Jun 23
iPhone 3G Problems
Do you think the iPhone 3G is awesome? Well, I can't say I totally disagree, but it seems there are a lot of problems with it, some real, some that may appear in time, while others are nothing more than fiction at this time. While the dock issue is a real one, there are plenty of things to think about, as we're going to see right away, but before anything else, let's see what's up with that dock, shall we?
Well, at least let's hope someone will manage to come up with a "iPhone dock to iPhone 3G dock converter," so those audio systems I mentioned above won't instantly become obsolete as soon as their owners will upgrade to the iPhone 3G, but this is not all - now, let's see what else can be bad about the iPhone 3G!
Another possible issue with the iPhone 3G is long term cost. To make a longer story short, during the first two years, you'll have to pay $160 more because the pricier data plan for the iPhone 3G, compared to the old iPhone.
The iPhone 3G's camera still doesn't have a flash, and there are no replaceable batteries for it, either.
This should be everything I can think of now...but there's also Samsung Instinct, a very interesting "potential problem" (of) for the iPhone! What do you think? Any other issues with the 3G iPhone you can point out? Please, go ahead and let us know!
26 vote(s)
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July 16th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
instict is junk
July 20th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
the new IPhone 3g suck!!! If you have the 3g option ON, your reception goes to 0 bars! AT&T says it’s Apple, Apple says it’s AT&T.
My advice to you, DON’T buy it. The 3G is useless.
July 20th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
I just returned mine and back to the Blackberry. SIM card was messed up, poor reception from 3G, a variety of connection/email issues, then the short comings with the included software - no photo text messaging, no cut/paste, not Tasks list, poor syncing with MS Outlook… Just not a great product at this time. When returning it took the phone 45 minutes to reset - get my details off it, the CS Rep said it “should” tak 30 seconds!
Take my advice, wait a few months, then try it - I plan to.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:25 am
I disagree! I got my iPhone 3g the day it came out, actually was the first in line to get it! I haven’t had any problems with it other than some apps crashing but that’s. Mostly the creators fault!
July 22nd, 2008 at 8:46 am
Iphone,Smyphone, I waited in line like a robot and got the Ultimate
phone and within 4 days I return the ultimate phone to ATT and
returned to rusty but trusty Sprint Mogul. On the Plus side: Video
quality is great,Apps store has a lot of useful apps and can only get
better. Pictures taken with camera comes out clear and bright. Fast
response touch screen. On the Negative side: Inside of some buildings,
I get no service which was a deal breaker. I was trying to show of my
Iphone to others and I couldn’t even get reception. Meanwhile, there
$100 phone was ringing out the hook. Couldn’t get used to wired
headsets. Stereo blue tooths are the what happening. 3g kills that
battery so fast that I had to constantly turn it on and off. WiFi
connection is always asking for permission from available networks,
not the Mogul it connects automatically. When I speak on the phone
with out blue tooth, the volume buttons are where you finger rest on
the phone. When my face touches the screen, I see 333333333. GPS is
not ready for prime time. Matter of fact it’s sorry. No insurance for
what is essentially a peice of glass. While I was waiting in line for
the iphone 3 people droped their phones, I mean it was just gravity.
It’s nice but not for the hard core muscle phone users. It’s great for
kids and light weights.
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:07 pm
The Iphone 3G is a great idea on paper, but a whole different story in your hands! I am still pissed that I waited in line in a mall in Atlanta, Ga for 6+ hours and a freind of mine in Detroit just walked into her Apple store in Michigan and walked out with a phone in 20mins tops! I have since returned my Iphone 3G for a full refund to the Apple store and had to wait in line for that too behind several prople returning theirs too. Problems are as follows!:
1. Menus respond when they want to-I tried scrolling from one menu to another-No Response, then without my finger on the phone-10+ secs later the menu scrolls.
2. “0″ bars of 3G signal strength then full strength all with the phone stitting still on a table.
3. Phone answered incoming calls on it’s own without any bluetooth device connected or paired with it.
4. Phone reboot on it’s own and display the Apple boot screen.
5. My old Sony Ericsson has much better call clarity, better digital pictures and has a removable memory card for additional storage capacity.
6. ridiculously horrible battery life!
7. You can’t just walk into an Apple store to receive help-you have to book an appointment online only to speak to technical support. Techincal support then tries to blame the phones’ behaviour on AT&T even with my Sony Ericsson sitting on the couter right next to it with FULL BARS OF 3G SIGNAL STRENGTH! The technical support rep then proceeded to replace the 3G with a refurbed 3G in a no name box-I told him to give me my sim card and my money back!!!!!!!!!
The thought had crossed my mind that maybe I got a lemon-so I swung by an Apple store at another mall and 7am this morning there were over 100 people in line-Some of them with 3g’s in the hand to return to Apple. I then made the decision that I need to stick to what works (My Sony Ericsson) and leave this piece of junk alone!
July 26th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
I’ve got the 3G iPhone in the UK.
From reading your comments I think you have a network problem with 3G in the US. Here, it works fairly good.
On the docking station… What it was said above in this blog is not true. I have a Bose docking station and as I write I’m listening to my iPhone 3G docked into it… and working just perfectly fine!
Life battery… agree, not ideal…
No photo txt mesg it’s also a shame… as well as with the cut/paste
Apple could have made a better effort improving the quality of the camera… as there are currently 5Mgs cameras in a variety of less-sophysticated phones.
July 26th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Hmm…it seems the iPhone 3G returning to base problem is pretty big, from what I can tell after reading your comments! For me, it’s still that basic Nokia I got a few months ago - no camera, no color display, just a phone that I charge and it keeps going for over a week, and does exactly what a phone is intended to do, nothing more.
July 27th, 2008 at 1:19 am
I was able to walk into an AT&T store in washington state the day they came out and buy one no prob. I only have a few issues with mine. First is the picture message feature, or lack of i should say. Second is, still no flash player. either im missing something, or this is the biggest hunk of crap ever. The web pages load nice and quick, everything looks so pretty, then theres this little cube with question marks on it? WTF!?!?
July 27th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
I bought the 3G last Friday, a couple of weeks after it came out, Still couldnt manage to get my hands on the 16gig so I settled for the 8. The only major problem Im having is the Text messaging, sometimes the keyboard takes forever… which is a problem for me since Im used to sending ALOT of texts and typing really fast lol… the other thing is the applications crashing… but it only is a couple of apps and they were the free ones… hope nothing else goes wrong :S
July 28th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
this phone is a piece of crap. the 3G conks out all the time, you walk inside a hut with something as much as a thatched roof and you get no bars of service.
It froze up on me several times already too.
AT&T is just as bad. By mistake, they activated 5 phone lines for me on launch day as a result of thinking they were having problems activating. Now it’s taken several weeks to clear that up also. They didn’t believe me that I didn’t have 5 iPhones so I had to explain to them that each person got 1 phone…how was it possible that I left the store with 5???
This iphone has been a total nightmare from day 1 and I regret switching over from Verizon.
July 28th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
I brought the 3G the day it come out in New Zealand, I had a couple of crashed early on which where cause by poorly written free apps which once removed stops the crashing and instability.
3G reception is great! I don’t have any call quality issues of any sort and in fact I recon its far better on that front that my Nokia E65 and my Imate JasJam.
Internet browsing is light years ahead of other internet capable phones as is the Exchange/Email interface, easy to Wright page long emails with correct formatting!!!.
Lack of Cut and Paste is a real shame as is the menu lags, however it is still faster and more stable than any other Win Mobile I’ve used(jasJam, JasJar, treo, HTC touch) Generally needing a restart every 2nd day or so to remain fully functional!
As we got our phones down here before anyone was even awake in the US I had no activation issues at all.
And on the comparison between this Smart Device and a poorly featured entry level Nokia is not even worth the time!, If you want a big screen and fast data your battery life is gona pay, and on 3G and WiFi it out lasts my JasJam by about 1/2 a day. If you want a piece of hardware that only takes and receives a call then that’s what you buy!
Great implementation of the Smart Phone Concept, with a few teething issues. IPhone far out performs its competition.
