Recommended Posts

iPhone1.jpg

Instead of a traditional review, I'll more or less give a summary of the experience I have had owning an iPhone for the last 3 weeks; since its release.

Purchase:

Lets start with the purchase, that part could not have been any more uneventful, especially since I purchased mine at the AT&T store. It was quick and painless, all they did was ring up the phone for me and my girlfriend who ended up getting a 4GB model.

We raced home, and connected mine to iTunes first, went through the signup process and after a quick sync the phone had all of my calendar setting, contacts, music, movies, email accounts, photos and Safari bookmarks. The process was just as easy as its made out to be on the Apple website. Next I did the same with my girlfriends phone, we decided to get a shared plan, and after a quick sync she was up and running

The Looks:

What can I say; the phone looks like a million bucks. The reactions I get from just taking it out of the pocket without even turning it on are priceless. Needless to say once I do turn it on and start showing some of the features off, people seem glued to it. Most of the time when I do give it to someone to mess with, I have a hard time getting it back, I practically have to pry it out of their hands.

The phone feels just right weight, and size wise sitting in the palm of your hand. One of the striking features of the phone is the lack of any buttons. There are only four external buttons: Wake/Sleep, Ring Silencer, Volume Adjust, and Home button. The back has the camera lens and the Apple logo, but besides that there is nothing much to see. The front real-estate is taken up almost entirely by the huge LCD screen.

Let me tell you though, the phone is a magnet for finger prints. I find my self cleaning the front of the phone all the time. Yet the LCD is so bright that even when the screen is full of smudges, you won't notice them; that is unless you try hard enough. One thing that is surprising is how scratch resistant the iPhone is, I did not expect it to be this tough.

iPhone2.jpg

iPhone5.jpg

Phone:

Making, and receiving calls is comically easy and simple. Actually every feature in the phone part is great; lets not even mention how great the Visual Voicemail is. What I have a problem with is how low the call and ring-tone volumes are. I constantly miss calls because I don't hear the phone ringing, even when sitting in my pocket. What's even worse, there is no external indicator light to tell you when there is a missed call. Thank God for the strong vibrate mode, which usually is the only way I can tell when a call is incoming.

iPod:

I don't have a singe bad think to say about this, its absolutely amazing. Its fast, easy, great looking and simple to use. They have hit the jackpot with the Wide Screen iPod part of the phone. I can't wait to see what the stand-alone iPods will look like.

The Web / Safari:

Surfing the web on a phone has never been great, but on the iPhone its actually usable. The thing that makes it usable is the fact that web pages look and feel just as they do on a regular computer. Thanks to the iPhone I now don't have an excuse not to be on Neowin 100% of the time, well except when sleeping :D. Download speeds are great on Wi-Fi, EDGE is not bad either.

As for EDGE I honestly don't have problems with it, its not as if anyone will be surfing the web for extended periods of times on their iPhones anyhow.

iPhone3.jpg

E-Mail:

So since my girlfriend and I are on a shared plan and have only 200 text messages, we find emailing each other to be a better idea. Doing so on the iPhone is actually practical, and let me put the rumor of typing on the iPhone being difficult to a final rest; its actually real easy, if you let the auto correct feature do its magic.

The email application on the phone is quiet bare, and the lack of features can be bothersome. For instance when I went to check my email the first time, I had some 200+ emails and there is no option to delete multiple emails at once. I had to do it all one by one. But having the convenience of emails that look just as they would on a computer is great.

Quick Rundown of the other Applications / Widgets:

SMS: Too much fun, it sucks away text messages like crazy.

Calendar: For a mobile device its good, and the fact that it syncs with iCal on my Mac is great.

Photos: Everything looks great on the huge screen, and the whole multi touch + tilt function of the phone make it awesome.

Camera: Takes good pictures but lacks settings and features.

