A few questions before I buy my first iPhone

[Hecklerdanny]

Hi everyone. I'm probably buying my first iPhone within the next month, and I've got a few questions.

I guess the main question is regarding Macworld and what the future holds for the 2nd generation iPhone. I've heard that soon the iPhones will be on much faster 3G data network. If this happens, will this be a software or a hardware upgrade?

Will an iPhone bought now that uses the Edge data network be able to use the 3G network when and if it does switch to that?

How is your battery life? I don't plan on watching hours and hours of videos or anything with mine. I have a 16GB iPod touch for that, I mostly want the iPhone for the email, the texting and obviously the phone. Is the battery life okay?

I'm aware that they will probably announce a 16GB iPhone at Macworld, but I'll still probably get an 8GB one. So my main question is regarding the Edge and 3G data networks.

Thanks in advance.

 

[RITZFit]

probably not. i'm almost certain that is a hardware factor. for battery life, i usually get around 2.5 to 3 days with a mixture of a bit of texting, web surfing and ipod here and there.

 

[26139]

Yep

3G would be a hardware upgrade, not a firmware or software patch.

My battery life lasts 2-3 days, but all I really need to do is last at least a day (I always recharge at night).

If you want an iPhone, definitely buy it now. I don't think anyone realistically expects a huge upgrade until summer '08 at the earliest.

 

[Telp]

3G is hardware i believe. Wait and see what MW brings. Battery life is pretty good. I usually get about 5-7 hours use (ipod, texting, mail, web browsing mostly, not too much phone) with 1 day and 3-6 hours standby.

 

[avaloncourt]

I guess the main question is regarding Macworld and what the future holds for the 2nd generation iPhone. I've heard that soon the iPhones will be on much faster 3G data network. If this happens, will this be a software or a hardware upgrade?

Harware specifically. The present iPhone doesn't not have the appropriate hardware to access HSDPA data.

Will an iPhone bought now that uses the Edge data network be able to use the 3G network when and if it does switch to that?

No. Same reason above. It simply doesn't have the capability to use anything but EDGE. There are numerous articles online about this. Right now the HSDPA network is very sparse. Adding it into an iPhone would have had significant battery use increases for very limited markets. The iPhone uses enough battery as it is. They didn't need something else adding to the drain.

How is your battery life? I don't plan on watching hours and hours of videos or anything with mine. I have a 16GB iPod touch for that, I mostly want the iPhone for the email, the texting and obviously the phone. Is the battery life okay?

It does okay. You're a bit redundant to have a Touch and an iPhone. Essentially you have two of the same device when it comes to the "other features." I had a 16GB Touch and when AT&T merged with CellularOne I took the iPhone leap (AT&T's coverage was horrible until then here). I sold off my Touch and went strictly for the iPhone. It'd be a little silly to have both since they're essentially the same device with the only difference being the phone.

I'm aware that they will probably announce a 16GB iPhone at Macworld, but I'll still probably get an 8GB one. So my main question is regarding the Edge and 3G data networks.

Hard to say what will come out of Macworld. 16GB seems likely. HSDPA probably not so much. The infrastructure isn't in place in the US with AT&T to make it a currently worthwhile investment in changes for Apple. They're pushing boundaries as it is with battery life. I would love to see them add in a GPS receiver like most phones but there's something else to drain the battery.

 

[madfresh]

Adding 3g will definitely have to do with hardware not software. Also my battery life is really good. I'm sure you wont have any problems with the battery. Unless you plan on using it for 10 hours+ straight without a recharge.

 

[Hecklerdanny]

Thanks a lot for all of the information everyone. I guess I was under the impression that 3G was right around the corner, and it sounds like that's definitely not the case?

If so I think i'll go ahead and buy now, and not wait too much longer.

 

[avaloncourt]

Thanks a lot for all of the information everyone. I guess I was under the impression that 3G was right around the corner, and it sounds like that's definitely not the case?

If so I think i'll go ahead and buy now, and not wait too much longer.

Why not wait two weeks and know what's going to be released for sure?

 

[nickspohn]

Because in 2 weeks we "possibly" find out what will be released in the coming months.


They're working on iPhone 2, that's for sure. I think it was last month or november they said they were 90% done with the design.


I would buy now, let months go buy, then sell the one you have now on ebay and upgrade. It's safe to say they won't release it until mid summer at the earliest, or possibly next year.

