Basic iPhone questions

TechieSooner

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Might possibly be getting a 3GS and had some questions.


The turn by turn directions- is there an app to do this? I just don't feel like bending over and letting ATT charge me another $10 a month

Same thing about the voice dialing and stuff, it seems like ATT charges for that, too?


Syncing... I use Gmail, is there either a push-email application or something that can keep my Gmail contacts in sync with the iPhone's? Basically from a backup perspective I want everything in both places.

My other question was warranty plans. How much are they (don't see anything on ATT's website) and is there better third-party ones?
 
1. to get turn-by-turn gps you have to buy the $100 app

2. voice dialing is free

3. use exchange to sync your gmail account and your contacts will be synced. instructions are on google's site. (dont use the gmail account)

4. applecare is $70. no other warranties available.

if you get an android device, 1-3 work flawlessly (and google navigation is free). on top of that you can usually buy some sort of insurance/warranty from whichever carrier you use.

i hate emails on the iphone. no threaded emails is a huge setback.
 
I can answer a couple up front.

There are various apps for turn-by-turn navigation. There's the official TomTom app and you can buy the accessory kit that comes with it, or I'd suggest something along the lines of the MapQuest Navigator app. It's $1 up front, and then $30/year (much cheaper than the AT&T navigation app.) I'm sure if you dig around the app store (or jailbreak it), you'll find various options for navigation.

More info here: http://lifehacker.com/5378172/mapquest-navigator-brings-cheap-turn+by+turn-gps-to-the-iphone

As far as voice-dialing, the iPhone 3GS has it built-in. The iPhone 3G does not. Why does AT&T charge for this? It's basically a service that they have on their end in the event your phone does not support it. Since it's hardware-based on the 3GS, you do not have to pay extra for it. Please see here: http://www.apple.com/iphone/iphone-3gs/voice-control.html

I don't have more information regarding Gmail contacts synching, but I have my Gmail account synched to my iPhone, along with Hotmail, Yahoo, and an Exchange account but don't seem to have any trouble e-mailing folks from Gmail. Then again, I usually reply and don't need to send new mail to contacts. I'll have to check this out.

AppleCare is the only 'official' warranty you can really get for the iPhone. It extends the basic coverage and repair issues by 1 year. I'm not sure if you're looking for any sort of insurance type option.

Hope this helps.
 
4. applecare is $70. no other warranties available.
That covers for 2 years or something?

So $70 for two years is like $2.91/month. Cheap! What about if I break it, is it covered? I've never broken a phone before but if it's cheap enough I'll get the insurance on it.

if you get an android device, 1-3 work flawlessly (and google navigation is free). on top of that you can usually buy some sort of insurance/warranty from whichever carrier you use.

i hate emails on the iphone. no threaded emails is a huge setback.
I really want a NexusOne, they just aren't on any 3G carriers here.

Emails won't be as big of a deal. It's a personal phone, so I'm looking at more browsing, stuff like that. And the iPhone is actually one of the best I can get that do that. I love the Pre's OS, it just sucks in the Application support department. It seems like everyone is supporting the iPhone, nothing else.

There are various apps for turn-by-turn navigation. There's the official TomTom app and you can buy the accessory kit that comes with it, or I'd suggest something along the lines of the MapQuest Navigator app. It's $1 up front, and then $30/year (much cheaper than the AT&T navigation app.) I'm sure if you dig around the app store (or jailbreak it), you'll find various options for navigation.
I hope Google Navigation goes to the iPhone then for free- it looks pretty slick.

My truck has Navigation system in it, it's really NBD either way for me.
 
The warranty only covers what the original covers. Basically, just hardware failure. You cannot drop it or get it wet, and have it replaced under warranty.
 
as far as GPS navigation, I do not like it on the iphone, or on the Andriod platform. At least not for driving. My iphone has bailed be out twice when I was on vacation looking for places in Vegas and LA, but both times were on foot.
 
You can use Google Sync to set up an Exchange account on the iPhone and keep your email, contacts, and calendars in sync with Google.

Note that you can only have one Exchange account per iPhone.
 
The warranty only covers what the original covers. Basically, just hardware failure. You cannot drop it or get it wet, and have it replaced under warranty.
So would you guys spend $144 on like a SquareTrade warranty for two years? A $50 deductible on any accidental damage?

You can use Google Sync to set up an Exchange account on the iPhone and keep your email, contacts, and calendars in sync with Google.

Note that you can only have one Exchange account per iPhone.

