We've got iPhones, what do you want to know?
By Chris Ziegler 
posted Jun 29th 2007 11:28PM
posted Jun 29th 2007 11:28PM
Can the home screen icons be reordered or customized?
As far as we can tell, no. We'll keep you updated if we find a way.
How long does it take to boot?
Our cold reset took 32.5 seconds from power on to the appearance of the home screen.
Is the UI smooth and fast (like in the commercials)?
By and large, yes. We see an occasional stutter, but nothing that has a noticeably negative impact on the use of the device.
Does it only work with the SIM it came with, or can you insert your existing SIM?
You can insert your existing SIM, but you will still have to go through the iTunes activation process. Furthermore, you need to reactivate in iTunes every time you change SIMs -- if you put in a different SIM, you get an "Incorrect SIM" message.
How's speed over EDGE?
The jury's still out, but it totally depends on what you're doing. YouTube seems to be virtually unusable over EDGE at the moment, but Safari and Maps are pretty bearable. Mail's decent, too. Our speeds on dslreports.com are all over the map -- lowest is 64kbps so far.
What do you think of the on-screen keyboard?
In the vertical mode, it's a little tricky, but as several reviewers have reported we think we'll probably get used to it. In the horizontal mode -- which appears to be available only in Safari -- it's way easier to use. We'd say it's actually a pleasure.
Can you download and save images in Safari?
No, it doesn't appear so.
Can you play music through the built-in speaker?
Yes, and it'll go pretty loud, too.
How prone to fingerprints is it?
With the exception of the Apple logo, the back and sides have a matte finish that make them impervious to fingerprints. The front is literally a pane of polished glass and it exhibits the same properties -- oils and fingerprints are basically invisible when the screen's on, but they show up when off (and in the black zones above and below the screen). The included polishing cloth is definitely going to see some use.
Does Meebo work?
Yes, it seems to!
What does the touchscreen feel like?
For lack of a better description, it simply feels like a pane of glass (as we commented above). Perfectly smooth with no give whatsoever. For anyone used to Palm or Windows Mobile touchscreen devices, this is a completely different experience. Notice that you cannot use a stylus with the iPhone, so the resolution of interactivity is lower to accommodate the fact that fingers are fatter than styli.
Does Safari remember passwords?
No. If you log into a website and leave Safari, it stays open in the background (unless you explicitly close it or restart the iPhone) and maintains your sessions, but that's the extent of it.
Does it scratch?
Yeah, probably, but nothing so far -- and we definitely haven't been babying them. Our biggest concern would be the back, not the front.
Is there a reset button?
No. The phone is reset by holding down the home and sleep / wake buttons for several seconds.
Can Chinese characters be viewed in Safari? What about Chinese character input?
Chinese works like a champ when viewing websites, but we haven't found any way to input it.
Is battery life really as good as Apple was claiming?
Stay tuned for some comprehensive battery tests, but our initial impression is that the only way to meet Apple's talk time numbers is by keeping use of the display to a bare minimum. We've had our screen on more often than not this evening and we're at about 60% battery life after perhaps two hours of cumulative use.
How are the camera and camera app?
We'll have more on this subject, but so far it seems the cam may be one of the least impressive aspects of the device. Picture quality is less than stellar, the viewfinder operates at no better than 8 or 10fps, and there are literally no options for scene, white balance, and so on.
Is it easy to use with one hand?
Sort of, yeah. Folks with smaller hands may have trouble reaching the back / cancel buttons found in the upper left hand corner of some screens, but otherwise, it's doable.
Does it do anything useful before you activate it via iTunes?
Nope. It'll let you make an emergency call (like most GSM phones) but that's all.
Does it support modem tethering via Bluetooth?
Nope! Nor by any other means, for that matter.
Can you text and email in landscape mode?
No, and we hope this is something Apple revisits in a future firmware version; the landscape keyboard is a good deal easier to use.
Does it vibrate when ringing?
It can be set to do that, yes.
What happens when someone sends you an MMS (which the iPhone doesn't support)?
Disturbingly, it seems that the answer is "nothing." The sender has no notification that the MMS wasn't received, and you have no notification that someone tried to send one to you. This can't possibly be the intended functionality.
What happens if you're downloading stuff and you receive a call?
We ran a 1MB dslreports.com speed test while simultaneously calling the phone. The call went straight to voicemail.
Can the proximity sensor be fooled?
It can be fooled into thinking it's against your ear (and therefore fooled into turning off the display) simply by holding your hand near the top of the phone, but no real surprise there. We haven't noticed any instances of the display turning on while it actually is against our ear, though.
Can you use music with the alarm clock?
