Residual value?! Its a phone not a buy to leg.

To be fair, iPhones are one of the few handsets that you can sell after 18 months use and use the proceeds to heavily subsidise or completely cover the cost of an upgrade. And with the 4, so long as you have managed not to drop it, they tend to still look pretty good.

Yep, even my old iPhone 4 is still worth £110 trade-in.
Or probably slightly more on eBay.

@Graham – yes iOS6 gives the 4S the panoramic camera, I don’t use Siri (although others have told me how good it is) so cannot comment on “improvements”

iOS6 doesn’t give the 4 the panoramic camera

The new 5 is much lighter than the 4 and 4S – that together with 4G IMO means its worth having

All discussed / demoed over a curry tonight, 4 people 4, 2 * 4S and a 5 ( no one mentioned they wished they had an Android)

iOS6 doesn’t give the 4 the panoramic camera

Yeah sadly I’d discovered that myself 👿

Not enough CPU power on the 4 to support it apparently.

Hummmph.

Luckily the Microsoft PhotoSynth app works fine on the 4 and does a cracking job of stitching together panoramics on-the-fly plus it can handle vertical and horizontal stitching at the same time so it can simulate wide-angle shots:

I’m quite tempted to move to a 4S just to get BlueTooth Smart support though.

Quick question I’ve always pondered. Why do people with Samsungs/Nokias or any other type of mobile always refer to them as phones but people with iPhones always call them iPhones? E.g. I’ve lost my phone/ I’ve lost my iPhone. Not having a go at anybody (I’ve just bought the new phone from Apple!) just always wondered the reason.

Can’t say I do, unless it is relevant to the discussion in some way.

“I lost my iPhone” is an example where it is relevant as it means if you can use “Find My iPhone” to locate/lock/wipe it.

I hear most people who have one refer to it as an iPhone. It started bugging me when I’d hear BBC journalists referring to random things they had stored on there “iPhone” and wondered why they had to call it anything other than a phone (unless they’re trying to show off!)

I hear most people who have one refer to it as an iPhone.

I don’t. You must hang out with some funny types.

Wow

Does the panoramic camera software work on the 4s?

My local shop is doing free 4s upgrades today….

Just upgraded from a 3GS to a 5. Why? Well, it hasn’t actually cost me anything to upgrade – my monthly tariff has stayed the same and the resale value of my 3GS covered the price that I paid for the 5 (as my original 3gs is in good working order it will be reused not binned, so no additional waste).

Was it worth upgrading? On balance, yes. Much faster, excellent camera (which is important to me as it’s the one I use most for taking photos as it’s always with me), very light and easy to hold, feels robust, siri is excellent, slightly larger screen makes a noticable difference, and the option to use 4G in the future might be very useful and potentially free me from the cost of landline-based broadband wi-fi. Only con is the loss of google map’s streetview which I used a lot.

In the end I treat it as a combined personal computer / mobile phone / camera – all in one, which I find easy to use and easy to carry around. It is not the answer to my every desire in life(!), but it does what a smartphone should do to a very high standard. Other alternatives are obviously available, so just choose the one that you prefer – it’s no big deal 🙂

Wow

Samsung Note 2?

Nice spec but a mini-tablet size phone is waaay too big for my liking.

If I put that on my bars it would act like a spoiler! 😀

Does the panoramic camera software work on the 4s?

Yep, jambalaya said so about 3 posts before you 😀

I feel like wading into this thread now. 🙂
Especially as I’ve had an iP5 since launch… A couple of things:

Bemused by all the iphone hysteria. have you noticed how many there are for sale inthe classifieds section?

My old 4 would be one of those you’re referring to. So now you know why it’s there. At 2 years old I can get a good price for it too

Poorer plasticky build quality – a bit MEH tbh

What? Argue the toss over iOS and Android all you like, that’s nothing more than personal preference, but plasticy? Err no. When I took mine out of the box the first thing I noticed was how nicely made it was. And bizzarely how light it was. That’s just not true.

Quick question I’ve always pondered. Why do people with Samsungs/Nokias or any other type of mobile always refer to them as phones but people with iPhones always call them iPhones? E.g. I’ve lost my phone/ I’ve lost my iPhone. Not having a go at anybody (I’ve just bought the new phone from Apple!) just always wondered the reason.

I do this, but I have two phones, so I specify which phone I’ve lost, I’ve lost my iPhone/BlackBerry. I’d never say call me on my iPhone/BlackBerry, rather, I’d say call me on my own/work phone.

This is a bit like a 26er v 29er thread now ……each side just defending what their personal preference is ……..when both do pretty much the same job …… 😆

The Note2 suits me as my G4 ibooks died and Im neither a phone caller or computer user at home…more a nosey/grazer who texts.

What? Argue the toss over iOS and Android all you like, that’s nothing more than personal preference, but plasticy? Err no. When I took mine out of the box the first thing I noticed was how nicely made it was. And bizzarely how light it was. That’s just not true.

