Is the iPhone reliable enough to depend on?
My #1 overwhelming requirement for a cell phone is that I can count on it to make & receive calls anywhere there is cell coverage. I don't care if the phone can browse the Internet, is the best iPod on the planet, & can even shine my shoes -- if it can't perform the basic phone function reliably, it is not suitable for my needs, period.
This isn't a question of AT&T vs. the other carriers -- in my area I have determined that AT&T & Sprint (my current provider) each have about the same overall coverage. I am aware of the differences in 3G coverage but that doesn't matter.
My concern is that the iPhone:
a) May not be among the best in weak signal areas, possibly because of the internal antenna, the inclusion of so much other circuitry, or whatever.
b) May lock up or otherwise misbehave because of corruption of the software, the general complexity of the device, etc. -- especially anything that requires a computer to fix, runs down the battery, or makes it impossible to use the touch screen to place calls.
c) Has an non-user-relaceable battery so I can't use a spare as a backup or replacement should the provided one run down or lose recharge capacity from (for example) accidentally leaving the phone in a freezing or overheated car.
My current phone is ancient (almost 4 years old!) & has essentially no cool features -- not even a camera -- but it has never locked up & has survived all the abuse I have given it, including a tumble down a flight of metal stairs.
With all this in mind, how would you rate the iPhone? Another way to put the question: if your life or that of your loved ones depended on reliable phone communications, would you pick the iPhone or some other cell phone?
This isn't a question of AT&T vs. the other carriers -- in my area I have determined that AT&T & Sprint (my current provider) each have about the same overall coverage. I am aware of the differences in 3G coverage but that doesn't matter.
My concern is that the iPhone:
a) May not be among the best in weak signal areas, possibly because of the internal antenna, the inclusion of so much other circuitry, or whatever.
b) May lock up or otherwise misbehave because of corruption of the software, the general complexity of the device, etc. -- especially anything that requires a computer to fix, runs down the battery, or makes it impossible to use the touch screen to place calls.
c) Has an non-user-relaceable battery so I can't use a spare as a backup or replacement should the provided one run down or lose recharge capacity from (for example) accidentally leaving the phone in a freezing or overheated car.
My current phone is ancient (almost 4 years old!) & has essentially no cool features -- not even a camera -- but it has never locked up & has survived all the abuse I have given it, including a tumble down a flight of metal stairs.
With all this in mind, how would you rate the iPhone? Another way to put the question: if your life or that of your loved ones depended on reliable phone communications, would you pick the iPhone or some other cell phone?
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