After a week of traveling, installing dozens of iPhone Apps and learning the ins and outs of sending email, writing notes and browsing the web on the iPhone, I returned it to The Apple Store for a full refund.

Before I head down for the return, I bought a Straight Talk Razor via Walmart.com and paid for Next Day shipping. I clicked to activate and Port Existing Number and after about an hour my iPhone lost the number. The automatic activation failed and I spend a very long time with a Straight Talk CSR who eventually clicked the right buttons.

I’ve gone back 12 years in technology to a polyphonic clamshell but it’s durable, practical and working on Verizon’s network for only $30/mo.

That’s right, calls to 411 are free. 1000 texts and 1000 minutes for $30 plus 30MB of data transfer. When I turned on Bluetooth my Mac synced all my contacts for me. Thanks.

The iPhone, though used to “keep in touch” limits my life experience. I’ll never have to ask for directions again. Keeping a journal in a moleskin is a lot more real than struggling to type on a touch keyboard when the return key, the M and the space bar are so close. I’m going back twelve years until Verizon stops offering phones that are missing functionality.

straight talk moto box

Costs:

My Verizon plan; 400 minutes + text + tax = $55-60/month

My iPhone AT&T plan; 900 min + iphone + text + tax = $125/month

My Verizon network Straight-Talk plan 1000 min, 1000 texts +sales tax – $32/mo.

What’s missing is the ability to post on facebook, look up info on a website and reply to emails while at work… but I think I’ll survive. Especially since I own an iPod Touch and enough folks leave their network open that it doesn’t take long in just about any urban/suburban setting to pick up a signal. Each month I am saving $100 which means before one year, I’ll save up for a new Macbook. Since I’m being an old fart, they should still call them Powerbooks. ‘Cause ‘macbook’ sounds that other word for “happy” if you know what I mean.

I bought an iPhone 3Gs and I’m returning it to the store tomorrow.

The following is my draft but I’m publishing it now since I may not have much time to finish/update this immediately.

–
I’ve returned from traveling with my iPhone for a week and decided I don’t need or want an iPhone as my cell phone. Here is a short list of some of the things I liked and some things I didn’t like about the phone.

I like:

1. Visual voicemail - no more calling in and entering a pin to hear your messages. That’s nice.
2. Simple Sync with Mac laptop.
3. Contact Links – Google a restaurant and click on their telephone number to call it. – That’s cool.
4. Contacts Data Page – click to phone, text, email, etc…
5. Nice big screen for visual involvement – movies, sharing pics, etc.

–

I didn’t like:

1. Camera on iPhone 3GS is awful.
2. Keypad – Constantly bumping the Return button. painstaking!
3. AT&T service is just too expensive.
4. Battery life on iPhone 3GS is bordering on worthless without A/C nearby. In the heat of Nevada my battery lasted an incredibly short time, while indoors with moderate use I could get several hours from it.
5. Too much process – Too many clicks to do anything.
6. Who actually needs a compass on their ‘phone’?

Here’s a list of 1/2 of the Apps on my new iPhone:

• Calendar
• YouTube Videos
• Contacts
• Camera
• Maps
• Voice Memos
• Weather
• Stocks
• Notes
• Clock
• Compass
• Calculator
• Messages
• Photos
• iTunes Store
• Streaming music apps
• Facebook access
• Twitter access
• Yahoo Messenger
• News feeds
• Dictionary
• Skype
• Games

While away from home, when a phone is my only link to the world, I was able to use many of the ‘apps’ on the iPhone.

1. Email – communicating for work and personal (on my small level)
2. Maps – The GPS and Search functions are #1 best resource on the iPhone.
3. Voice memos – for recording of inadmissible evidence.
4. Facebook – wasting my time and privacy
5. Camera – not even ‘web’ quality shots. yuck.
6. Photos – to have and to behold
7. Twitter

–
more iphone hell,

One of the limitations for me are my Verizon IN-calling friends and family.
When I switched to Cingular for the Razor, I never had a minute to roll-over because my friends were on VZW.