May I refer my learned friend to the comments regarding the dents. It isn’t as well made and solid feeling as the 4 IMHO more thin and lightweight like an S3. Only time will tell if it’s as durable. The ‘steel’ edge band and the glass back of the 4 make it feel like a more premium gadget – again IMHO of course.

The bottom line, is that it was always going to be a tough ask to match the wow and feature spec of the S3. They haven’t done that and they’ve cheapened the feel of it, so it’s a bit of a double fail.

Let’s see what the 5S turns out like.

I hear most people who have one refer to it as an iPhone. It started bugging me when I’d hear BBC journalists referring to random things they had stored on there “iPhone” and wondered why they had to call it anything other than a phone (unless they’re trying to show off!)

It’s quite a long way from just being a phone though isn’t it. It is basically a personal computer, so phone doesn’t really describe it well. Calling it ‘my smart phone’ would be longer/even more stupid. If there was a word almost the same as phone that covered Samsung Galaxy etc then people would probably use it.

Hora. have you seen the Note in the flesh? I saw the original one (very similar form factor) and it really is a step up in size. I’d like it to be fine for phone use as I don’t really want to have to buy a tablet but want a bigger screen than the SGS2.

Smart Phone / iPhone. Same number of syllables. How is that longer or more stupid?

Smart Phone / iPhone. Same number of syllables. How is that longer or more stupid?

+i

Obviously “phone” is shorter than either and less stupid…

Smart Phone / iPhone. Same number of syllables. How is that longer or more stupid?

Dunno about you but I reckon iPhone is quicker to say than smart phone, certainly quicker to type. And smart phone sounds daft to me. Obviously because I’m one of the ‘sheeple’.

I find it funny that people get upset over this – do you also get angry when people use the word ‘tannoy’ to mean a public address system? Or if they talk about using the hoover?

Obviously “phone” is shorter than either and less stupid…

As above though, they’ve evolved way beyond just being a phone. In fact the phone function is probably the part of mine I use the least, so just calling it a phone isn’t a good fit.

Richpenny yes – the Gingerbread put me off as I will be on a new 2yr deal I wanted the fastest current tech possible if I was going to be stuck with it for two years. I discounted the Note from my search based on this. The Note2 addresses this perfectly 😀

If I take a phone on a ride with me its the B2700. I’d never take a valuable phone.

BTW, for the record I don’t slag off people who love the Iphone. Its personal preference. If someone rams a particular product (any) down someones throat then (like anyone) I’d rebel/recoil.

On a night out? I’m passed going on a mega pub crawl, Visage night club and a punch up so I don’t have to worry about having the phone on me down the local Ale pub.

Funny, when I’ve heard BBC types mention iPhones they call them ‘my iPhone other smartphones are available’ in one breath. Loads more syllables!

Dunno about you but I reckon iPhone is quicker to say than smart phone, certainly quicker to type.

the discussion I referred to (in the thread) was about people saying the words, not writing them.

And smart phone sounds daft to me. Obviously because I’m one of the ‘sheeple’.
I find it funny that people get upset over this – do you also get angry when people use the word ‘tannoy’ to mean a public address system? Or if they talk about using the hoover?

I’m not annoyed – just pointing out your error.

>Obviously “phone” is shorter than either and less stupid…

As above though, they’ve evolved way beyond just being a phone. In fact the phone function is probably the part of mine I use the least, so just calling it a phone isn’t a good fit.
But if I was to say “I took a photo with my phone”, or “I emailed from my phone” or “I played some music on my phone”, you’d instantly know it wasn’t just a 1980’s Nokia. My computer at home is still my computer, even though it plays movies and music. I don’t refer to it as my “electronic media centre”.

26er vs 29er

These days it’s more like a 25.99er vs 26.01er 😀

If I take a phone on a ride with me its the B2700. I’d never take a valuable phone.

Take my iPhone out every time as its the only smartphone I have and it has my Endomondo and various other useful apps on it.
£25 waterproof barmounted case – sorted. (Admittedly I’m not throwing myself off anything these days, but if I did I’d probably just stick the same case in my Camelbak.

As above though, they’ve evolved way beyond just being a phone. In fact the phone function is probably the part of mine I use the least, so just calling it a phone isn’t a good fit.

