iPhone 3.0 Hopes/Predictions?

Video iChat.

 

Camera is on the wrong side of the phone to do that. Or (better solution) you need two cameras. :yo:

Bluetooth stack upgrade so that you can share data, use as a modem and PLAY STEREO MUSIC THROUGH MY $200.00 BLUETOOTH STERO HEADPHONES!

Boy for a company that brags about it's multimedia capabilities Apple sure dropped the ball on this one. Can't imagine why in this day and age you have to tether yourself to the iPhone with a corded headset just to listen to stereo music.

Wildkow

 

All those quality concerns you listed are way overblown, and not widespread. Never even heard the home button one before. Have 2G and 3G and both are holding up quite well, as is my brother's iphone and my sister's itouch. The glass does not scratch. The plastic backing can be scratched. If that bothers you, you can get a thin hard or soft case.

My firm uses an exchange server. With that setup, the calendar, contacts and e-mail are wireless, automatic and absolutely seamless. If you don't have an exchange server, I think it may be possible to indirectly accomplish the same thing using MobilMe or other 3rd party service (for the extra cost of that service). If you text or e-mail a lot on the go, you may prefer a hard keyboard.

 

That's the first i've heard about those problems, and i've had an iPhone since day 1 (literally, i stood in line and everything!). Also, roughly 1/3 of the people i work with have iPhones (what can i say... it's a software shop working on cutting edge medical device technology), and no one here has had that problem.

My company has an MS Exchange server, which most mid to large companies with private e-mail addresses have. Simply put in the info for the server, and everything syncs up flawlessly. You can have it sync mail, calendar, and contacts. It works both ways (i just double checked). You type out a reply to an e-mail on the phone, it goes to the server and into the "sent mail" folder on your account (which you can then look at from your computer. One thing i've noticed lately (which is actually kind of annoying!) - e-mails arrive on my phone before they arrive at my computer! Every time!

Like e-mail, contacts and calendar items are synced up both ways with the MS Exchange server.

Wait until Tuesday... one of the more prevalant rumors i've heard is that Apple is completely redoing the home screen, and changes may be coming in that you'll like! If not, there are apps floating around that you can install on a hacked iPhone that perform that functionality - and hacking it is as easy as downloading the software and pressing 1 button!

 

I looked at the Touch in a store. Harder to type on, and a smaller screen, than my N800. Lots of cool apps, none of which I have any real use for. I still use a cell phone that does nothing whatsoever except make telephone calls, and it's off most of the time. I use it for emergencies, or if I'm stuck in traffic on my way to an appointment, and to make calls from a hotel room.

Now, if the 3.0 iPhone would help me find my true love, I'd get one. Otherwise I'll stick with Verizon and my plain don't-do-nuthin cell phone.

 

I have the same issue with the iPhone. It is really cool but I can't see paying a minimum of $89.11 per month for a cell phone (450 minute plan with refurbished phone). I can get a 2 phones w/ a 700 minute family plan for $89.67 a month. Even that is too much.

5 years ago my wife and I had a 300 minute family plan for ~$40. These were our only phones, no landline, and we never went over our limit. We just used the Verizon to Verizon and nights and weekends wisely. Now we have a 700 minute plan for $75 per month because Verizon has continually pushed up the minimum plan from 300 -> 450 -> 700 minutes per month. I don't need that many minutes and I don't like the idea of a 2 year contract to lock me into a plan I don't want. I calculated our usage from our last bill: We used 88 anytime minutes! That is $0.85 per minute! Add in Verizon to Verizon and nights and weekends and we used 624 minutes for $0.12 per minute. How is this a deal?

In May our contract with Verizon is up and my wife and I will be switching to pre-paid phones with Tracfone. Tracfone (and Net10) use AT&T's GSM network and have nationwide coverage anywhere that AT&T does. Tracfone minutes range anywhere from $0.05 per minute to $0.12 per minute depending on how you buy them. Net10 like their name says is always $0.10 per minute. Airtime and minutes always roll over.

Daniel,

If you use as few minutes as it sounds like you could really save money by dumping Verizon. Their least expensive plan in my area is 450 minutes for $45. You can keep a Tracfone or Net10 phone active for for emergency and limited use for very little cost

Tracfone:
$ 6.76 gives you 40 minutes per month ($0.17 per minute w/ 60 minute / 90 day card)
$10.14 gives you 81 minutes per month ($0.12 per minute w/ 120 minute / 90 day card)
$13.52 gives you 135 minutes per month ($0.10 per minute w/ 200 minute / 90 day card)
$27.03 gives you 304 minutes per month ($0.09 per minute w/ 450 minute / 90 day card)
Note: These are all retail prices based on a phone with Double Minutes for Life (DMFL). There is a another lower level of pricing using bonus codes available on the internet. The codes change every 2 weeks.

Net10:
You can keep a Net10 phone active for $15.21 per month. That would give you 150 minutes per month. The only reason to go with Tracfone over Net10 is if you were to use less than 150 minutes per month, use more than 300 minutes per month, or are willing to use bonus codes to get the absolute best rate with tracfone. Tracfone and Net10 are the same company, use the same network, with the same phones.

You can get a basic phone with DMFL Tracfone for $9.99 at Wal-Mart. It will come with 20 minutes of airtime to try it out. A Net10 phone is $29.99 and comes with 300 minutes and 60 days of service. I got a Tracfone Motorola W175 to try out their service and I get better coverage, better reception, and longer battery life than my Motorola KRZR on Verizon.

