# Should I buy an iPhone?



## Dr T (May 16, 2009)

I hate threads that start with stupid questions, but here I am asking one. So hate me, forgive me, answer me, please.

Should I buy an iPhone?

I have an iMac for day to day use, with LaCie backup, and a MacBook Pro for use on the road, also with LaCie backup, and a mobile phone, too, of course. I do not care much for the mobile phone I have ( a 2 year old Motorola model), so I am thinking about swapping it for an iPhone.

But I don't want to swap the Motorola thingie for yet another gadget that I won't like. So, iPhone fans, pls tell me, what's to like about the iPhone? What will it give me that I don't have between my mobile and my MacBook Pro? 

I have a Telus mobile now, and I have only looked at the Telus plans for the iPhone 4 32GB. Looks like a reasonable enough price from Telus. I am concerned about quality of service, not the cheepest price.


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## broad (Jun 2, 2009)

Dude.....google


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## Dr T (May 16, 2009)

broad said:


> Dude.....google


Hey, dude, what do you think I did before I decided to ask trusted ehMackers for advice!?!


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## Atroz (Aug 7, 2005)

iPhone apps. Go to the app store and see if there are any you need. Perhaps Gps or such.


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## dwp (Aug 12, 2003)

Dr T said:


> Should I buy an iPhone?


If you need to ask then the answer is no. 

Only you can answer how useful owning the iPhone would be to you. Everyone has their own personal reasons for choosing the iPhone some of which may apply to you.

For me, it's a portable extension of my computer.


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## tendim (Apr 6, 2004)

Dr T said:


> So, iPhone fans, pls tell me, what's to like about the iPhone? What will it give me that I don't have between my mobile and my MacBook Pro?


You don't need an iPhone; you need a BlackBerry. 

Joking aside. Do you have access to an iPod Touch (latest generation preferred)? An iPod is a good proxy for an iPhone - you can play with it and see what it can do. The only thing that I know of that an iPhone can do that an iPod can't do is actually make phone calls. Otherwise they are pretty much identical.



> iPhone apps. Go to the app store and see if there are any you need. Perhaps Gps or such.


True, but see if there are apps on other phones that do what you need as well. Don't lock yourself to an iPhone for the sake of if there are better or cheaper tools that do the same.


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## [email protected] (Dec 26, 2010)

Same thing I said in your nearly identical iPad thread (really two threads??!), if you need to ask, the answer is no.


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## Joker Eh (Jan 22, 2008)

So you have the same question for both the iPhone and iPad and both are in the wrong forum. Hmm. Apple website will give you everything you need to know about both.


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## Felixtrio (Mar 25, 2007)

I agree get a Blackberry. I think some new models are coming out next month.


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## Digikid (Jun 22, 2010)

Sure...why not. Anything is better than a crapberry. Never had any luck with thiose crappy things.

The only true answer is what do YOU want? Only YOU can answer that question. WE could say YES and you get one, hate it and blame us.


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## Dr T (May 16, 2009)

Joker Eh said:


> So you have the same question for both the iPhone and iPad and both are in the wrong forum. Hmm. Apple website will give you everything you need to know about both.



Are you suggesting that a prospective purchase of a gadget should not seek advice from others users, but should rely solely on the marketing hype of the manufacturer?

Are you suggesting that the ehMac website is an unsuitable forum for asking questions about Apple Products/


The wrong forum, eh? Then you should (a) not be reading my post and (b) not replying to it!!


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## Dr T (May 16, 2009)

dwp said:


> .... Everyone has their own personal reasons for choosing the iPhone some of which may apply to you.
> 
> For me, it's a portable extension of my computer.


Yeah, that's a good point. I think that is what I a looking for, all right. Plus it's a phone, I think, and I need a phone. The Apple website does not say much about iPhone use as a phone, but I do know somebody who uses one mainly as a phone, so it must work.


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## Atroz (Aug 7, 2005)

Dr T said:


> Are you suggesting that the ehMac website is an unsuitable forum for asking questions about Apple Products/


I think he's simply suggesting that you should have posted these in the iOS forum on this same website. All iOS - iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV & iTunes - ehMac.ca


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## Dr T (May 16, 2009)

tendim said:


> ... Do you have access to an iPod Touch (latest generation preferred)? An iPod is a good proxy for an iPhone - you can play with it and see what it can do. The only thing that I know of that an iPhone can do that an iPod can't do is actually make phone calls. Otherwise they are pretty much identical.
> ...