In order to get a safe, but still less than I use now, plan of 900 min. with ATT it will cost me just over $30 more ea. month.

Yeah, because I can stick with my 450 min plus in-calling of over 600 additional. adding the blackberry service for $29.99.

With the iphone I’m going to have to pay $105 plus 12% plus other small fees for a whopping $120/mo.

An upside is, when you’re paying $120/mo the ETF of $175 is easy to swallow, so really there is no minimum contract period.

Ok, so I made the decision to stick with VZW and I go to crackberry.com and I see the #1 application is called iBerry which….. turns your fucking blackberry into an iPhone skin/function (makes the Storm look like an iPhone) Reading down the list, like the 5th most popular one is an application that adds a “slider” to the screen so it looks like an ipod when it’s off.

How is that supposed to help? The Bberry I’m looking at is missing Wi-Fi…. but is always online with the blackberry service. Tim says you need Wi-Fi to DL/UL at internet speeds not phone data speeds.

I’m still pissed about the whole adventure. I want a data phone, but hate the crippling VZW does, yet distrust AT&T even more. What to do….

_kim

I’ve come to one of those biggest purchase decisions of my next two years kind-of-thing; I need a new phone.

My computing history: Apple User since 1985. Typing to you on my blackbook and occasionally update from my 16GB iPod Touch. Don’t go near Winblows, even though I have XP pro on this Macbook for the occasional missing wares (like iphonebrowser, ironically)

My cell phone history: Verizon customer for over a decade with only a 1-year drop when the Razor came out. I switched to Cingular for the GSM only version of the V3 Razor. More irony,  on a trip outside of the country (where they have GSM), instead of turning on international calling Cingular turned off my account altogether. Not only could I not use the phone for a month but since it was off, there were no voicemails when I returned home. I have always used a phone, not a smartphone. I have never paid for a data plan in addition to text messages.

Right now, I am still using the LG VX-8700 which is as fashionably good looking as the day I bought it, years ago.

I have looked at lots of phones. Don’t care to look at any phones, just want a new one because it’s time. This LG is getting old.

I’m a carpenter, not an office guy. My phone has been through piles of sawdust, light rain and been dropped on stone more times than countable. It’s a kick-ass telephone. Go LG. I love their products.

I would love to use an Android device but I am not trailblazing, I need a phone to make calls with all day long. I found straighttalk.com offering the ideal plan for $30/mo but I’d have to go back six years to a Razor (1 of their 3 phones). Still StraightTalk as I read, uses the Verizon CDMA Network – so try and beat that plan.. plus there are no F-ing monthly fees when you buy a prepaid card for $30 plus state tax. (Just visit Montana and buy 12) That’s TWO years for $750.

24 months Regular Phone with Texting and Fees:
StraightTalk – $768 [$30 + tax]
My Verizon plan – $1320 [$40 + $10 + tax]

24 months Data Phone with Texting and Fees:
Tour Price –  $2160 [$40 + $10 + $30]
iPhone – $2760 [$60 + $15 + $30]

It is possible to get the iPhone for only $5 more per month than the same plan on Verizon, but I switched back to Verizon because so many friends and family were IN-calling.

Should I, Stick with Verizon and get great coverage everywhere! or Move to Cingular, up my plan to more minutes to cover my IN-calling bonus?

I am a Mac User. I have few problems with my Apple products. It comes down to AT&T which I don’t have a drop of faith in their coverage and disagree with paying more for the same.

I’m interested in the Blackberry Tour or the iPhone. I’ve ruled out most of the other options like; Pre, G1, Nokia 71 and other touchscreen phones.

I like the physical keyboard. I like Verizon Network and the pricing is less per month for me due to IN-calling.

I filled out the form on Apple.com but haven’t clicked commit yet! what to do… what to do. I’ll update this soon.

_kim