Consumer Reports on iPhone as a Phone

One of the most important things to think about when considering any new cell phone purchase is how well the device in question functions as a phone. Whatever other cool features it may have going for it: Internet access, sms, music and video playback or a camera, you will probably still want to make a few calls with it now and again as well.

As a new iPhone user, I'm neither overwhelmed or underwhelmed by the iPhone's ability to make and receive calls or by its call sound quality -- I think its fine. Coming from a Blackberry, for me the iPhone pretty much sounds the same as my old phone, so I'm satisfied with it.. However, Consumer Reports takes a different view of iPhone's voice and call quality.

According to the site, the iPhone is "undistinguished at best" when it comes to call voice quality. They also highlight some other shortcomings of the iPhone as a phone including its lack of voice-activated dialing and the lack of an easy method for accessing frequently called numbers.

Maybe its me but I don't miss voice dialing and I don't find it very difficult to access frequently needed numbers. Sure, it would be great to just hold down one key to dial a saved number -- as I used to do with my Blackberry -- but the lack of that feature, or the others highlighted in the article, don't really cause me to like the device any less. What you iPhone users out there? How do you think the iPhone rates as a phone?

Thanks, Chris.