Engadget iSwitchers defend their decisions

Ben Drawbaugh
Switched from: BlackBerry 8700c
"Gave up a BlackBerry 8700c because of the awesome user interface and so I'd no longer have to carry around two devices (cellphone and media player). What I miss the most is the great Java applications -- the same ones that would sometimes force me to reboot -- like Newsgator Go! and Gmail. While the iPhone is not perfect, it would be for me if Gmail integration was as good as it was with Google's Java app. As for RSS, Newsgator's mobile web page works really well."
Paul Miller
Switched from: Nokia E62
"For me the most important part of my phone is the browser, and the S60 browser has the same roots as Apple's Safari. I really appreciated the site compatibility, but the shortage of RAM and all-around sluggishness of the E62 was incredibly frustrating. I love the new wave of QWERTY Nokia devices, but none of them are 3G in the States, so there didn't seem to be much point to upgrade on that route. The simplicity of Apple's software on the iPhone strongly appealed to me, and hasn't disappointed for the most part.
Synchronizing iTunes is simple -- I'd hardly dream of trying to make my media work on any other phone, I'm such a n00b in that way. And my experiences with the Baby's First Email Client on the phone have actually been pleasant. Once I set it up with a Yahoo! Mail account. I miss the real keyboard on the E62, and I have a Finnish friend who will be sorely disappointed in me, but otherwise I'm quite happy to call the iPhone my own. Oh, and I used to have a (sluggish) SNES emulator on my E62. If the iPhone got some external buttons via a slide-on peripheral keyboard or gamepad, along with third-party software support, an iPhone SNES emulator would be my killer app."
Dante Cesa
Switched from: Sony Ericsson K800i
"Truth be told, I can't think of anything that I've gained by switching to the iPhone. I could do Google Maps before and Opera Mini was adequate for light browsing. That said, the way one interacts with an iPhone is way beyond the experience with Sony Ericsson's UI (which, in my opinion, is still the best non-smartphone UI out there). One thing I miss the most (which I never thought I would have missed) is copy and paste. It's so aggravating on the iPhone when one wants to move text from app to app or from field to field. I'm also sacrificing on the camera front. The K800i held the spot of being my day-to-day point and shoot, so we'll see if the iPhone's 2 megapixel cam is up to the task.
It's been a week in, and I'm also realizing I'm suffering a bit from tactile withdrawal. Even though the touchscreen keyboard on the iPhone is good, nothing is a true replacement for physical keys. Finally, my last major gripe with the iPhone would have to be stability. I was always amazed at how I could play music, have Opera Mini and Google Maps open and loading content in the background, all while taking a picture at the same time on the K800i without a hitch. Despite all these open applications, the phone was responsive and fluid and would rarely crash. So far, the iPhone's been crashing left and right."
Ryan Block
Switched from: HTC TyTn
"I gave up my TyTn -- sort of. I'm still keeping it around, between the HSDPA and keyboard it's no less a great device than it was last month, and I can always pop in my iPhone SIM and be on my merry way. But the EDGE on the iPhone is surprisingly palatable, and although the thing has a lot of bugs and issues, it's still a step ahead of where WM6 is right now in a number of ways. But it's also a big step behind in the mobile productivity front, so there's that. I also went back to playing with S60 to see how it compared after having moved into my iPhone -- it doesn't, at least not right now. Now, when Photon (WM7) lands we'll have to revisit, because what Microsoft is doing there (behind closed doors) looks pretty unbelievable."
Chris Ziegler
Switched from: Nokia N75
"The iPhone is an interesting study in refined minimalism -- just how much seemingly necessary functionality can Apple take away from us, and still convince us to switch on the strength of the iPhone's brilliantly executed UI alone? I'm extraordinarily bitter that I've sacrificed expandable memory, third-party apps, A2DP, and 3G data, but at the end of the day, what little Apple has left behind is simply too well done to ignore. Of course, my 'switcher' status is largely contingent on Apple treating the iPhone as a franchise; if Cupertino goes too long without giving us some extra goodies via firmware update, a company like Nokia will likely get something in its lineup that convinces me to switch back."
