[iAddict]

FIRST POST. Okay, after tons of discussion and debate I relented and got the iPhone.

I am in LOVE! BUT! Yes there is a BUT!

I have 12 days left to return it.

PLEASE READ MY REASONS BEFORE YOU RESPOND!

Problems:

1) Bad reception ESP at home. NO reception at my mom and dad's! I have no home phone, and I am home a lot. I live off Mulholland Dr (like the movie, and its all hills). Calls drop, doesn't work in places in my house. Skype hasn't solved it (though Magic Jack works), because it drops a lot too on iPhone (known issue!) It's hell to flirt with a girl when you are single and the calls drop like mad! I missed an incoming call that went to voicemail when I was supposed to meet someone yesterday! (Verizon did this to me to, Sprint does NOT).

1a) I had an email fail and didn't know it! A lovely lady I emailed didn't get the email it turns out. And here I thought I was being blown off! Who would blow me off? Cmon now lol (I kid, I kid), this really happened though! Only once, but it did!

2) We have a Cell repeater but it doesn't help much. AT&T is bad enough, and the iPhone is no help.

3) BAD RATE PLANS! AT&T charges extra $20 just for TEXT! I live off Text. My bill on the LOWEST plan is $89 plus the usual 20% in taxes. SPRINT has SIMPLY EVERYTHING which is a Blackberry (or Palm Pre), PERFECT RECEPTION at my place, UNLIMITED MINS, and DATA/NAV for $99! A decent rate plan might run me $40 more a month vs Verizon/AT&T!

4) A Blackberry is 80% of an iPhone and way cheaper! The Curve can even do YouTube, albeit poor looking, and reception with Sprint is AMAZING! There is also the PALM PRE, y'know?

5) Speakerphone and call volume SUCK! How does the iPod feature play so loud and the speakerphone suck?

6) Free AT&T mobile to mobile is cool, BUT everyone is really on VERIZON!

Why I LOVE my iPHONE!:

1) It's CULTURE like owning a Vintage Guitar (Les Paul, Strat), or a Mustang, or any iconic thing. THE IPHONE IS THE SAME THING! Seriously, there is a world that comes with it!

2) It might make me a better MUSICIAN! YES! I have a Metronome, KILLER Voice Recorder, and all the tracks I need to learn or Practice to always in my hip pocket! It's silly but I use a metronome more since it's right there. Hell there are ecven TUNERS etc so its always there for me! The recording is so clean I can demo an idea and even email it out! File management and interface rocks! Blackberry can record, but NOT like this!

3) The Camera is miles better than the Blackberry! So is the video! My videos look great! Tons of fun and they can be emailed, edited, or go right on YouTube! I love taking videos of all kinds of things from fun nights out to showing clients locations and ideas for my business.

4) The email interface is AMAZING! Graphical emails, music, etc can be sent straight to my phone for me to check out! I have reviewed Graphic designs, surfed Fry's for deals, and sent maps to people by copy and paste! WOW!

5) Text and predictive text are a lot better than I thought, and in ways I can be faster than a Blackberry!

6) Apps are soooo good. I mean everything you could want. You get 80% of the usefeul ones on Blackberry like Pandora, but you don't get all the amazing FUN apps!

7) THE WORLD IS GOING IPHONE - meaning that the CULTURE I mentioned is building so many things for the iPhone from aftermarket accessories to apps, to Bose Docking Speaker Systems, etc.

8) I AM NEVER BORED! I was at a boring wedding on the 4th and I was entertained. Then I went over to a party also in Malibu, then a bar in Pasadena and there was always a reason to use my multimedia to discuss a Michael Jackson song or James Bond drink recipes etc!

9) I am into Acting/Film/Music. I can show people my reels, music, YouTube, AND there is even a Real Book on iPhone (though it's just chord changes, but hey!) Someone on TGP showed me there is even a 4 Track Recorder! I can sell my Micro BR which I NEVER USE!

10) Why lie? I love being an iDouche! I live in LA dammit, we all love being showy. Then again, MANY PEOPLE have BlackBerries hmmmm. Well I like being an iDouche. But is it worth all this hassle?


