Who here still uses the Iphone 2g/Gen1 and also has exp w Android?? Need quick reply!

[kettlecorn]

My dad's piece of crap flip phone died on him and this is the 2nd one that has died out of nowhere. That's the last time I'm getting those cheap free flip phones that come with the ghetto OS everytime you renew your account.

My dad has no need for a smartphone like an iphone or Android cause he doesn't even know how to text or email. Things that are of main concern is RECEPTION and CALL QUALITY (cannot emphasize this enough), then durability and battery life. The rest it seriously does not matter whatsoever, it can look like the ugliest phone and he won't care. Call voice quality and reception is KEY here.


Since he needs a phone ASAP, I'm looking for him on craigslist to get a used good condition phone and I have decided that the Iphone 2g (First Gen) or the Mytouch 3g is within my budget. Does anyone still use their Iphone 2g? If you have any experience with the Mytouch 3g along with the Iphone 2g, that would be great.


I know for most of us other factors like sleekness, weight, etc. so please try to factor all of that out and think like an old man who doesn't give a crap about technology or style, but pure functionality for voice calls. lol



I tried to compare the 2 but being that the mytouch 3g is a different class and came out 2 years later than the Iphone 1st gen, the comparisons are hard to find. The Iphone 2g seems like it would do everything he needs. He doesn't use data so the 2g would be fine, I trust that even a 5 year old phone by Apple would have spectacular quality considering it was a premium device when it came out. It's build quality and durability are not a concern and Apple generally has good battery life. BUT, as long as voice calls and reception are good then it doesn't really matter.


The other choice is the mytouch 3g which is the same price range. It has gorilla glass so it won't crack but the physical build quality of the buttons and plastics aren't great. Also, the mytouch 3g's battery is removable and can be replaced for like $10 on ebay whereas, getting an old, used iphone 2g might require a battery replacement or have a very poor, used-up battery. In which case, it'll cost me more to get that serviced somewhere. Mytouch 3g also gets 3g, which ONLY matters if it affects reception and voice calls. I am wondering if the Iphone 2g is still superior when it comes to voice calls and reception than to a mytouch 3g on the 3g network??


Basically, he needs a phone to use for the next year or two. 2 years at most. Our contract is up next December.



Any input on this? Would like to hear from people still using their 1st gen Iphones and who have experience with the first generation 3g android devices like the mytouch.

 

[eclipse01]

My dad's piece of crap flip phone died on him and this is the 2nd one that has died out of nowhere. That's the last time I'm getting those cheap free flip phones that come with the ghetto OS everytime you renew your account.

My dad has no need for a smartphone like an iphone or Android cause he doesn't even know how to text or email. Things that are of main concern is RECEPTION and CALL QUALITY (cannot emphasize this enough), then durability and battery life. The rest it seriously does not matter whatsoever, it can look like the ugliest phone and he won't care. Call voice quality and reception is KEY here.


Since he needs a phone ASAP, I'm looking for him on craigslist to get a used good condition phone and I have decided that the Iphone 2g (First Gen) or the Mytouch 3g is within my budget. Does anyone still use their Iphone 2g? If you have any experience with the Mytouch 3g along with the Iphone 2g, that would be great.


I know for most of us other factors like sleekness, weight, etc. so please try to factor all of that out and think like an old man who doesn't give a crap about technology or style, but pure functionality for voice calls. lol



I tried to compare the 2 but being that the mytouch 3g is a different class and came out 2 years later than the Iphone 1st gen, the comparisons are hard to find. The Iphone 2g seems like it would do everything he needs. He doesn't use data so the 2g would be fine, I trust that even a 5 year old phone by Apple would have spectacular quality considering it was a premium device when it came out. It's build quality and durability are not a concern and Apple generally has good battery life. BUT, as long as voice calls and reception are good then it doesn't really matter.


The other choice is the mytouch 3g which is the same price range. It has gorilla glass so it won't crack but the physical build quality of the buttons and plastics aren't great. Also, the mytouch 3g's battery is removable and can be replaced for like $10 on ebay whereas, getting an old, used iphone 2g might require a battery replacement or have a very poor, used-up battery. In which case, it'll cost me more to get that serviced somewhere. Mytouch 3g also gets 3g, which ONLY matters if it affects reception and voice calls. I am wondering if the Iphone 2g is still superior when it comes to voice calls and reception than to a mytouch 3g on the 3g network??


Basically, he needs a phone to use for the next year or two. 2 years at most. Our contract is up next December.



Any input on this? Would like to hear from people still using their 1st gen Iphones and who have experience with the first generation 3g android devices like the mytouch.

I don't get it, you say he doesn't need a smart phone but you want recommendations on two smartphones?

you know buying a smartphone will more then likely make your plan go up when you activate it right?

anyway on to your question, me personally I would choose the Iphone over 90% of any phone that has android on it, just because I can't stand the cluttered OS Android offers (and yes i've tried it)

 

[lordofthereef]

My recommendation: get a gophone and just activate that. They have them as cheap as $10 and as expensive as you want to get. Then if it craps out, you are only out the few bucks you paid for it. That's what I did for my mom who is on our account. All she does is make calls and has had the "throw away" flip phone that we bought for $20 for nearly 2 years now.