I think you can only have one Exchange account on just about any phone or desktop client anywhere :D

But yea, thanks for the heads up on google sync, that'll work perfect.
 
I did not buy any type of extended warranty. I just get a screen protector thing (really just a piece of plastic type sticker). I've dropped my phone a few times, but all it has is a few scratches on the back of it. Its not as fragile as you would think, just protect the screen.

You can only sync one Exchange server at a time. I use Exchange for my work email, and IMAP for my gmail.
 
I'm good with just one Exchange account for Google sync...

My main question now is if $120ish is worth it for warranty coverage through Square Trade?
 
I'm good with just one Exchange account for Google sync...

My main question now is if $120ish is worth it for warranty coverage through Square Trade?

Depends on how easily you break things. The truth is even if someone gets an 8GB 3G iPhone for $99, it's still upwards to around $400 for a new replacement, in the event it breaks. If the screen itself is trashed, you can get a repalcement from Apple for $199. So, in that sense, it may/may not be worth it.

*shrugs* I've literally thrown my phone around the house and dropped it onto tile in the bathroom. It's still solid and works great. It's a lot sturdier than one may think. Granted, I'm not going to run it over with my car or anything, but it's a fairly durable device.
 
I was thinking of at least getting a Zagg to prevent it from getting scratched at least, or an Otter Box.
 
Other good case options are the SwitchEasy Rebel Series or the inCase brands. Great reviews and are extremely durable. My phone has plumeted to earth a few times and the inCase Slider has held up great; no damage to the phone.
 
Have you used both of these? I'm kindof liking the SwitchEasy Rebel because it's got silicon PLUS the hard ribbing kindof woven throughout.
 
I also use the inCase Slider. I think it's the best case for the iPhone.
 
Have you used both of these? I'm kindof liking the SwitchEasy Rebel because it's got silicon PLUS the hard ribbing kindof woven throughout.

After much research, my choices were down to those 2 cases. It ultimately came down to size. The inCase is thinner and simpler in terms of design. Being that I do not wear baggy/loose clothing, I needed something that would fit in my pocket comfortably and from the reviews online, it looked like the inCase Slider would be the better choice.

One minor (could be major to a specific individual) downside I've found with the InCase Slider (after using for approx. 7 months) is, at least for the model I bought, the rubber/matte finish is wearing in the corners from going in and out of the rough levi jeans, exposing the shiney black plastic underneath. This would not happen if purchasing a 'non-matte' finish one.

But in all honesty, the Rebel looks to be a more durable case, rocking that hard exoskeleton backbone with the rubber body...at least from my thorough picture analysis :p .
 
I bought the CapsuleNeo... Seems to have the most "hard shell" stuff around the edges.
 
Next question for you folks, is there different sound profiles on the iPhone? I cannot figure it out. I don't want to get notifications about stupid stuff like Email waking me up through the night- but I don't want to flip the switch to where a phone call won't wake me up.
 
Settings > Sounds > turn the toggles on or off per: Voicemail, Mail, Sent Mail etc.
 
So I have to toggle those off and on each time I go to bed? That's incredibly lame. On my Blackberry I have like 6 different sound profiles I can set.
 
Well, if your up for jailbreaking, you could always look into something called MyProfiles. Can be found here. Welcome to the iPhone, it has its MANY quarks. I've jailbroken to get rid of most of them but a few still remain...

Good luck.
 
So I have to toggle those off and on each time I go to bed? That's incredibly lame. On my Blackberry I have like 6 different sound profiles I can set.

Well, you do have the vibrate switch on the left side of the phone, if that helps.

This is primarily the reason I haven't switched to an iPhone from Blackberry. The OS is garbage on the Blackberry, but it has so many of these "duh" features that going to another phone is always frustrating. As it stands for me, when I put my Blackberry into its dock, the profile is set to vibrate, a digital flip clock comes up, screen dims and the notification LED is set to off. It's replaced me having a bedside alarm clock.

I've learned to deal with the aging OS for the customize-ability, although someday I'd love to have an iPhone.
 
if you're using the phone as an alarm to wake you up, then turning the phone on vibrate using the hardware switch has no affect on the alarm. It still vibrates and sounds.
 
Well, you do have the vibrate switch on the left side of the phone, if that helps.

This is primarily the reason I haven't switched to an iPhone from Blackberry. The OS is garbage on the Blackberry, but it has so many of these "duh" features that going to another phone is always frustrating. As it stands for me, when I put my Blackberry into its dock, the profile is set to vibrate, a digital flip clock comes up, screen dims and the notification LED is set to off. It's replaced me having a bedside alarm clock.