My options:

1) Get Sprint Simply Everything with a Blackberry Curve (OR PALM PRE?) and an Ipod Touch.

Problem? I won't have everything at my fingertips or in my pocket. Will I really carry 2 devices? I COULD! But having just a phone makes more sense, and it will have ALL IN ONE! No Camera in my back pocket or iPod making me bulge funny.

2) Keep the iPhone and use a Magic Jack. I just got Magic Jack, and it works!

Problem? Added cost! AND What if I am on the road? I'd have to watch my minutes. I don't tour much or do mini-tours, but I do. Or if I drive long distances I chat my friend's ears off. I am a talker! Don't even mention the hours I can discuss Prince v Michael Jackson or the Lakers beating everyone!

3) AT&T Customer Service says they are adding 3 NEW TOWERS in my area going online in December.

Problem?

There is no guarantee it will fix things esp here in the hills, but hmmmmm.

[CharlesS]

Your phone working as a phone is more important than glitzy features. If your phone doesn't freakin' work in your home, then you should return it. It's not your fault Apple had to sell its soul to a crappy telco provider.

Get on a service that actually works, and get an Android, Palm, or Blackberry phone that will be compatible with it.

[iAddict]

lol no one else? No opinions? No one drinking the Kool Aid?

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by iaddict 

please read my reasons before you respond!

REQUEST DENIED.

THANKS.

-t

[::maroma::]

Tough call. Personally I'd wait until either AT&T improves the signal in your area so that you don't have dropped calls where you live, etc. to get an iPhone. Yes iPhones are the best damn phone around, but you'll be cursing it more than loving it if you can't flirt with the ladies and whatever else. Plus, you'll really hate it if you are dying or otherwise in lots of danger, and you can't call 9-1-1 because you can't get a signal. That would suck. You could conceivably solve this by getting a really cheap land line. This is a good idea anyways for 9-1-1, since they can't tell exactly where you're calling from on a cell phone but they can on a land line.

So I guess I'd get a land line and an iPhone. Sure you're paying even more money now with the added land line and the higher cost iPhone, but to me its worth it to be a full fledged iDouche. I love being one too, and I'm willing to forgo eating certain meals in order to pay for my iDoucheness.

[ghporter]

I'd have to know if everybody else also had horrible service from AT&T where you are. Ask someone with a RAZR or some other "respected" phone how they see the service quality there. LA has some interesting and sometimes bizarre geography, which is compounded by lots of tall buildings, some pretty significant hills, and who knows what else-maybe AT&T's coverage just can't handle your neck of the woods, in which case having an expensive phone with features you don't use and expensive features you "live on" isn't the best way to go.

By the way, you can safely dump text messaging and set up a Google Mail account instead. SMS can go to regular email addresses just fine, and email IS part of the data plan iPhone owners must have. Don't be shocked if you can get a Gmail account with your phone number as the user name, too. I think it's THE way to go. Interestingly, Instant Messaging to/from mid-range phones, the ones with special mobile apps for IM, is NOT part of the data plan. I found this out today when my AT&T bill came in...

[Simon]

Originally Posted by turtle777 

REQUEST DENIED.

Yeah, the caps baloney is really annoying.

Can a mod at least edit the thread title? Together with the WTFOMGBBQ it makes the iPod forum look like a hangout for 13 year olds.

[iAddict]

Not sure what this "request denied" deal is but I was looking for a real answer.

In reference to the landline idea, I got a Magic Jack which is 19.95 for a whole year and gives me unlimited use. I can hook it in at the office or at home. That solves 911 and home use. But is it better to a phone with unlimited talk that works while walking the dog on your street like Sprint does for me ?

Btw does it work to have people txt you to google? Everyone txts my phone. I'd have to train then to txt me to an email addy right? Or can I set txt to fwd to email somehow?

I have a few dsys to decide. AT&T service leaves a lot to be desired but the media on this phone is amazing. I love the video. Sprint phones like the Palm Pre don't do video. The recorder is great for song ideas. Sprint works perfect in my area and is much cheaper but I feel the Palm is a wanna be iPhone. I too wonder if skipping meals for an iPhone isn't actually a good idea. Seriously folks. Lol.



Btw I answering on my iDouche.