July 29th, 2008 at 10:05 am
frm what u guyz say i guess i should wait and watch……..
July 29th, 2008 at 10:39 am
looks like there’s problem with AT&T not iPhone. Because people from outside US is happy wit iPhone.
July 29th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Well I just got my iPhone 3g on Friday (upgraded from a regular iPhone) and I haven’t had any problems. My battery lasts all day with 3g on, my exchange server syncs seamlessly with my phone, as well as my personal email. I have the 16 gb version and keep music, movies, and podcasts on my phone and haven’t had a single issue. Oh and I’m in America using the phone in Tulsa, OK!
July 30th, 2008 at 12:30 am
iPhone 3G is the worst Mac product EVER!!!! Got 2 the second day. Both have to be rebooted ALL the time. Mine will not last more than 13 hours before it is dead, while my Blackberry Pearl would last 3 Days even after being 18 months old. Wow, apple really missed on this one!!! This phone is junk. Apple support is terrible, 30 minutes on hold…or they close. I have had Macs since the mid 80’s, but no more!!!
July 30th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
I cancelled my Sprint Account with my Sprint Instinct to go to the 3G and I could not be happier. The 3G is an excellent addtion to my job, I have only had one instance where the phone did not have excellent service in or out of a building and that was when I was in City Hall on the 3rd floor and had gotten on the elevator. I did loose the call around the second floor on the way down.
However, after reading ALL the messages above what I took away from them was………….Most of you are complaing because you don’t know how to take the time and read before you complain.
1st - If you read the documentation about the 3G it clearly states that the “bars” of strength are not real repesentations. I have had 1 Bar and 6 Bars and my call quality is the same and perfect. The bars for 3G really do not mean much.
Might also add, you can search the internet, check email and text ALL while a phone call because of the 3G.
2nd battery life - If you again read the documentation tells you about different applications that cause battery life to drain. I set my email to manual, where it updates when I check my mail, elimated battery drain.
Also, plug your 3G in and in less than an hour or so you have full battery again.
This phone is for professionals, it is not a little toy for you to take pictures of you friends with and text with. It is a power tool for professionals.
As such, it kicks butt and takes names.
Also, about the battery life my Treo lasted MAYBE 3 hours of talk time. The Sprint Instinct piece of crap MAYBE 1.5 hours.
The 3G I am getting almost 5.5 hours of TALK TIME.
In closing, you whiners about not having the ability to upsize your memory card.
Please tell me ANY other phone that supports more than 2 gig. I could be wrong but I am not aware of ANY……….oh what did you say the “cheap” piece of crap 3G supports 8gig.
Ok just checking.
July 31st, 2008 at 10:10 am
Had the 3g 16g for two weeks now. AT&T is spotty. Wished Verizon had the phone
I am not a tech freak so I’m just learning how to begin to utilize the features.
Two questions, can I get around the phone constantly asking for permission to use hot spots and second, I rec’d a pic text yesterday and got some weird alert from AT&T to go to a site and use user names and passwords to look a simple pic. What’s up with that and is there an app around it?
Thanks for your help.
August 1st, 2008 at 11:52 am
I upgraded to the 3G from the original iPhone the day it was available. I am the biggest Apple fan around and this upgrade was a mistake!
1. When accessing my contacts the thing freezes for about 15-20 seconds and I can’t do anything with it. It will finally start working again after it decides to.
2. When I have good 3G coverage my voice coverage drops to 0-1 bars. If the bars do not have anything to do signal strength then why put it there?
3. The phone struggles to switch from 3G to WiFi, to Edge. Often, I am in the middle of a great 3G area and the phone reads that I am on Edge and the speed reflects that.
4. The ability to check my email has very much declined. I have two email accounts setup on the iPhone. Often it goes into a terminal “Connecting” state or a terminal “Checking for Email” state. Then, NOTHING! It just sits there with the spinning wheel.
5. Applications take forever to load. Yes, even the ones that come standard on the phone (Stocks, Weather, etc.)
6. Sometimes, on the home screen, it forgets to tell me that a missed call has left a voicemail. If I see that there was a missed call I have to go to the voicemail menu to see if one is there.
There are more but I won’t bother with them right now.
There are some improvements:
1. The vibration is much stronger!
2. The speaker(s) are much better and louder
3. The phone is much nicer feeling in my hand. I much prefer this shape.
4. When the 3G works, it works pretty well
The battery life is not as good as the original but that was to be expected. When managed it is decent. I’m sure they are giving us the best battery life they can.
I believe most of the issues are isolated to the 2.0 firmware. My opinion is that it is buggy as hell and needs an immediate upgrade. Unfortunately, I got excited and upgraded my original iPhone to the 2.0 firmware. I am in the process of trying to get my original iPhone back to the 1.4 Firmware until Apple can get the iPhone 2.0 firmware straightened out. It simply causes me too much grief!
August 2nd, 2008 at 1:00 pm
It is totally impossible to have so many completely different opinions! Some people love the phone and have no problems and others say it is trash. Impossible!!! I have a headache reading so many whiners!! If you want a camera, buy a Cannon! If you want mobil internet buy a laptop! If you want memory, go to school!!!!! Quite complaining and get a life!!! People in Africa are starving!!
August 2nd, 2008 at 2:20 pm
I kid you not when I say I lost count on how many iPhones I had to exchange. This should teach Apple a lesson or two when it comes to Quality Control. Three units alone had the light leak. Another a vibration issue. Another purple tint to the screen (even with the latest firmware build), Another had loose volume button and sleep buttons. I have not even taked about software yet because that would be an endless discussion… You can call me a troll… I got receipts of all my exchanges! Its really sad when a company (Apple) pokes @ Microsoft for software design (yet 2.0 is so buggy, MS Mobile would wins hands down). I love the phone still for design and ease of use… It seems Apple cant mass produce (they have proved it) and hope in 3 to 4 mths, it will get better. This whole experience has left a sour taste to my Apples…
August 2nd, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Joe… your english is horrible..
If you want to write something about the phone… do so. If you want to whine about the people who actually own and having problems… get a life. Stop trolling!
August 2nd, 2008 at 6:12 pm
changed from old iPhone to new and have been very dissapointed with performance. As I type out this text I’m constantly waiting for the cursor to catch up. Applications take minutes to open. Why can I no longer dictate when I check for new mail? The manual check button doesn’t respond! I find I have to switch the phone off then on to get mail that’s been waiting for a day or more.
And while we are on the subject the me.com trial has messed up my mail settings and took 48 hours to sync “over the air”.
And a new problem now- as I’ve been typing the phone has decided to randomly delete the last 20 or so characters slowly, one by one as I type meaning I have to re-type.
Left home with a charged phone at 10am this morning and after 2 hours connected to cars Bluetooth the battery was dead.
Not good enough.
August 2nd, 2008 at 6:48 pm
I was waiting for this phone for months, just like everyone else. I have had it for a week and am so dissapointed in this prodocut it is beyond belief. I have 3 ipods and a macbook, so I was surprised at the quality of this product. First of the bat is the battery. I noticed that if I use the internet and make some calls, my battery life was around 8 hours…. Last I checked I bought a mobile phone, not a land line to be connected all the time! The other big issue is the reception. There is an AT&T office that sells that phones and offers help and so fourth, about 6-8 blocks from where I live. Yet when I walk into my residential home, I have at best 2 bars, but usually no more than one. I have noticed that the calls drop a lot and have had to use the headphones that came with, to talk to people. Which is really disappointing. I have had AT&T for about 8 years and I have hated them all this time (a lot more since they merged AT&T and cingular), and now they have turned me against a brand I have learned to love, Apple. Honestly if they don’t fix the software problems with the reception, or however it is they are going to fix the reception, then I will figure out a way to return this! This is one expensive toy… useless as a phone!!
August 3rd, 2008 at 2:54 pm
okay i just bought the iphone, and idk what to do after reading these messages but i was wondering what the good things about the iphone 3g, because it seems like everyone is listing the bad….
