Should I get an iPhone 4?

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I need to get a new phone and am very intrigued by the iPhone, but would like some input from the other folks here.

First of all, I want to get a smart phone, and I'm not sure whether an iPhone or something like a BlackBerry is the way to go. I'll be using it for school over the next 3 years, while also doing summer internships, and want something professional, high quality, and practical, while still being affordable for a student... I am willing to pay the price for an iPhone if it's a worthy buy.

What advantages do iPhones have over things like BlackBerries? Also, I've heard there are some problems with calls being dropped from the new iPhones when they're held the wrong way, and am a little concerned that it's a bulky system compared to the sleeker models of smart phones out there (along with the iPhone 3). Is this true?

I'm not a gamer either, though this seems to be a selling point for the iPhone 4. Should I get something else in this case?
 
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Here's the simplest and quickest answer post title: YES!
I believe it's best to learn the advantages of each phone for yourself without being spoon fed everything. If you don't know the good/bad aspects of the blackberries or iphones, do some more research on each one, not from owners, but from unbiased reviews. Go test them out in person. I've had a dull experience's with bb, but that was from back when the 7150 and 9100 were a sweet models to own(in that same order)! I have a hard time saying that there is a phone out there that is better than the iphone as a complete package. The only advantages that I see as being better on the BB is the choice having enterprise connection...which you probably know nothing about and will never need it. To people who need that, they wil see the Blackberries as tops, but the iphone is changing the market so much that companies are changing their whole networks to adapt to the iphone. The BB can be tricky to use sometimes because it is more text/info based than the iphones UI access.

Bulky system? The iphone4 is the "sleekest" smart phone in the market.
I've owned the iPhone4 since the first day it came out and have never had one dropped call. That includes me living in cleveland OH, while traveling to places such as Michigan, Virginia, and Miami Fl. Not one dropped call.

My vote is for the iphone, though you never mentioned what you needed out of your next phone.
 
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Antenna Problem

I heard that the antenna reception can be interrupted when you are holding the new iphone in a certain position, but if you get a case it should fix the problem.

Question: Does the iphone support flash, because if not you won't be able to surf alot of websites. Is this true? Is there a work around to view flash websites on the iphone?

thanks
Adam
 
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Should you get an iPhone 4? Sure, if you want one. If not, no.

There is no work around for Flash, unless there is a Jailbreak App that allows Flash to play, I'm not sure. Apple's not ever going to support Flash so if it's a deal breaker, don't bother.
 
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I don't care much for flash as I doubt I'll watch films or anything with it anyhow. I'm getting it for school and potential work during the summers, and really want some business-applicable things like a decent planner, the capacity to write out emails while on the go, and possibly some features like google earth. Right now I have the cheapest model of phone offered by my provider, and am very unsure of what modern smart phones are like to own. :D
 
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chas_m

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Thrillhouse85: you don't appear to be aware that Apple has a web site for the iPhone 4 that can answer nearly all of your questions. You should check it out, particularly the video tours.

Since you are so unfamiliar with smartphones in general, I would strongly suggest that you visit either an Apple Store or a "real" AT&T store (corporate-owned, not a franchisee) and give both the 3GS and the 4 a spin.

The antenna issue is a non-issue; all you have to do is put a case on it, and Apple is giving away a selection of cases till Sept. 30th. This avoids the "death grip" issue that affects all smartphones (again, see Apple's page on this very topic). Once you have a case on the phone, you should experience BETTER reception than with any other model.

Overall, the iPhone 3GS and 4 are more advanced than any other smartphone on the market by a considerable margin; thus I think they are the safest bet for "future-proofing." The iPhone 4 has many signficantly advanced features, most notably the "retina display" which is 4x higher than most other phones. As for your concerns about "bulky" all I can do is laugh. You'll understand why when you actually see any smartphones in person.

Flash is not really an issue on the iPhone, as there is a separate YouTube app, and most of the rest of the industry are gearing up their HTML5 delivery mechanisms to accommodate the millions of iPhones and iPads out there. Flash is a terrible resource, RAM and battery hog, which is why Apple doesn't allow it on the iPhone. Maybe someday Adobe will get their act together, but for now its just not a real issue.

The App Store allows you to do nearly anything with an iPhone and again puts it pretty far ahead of the competition. While the Android market may eventually rival it, I don't see Blackberry making a serious effort to catch up.

But is the iPhone (either model) right for you? We don't know. You should visit an AT&T store and check the various different companies' models out.

One last note: since you're new to the concept of smartphones, you need to be VERY AWARE that all smartphones more or less require a data plan, which is an added monthly expense above and beyond your "talk" plan. You should figure on a MINIMUM bill of at least $60/month during the length of your contract. Smartphones are expensive compared to regular cell phones, but you'll understand very quickly why millions of people don't care once you see them in person.
 
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First of all, I want to get a smart phone, and I'm not sure whether an iPhone or something like a BlackBerry is the way to go. I'll be using it for school over the next 3 years, while also doing summer internships, and want something professional, high quality, and practical, while still being affordable for a student... I am willing to pay the price for an iPhone if it's a worthy buy.

Not sure I can help, but some additional info would perhaps get you some decent answers...
-"Using it for school... summer internships..." What do you plan to use it for? Viewing media, playing games, editing office documents, sharing an internet connection as a WiFi hotspot, corporate email? A bit more detailed description of the requirements might help a bit. What internships ie: law clerk, horticulture, law enforcement, etc...
-As far as professional goes... as long as your phone isn't some odd neon color and plays obnoxious music when it rings, you should be professional enough with most phones on the market.
-Practical... well that's sort of subjective I guess. Practical as in rugged enough to survive being dropped of a cliff? Or practical as in it costs very little to own and maintain? etc...
 