[kylef]

Four of those six problems have 'AT&T' in them. Have you considered unlocking your iPhone?

[cgc]

Geez...make a decision on your own...why must the MacNN community make a decision for you. if you need a phone and AT&T doesn't offer service in your area do you really need a thread? Fricking return it and turn in your MacNN membership card at the front counter.

[Big Mac]

Kind of harsh, cgc.

[shifuimam]

Originally Posted by iAddict 

Not sure what this "request denied" deal is but I was looking for a real answer.

In reference to the landline idea, I got a Magic Jack which is 19.95 for a whole year and gives me unlimited use. I can hook it in at the office or at home. That solves 911 and home use. But is it better to a phone with unlimited talk that works while walking the dog on your street like Sprint does for me ?

Btw does it work to have people txt you to google? Everyone txts my phone. I'd have to train then to txt me to an email addy right? Or can I set txt to fwd to email somehow?

I have a few dsys to decide. AT&T service leaves a lot to be desired but the media on this phone is amazing. I love the video. Sprint phones like the Palm Pre don't do video. The recorder is great for song ideas. Sprint works perfect in my area and is much cheaper but I feel the Palm is a wanna be iPhone. I too wonder if skipping meals for an iPhone isn't actually a good idea. Seriously folks. Lol.

Btw I answering on my iDouche.

My thirty-five cents:

I love my iPhone. I also live in an area with swell AT&T service, and 3G coverage everywhere.

If you don't want to pay for texting (and if you get texting, and you normally text a lot, you're probably going to want the unlimited add-on to your plan), you can have it completely disabled (meaning incoming texts are blocked) and tell everyone to use an email address instead. I set up an extra gmail address for this exact purpose until I took on a family plan with my boyfriend and we got unlimited texting for both lines.

Regarding unlimited minutes - AT&T has rollover minutes, for one thing. For another, look at how many minutes you use on average each month with past cell phones and plans. I don't use many minutes, and my boyfriend and best friend are both on AT&T, so my usage is all of fifty minutes a month. My boyfriend's best friend and other friends are all on carriers other than AT&T, so he uses 200-300 minutes a month. So far, we've been fine with the smallest voice plan available for a family/group plan. It just depends on your own usage.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by iAddict 

Btw does it work to have people txt you to google? Everyone txts my phone. I'd have to train then to txt me to an email addy right? Or can I set txt to fwd to email somehow?

I have sent many texts to email addresses, and many FROM email apps. It works fine. This is one reason I suggested seeing if your phone number was available as a Gmail user name-training your friends is limited to having them punch in "@gmail.com" after your phone number. Works fine, easy to do.

[cgc]

Originally Posted by Big Mac 

Kind of harsh, cgc.

I know...I felt bad, but kind of good at the same time. I stand by my statement...make a decision based on your needs, not on our perceptions of your wants, desires, and needs. And learn to capitalize words appropriately.

[iAddict]

Originally Posted by shifuimam 

My thirty-five cents:

I love my iPhone. I also live in an area with swell AT&T service, and 3G coverage everywhere.

If you don't want to pay for texting (and if you get texting, and you normally text a lot, you're probably going to want the unlimited add-on to your plan), you can have it completely disabled (meaning incoming texts are blocked) and tell everyone to use an email address instead. I set up an extra gmail address for this exact purpose until I took on a family plan with my boyfriend and we got unlimited texting for both lines.

Regarding unlimited minutes - AT&T has rollover minutes, for one thing. For another, look at how many minutes you use on average each month with past cell phones and plans. I don't use many minutes, and my boyfriend and best friend are both on AT&T, so my usage is all of fifty minutes a month. My boyfriend's best friend and other friends are all on carriers other than AT&T, so he uses 200-300 minutes a month. So far, we've been fine with the smallest voice plan available for a family/group plan. It just depends on your own usage.

You know what? I hadn't considered the Rollover! Very true. I have very sporadic usage. Some months heavy, some not, and some of my longest calls are to AT&T users. If I got a higher rate plan I could accumulate those minutes. Very true.

I also thought i could eventually get a second phone if I had that much business going. So these are all reasons to keep the iPhone. I can say I have found the net browsing, Voice Recorder (since I work in a lot of performance and production environments), iPod, and Camera/Video to be useful, and borderline addicting.