Conrad Quilty-Harper
Switched from: Sony Ericsson K800i
"I switched because although the K800i does the phone and camera aspect better (plus it has 3G and was almost free to pick up [FYI: Conrad lives in Europe. -Ed.]), it takes 9 or more button clicks to load up Opera Mini, the email application is a joke, and the same deal with the multimedia player interface: it makes me shudder to think of playing music, checking email, or browsing the web on my K800i now that I've used the iPhone."
And now for our iReturner!
Joshua Topolsky
Went back to: Palm Treo 650
"I returned the phone because I couldn't find a way to justify spending $600 on what amounts to a closed system. It's like buying a laptop you can't tweak or put software on. Also, I was highly annoyed by the keyboard and EDGE (although the iPhone's implementation seems faster than my Treo). I went back to my old, ugly, totally awesome Treo 650, which I can happily do anything I want with and to!"














Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
The Steven @ Jul 7th 2007 6:39PM
I'm keeping my HTC 8125.
Why? Because foe me it does (almost) everything I need. It's got wifi, bluetooth, ir, email, web, the whole shebang, and I can (and did) add skins to make it look like an iPhone. BTW, I don't use iTunes and have no desire to do so. Also I have a wide selection of available software that I could add if I wanted to.
Robbie @ Jul 13th 2007 3:43PM
same here! using 8125! using iphone wanna-be apps. funny thing is, ive been using it months before the iphone came out! and ppl asked me then, and still ask now, "is that an iphone?" lol. my reply... no, its better... lol. the only thing better now would be an 8525 or advanatge
carlo @ Jul 7th 2007 7:17PM
I hear you on that, but imagine the 8125 with 600mhz and an 8 gig hard drive... or 4 gig?
I say that together, the iPhone and Tytn (or even the Wizard/8125) would be the perfect phone.
Ayle @ Jul 8th 2007 6:31AM
You forgot to add that you can have touchflo on the 8125 ^_^ .... I just hope the kaiser wont cost more than the iphone...
Rick Ewing @ Jul 8th 2007 8:54PM
You're keeping the 8125? You're kidding, right? I own that phone and it's the biggest piece of crap around. Windows Mobile is a lousy OS in terms of UI (pull down menus are good for the desktop, lousy for a handheld), it crashes far too often, the built-in memory reminds me of the 128K Mac days and Pocket IE is a complete joke. It also buttdials like it *wants* to annoy my family and friends....completely awful design in that department. If it weren't for Opera and my Slingbox client, I'd have dumped this thing months ago.
Matt @ Jul 9th 2007 6:56AM
@The Steven/anyone else that I might have missed.
Thank you for giving good reasons for not buying an iPhone, enjoy your phone.
Life is yours chose what you want...
u07ch @ Jul 7th 2007 6:56PM
I would love to know one thing; how do they compare to UMPC's ? Is the iphone hte end of umpc ?
Octavus @ Jul 7th 2007 6:53PM
I don't think the IPhone competes in the same market as umpc's, an umpc is a full fledged x86 computer running a full version of xp. I can see people with both an IPhone and a UMPC, be it very well off people.
badtzmaru @ Jul 7th 2007 6:55PM
I switched from an LG Fusic, which I originally purchased for its ability to play music and run web apps.
The iPhone wins hands down on music and multimedia. Safari is also much more versatile than Opera Mini. Google Maps looks far better on a large screen than on the tiny LG.
The iPhone loses on its inability to be used as a modem. The LG is great in that respect, however, the phone as modem Sprint PCS plan costs twice as much as AT&Ts.
john @ Jul 8th 2007 2:56PM
But Sprint's data plan for the phone starts at $15 whereas AT&T starts unlimted at $40... When you add it all together it is still cheaper. I just PDANet.
njfuzzy @ Jul 9th 2007 11:46AM
Someone said that the unlimited data plan for the iPhone costs $40... It is only $20.