August 3rd, 2008 at 2:59 pm
oh and btw dont buy the phone from at&t pantech, its like new and it slides two ways, it may look cool…but it sucks!!!!! my three friends and i got it , and one mont later it broke down and they said it was water damage, but i only got it wet once and it was when i put it in a small pile of water on my bathroom counter. so dont buy it!!!!!!!!! im telling you and i have 6 people to back me up
August 3rd, 2008 at 5:54 pm
I really like the phone, but there are some problems which I’m running into as I switch from my trusty windows mobile device. I’m in the UK and do see wierd 3G behavior, but I have to say that I get pretty good call quality most of the time, regardless of number of bars showing.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:40 am
Well I don’t know why everyone is having such issues. I bought my IPhone about 3 weeks after it came out and i love it. I had a treo then i went to a Blackjack, I must say i love the graphics on this phone. Can’t ask for anything better!! I will say that my 3G is not as good where i live but i think that’s because of the towers!
August 4th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
I just upgraded to the 3G from a Cingular 8125 (worthless). I didn’t mind the 2 week wait for the phone and am generally pleased with it. However, there are two things that really bug me:
Battery LIfe - I’m astounded about how bad it is. 24 hrs max.
iTunes - for my first sync, like an idiot I plugged the 3G into my Windows Vista computer expecting windows sync to see the phone and let me sync. I did some checking and found I had to download iTunes. OK. HOWEVER, for the free download, Apple made me enter credit card information. That infuriated me.
I’m still trying to figure out the emailing pictures thing. So far, those I email show up in the body of my emails instead of as attachments. That’s probably just my problem; however, I haven’t figured it out yet.
I’m trying to get used to the touch screen for messaging - it is a project for anybody with fingernails (not long complicated/fake ones). I have to use my fingerpads instead of my fingertips, so I end up correcting a lot of typos as I go along. This is probably a universal problem with any touch screen phone, and I’ll just have to get used to it.
My choice was this or a Blackberry. I hope I made the right one.
August 4th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
I am returning my 3G tomorrow and going back to my trusty BlackBerry. The 3g is not ready for the business environment. Battery life is unconscionable. Thats only one of multiple issues I have with the phone.
Cute toy.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
my phone will not turn back on
piece of junk
better use as a paper weight
August 5th, 2008 at 12:03 am
My phone shut off by itself about an hour ago and won’t turn back on either! Which is why i googled “iPhone 3G Problems” and one of the links led me here to this message board
August 5th, 2008 at 4:36 am
Apple released an update yesterday evening that “fixes bugs.” Plug in the phone to your computer and open iTunes. You’ll get a prompt to download and install 2.01. I’d expect these often until all the bugs are fixed.
August 5th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
I returned the iphone 3g after one week of usage. Despite the wonderful interface and great design the phone itself is far to glitchy to depend on. I have had numerous lock-ups, freezes and restarts. I spent many hours restoring the phone.
August 5th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Wow. So many problems out there. I have head mine for a bit and not one single issue. Everything works flawlessly. I have been a MAC user for years now and this pretty much follows suit with everything Mac I own. Solid as a rock with zero problems. Guess I am just lucky.
August 6th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
I got my iphone 3G on release day thanks to my wife waiting in line for 5 hours. I love the thing and the at&t service is awesome too!! The battery life could be better but its a mini computer people! My iphone lasts longer than any laptop battery will. Be realistic on your battery expectations!!
August 7th, 2008 at 12:10 am
Every cellphone maker has complaints, but Apple has the highest customer satisfaction. I am very happy with my iPhone. I think of it as a handheld computer combined with instant communication capability. It is very powerful when you need it.
August 7th, 2008 at 11:21 am
I agree that the battery life sucks - but worse than that I cannot access my company’s voicemail. The ** prompt from my iphone is not heard by my Nortel phone system. I can’t have a business phone that is not able to get to my voicemail. I will give it another week then back to Blackberry if this issue is not resolved
August 7th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Reading this forum to help decide if I will keep iphone or give up. Mine worked great for one week. I went to make a call and icon said No Service. Turned the phone on and off and now it won’t work. I have tried every fix posted on ATT and Apple. I returned to an ATT corporate store and switched out SIM card which did not solve the problem. To make a very long story short ATT says its Apple’s fault and Apple says its ATT’s fault and I will potentially have to pay 10% (+ if I decide to go with a different phone) to replace a defective piece of equipment.
August 8th, 2008 at 7:11 am
Hmm maybe give it a miss for now
August 8th, 2008 at 8:15 am
I hate the plastic back. Aluminum back rulez! Anyway, the case seems to be only a minor problem, when looking up at all your different issues with this last iPhone from Apple…
August 8th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
The Iphone went back to ATT and I opted for a different phone. After 4 trips to ATT and 1 to the closest Apple store it was decided that the phone was defective only no one wanted to take ownership of the problem. Apple would repair but not replace. ATT charges 10% restocking fee to reorder(they say it is per Apple.) At this point I would say BUYER BEWARE!!
August 8th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Thanks for sharing your experience Janna !
August 8th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
f— u brian
August 9th, 2008 at 4:14 am
Swedish http//di.se reported yesterday that:
“Iphone 3G has serious software problems in Swedish Telia network. Several support technicians at Telia confirm that there is a serious problem and the Iphone does not manage to establish the communication with the network at all. The problems seam to be related with the Iphones antenna and occurs even in the areas when the network is very strong.
The only way to use the phone in Swedish network is to disable the 3G in Iphone and use GSM/EDGE network.”
This is what di.se says. My commentary: from the article it seams that they see that there is a problem with the 3G network but I they do not seam to know exactly what causes it. It is either the antenna or the SW.
From what you wrote on the comments to this blog - the phone works in some networks and does not work in others. One could also speculate that this is related to the incompatibility with certain base stations. For example I know that swedish Telia and US ATT use Ericsson base stations. Could it be so that the Iphone 3G has not been properly tested when it comes to the compatibility with different base stations.
It will be easier to find out if more of you say in what networks you get problems and in which you do not. Look also at the phones behavior while you are roaming - this can provide some valuable information.
August 9th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Hmmm…so I see a lot of users ending up with a “3G iPhone,” but without 3G! In the end, it may simply be the fact they didn’t test the device enough…not to mention that plastic back - so much for a “tool for professionals,” Brian! Don’t you think professionals should have sturdy devices, instead of ones that get cracks appearing in just a few days of regular use?
August 10th, 2008 at 12:23 am
I think most of the problems reported here relate to USER fault. Not a very bright lot methinks
August 10th, 2008 at 4:03 am
Usually a lot of problems are caused by a user thinking the User Manual is useless or trying to do things a device is not capable, but when your new iPhone gets cracks, stop working, loses signal when people around you talk using cheap cell phones without problems, and so on…that goes beyond “user fault,” don’t you think?
August 10th, 2008 at 6:34 am
No. I know Apple have sold millions of the things and the VAST majority of owners are delighted - so I guess it can’t be the phone. Only leaves useless users… don’t you think
August 10th, 2008 at 6:41 am
Reading your comments Codrut, seems you don’t even have an iPhone and are just parroting what the other techno failures have written. What’s the matter … still living in a second rate Vista world and frustrated that other people just enjoy their IT products without all the MS crap?
August 11th, 2008 at 2:25 am
Seeing is believeing - why wasn’t there A SINGLE picture with a cracked iPhone before - instead, I read a lot of user reports praising the iPhone’s durability. I may also be thinking various things about you, but since I don’t know you, I am not saying them loud, which I also recommend you to do - you don’t know anything about me, and the fact that I don’t use an iPhone on a regular basis doesn’t mean I never used one.
August 11th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
To I’m Happy, believe me dude I am not a stupid user who is not very bright, so keep your estimate of mine or anyone elses intelligence to yourself. Whether or not I just got a lemon or there is some design flaws in the Iphone is beside the point. The poor customer service from Apple in regards to standing behind their product is what I have an issue with.
August 11th, 2008 at 11:46 pm
Joe,
Sell the cell phone and go to Africa and straighten up that continent. Then get back to us. Thanks, partner.
