Abby and Win’s Blog

I just got my first bill with our iPhone 3G and was surprised to find $260 for a week’s worth of use. So I called AT&T up so I can get an explanation of the bill. I was informed that I was charged for what I’ve used the initial month, plus next month’s bill, and $72 for activation (2 iPhones). The customer service rep offered to remove the activation fee for the inconvenience. I was shocked but happily accepted. I didn’t sound upset or anything, I just need clarification on the bill. Thanks AT&T! Even though you charge a lot for the iPhone services and provide little to no service at my house, you have so far exceeded my expectations with your customer service.

It’s been over a week that I’ve had my iPhone 3G. I’ll share the bad experiences first.

• Reception at the house hasn’t improved and 3G coverage in my area isn’t consistent. I find myself having to disable 3G more than half the time to get a decent signal. This was a big concern before I bought the phone because the extra $10 per phone, per month for the 3G access is a joke considering the coverage area.

• On two occassions the phone has become unresponsive, once browsing the App Store and the other surfing with Safari. But unlike any Windows OS, it didn’t crash or require a restart. I just waited a few minutes and it became responsive again. You can even hold down the power button to restart it if you can’t wait that long.

• There were a couple of downloaded Apps that crashed. Every time I used them it would try to load up and close. Reinstalling them should fix it.

• It’s great that you can search for nearby locations with the Google map. But I wish there was a way to forward the information to another phone or email. While my friend and I were out, he wanted to know if there were any Korean BBQ restaurants nearby. No problem, I was able to get all the info I needed - directions and contact info. Well he doesn’t have an iPhone but want the info. There’s no way for me to send the info to him. He had to write it on a napkin. I hope Apple or someone adds this feature soon. Same with my contacts. I miss having the ability to forward vCards to other people via SMS.

• I noticed this morning that my battery didn’t get fully charged even though I left it plugged in overnight. It only charged up to about 85%. I’m not sure if my battery is starting to act up in just a week’s worth of use. I hope it’s covered in the manufacturer’s warranty.

• AT&T does not give you the option for phone insurance as they do with all their other phones. So if you lose it or it’s stolen, what are your options then?

• Why can’t I edit my Google calendar via Safari?

• You will get interference while playing music using an FM modulator

Now for the good stuff.

• Internet experience is unmatched by any existing mobile device (other than a laptop). I love how I can just surf the internet and check emails while I wait for my food to be served at a restaurant. Having the internet in my pocket I can get directions and contact info to any business - it’s such a time saver. I can check for movie times and ratings and view trailers.

• Emails on this phone is great. I have my Gmail, Yahoo, and Exchange accounts. It’s interesting how Yahoo allows you to have iMap support on the iPhone yet you have to pay $20 annually for Pop3 for your computer.

• You can send SMS messages to another cell phone using email. I tested it with Sprint and T-Mobile. So far I’m only able to send text. I tried attaching images but they never get it. It may work for other service provider. Here’s the list of email address format for each cell phone company in the US http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/939/sms_email_cingular_nextel_sprint_tmobile_verizon_virgin.

• You can capture screen shots by pushing the power button and the main menu button simultaneously. This feature also exists in the original iPhone and iPod touch. The only requirement is for it to be version 2.0.

• On top of what I mentioned above, it’s also an iPod! I can listen to music without plugging in my headphones. It will play through the speakers.

So far, those are what stood out the first week of using it. w I have a pretty big list of dislikes, I will be keeping this phone past the 30 day trial. I can manage having the inconsistent signal at home, I’m hardly there anyway. I’ll share more things as they come along.

After 2.5 hours in line, we finally got our 16GB iPhone 3G. I wanted the black one but all they had was the white ones left. No problem, as long as they’re 16GB. There was only 1 left after we got ours so we came close. I will post pics and stuff later.

Starbucks started a program with their card. It’s a rewards program. As long as you keep your card active (use/reload at least one a month), you can get free refills on brewed coffee, extra syrup or milk options, and my favorite - up to 2 hours of free AT&T wifi access. What’s great about this is that AT&T wifi is not just available at Starbucks, it’s available in many other places. So even if you hate Starbucks, as long as you have an active card, you can use the free wifi access where it’s available. It saved me from boredom and endless complaining this morning. I had to take Abby to Victoria’s Secret semi-annual sale. There was a Coffee Bean next door with AT&T wifi. I just grabbed my iPod touch and was surfing the internet while I wait - like a good husband I am ;).

If you still haven’t heard, Apple announces the second version of the iPhone. It now has the ability to use the 3G network and GPS. The iPhone 2.0 was demoed during WWDC 2008 and looked great. They made it easy for any developer to create applications that ran on the iPhone and the iPod Touch.

I was excited to hear about the 3G version a couple of months ago but became disappointed after the announcement. Here are my reasons:

• Hooray for 3G and GPS, yet it still has a 2MP camera?
• Where’s the video support? You can capture pictures but no video?
• Still no MMS support. Of course you can email people, but what about people who don’t have email support on their phones? They can’t respond to your email until they get to a machine with internet access?
• AT&T is increasing the data plan an additional $10 per month.
• No 32GB iPhone? I already have a 16GB iPod touch. With over 40GB of music, it just won’t do. I don’t like creating playlists after playlists to make it fit in 16GB. If I get the 16GB iPhone and months later Apple releases the 32GB version, what do I do then? I’ll be on a 2 year contract.