Steve @ Jul 8th 2007 1:21AM
I switched from the blackberry curve and could not stand it. I love the iPhone and everything was amazing on it but what made me return it was the keyboard, battery life and AIM. Which is the most important thing to me . Thats why i am nowback with my curve and i love it love it love it !!
dF @ Jul 7th 2007 6:58PM
I switched from my Treo 600 and I'm very happy I did!
rob @ Jul 8th 2007 10:50AM
Treo 600 to iPhone sounds like a no-brainer road to happiness. I upgraded from a Palm PDA to a 600 when it came out, then to a 700p a year ago, and I love the EVDO speed on the Sprint network. I played with an iPhone for the first time yesterday, and it was prettier and more elegant than I imagined. However, it would frustrate me too much to switch from EVDO to the slower connection speed of the iPhone (I typically use my data connection while on the road, so the wi-fi wouldn't do much for me).
Britboyj27 @ Jul 7th 2007 7:00PM
I switched from an Audiovoxx SMT5600 smartphone back in the day, to a blue RAZR to an iPhone. The iPhone kicks the crap out of both of them. I will say that the UI is a little slow from time to time, but I really can't see why everyone was complaining about EDGE.
I'm the tech columnist for our University Paper next year, so I'll have a full, 3 month semi-long term review somewhere. Maybe I can prod someone to post it. :P
Steve in San Diego @ Jul 7th 2007 7:03PM
It's so frustrating! I love everything about the iPhone! Sure, it's not perfect - and EDGE ain't all that great - but overall, the UI is leaps and bounds over anything out there. Even the $600 is something I can stomach. But.... the problem I can't deal with is that AT&T totally, completely, and utterly sucks in my area. I get 2 bars at best - tons of dropped calls - and the phone is so unreliable that regardless of the UI and features, I'm pondering taking it back for ANYTHING else on Verizon (where I was previously). The big question is whether I invest additional $ to buy signal boosters etc for my place, or whether I should just give up and return to better reception and a sucky phone.
John @ Jul 7th 2007 7:22PM
It's an excellent point, Steve, and I don't think you're alone in your dilemma. Many of the iPhone reviews noted that the AT&T network was the iPhone's Achilles heel. You might have to bite the bullet and switch back to a more reliable provider. While crashes and software strangeness can theoretically be addressed with updates from Apple, there's nothing more frustrating than waiting ... and waiting ... for a cell phone company to improve its network in your area.
Chuckles McGee @ Jul 7th 2007 9:27PM
I'd drop the $600 and even pay the termination fee for my Verizon service right now to get an iPhone- if it didn't mean I'd also have to switch over to AT&T/Cingular's subpar network. The number of times my friends who use Cingular say "My phone isn't getting reception here, can I use yours?" is astounding. Verizon rarely seems to have the latest and greatest phones, but I'll just hold on until gen 2 of the iPhones rolls out for it.
David Ahn @ Jul 8th 2007 3:59AM
I almost didn't get the iPhone because I didn't want to switch to AT&T from Sprint, but it's been about 90-95% as good in my area, and better in some spots than Sprint. I'd put up with an 80% as good network to have the druglike user interface I can't get enough of. :)
Jordan @ Jul 9th 2007 8:36PM
Chuckles McGee - You know that you cannot generalize an entire wireless network as subpar. It completely depends on your area, and most people that read Engadget know this. In my local area, Verizon has horrendous circuit problems. I switched to AT&T a couple of months ago, and have not had a circuit problem since. Maybe it is because they control the local circuits? I don't know. I know that Verizon's coverage is better in many areas. I was also in an area with my father this weekend where he dropped a call three times going around a large hill, yet I had 5 bars. So what? It doesn't mean either one's entire network is better than the other. Use what works best for you, in your area, with the people you call the most.