It doesn't look like you can, no. Possibly downloadable ringtones, though -- we'll have to wait see.
Can you stream shared iTunes libraries to the iPhone over WiFi?
No.
What exactly can the Bluetooth support be used for?
Not much -- mono headset and that's about it. No A2DP, no tethering, no contact exchange.
Stick a non ATT sim in it and tell us what happens. What error message? Does it ask for an unlock code?
I just got my iPhone. There is no slot to insert a SIM.
Yes there is. On top of the iPhone.
The iPhone must be opened to get to the sim. See the several "dissembles" occurring on the web tonight for specifics. As long as the sim is not soldered in (as rumored), it may only take opening the phone (not easy and a warranty breaker) to change the sim.
It may be best for the Euro 3g model schedule for before the end of the year.
I see that up top.. but dont' know how to open it up. Anyone know of a tutorial?
It does have a SIM in it, check out the earlier link to the guys that took it apart. Now, someone brave should try a different SIM :)
http://stream.ifixit.com/
Uh, sure there is.
I love the concerted effort here and elsewhere to deliberately spread FUD about the iPhone...wonder who is behind it? :p
Look again. You just need a paper clip to get at the SIM.
How is the battery holding up.
comment #1 - waiting 3 hours now to activate. And still waiting.
Good job ATT.
I wanna know the steps you go through to set an image found on the web as your wallpaper. Could you guys outline that please? We've got tons of new wallpapers up at the Iconfactory, but I need to post instructions on how to use them. Thanks!
I just went to your webpage on my iPhone, surfed to the desktop pictures section, selected the iPhone looking icon on one of the desktops (Nyu), but when that popped up, I did not see a way to save the photo (i.e. "right-click") it. Sorry if it's stuck there. (only other way i can think of is save photo from PC, import through iTunes, then save as wallpaper)
On my BB Perl, it takes 2 keystrokes. HTH :-D
HOW long is boot time?
does www.meebo.com work?
I visited meebo.com using safari. Maybe I have fat fingers, but after i log in (i logged into my gtalk account), I wasn't able to click on a person's name to bring up a chat window to talk.
tried it... it works... sorta...
1. you can't double click in safari? (atleast i couldn't)
2. had to message myself from another PC, which popped up the message windows...
3. shortly after first message received an error, using EDGE network, that the connection was lost...
so final result with meebo.com over att edge: FLAKY
I was wondering how easy it is to use, as well as if you think it was worth the money. Also, do you think that i would be better to wait for another generation of iPhones, for possible improvements, or get the current generation?
Does it work with GoPhone Pick Your Plan SIMs after it has been activated?
How is the speed on it? I know the speed got faster yesterday but I also heard it could be do to increased bandwidth to account for all the new customers using the internet. So....everyone should have connected by now, so hows the speed?
I am poor and i can't afford an iphone and if you have no extra uses for one of those phones or have one layig around would u send me one. please get back to me
Maybe you should consider buying food a higher priority then? I mean how the hell are you going to afford the monthly rate?
Asshat...
I'll Sell My Body
Can you customize the order of the icons on the home screen?
Or add any more icons for shortcuts.
is the use of the phone like "smooth" unlike stuff you would see mostly in WM or Palm Os.
yes, incredibly smooth. Just like the commercials. I'm amazed. Go to the apple store and demo one. Amazing device
Can you set mp3 ringtones?
From what I can tell in iTunes and on the iPhone. Not at this time.
Will it work with the Nike+ Sport Kit?
No for the Nike Sport kit. Ipod NANO only supported. No SIM cards will work in this phone. It has a built in ATT only SIM. They knew people ould try SIM cards in the US and worldwide. NO VOIP on this phone either even if you are in a WIFI Zone.
robert, you are either
1) trying to spread FUD about the SIM
2) totally ignorant and guessing (wrongly)
which is it?
does it work with any cingular sim card or just the one it came with?
for instance, if i wanted to buy an iphone and not sign a new 2-yr contract and just put my current phone's sim card in it
No you have to register the iPhone no matter what for another 2 yr agreement even if you already have a plan with AT&T.
why can't you take video with the iphone. And is EDGE really that bad?
The AT&T 8525 operates on AT&T's 3G network and iPhones will not until the next release, whenever that will be :)~
On 3G I get up to 250k and burst up to 700k down. Too bad iPhones can't really compete in that area.
What happens when you fill the HD with files then try to check your email?
Please visit www.dslreports.com/mspeed with it and let us know (use EDGE please, not WiFi).
I am getting 152 kbit/sec over EDGE network... not too shabby!
