Apple iPhone - Sending photos
I've been on the group for awhile but am not yet an iPhone owner. I'm more than a little intimidated by a phone much smarter than I am. J I'm probably going to break down and get one in the next few months. . . I'm thinking about waiting to see if 5 launches in June with the aluminum back. Anyway, I've never had a phone that also surfs the web so I'm a bit uncertain about the data package. Never having had it, I don't know how much I'll use it. One thing I know I will do, though, is send photos. However, when I look at the options "Sending photo" is in with Texting. I don't text, so I hadn't planned to do that. I thought I could send the photo through my email, but is that complicated? Is that why people send photos through text?
This area is a Verizon stronghold, and I currently have Verizon, but I was given a gift card to AT&T so that's where I was going. And it's part of my hesitation. The first two times I've been, ATT has been swamped with people because there's only one tiny ATT store with a very limited amount of merchandise. Last time I went, there wasn't anyone else waiting and the clerk was very helpful. . . except for the iPhone, which she disparaged. I was told, oh, it's a fine phone but the Android is just awesome, and this Blackberry is even better and there are all these free apps for Android and there aren't many free apps for iPhone and if I drop it I'll have to put it on homeowner's insurance because they won't insure the iPhone, etc. etc. When she asked where I would be using it, I told her about a remote section where reception is spotty and she immediately said a Verizon customer was in switching to ATT because he
couldn't get reception and that ATT would do better there. I happen to know that ATT has bought towers there from AllTel but the systems aren't compatible and even on the ATT online map there is NO coverage from ATT in that area, at least not at the moment. They're going to have to do a lot of conversion for few customers, so I really don't see them in a hurry.
It crossed my mind that she might get a larger commission from selling the other phone models.
Needless to say, I was not going to ask any specific iPhone questions of her. When it comes time to get the iPhone I'll be going to the next town over... or just forget ATT & go with the Verizon iPhone, gift card or no.
I have the 3GS & will probably upgrade when the 5 comes out. The photo album has an email option when you have a photo on screen, so I email photos from there. Was this changed in later versions?
-----> Anyway, I've never had a phone that also surfs the web so I'm a bit uncertain about the data package. Never having had it, I don't know how much I'll use it.
Start by signing up for the minimal package (you can NOT get an iPhone in the US without a data package). The carrier will tell you if you use more than your allotment. If that happens, THEN move up to the larger data package.
> One thing I know I will do, though, is send photos. However, when I look at the options "Sending photo" is in with Texting. I don't text, so I hadn't planned to do that. I thought I could send the photo through my email, but is that complicated?
1. It is extremely easy to send images via email, once you have the email account(s) set up.
2. I'm 66, I don't do Twitter or Facebook, and I though I didn't need texting. But after a while with the iPhone, I find texting is useful for some occasions, including sometimes sending images to friends.
For one thing, I (and I suspect many others) have the phone set to chime when text messages come in, but NOT when emails do. If I want someone to see the image eventually, when they get caught up on their email, no hurry, then i email it. If there is some reason to see it in more of a hurry, I message it.
> This area is a Verizon stronghold, and I currently have Verizon, but I was given a gift card to AT&T so that's where I was going. And it's part of my hesitation. The first two times I've been, ATT has been swamped with people because there's only one tiny ATT store with a very limited amount of merchandise. Last time I went, there wasn't anyone else waiting and the clerk was very helpful. . . except for the iPhone, which she disparaged. I was told, oh, it's a fine phone but the Android is just awesome, and this Blackberry is even better and there are all these free apps for Android and there aren't many free apps for iPhone and if I drop it I'll have to put it on homeowner's insurance because they won't insure the iPhone, etc. etc. When she asked where I would be using it, I told her about a remote section where reception is spotty and she immediately said a Verizon customer was in switching to ATT because he couldn't get reception and that ATT would do better there.
The sales droid was doing what sales droids do: lying to the customer to sell the product they want to sell, rather than the product the customer want to buy.
There are presently over 350,000 iPhone Apps, many, many, many free.> It crossed my mind that she might get a larger commission from selling the other phone models.
You got it!
I would Absolutely Positively NOT buy a product from that sales person, or anyone who actively lies to me.
That said, now that there is an iPhone choice between AT&T and Verizon, I would choose on the basis of coverage.
I put off buying the iPhone for 18 months in large part because I knew AT&T (the sole carrier at the time) had poor coverage in my area. When I re-checked at that time, I discovered they had been doing a great job putting up more and more towers, and my area was now covered well.
Many of the cases are interchangeable between Verizon and AT&T; also other accessories. Get the Verizon iPhone (for the coverage), and go back to the AT&T store to get accessories and cases using your gift card, making sure of course that they work on your phone before you leave.
-----Yeah. Carriers *never* mind if you upgrade to something more expensive! They make it very easy. Downgrading can be another matter.
BTW, ATT has a lower-cost voice plan for the over-65 crowd. (VZ may too, I don't know.) If you don't use a lot of minutes & don't need rollover, you might ask about it. You can always upgrade to a "regular" plan -- even
mid-month if you find that you are using a lot of voice-minutes & expect to continue that pattern.
And you don't have to buy the phone in the phone store, you can order it from Apple & have it delivered. However, as a new (not previously) ATT customer I had to pick mine up at the ATT store for some reason -- but the *nice* clerk there was very helpful in getting it activated, # ported, & so on. Best Buy is also carrying it, I think.
I had to go to ATT because the Apple store didn't know anything about the Senior Plan -- something else you may need to consider or check out if you want that too.
-----Are you sure they will notify you if you are approaching your data quota. I know they will let you know on your bill if you go over. I have never heard they will notify you before, although someone is trying to push through legislation to mandate that.
Unless you watch a lot of movies on the iPhone, or listen to Pandora everyday on the iPhone, you should not go over the minimum data plan.
I would be more concerned with cell coverage in the areas that you normally use the phone. How is the coverage right now, not what is planned for the future. If AT&T says they will be improving it in the very near future, then hold your purchase off until after that date. It does not matter how good the phone is if there is no service where you want to use it.
I would avoid that salesperson. She is selling you what is best for her, not you. They make a small commission on the iPhone. I know two AT&T store managers.
The reason you may have had to go into a store to purchase it is that they sometimes want to check ID and do a credit check if you have never been a customer.
-----I thought I had read that somewhere authoritative, but I am blessed by being "grandfathered" in to unlimited....
My wife has never gone over 200 MB; I usually do, but I've never gone over 1 GB; our housemate often streams radio as background noise at work, and often sits around 1.9 GB in a month.
They send me a text when I hit 65% usage and then another at 90%.
-----That is good to know, for those not on unlimited.
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