Questions about the 3G...considering replacing a Treo

[steveocruise]

I am considering the switch from a Treo to the IPhone 3G and wanted to get a few questions answered to see if it will work for me.

1. I currently have 5 email addresses I use on the Treo. One uses Exchange Sync and the other 4 are POP mailboxes. All messages go to separate folders and all me to use signatures and unique reply to addresses.
Will the 3G handle multiple email addresses in a similar manner?

2. I understand that using 3G for phone calls drastically reduces battery life and calls are frequently dropped. If 3G is off, how much battery life (talk time) can I expect?

3. Does anyone make an application that automatically turns on 3G when surfing, mapping, downloading etc. then turns it off when done?

4. Are there any updates or newer models that address some of these issues in the near future that I should be waiting for?

Thanks in advance,
Steve

 

[dragonmantek]

1. i'm not sure about all of your emails but some are un-accessible such as hotmail. which pisses me off.

2.a couple hours [ 3-5 ]

3. havent seen any, or else i would have gotten one.

4. new models just came out, and all future updates will be software for at minimum a year.

 

[Ntombi]

I am considering the switch from a Treo to the IPhone 3G and wanted to get a few questions answered to see if it will work for me.

1. I currently have 5 email addresses I use on the Treo. One uses Exchange Sync and the other 4 are POP mailboxes. All messages go to separate folders and all me to use signatures and unique reply to addresses.
Will the 3G handle multiple email addresses in a similar manner?

2. I understand that using 3G for phone calls drastically reduces battery life and calls are frequently dropped. If 3G is off, how much battery life (talk time) can I expect?

3. Does anyone make an application that automatically turns on 3G when surfing, mapping, downloading etc. then turns it off when done?

4. Are there any updates or newer models that address some of these issues in the near future that I should be waiting for?

Thanks in advance,
Steve

1. No. The iPhone mail app gives one sig for all accounts.

2. I get neither dropped calls nor reduced battery life, but some do. Search the forums for myriad threads on the issue. I think a lot of it depends on your area, and I don't know if you're in the city, but there's a big NYC 3G thread. Look for it.

3. No, that wouldn't be allowed by Apple's SDK, but it's easy to go into settings and toggle it on and off, if you need to.

4. All of what you've asked could/should be addressed in software updates. No new hardware is needed. If you are concerned, wait until 2.1 is released, and read people's reactions.


I switched from a Treo, and couldn't be happier. The only two things I'm constantly missing are cut/copy/paste and MMS. Everything else is loads better on the iPhone.

Good luck.

 

[steveocruise]

Thanks for the comments.

I am in Fort Lauderdale, FL and know of a few people who complain about battery life, low signal strenth and dropped calls so I believe it will be an issue for me.

Regarding the Apple's SDK, I am surprised they would prohibit this since users can aready control those features. I would expect that they wouldnt allow changes to non user adjustable settings.

I guess I can live with one sig but I really need all the emails to be in different folders and the ability to change the reply address for each account. Is that possible?

Is there a planned release date for 2.1?

Thanks again,
Steve

 

[Ntombi]

Thanks for the comments.

I am in Fort Lauderdale, FL and know of a few people who complain about battery life, low signal strenth and dropped calls so I believe it will be an issue for me.

Regarding the Apple's SDK, I am surprised they would prohibit this since users can aready control those features. I would expect that they wouldnt allow changes to non user adjustable settings.

I guess I can live with one sig but I really need all the emails to be in different folders and the ability to change the reply address for each account. Is that possible?

Is there a planned release date for 2.1?

Thanks again,
Steve

Yes, the reply-to address is different for each account.

No one knows when 2.1 will come out. An Apple PR rep said September, and that's all we know.

 

[milani]

Other than the fact that you can't have multiple signatures, the iPhone is wonderful for managing multiple email accounts. All your accounts are separate, and you have complete control of each of them separately (save the signature as mentioned already). Right now I'm managing 5 accounts, some push some pull, and it works perfectly.

Check the attachments. This is what it looks like when you have multiple email accounts. You can select each one and view it as an individual account (with the Inbox, Drafts, Sent Mail, Trash, etc (depending on the nature of the email provider - Gmail, YahooMail, an Exchange account, etc), and then view the messages in the Inbox (and of course send mail from any of the email accounts).

