iCaved

Finally--I don't know how I held out so long.  Life is different now, and it's kind of scary how connected I am with a smart phone.

I really resisted the idea of paying more for cell service but being able to keep an eye on work and get the interwebs while mobile is too much of an advantage.  It also helps that AT&T offers discounts for a lot of employers and extends them to employees.

The performance of the phone (OS) is amazing.  I went from a six year old Motorola Razor with a clunky and slow interface to this phone and I still can't get over it!


Ordering Process

AT&T did a horrible job keeping me updated on the shipping progress.  I didn't have a tracking number until the day after the phone arrived!

The iPhone, in it's factory Apple box, was shipped in a cardboard box via FedEx with no packing.  The phone slid around freely from TX to CO.


AT&T Customer Service

The CS department at AT&T is hit or miss.  Before I bought the phones and agreed to the contract, I called to make sure CS was in the US--it was!  I also spent some time talking to a representative and asked her questions to which I already knew the answer.  All went well.

After the phone arrived I had issues getting my number ported and spoke to someone who probably needs more training.  Bad info and he didn't understand how to transfer me to the porting department.  Second call, I got a great rep and got everything straightened out.


Antenna Controversy

Apple no long ships iPhone 4s with bumpers and no longer reimburses customers for bumpers they buy out-of-pocket--the program expired September 30th.  This lead to me wonder if the antenna issues are resolved or if the bad press has died down enough to where Apple is no longer sensitive about the issue.

I've experienced zero dropped calls.  G3 performance is good in all areas of the city I've been.  Wireless is amazing.  This could be another post, but I wonder if the wireless setup hasn't cost AT&T some money now that they are restricting data plans and charged for overages?


Docking Compatibility

This one still has me scratching my head and the folks at the Apple Store can't quite explain it.  My iPods can all share the same chargers and all work great in my universal dock.  The iPhone will not charge in the u-dock and will not charge on an older firewire charger I have.  Apparently Apple has modified the configuration of the 30 pin connector.

The biggest issue is that I have with this is a head unit interface in my car that allows me to charge and access the iPod through the stereo.  While I can still play music with the iPhone, the phone won't charge.

Scosche makes an adapter that is on the way.  Hopefully this resolve the charging issue for the car.  Otherwise I'll have to buy an annoying accessory charger for the phone and then won't be able to play music through the stereo while charging.