Good but have your wallet ready. (Apple iPhone 3GS 32 GB)

Member Name: animaobs

Product:	Apple iPhone 3GS 32 GB
Date:	10/08/09 (48 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Range of applications, User interface

Disadvantages: Delicate, Connectivity

My job requires me to travel all over the country and sometimes abroad however I mainly spend my time in Cornwall. Access to the internet is often difficult so out of a need to do such simple things as online banking I decided to purchase the new iPhone 3GS.

Customer Service:

I purchased the iPhone at Carphone warehouse where the service was very prompt and helpful. They talked me through what I needed to do to get going and didn't try to push any 'essential' accessories onto me which has often been the case previously.

Set up:

The set up was very easy and within about 5 minutes of getting it through my front door I was surfing the internet. What was also good to see was that it came fully charged and didn't require plugging in for 'x' amount of hours before you could use it which avoided the agonising clock watching that usually happens when buying electronic gadgets. The instruction book that came with it isn't very comprehensive, but it doesn't need to be. Controls are very intuitive and any questions you have can be answered quickly because you now have internet access.

Connectivity:

In my opinion the biggest downfall is the coverage of 3G signal. It's barely anywhere in Cornwall on O2 however my friend who has a different phone on Vodafone has 3G+ just about everywhere he goes. O2 offer a slightly slower internet connection however this again is not widely available unless you are near built up areas and sadly a lot of the applications require 3G to function properly. This being said however when you do have signal, the speed of the internet is fairly rapid.
I would recommend checking the signal levels in your area before buying.

Functions:

Simply put they are excellent. You name it you can find it. From applications that tell you how much electricity your house is using to satnav and games. But beware none of this is free... for example the satnav program costs approx £50 to download, however most applications vary from 59p to £2.50.
Already installed the iPhone comes with the bare essentials plus gimmicky compass that still amazes me. Possibly the best part is I can plug it into my car and it plays all my music through my stereo, whilst simultaneously acting as a satnav and a hands free phone. On that note the voice recognition and loudspeaker mode are probably the best I have come across yet and useable up to about 50mph.

Durability:

The iPhone itself I think feels rather delicate and my suspicions were proven right about two and half hours ago when it slid off of my lap in my kitchen. The touch screen is now unresponsive, and I am thinking myself lucky for insuring it.

Summary:

I am very happy with the iPhone. It isn't perfect however the ease of use more than makes up for most of its short comings. I wouldn't recommend it for people who frequently get dirty hands, have trouble with their hands (texting requires you to be fairly nimble with your thumbs) and despite being able to zoom in, those with bad eyesight.

Summary: I would reccomend it

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