Siri–the semi-intelligent virtual assistant feature–has been available on the iPhone since the iPhone 4S launched with iOS 5. However, Siri did not work with the iPad until the iPad 3 came out with iOS 6, and it still doesn’t work with earlier generation iPhones, iPads, or iPod Touch devices.

That’s just one example of the subversive fragmentation within iOS. While almost every iOS device is running the latest and greatest version of Apple’s mobile OS, the available features and general experience vary widely from one device to the next. The highly-touted Passbook feature works with all iPhones and iPod Touch devices, but not on the iPad. The Panoramic picture feature of the camera app works with newer iPhones and iPod Touches, but not the iPad.

I’ve only been one iPhone model behind, at the most so I would get most of the iOS features of a new update. I always felt the fragmentation issue with Android and iOS was more a developers issue and not a consumers problem.

It is weird to me that new Android phones can come with older versions of Android. When considering an Android phone I looked at the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One.  The HTC One comes with Android 4.1 whereas the Galaxy S4 with 4.2. The difference, from what I understand, is features I would enjoy. I could hold out hope that the HTC One would eventually be updated. But how long would I have to wait?

A lot of photo apps, right?

Seems like I’ve bought a ton of iPhone camera apps. But there is so much more. The latest one I have been using is called Pris. I must admit, though, I more often than not just use the normal camera app.

All of this backstory knowledge fuels my rage. When I see Google talk about how “open” the platform is, setting it up as the foil to the “closed” (and framed as “evil”) iPhone, I want to scream and rip someone’s head off. It’s not only the most extreme example of being disingenuous that I can ever recall seeing — it’s nuclear bullshit.

Good read on MG Siegler’s tumblr page. I personally haven’t used an Android phone. But I think I would get frustrated with the lack of official updates to the phone, knowing updates could and should be available. fff

It should say no Droids as well: “The first victim complied, but the second only had a Droid, according to police. The thieves apparently didn’t want a Droid – so they took cash instead.” Man, thieves are getting picky.

I’m fairly pleased with the iPhone 4S announcement the other day. It hit all the points I was looking for on a new iPhone. Granted, my points weren’t really that lofty. I hoped for, at the least:

• A screen as good as the iPhone 4 (e.g. retina display).
• The same or better camera.
• More powerful, processor-wise.
• More memory for less.

What was shown was:

• Yup, retina display. No change in screen size or resolution/
• A better 8MP camera with an aperture of 2.4 (good for low light).
• Dual-core A5 chip = faster!
• Now offering it in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB. It meets my more memory for fewer criteria.

I wasn’t expecting or waiting for an iPhone 5. It seems to fit with the pattern or releases (e.g. iPhone 3 to iPhone 3GS). And since I’m on a broken-down iPhone 3GS anything would be much better. Now, what size and color should I get?

Apple can announce anything today. Just as long as it’s a new iPhone. I so desperately need a new phone. 

I’ve got problems with mine right now:

• The headphone jack is broken.
• The physical volume buttons are broken.
• The side with the volume buttons is starting t split.
• The top power button, when pressed does nothing. This means I can’t power off my iPhone

I could have gone with an iPhone 4, but I held off for two reasons. The first was to uphold a pledge to skip every other version of the iPhone. We had the First Gen, skipped the iPhone 3G, and got the iPhone 3GS. The second reason I waited was when my iPhone truly started to become unusable as a music device, it happened during that weird window where you know you need a new iPhone, so why get one. Why not wait?

I do hope the new iPhone is better than the iPhone 4, which was something I lusted after for some time. What I hope for in a new iPhone is:

• A screen as good as the iPhone 4 (e.g. retina display).
• The same or better camera.
• More powerful, processor-wise.
• More memory for less.

All that I ask above is doable, very doable. We’ll see what happens later this morning. All I know is that by the end of the month, I should have a new phone.

I really need to update my iPhone. It’s on its last legs. The volume button is broken off. The power button doesn’t work. And it started to split in two at the seams! Hopefully, there will be a new iPhone soon.

I’ve been scouting for iPhone cases and came across this. It would be interesting to carry around, wouldn’t it?

There’s been speculation that Verizon will announce the availability of the iPhone on their network this coming Tuesday. It’s great news since Verizon (supposedly) has a better network. I’ve had plenty of dropped calls on my iPhone, and plenty of bad connections to the 3G network. I’d love to go to Verizon, but I don’t think I will right away.

Why?