I actually use my laptop less because I check some web info and emails on my iPhone. I use the camera and video like mad, and my Facebook Mobile Uploads can attest to that lol. I actually used the camera to get the photos for an event production I did, to put on our site.

I am very interested in the Palm Pre, but vs the speed of the iPhone 3GS and the fact the latter has video, it shockingly beats out the better Sprint Service in Los Angeles. It's such a hard thing - amazing multi-media vs pure bread and butter phone. If you are doing both creative work and the business side as well, it's a murderous decision, because both things matter. I think, worse come worst, the Palm Pre might be a viable alternative. I mean the apps that really really matter are things like USA Today, Facebook, Pandora, which everyone has. Otherwise Nativa apps are all the same - Calendar, Phone Book, etc.

Now if there was really a legit way to get free text on AT&T. I can't believe it's $20! Problem is I actually conduct transactions and important communication via text, so I can't use apps or email. I'd have to re-train everyone I know lol.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by iAddict 

Problem is I actually conduct transactions and important communication via text, so I can't use apps or email.

Important stuff ? You are right, that's a problem.

You should change that ASAP.

-t

[Maflynn]

Originally Posted by iAddict 

Now if there was really a legit way to get free text on AT&T. I can't believe it's $20! Problem is I actually conduct transactions and important communication via text, so I can't use apps or email. I'd have to re-train everyone I know lol.

If texting is that important to you, then don't balk at the 20 bucks a month and also don't try to cut corners/cheap out with an kludge of a solution because you may run into more headaches then its worth.

[iAddict]

Tried the Palm Pre out

Not sure I would choose it over the iPhone. Great phone, and great alternative, but for me the lack of video AND voice recorder are a huge issue. The touch screen isn't as snazzy. For now I will pony up on the iPhone and the lesser reception. Oh well.

[ApertureValue]

I was going to say not to go with a phone you've gotten crappy reception on. But, looks like you've made your decision.

[cgc]

Whew...now we can all sleep soundly knowing you made your decision. Now you have a great piece of hardware that doesn't function the way you need it to.

[Simon]

Originally Posted by cgc 

Whew...now we can all sleep soundly knowing you made your decision. Now you have a great piece of hardware that doesn't function the way you need it to.

You, my friend, need to make up your mind.

First you tell him to make his own decision and not ask you to make it for him. And then, when he does, you mock him for having made the wrong decision. So what's it going to be now? Or are you just out to mock others regardless of the circumstances?

[cgc]

Originally Posted by Simon 

You, my friend, need to make up your mind.

First you tell him to make his own decision and not ask you to make it for him. And then, when he does, you mock him for having made the wrong decision. So what's it going to be now? Or are you just out to mock others regardless of the circumstances?

I find it ironic that the OP asked for input then disregarded input and did what he/she wanted in the first place. I reserve the right to mock people at the time and place of my choosing

[angelmb]

Originally Posted by kylef 

Four of those six problems have 'AT&T' in them. Have you considered unlocking your iPhone?

People do that here in Spain all the time since most people have a shady feeling towards the iPhone carrier 'Telefonica', kind of AT&T and AOL put in a blender… Couldn't you do that there?, is it against the law or anything?.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by angelmb 

kind of AT&T and AOL put in a blender… 

Ewwwwww. Blend large and unwieldy corporate bureaucracy with complete corporate incompetence? Yeah, I'd risk bricking a phone to avoid that kind of crap!

Originally Posted by angelmb 

Couldn't you do that there?, is it against the law or anything?.

It's legal and doable (at least in theory-has anyone unlocked a 3GS yet?). In any case, I think the issue is not the iPhone at all but the geography (natural and man-made) of the OP's local area, and AT&T's ability to provide coverage.

And to be fair, ANY radio-based system has trouble in areas with lots of tall buildings and mountains. There are problems with cell coverage in San Francisco, Chicago (where the whole cell phone concept was originally field tested back around 1980), and Manhattan as well. Further, lots of buildings are built in such a way that cell phone signals, no matter what band, just don't get through into them. There's not much any carrier can do to get around that.