Do You Have An iPhone?
- Thread starter Lawrence
- Start date
dieseldiva
Veteran Expediter
We do not I-phone because we are up to our collective eyeballs in Verizon equipment. We do, however, I-Pod Touch which gives us the same apps as for the I-Phone. An app for EO would be way cool.
We have been with ATT for 25 years and will continue, that being said, my LG phone of a little more than 2 years old started having problems.
Not to worry, I was eliglible for a free upgrade, as was Linda.
I have been researching the IPhone for months and was probably going to get one.
I do my computer thing on the computer, but a toy is a toy, right.
My LG that was dying was a 3G phone. Lost signal much more than I cared for, as Linda had the cheapest (only because she drove off with her Razor on the car top) ATT non 3G phone. She always had more bars and hardly dropped a call.
Where is this all going you wonder, me too, well here we were in the ATT store in the Ontario mall.
MUSH, he was our salesman, didnt try and sell us on any particular phone, he did answer all my questions concerning dropped calls, which phone would be better for on the road.
This bit of info, convinced me not to get the IPhone.
3G technology uses multiple satllelites.
Most calls that are dropped occur during a switch.
So we both opted for the Samsung flip phone.
It has plenty of toys like IM, email, camera yet is not a 3G.
Sitting in the "office" or shower, both problem reception areas
for my 3G LG phone, I had a full signal.
Check it out if you are going on the road with your phone,
3G vs non 3G.
I still would like an IPhone, just not for on the road.
For my business, I need a phone that is the most reliable while on the road, not the most fun.
Not to worry, I was eliglible for a free upgrade, as was Linda.
I have been researching the IPhone for months and was probably going to get one.
I do my computer thing on the computer, but a toy is a toy, right.
My LG that was dying was a 3G phone. Lost signal much more than I cared for, as Linda had the cheapest (only because she drove off with her Razor on the car top) ATT non 3G phone. She always had more bars and hardly dropped a call.
Where is this all going you wonder, me too, well here we were in the ATT store in the Ontario mall.
MUSH, he was our salesman, didnt try and sell us on any particular phone, he did answer all my questions concerning dropped calls, which phone would be better for on the road.
This bit of info, convinced me not to get the IPhone.
3G technology uses multiple satllelites.
Most calls that are dropped occur during a switch.
So we both opted for the Samsung flip phone.
It has plenty of toys like IM, email, camera yet is not a 3G.
Sitting in the "office" or shower, both problem reception areas
for my 3G LG phone, I had a full signal.
Check it out if you are going on the road with your phone,
3G vs non 3G.
I still would like an IPhone, just not for on the road.
For my business, I need a phone that is the most reliable while on the road, not the most fun.
Jefferson3000
Expert Expediter
I do a lot of business thru my Blackberry. Frees me up from just being anchored to the laptop on the road, or at home for that matter.
chefdennis
Veteran Expediter
Nope, and not gettin one anytime soon, daughter works for verizon...........membership (family as an employee) as its benefits....
RLENT
Veteran Expediter
FWIW, quite awhile ago we dumped Verizon due to too many dropped calls and limited coverage in a particular area (about an hour due west of DC) and went with ATT.
While we do have still have occasional dropped calls with ATT (don't they all ?
) it hasn't been an insurmountable issue. Interestingly, to some extent, it may well depend on who you are talking to - both in terms of the carrier they have, and the phone they are using:I have one expediter friend who has both Sprint and Nextel phones, and a couple of others that have Verizon - I can talk to the two with Verizon often for hours on end, many times when one - or either of us - are rolling down the road.
Although we haven't tracked every dropped call and entered it in a database for statistical analysis
, it seems from observing who had no bars, as though the occurrence of dropped calls is spread fairly evenly between me and the two with Verizon (IOW, it could be either one of us)When I, or the two with Verizon, try and talk to the guy with Sprint/Nextel we are lucky to get in a 5 minute conversation before the call drops - not to mention that the voice quality one of the two (dunno if it's Sprint or Nextel) is horrific - almost always unintelligible. This happens time ... after time .... after time ......
Dunno about that - this I do know however: I've had an iPhone 3G for almost a year now.
Prior to that I had Sony T-616 (Tri-band, GSM) which I had had for about 5 years or so. The difference in terms of dropped calls between the two is enormous - the iPhone 3G is an order of magnitude better. Be interesting to know how the iPhone 3Gs fares, in terms of it's cellular capabilities ....
When my Garmin GPS died an untimely death while out on the road, I used the GPS in my iPhone for several weeks, until I could get back home to pick up the replacement. The iPhone worked like a charm .... although I much prefer the Garmin.
As to the "toy" aspect ..... I know that Lawrence has an iPhone .... so he understands the degree that it is, or can be, a highly practical tool ....
A toy .... yeah, I suppose that it could be that too ... if that's what you choose to do with it. Seeing it as only that would be ..... a rather limited view .....
I was talking to a friend of mine after I got the iPhone - we are both longtime Apple/Mac users - and commented to him about how useful I was finding it (despite the fact that I've never really expended much time or effort in bothering to learning all the details)
He relayed an observation that was made in an article he had read in one of the computer rags:
"Most people believe that the iPhone is a phone - it's not - it's a fairly powerful computer that is very, very easy to use ..... that just happens to have a phone and some other stuff built into it."
To paraphrase my Sprint/Nextel friend, who has, what I assume are, a couple of fairly nice phones (although the service to appears to be pretty crappy), after showing him my iPhone and letting him play with it for 5 minutes or so:
"Man .... I ain't got nuthin' ....."
Yeah, Lawrence - just do it.
