Should I take my iPhone back?

[dkny18]

OK, so here's the deal.

My cell plan with T-Mobile was up a week ago so I RAN over to ATT and picked up the iPhone. I was really excited for it, and have been really impressed thus far but there are a few things about my particular phone that I am worried about.

1. Speaker volume -- I know there have been a lot of posts on this but it's especially important because I live and work in Manhattan. What is the likelihood they could fix call and speakerphone volume? Would I have to upgrade to a new phone or would it be some kind of software update?

2. Software updates -- Speaking of updates, will Apple be offering updates for first generation iPhone users?

3. Ringtones -- OK, here is something I cannot figure out. How is it possible that a phone that lets you store music won't let you pull in those music files as ringers? What do you guys think of this?

4. Alarm -- Am I missing something here? Why does my alarm clock not work? Does the phone actually have to be powered on for the alarm to go off? With previous phones this has never been the case for me. I just don't understand exactly how the alarm clock feature on this phone works -- am I missing something?

5. Battery life -- This is a huge one. I can charge my phone and typically I only get a full day out of it. On days when I'm not sending lots of e-mails, it may run down to half. Does this sound about right for other iPhone users or is my battery weak already?

6. No Support -- I probably should have looked into this before I bought the phone, but my company won't support the iPhone for e-mail. Has anyone else run into this problem? I secretly think the guy in IT hates me. Is there a way I can figure out my POP or IMAP info from my account already set up (Microsoft Entourage) at work on my Mac?

Basically, I have 10 days left to return the phone if I want and only getting hit with the 10% restocking fee. I'm really weighing my options here. Anyone that can help clarify any of the above points, I'm willing to listen. I really want to figure out what I got myself into and whether it was worth it or not.

Thanks!

Dan

 

[Tinman]

Welcome here.


1.) High. No. Try Bluetooth.

2.) Yes.

3.) Bought iPhoneRingToneMaker. Love it.

4.) Don't turn off phone, put it to sleep.

5.) Hard to say but lithium batts often need several charging cycles before they hit peak capacity. Doubtful yours has gotten weak already.

6.) If you can get that info then, yes, you can set it up on the iPhone.


Good luck, it's a great device IMO.


--
Mike

 

[LauraBee]

OK, so here's the deal.

My cell plan with T-Mobile was up a week ago so I RAN over to ATT and picked up the iPhone. I was really excited for it, and have been really impressed thus far but there are a few things about my particular phone that I am worried about.

1. Speaker volume -- I know there have been a lot of posts on this but it's especially important because I live and work in Manhattan. What is the likelihood they could fix call and speakerphone volume? Would I have to upgrade to a new phone or would it be some kind of software update?

2. Software updates -- Speaking of updates, will Apple be offering updates for first generation iPhone users?

3. Ringtones -- OK, here is something I cannot figure out. How is it possible that a phone that lets you store music won't let you pull in those music files as ringers? What do you guys think of this?

4. Alarm -- Am I missing something here? Why does my alarm clock not work? Does the phone actually have to be powered on for the alarm to go off? With previous phones this has never been the case for me. I just don't understand exactly how the alarm clock feature on this phone works -- am I missing something?

5. Battery life -- This is a huge one. I can charge my phone and typically I only get a full day out of it. On days when I'm not sending lots of e-mails, it may run down to half. Does this sound about right for other iPhone users or is my battery weak already?

6. No Support -- I probably should have looked into this before I bought the phone, but my company won't support the iPhone for e-mail. Has anyone else run into this problem? I secretly think the guy in IT hates me. Is there a way I can figure out my POP or IMAP info from my account already set up (Microsoft Entourage) at work on my Mac?

Basically, I have 10 days left to return the phone if I want and only getting hit with the 10% restocking fee. I'm really weighing my options here. Anyone that can help clarify any of the above points, I'm willing to listen. I really want to figure out what I got myself into and whether it was worth it or not.

Thanks!

Dan

Well, in four days you've found many of the things people are wondering/complaining about. All of the above are real concerns/questions, I guess you just have to decide if the iPhone (the way it is, the way it might be updated to be in the future) is what you will be happy with. I enjoy mine despite the very true things you've mentioned, although I haven't tried to set an alarm for anything yet (I go to work at noon so I wake up on my own) but that would suck if I was used to depending on that!

