shoot yourself in both feet why don't you!

Here's the actual Vodafone UK 3G coverage map

So if you leave a city or large town, and stray off of a motorway, you're no longer on 3G. The map clearly shows that.

Your super fast data connection no longer works, and you're back on good old GSM.

Now, given that your iPhone is pulling Email and providing access to the Web, Google Maps, etc etc at all times - it wouldn't be able to even use 3G outside the main cities, it would be using GSM - just like in the US.

So, as I said, not having 3G in the iPhone is in no way a deal breaker.

And thanks for that priceless comment about wi-fi - that really is the best laugh I've had in ages

Even small towns like Norwhich are getting free wi-fi:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/5297884.stm

and you have the same pattern of stores, coffee shops, burger restaurants, hotels, airports with wi-fi as the US or any other developed nation.

Hell, even a tiny Yorkshire village like Kirkbymoorside has public wi-fi!



Summit Bookshop

2 Market Place
Kirkbymoorside
York
YO62 6BB
Location type: Bookstore

I don't fault anyone for wanting 3G - but using it as an excuse to bury the iPhone is lame.