As far as getting an old 2G, it's going to be hit or miss. One that is in good condition is going to be around $100. A five year old battery is also an OLD battery. I wouldn't simply assume that the battery is going to be good because it's Apple unless it has been replaced at some point.

Based on your speaking about the mytouch, I assume this is a TMO plan. With the original iPhone, they won't require a data plan. I am pretty sure with the mytouch (or anything branded TMO that is a smartphone) they are going to require one, so do keep that in mind.

Honestly, based on your dads needs, I would look for something that is not a smart phone. It sounds to me like you really want dad sporting the smartphone, not the other way around. I certainly could be wrong. The fact that it's a flip phone is not what makes a phone cheap. Flip phones were the norm before smartphones so I am not sure where this logic is coming from. My fiance's dad still has the moto razr from six years ago. He has replaced the battery, but other than that it works just fine. A little beat up over the six years, but he sees not reason to replace it.

 

[kettlecorn]

I don't get it, you say he doesn't need a smart phone but you want recommendations on two smartphones?

you know buying a smartphone will more then likely make your plan go up when you activate it right?

anyway on to your question, me personally I would choose the Iphone over 90% of any phone that has android on it, just because I can't stand the cluttered OS Android offers (and yes i've tried it)

I should have been clearer in the original post. The reason why I am deciding between these smartphones even though the features are not required is because they are premium quality phones. They are built better, have better quality chips and components which makes it more durable than the cheap, free flip-phones. The prices on these have depreciated so much that I'm looking at around $70 for a good condition iphone 2g or mytouch 3g. A flip-phone is going for around $40-50 . The premium on the price is $20 and I know that durability, call quality, everything will be better on a smartphone that was designed to be a premium product.
I certainly am not looking to get him a Mytouch 4g slide or a Iphone 4S.

I am on Tmobile and with the mytouch 3g or Iphone 2g (unlocked), I will disable DATA on the phone and use it for calls only and Wifi. No need to upgrade my plan to add data on the line.



Operating system is not a concern. Both are easy to use for making calls, adding contacts, etc. More interested in call quality and reception, and build quality+ battery life.

 

[Rocko1]

Coming from a Droid X, don't go Android. That's it. it's been brought up 14,459,213 times, I looked. Iphone 4S and he will be fine. Done.

 

[kettlecorn]

My recommendation: get a gophone and just activate that. They have them as cheap as $10 and as expensive as you want to get. Then if it craps out, you are only out the few bucks you paid for it. That's what I did for my mom who is on our account. All she does is make calls and has had the "throw away" flip phone that we bought for $20 for nearly 2 years now.

You can use a gophone on an existing family plan? I don't want to open another prepaid line for $10/month.. just a phone with a SIM so my dad's line is working.

 

[eclipse01]

Also want to mention, I don't have exp. with an 1st/2nd gen Iphone

but I do know my 1st gen Ipod touch cant do any apps anymore, they all just boot and close out instantly cause it doesn't have the horsepower to run/open them.

 

[lordofthereef]

You can use a gophone on an existing family plan? I don't want to open another prepaid line for $10/month.. just a phone with a SIM so my dad's line is working.

Yes. It's literally as easy as swapping the sims out. If he is on CDMA it is a little more difficult; it will involve a 5 minute phone call and they should take care of yous till.

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Coming from a Droid X, don't go Android. That's it. it's been brought up 14,459,213 times, I looked. Iphone 4S and he will be fine. Done.

You clearly missed the entire point of the discussion...

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Also want to mention, I don't have exp. with an 1st/2nd gen Iphone

but I do know my 1st gen Ipod touch cant do any apps anymore, they all just boot and close out instantly cause it doesn't have the horsepower to run/open them.

Probably less to do with horsepower and more to do with the fact that they are no longer written for the OS version you are running. The 1st gen iPhone is limited to iOS 3.1.3. It will still run basic apps like banking, pandora, facebook, etc. Games are going to be extremely hit or miss.

 

[Tortri]

Aside from the phone bill going up because its a smart phone so a data plan is automatically added unless he's doing prepay plan....

I have a some what similar experience with my dad he decided he wanted a smart phone and i kept telling him get the iphone it's simple to use(4s in particular) and he got pressured by his girl and sales guy and got the galaxy s II. He hated it, it wasn't simple to use, too complicated. He returned it and got the iphone 4s and he never looked back.

my 2 cents. iOS is easier to navigate to use and you get the Apple quality. With that said I had a Nexus One and kept messing up and each refurbished i got was messed up in some way(like they just repackaged the returned units) got fed up and ended up calling HTC's legal and threaten small claims because they weren't doing anything to fix the problem, after the threat of small claims to their legal they sent me a mytouch 4g which i promptly sold and got the iphone 4. Needless to say when the 4s came out i sold the iphone 4 but before i did i went to the applestore, told them the home button was acting it, they replaced it without question with a brandnew iphone 4.

