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Please don't kill me, but.....
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Wow I guess I'm surprised when I read posts like this because I'm flat out lovin' my iPhone. As just a phone its acceptable, but with all the other stuff I can do with it, its awesome to me.
I don't get good 3G reception, waiting for the fix for that. But, I turned off 3G and get really good signal on EDGE, plus I'm usually around wifi for data regardless.
Also, I do reboot my phone every one or two days. Just a habit I got into and it only takes a few seconds, and I don't experience all the problems I read about such as keyboard lag, crashing, etc.
I did jailbreak my phone (not sure why you are so opposed to that) and I can do all kinds of wonderful things with it now, and a lot of the missing features are present in the JB apps available.
Anyway, hope you find a phone that you like. Maybe the Instinct or the Glyde will give you what you need.
I don't get good 3G reception, waiting for the fix for that. But, I turned off 3G and get really good signal on EDGE, plus I'm usually around wifi for data regardless.
Also, I do reboot my phone every one or two days. Just a habit I got into and it only takes a few seconds, and I don't experience all the problems I read about such as keyboard lag, crashing, etc.
I did jailbreak my phone (not sure why you are so opposed to that) and I can do all kinds of wonderful things with it now, and a lot of the missing features are present in the JB apps available.
Anyway, hope you find a phone that you like. Maybe the Instinct or the Glyde will give you what you need.
I used to feel the same way about jailbreak, but changed my mind and decided to give it a try since there isn't any real downside...now that I've done it, I wouldn't have an iPhone any other way.
I'm not suggesting for one second that you should change your mind. Just sharing with you (and others) my experience. I wish you the best of luck reaching stability. My phone is pretty stable, the battery life has gotten much better, and I don't have 3G dropped call issues (feelin' pretty lucky). It certainly isn't perfect and is frustrating at times...particularly contacts and keyboard lag. But it's not as awful for me as some. I still have my BB Pearl and using compared to my iPhone definitely feels like a huge step back
Not directly, no. But if you've been making phones over their entire evolutionary curve and you have over a century of progress, trial and error to fall back on you're probably in a better position to make a solid product than if you only just started. Apple might be making mistakes now that Nokia sorted out in 1997 and Ericsson in 1994...
I'm with you there, and I've been sold on the UI ever since I bought an iPod Touch a year ago or thereabouts -- couldn't get the iPhone in my country until now. But everyone isn't blown away by the iPhone, and many don't give a crap about UI look and feel... it's like trying to dissect what people look for in a car. If everyone went for beauty and performance we'd all be driving sport coupés. And yet some people wouldn't take a Porsche in exchange for their precious Ford pickup. And if you're not impressed by the interface, what does the iPhone have over other phones? More buttons?
Yes - it is fine for most people -- at least in full daylight. But in a spec-obsessed world where the main sales point for a digital camera is that it has 1 million pixels more than last year's model and where recess and watercooler gatherings around the latest gadget revolve around specs, features and more specs, the iPhone cam fails utterly to impress. Again with the Ford pickup vs. Porsche -- there are people out there who buy a phone because it's the one with the best cam, just like there are people who prefer a phone with no cam at all.
Maybe. I thought we were yet to reach a point where front-facing cams on both ends of a phone call are so commonplace it actually has a shot at catching on. And also... it's Apple. A company that makes a huge deal about videoconferencing. iChat, iSight, built-in webcams on all computers except Pro & Mini. A company that takes pride in changing the way people use devices (=iPhone boosted net surfing on cellphones from 15% to 90% or something like that).
I never use it myself, but going by some comments I've seen regarding the iPhone you'd think that MMS is vital to their survival...
Well, my last phone was a SonyEricsson P1i and it came with a charger, a dock, a fake leather sleeve and an USB cable. And I believe a dock was included with the 1st gen iPhone.
Yes, I suppose the v1 was sturdy enough but these reports of cracks in the iPhone 3G case are pretty damn frequent. And Apple has a history of, perhaps intentionally, choosing materials that scratch and crack and buckle and whatnot. There was the Cube... hinge problems on PB G4 (Titanium)... the white and black MacBooks that look like they're 60 years old after a few months of typing... the iPods with a clear plastic front (1st Gen Nano + 1st gen Video iPod) that would scratch when you wiped it off with a clean cloth, or if you merely looked at it funny... these are issues that weren't on my map until I got into Apple products. Over the years I've had all these cellphones, they are invariably made from some sort of painted plastic and they have a clear plastic display. And I can drop them on the tarmac or keep them in a pocket full of keys, coins and lint, and they look good as new. Then I got a black iPod Nano V1, and after a day both the front and the back looked like they had been used for skating practice by Tonya Harding. I don't think you can find materials THAT unsuitable for life on the road unless you actively look for them... after all, it's a win-win situation for Apple. First you buy one of their gadgets. Then it gets completely trashed from normal usage. So you buy a second unit, and this time you pay Apple for some overpriced silicon skin, or a "sock" to protect this m-o-b-i-l-e use from everything that a mobile device is supposed to be built to endure.