• iPhone 5: Verizon will likely be offering the iPhone 4. While I'm lusting after a new iPhone - I'm using a slightly crippled iPhone 3GS - the iPhone 5 should be coming out in June or July. I can wait a few more months and decide then.
• The Network: I'm not sure I can give up the ability to talk on the phone and surf the web at the same time, something you can do on a 3G network but not the CDMA network which Verzion has. Is CDMA better than EDGE, which was the network the first iPhone used? If it's the same limitations, then I'm not sure I'd want to be on it.
• Convincing Others: If I move carriers, so does the rest of the family. I think everyone would be cool getting new phones. But I don't look forward to telling our parents, "Yeah, you need to get a new phone. Why? Well, because, that's why."
• Costing More: I hear that Verizon phone plans are slightly more expensive on average than AT&T's plans. I'm not sure this is true. But I'm not willing to pay more just yet.

Come June or July a decision will need to be made whether to stick with AT&T or not. I’m sure I won’t be the only one weighing whether to go to Verizon, that is of course if Verizon does announce the iPhone this coming Tuesday.

No apparent problem with the iPhone antenna outside the US. Is it time to start blaming AT&T yet? (via Daring Fireball)

I’m a bit glad that we are skipping this year’s iPhone upgrade. Though the retnia display, camera with flash, and even faster processor would be a welcome update, I’m still not sold on the other features. FaceTime is not a big selling point, yet. I’m sure as our iPhones get a year older - next year - the new iPhone will be more appealing. Hopefully, next year there won’t be a delay in getting a new iPhone.

If you haven’t heard, Apple announced the iPad yesterday. It seems everyone who hasn’t seen or used it in person describes it as giant iPod Touch. It seems more than that, but having not seen it in person, I could be wrong in this assumption. The question is, “Will you get one?” I’m leaning towards yes. The price is high, but not as high as predicted.

I’m interested in what the iPad can do for me? 

I often use my laptop when watching television - browsing the web, checking email, playing Words with Friends, etc.  I use my iPhone before I go to bed, and when I first wake up. I can see using the iPad to replace both of these scenarios. It’s made for consuming content, whether it’s music, games, the web, or even books. It seems like a good size for a nightstand / coffee table device.

I’ve read plenty of the tech-blogs describing the cons of the iPad. Many focus on what the iPad doesn’t have, or that a netbook can do the same things. But the iPad shouldn’t be compared directly to a netbook or an iPhone. It’s supposed to be the product in the middle, a hybrid. I don’t think I’d be editing photos or doing long word processing documents on an iPad.  If I wanted to do either of those things, I’d use either the laptop or a desktop. I also don’t think I’d use the iPad as a mobile device.  But I can see bringing it to Starbucks, logging onto their WiFi to browse the net.  It’ll be easier to carry in my backpack. But if I need to do actual work at Starbucks, I’d bring my laptop.

Who knows, my mind may change when I actually see the iPad in person.  At the very least I’m excited to see what it can do.

My online reading habits lean toward technology. I read a lot of blogs and newsfeeds, keeping up with what I find interesting. One way to get me to read an article is to mention the iPhone. Lately, there seems to be a lot of hate for the iPhone. I’m not really sure why.

I Just Like It My day is often filled with music. The first music-media-capable phone I bought was the LG Chocolate. Big mistake. From what I recall of the Chocolate fiasco, syncing and playing music was awkward. The music UI was also clunky. But worst of all, the touch-sensitive controls of the phone quickly turned into a nightmare. I grew to hate this phone. It would often dial phone numbers on its own. At first, my wife thought I was crazy until her LG Chocolate started to do the same.

When the iPhone became available, I wanted one immediately, but the cost initial cost made it prohibitive. When the price dropped, I was able to get an iPhone. I haven’t looked back since. It does what I need it to do: (1) make calls, and (2) play my music. The immediately added bonuses were visual voicemail, email access, easy texting, and calendaring.

I didn’t find the initial web apps interesting or useful for that matter. I never thought about how much I would enjoy or need natively running apps until they came out. When I upgraded to the iPhone 3GS, the phone even became more useful. (I upgraded from the first generation, so we never experienced 3G speeds before.) Apps are now something I think I cannot do without.

Rejection and Upgrades

Apple receives plenty of flack for rejecting apps. High-profile rejections include Google Voice, Someecards and Ninjawords. I admit I understand the appeal of Google Voice, and I did try the GV Mobile app when it was available in the App Store. But not having a native app for Google Voice isn’t a deal breaker for me. I’m of the opinion that any added functionality to my iPhone is icing on the cake. If Apple chooses to reject an app - according to their rules - then so be it. Hey, it’s their playground. they can do what they want. Sure, I own the iPhone, and I should decide what I can put on my iPhone or not. And I do. I put on my iPhone whatever is available in the App Store.

Another problem cropping up is upgrading apps you’ve purchased. This problem is starting with the ever popular Tweetie app. I paid happily paid for Tweetie, and if I feel the features of the 2.0 version coming out are things that I would like, I will happily pay $3 to upgrade. Should it be cheaper to upgrade like regular computer software? I don’t know. Three bucks don’t seem like a lot to part with, for an application you - theoretically - use often.