August 12th, 2008 at 12:40 am
i use my old dock with my 3g, it works
August 12th, 2008 at 2:22 am
It’s great to hear that, davy!
August 12th, 2008 at 11:43 pm
At&t gets great service everywhere i go. I work in a building with satalite equipment and every floor has high tech equipment in them as well! I can use my 3g in the elevator and subway! Your phones must suck!!! Mine gets the job done!!! It works with all the adapters. It last all day while listening to music and while browsing the internet. I’ve been with Verizon since they first started when I was15 and now Im 25. At&t customers service is great and friendly. Just deal with it. Cell phones are imperfect!!! Nothing you can do. You want a good phone go to korea, or over seas. International is and are ahead of the U.S. by 5 years….. Holla back!!!!!
August 13th, 2008 at 3:36 am
Interesting point of view…could you name some phone models that are 5 years ahead of the iPhone?
August 13th, 2008 at 9:35 am
i dont know after reading all the comments i am really confused to buy an iphone 3g or at&t tilt. Any suggestions
August 14th, 2008 at 7:14 am
First of all, think if you really need what the iPhone 3G is offering. Next, check to see what its rivals offer. Then…decide!
August 14th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
The iPhone 3G is a mini-computer, not a cell phone. the specs line up more with a pocketPC than a cell phone. its got music, chat, email, video, internet, huge bright screen, maps, and ability to run any application legally invented. And software updates will grow the platform if you can be patient.
If you think youre suppose to be able to surf the net, take pics, chat, and blab on the phone a few hours a day and not have to charge it daily, you don’t get it! Do you expect your laptop to last days without charging, and it doesnt even make phone calls or weigh less than a pound! My bars bounce around, but i cn talk to people fine and when a call get dropped, i call the person back and say “sorry, dropped call…” and continue talking. Wow, that wasnt the end of out relationship… no duh!
You people know nothing about technology and engineering limits. Everyone wanted 3G, Apple gave it. It didnt even cost $500 this time! A damn humidifier costs $200!!! You get a beautiful portable computer for $200 then you complain about battery! Turn off 3G, Push email, and GPS and battery lasts over day! You can’t have your cake and eat it too…
August 14th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Well….after reading all your comments, I have to say I agree with some of them. I recently got the phone and I think its the best phone I ever owned (except the battery life!). I had the BB Pearl before the iPhone and the battery life was great at first but lasted about 6 hours after using it for 6 month. I get great reception on the phone as well as no dropped calls. Picture quality of the camera could be a little better but it is ok, afterall its a phone not a camera. One think that really pisses me off though is the slow response from the keyboard. I would consider myself a pretty fast typer, but the iPhone’s keyboard is very slow. Opening the contacts can take up to 3-4 seconds as well, which is not ideal since we are living in a real time technology age.
Overall, I am very impressed with the phone and it syncs beautifully through active sync with outlook in real time. You also have to take inconsideration that Apple is constantly coming out with patches and updates, which takes time to develop. FYI - I was never an apple lover but this is a great product.
- Doobie
August 14th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
All you people that are having problems probably could`nt figure out how much 5 items would cost at the dollar store.I have had my iphone 3g for 25 minutes and have had nothing go wrong.lol
August 14th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
Actually Im from montreal and I am pretty surprised by you comments on the phone. In the montreal area I get 4 bars sometimes dropping to 3 in the outskirts. 3g when turned on does really drain the battery. I turn 3g on only for internet then turn it back off. Besides that everything is perfect with the phone I recomend getting a case for the phone I ve already dropped mine twice with teh case on and it in one piece
August 15th, 2008 at 10:22 am
lol
“AT&T raising the bar” … as they advertise.
but I don’t think so.
Remember!
AT&T was one of the mobile co. in NY and they left NY because their service was so bad (including customer service and reception).
Cingular was one of the worst service in NY (tons of dropped calls, un-reliable network).
And AT&T eats Cingular. Wrost company eats wroser company? well… nothing can be better except wrost.
AT&T is not raising the bar! It is de-raising the bar.
Total All, Apple is not as good as Microsoft.
If Apple is better than Microsoft, they won’t even need to put Microsoft Exchange app in iPhone.
And they always say, they are better! lol
never happens!
sorry for those iPhone users.
August 15th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
I am not able to forward SMS from i phone this is useless. Nokia is far better and having better faclities
August 16th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Got one of the first iPhones available from AT&T. I am very happy with the phone and features and there are some applications out there (many free) that are really useful.
The problem I have had with the phone is with signal strength. It only gives me 0-1 bar or cancels a call do to poor signal where I had a strong signal (5 bars) with my previous phones. I called Support and they told be to get another sim card because the sim card is used as an antenna for the phone. I used the paper clip and removed the card and put in and out several times to make sure it had a good contact (still has the problem). My wife has a 3g phone also which is having the same problem. I wish there was a way to amplify the antenna on the iPhone or get AT&T to amplify the signal to really “get more bars in places” as they advertise.
August 18th, 2008 at 12:43 am
I love it. The only thing that blows is the battery life…Ive read it in almost every post in this little forum. Im lucky if I can get it to last from 7am to 10pm. Thats really bad. Also, to even get it to work that long, the 3G has to be turned off. My g/f has the 1st generation…she has ZERO problems…hopefully Apple gets these bugs worked out. They have updates through iTunes regularly….Im going to stick with it
August 18th, 2008 at 5:17 am
Somebody should really come up with an external iPhone battery! You simply put on a 15-20lbs backpack on, connect it to your iPhone 3G, and you can use it at full capacity for more than a day! That would really be sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!
August 18th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
im working on getting the iPhone now, I just joined at&t and i really love it! reading about all the issues never even wavered my opinion of the phone. I guess ill have to see after I get it. If it really is as bad as everyon says, then i guess its back to the blackberry for me!
August 19th, 2008 at 2:21 am
This is my 2nd post. My iphone experience has been very positive. Keep in mind you are using a leading edge high tech product, there’ll be some glitches here and there. Overall, it is an impressive product. During my talks with friends, whenever I have questions, I just google using iPhone and find the answers really quick: like how many medals did the U.S. won in Athens, where is Georgia and how did Sigmund Froyd look like? It just makes my statements much more credible. Having an iPhone is like having the Great Library at your finger tips.
August 19th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Bad Reception, Poor 3G, Can’t switch to Edge without draining the battery, Cool features, Crappy phone.
August 19th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
iPhone is sexy, however it drops calls constantly, enabling 3G will get you little to no coverage. I was using a Blackberry Curve before this purchase. Iphone is great for personal and corporate email, however lacks some good business applications. my .02; save yourself the trouble. i had tons of problems, at first with activation, voicemail, including virtual voicemail, sound quality, freezing, the problems go on. Steve Jobs, you should have spent more money on product development then the commercials. as a business person I highly recommend either a windows mobile or Blackberry device. iphone lacks so many capabilities NEEDED for business or even person, NO TELENAVE!!
not to mention the endless fingerpointing between Apple and At&t.
very disappointed with my purchase, save yourself the trouble. And yes, I will be going back to my Blackberry as its rock solid and i know i won’t drop calls
August 20th, 2008 at 9:46 am
Before iPhone came out, we have been promised and we have expected a quality product and good service. After the device saw daylight, we have been assured that all the issues will be taken care of. Now, after a second generation of the iPhone, many months later all we get is terrible service, low product quality and no explanation, no excuse, no credit.
Visit shameonapple.com and sign in the comments. Explain your problem, voice your opinion. Let’s hope that mr. Jobs will finally understand how pissed off his customers are!
August 20th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
I had the old iphone and upgraded to the new one….im having serious issues. I dont get the visual voicemail, i had issues with the internet on the edge and 3g networks, in wifi its great but how often do u have a wifi on the road, never.
When i updated my original iphone to the 2.0 software it started lagging and scrolling wouldnt rspond, typing was lagged….i upgraded cause i was ahving issues but now i have even more….i have 12 days to take it back im on the phone holding for apple customer care, if its not resolved by the weekend im goin back to the original.
Apple blames at&t….at&t blames apple….alll i can say is that i have the same plan and same service as before the only change is the phone….it doesnt take a genius to figure this one out.
