Ditching the Apple iPhone . . .
I very patiently waited for the iPhone to go 2nd generation, move to a 3G network, and work the kinks out. I got one two weeks ago, and it is likely to get returned some time over the next two weeks.
Why? As a toy, it is delightful. It is a wonderful gadget which is endlessly amusing to play with. I very much am going to miss it when it goes back.
As a phone, it is all but useless. At least, that is the case in my neighborhoods, which include the North shore of Long Island, and Manhattan. (That any wireless network doesn't have 5 bars throughout all of Manhattan is completely inexcusable).
I blamed the AT&T network for much of the problems, but I suspect the phone should also get some portion of the blame too. Apple is releasing a software fix for the 3G call dropping issue Friday.
<sigh> Its gorgeous, lovely toy. If only it worked as a phone . . .
~~~
The candy slab of delicious glass reminds me of a story from my college days. I went to SUSB Stony Brook, and near the campus was an exotic car showroom. The owner was a very kindly older Italian gentleman, who was endlessly patient with me, a poor college student. I fascinated by what looked like a museum showroom filled with very expensive Aston Martins, Jaguars, and Ferraris, and the like. I couldn't even pay for the premium gas to fill any of them up, but he treated my like a potential customer. You could not ask for a classier car salesman.
I sometimes stopped by when they weren't busy, and this gentleman driver -- with his delightful accent, thinning gray hair and a huge handlebar mustache -- would educate me on automotive history. I loved the Astons, and he showed me the elegance of the older Ferraris, and the racing dynamics of the newer machines.
One day, a white Lamborghini Countach showed up on the showroom floor. It was weird and angular and futuristic and unlike any other car I had ever seen (this was 1983 or so). I asked him about it, and he cringed. He put his finger over his lips, as he tsk-tsked, and slowly shook his head "no."
In that charming Italian accent, he said something to me I have never forgotten: "The Lamborghini, she is like a beautiful woman that is very bad in bed."
Being a wiseass, my instant response was obvious: "Oh, yeah, I dated her for a while."
We both smiled.
~~~
I have never had the opportunity to retell that story -- until now.
The iPhone -- like that Lamborghini -- is gorgeous and exotic and unlike anything else you have ever seen. But as a phone in the NYC area, it just does not work well. As my Italian automotive professor would say, "she is just like that beautiful woman who is very bad in bed."
Wednesday, September 10, 2008 | 09:06 PM | Permalink
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Classic story and completely true. Apple products in general in my experience have typically been more flash than substance.
Posted by: changj | Sep 10, 2008 9:15:47 PM
Good story w. much merit and many applications...
Posted by: bc | Sep 10, 2008 9:21:56 PM
so which car did you finally buy?
Posted by: tranchefoot | Sep 10, 2008 9:22:21 PM
I'm in the same boat. But I blame AT&T. 3G works fine if you get out far enough from the city, but it is sadly worthless during the work day downtown NYC. Otherwise the thing is my favorite hand held device to date.
Posted from my iPhone (over a wifi network)...
Posted by: jr | Sep 10, 2008 9:31:27 PM
LMAO!
Posted by: JP | Sep 10, 2008 9:34:00 PM
It's funny. I took mine back too. It was hard to part with since there are so many great features about the phone. But the true phone part of it is a disaster (I'm in NY too). What really shook me though was that it was even worse in Minnesota, Seattle, and San Francsico. Completely unusable.
Posted by: goodinbed | Sep 10, 2008 9:36:53 PM
I married a Lamborghini...I'll pass on the iPhone...thanks.
Posted by: Mack | Sep 10, 2008 9:37:12 PM
I had been with Sprint for about 10 years, with very few problems, outside of service, which I rarely used. I never lost calls, from the east side of Kauai to Cape of Massachusetts.
I, like Barry, was waiting for the 3g, and went to the Apple store to buy 2 phones a couple of weeks ago. I just want to reiterate was Barry said; the iPhone is such fun with regard to data, email photos, text msgs, but sucks as a telephone. My reception bars rarely exceed 2 -- my sprint phone rarely dropped below 2.
I really hope the firmware patch being released on Friday will resolve these issues.
With that said; I am data dependent. I am NO WAY going to return my iPhones and return to Nokia or a Blackberry.
Posted by: Donny L | Sep 10, 2008 9:47:53 PM
What makes a woman good in bed?
Showing up.
-- Elliott Gould
Posted by: VennData | Sep 10, 2008 9:49:24 PM
Great story! Great description of your issues. I haven't heard much good about the 3G on the iPhone and have opted to wait it out and continue with my Blackberry.
Posted by: Lenore Wilkas | Sep 10, 2008 9:51:15 PM
its true. I got the iphone about 3 weeks ago and its dropped call and freeze outs every other day. Oh well. It certainly is a cool gadget and at times I feel like Im cheating on my wife with a beautiful Lamborghini.
ahhhhhhhhh
Posted by: Noah | Sep 10, 2008 9:54:05 PM
wonderful story, thanks for sharing and making that happen.
Blame ATT but also blame cheap RF receivers in Apple Iphones. Nokia seems to be doing a better job in designing antennas and RF receivers with better signal quality.
Apple is all about the interface. Behind the cover is not that important.
Get a HtC too, it will beat the Apple in very short time.