It’s the Network

I don’t dislike AT&T as much as most people. I’ve had a few phone connection issues, mostly when traveling up to San Francisco. When my wife commutes home, she experiences at least two dropped calls while traveling on 280 South.

I also think the month-to-month cost of an iPhone is too high. You pay for the phone plan, plus $30 for an Unlimited Data Plan, and at least another $5 to have 200 text messages. I feel nickel-and-dimed at times with AT&T. I’m sure other cell phone carriers would charge similarly, but since AT&T is the only carrier that has the iPhone, the extra charges feel more obvious.

In The End

The iPhone is the best cell phone I’ve had, with the exception of my first cell phone. I have very fond memories of that Nokia, seeing how it saved me from being stranded several times. Even after reading all these iPhone-bashing stories, I’m still not looking to change phones or carriers. I think I just need to stay away from reading those stories - and the comments that follow the story.

I’ve had the iPhone 3GS for over a week. Here are a few thoughts on how I feel about the phone.

Background

I bought the iPhone 2G back in September 2007, just after the price drop was announced. I was on Verizon, a carrier I much enjoyed being on. But the last phone I had Verizon was an LG Chocolate, a phone that didn’t live up to expectations. I was hoping it would turn out to be a good music playing phone because I was tired of lugging my iPod and phone around in my pocket. All it ended up being was a frustrating piece of equipment.

I figured a smartphone would be a good choice, but Blackberry phones seemed a bit too much.  The only other phone Verizon offered was the Motorola Q. A friend of mine had the Motorola Q. All she could say is it would crash often, even while on a call. Nice.

Now, I count myself as one of those people who are part of the halo effect. I received an iPod as a gift in 2005. Later that year I bought a 12” PowerBook. After few more iPod upgrades I bought an iMac.  Why not an iPhone?Initially I balked at the price.  It was way too much for a phone.  But when it dropped a couple of hundred dollars, well, I got the go ahead to get it.

My Thoughts on the iPhone 3GS

I was able to use the phone out of the box as it was fully charged.  Compared to the 2G, the phone feels smaller and lighter. The infamous oleophobic polymer screen adds to the experience.  Your finger seems to glide across the screen.

The recent OS upgrade to 3.0 has made the phone even better.  I don’t think I’ve ever owned a phone where the upgrades have made the phone more useful.  Sure, some of the features were available on other phones long ago (e.g. voice commands), but they are now on the iPhone and they are even more useful.  For example, the voice commands can control the music player.

It’s nice to have GPS, and coupled with the compass and Google Maps, for me it’s a killer combination.  I was able to use this in San Francisco this past weekend.  It helped me navigate around the city when I was unsure how to get to several places.  I can’t wait for easier turn-by-turn, such as that to be offered by TomTom.

Video on the iPhone 3GS is fair, better in bright light then in dim.  But it’s pretty neat when you can edit video on the phone and upload it right to YouTube.  They should add direct upload to other services, such as Flickr.

Battery life is good.  I average about a day-and-a-half.  The battery meter is now includes a percentage measurement.  I use the iPhone mostly like this:

• 40% iPod
• 30% web surfing (including accessing apps such as Facebook, Yelp, etc.)
• 20% checking and reading email
• 5% taking photos or video
• 5% GPS and maps

My only negatives about the iPhone is with AT&T.  Do I regret the move to AT&T? No, not really.  Coverage is decent where I am at.  Oh, yeah, a few calls are dropped in some areas, but for the most part it’s good.  The only complaint I have about AT&T is the apparent charge for everything under the sun (e.g. text messages, data plan). But it’s part of the package, so it’s part of the pain to put up with.  The data plan for 3G and 3GS is $30. If you want 200 text messages it’s another $5.

Overall, I am happy to still be using an iPhone.

(Considering an iPhone?  You may want to read the Techcrunch article The iPhone 3GS: Should You Get It? It’s a good read.)

I just reserved our iPhone 3G S for pickup at an Apple Store next Friday. Reserving and buying are two different things, but I’m thinking we’ll end up gettting it. We still have the original 2G version, so our upgrade pricing wasn’t bad. I’ll be happy with the hopefully improved camera and expected bump in overall speed.

My iPhone Contacts Disappeared!: While I was out and about today, my iPhone contacts disappeared. I noticed this when I received a text message from someone on my contact list, which showed their phone number instead of their name. I’m guessing my over-the-air sync with Mobile Me was the cause since I have seen this sync problem before but only with my iMac and dot Mac. But when I got online, my Mobile Me account and my iMac contacts were fine. At this point I don’t know what happened. It sucks to lose your contacts for no apparent reason when you’re out on errands. I wonder if this has happened to anyone else?