 

[avaloncourt]

Because in 2 weeks we "possibly" find out what will be released in the coming months.

That's the point. He'd know if anything was announced in two weeks. He seems to be concerned that there will be some great annoucement. Then wait for the announcement. It's 14 freakin' days. So many people here seem to think their world will end if they do or don't wait. It's been out for months wait a few days.

The adjacent thread to this one in the list is people wondering if they time their purchase for tomorrow can they return their phone if "the next big thing" is announced. Again, what in your life will change in 14 days that you can't live without the iPhone for a few more days?

 

[nickspohn]

Yes, and then what, wait until late spring / early summer at the earliest to get this "new" iPhone?

Just buy it now.

 

[avaloncourt]

Yes, and then what, wait until late spring / early summer at the earliest to get this "new" iPhone?

Just buy it now.

Whatever.

THAT is what they're debating. They want a 3G phone that can only be used in a tiny fraction of AT&T's coverage area. Why that's important I'm not sure. Apparently they live square in the middle of that coverage. I just looked around at the current HSDPA coverage. I live in Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh has so-so coverage. Harrisburg has tiny coverage. Philadelphia is ok. None of the rest of the state has any coverage at all. New Jersey has almost no coverage. New York only seems to have coverage in the NYC region.

Apparently this is what people are so worked up about. Let them wait to find out they can get a phone that they can't use for HSDPA because it barely exists. This is the Verizon EVDO equivalent. It started in 3 markets and then 14 and then very slowly expanded. I just got Verizon EVDO three months ago. It was "released" YEARS ago. If they're so worried about getting HSDPA let them wait. They're so afraid of missing out on something that is unusable.

 

[Hecklerdanny]

This is getting pretty far off track from my original question. I wanted to know one thing, if 3G would require just software, or entirely new hardware. That's what I was waiting to find out. If it was software only, and every iPhone would be getting it, then I'd just get my iPhone now, if it was hardware only, and there was a change of that being announced at this Macworld, then I would wait for the possibility, but it looks like that probably won't be the case based off what i'm learning about reading this thread, so my question is answered.

 

[avaloncourt]

You could have had that answered by reading the Engadget or any other review from months ago when it was released and they tore the phones down to their components. It was outright stated there is no capability for HSDPA in the phone.

You actually did say:

I've heard that soon the iPhones will be on much faster 3G data network.

Sure when a phone that is capable of HSDPA is made and you happen to be standing still long enough to be in an HSDPA area. Yes, one day the iPhone generation whatever will be able to take advantage of it. It's kind of like buying a car that runs on Hydrogen. Where are you going to put fuel in it? It didn't make any difference if it was software updatable or not. As much coverage as there is there is an extremely small chance you'd be able to use it. Heck, look at Los Angeles. There isn't much coverage at all.

 

[nickspohn]

Well don't forget you can use edge if you have 3G, and knowing ATT, i'm pretty sure they will work on getting 3G in more places by the time the 2nd iPhone is released. That's thinking smart though.

 

[avaloncourt]

Take a look how long Verizon took to roll out EVDO and it's still ongoing. I'm 90 miles from the Pittsburgh market directly along an interstate corridor. It took Verizon three years to get EVDO up and running in that 90 miles and it doesn't wander far from the interstates. Between now and summer you could probably count the new AT&T coverage in hundreds of square miles not thousands. If Los Angeles isn't saturated now then it's going to be a looooooooooooong time before it's widely usable at all.

Think of it this way. Apple got together with AT&T to lock you into a 2 year contract. Apple is contractually exclusive to AT&T for five years. You paid full price for a phone. No subsidizing. Apple wants you around for two years and then maybe the actual high-speed coverage will handle the metro areas by that time. Then they can schlock the 3G iPhone to you. Apple is in this for 5 years so AT&T has made some kind of promises to Apple that within that 5 year period it will have been worth progressing the level of technology in the phone to warrant developing it.

If they develop the phone for the US market to have 3G and release it in June then there's not much point since there's hardly anywhere to use it. It would make sense if they pace releases timed to significant advances in the network.

That, sir, is thinking smart. Hook you and keep reeling you in. They had a PR disaster with the whole release and subsequent reduction in price. They're not going to create another disaster by selling a phone touting high speed features that nobody can use. Look at Verizon, EVDO and V-Cast. They didn't roll out any V-Cast feature phones for quite some time. It's all in how you play it. Release too soon and you have way too many people upset with you... see above.