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Tons of friends have asked me if they should get an iPhone. Kind of
tired of answering all the questions over and over again (people thought I'm
an iPhone salesman). So here I am, writing a consideration guide to purchase
iPhone.
This post talks more about user experiences (which I considered the most
important thing to think about). If you wanna ask about specifications like "How
many mega pixel is the camera ah?". You should check out the
Apple's website.
Check out the lists of considerations:
In terms of phone, it does things that other phones can't do
Now, the phone and iPod features are rather straightforward, so I won't talk
about them. When I said it does things that other phones can't do, I meant
- it displays websites and emails like how a computer would display it, and
there ain't no other phone which can provide this kind of experience
Website is displayed exactly like how it is displayed in a computer
No other smartphone is able to display email like this
- when you play games, you don't realize that it's a phone. You would thought
that it's a PSP
Look at the graphics... Sorry Windows Mobile, but this is just something that
you can't do
- because the on-screen keyboard is controlled by software, it's EXTREMELY
SMART. It not only correct your spelling and predicts your typing, when it
senses that you are entering an email, it gives you a button for "@", when it
senses that you are entering a URL, it gives you a button for ".com". Because
it's so sensitive, I can safely say it's the fastest way to type on a phone.
extremely smart keyboard
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But it's not a phone, it's a handheld device
The varieties of applications that you can install on the phone has really
pushes its boundary as a phone. I'm now using the phone to remote control my
computer, control my presentation, read books, record memos, check stock prices,
use it as a metronome, even candles during birthday celebrations! (because we
didn't have candles). Others are using it to compose music, track their blood
pressure, as fitness log, voice call others on MSN, Skype.
But most of all, it's a piece of art.
credit: Appl3ju1ce
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Email support
All the major email accounts are supported, and attachments can be downloaded
and viewed from the device. In terms of Microsoft Outlook, no problem in
synchronizing emails, calendar and contacts. However, tasks, notes and ToDo are
not supported yet.
iPhone mail supports a number of email accounts
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GPS
GPS chip is available from iPhone 3G onwards, and by default you can use it
with Google Maps (comes with the phone). The good thing about it is, it tells
you where you are, and it is as accurate as Google Maps, i.e. you don't need to
update the maps: when Google updates it, you get it. Bad thing is, Google Maps
doesn't support turn-by-turn navigation. Meaning, unlike other GPS devices (e.g.
Garmin), it won't give you instruction on what to do next. But the good news is,
some major GPS players like TomTom will be rolling iPhone applications which
support turn-by-turn navigations soon.
Google Maps showing directions and my current location (the blue dot)
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Does it have MMS, SMS forwarding, copy and paste?
Yes. These features are included in 3.0 firmware (released in July 2009).
MMS feature is available now
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iPhone 3G and video call
A lot of people ask, "Hey, iPhone supports 3G, does it mean that it support
video call?". Take note that 3G is not equal to video call, and no, it does not
support video call.
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Is it durable?
Well, this is something that I don't guarantee. I will just share my
experiences with you. I've dropped it twice from around 2 feet height on a road,
and it's still working fine. The screen is made of glass, so it's not easily
scratch-able. The back is made of plastic, so IT IS EASILY scratch-able. It's
not water resistance. My friend has tested it.
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How it has changed my life, and maybe yours
These are some of the things that I do with my iPhone, and I could do it
anytime, anywhere (especially useful when you are shopping with your girlfriend)
- Check my 4 email accounts in 1 go, with 2 finger taps
- Read news and blogs via RSS Feed
- Chat via MSN Messenger... when I'm waiting for the car wash
- Watch podcasts, movies, and Heroes series
- Download and share videos from YouTube
- When I don't understand what others are talking about, surf the web for
answers, or check the dictionary
- Facebook, Facebook and Facebook
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Cultural changes
- Everything is done via iTunes. Synchronizations of songs, videos,
ringtones, applications, and backup. If you are not familiar with iTunes,
you better do. If you don't like iTunes, you better like it
- You need to get used to the on-screen keyboard. No more sms-ing when you
are driving ;)
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For non-tech savvy folks
Having said all that, there are limitations / some stuffs which are not very
user-friendly. Some are achievable via 3rd applications. Others, you need to be
a little more tech-savvy
- You can't just pick a song and use it as your ringtone. You either use a
3rd party software to do that, or you need to do some tricks here and there
- No drag and drop songs from your computer to the device. Like I said,
you need to use iTunes
- No drag and drop files from your computer to the device
- No zoom-in zoom-out for camera
- Cannot send contacts. You need to copy from phone book, and paste in SMS
- Cannot play Flash in the website
- Cannot create groups for contacts
- Birthdays can be added to contacts, but the phone won't remind you when someone's birthday is coming soon or on the day itself
- Nope... there's no radio receiver, means you can't listen to radio (Grace asked me to put this in). However, you can listen to online radio via Wifi or 3G
- You can only run 1 application at a time. Want to go to refer to another
application? Quit this, launch that, quit that, and re-launch this...
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Is the Maxis plan worth it?
Yes. Now let me break this down for you. Other than getting it in Malaysia,
you can get it from Hong Kong without signing any contract, the price is around
RM2600 (depends on conversion rate). After that, don't forget that you need to
pay for the call plan and data plan, which would come to around RM 150 per
month, whether you like it or not.
Now, try to compare that with the Maxis plans. You are going to pay the
monthly fee anyway, and the phone is only RM1k+ (depends on the plan). So why
not? However, be aware of the catch. Each plan comes with a talk time limit. If
you surpass the limit, you might be paying more. You need to do your own math.
If you still say "Wooh! That's expensive!". Dude, it's an iPhone.
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iPhone 3G or 3GS?
The major stuff you get from iPhone 3GS over iPhone 3G are:
- Faster processing, more RAM, bigger capacity
- 3.2 mega pixel camera with auto-focus
- Video recording and editing
- Voice commands
- Digital compass
Now you can compare and ask yourself if you need to pay more for the stuff
above.
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iPhone or Android?
credit: froogloid.com
OK, to be fair, I have not had a chance to play with an Android phone, but
here's why I would support iPhone over Android:
- There are more than 50,000 apps in the iPhone App Store, not including
those unauthorized apps in Cydia, which means, it basically have everything
you need or you might need
- There is a strong ecosystem of apps developers, until now
- iPhone is from Apple, a company which does not stop innovating and
producing cool products, ensuring everything is of the highest quality
- 40,000,000 iPhone OS devices have been sold (iPhone and iPod touch) as
of June 2009. Number says it all.
Having said all that, to be an iPhone application developer, you need to
sign-up with Apple and pay USD100, where as for Android which is on open source,
developers have more freedom in developing applications, for free. In long term,
there COULD BE a possibility that Android will form a better ecosystem. But
that's the future (maybe).
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iFong + iPhone 