Fred @ Jul 7th 2007 7:04PM
I find the iPhone to be everything I need. It's replaced my 4G iPod and my Motorola e815. I will say that it could have a better setup for wireless connectivity but I can look past it because it's just so freaking cool!!
Heck, I just made these comments from my iPhone. :)
dizilbdog @ Jul 7th 2007 7:08PM
I can't wait for my Iphone and I'm dropping my Treo 700P from Verizon.
achilles @ Jul 7th 2007 10:14PM
Can I buy it off of you for $100?:)
Andres @ Jul 7th 2007 7:14PM
Switched from HTC MDA (wizard)
the difference is between day and night, practical and impractical, bliss and frustration. While both devices in theory have the same main features, attempting them on MDA was a sure way to obtain a headache. The one an only thing i missed so far is file-transfer via bluetooth, but giving it up for the over functionality is worth it. I will never go back into the sea of pain known as windows mobile
joeylang @ Jul 7th 2007 7:14PM
I switched from a motorola v3i with itunes. I originally bought it bcause of the itunes integration, but it just didnt work like an ipod. I had to carry aorund 2 devices with me to school every day and i jsut didnt like doing that. The iphones ipod functions are amazing, the best ipod apple has ever made, and i am compeltely satisfied.
carlo @ Jul 7th 2007 7:14PM
Wait Ryan!!!
How do you use the iPhone data plan on your Tytn? I was told that the iPhone data plan would not allow me to switch out my sim and be able to use data on my WM6 device... Do you have a separate line for it?
I took my iPhone back mainly because of the plan... I'd love to have both, believe me, because together they are the perfect phone.
Alan Partridge @ Jul 7th 2007 7:17PM
Wow you all had really bad phones, i guess thats how it is in America. NOTHING is taking me away from my N95..at least not for now.
sr @ Jul 7th 2007 7:47PM
Ha Ha! Me neither!
Ireland @ Jul 7th 2007 9:43PM
Nothing accept robert Scoble perhaps? http://scobleizer.com/2007/07/01/comparing-n95-to-iphone/
gfkjr @ Jul 7th 2007 7:17PM
I'm switching from a Motorola Razr. I don't miss the horrible UI of the Razr. I'm happy to have a full keyboard now, even if some people think the Iphone keyboard sucks. I will definitely be using text messaging and email a whole lot more, now that I have a usable keyboard. I also love visual voice mail. I used to hate checking voice mail. I got tired of press 1-1, then press 7, then press *. I have Wi-Fi everywhere I spend most of my time. So the speed of Edge is not a problem for me. But it is nice to know it's there, if I need it. I also love Yahoo push email. I have used Yahoo for years, so I didn't have to move my account to get it. I love that my email just appears when received, instead of me checking all the time. I now receive all my email through the Iphone. I don't even download it to my computer anymore. I could go on for days, but that's my main reasons for going with the Iphone. Also, I have been with "AT&T" for ten years, and have always been happy with their service. So I guess that made the decision easier.
Alan Partridge @ Jul 7th 2007 7:20PM
Also is Quilty-Harps using the iPhone in Europe? Or just in America?
paul @ Jul 7th 2007 7:23PM
I switched from a T-Mobile MDA (similar to 8125, runs WinMo5). haven't had a second of regret. syncs so sweet and simply. full featured media player. so easy to do what i want to w/o waiting for the phone at every step. browsing and email are SO much better and i actually can type much faster than i could on the MDA slide-out keyboard. there have been minor stability issues with safari occasionally crashing, but it's a soft crash and the phone itself has never stalled or froze or crashed--a far, far cry from my Windows Mobile experience. would like to get some copy and paste, as well as a dedicated IM application and a newsreader (and 3g of course), but i am ok with waiting a bit, as this phone is just simply so much more useable than my MDA, i could never go back. very happy to never, ever use windows mobile again.
paul @ Jul 7th 2007 7:31PM
just wanted to add that in my experience, ATT iPhone EDGE feels at least three times as responsive and fast as my T-Mobile MDA EDGE was. seriously. Mossberg said it takes two minutes to load yahoo.com on EDGE, but it takes me usually between 12-17 seconds at most, for a full page load from scratch (i just went and did it twice to be sure i was giving accurate info). doesn't feel slow at all. and of course, more than half that time is loading in the large ads and images, the page is readable and useable about 5 seconds in.