Tracfone / Net10 Coverage Map: TRACFONE Nationwide Prepaid Wireless

 

I pay Verizon $25 per month ($20 plus taxes) for 50 minutes per month. It's a "nationwide" plan, so when I travel within the U.S. there's no roaming fee. I have been 100% satisfied with Verizon's service, both the phone service itself and customer service. My contract ended a couple of years ago, so I'm on a month-to-month basis. They keep offering me a new phone free if I re-up my contract, but as long as my phone works I have no need of another.

So, what you're telling me is, I could save $5 a month (assuming the $15 plan would have the same taxes as my $20 plan) and I would be switched from Verizon's infrastructure (which I'm very happy with) to AT&T's infrastructure (which I am skeptical of) and either Tracphone's or Net10's customer service infrastructure, which I'm even more skeptical of.

Your statement that Verizon's minimum is 700 minutes is at odds with my own 50-minute Nationwide plan for $20 + $5 taxes. (Not counting the odd pennies -- the tax is a few cents over five bucks.)

And even if you were already including taxes, and I'd save $10 a month, it's not worth it to me to switch from a company I like. People look for the cheapest price, regardless of quality, and we end up dominated by Walmart and cheap plastic crap replacing the solid American-made consumer goods we used to have.

(Footnote: When I first decided to get a cell phone, I was turned down by several companies, including AT&T, because I had no credit history, because I never borrow money. Verizon was the only company willing to sell a phone to a person who has never been in debt! Of course, paying your utility bills, including phone bills, on time for 30 years, from the time I had my own apartment and telephone, to the time I tred to get a cell phone, does not go onto your credit rating!!! End result: I like Verizon, and I despise AT&T.)

 

In my area if you go to Verizon.com or a Verizon store to start a new plan, the minimum is 450 minutes per month for $39.99 for an individual plan or 700 minutes per month for $69.99 for a family plan. (Plus $3.15 in Verizon fees and $5.44 in government fees) If you want anything less than that you have to use a prepaid plan at $0.25 per minute. Your 50 minute a month for $20 plan is not offered to new customers in my area. I put zip code 99201 for Spokane Washington and found the same thing. Your plan is no longer offered. I suspect the only reason you still have that plan is because you are paying month to month and haven't purchased a new contract.

There are no service or federal fees with pre-paid phones. It is retail price plus sales tax. So $9.99 + ($9.99 x 0.0849) = $10.84 and gets you a Motorola (American company / chinese made) W175 phone with double minutes for life and 20 minutes.

You can buy minutes in just about any convenience store, online, or with the phone. A 60 minute / 90 day card is $19.99 + ($19.99 x 0.0849) = $21.69. 60 minutes + 60 DMFL minutes + 30 bonus minutes = 150 minutes for that $21.69 or $0.144 per minute. Those minutes are good nationwide, no roaming. One text message = 1/3 a minute.

So for $7.23 per month you could get those same 50 minutes per month that you are currently paying ~$25 ($0.50 per minute). And if you didn't use 50 minutes in a month they would roll-over as long as you keep the phone active. So you could save $18 per month.

I can understand why you would like to stay with a company that you like. I can't understand paying 3x as much. Even if you used Verizon's Pre-Paid plans $0.25 per minute you would pay less than your current plan.

 

1. Yes, the ATT plans are overpriced, especially if you don't use a lot of minutes.

2. For some reason, the iphone won't support syncing/creation of MS Exchange to do lists and items. There are add-on to do programs, but I doubt any of them sync with exchange.

3. The big selling point is the everywhere internet access, with a useable browser at useable speed (assuming 3G is available), showing full web pages that you can zoom in and out of. It's also a great ipod. If you don't care about that, or you text and e-mail all day long and prefer a hard keyboard, then don't get an iphone.

I got my sister an ipod touch precisely so she could have all the gee whiz features (internet is wifi only), but not have to buy an expensive cell phone plan.

 

I had a company Blackberry with AT&T for 3 years and loved the data service. I'm just not ready to foot the bill.

I cant see paying:
$28 for a landline (Alabama requires a landline to get a business license! ($17 service, $11 fees)
$89 for iPhone
$30 for home internet service

My other grip is you can't tether an iPhone. If you want to tether you have to use a Blackberry and unlimited data with AT&T is not unlimited. If you want to tether you pay another $30 and top of the $30 for basic data and then you only get 5GB.

If AT&T was to offer a iPhone that could be tethered and replace my home internet then it would be worthwhile even if I had to pay a more the service. Until then, for me, it is an expensive toy.

 

#1 hope: Landscape keyboard

 

I looked into pre-paid plans. They actually had different features. I didn't like the plan. As I said above, it's not just about the cheapest minutes.

Odd that you say my plan is no longer available. I actually switched not all that long ago, from a more-expensive plan that had more minutes but charged roaming outside my city. I suspect that the sales reps may have some leeway in offering plans not listed on the web site.

My plan does not include texting. I think the idea of texting is cool. But none of my friends or family uses texting, so I'd have no one to text to. And with my phone always off, I'd never get my text messages.

 

An ATT exec has said tethering is coming, without specifying a date. Tethering is one of the rumored enhancements to 3.0. I personally would still want separate internet service, since most DSL and cable service is still far faster than 3G (assuming you get reliable 3G service at home).

 

How long until all this comes etched on a pair of contact lenses?

 

Hmmm....

iEyes?

 

LoL :rofl: