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iPhone 3G

second generation iPhone made by Apple

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My iPhone Makes my Boyfriend Jealous

Dec 23, 2009

by aunnyd
posted in Ubergizmo

Rating:

I felt as though I was the last person on earth to get an iPhone, and among my friends I very well might have been. Recently I decided to get with the program and drop Verizon like a bad habit, and switch to AT&T. I was a Verizon customer for years, and looking back on it I still don't know why I stuck with them for so long. Given their recent battles with the FCC, I am even more relieved to be out of their evil clutches, and escaped just in time before they doubled the early-termination fees. Being a part of the Verizon network for so many years, was much like being in an abusive relationship; one where your boyfriend/girlfriend throws you down thestairs, steals your ATM card and then blames you for being so careless and clumsy. The short version is, I overpaid for a plan that gave me mediocre coverage at best, and had unreliable customers service. Can you hear me now, Verizon? Good.

I considered the iPhone for a long time, and did a lot of market research both online and off, asking friends and colleagues what they loved and hated about the iPhone and AT&T in general. The feedback was always consistent: The coverage can be hit-or-miss, the email has a delay, but the phone more than makes up for it. Once I finally decided to make the switch, I headed down to the AT&T store and leave Verizon once and for all. The process was so easy, and the AT&T associate was helpful and informative every step of the way. While him and I were taking care of the account transfer, my boyfriend was already getting to know the phone. So much so, that it was difficult to pry it out of his hands to transfer my contacts when the time came.

Pricing

I am currently on a family shared plan, and in doing so my monthly bill has gone down substantially, even with a much more superior package then the one I had with Verizon. I was paying over $200+ a month with Verizon, which included my allotment of minutes, data package and texting plan, along with taxes and surcharges. With AT&T I talk for free with people on the same network, have rollover mintues, my A-list (for those who are not familiar with AT&T's plan, you can put 10 people on your 'A-list' who are not on the same network and talk to them for free) and still pay over $50 less than what I was paying with Verizon. On top of that, I have the coolest phone on the streets. Hello?

Applications

There's an app for that! Everyone raves about the incredible selection of applications to choose from, and I'm gonna have to agree, they are all of that and then some. Aside from the wide selection of apps from the Apple store, I have to say that the pre-loaded apps are also super useful; none of those silly Blackberry apps like voice recorder that doesn't work unless you have a memory card installed, or WordontheGo - I never did figure out how that one was supposed to help me. My phone came pre-installed with YouTube, Maps, iPod, and iTunes - all of which I use ALL the time. iPhone apps are thoughtful and intuitive, and most of all turnkey. I have never once opened a iPhone manual to figure out how to use something, it is just that simple.

These are a few of my favorite apps, most of which were FREE:

NPR News - Developed by Bottlerocket, you can read articles on your phone and even stream podcasts and listen to your favorite NPR stations
BofA - Handy for checking your account balances during those reckless shopping sprees
WebMD - For the hypochondriac in all of us
Concerts by iLike - Keeps me up to date with all of the local concerts. It's like my own concert calendar but better! I can map venues, buy songs, and find tickets to concerts from my phone.
iMapMyRide - This app is GPS enabled and allows me to record a workout or a casual bike ride so that I know how far I've traveled, calories burned, avg speed and effort level
AT&T Virtual Receptionist - Just learned about this app through a recent Mashable piece on how to 'Avoid Work Disasters'. It enables call forwarding, like an auto-attendant, complete with voicemail if you want to direct calls to a number other than your cell
Naturespace - This is a holographic audio program is a sight & sound experience that plays five different soothing sounds meant to relax your mind. I usually set the timer and use this program to fall asleep - very relaxing
My24 - This app is key when I'm traveling and searchig for a local 24hr Fitness with yoga classes.
MemWrdsLT - This little handy-dandy app helps me learn new Spanish words and review the words I already know
Surf Report - Powered by Surfline, my boyfriend can check conditions from my phone, the only thing missing is the HD camera, but it provides the details and forecast
Orba - I know everyone is obsessed with the Bejewled game, but Orba is just as fun and it's FREE

Improvements

Yes, there are improvements to be made - very few, but nonetheless, the phone isn't perfect, nor will it ever be. The email delay could potentially cause problems in the future. In my profession, when I need my email, I need it immediately and the iPhone definitely casues a delayed reaction. The coverage leaves something to be desired, that is on AT&T but a few dropped calls now and again is not something that will cause me too much distress. The battery life has taken some getting used to, but I have taken to charging my phone every opporutunity I have to ensure I don't run out of battery life at inoportune moments. Lastly, the camera takes FABULOUS pictures with the right amount of light but without a flash it is hard to get a good photo at times (Maybe there's an app for that?). All in all, I'm completely happy with my iPhone and think that the good most definitely outweighs the bad.

