Fell like returning iPhone. Please help me keep it.

[jaycee2007]

Ive had a 1G ipod touch since release and have used it around the house for yrs. That got me pretty use to IOS. Coming from Blackberrys this phone is a big improvement. Im kind of happy I didnt jump on the Android bandwagon.

 

[PlainEnvelopes]

Ive had a 1G ipod touch since release and have used it around the house for yrs. That got me pretty use to IOS. Coming from Blackberrys this phone is a big improvement. Im kind of happy I didnt jump on the Android bandwagon.

i am coming for a BB also. From what i see with androids of people i know. I will only ever have iphone or bbs

 

[Pimp Lucious]

Been using a iPad and my kids have iPod touches so I know the iOS experience. Walked in and picked up a iPhone(no wait, plenty of stock) to try out since I'm considering getting my mom one for mothers day. She is on Verizon and AT&T still has no 3G in my area. Even with the iOS experience I have I'm still surprised at how limited I feel using it. With the arcane notification system, lack of widgets and multiple steps it takes to reach settings, I can't stand this phone experience compared to using my Evo. My iPad feels like little more than an app launcher and so does the iPhone. The small screen size my have something to do with it, stepping down from a 4.3 inch screen is like going back to a 15 inch desktop monitor. My biggest fear is that Android would be to complicated for her, but my non techie sister took well to the Evo so I'm likely going with a LTE Sense Android phone for my mom. Taking the iPhone back tomorrow for risk of damaging this precious little thing and being stuck with it. It is a beautiful piece of hardware, but Apple needs to step up on the OS. It was lovely in 2007, but this is 2011.

 

[Link]

I have an ipod touch and and an ipad and I really like them. I had been using a Blackberry Curve 8330 that I loved. It was my first smartphone. I didnt like how the 8530 and the 9330 felt so cheaply made and the software wasnt much faster than my older Curve. My 8330 had gotten slow and newer apps wouldnt work so it was time for something new.

I decided to get the iphone and I like it but I wouldnt say I love it. I dont live in an AT&T service area so an iphone has never been an option until now. I like many of the features the best being a decent web browser on the go. Im not a big fan of the onscreen keyboard but am getting used to it. I also like the camera. Email was better on my bb.

My blackberry was so much easier to put in my pocket and go. I used it more than my laptop to check email and instant message. The main reason I went with the iphone now is because Verizon doesnt offer any new innovative Blackberry models. If they get the Torch at some point I will probably switch to it.

 

[big9erfan]

here is a list of some of the things that are driving me crazy.

1. phone app doesn't search contact when i type first few letters of the name. i have close to 400 contacts and scrolling through the contacts list takes a long time.

Tap on the phone app, at the bottom tap on Contacts. At the top should be a search bar. Start typing...shows you names that match your query.

2. cant flag emails

Yes, this is a limitation.

3. apps stay were i left off too often. for example, if i get an email that i want to reply to, when im done replying i hit the home button to return to main screen and then press top button to enter standby. when i get another email notification, i hit the mail icon and see the last email that i already replied to. i have to always back out of stuff.

another, more frustrating example would be settings. if i want to turn bluetooth on its three click deep into the settings menu. after i turn it on i either back out of it with 2 screen changes or do it the next time when i want to access something else in settings like wifi.

i know this is ios way of multitasking, but...

Yes, this can be "annoying" in some apps. In mail I like it leaving where I was, not going back to the beginning. If you jailbreak there's an app called SBSettings that will give you quick access to toggles like bluetooth and wifi.

4. notifications. i get a church sound throughout the day and have no idea what its notifying me of. when i get an email i can barley hear the notification sound. i can change the text message sound, but not the email sound. weird

Apple is very restrictive when it comes to the alerts they let people use. Why you cannot change the email tone, I have NO idea. It really doesn't make sense, but that's how it is...for now. If you jailbreak you can customize just about everything.

5. calendar event reminders dont repeat. i will get the notification, but if i dont hear it, i've missed it. some mobile platforms have repeat notifications by default and some a 3rd party app does it. i cant find anything for ios and was late for a meeting today because of it.

would love to find an app that would let me move emails to the calendar. lots of time i get "things i need to do" type emails that i would love to move over to the calendar and have it remind me.

If an email has a "date" or a "time" in it, it should be underlined. If you tap on that it will automagically create an entry in the calendar.