WOW!!! 152 kbit/sec? I remember when my internet was that slow 6 years ago. I thought that cell phone carriers came out with faster speeds now. Why would Apple make it soo slow??? Isn't this phone supposed to be revolutionary? Why not add Wimax???
I got 65kbit/sec ... ouch
What do you think of the on screen keyboard in the various modes?
Does iTunes resize your photos upon transferring to the iPhone?
What exactly makes this better than a really decent cellphone?
From what I hear, it's got web connection, Bluetooth, built in keyboard, camera that can take pictures and video, and works as an MP3 player, but I've seen other cellphones that do that too.
Seriously, just give me the one feature or combination or implementation of features that actually makes this worth the hype and price that it's got. That's what I want to know.
The Cingular (now the "new" AT&T) has every single feature the iPhone has except that "pinch" crop/zoom feature. iPhone is "smart" phones like the iPod was to the Rio. Looks real fancy and will steal the spotlight from others that have been doing what MAC fanatics see as "revolutionary."
Any Windows Mobile powered phone can do anything the iPhone can do. I'd like to see how many of the iPhones start getting returned as the touch screen goes out. A big reason I don't see the prices dropping is Apples anticipation of a massive landslide of returns once the batteries and touch screens go out.
Touch screens w/no QWERTY keys = BAD IDEA!
actually, it doesn't shoot video. but, i work for the largest phone maker in the world... many of our phones do the same as that feature list you made (like the iphone). but, they're pretty crap at all of it. the user experience between all cell phones vs. iphone i think is similar to the user experience of windows 2.0 vs. today's OSX. seriously. this product is already a wake up call to the rest of the industry. however, being on the inside, i think it will take most molasses slow behemoth corporations time to catch up. i think we have again another apple vs. microsoft, but now it's apple vs. samsung/nokia/motorola.
@ Greg Acumen,
Your rudimentary, superficial comparison is like saying that roller skates are the same as a Bentley because they are both modes of transportation.
Go to an AT&T or Apple Store and test it out. I believe they have full working demoing (internet and all).
Here is a test for you. Take your cell phone or someone elses and access Endgaget.com with it. Doesn't matter what kind of phone as long as it has internet, even a smartphone. Then try to access Engadget.com from the iPhone.
Other phones can easily copy the hardware features of the iPhone and design of the iPhone, but they can't copy the 10 years of OS X technology which is far superior to anything else available.
Depsite the incorrect plement of the comments on Engadget's part, i'm getting an email reply to your comments.
Check out the iPhone website. There are many video tutorials and just basic usage information.
http://www.apple.com/iphone/
Here is a different analogy. Imagine using Internet Explorer 2.0 or 3.0 compared to any modern web browser. Despite both being web browser and can view HTML there are many things it can't do, liek Flash, Java, moden CSS and HTMl code. The rendering engine is slow.... but on the surface they can all access websites.
If you have no need for an integrated cell phone, iPod and web browser then the iPhone isn't for you, but I do recommend you try it out.
http://www.apple.com/iphone/
@nimrod:
it looks like YOU need to access the web from a real smartphone. And by that i mean any Nokia with s60v3. You'll suddenly see that you have a higher DPI than on the iPhone, that the site looks just like on the PC and that you even have a mouse cursor... did you know that?...
1) EDGE speedtests.
2) does the landscape keyboard in safari make it any easier to type than the regular keyboard?
3) might it be easier to type with the numeric pad due to larger keys? can you even type with the numeric pad at all (words wise)?
4) if you tell it your dreams, do they come true?
How many songs/videos/etc can you fit on them? I've read conflicting reports about how many different things can actually fit on there.
I was looking at a 4g model today in the apple store near me and there was a pretty decent amount of media on it. There were two full movies one TV show and a few short clips of various things. There was a decent amount of music maby a few hundred songs. And there were maby a few hundred photos. Now i think that is a lot of stuff for a 4g phone.
can you play music through the built in speaker?
Yeah, at a pretty decent volume.
How well does the camera actually work? Sample pics taken and some of the camera app would be nice!
I have a question, will ANY sim card word with it or only Cingular/ATT sim cards work with it?
I hope it hasn't been answered already.
AKBlade13
Only AT&T SIM cards work with the iPhone you could probably find a way to get another SIM card in it but it wouldn't work because the iPhone requires a special data plan you can only get from AT&T and visual voicemail wouldn't work eather. Hope this helps! :)
Does it cure AIDS and give birth to puppies like Apple would like me to believe?
Why the hell is the damn iPhone making YouTube take hours to load? It's like trying to download it off of Edge :)
I tried to activate my iphone 6 hours ago and i am still waiting for the att email. there are thousands of people who are in the same predicament as myself. in the mean time, i cant even use my old phone because it was discounted by the carrier when initiating the iphone activate. totally ridiculous
How prone to fingerprints is it?