Here are some some pictures I took of Elanor, the car used in the movie "Gone in 60 Seconds" at a car show last week:

IMG_0044.JPG

IMG_0045.JPG

IMG_0046.JPG

YouTube: Works just like the AppleTV version, surprisingly its fast too, especially when on Wi-Fi.

Stocks: 100% copy of the OS X Widget, I don't use it at all :).

Google Maps: Has a lot of features, fast on Wi-Fi and EDGE, but lacks GPS.

Weather: 100% copy of the OS X Widget, I like it since you can get to it with one touch when in a hurry.

Clock: Again 100% copy of the OS X Widget, but hidden under here is also the Alarm Clock, Stopwatch and Timer.

Calculator: Unlike the other Widgets this one is not similar to its OS X counterpart, it has been visually upgraded.

Notes: Don't use it, but its a bare minimum application for doing just that; taking notes.

Settings: I will add to this section tomorrow as there is too much to cover right now.

iPhone4.jpg

To Summarize:

I can see it selling like hot cakes, the iPhone is just as revolutionizing as it is being made out to be. Unlike my brothers Smart-phone that runs Windows Mobile the iPhone is fast, easy, and fun to use. The major fault I see with the phone lies not with Apple but with AT&T; for one they have hidden charges for everything, service is not great, and reception sucks to put it nicely.

All in all the iPhone will change the future of the cell phone industry, and you can quote me on that.

RATING: 8.5/10

Edited by KeR
Link to comment
https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/574106-review-iphone-8gb/
Share on other sites

Excellent review. I would give the iPhone the same rating myself. I've really enjoyed having the device and I've recommended it to several friends who have since purchased their own iPhone.I am disappointed in the AT&T service in my area, but for the most part it hasn't been as bad of an experience as I expected. From what I had read on blogs and forums AT&T was the absolute worst wireless provider on the planet, but I must say it beats Sprint/Nextel IMO by a long shot.

Excellent. Can you surf and post on Neowin using the iPhone?
Yes. Since I got the iPhone, when I've been away from my computer I've been logged in with the iPhone posting on Neowin and typing is actually very easy. I love the on-screen keyboard.

Nice review. What kind of hidden fees does AT&T charge? I absolutely hate it when they don't tell you what they charge. I mean if they actually tell you it's just some kind of service fee then I probably wouldn't mind since they tell me before hand. But when you get a bill and you see all these "required fees" it just ****es me off.

Is there a possibilty to have that magic spell check tool to work in Dutch as well if you buy your model in the US? I can buy one over there but as most of the texting happens in Dutch down here it would be handy to have a dutch function.

As for the rest, drooly drool.

x

Is there a possibilty to have that magic spell check tool to work in Dutch as well if you buy your model in the US? I can buy one over there but as most of the texting happens in Dutch down here it would be handy to have a dutch function.

As for the rest, drooly drool.

x

+

What's the best place in the US to buy it without taking a plan since I will be using it here and not in the US.

Camera quality looks like crap.

And I will always say it; The price tag is not worth it.

Please, are you kidding me? The iPhone camera is reasonable camera, actually I may even call it good. Ok SE had a 2.0mp camera ages ago on their cellphones but sorry, it still remains to be a cell phone.

A digital camera on a cellphone is a handy feature for when you've forgotten your cam at home or when you need pictures on your phone (contacts, wallpapers, ...). As for the rest, it's just another addon. Unless, of course, you buy one of those expensive SE phones with a 6mp camera.

Edited by James R.
Camera quality looks like crap.

And I will always say it; The price tag is not worth it.

Please.... Have you actually used a lot of mobile phone cameras, as they are really rubbish bar the autofocus cameras in the high end nokias and sony ericssons, you are just bashing it because its apple.

