I really hope Apple is listening...

[kcadam]

We all know that Apple had phones in many users hands before the roll out and yet so many people have been having problems and finding simple issues that other cell phone manufacturers figured out years ago... Did they put the phones in the hands of idiots? I travel a lot for work and not just a couple days a week on a business trip. I'm away from home most of the year, for sometimes months at a time, and I'm all over the place. My phone and I have been in just about every US state and have made a lap or so around the globe. Not only does AT&T's network flat out suck (I don't know how they get away with those damn "raising the bar" commercials because I have those phone calls where you only get half of the conversation all the time), but Apple does not seem to have prepared this phone for the business user. For someone using a device like this as a business tool and not just a toy, there are features I absolutely won't give up, no matter how much I want an iPhone, and no matter how cool it looks.

I hope hope hope that someone at Apple is paying attention to comments like the ones posted here and the other even more valuable pieces of feedback coming from the users of this site, who are generally ahead of the curve when it comes to Apple and technology.

I'm glad that I haven't bought an iPhone yet. Not only has the lack of Push Mail and Instant Messaging (AIM, MSN, Y!) kept me from doing so, but all the users here have brought up some other flaws that give me more reason to stick with my Blackberry for now. I know there's been a lot of frustration for many of you, but the rest of us really appreciate you all being "guinea pigs."

 

[sonictonic]

It's ever so slightly disheartening to see so many negative comments and pissed off people here, but it's not enough to bring me down. I am loving my new iPhone. Any flaws this device has is pretty minor all in all, and many of which can be fixed through software updates down the road. I am confident that Apple will be on top of it.

I think that there are way too many impatient people here, and most of those people need to comprehend that this is a 1.0 product. I for one am amazed and impressed Apple did such a fantastic job on their first foray into this market! They deserve major kudos IMO!

This phone is the best phone I have ever used by far. Not to mention how impressed I am with the battery life too which is amazing considering I've been using the iPod functionality, wifi, and bluetooth.

This thing is awesome and I have absolutely no regret buying it early on. I'm very happy and pleased.

 

[Hmac]

You must be new to Apple. It's never been an enterprise company. It's a consumer company. Their products have always been designed and marketed to consumers, not business users. The iPhone is not a business tool and has never been marketed as such. What business in their right mind would agree to buy $600 cell phones for its employees when they can buy Motorola Q's for $200? And if Apple had to license ActiveSync, what would that do to the price of this already-expensive device, and why would they do it if the vast majority of their market didn't give a crap about push email?

 

[Digital Skunk]

I agree with this guy buy more on the "Cingular sucks" point... I will admit that I went to the Apple Store and held an iPhone in my hands and used it for a little while before some kid shoved me out of the way and I have to say that it is definitely one of the best phones I have used EVER! The typing on it is a little bit more annoying than any Treo I have used but as many a reviewer has mentioned easy to get used to.

Yes... I will say this... I would get an iPhone after holding one in my hands given all of the machines terrible flaws, drawbacks, missing technology, poor support for cell phone standards and so forth... but Cingular's data plan is terrible and expensive for speeds that don't even come close to other service provider's standards and you cannot get the iPhone or any smartphone insured. Sprint will insure any phone you get... replace it for $50 even if it is your fault no questions asked... they won't do it more than 3 times a year, but will do it at least twice.

There is no way in the world I am going to walk around inner city Baltimore with an iPhone after all of the FanBoy hype and news spreading across the world. Some punk kid will take my phone and I will be out $600. Then I have to go to Cingular and pay another $600 for a new phone while with Spring all I have to do is call the insurance company, pay them $50, and a brand new 'whatever phone I lost, got stolen, broken' will be at my door in a matter of days.

If Cingular's network was actually as good as they say it is, and if they had insurance for smartphones and for the iPhone... I may have bit the bullet and switched service... but there is no way an intelligent person with a shoe string budget is going to buy an uninsured $600 phone.

 

[sananda]

kcadam: now that you have enlightened apple (by helpfully typing it really big) i'm sure an emergency meeting will be scheduled to address your needs.

 

[question fear]

Can we please add "In my opinion" or "This general geographic location" when a discussion of ATT/Cingular comes up? I realize they have crappy reception in some areas, but newsflash: so do sprint, verizon and t-mobile. I know lots of people who left sprint and t-mo because of bad reception; I jumped off of Cingular to T-Mo for 12 hours before deciding that I couldn't live with the horrible reception holes. However, I don't go around telling everyone that T-Mobile is a horrible provider and that RIM, HTC, Motorola and other companies that release exclusive phones to them are idiots/ruining the customer experience/going to fail horribly for it.

Whew, I feel better now.

(Cingular/ATT customer since 1998-with the exception of 12 hours in 2004).

 

[Sun Baked]

Of course Apple isn't going to read your thread, because your text message isn't loud enough -- yet.

 

[uNext]

K

I travel a lot as well. Like you my cellphone and i have visited the entire united states and some of europe. Recently i decided to upgrade to blackberrys curve (love it) blackberrys whole market is business.
I purchased the iphone for 2 main reasons...how photos are organised
and the ipod function.

1.Photos i hate how disorganised other cellphones are with pictures
I love carrying pictures of me and my family (specially now that i have new baby boy-june 28th) whenever I am out of town you might be able to relate since your a traveler as well. I played around with the iphone before i purchased it, and I just love how the whole iphoto feeling is right there with my phone. Way more organised then any other cell phone i have ever deal with (countless cell phones).

2.iPod feature is amazing. I love running/working out so now that i have the ability to have a all in one with excellent integration it was a no brainer for me. I can go jog and do anything recreatinal and have the functionality of an ipod with me at all the times in single cell phone. Like above i tried various cell phones etc. You just cant get anywhere as close to almost excellent integration then an iphone.