 

[scaredpoet]

1. I currently have 5 email addresses I use on the Treo. One uses Exchange Sync and the other 4 are POP mailboxes. All messages go to separate folders and all me to use signatures and unique reply to addresses.
Will the 3G handle multiple email addresses in a similar manner?

The only thing that doesn't work with multiple e-mail addresses are unique sigs. You get one sig for all (the default is "Sent from my iPhone"). However, they are handled as separate accounts, with separate "folders" and unique e-mail addresses. POP works well, however, as a personal preference, I like IMAP better (that way all my messages are available on all my computers and phone).

2. I understand that using 3G for phone calls drastically reduces battery life and calls are frequently dropped. If 3G is off, how much battery life (talk time) can I expect?

Updating to 2.0.2 improves call reliability and should reduce dropped calls. As for battery life, having location services on all the time drastically drains more battery than 3G, in my experience.

That said, turning 3G off does double your talk time.

3. Does anyone make an application that automatically turns on 3G when surfing, mapping, downloading etc. then turns it off when done?

No.

Wifi helps though. If you happen to be near WiFi, then your dependence on 3G won't be very high.

4. Are there any updates or newer models that address some of these issues in the near future that I should be waiting for?

It'll be at least 10 months to a year before a major hardware update occurs, if not longer. However, the 3G call drop issues are pretty widely understood to be a bad configuration of the chipset in software. That means that contrary to initial reports by certain uninformed "analysts," the hardware is fine, it was a bad internal setting that caused the trouble.

This article explains it in detail:

http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2008/08/28/the-inside-deets-on-iphone-202-and-dropped-calls/

Battery life is a tougher nut to crack though, and I can tell you that as a user of other 3G smartphones, it's a problem endemic of ALL 3G handsets. The other handset makers' solution is just to make thicker, bulkier batteries.

My solution is to stash one of these in my messenger bag. Not the most elegant solution, but if you're a heavy user then this will free you from having to constantly eye your battery gauge and memorize power outlet locations.

Bottom line: don't fret about the hardware. And in any case, if in 30 days you find the iPhone isn't for you, just return it.

 

[Schmoe0013]

Well, I will say, if you have been used to Palm, check out the new ones.

There are some features power users have been used to in smart phones that can not be reproduced to the full effect on the iphone. In my opinion, it is eaiser for people who never had a smartphone before to start with the iphone, rather than a current smartphone user (heavy user, who uses a lot of the features) to switch to the iphone.

 

[stuy119]

I'm a longtime lurker, but this topic caused me to finally register and post. I'm in the same boat, considering a switch from the Treo 750.

I've read all the pluses and minuses, and battery life is the key concern for me. As of now, the Treo last me 1 full day but no more. I have 2 email accounts set to pull every 15 minutes. This sounds quite a bit like how the iPhone battery life sets up.

Here's my question: can you turn off the GPS and 3G only? Seems like it might help, and these aren't necessary services for me.

 

[Ntombi]

I'm a longtime lurker, but this topic caused me to finally register and post. I'm in the same boat, considering a switch from the Treo 750.

I've read all the pluses and minuses, and battery life is the key concern for me. As of now, the Treo last me 1 full day but no more. I have 2 email accounts set to pull every 15 minutes. This sounds quite a bit like how the iPhone battery life sets up.

Here's my question: can you turn off the GPS and 3G only? Seems like it might help, and these aren't necessary services for me.

Yes, you can turn off 3G, wireless, GPS, and/or Bluetooth, all or one at a time, so you can customize it. I leave all of mine on 24/7, and still don't really have battery problems, but YMMV.

I'm coming from a 700P, and there's no contest: I really liked my Treo, and recommended it to several people, but LOVE my iPhone! Even without a few of the features I'm used to, it blows the Treo away.

 

[stuy119]

Yes, you can turn off 3G, wireless, GPS, and/or Bluetooth, all or one at a time, so you can customize it. I leave all of mine on 24/7, and still don't really have battery problems, but YMMV.