A quick stop at Google turns up results along these lines...
"iPhone sales below expectations"
"Apple iPhone sales below expectations in the UK"
"Apple iPhone initial sales below market expectations, says IMS Research"
"Apple's much-hyped iPhone performed nowhere near Wall Street expectations during its first 30 hours on sale"
"Early iPhone Data Disappoints, Sending Apple Stock Lower"
"Europe sees low iPhone sales, exclusives over soon?"
"iPhone Europe sales sluggish"
"Sluggish Sales - The iPhone in Europe, Lost In Translation?"
Etc... etc...
That's on the assumption that the OS and the UI are so irresistible that once you've fiddled with an iPhone you won't have anything less... but if that was the case, shouldn't OS X be the dominant platform by now?I've said it before on here and I'll say it again: WM/Symbian are about to get their asses handed to them on a plate. In 5 years the iPhone will be the dominant smartphone platform. You can call me out on it then if I'm wrong.
There is so much more to it than being the best and the most innovative. Ask French carmaker Citroën. They pioneered the "think different" approach long before Steve Jobs was born. And in the year he was born, they introduced a radically designed car, the DS, jam packed with so many groundbreaking innovations that it should have wiped all competition off the map. It was the iPhone of 1955. Independent hydropneumatic suspension, swivelling headlights, inboard power disc brakes and numerous other jawdropping bells & whistles considered otherworldly in 1955. 53 years later it remains the most comfortable ride in existence -- even with a flat tire or one wheel completely removed.
So... world domination for Citroën, right? Well, the DS was indeed hyped to no end by the media and Citroën did take 12,000 advance orders on the day of the unveiling, but... in the long run it just didn't cut it. The radical design introduced some technical problems, there were frequent mechanical failures (you know, cracked casing... dropped calls... sluggish interface and poor 3G performance.
) And apart from these issues, the design was just too bold for the average joe. In the end he went for something more conservative from one of the mainstream manufacturers, with their tried and true pre-WW2 technology.Therefore I predict that in 5 years (and 10), average Joe will be using a conservative and non-intimidating smartphone with physical buttons, and the iPhone software wouldn't touch such a device with a 40 foot pole -- ergo, iPhone will not be the dominant smartphone platform.
Learn to research
You might want to learn how to do a little research.
First of all, Google results can hardly be classified as sources, especially when you use biased phrases like "iPhone sales below expectations". You also have to consider that varying sources have varying degrees of validity. Quoting a few search results hardly proves a point. What proves a point is actual statement about sales versus expectations.
iPhone sales 1.5 million units ahead of September expectations - "Should the trend continue through the remainder of the quarter (ending September 30th), it would suggest upside of approximately 1.5 million units to his previous estimate of 3.5 million iPhone sales."
Analyst Gene Munster ups his estimate of 4th quarter iPhone sales - Gene Munster has upped his estimate of the number of iPhones he expects Apple to sell in its 4th quarter, from 4.1 million to 4.47 million, according to a report to clients issued early Wednesday."
Analyst Michael Cote: 3 million iPhones sold - ... sales blow past expectations." "The 3 million figure is much higher than Wall Street analysts had anticipated. Forecasts called for total quarterly sales of three million to four million."
The fact is iPhone 3G sales are performing equal to or above expectations of both Apple and market analysts' predictions.
It is no supirse that the phone features of the iPhone are quite lacking compared to other phones on the market. The 3G now marks their second generation phone whereas the competition are in the double digits. And look at their latest models - iPhone clones. The fact that their Xth generation phones are competing with the iPhone is telling. Apple may be playing catch-up in the telephony side, and the other guys are playing catchup everywhere else. As a media player and web devices (not to mention it's slick UI) the iPhone has them all beat hands down. Web browsing on the iPhone has already surpassed that on windows mobile platforms.
I am quite sure that Apple will figure out how to make a phone before the other guys figure out how to do everything else. I don't think it will take them that long, either. I think next July we will see major leaps in the iPhone hardware. I am also predicting two different models - one much like the current, minimalistic design and only a home button, and a busniess model with a few more buttons and other physical features (LEDs, etc) for functionality.
You might want to learn how to do a little research.
First of all, Google results can hardly be classified as sources, especially when you use biased phrases like "iPhone sales below expectations". You also have to consider that varying sources have varying degrees of validity. Quoting a few search results hardly proves a point. What proves a point is actual statement about sales versus expectations.
iPhone sales 1.5 million units ahead of September expectations - "Should the trend continue through the remainder of the quarter (ending September 30th), it would suggest upside of approximately 1.5 million units to his previous estimate of 3.5 million iPhone sales."
Analyst Gene Munster ups his estimate of 4th quarter iPhone sales - Gene Munster has upped his estimate of the number of iPhones he expects Apple to sell in its 4th quarter, from 4.1 million to 4.47 million, according to a report to clients issued early Wednesday."
