Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Would you use Push To Talk on an iPhone?

Hankster

Hankster

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Jan 30, 2008
2,475
440
Washington DC
Back in the day when I was a fireman all my friends had Nextel. We used Push To Talk religiously. With so many iPhones out there now would a similar feature be widely used?

I'm actually shocked more phones don't use this feature, I loved it years ago and used it more than talking on the phone.
 
Nope. I used Nextel with a Motorola i730 PTT. I have no desire to use a feature like that anymore. Too many people would call and scream on the first transmission rather than first beeping it and waiting for me to respond. It gets embarrassing at times when you're in public, like a bank and someone starts hollering something stupid across it for everyone to hear.

Nowadays my PTT is done with a Motorola APX6000 model III.

APX_6000_LG.jpg
 
Some people I know use HeyTell to send quick voice messages back and forth. Find it easier on the road than texting.

Not a bad service.
 
Nah. The few jobs I can think of where this would have been useful (live, switched, video production) we have all put in our earbuds and do a conference call for the length of the job.

Perhaps there's some other job where push-to-talk on an iPhone would be useful, but it's not mine.
 
Not sure if iOS has a Voxer app (I'm sure they do) but it works fine if you have a bunch of friends who use it. Plus they send you a notification when someone tries to communicate with you, rather than just shouting it aloud.
 
I loved my old Nextel PTT feature we used it all the time. I would love for Apple to give us PTT, IF it was free. If it worked just between iOS devices I'd be very happy.
 
Menel said:
Some people I know use HeyTell to send quick voice messages back and forth. Find it easier on the road than texting.

Not a bad service.
Click to expand...

My girlfriend and I use HeyTell... Especially when we are traveling... It allows us to "talk on the phone" when each of us are too busy to actually be on the phone if that makes sense. We basically use it as a more personal form of texting.
 
Menel said:
Some people I know use HeyTell to send quick voice messages back and forth. Find it easier on the road than texting.

Not a bad service.
Click to expand...

+1

I rather stick to texting, but HeyTell seems to be the best solution to the OP's problem.
 
pooleman said:
I loved my old Nextel PTT feature we used it all the time. I would love for Apple to give us PTT, IF it was free. If it worked just between iOS devices I'd be very happy.
Click to expand...

Apple would have to make some design changes to the hardware likely, a new chipset and possibly a button (hard or soft). But the network carrier is where the real changes would need to occur. I think Verizon tried to do their own PTT but it never quite took off, since at the time, Nextel had the stranglehold on PTT.

I don't think we'll ever see PTT on an iPhone or in carriers again.
 
Hankster said:
Back in the day when I was a fireman all my friends had Nextel. We used Push To Talk religiously. With so many iPhones out there now would a similar feature be widely used?

I'm actually shocked more phones don't use this feature, I loved it years ago and used it more than talking on the phone.
Click to expand...

Yesss! Swear I think of this often.

I had the Nextel i860 and i870 and that was my favorite feature. The iPhone really should have it. Would be so dope.
 
SandboxGeneral said:
Nope. I used Nextel with a Motorola i730 PTT. I have no desire to use a feature like that anymore. Too many people would call and scream on the first transmission rather than first beeping it and waiting for me to respond. It gets embarrassing at times when you're in public, like a bank and someone starts hollering something stupid across it for everyone to hear.

Nowadays my PTT is done with a Motorola APX6000 model III.

Image
Click to expand...

What service are you using that on that offers PTT? I know they are shutting down iden.
 
I use the app tikl. It has a chime to answer and establish a connection and a do not disturb mode. The app has evolved a great deal based on user feedback. My response may be off topic as this is an app rather than functionality built into the phone.
 
Hankster said:
Back in the day when I was a fireman all my friends had Nextel. We used Push To Talk religiously. With so many iPhones out there now would a similar feature be widely used?

I'm actually shocked more phones don't use this feature, I loved it years ago and used it more than talking on the phone.
Click to expand...

i find people super annoying just talking on their cell phones anyways....couldn't imagine everyone talking on speaker phone 24/7. no thanks
 
I can usually deal with people on cellphones.

I can NOT deal with people doing those blasted push to talk. Why do think everybody with 100ft wants to hear their crap?

I hate it.
I hate it.
I hate it.
 
Hankster said:
I'm actually shocked more phones don't use this feature, I loved it years ago and used it more than talking on the phone.
Click to expand...
You probably wouldn't be as shocked if you didn't assume that everyone had your preferences (on any topic for that matter).
 
I prefer heytell, but the majority of iPhone users use Voxer. So I switched to voxer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back