Home Theater Forum › Home Theater Forum › Other Diversions › Apple and Macintosh › What does the iPhone 3G need?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

What does the iPhone 3G need?

post #1 of 23
7/29/08 at 12:39pm
Thread Starter 
For all the love of the new iPhone, it seems there's equal annoyance and disappointment with it. I'm curious what people think it needs -- not necessarily an "I wish..." list, but what important feature is lacking that keeps you from upgrading or leaves you disappointed with the whole affair.

I'm really impressed by the iPhone. I lust for one. But being married and having a budget, I don't see it in my future. Were cash not a concern, the one major roadblock is AT&T. Until the iPhone is available on Verizon, I doubt I'd go for it, even if I found an extra $1000 to spend on a phone.

After that, lack of Cut-and-Paste, no syncing for Notes ,and no ToDo app seem braindead to me. But I want a fully integrated PDA / phone more than phone with a killer web browser.
Reply
post #2 of 23
7/29/08 at 2:06pm

Re: What does the iPhone 3G need?

Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveF
I'm really impressed by the iPhone. I lust for one. But being married and having a budget, I don't see it in my future. Were cash not a concern, the one major roadblock is AT&T. Until the iPhone is available on Verizon, I doubt I'd go for it, even if I found an extra $1000 to spend on a phone.
Dave, if Verizon is a support is a show-stopper for you (and if AT&T service is bad in your neck of the woods, I certainly understand), don't bother with the other stuff, because Verizon availability isn't happening: Verizon CEO to Steve Jobs: Drop Dead

El Jobso isn't known for his sense of humor. Unless Verizon fires CEO Ivan Seidenberg and does major groveling -- no iPhone for them. (There is a precedent -- Pixar refused to renew with Disney until they got rid of Eisner who had also dissed Apple/Jobs in various ways).
Reply
post #3 of 23
7/29/08 at 4:48pm

Re: What does the iPhone 3G need?

Dave - cut and paste is one of a number of items that will happen via the store - iClarified - Apple News - MagicPad Features Copy and Paste for iPhone
It's possible they think the calender & contacts are enough of a PDA. I'll bet there are plenty of devs who have just what you want, but are waiting in the approve que.

I hate all carriers, so mum

My main hold at this point is QC.
Reply
post #4 of 23
7/29/08 at 8:27pm

Re: What does the iPhone 3G need?

Since you can already create appointments --- and even sync them with your office --- I don't see the absence of a "To-Do" list as a show stopper. (Heck you could just enter them into a note ...). In any event, with the "App Store" up now you can be sure that any perceived lack of functionality will be fillled by a third-party developer.

The only real deficiency of the iPhone is the lack of an ability to switch out the batteries.
Reply
post #5 of 23
7/30/08 at 1:35pm
Thread Starter 

Re: What does the iPhone 3G need?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Joseph Bolus
Since you can already create appointments --- and even sync them with your office --- I don't see the absence of a "To-Do" list as a show stopper. (Heck you could just enter them into a note ...). In any event, with the "App Store" up now you can be sure that any perceived lack of functionality will be fillled by a third-party developer.

The only real deficiency of the iPhone is the lack of an ability to switch out the batteries.
While not a killer for me, ToDo is quite different from calendar appointments. See a Palm PDA for the relationship between a calendar and good ToDo list.

Quote:
Dave - cut and paste is one of a number of items that will happen via the store - iClarified - Apple News - MagicPad Features Copy and Paste for iPhone
I don't understand. Is it copy and paste within the app? Or is an app giving c/p to all iPhone apps? That doesn't make sense. Imagine if OS X had no Copy & Paste, and you had to choose among competing apps with different copy/paste methods to get it (partially) working on your system. It's just a bad approach.

Quote:
Dave, if Verizon is a support is a show-stopper for you (and if AT&T service is bad in your neck of the woods, I certainly understand), don't bother with the other stuff, because Verizon availability isn't happening: Verizon CEO to Steve Jobs: Drop Dead
It's like switching banks: I could do it if sufficiently motivated, but there's not enough reason yet. V's CEO's comments: crazy!
Reply
post #6 of 23
7/30/08 at 2:11pm

Re: What does the iPhone 3G need?

Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveF
While not a killer for me, ToDo is quite different from calendar appointments. See a Palm PDA for the relationship between a calendar and good ToDo list.

This has been one of my few complaints with the the iPhone and OS X for that matter. I actually prefer MS Outlook's way of handling tasks. Since I prefer the Mac and use an iPhone, I've tried to adapt to Calender, but it is clunky and doesn't work the way I'd like it to work.
Reply
post #7 of 23
7/30/08 at 4:50pm

Re: What does the iPhone 3G need?

Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveF

I don't understand. Is it copy and paste within the app? Or is an app giving c/p to all iPhone apps? That doesn't make sense. Imagine if OS X had no Copy & Paste, and you had to choose among competing apps with different copy/paste methods to get it (partially) working on your system. It's just a bad approach.


I agree. It does serve as another notice to Apple (hopefully) The real thing would be global in the system - no app.
Reply
post #8 of 23
7/30/08 at 8:31pm

Re: What does the iPhone 3G need?

Quote:
Originally Posted by ErichH
I agree. It does serve as another notice to Apple (hopefully) The real thing would be global in the system - no app.
Apple are well aware of that and they are working on copy/paste -- it just hasn't made it in yet.
Reply
post #9 of 23
7/31/08 at 8:19am

Re: What does the iPhone 3G need?

The rumor right now is that Apple has one final iPhone release
planned for late next year that will be the "ultimate" phone that
everyone had hoped for. It should also be out in time for the next
broadband upgrade (4G?).

Consider this only rumor.
Reply
post #10 of 23
7/31/08 at 9:12am

Re: What does the iPhone 3G need?

I expect a bump to 32GB and possibly a longer lasting battery by Christmas.

Other nice to haves:
Voice Dialing
Stereo Bluetooth
Copy n Paste

Even if it doesnt get those tho I'm swapping over once my contract is up round the 1st of the year.
Reply
post #11 of 23
7/31/08 at 10:27am
Thread Starter 

Re: What does the iPhone 3G need?

Another key weakness for the iPhone and other smart phones: no voice dialing!

I don't get it. My basic 2-yr old phone does voice dialing over a bluetooth earpiece. Why don't the super phones do this? And how do people survive without it?


Quote:
Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein
The rumor right now is that Apple has one final iPhone release
planned for late next year that will be the "ultimate" phone that
everyone had hoped for. It should also be out in time for the next
broadband upgrade (4G?).
I don't follow cell phone news much. But it seems 3G / cell broadband is only now moving into the mainstream. Is there likely to even be a 4G service next year? (maybe so. I'm not up on these things.)

A coworker showed me the bubble-level app for the iPhone. Very cool He also told me that he uses it to diagnose the random failures of the accelerometer subsystem. Very Uncool
Reply
post #12 of 23
7/31/08 at 11:03am

Re: What does the iPhone 3G need?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein
The rumor right now is that Apple has one final iPhone release
planned for late next year that will be the "ultimate" phone that
everyone had hoped for. It should also be out in time for the next
broadband upgrade (4G?).

Consider this only rumor.
This rumor (source?) is guaranteed wrong in two respects:
There will never be "one final iPhone release" unless Apple decides to close its business and return the money to its share holders (apologies to Michael "OK, so the Pocket DJ went down in flames, but now we have Rob Enderle working on our new MP3 player" Dell). Every year or so there will be a new iPhone model or models. New faster CPUs, better batteries, better cameras, video, greater capacity, smaller form factor, higher rez. screen... sky is the limit.


Second, AT&T is barely rolling out their 3G network. 4G sufficiently operational by NEXT year for a 4G iPhone release? Highly doubtful.
Reply
post #13 of 23
7/31/08 at 11:14am

Re: What does the iPhone 3G need?

The original thread

Apple - Support - Discussions - iPhone 3G Reception Problems? You're ...

The current

Apple - Support - Discussions - iPhone 3G Reception Problems? You're ...

I have to say, after scanning both, hardware QC is my number 1 pick. There were a few attempts on ID numbers to track source/build date as well as sim card number differences (a waste of time) with some people reporting good units after July29. I don't trust any of it, but the discussions are illuminating.
Reply
post #14 of 23
8/18/08 at 10:24am

Re: What does the iPhone 3G need?

Quote:
Originally Posted by ErichH
...
Apple - Support - Discussions - iPhone 3G Reception Problems? You're ...

I have to say, after scanning both, hardware QC is my number 1 pick. ....
According to this Steve Jobs says that a firmware fix is on its way.
As I still have my 2G iPhone, I can't speak from experience, but lately in New York City AT&T's Edge (2G) performance has been deteriorating badly. I get full five bars at my office but lately Edge has been slooooooooooooooooooow. I'm guessing that in highly populated, upscale urban areas, AT&T's data network (be it 2G or 3G) is getting overwhelmed.

I don't think that AT&T (along with Apple or anyone else) came anywhere close to anticipating iPhones sales/popularity. And as we know iPhone users consume orders of magnitude more data than any other mobile device. Bottom line -- AT&T needs to beef up the network.

It would appear that there is an iPhone issue of some sort as well, best guess is that it handles switching back and forth between 3G and Edge really badly. Of course there may be other stuff as well.

But, I don't think that ANY mobile network ANYWHERE in the world has previously experienced iPhone caliber data demands. When people parade reports of problems in London as proof that AT&T is blameless, I think they are missing the point -- huge surge in data demand == network problems. I think that cell carriers worldwide will get a handle on it, and Apple will fix the glitches on their end, but no one has been prepared for the iPhone's popularity, and catching up will take time.
Reply
post #15 of 23
8/18/08 at 1:40pm

Re: What does the iPhone 3G need?

Personally I think the iPhone should have come with two cans
and string.

A lot of unhappy iPhone owners these days where I work.
Reply
post #16 of 23
8/18/08 at 2:12pm

Re: What does the iPhone 3G need?

All play and no work makes Apple a dull boy.
Reply
post #17 of 23
8/19/08 at 4:19am

Re: What does the iPhone 3G need?

Quote:
Originally Posted by ErichH
All play and no work makes Apple a dull boy.
Not sure I get it -- if anything Apple's problem is the opposite -- they have been working way too hard to get any number of project out on a strict schedule -- and the result have been mixed at best. They need a little more play and less work to regroup.

So, did any of you 3G sufferers load the new iPhone 2.0.2 firmware -- does it improve the quality of the string between the two cans?
Reply
post #18 of 23
8/19/08 at 4:26am

Re: What does the iPhone 3G need?

Yeah, I am a bit mystified by Eric's response as well.

Everyone within my personal community has seen no major
performance boost with the 2.0.1 firmware. Since 2.0.2 was
released yesterday it will be a few days before I know the
results of that upgrade.

In fact, yesterday one of my co-workers returned his iPhone to
the Apple store for dropped call problems and was promptly given
a replacement.

For me, the "awe" of this phone has worn off. I rarely use any of
the apps I downloaded. Thus, I am left with a device that hardly
works well as a phone or business tool.

The next purchase I need to make is the Juice Pack due out next
month. That should get me through a single day without completely
draining the battery of the iPod which seems to be a daily ritual.
Reply
post #19 of 23
8/19/08 at 8:41am

Re: What does the iPhone 3G need?

'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy' An old saying/proverb. Also used in the Shining (Kubrick) to great effect.

Apple put a product out that you can play with (most apps are useless games) that doesn't work in the most important areas (communication). The Apple shiny is dull.

OK?
Reply
post #20 of 23
8/23/08 at 6:22pm

Re: What does the iPhone 3G need?

my first gen iphone seems to work very well.
as a phone and as a little game player.

i have no complaints.

now there are people who have the 2nd gen iphone
who are saying the iphone is...

"a device that hardly
works well"

it took 2 iphones t figure that out?
the second one is marginally better then the first one as far as i can figure.

so you already knew what you were getting when you ought it again this summer.
new apps are showing up every day.
there is bound to be something that can do what you need
Reply
post #21 of 23
8/24/08 at 5:24am

Re: What does the iPhone 3G need?

Tony,

I, too, own a first-gen iPhone and am still ecstatically happy. From my perspective it's still the best gadget ever made. And the app store extends its usefulness on an almost daily basis.

I think the bulk of the complaints are coming from people that owned first-gen iPhones and then upgraded to the 3G. In some areas of the country they're not seeing "twice the speed" when comparing 3G access to EDGE. And -- prior to the 2.02 firmware upgrade -- if their phone switched from 3G to EDGE in the middle of a call they would be dropped! (Heck -- I would be pretty upset about that myself!) While 2.02 fixes that problem, there are still 3G connectivity issues that shouldn't be there which may be fixed by the 2.1 firmware upgrade promised for September.

The bottom line is that iPhone 3G customers --- especially those that were enjoying a trouble free experience with the original phone --- probably have a right to complain.
Reply
post #22 of 23
8/24/08 at 9:14am

Re: What does the iPhone 3G need?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Joseph Bolus
I, too, own a first-gen iPhone and am still ecstatically happy. From my perspective it's still the best gadget ever made. And the app store extends its usefulness on an almost daily basis.
Yes, I am in the category as well. And I don't want to go back to life before the App. store -- ever. Between, Remote, Now Playing (ex- Box Office),Twitterrific, PocketPedia, Stanza and Wurdle (a great version of Boggle -- if you have any interest in word games check it out), I am one happy camper.

Once universal remote software/hardware starts coming out, I'll be even happier.

To me the iPhone is great device, that's only going to keep getting better and better.
Reply
post #23 of 23
8/26/08 at 7:34pm

Re: What does the iPhone 3G need?

Is there a map or a list somewhere by AT&T that shows where 3G will be up and running soon or in the foreseeable future?
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Apple and Macintosh
Home Theater Forum › Home Theater Forum › Other Diversions › Apple and Macintosh › What does the iPhone 3G need?