Morale of the story Apple = Quality

 

[eclipse01]

Yes. It's literally as easy as swapping the sims out. If he is on CDMA it is a little more difficult; it will involve a 5 minute phone call and they should take care of yous till.

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You clearly missed the entire point of the discussion...

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Probably less to do with horsepower and more to do with the fact that they are no longer written for the OS version you are running. The 1st gen iPhone is limited to iOS 3.1.3. It will still run basic apps like banking, pandora, facebook, etc. Games are going to be extremely hit or miss.

yup, Pandora is about it...even Facebook and my weather app no longer boot. Oh well, no big deal. Its just my player to have in the bathroom during showers anyway.

 

[lordofthereef]

yup, Pandora is about it...even Facebook and my weather app no longer boot. Oh well, no big deal. Its just my player to have in the bathroom during showers anyway.

I assume it isn;t the stock weather app is it? If so, that's pretty funny.

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Aside from the phone bill going up because its a smart phone so a data plan is automatically added unless he's doing prepay plan....

I have a some what similar experience with my dad he decided he wanted a smart phone and i kept telling him get the iphone it's simple to use(4s in particular) and he got pressured by his girl and sales guy and got the galaxy s II. He hated it, it wasn't simple to use, too complicated. He returned it and got the iphone 4s and he never looked back.

my 2 cents. iOS is easier to navigate to use and you get the Apple quality. With that said I had a Nexus One and kept messing up and each refurbished i got was messed up in some way(like they just repackaged the returned units) got fed up and ended up calling HTC's legal and threaten small claims because they weren't doing anything to fix the problem, after the threat of small claims to their legal they sent me a mytouch 4g which i promptly sold and got the iphone 4. Needless to say when the 4s came out i sold the iphone 4 but before i did i went to the applestore, told them the home button was acting it, they replaced it without question with a brandnew iphone 4.

Morale of the story Apple = Quality

We are talking about making calls, and that is it. This is treated almost identically with the iPhone and the Mytocuh, the two phones the OP is considering. Also, almost certain the OP is on TMO USA.

 

[Rocko1]

Yes. It's literally as easy as swapping the sims out. If he is on CDMA it is a little more difficult; it will involve a 5 minute phone call and they should take care of yous till.

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You clearly missed the entire point of the discussion...

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Probably less to do with horsepower and more to do with the fact that they are no longer written for the OS version you are running. The 1st gen iPhone is limited to iOS 3.1.3. It will still run basic apps like banking, pandora, facebook, etc. Games are going to be extremely hit or miss.

No, you have. Get him a POS old iPhone. Got that message?

 

[Tortri]

I assume it isn;t the stock weather app is it? If so, that's pretty funny.

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We are talking about making calls, and that is it. This is treated almost identically with the iPhone and the Mytocuh, the two phones the OP is considering. Also, almost certain the OP is on TMO USA.

HTC makes Mytouch which again the morale of the story is Apple = Quality and if its for his dad that doesn't use smart phones but will be getting one get something simple to use iPhone.

Any other great advice?

 

[lordofthereef]

HTC makes Mytouch which again the morale of the story is Apple = Quality and if its for his dad that doesn't use smart phones but will be getting one get something simple to use iPhone.

Any other great advice?

Yes. I would disagree that HTC is over a lower quality than Apple. HTC is one of the most highly regarded Android manufacturers in this sense. I am sorry you had bad experiences with them. People have bad experiences with Apple too. I sure did with the 3G launch.

 

[eclipse01]

I assume it isn;t the stock weather app is it? If so, that's pretty funny.

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nah, official weather channel app

 

[lordofthereef]

No, you have. Get him a POS old iPhone. Got that message?

No sir, not following. He wants a phone to make phone calls and is looking for something that won't fall apart. He isn;t looking for an iPhone 4S.

 

[kettlecorn]

Thanks, some good points out there. I guess the Apple iphone quality is what drives it home cause it looks like regardless of 2g or 3g, they're both going to be able to make the same calls with the same reception. (Hopefully, I don't know I guess there's no comparison of this).

Only issue I'm hung up on is if I get a used iphone 2g, chances are it's a few years old and may need a battery replacement. Found one on CL and the seller states that it lasts a day and about 4 days without use (battery). It would seriously suck to blow some money and then have to spend additional to fix up the battery. Decisions, decisions.

 

[lordofthereef]

Thanks, some good points out there. I guess the Apple iphone quality is what drives it home cause it looks like regardless of 2g or 3g, they're both going to be able to make the same calls with the same reception. (Hopefully, I don't know I guess there's no comparison of this).

Only issue I'm hung up on is if I get a used iphone 2g, chances are it's a few years old and may need a battery replacement. Found one on CL and the seller states that it lasts a day and about 4 days without use (battery). It would seriously suck to blow some money and then have to spend additional to fix up the battery. Decisions, decisions.

If you are handy with a soldering iron, you can swap the battery pretty easily yourself (though it still would be an added expense). I forgot to mention that the original iPhone got pretty bad reviews for call quality, compared to other phones of its time. I haven't actually made a call on one in years so I would not be a good judge of this. I don;t recall it being unsuable, by any means, just something that popped into my mind since you mentioned call quality.