I've learned to deal with the aging OS for the customize-ability, although someday I'd love to have an iPhone.
100% agree.
Things that I'm missing so far:
1) The Profiles/Bedside Mode
2) Ease of Alt/Sym keys (the iPhone is a PITA to type your caps/lower/symbol/number passwords with)
3) Battery Life (To be expected with any touchscreen, I know, but I can still complain about it :))
4) Customizing the home screen
5) Multitasking (I think Apple has yet to do this because then the world will see how truly underpowered the phone really is).

Other than that, Facebook is very easy to use, obviously the browser and HTML email client are second to none, and there's lots of nifty apps out there.

Apple could fix every single one of the complaints with a simple software update as well.

if you're using the phone as an alarm to wake you up, then turning the phone on vibrate using the hardware switch has no affect on the alarm. It still vibrates and sounds.

My trouble is people that will call in the middle of the night usually have a reason. Auto-generated emails and whatnot hit your phone all the time.
So I have to make a choice between listening to my phone going off all night due to non-priority stuff, or missing important phone calls. It's STUPID to make that choice. The Blackberry has a "Phone Only" mode that'll only ring your phone and nothing else. In ADDITION to that, your Loud, Vibrate, Silent, etc profiles.

Just another reason why I generally hate Apple, they think they know what I, the consumer, want, but they really have no idea. RIM has had this figured out for a long time.


Just tons of little short-sighted stuff. Overall, I'm liking it. It's going to be nice having all my stuff on one device, having all the apps everyone else uses, having a great browser, etc.
 
My trouble is people that will call in the middle of the night usually have a reason. Auto-generated emails and whatnot hit your phone all the time.
So I have to make a choice between listening to my phone going off all night due to non-priority stuff, or missing important phone calls. It's STUPID to make that choice. The Blackberry has a "Phone Only" mode that'll only ring your phone and nothing else. In ADDITION to that, your Loud, Vibrate, Silent, etc profiles.

I have never been woken up by a text message or email alert. The sound simply isn't intrusive enough, even on the highest volume.

Keep the phone on ring, let the customized alarms do their thing.
 
I have never been woken up by a text message or email alert.

Typical Apple user answer...
:rolleyes:

"By God, you're doing it wrong if you don't conform to the Apple way!"

Sorry but just because YOU haven't been woken up doesn't mean I haven't been. It's a major shortsight, the quicker the Apple fanboys would admit to this the quicker Apple would actually fix the problem.
 
Typical Apple user answer...
:rolleyes:

"By God, you're doing it wrong if you don't conform to the Apple way!"

Sorry but just because YOU haven't been woken up doesn't mean I haven't been. It's a major shortsight, the quicker the Apple fanboys would admit to this the quicker Apple would actually fix the problem.

Keep up the good fight!;)
 
Typical Apple user answer...
:rolleyes:

"By God, you're doing it wrong if you don't conform to the Apple way!"

Sorry but just because YOU haven't been woken up doesn't mean I haven't been. It's a major shortsight, the quicker the Apple fanboys would admit to this the quicker Apple would actually fix the problem.

Epic overreaction is epic.

No, not being woken up by the alert sound means... I've never been woken up by the alert sound. I fail to see how this is such a big deal, because... I've never been woken up by the alert sound.
 
And yet I have been.

Instead of forcing the consumer's hand here, why not make the user have the OPTION available?

I swear only Apple fans would argue AGAINST more features and options :rolleyes:
 
I did not buy any type of extended warranty. I just get a screen protector thing (really just a piece of plastic type sticker). I've dropped my phone a few times, but all it has is a few scratches on the back of it. Its not as fragile as you would think, just protect the screen.

x2

Use a screen protector and a rubber case with padded corners and you'll be ok. They're actually pretty tough devices. If you want piece of mind, I recall a guy on another message board buying a warranty from a 3rd party. Not sure how much it cost him or who it was with, but he did break his phone and they gave him a new one.

As for GPS, I highly recommend the TomTom app. It's a little expensive, but it's top notch. I haven't used my dedicated GPS unit since it came out
 
Well, SquareTrade 2 year warranty is $115 (with a coupon code I found), and ACCIDENTAL damage is $50 deductible. So you'd spend $165 to replace it.

Getting the AppleCare warranty was $70, and you can replace it for $200 if anything breaks.

I figured it was smarter to spend just $70 on a 2 year warranty, and have a $200 deductible in the rare instance where I might break it.