 

[muzikmyke]

Apple Store.

thanks

i didn't have the iphone 4 on att so how could i have known how the dialer worked. or that i couldn't flag emails. how could i have known any of this without using one for a little while.

i read a lot of tech blogs (bgr, engadnet, ect) and never saw a ropic on these issues.

Super easy to walk into an Apple Store and take any of the iphones for a test drive. They are fully activated.

 

[varucell]

I came from the original droid for me I miss widgets and the notification system. That being said i love the phone. For me the app store is really important. The iphone just feels more supported by more companies. Yeah anyone cqn make an app for android but i feel like the production values arent there.

 

[Taco50]

There's free gps apps. Waze and mapquest are two

 

[eye4ni]

For repeating calendar alerts, try the app called "alarmed", works great, just wish it was integrated into the calendar.

I feel your pain, former android user here too, and there are a LOT of shortcomings, still considering returning my iPhone, some of these missing features makes no sense to me, just very frustrating.

 

[iSRS]

@eye4ni So now that you are approaching the 14 day return window, what did you decide to do?

 

[E_Brown]

I'm still learning about the phone myself, but I can help with the contacts question. There is a way to search your contacts list. There's a tiny magnifying glass at the top of the alphabet list on the right side of the phone. Tap that and a search box will open. You can also tap the letter of the alphabet of the name you're looking for and it will jump down to names beginning with that letter. My phone defaulted to people being categorized by their last name, but I prefer to look them up by first name, and that can be changed in the phone settings. Hope this helps at least a little!

I didn't know I could change the way my contacts were listed. It drove me nuts. Thanks!

 

[iSRS]

For repeating calendar alerts, try the app called "alarmed", works great, just wish it was integrated into the calendar.

I feel your pain, former android user here too, and there are a LOT of shortcomings, still considering returning my iPhone, some of these missing features makes no sense to me, just very frustrating.

Ignore my last post. Totally missed it was you. I can admit that there are shortcomings, and that power Android users may fell them more than most.

For me, the only thing I see as a shortcoming is the notification system. I do hope that, since last year Apple hired the "man behind" the webOS notification system that this is an area that is addressed in iOS5. Each year they address a few of the list of "why doesn't iOS have...?" or "iOS needs to improve.." issues, and since the biggest ones have been addressed (copy/paste, multitasking), even though not everyone loves the way they are implemented, I think they know notifications is high on the list to improve.

I came from a palm pre, so this is light years better. The only thing I miss (as much as the way you interacted with them drove me nuts) is the presentation of the notifications. I would like to see Apple take the webOS method and improve on it.

Also, I would like to see Apple change the "docked" behaviors. For instance, when docked, a clock and notifications are displayed in a dimmed screen/locked state, like when a pre is on a touchstone or like how I think the droid does when docked. Again, with Apple's signature polish.

 

[eye4ni]

I still have one more week to decide, bought our iphones on valentines day. I get frustrated over these little things because they are not the way I am used to, and, in some cases, they are just not right (notifications for one). But then I use Facetime or Skype Video chat and those gripes of mine are a little more tolerable. So far, I have found a work-around for the alerts, using "alarmed", which is a great app if you are used to getting repeating notifications for reminders etc. It will nag you every minute if you want it to, until you acknowledge the reminder or snooze.

I really do like the polish of iOS in general, everything is smooth. I think I am going to stick with the iphone for now. I will wait and see what iOS5 has to offer. If I am still disappointed when my upgrade comes around again, I imagine that Android will have progressed tremendously and I will gladly give Android another shot. Good luck!

 

[brianhenny]

I have the Incredible and am contemplating making the switch but after reading this thread it seems like the disadvantages outweigh the advantages lol :/

 

[iSRS]

@eye4ni - sounds fair. I hope the notifications are updated in the summer. If not, I may jailbreak. Welcome to the family, and glad you're staying.

 

[eye4ni]

I have the Incredible and am contemplating making the switch but after reading this thread it seems like the disadvantages outweigh the advantages lol :/

One of the big factors for me was the APPS. Apple gets all the love here, Android is getting better, but iPhone just seems to have them all. I thought about this for a long time, and I really want the widest selection/highest quality apps on my smartphone, and I am pretty sure that iphone wins that battle over Android. I was also getting impatient for Skype video chat on my Evo, and it started to look like I would be waiting quite a while for it. I had a smartphone with all the hardware (ffc) but no software. I know that there are other 3rd part apps available like Tango etc., but all of my friends/family use Skype. Also, Facetime is quite freaking awesome, I might add....

