I am thinking about asking for an iPhone for my birthday. I currently own a 20 gb iPod I got about 3 or 4 years ago. I also own a Tmobile Razr. I have been reading the forums about iPhones and the tMobile plans and I was wondering how much work it is going to take to get an iPhone with full internet service? I keep on reading about hacks and other things and am worried that the tmobile plan has gimped services. Can I transfer my current plan to my iPhone. Is it a bad decision to buy an iPhone in may for my birthday. People keep talking about 3G and 2G and I don't understand what they are talking about. If anyone has answers to these questions please help. Also what is a better value an iPhone or an iTouch? Thank You.
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Needing Help With Deciding on iPhone
- Thread starter KratosKilla
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also
Can someone tell what 2g and 3g are? Are they generation and if so, is 2g out already? Do i need to pay for iPhone software updates? Thanks. Please reply.
Can someone tell what 2g and 3g are? Are they generation and if so, is 2g out already? Do i need to pay for iPhone software updates? Thanks. Please reply.
Hello.
First of all, in your case, i would switch to AT&T when your current contract with T Mobile is up. I personally hate T Mobile, and AT&T is much, MUCH better on average. Hacking / Unlocking the iPhone is also very easy now, but if you have AT&T, you obviously don't have to unlock it, and you can use AT&T's internet as the normal way.
2G is what the iPhone has now. (It's actually 2.5G to be specific) AT&T calls it EDGE. It's like slightly faster dialup compared to a computer, but on the iPhone. It is pretty decent, but can be slow. 3G is a lot faster. Pretty much like a broadband connection on your iPhone. 3G is nicer than EDGE, because if you get a call and a website is loading on 3G, you will still get a call. As of now, if you are AT&T and a website is loading and you are using EDGE over WiFi, your call will not go through and just ring, eventually going to Voicemail.
You have to remember that the Touch doesn't have a Camera, Microphone, or speaker for that matter. Personally, the iPhone is better, but if i were you i would just wait until your current contract ends, and you can get a 3G iPhone. They aren't suppose to be out for AT LEAST a few more months.
Hope this helps.
First of all, in your case, i would switch to AT&T when your current contract with T Mobile is up. I personally hate T Mobile, and AT&T is much, MUCH better on average. Hacking / Unlocking the iPhone is also very easy now, but if you have AT&T, you obviously don't have to unlock it, and you can use AT&T's internet as the normal way.
2G is what the iPhone has now. (It's actually 2.5G to be specific) AT&T calls it EDGE. It's like slightly faster dialup compared to a computer, but on the iPhone. It is pretty decent, but can be slow. 3G is a lot faster. Pretty much like a broadband connection on your iPhone. 3G is nicer than EDGE, because if you get a call and a website is loading on 3G, you will still get a call. As of now, if you are AT&T and a website is loading and you are using EDGE over WiFi, your call will not go through and just ring, eventually going to Voicemail.
You have to remember that the Touch doesn't have a Camera, Microphone, or speaker for that matter. Personally, the iPhone is better, but if i were you i would just wait until your current contract ends, and you can get a 3G iPhone. They aren't suppose to be out for AT LEAST a few more months.
Hope this helps.
You can transfer over your TMobile account to it using hacks and unlocks, and you'll have to change some settings in the phone. You will also have to make sure you have a data (Internet) plan with TMobile. However, Visual Voicemail will not work on any carrier other than AT&T.
The iPhone currently uses 2.5G (EDGE) technology for Internet access. It's somewhere between dial-up and DSL speed. In the future (although no one has a clue when), a new hardware revision will feature 3G Internet, which is closer to broadband speeds. However, I don't believe that would apply to you, because as far as I know, TMobile does not have a widespread 3G network.
Also, any time the iPhone has a software update (like the 2.0 AppStore update), your unlocked phone will be locked up if you install an update.
