is the iphone a good phone

A

AJ.G

macrumors member
im considering the iphone 4,
i knw this whole ios business,
so this isnt a noob "how to" question,
its more like, the iphone is an i PHONE.
it does all these other things,
but is it actually a good phone?
as in good functions/ easy to use?
jst wondering cuz all this buzz about these insane apps,
but i feel people are forgettin the phone part of iphone.

and on a side note, is it fragile?
as in a pocket with keys... or in a loose pocket with bag,
my itouch is fine...
jst hearin iphone 4 is fragile,
so im jst wonderin:)
 
Depends on what your definition of 'good' is!

Will it make calls? Yes!
Will it drop said call? High probability!
Will you be able to hear caller? Sometimes not as the earpiece speaker blows (volume)
Will the phone ring everytime someone calls you? NO!
Will you inadvertently hang up on person due to epic failure of proximity sensor? YES!

However if you can stand to make it past ALL of that it makes for one hell of an iPod!
 
iPhonedHome said:
Depends on what your definition of 'good' is!

1)Will it make calls? Yes!
2)Will it drop said call? High probability!
3)Will you be able to hear caller? Sometimes not as the earpiece speaker blows (volume)
4)Will the phone ring everytime someone calls you? NO!
5)Will you inadvertently hang up on person due to epic failure of proximity sensor? YES!

However if you can stand to make it past ALL of that it makes for one hell of an iPod!
Click to expand...

1) YES, works fine.
2) Never had it happen.
3) Hear everyone perfectly. You must have hearing problems.
4) Rings every time. Again might want to check your ears.
5) Don't have proximity sensor issue but I guess it does exist out there.
 
iPhonedHome said:
Depends on what your definition of 'good' is!

Will it make calls? Yes!
Will it drop said call? High probability!
Will you be able to hear caller? Sometimes not as the earpiece speaker blows (volume)
Will the phone ring everytime someone calls you? NO!
Will you inadvertently hang up on person due to epic failure of proximity sensor? YES!

However if you can stand to make it past ALL of that it makes for one hell of an iPod!
Click to expand...
I urge you to ignore posts like this.

Spend a few minutes browsing this forum and you'll find a plethora of very satisfied iPhone owners. It is true that there have been several issues with the most revent revision of the iPhone, but the problems have been less common than the "non-problems."

There are several good reviews floating around the web, including common websites like cnet.com.
 
Buy it.

The back of the phone is prone to scratches though. Just like the back of the touch. So putting it in a pocket with keys is not a very good idea.
 
if you're living in a small region with great reception, I don't see what's the problem with an iPhone 4.

For one thing, I haven't had dropped calls, most probably cause I'm in Singapore, a small country. Even so, I believe the iPhone functions exceptionally well as a phone, as I like the feel of the keypad, idk I just have a good impression of touching the buttons on the keypad.

As for contacts etc, its really very efficient, just that setting of contact pictures might be slow and troublesome.

Also, messaging is a breeze, I once forwarded a message to my class of 39(i'm a teacher, have to send relay messages to my forgetful students) and it took less than 1 minute for the frequent texter in my class to respond! This shows how fast messages can be sent and received.

Group messages don't take long to send, although there is slight lag while it's sending the multi-contact message, but that's normal I guess.

Hope this helps.:)

-Lawrence
 
iPhonedHome said:
Depends on what your definition of 'good' is!

Will it drop said call? High probability!
Will you be able to hear caller? Sometimes not as the earpiece speaker blows (volume)
Will the phone ring everytime someone calls you? NO!
Will you inadvertently hang up on person due to epic failure of proximity sensor? YES!

However if you can stand to make it past ALL of that it makes for one hell of an iPod!
Click to expand...

The only truth from this post is the proximity issue which was fixed for me and most if not all others in 4.1

Now my opinion.

The only time I had the urge to change my iPhone was when a new iPhone came out. Phone feature works better than any other I've owned.
 
esadb said:
1) YES, works fine.
2) Never had it happen.
3) Hear everyone perfectly. You must have hearing problems.
4) Rings every time. Again might want to check your ears.
5) Don't have proximity sensor issue but I guess it does exist out there.
Click to expand...
1)Most times. Unless it just sits there at "Calling" and never does anything else because it can't acquire a signal.
2)You're in the minority.
3)Have you ever tried to use the phone in a crowded area out in public? No need to insult the guy.
4)Again, might want to not be an _____. I've gotten voice messages from people without the phone ever ringing or showing a missed call.
5)Well, at least you won't insult this guy over one thing. Bravo.
 
Alaerian said:
I urge you to ignore posts like this.
Click to expand...
Sarcastic? Meme!? Great!

I agree with that guy and I still love the phone and wouldn't use any other. Admitting that the phone has flaws doesn't make one a troll. If he claimed the phone dropped EVERY call or that EVERY call goes straight to VM then that would be one thing.
 
nooaah said:
1)Most times. Unless it just sits there at "Calling" and never does anything else because it can't acquire a signal.
2)You're in the minority.
3)Have you ever tried to use the phone in a crowded area out in public? No need to insult the guy.
4)Again, might want to not be an _____. I've gotten voice messages from people without the phone ever ringing or showing a missed call.
5)Well, at least you won't insult this guy over one thing. Bravo.
Click to expand...

2 & 3) Again ive used the phone inside, outside, in a car with window down. In a crowded area. I hear people fine.

Unless its an issue with the other end and they have a cheap hand held I don't know what to tell you.

The phone works fine, sure it has the proximity issue and the signal fluctuation, but again with the signal i still wasn't able to drop a call.. And i use the phone a lot for voice calls.
 
