In neglecting my blog for the month of January, I=ve not had the opportunity to brag about my Apple iPhone that I received for Christmas. That month away from blogging gave me a chance to learn my iPhone and put it to the test. The verdict? I=m in love with my iPhone.
I spent a good deal of time researching the iPhone, before and after I posted my holiday gift guide. Since the iPhone was introduced this past summer there has been a number of good posts and reviews across the Internet, here, here and here. In sum, the reviews of the iPhone are very favorable, provided you know what you are getting with the AT&T cellular system. Because I am already on AT&T, I put the iPhone on the top of my Christmas list. Thanks, Santa!
My Take: Like my MacBook Pro, even the packaging containing the iPhone was thoughtful, artistic and practical. (Showing once again that small things do matter!) The activation manual was sparse because the iPhone is so intuitive. Even in the early hours of Christmas Day, the Apple servers quickly activated my phone, and I was set for a day of tinkering and exploring. And had we not had family plans, I might have spent the entire day just with my new phone.
My iPhone replaced my Motorola Razr phone. There is no comparison. The reception quality of the iPhone is far superior. The sound quality too. Far superior. The phone controls, such as volume and hands-free speaker are superior too. In addition, the size and feel of the iPhone is much better for those of us with larger hands. Good riddance, Razr!
However, the best thing about the iPhone hardware is the touch screen. The touch screen rocks. The touch screen keypad for the phone is the easiest of any phone cell phone I have ever owned. And despite less than stellar reviews of the QWERTY keyboard, I have grown accustomed to it with ease.
The iPhone software is as elegant as the hardware. The phone itself is easy to use, adding new contacts via the keyboard is intuitive; however, I have had some difficulty moving my contacts in Outlook to the iPhone. It’s a Windows to Mac issue, but I resolved it with Outlook 2 Mac software.
Transferring my contacts from my MacBook Pro was much easier. As was transferring my songs, videos, and pictures in iTunes. Love iTunes.
Although the iPhone does not support e-mail via Microsoft Exchange, it was easy to set up to receive e-mail via my Gmail account--with a little help from Google. There is also an Apple video showing this process.
While the iPhone is very intuitive, I took advantage of a free training session offered by Apple at their retail stores. The time was well spent and helped me learn my phone, as well as additional features on my MacBook Pro.
But the coolest feature of the phone is the Google Map is function. Seeing this is worth a trip to the Apple store or find a complete stranger with an iPhone, and ask them to see it! Or just watch this video. When the Locate Me icon is touched, it engages the new Google feature that uses cell phone triangulation to pinpoint your location on a map. Then, using the keyboard, enter search words such as Arestaurants@ or Alibrary@. Google places markers on the map where those establishments are located. Touch one of those markers and the name of the establishment pops up. Touch that name and detailed information about that establishment is presented. Information such as their street address, website address, and phone number. Touch that phone number and the iPhone will instantly call that establishment. I have found it very helpful. I recently took my first trip to the Big Island of Hawaii, and was unfamiliar with local restaurants and shopping. However, using Google Maps I was able to find restaurants and call for reservations--all without asking the hotel concierge or firing up my laptop. Really useful and way cool.
Finally, the number of web-based applications for the iPhone continues to grow. Apple has a list conveniently located on their website. So rather than gunk up the phone, the software remains on the Web. Now is a good time to mention that the monthly fee for all iPhone data transfers is a mere $20. That=s about half what other smart phones data service plans cost, making web apps cost-effective as well as convenient.
I could go on, but my point should be clear: the Apple iPhone is a huge step in smart phone technology. Some might view the iPhone as a toy; others might call it a necessary business tool. I=m in the Atool@ camp, but consider it as fun as a new toy!
So now I have gone All-Apple: My laptop is a MacBook Pro and my smart phone is an iPhone. I guess with my growing love of Apple products, I should probably buy stock. Maybe next Christmas. Until then, I'll track the share price via my iPhone. How convenient!