This^. One of the most ingenious marketing moves made by any tech company. Attempts had been made for years to sell PDA’s to an indifferent public, only business users had taken any interest, because the various OS’s were less than user friendly, and the few apps available were mostly business orientated. Even Android was a BlackBerry clone.
Then Apple introduced a PDA with a simple to use touchscreen OS that, critically, did not require a stylus. And they called it the iPhone.
I ignored the first version, ‘cos there was no GPS, and I had the N95, which was raved about by the media.
It was crap, utter, utter rubbish, from battery life, to the OS, the camera, the phone, everything, and that was a ‘smartphone’ that cost nearly £600 SIM-free!
The 3G iPhone that replaced it was a revelation, at last a portable device that did what it was supposed to do, and do it properly.
My new iP5 is a delight to use, the camera is astonishing, the processor is so damned quick, web downloads significantly quicker than my old 4, and the phone quality is vastly improved.
And it’s compact enough to fit into my pocket and be unnoticeable.
The last thing I need is a phone I have to carry in a handbag because the bloody thing’s the size of my head.
This has nothing to do with being a ‘sheeple’, being sucked in by advertising, and everything to do with having one portable device that fulfils many functions in a compact package, and connects easily with existing machines.
The iP5 is a breathtaking example of modern compact electronics. How they manage to cram everything into that case is beyond me, especially an 8Mp camera, and a processor that’s as fast as my G4 PowerBook, with the same amount of RAM, and almost as much storage.
Astonishing.

The last thing I need is a phone I have to carry in a handbag because the bloody thing’s the size of my head.

Heh. You have a handbag 😆

I disagree with the above poster stating the original iphone was utter rubbish. For me it started the revolution of smart phones. My biggest problem with iPhones is that they have stood still and not continued to push the boundaries. When the original iphone came out i had a sony k850 and I couldn’t believe what the iphone could do.

I’ve had every single iphone since and sold my 4s around 5 months back and used an s2 for the past few months as a stop gap between 4s and 5 and honestly, it blew me away. Far better than the iphone in every way (apart from build quality), the amoled screen, correct aspect ratio 4.3″ screen which is perfect, fast, thin, light.

I ordered 2 iphone 5’s direct from apple, one for me and the other half. Both are being collected tomorrow as we’ve both found them to be a massive let down. Mine came with a mark on the bottom edge and apart from the panoramic mode on the camera, there was very little to like. Blacks were poor on the screen, new screen size made it feel thin, long and uncomfortable to hold and my biggest gripe is that the os has hardly changed in 5 years and feels dated and basic.

I use a mac and would never consider using a windows pc but I honestly cannot see myself owning another iphone unless they revamp the OS and sort out the screen size. A shame but I’m looking forward to seeing £1058 back in my bank account.

I had an N95 when the iPhone came out. It had quite a few more features afair and it was quite a bit cheaper than an iPhone. The camera was pretty good too, and I got 2-3 days from it. Still no idea why everyone slags it off as complete rubbish. Not pretty, not slick, but it worked for me and was very powerful.

Still no idea why everyone slags it off as complete rubbish.

I had the misfortune to have to put up with one of these for a year or so of a contract I couldn’t get out of. It was, without doubt, the most rubbish phone I’ve ever owned. Yes, it had better tech than those I’d had before, but it was the one I hated using the most.

Still no idea why everyone slags it off as complete rubbish. Not pretty, not slick, but it worked for me and was very powerful.

I think the general populous are more swayed by pretty and slick to be honest.

Plus it helped that they could work the iPhone, whereas the N95, while excellent for the time, was very much a geek device: all function and no form.

The N95 was the Linux of the phone world – loads of potential, but the software and physical form were woeful…. as was this

“Tank, I need an exit”

Potential schmotential.

It was rubbish.

I missed the 95 but had the N70,73,75 and the E75.

They all got better as they went. The E75 was at the time everyone was parading round with iphones.

It was great – proper keyboard, gps integrated with flickr and did facebook via web well (for it’s age) was really good until it left my bag half way down the glacier in Alp D’heuz one mega.

Went from there to a Desire.

well its made my work news letter………..

IPhone apps and maps
There has been a lot of criticism of the new maps app in the recent software update for iPhones and iPads. So I tested it on our Bloomsbury campus. There are some extraordinary results. The UCL Hospital has moved from the other side of Gower Street and now sits exactly on the site of my office. Its emergency ambulance entrance becomes a snack shop. The Bloomsbury Theatre moves across Gordon Street and takes up residence in the Bartlett Building, and the Grant Museum of Zoology crops up at the back of the Spearmint Rhino Gentlemen’s Club in Tottenham Court Road, at almost exactly the spot where a vicious assault occurs in Ian McEwan’s UCL novel, Saturday. In another somewhat surprising move, Imperial College is upgraded from South Kensington to the heart of our Economics building in Endsleigh Gardens. That is a better fate than faces King’s College London and the LSE: they both disappear without trace.

[quote]

Have you read Apple’s “apology” letter to customers?

http://www.apple.com/letter-from-tim-cook-on-maps/

Basically: “sorry it was rubbish, please use something else till we make it better” 😆

Gee thanks Tim.

What else is he meant to say then? Go on…..

What else is he meant to say then? Go on…..

Well, he could have said:

“We’ll be releasing an update shortly which allows customers to revert to Google Maps till we fix the issues”

or perhaps “We’ve reduced all the alternative Map apps on the App Store to half price (or even free)”,

or he could at least have given some good reasons why it is so crap.