Analyst Michael Cote: 3 million iPhones sold - ... sales blow past expectations." "The 3 million figure is much higher than Wall Street analysts had anticipated. Forecasts called for total quarterly sales of three million to four million."
The fact is iPhone 3G sales are performing equal to or above expectations of both Apple and market analysts' predictions.
It is no supirse that the phone features of the iPhone are quite lacking compared to other phones on the market. The 3G now marks their second generation phone whereas the competition are in the double digits. And look at their latest models - iPhone clones. The fact that their Xth generation phones are competing with the iPhone is telling. Apple may be playing catch-up in the telephony side, and the other guys are playing catchup everywhere else. As a media player and web devices (not to mention it's slick UI) the iPhone has them all beat hands down. Web browsing on the iPhone has already surpassed that on windows mobile platforms.
I am quite sure that Apple will figure out how to make a phone before the other guys figure out how to do everything else. I don't think it will take them that long, either. I think next July we will see major leaps in the iPhone hardware. I am also predicting two different models - one much like the current, minimalistic design and only a home button, and a busniess model with a few more buttons and other physical features (LEDs, etc) for functionality.
Awwwwww... cheer up!
I feel the same way sometimes.
The iPhone is the best phone I have ever owned. I used to use those Tracfones and I got no service EVERYWHERE.
So since I wanted to be special, I purchased the iPhone and have loved it from day one. Yes- it has its issues, but I just learn to tolerate it.
My biggest problem is reception. When I need it the most, there is no reception. When I barely need it in the area- a full blown five bars. I went to Walmart today and outside I had five bars. When I went inside, I had zippo. It makes me jealous seeing other people talking away freely on their cellphones that they probably paid $50 for and me just standing there with "No Service" with a $400 phone.
I still have my hopes that Apple will pull through for all of us!
I feel the same way sometimes.
The iPhone is the best phone I have ever owned. I used to use those Tracfones and I got no service EVERYWHERE.
So since I wanted to be special, I purchased the iPhone and have loved it from day one. Yes- it has its issues, but I just learn to tolerate it.
My biggest problem is reception. When I need it the most, there is no reception. When I barely need it in the area- a full blown five bars. I went to Walmart today and outside I had five bars. When I went inside, I had zippo. It makes me jealous seeing other people talking away freely on their cellphones that they probably paid $50 for and me just standing there with "No Service" with a $400 phone.
I still have my hopes that Apple will pull through for all of us!
i've recently come to believe, like others in this thread, that many of the bugs, lags, crashes, etc are way more a function of the 3rd party apps then the iPhone hardware or software. It's been a pretty simple equation- the more apps, the more my phone lags and crashes.
case in point- today, my phone crashed when trying to sync on a couple new apps. restored and needed to make a phone call. immediately i noticed that it was way more responsive. no lag in contacts, sms, nothing. i proceeded to start syncing my apps back on and after i got through maybe 15 of them, i stopped the restore to see how responsive the contact app was. it was right back to being laggy as hell.
i'm restoring again, and i think i'm going to just pick a few, key app, trying to keep the # of 3rd party apps under 10, and see what the difference is.
case in point- today, my phone crashed when trying to sync on a couple new apps. restored and needed to make a phone call. immediately i noticed that it was way more responsive. no lag in contacts, sms, nothing. i proceeded to start syncing my apps back on and after i got through maybe 15 of them, i stopped the restore to see how responsive the contact app was. it was right back to being laggy as hell.
i'm restoring again, and i think i'm going to just pick a few, key app, trying to keep the # of 3rd party apps under 10, and see what the difference is.
I haven't had any major problems with my iphone, although I regularly experience lag, lapses in 3g coverage, and apps spontaneously quitting.
I feel the thread starter's sentiment. We waited for months, squealing like little school girls whenever a *leaked* picture appeared in blogs, lined up overnight only to see system failures prevent us from getting an iPhone, and pay crazy amounts of money every month. In return, a relatively problem free Jesus phone we all craved was the least señor Jobs could do for us. I do feel a bit cheated with the bugs I've encountered.
Come on Steve, after all that we have done for you, how could you let us down like this. I need Steve to come up to my apartment, hold me in his arms, and tell me everything will be alright.
I feel the thread starter's sentiment. We waited for months, squealing like little school girls whenever a *leaked* picture appeared in blogs, lined up overnight only to see system failures prevent us from getting an iPhone, and pay crazy amounts of money every month. In return, a relatively problem free Jesus phone we all craved was the least señor Jobs could do for us. I do feel a bit cheated with the bugs I've encountered.
Come on Steve, after all that we have done for you, how could you let us down like this. I need Steve to come up to my apartment, hold me in his arms, and tell me everything will be alright.
I would "hang in" for a while. I have the same problems as most others do...but I did expect for it to be "buggy" at first. I am sure that if we all give it some time Apple will fix most of the bugs. I did keep my 1st gen iPhone with 1.1.4 as a back-up. But I have not had to use it so far. Hang in or return and come back latter when things are fixed.