Alaerian said:
There are certainly better ways to get a point across that don't make one seem like a troll.
Click to expand...

It is the best mobile device available, hands down, However the phone aspect is not. The iPhone. Has never been a great phone, and with the last revision it's even worse. I drop alot of calls and phone volume and quality isn't great but it is worth it to have this phone. I tried android for a week because I was sick of the phones problems however I went back to my iPhone in about a week. On my verizom fascinate I never dropped a call however for me the iPhone was still better even though it has some issues with the phone part of ot
 
esadb said:
1) YES, works fine.
2) Never had it happen.
3) Hear everyone perfectly. You must have hearing problems.
4) Rings every time. Again might want to check your ears.
5) Don't have proximity sensor issue but I guess it does exist out there.
Click to expand...

I would like to echo this. Never had any problems With the phone part or any other part of the iPhone 4 or any of my previous iPhones.
 
Alaerian said:
I urge you to ignore posts like this.

Spend a few minutes browsing this forum and you'll find a plethora of very satisfied iPhone owners. It is true that there have been several issues with the most revent revision of the iPhone, but the problems have been less common than the "non-problems."

There are several good reviews floating around the web, including common websites like cnet.com.
Click to expand...

I simply stated the facts as I have every problem that I listed. If you don't have any of the issues that I stated then kudos to you. I never stated that ALL iPhone users were having the problems I listed.

It has been no secret that the 'Phone' part of the iPhone is nothing to go bragging about to your next door neighbor. I've had every phone since the first and the iPhone 4 has been a disaster ever since it was exposed on Gizmodo. Apple has repeatedly ignored and failed to address the more pressing issues (antennae, proximity sensor, etc,). And I’m sorry but offering a free case is horse chit!

Had Apple and Steve given a rats ass and made an attempt to actually 'help' the customers, then I wouldn’t be so harsh. But personally a company of Apple's stature and greatness should not be acting like some little mom and pop shop and give those customers having issues the 'go F yourself' mentality.

Unlike the massive recall that Toyota took on earlier this year, Apple chose to go the other route, claiming that all with antenna problems are all 'holding the phone wrong'. REALLY?! Think about what the reaction would have been if Toyota told everyone having problems that they were pressing on the gas pedal incorrectly.

Anyway I'm very disappointed in how Apple has handled the antenna and proximity sensor issue. Steve said in his presser that the proximity sensor WOULD BE FIXED IN iOS 4.1. WRONG AGAIN!

Oh and for your information whilst I was typing my rant I missed another call that didn't ring and went straight to voicemail. Awesome!
 
Calls drop all the time. Do not listen to the ninnies on here that try to tell you otherwise.

Phone functions fine when it works. Speakerphone better than it used to be.
 
Earpiece volume is too low when you're in a crowded loud area. My brothers karma is much better in terms of hearing people.
 
My experience is that the iPhone 4 is an adequate phone and the best portable multimedia wireless device on the market today.
 
iPhonedHome said:
I simply stated the facts as I have every problem that I listed. If you don't have any of the issues that I stated then kudos to you. I never stated that ALL iPhone users were having the problems I listed.
Click to expand...

On the other hand, you never said anything in your original post along the lines of "In my experience", or "this is what I've found, others may have a different take on it": it certainly read as if you were stating these as issues that all iPhone 4 users have, which isn't true.
 
The iPhone is a good phone the same as a Swiss Army knife is a good hunting knife.

I love my iPhone but smart phones aren't a good choice for mission critical cell phones. If you need a phone to make over 50 calls a day I'd go with a plain phone.
 
Buy it.

Great phone. Have no issues with voice or sound quality. I travel throughout the US and have never had an issue with dropping calls.

I recently upgraded to iPhone4 and it is the best yet. I do not have antenna issues. I do not have proximity sensor issues.

Could be considered fragile if you are prone to dropping it or frequently throwing it in a bag or pocket with keys unprotected.
 
In my experience, the iPhone 4 has been an excellent mobile device and indeed, an excellent phone as well.

There are some people who have problems with the iPhone, as will be the case with every cell phone and mobile device out there. Unfortunately, it is these people who feel that because they have issues with it, everyone else must have the same issues. This just isn't the case. Not with the iPhone and not with other phones, either.

Ultimately, the only way to know for sure that the iPhone is right for you is to try it, and if you don't like it, you can return it. But considering the recent JD Power survey, and the fact that demand for the iPhone 4 is still high, there's a good chance you'll like it.
 
I drop calls in areas of known bad coverage - there are a few of them around here, and every carrier has problems in those certain areas. That's a carrier issue, not an iPhone issue - my iPhone drops no more calls than any other phone I've owned, and considerably less than I did on Verizon.

I've never had a call not ring and go straight to voicemail - OTOH, my Blackberry Tour on Verizon had that happen multiple times a day. I missed several work callouts because of it, which was ultimately the reason I dropped the BB/Verizon completely.

Never had an issue with volume - but then again, I don't sit in crowded locations and try to make phone calls....not only do I consider it rude, I realize it's going to be difficult to hear people regardless of what phone I'm using. In normal conditions, the volume is plenty loud enough for me.

My one issue is the proximity sensor, and that is definitely frustrating. Never had an issue with my 3G, and 4.1 made it somewhat better but didn't fix it entirely. It's pretty much my only gripe about the iPhone 4. Battery life is fine, it pairs flawlessly with my BT headset, all other functions work perfectly (never had the 'antennagate' issue because I use a case).
 
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