iPhone user experience & 2nd hand iPhone prices

[alchemistkevin]

Can't even believe I'm starting this thread.

I'm an ardent S60 supporter and user, my first phone was a Nokia and been with the brand ever since.

I've always criticized the iPhone for not being able to do multi-tasking (my primary gripe)

However, I am currently saddled with a Nokia that's few years old. I've had the latest Nokia's and the user experience has been really really flaky.

Crashes, call drops, Coverage problems, the lot!

My first question is: How badly am I going to miss the multi-tasking features of S60 if/when I move over to the iPhone platform?

Second: I don't have a clue of what price the 2nd hand iPhones go for. I'd definitely want a 3G phone not too bothered about the storage since the min is 8GB anyways.

Do white and black versions differ in price? How much shall I be looking to pay for? (I'll keep an eye out in the classifieds section as well)

[Autopilot]

Originally Posted by alchemistkevin

My first question is: How badly am I going to miss the multi-tasking features of S60 if/when I move over to the iPhone platform?

Honestly, not nearly as much as you think.

The biggest, and almost only, gripe for me is that taking a call will end an app. But, apps start very quickly and usually resume from where it closed, so for much of the time its as if it running in the background anyway. User requirements vary, but if you think about it how often do you really need multiple apps running? I came from years of Windows Mobile and Symbian. The first app's i would ever install on WM was called Magic Button - one of many many apps that forced other apps the close rather than minimise, because after 2 or 3 apps are running memory gets full, CPU's get stretched, and things begin to slow down and lag. I can fully understand why Apple have done this and the iPhone is unbelievably slick and has a great UX because of it. Multitasking is over-rated a lot of the time anyway IMO and the slagging off of Apple for it is often unfounded. You can run the iPod music part in the background. And some multi tasking is possible if you jail break it, but i have never felt the need. That said, i wish Apple would make some concessions (i.e. calls and messaging). There are some seriously powerful mobile processors coming out now (HTC bring a 1GHz phone out soon), so maybe future iPhone's with faster CPU's will mean Apple can relax it's policy a bit (that's all it is, a policy, there is no technical reason why it cant multi task now).

The only time I really notice it is when using CoPilot Sat Nav. If you take a call, it will close. It restarts quickly and carries on as best it can, but can take a couple of seconds to figure out where you got to since the app closed. I would love to be able to take a call over BT and still have directions like i used to with TomTom on my HTC. But its a small price to pay for everything else the iPhone does so well. I really have not found any other situation where its a problem. The 3GS has easily got the power to cope with this, come on Apple.

I am not a "i just want it to work" type of guy that struggles with anything technical and have wasted many hours of my life installing and modifying ROM's etc. But the iPhone, while far from perfect, is hands down the best phone i have ever used. I was cynical, but after a day of owning an iPhone I realised what all the fuss was about (mostly due to all the amazing apps). As for S60 - never again. I honestly think Symbian is doomed, it's a horrible clunky bloated mess of an OS now. I feel the same about Windows Mobile too, albeit less so.

That said, i'm no brand loyalist and Android is starting to look seriously tasty now. I can easily see myself switching at some point, but not for at least a year (and until they start putting some decent amounts of inbuilt memory on-board). I think ultimately Android may be the most successful mobile OS in the long term, especially if Apple dont get more competitive. Right now though, iPhone FTW (IMO).

[willyuk]

I have use various phones and my experience is that the iphone just suits what I need, is easy to use, it's my only mobile device as I can use it as a sat nav as well as Ipod and the obvious mail and calendar features. I don't need anything else.
I paid about £200 for a used 8gb 3g on ebay. It was less than a year old and in perfect condition. be aware you have to watch loads of them and just WAIT, eventually one comes along at the right price. There are some really silly bids some even higher than a brand new one costs from o2

[shahlg42000]

Be CAREFUL buying 2nd hand. I bought a BRAND NEW SEALED 3GS that was promised unlocked but turned out to be normal uk stock. Not a problem i thought, i'd just wait for a unlock from the dev team. I then called o2 to see if they would unlock it and to my surprise they said the phone was reported lost and so they have blocked it..!