I think Apple should let you laser engrave the back with a message like they do for the iPods...
the camera, full coverage on it, nobody else has really gone in depth on it, and the touch screen, the quality, the sensitivity and everything about it.
How do you sim unlock it? And can you get at the GPRS settings so it can use the Internet on other carriers networks?
stick a Pay as You Go SIM in there see if it works
I'm just a kid and i have absolutly no money to buy one. Today I went to the Apple Store to try one and it was SWEEEEET!
I would love one!
Is it better than a George Foreman grill?
Not a chance.
I want to know if I can please have them.
Where do you sync entourage? All the options I see are for addressbook and ical?
commenting via the iPhone! Yes!
hahaha nobodys questions have been answered yet.
Please upload an image taken with it's camera, i'd like to check the quality. Thanks!
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/27/technology/circuits/27pogue.html
scroll down a little bit and click on the image of the dog for a slideshow of iPhone pics, complete with the author's commentary
I want to know if you'll give me one? Pretty please?
Can I have one please?
btw.. i am waiting for mine to get activated as well.. i aint mad tho.
Waiting for iPhone activation 3 hours to tranfer existing ATT (Cingular) number to new iPhone. Additionally if you have an existing account labeled as a "Business" account, ATT must remove that tag to allow the iPhone activation.
1.- does www.ebuddy.com works on it?
2.- Can you send AJAX aplications to your email and download it to the phone so you can use it in offline mode?
3.- can you post a video on how smooth it is with the photo zoom in and out stuff? also coverflow and average navigation?
4.- can you post a video navigating thru comon websites, such as engadget, google, youtube, digg etc.?
5.- you can configure the e-mail for a hotmail acount right?
I was really hoping to just see about a 5-10 minute video of someone like yourselves goofing around and talking about it a little bit (Rather than apple or some really formal reporter).
So have at 'er!
What happens when you stomp on one?
1. Does Safari store your passwords? (it should, so this might be a stupid question)
2. How easy is the screen to smudge?
3. Any scratches yet? Case suggestions if it needs one.
4. Does the gmail feature include custom domain support from google apps?
5. How is reception?
6. Do you have to press down hard like old touch screens or does it work like it should?
7. Can you send me an 8 gig one and I'll send you the one I have coming in the mail to you in a few weeks when it comes in?
8. Why did you say no to number 7?
9. Assholes
1 - Not that I know of
2 - fairly easy, but not noticable when screens on.
3 - No scratches yet.
4 - I have no idea
5 - Goes up and down, though sound quality is better than my old Q
6 - Works Like a charm
7 - no
8 - because i went through hell to get it
9- I try
I'd like to see the Camera UI. I haven't seen it anywhere yet.
If you stick the Sim card from a another ATT phone into the iPhone, would you get access to all the features?
Is there a "reset" button?
Does the phone act smooth? If so can you overload it so it chokes a little? Is there a horrible "please wait" icon like in WM5?
Do you need itunes to load any other applications on it? Can you even load applications on it???
Does it get "fingerprinty" easily?
Where's my i760???
Not tested but based on the videos from this morning, you reset the phone by pressing the button up top with the home key and hold for about 8 seconds.
forgot to ask, scince it uses a capacitive sensor, can you touch the screen if it have some kind of object over it, like Plastic, fabrics, paper, another iPhone... you know
What are your impressions of the keyboard?
Annoying at first, but I can already start to tell that I will be as fast or faster than my treo.
Can you double thumb it?
Microsoft Exchange email really work on it?
Is it worth $2000?
make an app for larger key pad? or different arangement keypad? tnx or try to unlock it for use of otehr provider.
Is Outlook Web Access usable via Safari?
What's up with the ringtones? I've heard conflicting stories...Will I be able to use my own ringtones? Not ones from my music, but downloaded/ripped ones??
put a paper clip in the little hole
what's the clock speed of the iphone?
there is a sim card in the iphone according this this site you must eject it using a small pin.
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/business/20070627_POGUE_GRAPHIC.html#
Can you take the sim card out and use it with a unlocked Nokia e61 or is the sim card not meant to be removed?
My iPhone activation is taking forever! Anyone else having issues? It's been over two hours and I still can't get my iPhone activated. I called AT&T and they say that I should just keep waiting. How disappointing to have the damn phone and not be able to use it!! Argh...
p.s. Steve Jobs was at the Palo Alto Apple store when I purchased the phone. He was by the door chatting with the Apple marketting guys...seemed to be enjoying himself.