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"I am such a traitor"
on by averagereviewPros Where do I begin?
-Battery is surprisingly and unexpectedly amazing.
-Facetime is fun, clear, and smooth
-For a 5MP camera the image quality is impressive.
-Overall, so easy to use and so smooth.Cons Android (what I have been using till now) has a few advantages.
-I miss the Vlingo voice app. It is better on Android
-I miss the google nav and voice commands from my Android.Summary So. I work for Verizon, and I have been trained for years to HATE this phone and sell against it. I felt compelled to write this review because up until recently I never really got to use an iPhone out and about in the real world as my primary device. I never really knew how it stacked up from personal experience. I have been using Android since they launched on VZW, I have had every single one, and consider myself a substantial expert on the platform. I have talked Android up over the iPhone for a while now. Rooting, custom ROMs, open platform stuff...that is all fun for a while, but ultimately loses its flavor after a while. I will forewarn that I will be comparing Android routinely throughout the following assessment. I can't help it. It is what I have been most used to, and is the iPhone's biggest competitor.
Truth is, I almost want to say that the iPhone is better than Android, but it is really not about that. My Droids, overall, have been a great experience. In fact, I still use one for my business line. My Droids really gave me some great times, and I still hold them in high regards. I still recommend them to people day in and day out. What it comes down to is what phone you are most comfortable, and what works best for you.
Android still has some work to do. They failed me at some critical times, and Google still has much to figure out. Prior to getting the iPhone, with each subsequent Google OTA update, the Droids were becoming very laggy, and were screwing up on a regular basis. Battery pulls, loss of features and service, and much more were a regular happening (and that was just on the stock OS). Google REALLY needs to figure out how to manage memory. To date I believe 2.1 is the most stable OS of the bunch. Also, after having all of the Android devices, I am just kind of bored with them and wanted something new to stimulate my interests.
The iPhone is just simply smooth. It doesn't lag, battery is awesome, and there is not a bunch of random programs popping on when they so feel like it. I know there is a good amount of hate out there for the iPhone because Apple has their OS fairly locked down, and you more or less have to run it the way they want you to run it. ALso, they are pretty expensive (Applecare, insurance, accessories, you name it). But all in all, it is Apple's phone and OS, and they provide the experience and can do what they wish. You can choose to use it or not.
Apple really does make a darn good product. This phone has been incredibly reliable, and bugless up to this point. The apps are all quality, and I did not realize how much I missed the iPod music player. Sound quality is super, and it is nice to finally have a stable bluetooth link again. Android was really irritating in that respect. Google really needs to iron out the bluetooth issues in their phones (loss of connection happened all the time).
The iPhone is just darn easy to use. Even my wife, who had a Blackberry prior and is by no means tech-savvy, got this phone and is finally using her device for everything it offers. The facetime and Skype application are unbelievable. My family and I did an international Facetime call recently and got a personal walkthrough of our friend's new apartment overseas in real-time, and saw her baby take her first steps. The equivalent apps for Android, Tango or Qik, could not hold a candle to this.
The camera impresses the heck out me. Even though it is 5MP that does not hold the phone back. In fact, I think the 5MP camera on the iPhone outdoes a number of 8MP cameras on some of the other devices out there. My Droid X simply errored and straight up dumped and/or lost SOOO many videos that I shot. Precious, precious moments that I was really relying on my phone to capture (like the birth of my first child. I will never get over that one...good thing it was only a backup to my regular camera), the X failed me a number of times.
Apple does not do flash, but boy do they do a fantastic job at working around it. The first app I downloaded was Skyfire (converts flash to HTML5). It shows flash in a different manner, but honestly, it does it better and more smoothly. Plus, Apple is such a giant in the industry that most major websites provide either and application, or alternate website that is JUST for the iPhone.
So yea. I have thrown in the towel. The iPhone rocks. I finally see why all of the apple fanboys have been so freakin' Ga-Ga over this for years now. It really is a great experience. I did list some "cons" and particular apps I sort of miss from Android. I did make use of a number of widgets. But I am quickly getting over that stuff. As long as the phone doesn't freeze regularly. As long as it captures and loads my media content...I can overlook certain things.
The VZW iPhone is real treat. I would recommend it to anyone. A good friend of mine is a sales rep for AT&t and he once described it to me as "The perfect phone for dummies". Now, I am a rather advanced user, but if you have never had a smartphone before, you would LOVE the iPhone. I think it fits just about anyone. -
"I'm SO happy with this phone! Great job, Verizon."
on by imrickjamesbchPros Keyboard entry and icon layout w/folders -perfect. Email -imap and pop setup are a snap. Web page download speed -awesome compared to what I was used to. Videos can be finally seen properly. Netflix streaming with unlimited data plan -nice!
Cons iPhone battery life could be improved. I need more memory (like 60gb+) than the 32gb version. Wish I could stream Xfinity dvr tv like the iPad can. These are the only flaws.