Yeah, I had an iPod Touch for a while. I musta lost it, as I haven't seen it in many months.

Okay, if an iPhone is like an iPod Touch with a phone built in to boot, then it looks like a useful gadget.


There is also the Personal Hotspot, aka tethering, that someone explained in another thread. I kept the explanation, lost the person's name:


Personal Hotspot is where your iPhone can act as a wireless router, broadcasting your 3G data connectivity as a near-field WiFi zone. This would enable your WiFi-only iPad, any typical laptop, etc. to log onto the iPhone's WiFi network and access the internet through your iPhone's 3G plan. This ONLY works when the iPad or laptop is at a close proximity to your iPhone.

Yeah, that looks handy.


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## Dr T (May 16, 2009)

Joker Eh said:


> So you have the same question for both the iPhone and iPad and both are in the wrong forum. Hmm. Apple website will give you everything you need to know about both.


I have had the impression that the iPhone gadget can be used as a telephone, while the iPad cannot, but I see no depictions of this on the Apple website. The photos of the gadget show the microphone and the speaker side by side and on the bottom, which makes no sense to me as a phone.

Would you be able to point me to a pace on the Apple website where they show the use of the iPhone as a phone?

I was hoping to use the power of the internet, and this forum, to get the info I need, but maybe I have to go to a store for that. I hope to make a trip to the Big City next week, and maybe I can get the people in the Telus store to show me this use of the gadget.


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## Joker Eh (Jan 22, 2008)

Dr T said:


> Would you be able to point me to a pace on the Apple website where they show the use of the iPhone as a phone?


Priceless. :lmao: :clap:


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## [email protected] (Dec 26, 2010)

Apple (Canada) - iPhone 4 - Learn about phone and voicemail features


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## Niteshooter (Aug 8, 2008)

I think after using a couple of Android based devices I have to say that hardware can be one factor but the quality of the software/apps is really where the iOS devices shine.

Apple likes to make it a point to tell prospective customers about the number of apps they have in the app store but what I find is that the quality and usefulness of the apps is really important and that is where the iOS apps really shine.

Yes I can find similar apps from the Android market but because the publishers are writing for a number of devices some either don't work or crash while I can't say I've had this problem yet with any apps I've downloaded from the app store. 

Another oddity I find is that on the two Android devices I use I hit a point where I can't download any more apps because I run out of ram. Not storage space as I have 4 GB of internal storage but it appears to be system heap since I probably only have 2 GB used. On both my iPhone and iPad I have never had this problem, that is right up until I fill up all the available storage space (16GB) so this makes me think that Android isn't as efficient or Apple uses some trick like they used to with the Newton so 'ram' isn't as critical. Not sure if that made sense but it's something I've noticed with both the Android slates we have.

But to sum it up I find my iPhone extremely useful, more so than any phone I have ever owned and I've had lots right back to the old Nokia lunchbox....


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## bouche (Jan 9, 2006)

I think you SHOULD buy one. Nobody NEEDS one.


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## macanudo (Oct 20, 2003)

*If you're on a Mac already it's a no-brainer, gettit*

Apple products are made to work well with each other. You will find dozens of things you will come to totally depend on.

As for people saying to get a Blackberry... I have seen lots of people return their BBs because they can't do stuff on them that the iPhone can do.


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## Dr T (May 16, 2009)

Joker Eh said:


> Priceless. :lmao: :clap:


Jeez, if only I knew what I did to make my request so funny, I might finally zero in on a marketable skill (so I could quit my day job).


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## Dr T (May 16, 2009)

[email protected] said:


> Apple (Canada) - iPhone 4 - Learn about phone and voicemail features


I tried this, but I still do not see how you use the gadget as a phone. Just the idea of holding a screen covered in a zillion little icons up to my ear seems kinda ludicrous.


It must be patently obvious to you lot, but not to me, how this thing serves as a phone. I might make a special trip to the Big City later this week, just to go to a Telus store and see if they can show me...