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Get one, play with it... ... If you don't like or it is too advanced for you, simply return it. They'll give you a "full" refund if you buy it by September 30th and return it within 30 days since the day of purchase. It's AT&T's "buyer remorse" policy. You really got nothing to lose by getting one. Do it!
 
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Get one, play with it... ... If you don't like or it is too advanced for you, simply return it. They'll give you a "full" refund if you buy it by September 30th and return it within 30 days since the day of purchase. It's AT&T's "buyer remorse" policy. You really got nothing to lose by getting one. Do it!

Agreed. You can listen to what others have to say all day long, but to each is his own. You gotta check it out for yourself and see how "you" like it. My suggestion would be to actually hold and play with one for yourself at an Apple or AT&T store, then you decide. As schizzo said, you have 30 days to return it if you like it.
 
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and want something professional, high quality, and practical, while still being affordable for a student...

All smartphones come with data plans that will add to your bill. Depending on carrier you can be paying $70+ a month for some of the cheapest smartphone plans with voice/data/text.

Data charges for Blackberry or iPhone with AT&T will run you $15.00/mo for 200MB or $25.00/mo for 2GB of capped data. Plus your text package and voice package on top of that. If you are a starving student, smartphones might not be the best avenue.

Have you thought about a 3G iPad with a cheap phone (and plan)? Up front costs on the iPad will be more (initially) but in the long run you will save a ton of money as compared to paying for a smartphone plan. Two year AT&T contract with a smartphone will run you $1559+ on even the cheapest of plans with no text package. That is a lot of money for a student if you have no family or scholarship help with tuition.

EDIT: If I were you I would check into the iPad or iPod touch. For cell use keep with a cheap voice only phone and cheap voice plan. You can get Google Earth on both (iPad and iPod touch), compose and send email on both (within wifi or 3G iPad with data month to month), and some calendar apps and todo apps available in the App Store. One of those might work best for your needs and you don't have to worry about high monthly data plan costs eating away at your income.
 
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The iPhone 4 is probably the best phone I've had. I had a 3GS before, and the iPhone 4 just blows everything away. I've played with a couple of Android headsets(The Droid, Droid Incredible, HTC HD2), and I just prefer the iPhone's OS.

Android does some good things, but honestly I just always prefered the iPhone. I haven't had any reception issues, and honestly it's worked better than my 3GS.
 
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We don't have AT&T in Canada to my knowledge, and I know our providers are more expensive than the ones in the USA.

I'm wanting it for legal internships specifically, as I'm going to law school in the fall and will need a personal planner/phone/email device for while on the go. What has me a bit discouraged about the iPhone in particular is the fact I'd be paying for more than I'll use: I won't be spending any time watching YouTube or films while not at home, won't be playing any games, and already own an iPod for music. Checking the Mac website, these seem like big selling points for the iPhone 4, and reasons why its price is up there.

That being said, I played around on a touch screen phone yesterday, and enjoyed it a lot. I've heard great things about iPhones, while most BlackBerry owners have luke-warm opinions of their devices, but at the same time the BlackBerry seems to have a more "professional" image, and I'm curious why that is: is it actually slated more towards practicality than entertainment?

Also, I should have been more specific about the "bulky" comment: I have an old 4th generation iPod Video and find even that to be quite bulky, as it stretches jean pockets when in there for too long. Is the iPhone smaller?
 
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chas_m

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1. You didn't mention you were in Canada. You'll have to wait a week before you get to play with the iPhone 4, but you have a choice of providers (Rogers, Bell and Telus are all carrying it) and it is sold unlocked up here. I'm in Victoria BTW.

2. If *ALL* you want is a personal planner/phone/email, then honestly it's probably a tossup between the Blackberry and the iPhone. You'll need to check them both out, luckily you'll have plenty of opportunity to do so -- in a week ...

3. IMPO, Blackberrys have a more professional image because they're less fun. Yeah, they are slanted a more toward (specifically email) business stuff, but it's not like the iPhone can't do all that and more, but the iPhone 4 is definitely *marketed* as more of a consumer device.

4. As for "bulky" compared to a (what I assume you mean is actually a fifth generation iPod, the first that could play video): You'd have to be a pretty small person to not have the iPhone 4 fit in your pocket.

If that is a 5th gen iPod (60GB?), then the dimensions are 4.1 x 2.4 x 0.55 inches.

The iPhone 4's dimensions are 4.5 × 2.4 × 0.46 in. Taller, but thinner. Roughly the same.
 
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Consumer Reports Dec 2010 iphone 4 review

If you have an account with consumer reports they did a review of the iphone with machines that test the phone signal strength and other tests. Go to Consumer Reports: iPhone 4. This just came out in the December 2010 issue.

HCG Diet
Jill
 
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If you have an account with consumer reports they did a review of the iphone with machines that test the phone signal strength and other tests. Go to Consumer Reports: iPhone 4. This just came out in the December 2010 issue,

and??? We knew it wasn't fixed but rather covered with a bandaid. Nothing new and I have no idea why they think it would be any different a few months later.
 
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I'm hoping/betting/gambling on an updated iPhone 4 (GS?) in the first half of this year.

Perhaps it can coincide with the introduction of the white iPhone 4, which has been delayed time and again, that would be nice.

Antenna issues? Well, a lot of friends who have switched from the iPhone 3 to iPhone 4 definitely confirm that reception (even in a big metropolitan city like Berlin) is less.

No iPhone 4 for me until I get the feeling that this antenna issue has been seriously addressed. And with addressed seriously I do not mean by telling users to buy an ugly "bumper" or artificially fiddling around with the number of bars displaying the level of reception.

For the time being, I'm still happy with my 3GS, except for this alarm clock problem which seems to be an software bug rather than a hardware issue.
 

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