In any case, I bought one of these SwitchEasy cases, I'll slap on a screen protector- and I should be coverd :)
 
congrats

just a heads up, do not update to the latest firmware if you're running 3.1.2 or lower if you plan on jailbreaking it or unlocking it anytime in the future. (it's worth it for multitasking ability alone)
 
And yet I have been.

Instead of forcing the consumer's hand here, why not make the user have the OPTION available?

I swear only Apple fans would argue AGAINST more features and options :rolleyes:

This is both the best and worst thing about Apple products. The best because it makes the phone easy to use. You can hand an iPhone to anyone (including your parents) and they will quickly know how to do almost everything the phone has to offer. I'm assuming that's why they haven't implemented multi-tasking yet - the average iPhone user would have tons of apps running and bogging down the experience.

On the other hand, Blackberry users are familiar with the complex operation and customization options available to them - but how long did it take to learn all that stuff? In my case, I'm on my third Blackberry (8320-->8900-->9700) and after 3 years plus tons of Googling, I finally feel comfortable with my phone and what it can do as a powerful business tool.

Personally, I love the iPhone. I think Apple changed the game with the first release and I'm in awe at how intuitive it is, from browsing the web to text messaging someone. My gripes with it are few (AT&T and lack of Multi-Tasking) but enough to keep me chugging along with my T-Mobile 9700 for a few years longer until:
A) Apple opens up beyond AT&T ....OR
B) Android matures a bit more

It's a give and take with smartphones right now (IMHO) - the perfect combination of battery life, keyboard, OS, web browser, carrier and price just doesn't exist - at least for me, anyway.
 
So I have to toggle those off and on each time I go to bed? That's incredibly lame. On my Blackberry I have like 6 different sound profiles I can set.

Why not just enable Airplane Mode? While that won't turn off the volume, it will prevent any calls/text messages/email/etc from ever going through.
 
Why not just enable Airplane Mode? While that won't turn off the volume, it will prevent any calls/text messages/email/etc from ever going through.
Well like for me, when I'm off hours from work I still get notifications when work-related stuff happens. Emails are low severity and I don't care about them until tomorrow. Phone calls I care about and need to be addressed now. My Storm has a setting, "Phone Calls Only" which is perfect for this scenario. Turning off the radio is not perfect for this scenario.
 
Well like for me, when I'm off hours from work I still get notifications when work-related stuff happens. Emails are low severity and I don't care about them until tomorrow. Phone calls I care about and need to be addressed now. My Storm has a setting, "Phone Calls Only" which is perfect for this scenario. Turning off the radio is not perfect for this scenario.

EXACTLY. And I guarantee you there's a crap ton of people out there that would use a "Phone Only" functionality. Texts, emails- those are low priority and I don't care about. System generated emails at 3AM- don't care about them.

If someone calls you at 3AM there's a good reason for it.


Once more, I don't understand the Apple fanboy rationality here... There's absolutely no way you can defend such stupidity and short-sight lack of care for what your customers want. Give people the OPTION to choose what they want.
It's just classic Apple, though... They think they know what their customers want. The lack of cut/copy/paste there for awhile is another classic example... If Apple would get off their soapbox of secrecy and actually have real customers demo their products they could create something that has more appeal to customers (IMO they're missing out on even more market share because of this).
 
You should have a period of 30 days to return the phone, Techie. If it's that much of a bother, I suggest you do so rather than ranting and raving about how you "generally hate Apple" (which won't get you the feature you want anyway) despite the fact that you just bought one of their products.

I don't know what you want us to say. If you like the Blackberry more, return the iPhone and go buy another Blackberry.
 
EXACTLY. And I guarantee you there's a crap ton of people out there that would use a "Phone Only" functionality. Texts, emails- those are low priority and I don't care about. System generated emails at 3AM- don't care about them.

If someone calls you at 3AM there's a good reason for it.


Once more, I don't understand the Apple fanboy rationality here... There's absolutely no way you can defend such stupidity and short-sight lack of care for what your customers want. Give people the OPTION to choose what they want.
It's just classic Apple, though... They think they know what their customers want. The lack of cut/copy/paste there for awhile is another classic example... If Apple would get off their soapbox of secrecy and actually have real customers demo their products they could create something that has more appeal to customers (IMO they're missing out on even more market share because of this).

The real question here is whether that "stupidity and short-sight lack of care" is OK given the rest of the characteristics of the device in question.

For some people, they are. For some, they aren't.

Could Apple make a better device than they do now? Yes. Does that alone make Apple's device worse than others on the market? No.
 
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