Any iphone experts here that wouldn't mind answering some of my questions?

Lenny · #1 06-22-2011, 09:40 PM

Hi all, well it looks like I've been assimilated. After years of resisting anything prefaced with an "i", my Blackberry died last week and I find myself the owner of a new iphone 4. I looked at all the phones my carrier had to offer and the iphone seemed to be the benchmark in mobile technology. I also have several friends that recommended it as well.

So far, I really like the phone, lots of great features, and the quality definitely seems better than my BB(Storm 2).

Except for one thing. The email. Can it really be that I can't assign different sounds and volumes to different emil accounts? I am on call for work almost all the time and I'm notified by email when a client needs to speak to me. On my BB, I programmed my work email to the loudest, most obnoxious ringtone I could find. It has to be able to wake me up at any hour. However, I don't need to know about emails going to my personal account, so I would just silence that ringer at night.

My BB would also notify me right away (so it seemed) when I received an email in either account. Each account had its own respective icon. The best the iphone seems to do is check the server for new mail every 15 minutes.

The email notification tone on the iphone is pathetic at best, and doesn't wake me up at all.

Had I known it operated this way it would have been a deal killer for me.

So, does anyone know a way around this? I've done some searching and I'm getting nowhere. I'm all for buying an app that will help me get what I want as well, but I'm not having much luck there either.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Lenny.

Bassamatic · #2 06-22-2011, 09:53 PM

The Blackberry is a really well designed device - intended for business users. As such it has a lot of features that only business users would want, such as distinctive notifications for email accounts. While the iPhone does nearly anything anyone could want, and easily, you will not find most of these business oriented features.

There MAY be some 3rd party apps that can do what you want - go through the app store.

For the instant email - It may depend on the type of account you set up - IMAP vs. POP. You may need to set them up again.

Meanwhile, you may have 30 days to return your iPhone and get another BB, which is probably a better telephone anyway.

Lenny · #3 06-22-2011, 10:00 PM

There's no return policy around these parts. Our locally owned phone company has a bit of a monopoly.

I would have went with the BB Torch, but I did a little research on it and didn't like what I read. Slow processor, crappy graphics, and I just don't get the slide out keyboard when there's a touch screen already. It seemed like a dinosaur before its time.

Oh, and to top it all off, I'm locked into a three year contract.

Thanks for the reply though.

Bassamatic · #4 06-22-2011, 10:06 PM

NO return / exchange policy? Sorry for that.

Another reason for the different features is that BB essentially uses their own network system. A BB is really very different from a "cellphone".

I think you were right about the Torch - I heard it was a dud.

Good Luck!

Lenny · #5 06-22-2011, 10:12 PM

Thanks man. I hear the iOS 5 release may have some fixes for my problem. Hope so anyway.

megadan · #6 06-22-2011, 10:36 PM

Yeah, iOS 5 may help with a few issues.

The iPhone definitely does push mail (instant notifications), it's just a matter of setting it up with the right account type (I get push mail through my yahoo account fine).

Lenny · #7 06-22-2011, 10:45 PM

If I could just assign different sounds and volumes to the different accounts I would be happy with the iPhone. Sigh.

MJ5150 · #8 06-22-2011, 11:19 PM

You will use the iPhone in the way Apple intended you to, and that includes the sounds, colors, appearance, etc. No deviations allowed unless you jailbreak.

-Mike

Lenny · #9 06-23-2011, 05:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJ5150

You will use the iPhone in the way Apple intended you to, and that includes the sounds, colors, appearance, etc. No deviations allowed unless you jailbreak.

-Mike

What a terrible, terrible joke that is. I would never in a million years thought there would be a limitation like this. My old Motorola Star-tac was able to assign different ringers to different sections of the phone ten years ago.

I just don't get it.

*** Apple?

**Eric Perry** · #10 06-23-2011, 07:00 AM

Well, as Mike said, if you jailbreak, the world is your iOyster.

fenderhutz · #11 06-23-2011, 07:10 AM

Business and Email = Blackberry

Fart Apps, Angry Birds, Social Networking, Internet = iPhone

I don't know anyone that really says the iPhone is GREAT for business use, jailbroken or not.

