58
Get the Flash Player to see this player.
Patience may be a virtue, but when comes to the iPhone, many Canadian Apple fans might rather have sided with vice. For more than a year, consumers interested in buying the popular mobile phone have complained bitterly about its absence.
Well, the wait is almost over. iPhone 3G will make its debut Friday in 21 countries, including Canada. But while anticipation builds around the world as consumers camp out in front of wireless providers' stores, the mood here at home has been affected by a loud public backlash directed at Rogers Wireless, which is demanding users commit to a three-year contract and pay for features and data usage other countries' providers offer for much less.
So the big question: is the phone worth the cost?
- Join Sandy McMurray online Thursday at 1 p.m. for a live chat on the iPhone 3G. You can leave a a question in advance here.
- On Friday, Jamie Chadwick, Managing Director of Save Cell Communications -- a company that advises consumers on wireless plans -- will take questions on how to pick the right one.
It's here and it's good. But is it worth your soul? (Apple.com)
Related Articles
If you know anyone who's been counting down to the launch — especially if that person shares your bank account — you've already heard the sales pitch. The iPhone is a "revolutionary" device that redefines what a phone can do. It's a smartphone, an iPod, a camera and a GPS rolled into one. The iPhone is to mobile phones what hockey is to sports, or what Gretzky is to hockey. It's not just a phone; it's the Great One.
Hyperbole aside, the iPhone really is different. Apple did a complete rethink of the traditional cellphone and made it better. Complex things have been simplified, menu structures flattened, unnecessary bits left out.
Consider the front of the phone. Where other smart phones have a keyboard, the iPhone 3G has a large touch screen and a single button. When typing is required, a virtual keyboard appears on screen, then vanishes when you're done. This leaves more real estate for the screen, which comes in handy when you're trying to watch a movie or browse the Web.
Some features are simply common sense. iTunes mutes automatically when you answer an incoming call, so you don't have to fumble with the controls. The security login screen has one-button access to Emergency dialling, so you can still call 911 if your phone is locked.
The multi-touch user interface is a delight to use. Slide a finger across the screen to unlock the phone. Touch the screen to pick an application. Flick a finger to scroll through a list of songs or photos. Touch and slide to fast forward through a song. Poke the trash icon to delete an unwanted e-mail message and watch it swoop into the trash. You've never had so much fun using a cellphone.
Each function of the iPhone 3G starts with a tap on the screen. If you make a mistake or get confused, you can always click the Home button on the front of the iPhone to return to the Home screen.
Some of the "revolutionary" features of the iPhone are just better choices about how things get done. Visual Voice Mail, for example, brings voice messages to the phone and saves them as audio files so you can review your messages even when there's no cellular signal. Messages are displayed like e-mail, so you can see who left message 3 without listening to messages 1 and 2, and you can pause and rewind your messages just a few seconds — no need to listen to the first 20 seconds again if all you need to hear is the bit at the end of the message. We should note, though, Rogers charges $8 a month for this feature unless you choose one of the "iPhone Value Packs" announced last month, which includes Virtual Voice Mail in the price.
INTERNET IN YOUR POCKET
Many cellphones can find and view information from the Web, but they tend to display web clippings or summaries rather than actual Web pages. The iPhone 3G uses Mobile Safari, a full browser that renders Web pages exactly as they appear in the Safari browser for PC or Mac. Web navigation is accomplished by gestures: tapping or pinching the screen lets you zoom in on specific parts of the page. One tap on a hyperlink opens the next page.
Typing on a virtual on-screen keyboard takes some getting used to, but it works. The built-in dictionary helps you avoid typing errors. (My teenage son was annoyed when auto-correct turned his chat message "sup?" into "sip?" the first time he typed it. Fortunately, you can tap the suggested word to ignore the correction, or disable auto-correct entirely.)
WONDERFUL WI-FI
You can save time and money by using Wi-Fi wireless networks as often as possible. Wi-Fi is best for checking your e-mail and browsing the Web because it's faster than 3G and there's no data usage fee. An hour of paid Wi-Fi in a coffee shop might turn out to be less expensive than using up some of your plan's precious download space.
iPhone 3G automatically uses the best (fastest) network avaiable. If Wi-Fi is not available, it switches to 3G. If there's no 3G signal, it falls to Edge. An icon at the top of the iPhone screen shows which network you're on right now.
BATTERY LIFE
3G provides a speedy connection but it's a battery hog. Wi-Fi isn't as bad, but its battery use is also significant. I found it necessary to recharge the iPhone 3G by afternoon on days when I left both radios on.
A quick tip for saving battery life is to open the Settings and tap to select Airplane Mode. This turns off all the radios on the iPhone 3G but leaves other functions turned on, so you can read and compose e-mail, use the iPod, etc.
IPHONE APPS
Until now, every bit of software on the iPhone has been made by Apple. That's about to change with the opening of the App Store — an online marketplace for iPhone programs.
I've had a chance to play with some of the games that were demonstrated at Apple's developers conference in June. Game developers can use the iPhone's sensors to sense when the phone is turned and which way is up. The experience reminded me a lot of playing with the Nintendo Wii.
As of this writing, the App Store is not switched on and there are no applications to download or review. This is definitely an area to watch, and another reason to buy an iPhone. I think the App Store is going to be a big deal.
FINALLY, SHOULD YOU BUY IT?
If you're a CIO, you should buy two: one for the CEO and one for yourself. Anyone who can expense a BlackBerry will soon be asking you about the iPhone 3G, if they haven't already. You should test the new enterprise features and be ready when the boss asks for your opinion.
Will I buy one for myself? Not on your life. Don't get me wrong — I like the iPhone, I want an iPhone, but I can't justify a three year contract with anyone at any price. Technology can change a lot in three years. I already pay for high speed Internet and TV service. How many monthly fees can one man stand?
In a fight between groceries and cellphone data plans, food wins. Get back to me when I can have an iPhone with free Call Display and unlimited data on a pay-as-you-go plan.
Meanwhile, I'll stick with my iPod touch and my rotary phone.