Good luck, I hope you find a way to enjoy it!

 

[Tinman]

I haven't tried to set an alarm for anything yet (I go to work at noon so I wake up on my own) but that would suck if I was used to depending on that!

Alarms work fine--even better now that I can make/use my own sounds. Unlike event alarms, you can specify alarm clock tones, and if you've installed custom ringtones they are available too.

Now obiously alarms won't work if you shut the iPhone completely off. Well, maybe not so obvious but to me it is akin to removing the battery from my Treo, which otherwise can't be turned off. I like having that option, though I can't imagine I'd use it much. If I was going to be out of range or just wanted to save battery I'd just use Airplane mode. I also can't see how one could turn off an iPhone on accident, so once you know how it works you either don't turn it off or don't expect it to wake for an alarm.


--
Mike

 

[nyc_rock]

OK, so here's the deal.

My cell plan with T-Mobile was up a week ago so I RAN over to ATT and picked up the iPhone. I was really excited for it, and have been really impressed thus far but there are a few things about my particular phone that I am worried about.

1. Speaker volume -- I know there have been a lot of posts on this but it's especially important because I live and work in Manhattan. What is the likelihood they could fix call and speakerphone volume? Would I have to upgrade to a new phone or would it be some kind of software update?

2. Software updates -- Speaking of updates, will Apple be offering updates for first generation iPhone users?

3. Ringtones -- OK, here is something I cannot figure out. How is it possible that a phone that lets you store music won't let you pull in those music files as ringers? What do you guys think of this?

4. Alarm -- Am I missing something here? Why does my alarm clock not work? Does the phone actually have to be powered on for the alarm to go off? With previous phones this has never been the case for me. I just don't understand exactly how the alarm clock feature on this phone works -- am I missing something?

5. Battery life -- This is a huge one. I can charge my phone and typically I only get a full day out of it. On days when I'm not sending lots of e-mails, it may run down to half. Does this sound about right for other iPhone users or is my battery weak already?

6. No Support -- I probably should have looked into this before I bought the phone, but my company won't support the iPhone for e-mail. Has anyone else run into this problem? I secretly think the guy in IT hates me. Is there a way I can figure out my POP or IMAP info from my account already set up (Microsoft Entourage) at work on my Mac?

Basically, I have 10 days left to return the phone if I want and only getting hit with the 10% restocking fee. I'm really weighing my options here. Anyone that can help clarify any of the above points, I'm willing to listen. I really want to figure out what I got myself into and whether it was worth it or not.

Thanks!

Dan

Honestly, I would wait for iPhone 2. 3G enabled.

 

[Popdevil]

Bought iPhoneRingToneMaker. Love it.Mike

Got any more information on the iPhone ring tone maker?

 

[t-mack]

iPhone Ringtone Maker

Great program - works flawlessly!

http://www.iPhoneringtonemaker.com/

Got any more information on the iPhone ring tone maker?

 

[cj sparrow]

OK, so here's the deal.

My cell plan with T-Mobile was up a week ago so I RAN over to ATT and picked up the iPhone. I was really excited for it, and have been really impressed thus far but there are a few things about my particular phone that I am worried about.

1. Speaker volume -- I know there have been a lot of posts on this but it's especially important because I live and work in Manhattan. What is the likelihood they could fix call and speakerphone volume? Would I have to upgrade to a new phone or would it be some kind of software update?

2. Software updates -- Speaking of updates, will Apple be offering updates for first generation iPhone users?

3. Ringtones -- OK, here is something I cannot figure out. How is it possible that a phone that lets you store music won't let you pull in those music files as ringers? What do you guys think of this?

4. Alarm -- Am I missing something here? Why does my alarm clock not work? Does the phone actually have to be powered on for the alarm to go off? With previous phones this has never been the case for me. I just don't understand exactly how the alarm clock feature on this phone works -- am I missing something?

5. Battery life -- This is a huge one. I can charge my phone and typically I only get a full day out of it. On days when I'm not sending lots of e-mails, it may run down to half. Does this sound about right for other iPhone users or is my battery weak already?

6. No Support -- I probably should have looked into this before I bought the phone, but my company won't support the iPhone for e-mail. Has anyone else run into this problem? I secretly think the guy in IT hates me. Is there a way I can figure out my POP or IMAP info from my account already set up (Microsoft Entourage) at work on my Mac?

Basically, I have 10 days left to return the phone if I want and only getting hit with the 10% restocking fee. I'm really weighing my options here. Anyone that can help clarify any of the above points, I'm willing to listen. I really want to figure out what I got myself into and whether it was worth it or not.

Thanks!

Dan

Dan,


1. Speaker volume -- I am not having a problem with my speaker volume. It is comparable to the volume I had on my old Razr V3. If you are in a high noise area, you might want to consider a bluetooth headset. I purchased the Jawbone for the times I am in a high noise environment and I like it very much. It has great volume since it fits neatly over the ear canal. The Apple headset is now coming on the market.

2. Software updates -- Yes. Look for firmware and software updates to appear on a regular basis. This is the history of Apple for all of its other products. Since the iPhone only has one button, all features are software upgradeable.

3. Ringtones -- This will change over time. Whether Apple will sell ringtones like other cell providers (very likely and it will be through the iTunes store), or someone will come up with a program that lets you upload your own tones to the phone (one is already on the market), this is a feature that will definitely be available.

4. Alarm -- You know, I haven't used this feature yet. I would say that it will work properly if you put the phone into sleep mode rather than powering it down.

5. Battery life -- Turn off un-needed functions. I now get several days of normal use out of a charge. WI-FI and to a lesser degree, Bluetooth consume a lot of power. I turn these features off when not needed. The EDGE network may not be the fastest network available, but it also uses a lot less power. Also, dim your display to a point where it is comfortable to use, but not overly bright. The lower you can go, the more power will be saved. Set the sleep timer to 1 minute so the phone is not on more than it needs to be. Turn off sounds that you don't need. Do you really need that whoosh when you send a text message? Leave on the sounds that you do need regularly. Do a complete cycle charge of the phone about once a month to keep the battery display calibrated. When you do the cycle discharge, go past the 20%, 15%, 10% and 5% warnings to the point where the phone displays a message to please connect it to a power source. Then let it fully charge. This should take about 4 hours. If it takes substantiall more time, then there might be a problem with the battery. Note that some phone will not show a full charge. This is not a battery problem but a firmware problem that Apple is aware of and is working on a fix to be release as soon as possible.

Since doing all of this, I have seen a very nice improvement in my battery life span.

6. No Support -- If you have information on how to externally access your e-mail server, then setting up your accounts for the e-mail program is not a big deal. Companies will traditionally only support the equipment they provide. So what you are experiencing is not unusual. Around here, only Blackberrys are provided to the managers through a secured network. Even if I wanted to get my company mail externally (which I do not), I couldn't.

By the way, I have come to the conclusion that unless you belong to an IT department's super secret society, they automatically hate you.

 

[crane98]

5. Battery life -- Turn off un-needed functions. I now get several days of normal use out of a charge. WI-FI and to a lesser degree, Bluetooth consume a lot of power. I turn these features off when not needed. The EDGE network may not be the fastest network available, but it also uses a lot less power. Also, dim your display to a point where it is comfortable to use, but not overly bright. The lower you can go, the more power will be saved. Set the sleep timer to 1 minute so the phone is not on more than it needs to be. Turn off sounds that you don't need. Do you really need that whoosh when you send a text message? Leave on the sounds that you do need regularly.

Ummm doesn't this kind of defeat the purpose of owning a device that does multiple things? Why do you have an iPhone if you're turning off 75% of it's features just to have a battery that gets you through the day? You have to admit, that's a pretty pathetic battery when you have to disable the sound that it makes when you send a text.

 

[totalsportsnut]

I don't know if you should or not. I had too, i had no choice. The top part of my my screen became unresponsive to touch. One little strip about 1" wide and all the way across the screen went dead. Apple overnighted a loaner while they repair, or replace mine. I got mine on the 6th of July.