I have an iPhone, I don't see where it would be overly useful for a business device.

Most cell providers give you 30 days to return a device, get what works for you. On a side note Android phones are WAY more flexible than iPhones, you might want to try a Captivate or Galaxy depending on your provider.

Lenny · #12 06-23-2011, 07:17 AM

Maybe I'll try the jailbreak. Any downsides to jailbreaking? Sorry for the questions, but I'm at work and I can't do any research at the moment.

Lenny · #13 06-23-2011, 07:19 AM

Oh, and I checked with my provider, return policy is 14 days or 30 minutes talk time. I'm a around three hours talk time so I'm SOL.

fenderhutz · #14 06-23-2011, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lenny

Maybe I'll try the jailbreak. Any downsides to jailbreaking? Sorry for the questions, but I'm at work and I can't do any research at the moment.

Yes. You can't access the itunes store to buy anything. Apps, games, music, nothing.

There is another provider you can get apps from once jailbroken (Cydia) but to be honest the best experience with an iPhone is not jailbreaking it.

fenderhutz · #15 06-23-2011, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lenny

Oh, and I checked with my provider, return policy is 14 days or 30 minutes talk time. I'm a around three hours talk time so I'm SOL.

Those policies are flexible. Call and be firm, not rude. If you are in the 14 day window you should be good.

jwbassman · #16 06-23-2011, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fenderhutz

Business and Email = Blackberry

Fart Apps, Angry Birds, Social Networking, Internet = iPhone

My Father in law is a programmer / project manager for a major business banking software developer and all of them use BB, and the few guys that got the iphone at his company regret it for the very reasons that the OP is pointing out.

BB definitely has a very good business functionality.

It's funny his company was looking at ipads as some type of business solution, and they gave him one for free as a "beta tester" to get his opinion. His response to the VP was that the ipad was awesome for playing Angry Birds and was not a business tool. LOL!

Ben Mitchell · #17 06-23-2011, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fenderhutz

Yes. You can't access the itunes store to buy anything. Apps, games, music, nothing.

There is another provider you can get apps from once jailbroken (Cydia) but to be honest the best experience with an iPhone is not jailbreaking it.

I have to disagree, apple places such limits on there devices, and jailbreaking just opens up the possibilities. Yes, you can download music, games, movies, etc.. You just have to be careful not to restore or update your iphone.

fenderhutz · #18 06-23-2011, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassMaster65

I have to disagree, apple places such limits on there devices, and jailbreaking just opens up the possibilities. Yes, you can download music, games, movies, etc.. You just have to be careful not to restore or update your iphone.

Then why not just get an Android? A Captivate or Galaxy is a MUCH better built phone, very flexible, better screen, and you don't have to jailbreak it to make it do what you want.

Ben Mitchell · #19 06-23-2011, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fenderhutz

Then why not just get an Android? A Captivate or Galaxy is a MUCH better built phone, very flexible, better screen, and you don't have to jailbreak it to make it do what you want.

I do

. I have a g2. My point is just that its not that unfeasable to jailbreak an iphone. I have an ipod touch thats jailbroken, and I enjoy it much more than when it wasn't.

**Eric Perry** · #20 06-23-2011, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fenderhutz

There is another provider you can get apps from once jailbroken (Cydia) but to be honest the best experience with an iPhone is not jailbreaking it.

My iPhone is jailbroken and I disagree entirely with this statement. That sounds like a statement made by someone with no direct knoweldge of jailbreaking... or by Steve Jobbs. I would choose my phone, in its current state, over *any* other phone made today. Its tweaks have it running blazingly fast compared to stock (all useless daemons disabled, language packs deleted, etc), and the apps I have installed have improved functionality tenfold, and it is -just- as stable as it was when new and stock.

As long as the jailbreaker is not a theme whore, uses some degree of intelligence in the apps they install, and how they tweak the OS, then there really are no downsides.