Posted by: ali saygin | Sep 10, 2008 9:55:17 PM
I don't want to get into a religious war, but the complaint of lack of substance is not a good description. From the beginning, Apple products have had a friendly, toy-like feel. It's part of Jobs's design approach, for better and sometimes worse. But under the hood, there were some very solid things. OS X has an industrial strength Unix behind all the flashy visual effects. So some Apple products are like a spectacularly beautiful woman who requires a little effort to find the erogenous zones and g spots.
You guys might want to check with AT&T. If they know there's a problem and they're going to upgrade the network soon, it might be worth a little wait. I mean, some chicks don't realize they're frigid.
Posted by: Roger Bigod | Sep 10, 2008 9:56:44 PM
Apple should have never went to bed with AT&T.
The AT&T network sucks in Southern California. SUCKS!
Posted by: Donny L | Sep 10, 2008 10:01:56 PM
Just got my iPhone on Friday. It is the greatest piece of consumer electronics I have ever owned. I cannot exaggerate how awesome it is. I'd heard all the complaints about the AT&T network, battery life, and typing interface - but these haven't been problems for me (switched from Verizon with a Chocolate - are you kidding me?) The plusses of this phone are just awesome.
Go ahead and take it back. You will miss it.
And I'm not an Apple guy.
Posted by: E | Sep 10, 2008 10:06:27 PM
I had the 1st gen and now the 2nd gen iphone and as a phone the 1st was much better up until a few days ago. Not sure what changed, but all of a sudden everything is working much better. No more dropped calls. I'm in the Boston area, so hope the changes trickle down to NY before you part with it.
Posted by: Dave | Sep 10, 2008 10:22:30 PM
I have been with AT&T for roughly 15yrs,agree that Verizon is a better carrier.I picked up the iPhone roughly four days after it was initially released. Since then no problems and I love my iPhone, literally having a computer in my hand. When I go to the stores and check out the Blackberry or other competing cell phones I laugh at how anyone could possibly consider another phone.
Posted by: Lalit | Sep 10, 2008 10:24:02 PM
I actually love my iPhone. Am eager to see the software update but I really love it even now. I had a razr before this and did NOT have a good experience with verizon in the bay area. constantly dropping calls...
Posted by: robert | Sep 10, 2008 10:31:40 PM
I'm in Japan, where the iPhone isn't doing so well. Not because of connectivity issues (most phones are 3G here), but because other cell phones are much more advanced. They can be used to watch television, pay bills, and have a lot of doohickey's that only Japanese people seem to understand.
Posted by: Maldoror | Sep 10, 2008 10:33:28 PM
READ THIS:
YOU ALL DON'T GET IT ..... THE IPHONE CAN WORK ON BOTH EDGE AND 3G - THE 3G REALLY DOESN'T NEED TO BE ON TILL YOU ARE LIFTING HEAVY DATA!
EDGE WORKS SUPER WELL IN MANHATTAN
READ THE STANDARD OPERATIONS ON THINGS YOU BUY AND YOU MIGHT HAVE LESS HEADACHES AND HEARTACHES BY NOT HAVING TO GIVE THE GREATEST HANDHELD DEVICE UP!
Posted by: gavin | Sep 10, 2008 10:35:21 PM
It's really a shame microsoft is taking so long to come out with a competitive upgrade to windows mobile. sprint has a great network and HTC makes great hardware but windows mobile is utterly lame and frustrating which is no surprise considering the bozos that run the place.
Posted by: Bob A | Sep 10, 2008 10:35:39 PM
"I'm in Japan"...
yeah too bad but over here we have to dumb down our devices so even pta moms from alaska and pit bull owners can use 'em.
Posted by: Bob A | Sep 10, 2008 10:40:03 PM
I suspect it is ATT's network. I left them for Verizon a few months before Katrina and have not regretted it, althogh Verizon's choice of phones when I needed one at the turn of the year was crappy.
Barry's story sounds like what I heard from my sister in law. My daughter left New Orleans a couple of days before the general evacuation for Gustav and picked my niece up in Baton Rouge to drive to Houston. My niece has an iPhone and my daughter complained that she could not contact her when she was nearing the campus.
They left late and everyone was concerned about them. They were traveling along I-10, which has become very heavily travelled between New Orleans and Houston since Katrina. So it should have a good signal, right? Yet, they were out of touch for long periods. My daughter has T-Mobile, which makes no claims to a great network, so I wasn't surprised about her. Later my sister in law told me that she has had continuing problems calling my niece at LSU, which is situated in a town with a population approaching a million.
Posted by: Mike in NOLa | Sep 10, 2008 11:10:26 PM
funny my wife she say she got pregnant from sitting on an iPhone.......? her sister got herpes from a tractor seat so i dont know.......apple she is a bitch.
Posted by: josie the berry picker | Sep 10, 2008 11:56:29 PM
I made the switch from Verizon on Labor Day and have no regrets. I have a terrific computer in my pocket that also makes phone calls. We live in a rural area, so I turned the 3G off first thing. There are dead zones that none of our carriers serve, but other than that, BEST PHONE EVER!
I have replaced my PDA, old cell, camera and avoided buying a GPS, and the expansion POTENTIAL of the iphone through the app store has me expecting even better things ahead.
Posted by: steve raley | Sep 11, 2008 12:17:32 AM