It’s a fact that when it comes to hi-tech toys you will eventually be behind the curve. Sometimes it can take a year to fall behind. Other times it can be weeks.

I was reminded of this when I read Gizmodo this morning. I found out a new version of Drobo came out. I only bought mine three weeks ago. Should I send back the old one (if I can) and get the new improved one? Actually it would be too much of a pain to do so. I would need to offload the tons of data I already stored on the hard drives, then box up the unit, go to UPS and pay the shipping. I would then be without a unit for some time.

It’s like when I bought the iPhone, or the iMac, or the Powerbook - I knew something better was going to come along. But you can’t wait on your purchase. If you need that hi-tech device, buy it after doing the research. It just needs to do what you want it to do. Waiting isn’t going to stop a newer and better version from coming out after your purchase. Just do it.

Other notable behind the curve moments for me:

• iPhone - Purchased September 2007. New version July 2008
• 24" White iMac - Purchased late 2006. New aluminum version mid-2007
• 12"  PowerBook G4 - Purchased October 2005.  New Intel MacBook Pros release February 2006.

All I can say is keep up with the read the reviews and keep up with the news before buying.

The reasons haven’t changed why I bought the Drobo in the first place. I was tired of buying external hard drives and wanted a simple and secure solution that Drobo offers. So what if it’s only USB 2.0. I did my research and knew this fact going in.

Are you going to get the iPhone 2.0?

I have been asked that several times the past few days.  As Friday fast approaches the answer is still the same, no I won’t be upgrading.

My three reasons why I won’t be upgrading:

1. I don't want to pay AT&T the $18 for the privilege of changing phones.
2. The fact that the data plan cost slightly more, though understandably with the 3G speed and GPS included.
3. The fact that you have to pay so much extra for text messages, which I have been doing more of since getting the iPhone.

The iPhone App Store will still work with my current iPhone when it goes online.  The only applications I won’t be able to take advantage of - that I can foresee - are those using GPS.  I haven’t really played with GPS enough to say I need it.  Goggle Maps have worked very well for my current purposes.

A year from now when my AT&T plan is up I will consider whatever version of the iPhone is available.  I think I’ll consider upgrading then.

If you haven’t heard, I have dumped my problematic LG-VX8500 (aka The Chocolate) and moved onto an iPhone. The recent price cut, coupled with the frustration with my possessed Chocolate auto dialing, helped make my decision easier.

So what do I think of the iPhone?

What I Like:

My primary concern was that the phone, as well as the AT & T service, would provide a horrible experience. Up to this point, phone use has been a pleasant experience. Call quality is good both on a headset and the iPhone directly. I haven’t had a dropped call or weak signal throughout my routine travel and use.

I love that my contacts and calendar are managed from my iMac. The interface to the iPhone address book makes looking for and dialing a phone number an enjoyable experience - except when you need to do it quickly (see below). Syncing is a breeze for these two applications. I love being able to make edits to a contact or calendar entry and having complete faith it will sync properly. No issues as of yet.

The Mail application is also very well done. I am able to access an account I set up specifically for the iPhone - a Yahoo! account since it does push mail - with ease. I filter/forward emails to that single account to retrieve while mobile. No issue accessing over WiFi or on The Edge Network.

The iPod part of the phone is great. Listening to music and viewing videos has been a joy with this device. The memory space is just enough to fit plenty of music and videos to last a weekend trip.

What I Don’t Like:

The major complaint I have is the inability to make a call quickly - e.g. single touch dialing. It takes a minimum of three contacts (e.g. press, slide, touch) if you have your iPhone setup correctly to make a quick call. But I rarely need to make a quick call.

I’m not missing voice dialing (I didn’t use it much), GPS (never had it), or a 3G Network (never used it). Larger memory than 8 GB would be nice, but it’s not a deal breaker. Plus, from what I have read, 8 GB is the largest memory available for any smartphone.

Good phone, and a great iPod! It was worth the (lower) price of the iPhone.

I covet both the newly announced iPod Touch and the iPhone. The iPhone price went down $200. It is still pricey, but it does look sweet. If I were lucky enough to get only one which would I choose?

Last week I threw aside my LG VX8500 as it started developing an annoying habit of auto dialing the last call in my call log. I went back to my previous phone which I happened to keep just in case.

My iPod is a third generation model which only lasts 1 1/2 hours on a fully charged battery works if I keep it plugged in. Poor little me, right?

I’m leaning toward wanting an iPod Touch more because I’m not sure I’m still sold on a music player slash phone. But still it would be nice to have an all-in-one device.

[Update: Thanks to Bert for sending me this commentary by Gina Hughs on Yahoo! Tech. More information to consider.]

[Update: Steve Job’s writes an open letter to early iPhone users offering them a $100 credit at an Apple Store. Very classy move to quell the anger of early adopters.]