Jeff K @ Jul 7th 2007 9:24PM
I am giving up my iphone. work pays for my blackberry and since iphone has no blackberry email service, its hard for me to carry two devices.
also, i been trying to iphone with one hand and i find it very difficult. also trying to zoom in with one hand is difficult. i put one part of my finger and use my thumb to zoom. it proved faulty since i have dropped the phone few times
Jason @ Jul 7th 2007 7:28PM
Thats sooo funny... you guys at Engadget were all using crapy phones!!! Not one of you had a decent Smart Phone!!! Sure that black berry does email but that is all it does well... I have a Mogul from Sprint and a PPC6700 before that... sure you guys all love the upgrade cause your old phones were crappy... even Ryan didn't have a full fledged smart phone... just a WM Standard phone!!!
Not one N95 owner in there either... get with the game Engadget guys!!! don't you get review stuff for free???
paul @ Jul 7th 2007 7:34PM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTC_TyTN
how is that not a full-fledged smartphone?
Chris McDowell @ Jul 7th 2007 7:46PM
my work phone is a ppc 6700 and that thing is a shitty brick. Battery lasts for about 10-15 minutes of browsing the web through sprint network and it will not last a full day on idle with no use. It is buggy as hell and locks up constantly. I press the little reset button on the bottom left with my pen like 3-4 times a day. Web browser sucks for formatting and has no features at all. The screen is crap and I cant read it in light areas at all. My old nokia 7610 was more full featured than the 6700.
Ben @ Jul 7th 2007 7:55PM
I actually had the xv6700 with Verizon, before the Blackberry and I actually like the blackberry better. The 6700 was very unresponsive at time and the battery life was horrific. The funny part is that I never installed any applications on it anyways, so I'm not sure why I had so many problems.
D Griffin @ Jul 7th 2007 9:39PM
That's the thing about the 6700s, you've GOT TO TWEAK 'EM! Its like buying a Scion (though the phone is built like a Buick), you buy it just to customize it.
Kai Cherry @ Jul 7th 2007 7:36PM
Well.
I switched from my most recent *phones* one "fashion" (Nokia 8801) one "function" (Blackjack) in tandem with a Nokia 770, in a long line of succession of phones...everything from the original Walkman W800i to a tiny VK Mobile credit card phone.
I've gone thru a LOT of phones...and the one thing I can say about the iPhone is this: it does what they say it will, the way they said it would...and that's saying a LOT in ths day and age.
You can pick it apart for what it *doesn't* have or doesn't (yet?) do...but at the end of the day, it is the...least irritating mobile device I've ever used for Phone, Music, Mail and the Web.
Unlike many, I've found the most refreshing feature to be the "damned keyboard"...typonese is my native language and the "Puff the Magic Hippie Typing Machine" or whatever it is in there does wonders for me.
My feeling on third party apps is this, and I'm being honest; every 3rd party app I added to my last everyday phone (the Blackjack) was to basically give it capabilities the iPhone has already; a decent email app. A (quasi) real web browser, A Google Maps mobile client and a music and video player that wasn't gawd-awful.
Apple probably should just go ahead and crack app dev that door open however; the hooks for this are there already and quite honestly if they don't, someone else will and they won't be able to control it. They just have to eat a wee bit of crow and back away from the idiotic "Bad Apps will crash ATT!!! The phone will become unstable* and break!!! AAAIIIYEEEE!!!" and "Check out our (chuckle) 'sweet' 3rd party dev solution!!!" nonsense they put on the table.