The iPhone currently uses 2.5G (EDGE) technology for Internet access. It's somewhere between dial-up and DSL speed. In the future (although no one has a clue when), a new hardware revision will feature 3G Internet, which is closer to broadband speeds. However, I don't believe that would apply to you, because as far as I know, TMobile does not have a widespread 3G network.
Also, any time the iPhone has a software update (like the 2.0 AppStore update), your unlocked phone will be locked up if you install an update.
1) You're talking about t-mobile. The iPhone is available through AT&T only (I'm assuming your a US resident). To get it working on another carrier, you'd have to use some of the jailbreaking tools available to do so. Given that you're asking so many questions, I don't think this is a good idea until you do more research.
2) 2G and 3G, when you see people mentioning these they're talking about the radios / protocols / services that the phone utilizes. 3G is the latest available for phones... indicates a higher transfer rate for data, ability to use data and voice simultaneously, etc. There are many other differences, some get a bit technical. Again, I suggest you do research on this.
3) Software updates for the iPhone are provided free of charge by Apple.
4) As to which is right for you, the iPhone or the iPod Touch, that's a matter for you to decide. See what the capabilities and limitations for each of them are and use that to help you make your decision.
Bottom line, you've got some further research to do before you decide what to buy.
2) 2G and 3G, when you see people mentioning these they're talking about the radios / protocols / services that the phone utilizes. 3G is the latest available for phones... indicates a higher transfer rate for data, ability to use data and voice simultaneously, etc. There are many other differences, some get a bit technical. Again, I suggest you do research on this.
3) Software updates for the iPhone are provided free of charge by Apple.
4) As to which is right for you, the iPhone or the iPod Touch, that's a matter for you to decide. See what the capabilities and limitations for each of them are and use that to help you make your decision.
Bottom line, you've got some further research to do before you decide what to buy.
Edge?
Do you have to be in a wireless Hotspot to access edge or have a wifi connection in your home? Can you access edge anywhere? Say I go down to the shore and don't have a wifi connection. Will I be able to access directions, Weather and the browser using the EDGE service? Thanks for all of the answers.
Do you have to be in a wireless Hotspot to access edge or have a wifi connection in your home? Can you access edge anywhere? Say I go down to the shore and don't have a wifi connection. Will I be able to access directions, Weather and the browser using the EDGE service? Thanks for all of the answers.
The iPhone uses EDGE when a WiFi signal is unavailable. Usually you have EDGE access wherever you have a cell signal. This is an advantage the iPhone has over the iPod Touch as the Touch does not have EDGE capability.
EDGE does not require being in a WiFi hotspot location because it can be used to download data "anywhere." I put that in quotes because there are some areas where EDGE is not available, so the phone will switch to using GPRS to download data. But otherwise, data can be downloaded pretty much wherever you go/are, the difference being just the speed at which it downloads. Cheers.
Yes.
If you're thinking of waiting, i think the 3G service might cost slightly more a month, but that is getting ahead of ourselves.
Like what was stated, anywhere you have voice signal, you'll have the data signal.
5 bars signal (highest on the iPhone) = good voice service = good data speeds.
1 bar signal = choppy voice service = rubbish data speeds.
If you're thinking of waiting, i think the 3G service might cost slightly more a month, but that is getting ahead of ourselves.
Like what was stated, anywhere you have voice signal, you'll have the data signal.
5 bars signal (highest on the iPhone) = good voice service = good data speeds.
1 bar signal = choppy voice service = rubbish data speeds.
I have problem wile my iPhones wifi is wery slow. Installer refreshing sources takes a 10min, i test speed with: http://i.dslr.net/tinyspeedtest.html
My EDGE - 180 kb/s
Wifi - 30-60 kb/s
My frend test iPhone in same network and his get Wifi - 800 kb/s
My EDGE - 180 kb/s
Wifi - 30-60 kb/s
My frend test iPhone in same network and his get Wifi - 800 kb/s