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Most new contraptions are and will always be "toys" to me.
While the IPhone certainly does do much much more than allow a person to slum on the air waves with a friend, for my use, it would be a toy.
I use my Macbook for online (mostly) I also have a Dell, which I dont understand why, but it gets on-line thru my Verizon ( I will be switching to ATT in Feb when my contract expires ) usb better than the Mac.
Anyway, my personnel experience was my motivating factor and I stick with my comments about needing a reliable phone for my business.
Not everyone will have the same requirements as me.
Like I said, I still want an IPhone, but, just not for my business phone, I want it for ALL THE TOYS.
While the IPhone certainly does do much much more than allow a person to slum on the air waves with a friend, for my use, it would be a toy.
I use my Macbook for online (mostly) I also have a Dell, which I dont understand why, but it gets on-line thru my Verizon ( I will be switching to ATT in Feb when my contract expires ) usb better than the Mac.
Anyway, my personnel experience was my motivating factor and I stick with my comments about needing a reliable phone for my business.
Not everyone will have the same requirements as me.
Like I said, I still want an IPhone, but, just not for my business phone, I want it for ALL THE TOYS.
arkjarhead
Veteran Expediter
i don't want an iphone because you can't get insurance on it.
From all the reports on the Web site for phones (Howard Forums) the iPhone and AT&T seem to be relatively bad in urban areas, some areas in particular, especially with data, but out in the suburbs and along major roads it's pretty good. Verizon, on the other hand, tends to be better all around for signals in urban areas as well as elsewhere. I have found that both AT&T (from talking with friends who have AT&T) and Verizon (what I have) are pretty good out in the open spaces, which is where expediters spend most of their time.
One interesting thing with Verizon is whether the phone is forced to CDMA-only, or if it's allowed to utilize the EVDO high speed network. When on EVDO, it tends to drop signals more often, especially while driving in rural areas even along major Interstates. But if I force the phone to CDMA then not only are signal drops rare, the battery life triples. EVDO is generally urban areas, and I spend most of my time not in urban areas, but when the phone is set for EVDO it is always looking for an EVDO signal, and even when it finds one, it still looks for a stronger one, all the time, constantly. Constantly to the point where it runs the battery down very quickly. I don't to much video or music and don't watch Mobile TV on it, nor do I use it for WAP browsing or for getting on the Internet. So for the most part, EVDO is something I don't use that often.
Forcing it to CDMA takes all that stress off the battery, and allows it to better handle the switch from tower to tower as I drive, using pure CDMA signals which can be handed off from tower to tower much easier. Occasionally there will be a bad handoff from one tower to another, but that's also usually when one tower is on one network and the other tower is on another network (extended or roaming), but even then if it's set to CDMA it doesn't happen very often, and more so with EVDO.
I don't know if you can force an iPhone to not use 3G and to use GSM exclusively or not, but if you can, and you don't utilize the 3G network very often, it might be something to look into, for both signal drops and battery life.
One interesting thing with Verizon is whether the phone is forced to CDMA-only, or if it's allowed to utilize the EVDO high speed network. When on EVDO, it tends to drop signals more often, especially while driving in rural areas even along major Interstates. But if I force the phone to CDMA then not only are signal drops rare, the battery life triples. EVDO is generally urban areas, and I spend most of my time not in urban areas, but when the phone is set for EVDO it is always looking for an EVDO signal, and even when it finds one, it still looks for a stronger one, all the time, constantly. Constantly to the point where it runs the battery down very quickly. I don't to much video or music and don't watch Mobile TV on it, nor do I use it for WAP browsing or for getting on the Internet. So for the most part, EVDO is something I don't use that often.
Forcing it to CDMA takes all that stress off the battery, and allows it to better handle the switch from tower to tower as I drive, using pure CDMA signals which can be handed off from tower to tower much easier. Occasionally there will be a bad handoff from one tower to another, but that's also usually when one tower is on one network and the other tower is on another network (extended or roaming), but even then if it's set to CDMA it doesn't happen very often, and more so with EVDO.
I don't know if you can force an iPhone to not use 3G and to use GSM exclusively or not, but if you can, and you don't utilize the 3G network very often, it might be something to look into, for both signal drops and battery life.
I just want a TELEPHONE!! NO buttons on the outside, just set levels etc and lock them in. VERY loud ringers. I want to be able to hear it over the truck running. NO CAMERA. NO INTERNET. A little larger than most phones, sorta like that Jitterbug phone. A little bit larger keypad that is more compable with my aging eyes and fumbling fingers. It has to be RUGGED!! Water resistant, shock and dust resistant. I don't text but would like the texting feature to insure I can get the messeges from FedEx.
I am also a Blackberry user and sure wish it was easier to look at EO and also to be able to use EO while on Blackberry and away from computer. Now that I have had the Blackberry for awhile I am not sure how I lived without it! I would also like to see a Blackberry App.
60MPH
Expert Expediter
No, but if they sold unlocked ones then I might be interested. I am a Sprint man they have not failed me yet. I have unlimited phone service and a usb card for my laptop that is unlimited. All this for 149.00 a month plus tax!! Just remember to tell them you are a business so you can get the discount
Never thought I'd like using the internet on the phone, due to tiny screen size. When I was forced to do so [waiting for new laptop power cord], I found that I disliked the phone even more than I anticipated - one person's posts could easily take an entire page on the small screen! It was extremely frustrating, and I'll stick to the laptop, thank you.
It was extremely frustrating, and I'll stick to the laptop, thank you.
letzrockexpress
Veteran Expediter
Don't you still use your shoe phone???
How do you get it over to cdma only?