I *do* have a gripe with the phone tho; I believe the lack of Stereo Bluetooth is pretty ridiculous. Of course, their currently shipping OS doesn't do it and I have a comment aout how the forthcoming one does, but apple gets all "eeeeekkk!" if someone says something they haven't yet, good or bad. Its good, btw ;)
I have no intention of using anything else at this time. Overall, its not the "most" phone I've ever had out of the embarrassing 10+ Ive gone thru n the last say 2.5 years, but it is certainly the "best" one.
A lot of people don't quite understand that Most and Best are not necessarily equivalent :)
*If what happens when MobileSafari has a brain fart is their definition of "phone unstable" then I really think the situation is *well in hand* and they should just go ahead and make that happen. I'm more used to Total Phone Lockup and Reset...not a graceful fade-to-oblivion return to the Springboard/Home Screen.
TRAFFICBLOWS @ Jul 7th 2007 7:56PM
you lost me at Well.
Kai Cherry @ Jul 7th 2007 8:00PM
Yeah...the kids today have a short attention span...I suppose I could have started with an insult and then do the whole run-on breathless paragraph thing, but that ain't my style ;)
McHale @ Jul 8th 2007 9:25AM
What I'd like to see in these posts is who are Mac users and who are XP/Vista PC users.
As a XP/Vista user, I wouldn't *WANT* anything on my device that's Apple related. I don't use iTunes and I see the iPhone as another way Apple is trying to lure me into their den of iTunes evil.
My Windows Mobile devices do everything plus a lot more than the iPhone and while I agree the iPhone is a slick device with a new and slick interface, it doesn't hide the fact it's missing some VERY basic features that all of the phones above have - java, IM, etc.
-Mc
Jason @ Jul 7th 2007 7:39PM
Sorry Paul your right... I clicked on the link for Ryan's phone and it showed a WM Standard phone pick... didn't think to read the whole thing!!! Sorry... but all those other phones are not smart phones!
rich @ Jul 7th 2007 7:42PM
i switched from the t-mobile dash and couldn't be happier. the interface, email, & web on the iphone have truly leapfrogged the competition. don't listen to what you read about the iphone - go and try it out yourself in an apple store.
the dash had a great form factor and felt great in the hands...but WM6 is such a pain to use. the only thing i miss about it is kevtris (tetris). but i suspect Apple has something planned as far as games go...
Carl @ Jul 7th 2007 7:49PM
I'm on the same page as Dante. I switched from the K800i too and I agree completely agree about the cut and paste. Although mine hasn't crashed at all I still miss my old K800i sometimes. Sometimes don't.
My wish-list for a complete iPhone:
1. Cut and Paste
2. File browser
3. Better Bluetooth capabilities
4. Better Mail, the ability to save pictures sent by mail and use as wallpapers.
But still, each time I unlock it, it blows my mind.
Riot Nrrrd @ Jul 7th 2007 7:59PM
I'm not an iSwitcher, so I suppose I shouldn't be commenting here, but I just wanted to echo Dante Cesa's thoughts as a SonyEricsson owner (S710a; just lost my K790a on a San Francisco beach recently - d'oh!@).
As years go by you get a grip on what's important for you; to me it was a good camera (toting around a Nikon CoolPix 5700 just wasn't an option), and my K790a's 3.2 with flash is clearly better than the iPhone's. SMS'ing has become much more important for me over time; texting on phones with traditional 0-9*# keyboards was beginning to drive me insane. (I tried T9 and to me it was worse than a Newton at spel korecshun) I lept at the chance to try a friend's iPhone the day it came out, only to find that trying to "two-thumb" the iPhone, with the virtual keyboard it kept detecting the outside of my thumbs so it kept registering a key to the left of the one I was trying to press, which also drove me insane. Give me tactile keys I can hit anyday.