My verdict is dont buy it, and this is coming from a person that prior to buying this phone spoke so highly of apple u would think i owned stock in it!
August 20th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
I got the phone in Japan two weeks ago;
+ve’s: sexy in black (why buy a white one?), massive screen, fast web access, great business email with an imap account, Outlook calander sync, touch screen is good, phone reception good, 3G network good, IPOD which plays while you type emails, Apps are cool, Abilty to reset the phone, GPS and goggle map (had to use it the other day in Tokyo, worked brilliantly), Weather this selectable cities (same with the Clock),
-ve’s: Had a problem with the unit going into standby (black screening) while I was using it so had the phone replaced (it’s only 2 weeks old!!!, it turned out to be a software problem), Syncing wih different computers (prob a user problem), heavy, lack of available accessories like compatible sounds systems and holders, no cut n’ paste, no storage of documents, no cut ‘n paste (did I say that already??), no ability to attach documents to emails, can’t attached multiple pictures (my midget little 3G Samsung 708SC could do this?!?!), sometimes slow due to lack of RAM, Outlook contacts doesn’t snyc well (but I reckon this is a problem with MS), battery life (but what do you expect for a big screen), some Apps make the phone unstable (but these were downloaded from i-Tunes so Apple should have tested them!), no video phone call (again, my Samsung had this),
Yes, the phones here and in Korea are light years away from the norm e.g.Nokia (dont get me wrong, I like Nokia’s for natural ease of function, but they are just a phone) and if I wanted to watch TV I would get a Japanese phone and watch it in digital. But the phones here don’t match the abilities of the i-Phone for email and web surfing.
This phone sits between a business phone/PDA and a great toy. If Apple fixes the slow load, lack of documentation storage and cut n’ paste then this will be a great tool.
August 20th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
Hmm, looking at my lists the -’ves is bigger than the +’ves.
Still like it, but thats probably because it’s sexy…
August 21st, 2008 at 1:43 am
no video
August 21st, 2008 at 3:32 am
A, you pointed it right - Nokia and others are “just phones,” but if I have to choose between having an amazing toy that needs recharged daily and a phone that I wouldn’t be afraid to get lost in the woods with, I’d choose the phone - obviously.
August 21st, 2008 at 11:22 am
I am having quite a few issues with my iphone 3g. I upgraded from the original iphone and all its caused me is no end of problems!
Here are a few:
- When going through my phonebook it freezes for a few seconds
- When writing a text it occassionally decides to go really slow and writing a text takes double the time
- When I am on a call it decides to freeze and the screen turns black
- The 3G signal isnt great either
I then decided to upgrade the software and I go onto my itunes.. just connected and it was in sync and now my phone has completley frozen and its just the black screen with the spinning apple logo!! GRRRR I am sooo NOT impressed!!!
BUT when it is working fine I am pleased with it!
August 21st, 2008 at 7:11 pm
instinct will nvr b a problem bcuz sprints network is garbage..
August 21st, 2008 at 9:28 pm
I’m from Canada, Montreal and I’ve had my 3G iPhone for 3 days now, I love it. The only problem is the battery life but I think I’ve abused it enough the first few days and I may not be able to judge “normal use” just yet.
The lack of videoconferencing is also a bummer.
I’m on Fido/Rogers and I know for a fact that they use Ericsson base stations (I think someone mentioned a problem with the 3G chipset and the Ericsson base stations) I don’t think it’s a problem here in Canada/Montreal, my phone has 5bars most of the time on 3G, the minimum it would drop to is 3 (stable). Off course it does go from 5 to 1 bars a *couple* times day, just as my SonyEricsson(quad band) and Nokia(quad band) did.
I personally don’t think it’s an iPhone problem. The battery life looks OK if you use it as a portable internet device, GPS, and listen to music… c’mon it’s as slim as a Pop tarts
give them some credit for all the features packed in that small gadget which does almost EVERYTHING you would expect from a Phone, Organizer, email, music, camera, internet, GPS, tons of apps for free. Stocks, currency, IM, Internet radio stations, Diction nary, Budget apps.
August 22nd, 2008 at 2:03 am
I’m from India. Got a lot confused after reading all these comments and right now in a very huge dillema!! Can anyone please suggest me whether to buy an iphone or to better bear with my trusty MOTOROKR E6???
August 22nd, 2008 at 2:22 am
so I have had my 3G for two days now. i must admit battery life is short BUT–what do you expect??? you guys are saying how it sucks soooo bad but what i dont think youve realized yet is that this is not your little run of the mill Nokia or flip phone. Its a mini computer. One that has a very high level of screen brightness, which may add to the quick battery drainage….amazing internet, it holds EVERYTHING and when you have it youre probably on it a lot. a few glitches are expected. I have not had any issues with it so far. and pleease stop compring it to blackberry, when its obviously so much better and…sexy
August 22nd, 2008 at 4:33 am
Pranay, keep the one you got. Are they going to introduce the iPhone in India, priced about 25% as one of those cheap cars you have now from Tata, if I recall it well?(don’t get this as an offense, I really like that car!)
August 22nd, 2008 at 7:28 pm
STFU
August 23rd, 2008 at 9:35 am
The other day I had to lend my 2 year old Treo to a person on my train trying unsucessfully to call home with their brand new iphone to arrange being picked up at their train station. I don’t own a iphone, but admit they look really cool. But that said, there are many cars that look great but I wouldn’t buy because they aren’t reliable or made very well. Apple normally makes very good products, but at cost premiums. When they have to compete at the same price level as others…quality obviously takes a hit. Ever hear of the Apples to Oranges comparison? Guess the new iphone is more orange than apple.
August 23rd, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Wow, in reading all the bad reviews I wonder why I’m so pleased with mine!! I live in Canada and have no problems with reception unless I’m in a fairly remote place. Sometimes it even works in the elevator of my building, which is weird! I find it incredibly user friendly, very intuitive, picture quality is fine (I mean, it’s a phone people!), selection of apps is great. A couple crashes from apps, not the phone itself. Some of the apps though surprise me with their awesome graphics. No problems whatsoever with my touch screen. The internet is perfect for surfing for those times when you are away from your laptop and the GPS is great… remember, it’s a phone. As for the battery, I have a charger in my vehicle, one at home and one at work. When the phone is sitting there, I turn the backlight off and the battery lasts forever. I mean, who surfs and plays a ton of games when you have no access to a charger? I have a life… I am so pleased and love my iPhone, but it’s not my life! LOL
August 23rd, 2008 at 5:02 pm
I think some of you guys/gals are missing the point, Apple promised corporate users a mobile work horse. If I just needed it for the bare essentials then yes, its sexy, beautiful and the best in class. Those of us who need to be available and able to make, take and receive calls, its vital! the two companies (apple, att) need to get their act together, ASAP. But for the canadian to say its not my life, for some busy professionals it is! Sorry but in some American cities its skyscrapers galore; canadians its nothing but open space …(hope you can take a joke canuck!)
August 23rd, 2008 at 5:34 pm
This phone sucks. I’ve endured exceptionally bad reception in areas where signal should be good, extremely low battery life with 3G turned on, missing voice mails, uncommanded reboots, frozen menus, etc. I tried to get help from ATT numnuts, and they hang up on you after 30 min hold time. Holy shit! I wasted 90 minutes on that. I have ported my number back to US Cellular and will be returning my iphone at the first possible opportunity.
August 24th, 2008 at 4:45 am
Why iphone here in Philippines is so expensive?
August 24th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
diesel, depends on the local carrier and the deal it has with Apple. The iPhone is really expensive in some locations, and it’s not Apple’s fault…
August 24th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Can’t open Flash Files- Will this be resolved at some time in the future?
August 25th, 2008 at 1:54 am
Obviously - for now, it seems Adobe is working on a Flash version for the iPhone, but it’s not ready just yet. Hang on in there!