Summary Call quality is perfect compared to the several smart phones I've owned that are known for garbled speech. This phone blows away any other smart phone. I love finally hearing my DRM-protected iTunes without carrying both a phone and an ipod. I must say the sound quality is unreal. Exercising is now more fun. I feel like I just discovered 2000 purchased iTunes songs that aren't available to convert to iTunes Plus...Now my smart playlists will be complete.
I highly recommend this phone! I got mine on 2/7 and love so much about it. I considered seriously the Droids but without a true DRM music ability (all of the Droid software DRM work arounds really don't work), I'm so happy I patiently waited. It's so intuitive to learn to use. You have to complete the full Verizon software update via iTunes to enjoy it's full potential before setting anything else up. That's the first place to start. I've been a Verizon customer since 1998 and refuse to do business with anyone else. 5 stars all the way! You won't be disappointed. There's always another better iPhone coming out in the future. This is worth getting right now. Sell it easily next year when 4g LTE comes around. All of my other smart phones are either going to be sold or donated, starting tomorrow! -
"The most gorgeous, "simply works phone" available."
on by Rearden73Pros Best display on the market by a very long shot. Incredible app selection, and you can trust them. Seamless and simple activation and syncing with existing iTunes. Fantastic speaker volume and clarity.
Cons None. The drawbacks others would consider cons, I wouldn't use.
Summary Perhaps the reason there are no cons listed above is because I've been using such an inferior device for a couple of years. It's been a long wait, but my Verizon iPhone has finally arrived...and exceeded all expectations. I already have two more bars of reception in my house than with my old device. The retina display is simply the most beautiful display available. Honestly, in side-by-side tests, when you scroll through a Droid screen and then scroll through an iPhone screen, the Droid looks awful. Anyone who thinks different is kidding themselves. The data speeds on the 3G connection are as fast as on my iPod touch connected to wi-fi. I would rarely find myself needing simultaneous talk and data, so I can't list that as a con. Sure it'd be nice to have, but if I get to the point when I need to do that much at once, I've got other problems. As many Apple fans know, much of the appeal of the iPhone is quite simply that it's a very sophisticated-looking and extraordinarily elegant piece of electronics. It's...just...beautiful. I know that the competition has increased greatly during the years I've waited for this, but I've seriously seen nothing in a Droid that can make me want one over an iPhone. The Droid's screen ratios are unattractive, they're too big, clunky, etc... The resolution makes scrolling look choppy.
For me, this is the best phone on the market, and its elegance and ease-of-use still stand head and shoulders above any other device. -
"iPhone 4 just like iPod touch 4g but with phone & data"
on by jserokePros * Apple product
* Screen quality is second to none
* Thousands of Apps. Best app store
* Best touch interface I've experienced
* iPod superior to other smartphones' music players
* 5MP camera with flash takes excellent photos
* HD video recorderCons * Battery life - will last less than 24 hours with significant use. Will be at 30-40% within a day with minimal/moderate use.
* 3G speed is not as fast as WiFi. Could be impacted further by addition of more iPhones to be sold starting 2/10/11.Summary I long awaited the iPhone on Verizon, as I refused to switch to AT&T's network. In two days of usage, the phone functionality is excellent, and the meat of the device operates exactly as my iPod touch 4G. The battery life is the only item holding this review from being 4.5-5.0 stars.
Everyone knew this wasn't a global phone, didn't have a SIM card, does not have removable memory or battery, so I do not understand why people complain about that fact. I was considering waiting for the Verizon iPhone 5, but no one knows if that will come out in Summer 2011 or some time in 2012. I couldn't wait.
I never put my iPod touch down, and the iPhone is that and better by simply allowing me to have data access anywhere. All of the functionality is just like an iPod touch, which is phenomenal, and the device itself is extremely responsive - both in terms of to the touch and response time to open apps.
The design and functionality are superb. I am still happy I purchased. Just be prepared if you buy one and add on a charger/cord for your office and car. -
"All Verizon hype, where were you HTC THUNDERBOLT???"
onPros Navigation and performance are very good. Being able to WiFi the net works well. Streaming anything works. Interesting applications available entertainement.
Cons Take IPad, IPod, and any phone, put 'em in a bag and shake! If you don't like ITunes you will hate this phone. Everything goes through it! Removing apps is hard to find, still haven't! No MSOffice clones yet. Can't merge contacts with VZ tool.
Summary Had it a day. Don't like it much. If I had the RIM apps from the old Blackberry 9530 working as well as those on the IPhone I wouldn't have changed a all. Given I am a dedicated MS PC Windows 7 user, trying to sdo anything has issues if it is Apple oriented. Not much cross compatibility anywhere. Since Verizon is offering both domains the need to fix this problem. The anticipated intro of LTE this year would certainly have made my decission to go HTC THUNDERBOLT had it been out already. Guess we'll see over the next year how well this really turns out for me.
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