Then toss in the other Missing Links with the iPhone - no Java means no SSH client (I'm a Systems Programmer, it's useful to me); no Flash means a lot of "real Web sites" won't work properly; no tethering as a modem for my MacBook Pro means it's useless for those travel situations where (gasp!) there's no wireless/DSL available; crippled BlueTooth/lack of file transfer is highly inconvenient; no 3G (though that's less of an interest to me since there's no 3G coverage where I live presently anyway); and a huge one for me, the fact that it can't be unlocked (I go to Spain every year and love being able to swap in a pre-paid Vodafone SIM once I get over there - I won't accept a phone where I can't do this, and I can do it with my SE's); blah blah ...
Count me as one of the "Hope for the better with iPhone 2.0" types.
Ryan @ Jul 7th 2007 8:03PM
I currently use the T-Mobile Dash and am very happy with T-Mobile and the Dash. I would love to have the iPhone but I use this phone for my business and it gets my email via ActiveSync from an Exchange server. Until Apple allows the use of Activesync I'll be sticking with the Dash. Email when I'm out of the office is the most important thing for me and Exchange IMAP support doesn't cut it. So, Apple please license Activesync from your buddy Bill and you'll convert even more mobile users.
riggs @ Jul 7th 2007 8:05PM
im waiting for the Sony E. W960, why? because i know the iphone is nothing but hype. and after playing with it and asking the people that i know why its better than their other phones, and all they can say is because it looks good, i think ill stay function over style.
Brian Holmes @ Jul 7th 2007 8:06PM
I got one on opening day at an Apple store in San Diego and there was no line. Apple really handled the launch date extremely well. AT&T, on the other hand... Anyway, the iPhone has been nothing less than the best gadget purchase I've ever made. I didn't upgrade from much (Samsung flip-phone), so I may be a little overwhelmed compared to previous smartphone owners, but that doesn't mean I'm not justified or correct in my opinions. The keyboard, much to my surprise and contrary to what most newbies to the iPhone say, is amazing. I can type at least 40 words a minute and I've never had to click the 'X' button because the auto-correct has never suggested a wrong word. I'm not much of an email-er, so the email app works fine for me, but I can see how the inability to rapidly delete email would be frustrating; especially using the finger slide method. I couldn't delete more than 10 emails like that. DotMac was, obviously, quick to sync and setup and the in-phone Gmail service, surprisingly, was easier to setup on the phone than using OS X's mail app. For the first week, I had a few problems with the iPod and Safari apps crashing when I had them open at the same time, but I recently noticed that it hasn't happened in 3 or 4 days and I've been using it just the same. I love the SMS method on the phone and coverflow in iPod is extremely enjoyable... Even when not listening to music.
I really have no complaints about this thing. Sure the lack of reasonable Java compatibility, custom ringtones, a decent camera application and the fact that there's no Flash Player plug-in makes me confused and annoyed, but I'm sure it'll come through in updates soon enough. YouTube is great, but I don't use it very often. Notes' simplicity and the ease of typing makes it very handy and I'm actually using it when before I would just write little bullet points on my hand, which was unprofessional and sloppy. Moreover, Calendar is so enjoyable that I actually have a schedule now. I never used to use a calendar for things outside of school, but this phone makes me WANT to use one since it's such a pleasure. Sure, it's obviously a 'mobile' version of the calendar, so all the features aren't there, but it's still extremely helpful and I've noticed an improvement in my organization and punctuality. The other little apps, Google Maps, Calculator, Clock, etc., are all simple, get-in-get-out devices and the Edge service isn't nearly as bad as people say. Yes, WiFi in my home network is 5x times faster, but the fact that I can now get internet wherever I am in the city, let alone 80% of the country, is comforting and exciting.
I guess I can't see the iPhone's major flaws because this is the first high-end phone I've owned, but I'm more than happy with the purchase. Mind you, I am 15 and I had to pay for it myself... Yeah.