I'm coming from a 700P, and there's no contest: I really liked my Treo, and recommended it to several people, but LOVE my iPhone! Even without a few of the features I'm used to, it blows the Treo away.

I'm sure I'll experience the same emotions, but I just need to get to Nov. 9 for the upgrade date with AT&T.

What are your feelings on not having Word and Excel to create docs on the fly? I don't use it as often as I can/should, but I do like having the option when needed.

 

[Ntombi]

TextGuru is a good alternative for now. I just got it, but so far I'm impressed.

 

[steveocruise]

Thanks for all the input. One last question, will the GPS work worldwide? Since it appears to use Google maps, will constant updates be required like standard GPS's?

Steve

 

[eg2007]

Former Treo User as well...

I've had 3 different iPhones since my Treo and I must say IMO, it is the best phone I've ever used. I just shut off the 3g, wifi etc. when I don't need it and my battery life is just fine. I jailbreak and absolutely love (some say I'm addicted) to my phone with all the options. I highly recommend one.

 

[icewing]

Go for it!

Finally got an iPhone today - switched from an almost 4-year-old Treo 650. I played around with it quite a lot while the wife and kids were clothes shopping, and had plenty of battery right out of the box. Set up my centurytel email and works fine. Had full 3G bars in the mall and all the way out to where I live in O'Fallon, MO, great reception so far.

Right now I've just finished syncing all the free apps I downloaded and almost 4 gig of music, used Safari to go to the Apple trailers site and watched a few trailers. Setting it up to use my encrypted wireless network was the easiest thing in the world!

Haven't had any problems at all, this sucker rocks - jump in, the water's fine!

 

[icewing]

Follow up after 2 days

Still loving this new phone. Surfing the web is unbelievably usable compared to the T650. Call quality is tons better that the Treo and Sprint - I can hear people much better, my wife actually had to turn hers down, where she could barely hear me before. She could barely tell when I switched to speakerphone. Email works great! Cool stuff - when someone calls you, and the call ends, the screen turns off by itself...little details like this are all over.

On the down side, what I miss so far:
1. ringer/ringtones not nearly as loud as Treo 650 was
2. Meeting notices on the iPhone just give a little "tinkle" sound, and show up on the unlock screen. Once you unlock it they are dismissed and you don't see them again. I'd like this to keep showing up and have a snooze feature like the Treo did.
I'm syncing to a Dell laptop, using Outlook (work) for my calendar and personal contacts.
3. Calendar colors don't come across between Outlook and iPhone - this is a known bug/limitation.
4. My contact groups didn't show up. At this point I don't believe the iPhone supports them, since I can't figure out how to add a group on the phone itself, and couldn't find any sort of reference to this in the manual.

What's left to do:
1. finding a To Do app with (snoozable) reminders that I like
2. finding a password safe that I like and porting all my passwords over...I'd like something that I could import and edit them on the PC...without spending $40...
3. finding a Notes app and getting all my Memos synced
4. waiting for Olive Tree and Apple to get me the version of the Bible that I want!!!

Still very glad that I switched!!! Still plenty of battery life on the first full charge...and lots of room for more songs!

 

[geekmommy4]

I was also a Treo user before switching to the iPhone. I really loved my Treo, but the iPhone is such an elegant device that everything is more enjoyable on it. I do find it more stable, much better sound quality, and you cannot beat surfing the web on this great screen.

There were definitely some things that the Treo did better, as a previous post mentioned. One of the things that I miss is the ability to set certain hours that the Treo synced email accounts. It was really nice to have it not receive mail during the night without going in to turn off the email account manually.

Even with the few standout issues (like cut and paste which is so great on the Treo) I'd never give up my iPhone!

 

[Ntombi]

Just one note to add to the updates above: I imported my calendar from my Palm Desktop to iCal, added color-coded calendars, and everything syncs perfectly to my iPhone. I had to do some tweaking and moving of the imported events into the correct calendar, but now it's all great. I have all of my entries going back ten+ years on my iCal, and going back three years on my iPhone.

Same goes for my contacts: import into Address Book, and it syncs perfectly with my iPhone. It even kept my custom fields.

I was pleasantly surprised, since I had used neither iCal nor Address Book until the switch to the iPhone.