I tried to get hold of the original buyer but he never takes my calls.

I am now considering post Nov 11th to buy a brand new 3GS.

I am no Apple fan boy and i WILL JAILBREAK not for pirate apps but becasue the jail break community actually turns the iphone into a usable useful phone!

2nd hand 3G i would pay max £250 if MINT but beware..!

Oh, i have heard lots of people scamming insurances and selling off the iphone, met a "guy" the otehr day who claimed to have done it 3 times...!

[Autopilot]

Originally Posted by shahlg42000

I am no Apple fan boy and i WILL JAILBREAK not for pirate apps but becasue the jail break community actually turns the iphone into a usable useful phone!

But you don't have a working iPhone yet? See that's the sort of thing i don't understand. The iPhone is more than usable and useful phone, it really is fantastic. Jail breaking opens up a few extra possibilities for some people, but its far from required.

[akki007]

Originally Posted by Autopilot

But you don't have a working iPhone yet? See that's the sort of thing i don't understand. The iPhone is more than usable and useful phone, it really is fantastic. Jail breaking opens up a few extra possibilities for some people, but its far from required.

Totally agree. Jailbreaking offers some useful features like 3G unrestrictor, Open SSH, Emulators, Winterboard, blah blah blah (There are other features which I will not discuss) but the iPhone as a device is absolutely un-challengable. Apple are so very good at producing a user experience second to none that I for one will never use any other mobile phone OR digital audio player OR mobile internet device OR mobile TV device.

I spent 10 years avoiding Apple, I've owned every mobile phone, MP3 player etc etc and believe me, the iPhone is head and shoulders above the competition

[tdenson]

Originally Posted by Autopilot

Jail breaking opens up a few extra possibilities for some people, but its far from required.

Quite. I have jailbroken and unlocked iPhones several times over the last few years, but right now I can't be bothered since the extra functionality is like 0.1% compared with what an unbroken phone offers. Can't see how anyone could say it turns it into a usable phone.

[alchemistkevin]

Originally Posted by shahlg42000

...
I am now considering post Nov 11th to buy a brand new 3GS.

...

2nd hand 3G i would pay max £250 if MINT but beware..!

Any reason (in terms of future announcements for this date? Orange tariffs have already been announced if you were waiting for that.

Thanks for your post.

[alchemistkevin]

Originally Posted by willyuk

I paid about £200 for a used 8gb 3g on ebay.

Thanks. Agree about silly bids.

[alchemistkevin]

Originally Posted by Autopilot

Honestly, not nearly as much as you think.

The biggest, and almost only, gripe for me is that taking a call will end an app. But, apps start very quickly and usually resume from where it closed, so for much of the time its as if it running in the background anyway. User requirements vary, but if you think about it how often do you really need multiple apps running? I came from years of Windows Mobile and Symbian. The first app's i would ever install on WM was called Magic Button - one of many many apps that forced other apps the close rather than minimise, because after 2 or 3 apps are running memory gets full, CPU's get stretched, and things begin to slow down and lag.

I have a WM (business) phone and can understand what you mean but they've come further and added close functionality as an option - I like it because WM is not a very good 'phone' OS in my view ( at least not with the processors available today)

Originally Posted by Autopilot

I can fully understand why Apple have done this and the iPhone is unbelievably slick and has a great UX because of it. Multitasking is over-rated a lot of the time anyway IMO and the slagging off of Apple for it is often unfounded. You can run the iPod music part in the background. And some multi tasking is possible if you jail break it, but i have never felt the need. That said, i wish Apple would make some concessions (i.e. calls and messaging). There are some seriously powerful mobile processors coming out now (HTC bring a 1GHz phone out soon), so maybe future iPhone's with faster CPU's will mean Apple can relax it's policy a bit (that's all it is, a policy, there is no technical reason why it cant multi task now).

I can see they allow the iPod functionality in background then why not the other apps. My only problem is that (as you say above) the app closes when you take a call.