Back on topic, great review, i agree it looks very nice, just a shame it will take so long to come over to the UK and then be so expensive :(

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • UK to ban under-16s from social media following a six-week trial with teenagers by Paul Hill Credit: Pexels A few months ago, Neowin reported that the UK was trialing a social media ban with 300 teenagers for six weeks, that testing has come to an end, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that the country will ban under-16s from social media. Starmer said that this technology is making children unhappy and making it easier for bullies to harass and abuse them. He continued to talk about the addictive nature of social media, saying that it uses an infinite scroll designed to lock users in for hours. He said this interferes with children doing their homework, reading, playing with friends outside, and going to bed on time. Tackling the idea that nothing can be done about social media, Starmer said: The government’s action won’t stop at social media either, the PM said. It plans to take action on gaming services and livestreaming platforms. Right now, he said, strangers can contact any child unchecked. He said this wouldn’t happen in real life, and the government is going to stop it from happening online, too. The Labour government has overseen the introduction of the Online Safety Act, a big change to the internet which includes age verification on adult websites. This has led to a fair bit of backlash, but overall, the government is pushing ahead with these changes.
    • Still using Hexchat every day but i would not consider it Retro 😛
    • HONOR Robot Phone unveils first Cinematic Video at Shanghai International Film Festival by Steven Parker Global AI device ecosystem company HONOR announced on June 13 that its revolutionary HONOR Robot Phone made its professional imaging debut at the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF), demonstrating the result of its mobile videography capabilities for the first time. As the official mobile photography and videography partner of the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival, HONOR empowers this premier cinematic event with cutting-edge mobile imaging technology. Marking the global debut of the first cinematic video it captured, Robot Phone breaks down the boundaries between mobile imaging and professional filmmaking, ushering in a new paradigm for the deep integration of technology and cinematic art. In the video published on HONOR’s official channel (above), Robot Phone was used byELLEMEN to capture cinematic video portraits for the SIFF jury members. With its exceptional stability and cinema-grade imaging capabilities, the device redefines the art of portrait filmmaking, faithfully reproducing the rich tonal gradations and nuanced color transitions associated with film photography. The result is a new level of visual sophistication, creating high-end cinematic imagery that seamlessly blends atmosphere with narrative tension. The video released for the Robot Phone showcases the powerful stabilization capabilities of its built-in gimbal system, delivering exceptionally smooth handheld camera movement while preserving full image quality. By minimizing reliance on electronic image stabilization, the device effectively avoids the image cropping and quality loss typically associated with digital stabilization methods. Representing an innovative leap in form factor, the HONOR Robot Phone features the industry's smallest titanium alloy gimbal, delivering ultra-precision, extreme flexibility, and superior stability. Driven by high-performance motors, the gimbal rises dynamically, breaking free from the physical limitations of traditional camera modules. Combined with advanced AI algorithms that enable intelligent object tracking and various movements with stable shots, the device significantly simplifies video creation and reshapes both the equipment choices and creative habits of modern users. Notably, the Robot Phone will be the first product that features the results of HONOR's strategic technological partnership with ARRI, the world-renowned designer and manufacturer of professional camera technology for cinematic storytelling. From Cannes to Shanghai, the HONOR Robot Phone continues to lead the mobile imaging industry into an entirely new stage of development. Moving forward, HONOR will leverage cutting-edge AI and mobile imaging technologies to unlock new creative possibilities and extend cinematic standards for visual expression from the world of high-end filmmaking to the next generation of content creators. Learn more about the HONOR Robot Phone here: https://www.honor.com/global/events/honor-robot-phone/
    • I'll wait for the root cause analysis. Looks like it's HP, Lenova, and certain configurations that are askew, hardly "all of windows." Time will tell.
  • Recent Achievements

    • Week One Done
      Jeroen Wilms earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Week One Done
      rolfus earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Month Later
      Leroy Jethro Gibbs earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Conversation Starter
      flexorcist earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • One Month Later
      AndreaB earned a badge
      One Month Later
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      510
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      200
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      137
    4. 4
      ATLien_0
      91
    5. 5
      Steven P.
      83
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!