So I bought an IPhone

[tommcgee]

Now you tell me?!?!

It's still pricey, but more palatable. Sprint has the best deal. at&t was tolerable last year, dunno about Verizon. Lots of places have wifi, like McD's and Timmys.

[clowry]

If you want to keep track of your mileage, gas expensesetc, get Gas Cubby. I use sponsored mode for free - the ads don't bother me.

[bmwgsrider]

Yeah, I bought an IPhone. It replaces a Casio that worked real well but I thought it would be convenient to have internet on the go. It seems to have some neat features like the compass and as an old map and compass guy, I kinda like that.
If you have one, like it and have some tips, apps, or anything else that might help in the IPhone operation....let's hear it. OM

if you don't have one and hate all this kind of thing, it's OK if you skip this.

Awesome! You're becoming more tech savvy....

[bmwgsrider]

So far, the first glitch was incomplete activation....been around long enough to know to try and make a call before leaving the store parking lot. Second is e-mail won't work. I suspect it's a port issue so it's back to the store....

I'll be glad to help with the e-mail problem. I can help walk you through on setting it up... let me know... feel free to e-mail me.

[moot]

Pretty good camera and you can photo stream to your computer. I use mine to listen to music (over 3,000 songs on my iTunes library) via BT to my helmet. Maps, weather, Pandora Radio, and on and on. I do use the compass but the "Height Finder" altimeter is kind of fun -- cool to know your elevation. The flashlight works well also.

I always have a book going on my iPad and it syncs to the phone so if I go to iBooks on either devices they are on the same page. I also have a couple of news apps that I check every morning. Siri is also pretty cool, but in my experience is more of a toy than a hugely usable feature. BTW, I have 3 different e-mail accounts all going to the iPhone and it works great if you get the bugs worked out. Good Luck.

[markaz]

We're thinking about going to smart phones soon, probably iPhones. Just curious how much data you guys use per month, esp. using Pandora & other streaming services.

Also looking at Android phones...the new Samsung looks good. Anyone out there use Androids?

[tommcgee]

Also looking at Android phones...the new Samsung looks good. Anyone out there use Androids?

I want to like Android, but so far I don't, bought and returned three different devices over the past couple of years. Data? I don't do streaming so that won't help.

[okiegman]

I love mine and not quite certain how I worked or lived without it. My Garmin 478 has taken a back seat to my iPhone 4s, with Siri and Starcom I can ask for directions, google, etc. with the touch of 1 button.

Get a good case like an Otterbox and a Ram mount and you can be entertained and given directions from 1 device plus have a book to read when you get there.

[Jogitu]

I use mine all the time but it is great on trips. I book rooms through the Kayak app, decide where I am going next using accuweather, weather bug, weather channel, Wundermap and in Canada Weathereye. 5 weather apps you say? Once you start using them you will see how different they can be and you develop your own tea leave system based on the various forecasts and radar maps. I also use trip advisor, yelp, map app, google, podcaster, dermandar panoramic photo app, Facebook to post where I am and photos along the way and finally my banks app. I booked every room on my 2 week trip to Nova Scotia using the iPhone and on my 10 trip to Quebec. I forgot, the Starbucks app is great as well and you can pay using the app. I look for those coffee shops on cold days.

[IDisposable]

Also looking at Android phones...the new Samsung looks good. Anyone out there use Androids?

Love my Samsung S4G, and I bought an HTC Flyer 7" tablet to use as my GPS et al on the bike. On some of them, you'll want to upgrade the ROMs. I'm using ICS on both... nice.

[cowboyatheart]

I have the new iPhone and the new iPad. My advice for everyone is to buy, Oh this won't work in the states because your iPhones are only sold through cell phone companies. I was going to say, and you can do this in Canada directly from Apple, buy iPhones outright and unlocked that way you can change SIM cards every time you go to a different country, and that way you pay local rates local roaming local data local text.

Unlocked iPhones rule. When my wife and I went to Germany we just bought a German Sim card and could use the iPhone there as if we lived there.

[Omega Man]

Well it seems that the IPhone is being used by most of you for things that I hadn't even considered. I was about 50/50 IPhones vs Android and I guess the deciding factor was that the IPhone would give me some experience with Apple products.
It seems that the IPhone is doing things as a matter of course that I have to do manually with Windoz.

BTW Siri snores.....

[tommcgee]

5 weather apps you say? Once you start using them you will see how different they can be and you develop your own tea leave system based on the various forecasts and radar maps.

I just counted 17 WX apps on the iPad. I've been sending WX data from my backyard station to the Internet and APRS ham radio net since the early 90's. It was transmitted on 2 meters for a number of years until dial up modems went away and a full time connection was available.

The pc that was running the WX server failed last Nov and I elected to not replace it, so I'm waiting until Rainwise updates their WX app to send data to wunderground again. It's only going as far as Rainwise.net for now.

http://www.rainwise.net/weather/tom02184

[cowboyatheart]

Well it seems that the IPhone is being used by most of you for things that I hadn't even considered. I was about 50/50 IPhones vs Android and I guess the deciding factor was that the IPhone would give me some experience with Apple products.
It seems that the IPhone is doing things as a matter of course that I have to do manually with Windoz.

BTW Siri snores.....

And Siri also sucks battery life. So if you want to have longer battery life turn Siri off.

[moot]

And Siri also sucks battery life. So if you want to have longer battery life turn Siri off.

I don't worry too much about battery life. The iPhone sits in easy reach on a Ram Mount with Powerlet Power charging it the entire ride. For years I lifted my face shield and licked my gloved index finger to activate the screen. A few months ago I found a small stylus shaped like a guitar pick at Radio Shack and Velcroed it to the Ram Mount. I now grab it and use it on the screen.