On my symbian phone I have my mail app running that monitors and 'pushes' mail from 3 different mail accounts.
I have my skype client running in the background.
I also sometimes have battery monitor running and a task switching app running.
I have a dedicated sat nav but if I want, I can have a maps app running at the same time and still take a call on the handsfreee or the car phone.
At the same time, I have had a web browser open and a music player running.

I really use the multi-tasking features of a phone.
My phone runs fine, no lag, no memory issues. No apps 'die' as the memory has been allocated quite nicely on this device.


Although I used to buy my phones based on the processor they had in them, I think, these days the processor speed is just about ok. The main problem is the firmware front. Toshiba have launched a 1GHz phone but with lacklustre software they've managed to cripple it.

Originally Posted by Autopilot

I am not a "i just want it to work" type of guy that struggles with anything technical and have wasted many hours of my life installing and modifying ROM's etc. But the iPhone, while far from perfect, is hands down the best phone i have ever used. I was cynical, but after a day of owning an iPhone I realised what all the fuss was about (mostly due to all the amazing apps). As for S60 - never again. I honestly think Symbian is doomed, it's a horrible clunky bloated mess of an OS now. I feel the same about Windows Mobile too, albeit less so.

Thanks, this helps. I've just visited the Nokia flagship store today and no they don't have anything new to sell me and what they have is deeply flawed (all the new phones apart from a 2 year old E71)

All the new phones seem to work slower than the phones from a year ago and don't even get me started on the bugs on symbian phones.

The platform has managed to show a lot of flaws since they've got on-to the touchscreen bandwagon.

Originally Posted by Autopilot

That said, i'm no brand loyalist and Android is starting to look seriously tasty now. I can easily see myself switching at some point, but not for at least a year (and until they start putting some decent amounts of inbuilt memory on-board). I think ultimately Android may be the most successful mobile OS in the long term, especially if Apple dont get more competitive. Right now though, iPhone FTW (IMO).

If I don't go iPhone, Andriod is my only hope but I need a music player too and that's what keeps me bringing back to the iPhone.

[LewisM]

I have used Sony Ericssons for years, last one was a C905, I was always an avid fan of these phones because of the quality cameras, whilst I dreamed of an iphone I couldn't get over the poor camera and no flash so resisted.

....however the tech head in me and having an ipod touch for 9 months eventually persuaded me to get an iphone , I wanted the 3GS with better camera but my budget only stretched to a 16gb 3G (£300 off here brand new), the verdict so far.......best phone I have ever used, yes it has its flaws but at the end of the day you forgive it for just being brilliant and gorgeous!

To be honest the thing I miss the most are profiles, I like to have it ring full at work but for my alarm in the morning I like it quiet with no vibrate (we have a baby!) this means remembering to go to settings every night and adjust things that would otherwise just be a change of profile, the app closing is a bit annoying but you get over it, I do miss the camera but keep an old digi camera in the car now.

Overall 9.5/10

For music, movies, sat nav, organiser, phone, email, net, I struggle to see anything that covers all bases so well, and with the app store you can customise it to pretty much do whatever you want.

[Autopilot]

Originally Posted by alchemistkevin

On my symbian phone I have my mail app running that monitors and 'pushes' mail from 3 different mail accounts.

iPhone support push out of the box, no need to have the mail app open. So thats that one covered

Originally Posted by alchemistkevin

I have my skype client running in the background.

Skype is available, but not as a background app. Not sure what official work-around's exist. Dont really use it. But i believe Jail-breaking can over-come this.

Originally Posted by alchemistkevin

I have a dedicated sat nav but if I want, I can have a maps app running at the same time and still take a call on the handsfreee or the car phone.

Yes, this can be irritating. It's the one thing that bugs me more than anything else. But the app does auto-resume after the call, just means no navigation while on the phone.

Originally Posted by alchemistkevin

At the same time, I have had a web browser open and a music player running.

Yes, you can do that on the iPhone.


As for Android, yes it's looking good. If i had you buy right now, it's iPhone no contest. But in a year or so, if the 3rd party development is as good as what it's been for the iphone, and the hardware gets better, i can see Android winning in the long term. There is a lot more innovation going on at Google than Apple right now (as far as we can see anyway) and I reckon the choice will be much harder then.