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lyssachttr January 07, 2010

how did I not know of the A-list plan?! thx!

aunnyd January 07, 2010

It's the best! I have absolutely no chance of going over my limit this way, plus rollover minutes?? Fuggedaboudit!

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MzJen_2_review January 01, 2010

Lol, this review was humorous and very informative. I don't own a IPhone but was very close to getting one this Christmas by my husband. We are still contracted with Sprint till April. But I do own a ITouch IPod and I love it and the applications are pretty cool too.Great Review!

aunnyd January 07, 2010

Thanks so much, MzJen. Since this review I have run out of battery power twice. haha...I might need to revise the review soon based on some suggestions offered to me by friends who are fellow iPhone users. I still love the phone, but it does require some tips & tricks. Thank goodness for Lunch members! ;)

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devora December 23, 2009

A couple of months ago, I felt like I was the last person on Earth to get an iPhone, too, but I've been showing mine off like a hot boyfriend since! ;P A-List plan? I totally forgot to ask about that. Thanks for the reminder! Thanks for sharing your favorite apps, too!

And you might be interested in @jolson's list of 10 Essential iPhone Apps :)

aunnyd January 07, 2010

A-list plan is the bomb diggity. Almost everyone I know has an iPhone so I talk for free anyways, but for the ones who don't the A-list plan comes in handy! You can simply sign up for that online through the AT&T website.

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More iPhone 3G reviews

review by jrjohnson. August 19, 2008

Very cool... but not for work

Bottom line: If you use your smartphone to send a lot of email, the iPhone falls far short of the blackberry and is almost impossible to use for business. I've been using the iPhone 3G for a few weeks now. I transfered from using a BlackBerry Curve. Don't get me wrong... the iPhone is really cool and it is fun to use all the apps and features that it has which is much better than the Curve... for example, the maps and web browsing are really phenomenal and … more

Comments (25) Compliments (119)

review by Fritz14. February 01, 2011

Greatest phone ever

I think the Iphone 3G was a revolution in the mobile phone market. Admittedly the upgraded versions 3GS and 4 are much faster and with more technical fuzzyness - however, 3G pathed the way. No doubt, this phone with its capabilities, combined with the App Store - Amazing setup!

Comment Compliments (8)

Quick Tip by retalondon. July 23, 2011

A Quick Tip by retalondon

i prefer iphone 4 to iphone 3g, but it is really a good item

Comment Compliment

Quick Tip by Teluu_taylor. November 09, 2010

A Quick Tip by Teluu_taylor

Now you can run your favorite third-party apps — and switch between them instantly — without slowing down the performance of the foreground app or draining the battery unnecessarily. So you can listen to a ball game while emailing. Or receive a VoIP call while playing a game.1

Comment Compliments (3)

Quick Tip by alagarsamy. December 06, 2010

A Quick Tip by alagarsamy

3 g i phone is my next addition...since my daughter is presenting this ..i postpone to buy this ..but this is another exciting computer skills ..but i enjoy to taste technology

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Quick Tip by cecilbothwell. September 21, 2010

A Quick Tip by cecilbothwell

Excellent device. AT&T service is dismal in my region, and AT&T's politics are worse. They have been organizing fundraisers for right-wing Republicans. So I sold my iPhone on eBay and purchased an HTC Hero - not as good, but can use it on Credo which is a superb service provider with a social conscience.

Comment Compliment

Quick Tip by DougWallace. June 08, 2010

A Quick Tip by DougWallace

When all ele fails, reboot.

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Quick Tip by xo7brainiac. June 01, 2010

A Quick Tip by xo7brainiac

latest news about iPhone, iPad, iPod: http://twitter.com/xo7brainiac

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Quick Tip by Hobbies4tw. May 22, 2010

A Quick Tip by Hobbies4tw

Great design, easy to use and has the "Hip" factor. Only downsides is AT$T

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Quick Tip by fischbein. May 11, 2010

A Quick Tip by fischbein

nothing seems to compare

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see all iPhone 3G reviews (26)

About the reviewer

Aunny (aunnyd)
Ranked #157

Hi, my name is Aunny D. I was born and raised in the city that Mixmaster Mike made famous in the song 'So Wat'cha Want.' I have an obsession with my Boston Terrier, Sancho. "Sancho" … more

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Wiki

The iPhone is an internet-connected multimedia smartphone designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The device features a flush multi-touch screen and a minimal hardware interface. The device does not have a physical keyboard, so a virtual keyboard is rendered on the touch screen instead. The iPhone functions as a mobile phone (including text messaging and visual voicemail), a digital camera, a portable media player (equivalent to an iPod), and an Internet client (with email, web browsing, and local Wi-Fi connectivity). The first-generation phone hardware was quad-band GSM with EDGE; the second generation also adds UMTS with HSDPA.

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