August 25th, 2008 at 9:59 am
when i read the comments now i’m confuse to buy the iphone 3g, but i really want to have 1 of it any advice or serious suggestions……….plzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…
August 25th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
On the phone with apple and now att all day. Major issues sending, receiving email. “Checking for mail” just spins and spins forever. Conflicts with yahoo business mail accounts causing lockout problems when i’m tyring to access from my pc (never happened with blackberry). If the email would work it would be great. Can deal with all the other bs and awful battery problems…
August 25th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
jaguar, first of all think how many of its features will you really use, and then if you really like to charge it daily. I got a phone that’s like a bike near a Lamborghini, when compared with the iPhone, when talking about features, but at least I only have to charge it weekly, sometimes he battery lasts for 10-11 days!
dick, I think your problems are software- or AT&T-related, and they have nothing to do with the iPhone 3G itself, as long as we don’t consider the software a part of the phone…
August 25th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Thx to Codrut Nistor re Shockwave files problem on IPhone 3G- I’ll be patient.!
August 25th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
Returning 4 iphones tomorow (day 29) and switching back to Verizon. All 4 iphones have constant dropped calls, IM’s that never get to person I send them to (tried sending from my wife’s to mine), “call failed” constantly. In addition to all of this, when I was sold the phones I was told that the IPHONE data plan was not required. A week after having the phones my 12 year old got instant message form AT&T saying the $30/month plan was being added to bill. As primary number I was never contacted about this. I specifically asked the sales person “if my daughter users her phone to get on the net at my house, on our wireless network, and didn’t use it out in the real world, do we have to have the $30/month plan?” He said no, sold me the phones, activated them without the plan because he said it wasn’t required. Now my 12 year old got charged $144/data use AND they are adding the $30/month plan to all phones. Also, he said there would only be a $36 activation fee on first one and all 4 show activation charge on my bill. Luckily I had him print out and write on each individual receipt there wouldn’t be an activation charge.
So, I am taking advantage of my 30 day buyer remorse option and going back to Verizon who said they will refund my $85 earlier termination fee and allow me to go back to my old contract that ends in December.
I hate it since I own a lot of Apple stock.
August 26th, 2008 at 4:06 am
Jon, it seems the reception problems are caused by the chipset…but let’s hope they are not. At least that’s what some people say. A new roundup of iPhone 3G problems and possible sources of those problems(most of them don’t have any solutions yet…) can be found here - http://bindapple.com/iphone-3g-problems-the-source/
Regarding the Apple Stock…be cool, there are still a lot of people waiting to get the iPhone in Europe and Asia…and the new iPods could also be a pretty big hit.
August 26th, 2008 at 4:40 am
I live in Spain, we have been waiting for the iphone for years…… this is the first time that our local cell operator has offered. I waited two months to get it and I absoloutely love it. I am a prior I-touch user, and I feel that the combination of a phone in the itouch is absolutely remarkable, not to mention the flexibility of having email and net surfing available. The only problem I see is the fact that the battery only lasts about 24 hours and needs to be re charged. I would like to know if keeping the phone on the dock constantaly will affect the life of the battery. Thanks
August 26th, 2008 at 5:47 am
Good question, but since it’s a Lithium-ion polymer battery, its life is over 1000 load cycles, and explosion risks are much lower than the ones implied by “classic” Lithium-ion ones. As far as I know, if you keep the phone on the dock all the time, your battery life may suffer, but I can’t bet on that. Anyway, I think it’s going to be all right for at least 18 months. Did you ask your local cell operator? They probably know more about this issue than I do…or not. Just be sure to get back here and share with us what you find!
August 27th, 2008 at 12:15 am
was thinking about getting it but then again i can wait to hopefully those dicks up in apple can actually finish their fucking damn product to where our needs or pleasures are met!!! and not one step at a time where you have to be constantly upgrading the programs!!! i mean WTF you son of bitches we could use a damn video camera to capture all those special moments you dick heads!!! so for now F U cause you already Fkd me with this piece of shit i went out to buy (ok no janis did) but you get my point!!!!! peace!!!!!
August 27th, 2008 at 5:44 am
Heh, you should calm down.
We all got fooled by advertising once or twice…
August 27th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
I purchased mine, Love it. I can deal with the little issues. Everyone needs to understand it is ultimately a phone. Mine works great. I have had no issues with service. I am on the road 2 weeks out of every month all over the US. I work in the entertainment industry. I am also in some of the largest convention centers in the country and I still have great service. If you are using the phone in a professional way it will work great. If you want a phone that does it all, it is not a phone for you. I have had the Blackberry, Treo, BlackjackI and BlackjackII. So far the iphone has outworked them.
Bayoupro
August 27th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
I got my iPhone after 9 hours in line.. FYI.. for the Newbies.. If ur phone asks for permission to connect to wifi. Go /Settings/WI-FI Turn off ask to join networks. Another thing if ur face pressed commands on phone when u were talking.. get a better face cover for the phone.. there are 3 sensors on your phone that detect if your face is close and screen turns of. as far as Glitches go. Log on to iTunes and download newest firmware. Phone does everything as promised. if u hav any questions reply.
August 27th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Do you really like iPhone…. if yes? Then buy it.
Do you really need iPhone because of i’ts features and capabilities? Then buy it.
Buy it, most especially if money is not a question or problem to you.
Now, if you are not happy, uncomfortable or worried because of those reported issues. You still have the right, power and discretion to decide what is best for you.
August 27th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
I have been an avid fan/user/promoter of apple products since my first mac laptop that i purchased in 1999. I have owned an iphone since January, and while i am enamored with the design and overall idea of this phone, i have become truly disappointed. Since upgrading to the 2.0 firmware it has been just short of a nightmare. The reception is spotty at best and have experienced numerous dropped calls being in a stationary place, and an overall weak signal (except in the ATT or Apple store. The safari application has crashed countless times while surfing the net (no apps used). Switching between applications in many cases is interminably slow. Contacts is slow in recognizing commands. Websurfing can only be considered on wifi status(i have resisted the 3G for the reasons that many have stated above). Edge is turrrrrrrrrtle slowwwwwww!!!! I hope in the coming months Apple and ATT figure these issues out or i can see this being disastrous for both parties and making my way back to my tried and true Blackberry/Tmobile service.
August 28th, 2008 at 2:24 am
Well, from all the you guys comments…i think i am Happy with my Classic iPhone…:)
August 28th, 2008 at 4:09 am
You should be!
vinot, it’s not about throwing away your money here, it’s about getting a reliable system. I have nothing against BOSE, for example - they are extremely expensive, but they surely give you a run for your money!
August 28th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
It seems that the new iPhone works fine if you turn the 3G network setting off.
So then what was even the point of switching from the original iPhone to the new one? Ugh. I’ll probably take mine back. :/
August 28th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Still no problems with my iPhone. Wonder what all you people are complaining about. 3G - works. Speed - fine. Wi-fi - as quick as my desktop computer. Apps - great range and mostly free! iPod - couldn’t be better. Form factor - brilliant. MobileMe - couple of glitches but mostly works great, Phone - well I can call people and speak to them and they can call and speak to me. What else do you want?
I say - what’s not to love about iPhone
August 29th, 2008 at 12:39 am
What a total waste of money and excitement on the new iPhone 3G phone!!! The 3G is hardly ever on. The old iPhone worked by far better - less to no crashing, more signal strength. Apple sure went backwards on this one!
August 29th, 2008 at 5:22 am
zenne, it would be very useful to tell us about your carrier and location, it seems some people are very happy with signal strength and 3G signal…
August 29th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
I work at an ATT store and I can help a few of you out… I don’t like some things about the iphone; no picture text (mms) unless with other iphone users,
no cut & paste,
no flash or adobe support (meaning large part of the internet is not accessible on iphone),
new design rends 95% of old docking stations useless, some app instability, no camera flash,
no battery replacement (manually),
battery life isn’t ideal (a phone should last all day with an hour of talking),
only landscape keyboard,
email feature only allows one contact at a time,
no bluetooth stereo,
itunes is the only way to transfer files on/off computer (creates various problems with file transfers),
You’re required to have an iphone data plan ($50 minimum monthly) when you purchase an iphone (this is on top of your voice plan, text, gps, insurance, PTT, etc…)
difficult and expensive to replace accessories, battery, have phone fixed, or customize in any relevant way,
touch screen is thermal and not pressure sensitive (means you can’t use a stylus/pen/paper clip to navigate your phone if you can’t get the hang of the buttons with your fingers).
And the biggest problem I see with the iphone is that Apple won’t give ATT authority to be the phone’s responsible seller. We sell the phone FOR apple, but we aren’t allowed to do anything to fix it, which means they can blame a lot of things on us if they don’t know why it’s not working, and we can do the same for them. Whatever the case is, whoever’s fault it is that you’re having the problem, neither company will take responsibility. I’m not knocking either company - I’m just saying that some of the people employed with both companies will tell you things that aren’t true, or that they think are correct because we’re both limited… It’s just a “pass the buck” situation, the people who are trying to help you can only help you on specific issues. I’m not an apple employee so I don’t know how they work, just like apple employees don’t know how ATT works. A vicious and repeatable cycle emerges…
The iphone is a vanity type device, in that there are plenty of better products that aren’t as cool or stylish. That being said there are some things that I like about the iphone;
best internet surfing I’ve seen on a phone (on the sites that the phone can display without flash or adobe support, of course)
high screen res (480×320) so ur pictures and things look better on the iphone than they will on other phones
wifi capability (very few phones have this feature currently HTC tilt, bberry bold)
it’s a nice looking device. I’d definately sleep with it.
If you’re a mac user, you can use the phone off the bat.
They’ve added a lot of neat apps and made them easy to acquire and use (if you don’t mind paying for ‘em)
On that note - I think some of the people in here have made some excellent points… The 3G reception bar isn’t your indicator of call reception, it’s for the internet so you’ll probably still get reception talking when the 3G bars are low. If 3G’s off, that’s another story…
The battery sucks, yes, but if you’re using it as a phone ONLY and not playing on it all day then you’ll be ok. It’s the combination of having an average battery in an above average phone.
Also, there are lemons, folks… Some phones of any brand just won’t work right for whatever reason. And remember that this is the first generation of the new phone; just like all other processor based electronics, the first batch is risky. I wouldn’t buy one until the 2nd or 3rd generation personally, and I get a discount…
The iphone is a device you have to learn about before using if you plan on doing more than making it a toy. So if you’re rich, go buy one and have fun, but if you’re looking for a PDA type phone, study up…
August 29th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Dan, you’re The Man! Thank you very much for clearing some things out for our readers! You’re free to drop by anytime, you’re welcomed!
August 29th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Hey, thanks. No problem… If there are any questions I’d be happy to answer ‘em for you guys too. (As well as I can, anyway…) I think it’s good for people to be informed about the stuff instead of slinging opinions around.
P.S. Another back and forth argument I see all over the place… Some people get great 3G service, some don’t, it has to do with the type and amount of towers in your local area. Not all towers are 3G and not all areas even have 3G towers. If you NEED the 3G internet speed contact your local retailer to get tower information. Or find somebody with ATT and have ‘em stand around where you plan on residing to check their service.
P.P.S. All phones are equipped with different types of antennas, which is why some phones on the same carrier perform better than others. Long story short, the phone processing, the towers, and the phone’s antenna are why some of you get or don’t get comparable service coverage.
Just a heads up…
August 30th, 2008 at 11:20 am
Thank you very much for the heads up! We’ll be waiting for the next one…
August 30th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
All You Guys Are Lame!
i Got The New iPhone! And Its The Best Phone
Out There! Well Worth The Price!!
: ]
August 31st, 2008 at 6:27 am
@Jose.. what`s the “Lame” point ?
August 31st, 2008 at 9:10 am
Hello Guys… Please forgive Jose, he is just being defensive… Guys let’s just be honest, indeed there are few problems with iPhone.
Few are delighted but many are disappointed about this product.
August 31st, 2008 at 10:04 am
quote:
# iPhone Says:
August 15th, 2008 at 10:22 am
lol
“AT&T raising the bar” … as they advertise.
but I don’t think so.
Remember!
AT&T was one of the mobile co. in NY and they left NY because their service was so bad (including customer service and reception).
Cingular was one of the worst service in NY (tons of dropped calls, un-reliable network).
And AT&T eats Cingular. Wrost company eats wroser company? well… nothing can be better except wrost.
AT&T is not raising the bar! It is de-raising the bar.
:end quote
Having lived in NYC all my life this could not be further from the truth. The worst network in NYC has an always will be Sprint, and they took nextel along with them. Nextel was incredible prior to the merger then service went from 4 steady bars anywhere to 1 if you were lucky……
I should know, I had Nextel then switched to AT&T. As far as connectivity I could not be happier. I RARELY drop a call in NYC on the AT&T network.
In regards to this new iPhone, Dan pretty much summed it up: never buy something when it 1st comes out!!!!! I love my Macbook Pro 17″ but I refused to be one of the suckers buying the 1st gen.
My only gripe with AT&T as a network is their lack of offering phones that would more than likely force Apple to reconsider their business relationship in regards to all of the customer complaints due to “lemons.” Apple knows they have a highly sought after product and they have AT&T by the balls with that little bit of info. If I walked into AT&T tomorrow and they offered the 8 or 16gig Samsung Omnia or at the very least the Nokia N95 8gig NAM (or the long awaited N96 due out soon), heck even a preorder of the iPhone killing Sony Xperia I’d happily plop money down, instead they give you phones like the blackberry, the htc tilt, or the motorola Q9 as alternatives. HTC makes the Touch Pro not to mention the new Palm Treo pro, give your customers these options and watch Apple buckle with their b.s. demands.
p.s. Dan we need to talk, my 2 year contract with AT&T is up in a few weeks, and I’d like to know as much info on plans as I can from someone on the inside.
August 31st, 2008 at 10:42 am
My Rzr was on the fritz…I went to ATT to get a phone…upgrade to a blackberry…so that I can text easier…maybe even get some internet capabilities. One of the reps said…”Have you ever thought of getting the iphone?”…so he goes with his spiel of showing off the one he has…I walked out of the store with an iphone and troubles the first 4 HOURS of purchasing the darn thing…boy…it sure would have been GREAT if the guy told me you have to have an itunes account and sync this albatross of a gadget to itunes to get on to the web and email. I read above they take your credit card number…NO WAY…to get a “free” itunes account RIDICULOUS. I took the phone back the same day…hey…I just wanted a phone that had text/internet capability…some how I ended up leaving the store with the phone again…looking at it and just hating its guts…a person above commented that this is a phone…ah…heck no…it is a COMPUTER with phone capabilities. I really don’t want the HASSLE of having to hook up this monstrosity to my computer just to get the basic capabilities to work…and then pay 35 bucks more a month for it. This things has literally/physically made me sick. Its going back…its not worth it…everything that glitters is not gold.
August 31st, 2008 at 9:55 pm
For those that are ‘unable’ to send a picture message with your iPhone, try this… say you have a friend with Verizon, have him send you a picture message with your iPhone e-mail instead of your number. The picture message will arrive in your e-mail. You will notice that the return address will say something like 8312391111@vzwpix.com. You may then send a picture using this as the ‘to’ and said picture will arrive to them as a picture message. All cell services have a routing server…
September 1st, 2008 at 12:27 am
ok ok ok …. so my buddy has an original iphone and i like his alot.. so i have been thinkin about switching to ATT and buying the 3G.. is it really a terrible idea? somebody tell me what i should do. i text alot and need the internet.
September 1st, 2008 at 3:28 am
Hey guy and gurls
Man! i have read all the comments on this iphone and im not shocked and i work for AT&T in technical support. so i deal wit the iphone on day to day i understand the issues with the iphone and also the good things about it WoW after reading the bad things i still going to get one probly next week…. you guys got to keep in mind Lemonds the first wave probly had a high chance at getting a bad one thats with eveything yall no not to jump on the first boat that comes up…. but anyway no matter what somtimes you can have it all and some people will still find a issue somewhere….anyway thank ya for the comments it was very helpful in my options
September 1st, 2008 at 5:11 am
I am glad to hear there are still people buying it, despite all the comments above. After all, it’s not THAT BAD, right?