Android is certainly coming along quite well, I think in another year or two it is going to be matured as an OS like iOS is right now. I really can't wait to see what comes in the next couple of years.

For now, I am going to use this iphone to it's fullest extent. I've got 22 months till next upgrade....

 

[GolpherZX]

There are two things that I can say I am sold on iOS vs. Android. One is the battery. I enjoy the fact that I do not need to worry about where my charger is if I use the phone a little bit. With the evo I always had a charger nearby. Also, the typing experience seems to be a lot better IMO than on the android keyboards. I am not a user of swipe and type just fine with the thumbs. Again these are my opinions.

The free map apps aren't as nice. I may very well be paying some $$$ for one of the paid apps in a bit. For the most part I know where I am going so I don't need to have a nav app myself.

Every phone I would get I would compare and try to get to look like the iPhone. For me, that is where I went. Others will find other phones more appealing and that is the great thing. You get choice.

 

[tourstagefan]

Here are my impressions after having used the Verizon iPhone4 for a full 7 days.

As background, I switched from a Droid Incredible (had it since Launch Day, 4/2010) and am a big fan of the Android OS. I jailbroke my ViP4 to customize it as close to the way I had my Incredible set up.

iPhone 4 Pros:
1. Battery Life - talking/texting/e-mailing for a full day is no prob.
2. Beautiful design - it feels like a high-end, luxury watch
3. FaceTime - works great, seamless operation
4. Better reception on the iPhone. There are numerous areas in my neighborhood where my Incredible had a very weak signal. The iPhone delivers clear calls that do not drop out. Calls connect much faster to the network than the Inc.
5. Truly delivers the overall Apple experience - I have been a longtime user of MAC computers and love the little touches built-in to the iPhone. For instance, the "woosh" jet fighter tone that alerts you that an e-mail has been sent successfully.
6. The sheer volume of apps - no contest vs. Android Market. Plus, the apps work seamlessly with the OS.

Droid Incredible Pros:
1. Ability to swap in another battery
2. Browser/Flash support - web-browsing experience is great
3. Snapdragon processor is very fast; response is very snappy
4. Widgets
5. The Google Suite of applications - integrated maps/navigation (best avail., hands down), threaded messages capability if you use Gmail.
6. LED notification light
7. Ability to customize just about every setting on the phone
8. Live wallpapers - a novelty, but still fun nevertheless
9. Adding attachments to e-mail messages are much easier with the Android OS.

iPhone4 Cons:
1.) I miss the haptic feedback (keys that vibrate when pressed) on my Incredible. It really helps when typing on a touch screen. There is a jailbreak app called "Haptic Pro," which I installed, but it's not the same as having it built-in from the factory.
2.) The iPhone is a bit heavier, ~0.6g heavier than the Inc.
3.) The iPhone's vibrate motor is much weaker than the Inc.
4.) It may be a minor thing for most people, but I really like/miss the optical joystick on the Inc., it allows you to precisely navigate to the spot you want when typing/editing.
5.) Jailbreaking and downloading apps to customize the phone is time-consuming. Many of the notification options (custom ringtones, SMS alerts, e-mail tones) are easily customizable right out of the box with an Android phone.

These are just initial observations from someone who is a big fan of the Android OS. However, I am leaning towards keeping my iPhone because the reception/signal strength is so much better (at least in my area) than my Inc.

I will continue to put the iPhone through its paces for 6 more days before deciding whether to keep or return. I really want to love it because of the seamless integration with my other Apple devices......

 

[iSRS]

4.) It may be a minor thing for most people, but I really like/miss the optical joystick on the Inc., it allows you to precisely navigate to the spot you want when typing/editing.

Tap where you want to place the cursor. If you hold a second, a magnifying glass pops up. I find this much faster than the "joystick" like method on the palm pre.

 

[idkmybffjill]

Tomorrow, UPS is delivering my very first iPhone. I've wanted one since it came out, but was on Verizon and wasn't willing to switch. After a Blackberry Storm 2 and a Samsung Fascinate, I've gotten to a point where I can't stand having a phone that will always be second best. I also got my wife an iPhone, so pretty soon we'll be facetiming like pros. All the changes that are coming with iOS will eliminate any problems I would have had coming from Android. Can't wait to open the box tomorrow and start making it my own.