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## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

Dr T said:


> I tried this, but I still do not see how you use the gadget as a phone. Just the idea of holding a screen covered in a zillion little icons up to my ear seems kinda ludicrous.


Yes, you just hold it up to your ear. The speaker is the short line running above the screen. The microphone is on the bottom near the secondary (speakerphone, music, tones, etc.) speakers. There are sensors in the phone that recognize when you are holding the phone to your ear and the screen is shut off with no chance of pushing the icons. The screen has an oliophobic ??? coating which helps keep your greasies off the glass but it does require some cleaning on occasion. Usage is really no different from any other phone during normal conversations. If you don't like the idea of using the phone at your ear you can use either a wired headset, bluetooth earpiece or bluetooth speaker phone for hands-free while in your vehicle (or even at home).

Despite not being able to use the iPad or iPhone for your primary targeted use, you may find that there are so many other uses that they are great and functional devices. There is very little that I cannot do on my iPad. I am considering ditching my MacBook Pro in favour of a desktop system. I would gladly take my iPad and a smaller netbook sized laptop on the road to make sure I'm covered and have very little need of the MacBook Pro's power when travelling.


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## Dr T (May 16, 2009)

Macified said:


> Yes, you just hold it up to your ear. The speaker is the short line running above the screen. The microphone is on the bottom near the secondary (speakerphone, music, tones, etc.) speakers. .... If you don't like the idea of using the phone at your ear you can use either a wired headset, bluetooth earpiece or bluetooth speaker phone for hands-free while in your vehicle (or even at home).....


Thank you for these informative and useful comments. It looks like my next trip to the Big City will include buying an iPhone, not merely asking dumb questions about it.

A further question arises - is it legal to talk on the iPhone using the Apple supplied headphones, or any headphones, while operating a motor vehicle? or do you hafta use a speaker phone add-on? I know one fellow who always has one earplug from his pocketed cell phone (or whatever it is) in this ear, but he is such a jokester, I have not been able to determine if or how he uses it while driving.


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## Dr T (May 16, 2009)

Macified said:


> ... Despite not being able to use the iPad or iPhone for your primary targeted use, you may find that there are so many other uses that they are great and functional devices. ....


From the descriptions of usefulness of the two gadgets from users here, but with no great thanks to the Apple websites, I am quite certain I'll get an iPhone on my next trip to the Big City. I'll get used to it, and then review the situation and see if I get an iPad, too.


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## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

Dr T said:


> Thank you for these informative and useful comments. It looks like my next trip to the Big City will include buying an iPhone, not merely asking dumb questions about it.
> 
> A further question arises - is it legal to talk on the iPhone using the Apple supplied headphones, or any headphones, while operating a motor vehicle? or do you hafta use a speaker phone add-on? I know one fellow who always has one earplug from his pocketed cell phone (or whatever it is) in this ear, but he is such a jokester, I have not been able to determine if or how he uses it while driving.


Better to use the wireless in my opinion. In theory the headphone in the ear will impede your hearing. In actuality, having it in the ear but not in use doesn't have a big effect. Try convincing a traffic cop that you weren't listening to music, distracted and unable to hear though. Don't know if it's actually illegal or not but it's not recommended and you really don't want to give anyone ammunition against you. Best to demonstrate that you have gone out of your way to be responsible and in control.


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## Dr T (May 16, 2009)

Macified said:


> Better to use the wireless in my opinion. In theory the headphone in the ear will impede your hearing. In actuality, having it in the ear but not in use doesn't have a big effect. Try convincing a traffic cop that you weren't listening to music, distracted and unable to hear though. Don't know if it's actually illegal or not but it's not recommended and you really don't want to give anyone ammunition against you. Best to demonstrate that you have gone out of your way to be responsible and in control.


You have obviously not been a passenger in my car. When I have CDs playing), I tend to turn the speaker volume up to 11. That can't be all that safe...

As for earphones, I am a bit more concerned about the legality for when I make a weekly trip up and down Vancouver Island through a half dozen or more Mountie speed traps. I know how to use cruise control to stay out of trouble, just fretting about the earphones as a pitfall...


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## The_E (May 29, 2010)

Dr T said:


> You have obviously not been a passenger in my car. When I have CDs playing), I tend to turn the speaker volume up to 11. That can't be all that safe...
> 
> As for earphones, I am a bit more concerned about the legality for when I make a weekly trip up and down Vancouver Island through a half dozen or more Mountie speed traps. I know how to use cruise control to stay out of trouble, just fretting about the earphones as a pitfall...


Hey Dr T,

Using the supplied Apple headphones as a handsfree device is perfectly legal provided you only insert one bud into an ear. Most calls are mono - (left), so insert the left and let the right dangle or whatever works for you. Personally, I'd lay down the cash for a Bluetooth in-ear unit. To be free of the encumbrance of cables is pure Win, my friend!

In terms of the iPhone as a phone, I'd say you lose a bit of that ease of use in certain scenarios, but the benefits from having such an integrated piece of hardware more than makes up for it. The ease of adding contacts and then syncing them amongst your other devices is sweetness. The phones typically have good sound quality on both ends and the ease of use in most circumstances is really quite good. 

The only thing I find fiddly is toggling between the speakerphone and the keypad. It's not a huge deal, it's just not as fluid as I'd like it. Also, it's a bit heavier than some phones, so some folks object to the weight, but not an issue for me. 

There's so much to like about it…it's a freekin game changer, bud. :clap:


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## Dr T (May 16, 2009)

The_E said:


> ... In terms of the iPhone as a phone, I'd say you lose a bit of that ease of use in certain scenarios, but the benefits from having such an integrated piece of hardware more than makes up for it.
> 
> The ease of adding contacts and then syncing them amongst your other devices is sweetness. ...:



Thanx for the tips, E.

I'll try the iPhone as an actual phone in the Telus store before I actually slide my credit card across the desk. Though at this point it is starting to look inevitable.

Um, what is that loss of ease of use? PS just to reduce the scenarios, I don't ski or surf much anymore, and although I have 2 bicycles, I don't seem to actually use them much any more, either, let alone try and place phone calls from them.


I plan to start a separate thread where I ask the very, very dumb question, how does synching actually work?


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## Niteshooter (Aug 8, 2008)

Dr T said:


> You have obviously not been a passenger in my car. When I have CDs playing), I tend to turn the speaker volume up to 11. That can't be all that safe...
> 
> As for earphones, I am a bit more concerned about the legality for when I make a weekly trip up and down Vancouver Island through a half dozen or more Mountie speed traps. I know how to use cruise control to stay out of trouble, just fretting about the earphones as a pitfall...


Might be easier to check with your local RCMP detachment, or check the BC Highway traffic act to see if wearing any device that obstructs your hearing is considered illegal. Granted with todays high db stereos it's pretty hard not to obstruct your hear let alone wreck it.... from years of having the stereo cranked up in my cars I now have moderate high frequency hearing loss and a constant hissing sound in my ears. And I never owned a walkman or iPod until recently so it wasn't that.

Here in Ontario it has always been illegal to wear earphones unless the HTA was amended lately.


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## lang (Jun 9, 2010)

Dr T:

My go to for Cell Phones info is HowardForums: Your Mobile Phone Community & Resource and for carrier-related info it's Digital Forum


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## Bjornbro (Feb 19, 2000)

Dr T said:


> Should I buy an iPhone?


As a stock holder, my emphatic answer is ABSOFREAKINLUTELY, YES!!!


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## Dr T (May 16, 2009)

lang said:


> Dr T:
> 
> My go to for Cell Phones info is HowardForums: Your Mobile Phone Community & Resource and for carrier-related info it's Digital Forum


Thanks for this.


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## Abby (Aug 19, 2010)

buy iphone 4?
Hmm, now there are rumors said will be an iPhone 5 released in June, another day, maybe you could wait for the iP5!
Another Day, Another iPhone 5 Rumor: June Launch? | News & Opinion | PCMag.com


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## Dr T (May 16, 2009)

*The consumer's dilemma*



Abby said:


> buy iphone 4?
> Hmm, now there are rumors said will be an iPhone 5 released in June, another day, maybe you could wait for the iP5!
> Another Day, Another iPhone 5 Rumor: June Launch? | News & Opinion | PCMag.com


If your juicy rumour proves to be fact, and if I bought an iPhone 4 tomorrow, it would not be the first time that I bought an Apple product a month too soon.


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## Dr T (May 16, 2009)

Abby said:


> buy iphone 4?
> Hmm, now there are rumors said will be an iPhone 5 released in June, another day, maybe you could wait for the iP5!
> Another Day, Another iPhone 5 Rumor: June Launch? | News & Opinion | PCMag.com


It's too late - I bought an iPhone 4 today. I've been testing it in many ways since about noon, and I am quite happy with it.


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## The_E (May 29, 2010)

Dr T said:


> It's too late - I bought an iPhone 4 today. I've been testing it in many ways since about noon, and I am quite happy with it.


Congrats! I'm sure you'll find it to be an indispensable item. They're just so damn handy!
Enjoy it, sir!


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## Dr T (May 16, 2009)

The_E said:


> Congrats! I'm sure you'll find it to be an indispensable item. They're just so damn handy!
> Enjoy it, sir!


I expect I will.

I do have one complaint, though, about the accessories, right out of the box.

The included earphones are the same design as the ones that came with the short-lived 4 gig iPod Shuffle (of which I have one, amongst my collection of about 5 or 6 iPods). The controller on the cord is placed exactly where it should not be - it constantly catches on my shirt collar all the time. I guess it is intended for wearers of T shirts or whatever.

For the iPod shuffle, I bought a replacement earphone connector from Belkin, and I'll hafta try that with the iPhone and see if it works.


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## Abby (Aug 19, 2010)

Then maybe you need to explore more cool points of it.
Anyhow, the retina display, photography, HD video, beautiful glass design, and other attributes still makes it a corker of a handset.


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## Dr T (May 16, 2009)

Abby said:


> Then maybe you need to explore more cool points of it.
> Anyhow, the retina display, photography, HD video, beautiful glass design, and other attributes still makes it a corker of a handset.


Do you mean cool points of the earphones? That's my beef, the earphones are very annoying to use, because the controller with the tiny mike catches on your shirt collar, and I tend to wear shirts when in public. The earphone thingie is important if you use the gadget in public or in a car.

The iPhone itself is very much like the iPod Touch, and it seems real handy. 

I wanted to get the 32 gig one, but they only had the 16 gig one in stock at Telus, so I got that. i hope I don't run out of storage.


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## Joker Eh (Jan 22, 2008)

Dr T said:


> I expect I will.
> 
> I do have one complaint, though, about the accessories, right out of the box.
> 
> ...


I'll second you on the ear piece. Any collar jacket with a zipper it always gets caught and becomes very annoying, don't see why they can't move it closer to the ear.


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## Dr T (May 16, 2009)

Joker Eh said:


> I'll second you on the ear piece. Any collar jacket with a zipper it always gets caught and becomes very annoying, don't see why they can't move it closer to the ear.


Within the first week that I used the 4 gig iPod Shuffle, I emailed the relevant people at Apple, and described the problem. I never got a reply, though I did not expect one. But I find it hard to believe that Joker and I are the only ones who have this issue. This design flaw should have been addressed and fixed by now.


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## Tech Elementz (Mar 15, 2011)

Yes, you should buy an iPhone. There is always an app that can be useful to you, and I am not saying that just because of the commercials. Besides, if you have any Apple products, there will be perfect communication between them. Perfect communication includes apps that could control or use your mac/apple product to improve the overall use between them or for your iPhone, etc.


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## Dr T (May 16, 2009)

Tech Elementz said:


> Yes, you should buy an iPhone. There is always an app that can be useful to you, and I am not saying that just because of the commercials. Besides, if you have any Apple products, there will be perfect communication between them. Perfect communication includes apps that could control or use your mac/apple product to improve the overall use between them or for your iPhone, etc.


I have not seen the commercials, what with living here in the back woods. And I have indeed now bought an iPhone, though I got an16 gig one when I waned a 32 gig one.

I find that this new iPhone communicates just fine with the other Apple devices I have lying about.

I mainly bought the iphone because I needed a phone, but have made little use of it as such, due to a fortuitous lull in work. I hope the earphones will work, that is my concern.


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