Battery, Charging, & Use Questions

[Puck.]

A few questions:

1) How much life do you typically get out of your iPhone when using it strictly as an MP3 player (assume not a lot of song switching or playlist manipulating, just letting it play most times)
2) Same question, video?
3) Does your laptop charge the iPhone when the laptop is not plugged into the wall? (mine will not charge my iPod unless it's hooked into AC for some reason)
4) Can I have it docked (?) or charging in my laptop while at work and still use it as a phone and as an MP3 player? Obviously if it rings i'd take it off the charger, but i'm just saying, is it capable of being functional or when it's plugged in, is it rendered useless because it's hooked to a data source?

I'm curious as to how functional it'll be if I can sit at my desk and use it to listen to MP3s, keep it charged, and be able to answer it if it rings. I'd like to replace my iPod with the iPhone basically since my 60 gb video is bulky and an extra device to carry. Battery life shouldn't be too big of a problem for me I suppose since i'm always seemingly near a laptop or desktop. I'd ideally be using it probably 2 hours a day where it isn't plugged in somewhere in the commute time.

Thanks.

 

[nickspohn]

1) Apple website says 24 hours, which is about right. That will change though if you have the screen constantly on instead of off and just listening to music.
2) About 5 hours.
3) I think that depends what kind of computer you have, and a computer setting. My laptop charges mine when it's not plugged in, but i have a Dell XPS.
4) Yes you can do anything on it while it is charging. Only when you're syncing, or the battery is at like 1% charge.


I do the same when i'm at my desk. Keep it in the dock, have it plugged in the computer, and have it plugged into my stereo. I do work on the laptop and listen to music. Sometimes i do work on both while listening to music.

Anymore questions?

 

[Puck.]

Thanks for the info. I guess it sounds like it's a perfectly suitable replacement then. Anything I should be aware of that would make it unsuitable for what I plan on doing? Hell, with that kind of battery life, I may not even be charging it but every other day it sounds like. I barely use the video feature as it is on my iPod video because of annoyances in converting files and sound/video sync losing time, so it'll mostly be for texting, calls, and music.

I'm still going to wait until MacWorld to see what we find out and what timelines we see, I really want a 16 gb model. I don't mind the iPhone 1 model and am not going to wait until summer to get the newer one, I just need the space more than anything. I'd be perfectly pleased with an iPhone 1 that is 16 gb if it came out soon.

 

[nickspohn]

Yeah, it sounds like it would be perfect for your use.

I would buy now and wouldn't bother waiting. The current model can't be upgraded with more memory (there are 2 slots, the iPhone uses one for storage, and one for the wireless / edge, while the touch uses both for storage, and results in 16GB), and IMO the 8GB is plenty. You can always steam music too online if you need a particular song on the go.

 

[Puck.]

Well, fingers are crossed that the 16 gb chip prices have dropped enough that we see it put in instead of the 8 gb chips. I'd be willing to pay an extra hundred bucks, I don't care. If we don't find out anything valuable at MW, i'll just go buy one, no worries.

 

[nickspohn]

I don't think you can put a 16GB chip in the current iPhone though. I'm not sure though so i might be wrong.

 

[dacreativeguy]

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I think that even a memory upgrade would trigger a new FCC review, so don't count on it. With all the apple fanatics out there we would have heard by now if the iPhone was testing.