iphone doesn't work with gloves on

Its the nature of the touch screen. It doesn't use pressure like other PDA's. It uses an special layer of electrically sensitive material that can sense the bioelectricity in your fingertips. ANY barrier on the skin thick enough will prevent use.

I'd imagine that your Chicago winter gloves fall in the "thick" catagory.

The iPhone uses a capacitive touch screen, instead of a pressure sensitive one like many other consumer devices. A capacitive type puts an electrical field across the screen, and if another conductive object (say your finger) comes close enough to draw off a charge, it notes where that happens.

Basically, yes Luke, it's a disturbance in the Force 🙂

The upside is: the touch feeling is more luxurious because you can use a very light stroke. The downsides are: no using most stylii (a specially tethered one can work), gloves, long fingernails or sometimes even calloused fingers.

Could also very well be one reason why the iPhone was rushed to market... during good weather!

Or Zombies... the iPhone won't work for Zombies either. 🙂

There's a company that just came out with a stylus made to fake a finger,

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/iphone/pogo-stylus-tickles-your-iphone-with-more-prec ision-328847.php

so that's one option. Also, in cold weather, you might want to have either the headphones that came with the iPhone OR the adaptor that you squeeze the button to answer. You won't be able to use ALL the fuctions, but you should be able to answer and hang up the phone.

I used UnderArmour gloves on my iphone without problems. They're the same ones you use for jogging in cold weather. There are tiny rubber U and A's on the palm of the glove. If you swipe with the rubbery part it works without problems.

In a pinch, you can use your nose.

Honestly though.
When I wear gloves, I make a point not to use my iphone to make or recieve calls without the headset. They are slim enough to fit under a beanie without issues or pressure.
Beyond that, if I am not planning to use the phone and a call comes in while im outside in gloves, I simply raise the phone to my nose and swipe.

Sounds wierd, but very effective.

I just take off my gloves whenever I use my phone...no biggie! I have always done that even before the iPhone. When I had my Treo...or any other phone for that matter, I couldn't use the keyboard or keypad with gloves on either. No problems here....glove on, glove off....voila! 😉

Yup, used my nose today. -10C is just a bit nippy without gloves.

When i have my iphone in the car, i wear my Bmw M driving gloves and the screen works.

Has anyone tried Marmot's iGlove with the iPhone?

http://f06.marmot.com/products/product.php?cat=glove&subcat=20&style_id=I1641

There's the iGlove Multi and iGlove Liner - but the pictures look the same, so I'm not sure what the difference is.

http://www.tenonedesign.com/stylus.php

Just found this today. Looks interesting.

I hope this helps. When I bought my phone they told me it is not a touch screen it is heat screen. Therefor it recognizes the heat in your fingertips not the simple tap of something like a stylus. Try using the back flat part of ur fingernail and you will see it doesn't respond. Hope this helps you out.

The screen is not a heat screen at all, it is a capacitive screen. If it was heat related screen there would be real problems in the winter time when the delta between skin temp and phone temp was so great.

http://www.apple.com/iphone/features/index.html#technology

see thats what i thought before i bought it and by looking at what u linked also. but they told me different so i thought they were right. my bad....

How about get a cheap pair of fleece gloves and cut a flap on the finger you use the most. You could attach a tiny piece of velcro on each side to close the finger when your'e not needing to use your phone. I want 3% if someone can take this idea and actually make something with it. I'll try finding a dollar pair of gloves and experiment tomorrow.