September 1st, 2008 at 1:21 pm
I am awaiting the arrival of my Iphone 3g, (should be sometime tommorow) .. I am getting a little worried since as it seems many users expectations were not met, however just trying to clarify the fact that someone mentioned that you needed to have a credit card to be able to upload the media on to your phone? seems pretty weird..
September 2nd, 2008 at 1:52 am
You need a CC to start your iTunes Store trial, other than that, I am sure you can use iTunes for free, as long as you’re not trying to purchase music with it, but only sync the tracks you already have.
September 2nd, 2008 at 2:57 pm
I bought the original iphone and loved it. I waited in line for hours to get the 3G. I had a few issues with a keyboard delay, which was fixed in a software update. Now it is functioning very well. Quit whining people. Apple rules!!!!
September 3rd, 2008 at 1:58 pm
i was the first in line to buy the new i phone 3g and i have mixed opinions on it. the bluetooth doesnt work and the reception at times is poor if you have full 3g coverage. but at the end of the dae best you y the phone has more going for it than against it. the e.mail facilitie is better than the blackberry and after all it is an apple.
September 3rd, 2008 at 2:27 pm
What a waste! I returned mine after 2 days and went back to Blackberry. That was the smartest move I have ever made. For 2 days I sat on the phone with apple because I couldn’t get it to sync with my itunes. I also could not access the itunes store. The phone is heavy and impracticle. I was very impulsive in buying it and so glad that I came to my senses and went back to my trusty old Blackberry.
September 4th, 2008 at 4:57 am
The iPhone 3G heavy? How light do you expect a mobile phone to be? 133 grams seems fine with me!
September 4th, 2008 at 7:40 am
I have loved and used apple products for years. I’ll (hopefully) never go back to pc’s. That being said, this product is one of the most disappointing ones I’ve ever wasted my money on. I can’t recommend any more strongly that you do not buy one. Seriously. Don’t do it.
The sad thing is that I REALLY love my iPhone… when it works. I hate my iPhone the rest of the time. I bought mine on day two of launch. For the last month, I have been getting terrible application freezes. Holding down the home button for over 10 seconds mostly works. Mostly… More often than not nothing happens, and I have to do a hard reset by holding down the sleep/wake button and the home button. Sometimes it boots right up. But not usually. I have taken it in to the apple store several times now to get relief. I have went literally days without a phone, because I usually can’t get an appointment to see anybody at the local mac store unless I wait for a few hours, or make an appointment for the next day. I wish it were as easy as just resyncing the phone to iTunes. Unfortunately, iTunes does not recognize that there is a phone attached when the phone won’t load up past the black screen of death (with a little brushed aluminum apple logo to curse at.) Worse than that, is if my non loading iPhone is plugged in, I get the dreaded spinning wheel on my iTunes, meaning I can’t restore or do anything with it myself. Once, they did a restore to factory settings at the apple store, and when I got home to restore my back up file, it said the back up file was corrupted. I got to waste another several hours of my life adding contacts and music to my phone, in addition to losing all new contacts that I have added since I bought the phone. I hope those people call me, ’cause I ain’t got their numbers now. Flash forward to a week later when I had the same problem again, and after going 2 days without a phone, they gave me a new phone at the apple store. Yippee, right? NO. He told me not to even try to restore, but to set it up as a new phone. Again, several hours of syncing contact, music, and applications. Great. Fine. I did it. So why am I up at 5AM today googling “iPhone 3g problems”? Black screen. White logo. No phone. Again. Should I go back to the apple store? I ought to throw this damn brick through their window.
I have been a loyal apple customer for years, and am angry as hell. I miss my RAZR. I love what my iPhone is capable of, and really just want it to work. When it is working, it is simply amazing. It just doesn’t work often. When it doesn’t work, I still need a phone. I am so jealous of you people who only have 3g connectivity problems. At least you can take a little walk or drive and use your phone. I’m left with nothing but a pretty white small screen tv set, that only plays one movie, of a little brushed aluminum apple. I hate this movie.
September 4th, 2008 at 7:43 am
I have the original iphone and it has performed without fail. I will be the first to admit that its not perfect. Especially by my standards, which consistently demand perfection. However, I am not here to complain about the iphone. I am simply here to express my concern about AT&T’s data network. I feel that the network towers were hastily upgraded for the 3g iphone roll-out date. Since the day of the new iphone release, I have been having random and texting lag. I have spoken with AT&T technical support several times regarding this issue. After a few weeks of being passed around through several support representatives I was given a solution. The technicians wanted to know exact dates, times, and phone numbers of the texting lag incidents. So, after taking well documented notes for a solid week and letting them research it on their end, I was given a solution. Unfortunately I missed the callback from the AT&T support rep., but they did leave me a message. They basically explained that the issue was not on their end, and that the problem was being generated by whomever I was texting with at the time. Now, I understand that AT&T did their best to upgrade their towers for the 3g iphone release date, and that it was not fully completed. Many places around the U.S. are still not fully upgraded. In fact, I have read that a total of five crewmen died during the initial tower upgrades. Their network is getting overwhelmed with the data connections from the 3g iphone and there is nothing anyone can do. Which would explain my intermittent text lagging problems. In closing I would like to mention that one of the AT&T support reps that I spoke with over the last few weeks suggested that I buy the 3g phone because the connection to their servers is faster. Therefore I wouldn’t have any text delay. I am sorry, but I still laugh at that. Bottom line…3g access speed, a throughput claiming to be 7.2 Mbps, is Apple’s wet dream sales pitch. If you are achieving 802.11b network speeds with your 3g iphone, then contact me right away because hell just froze over; or you live in a dream city, surrounded by 3g capable towers. No, you’re probably getting closer to 1 Mbps rather than 3. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.
September 4th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
I got my 3G a month ago and it’s been a nightmare. ATLEAST 8 dropped calls a day even after I changed my sim card and went through all the issues. The GPS is accurate to a quarter mile, WOW. Lame.
I switched from a blackberry and I use my phone mainly for email and it is so unreliable. I can’t send messages now only recieve. Its driving me nuts. The iphone is an amazing idea and it taked phones to a whole new level but the network is not ready. I hope they fix this soon…
September 4th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
No one mentioned the fact that there is no option to send a meeting invite, yes you can schedule an event but can’t send it. This device is a TOY and a useless one. I’m out tomorrow to apple store and return it.
September 5th, 2008 at 5:28 am
Hmmm, interesting point of view, Sam. I guess you have to call the one to meet with…if the network is working fine!
September 5th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
the iphone 3g is a great product all together…
it has some interesting features with eyetracking style…
but my friends before using or purchasing anything first of all you need to read the manual and secondly you need to know what you are trying to get out of something you want to purchase.
i hope if you wat to have a balance of style and feature iphone 3g is the best you can ever get till now.
1. it has huge memory by far than any one till now
2.most of the features of smart phone (may not all)
3.it supports 3g and if 3g has some problem of its own then iphne should not be the one to blame.
4. it has a full function iphone as a plus than other smart phone.
so first make sure with whom you want to compare ?
you are comparing it wih all the top notch smart phones and asking for heavy battery life with extreem clarity of sound, picture or fastest internet experience.
by my opinion who was an ex NOKIA engineer iphone is truely good but you have to know how to use it and you should have a balance among all your requirement as some of them are mutually exclusive or inversely proportional.
Bottom line go ahead an buy it if you want style,power and professionalism
September 6th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
i’ve got an idea. If, like most people who bought the iPhone, you think it is a great mobile phone with a heap of features and extra apps not available on any other ‘phone, with a clean, stylish, intuitive UI that’s a joy to use and a design form factor that makes it a beautiful device to hold and look at, then be happy.
If you think it’s a piece of junk TAKE IT BACK AND STOP WHINING!
September 8th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
my family just bought 3 3g iPhones and none of phones could recieve phone calls or text messages from any other carriers other than at&t. first we tried to go to the at&t store in which we got them and we told a guy about it and he said “we cant garantee text messages or phone calls from other carriers̶