Apple Iphone - Chai Or Mai Chai?

[Petruchio]

I would like to have some serious opinions/viewpoints. I am relatively warm and comfortable with my 4 year old (top of the line at the time) cellphone that now needs a new battery, and with my TT&T 3GB home internet connection.

But there is a lot of talk about the Apple iPhone. I've watched their Promo video and they seem handier than pockets on a shirt, but is one worth it for me? That is a question that I guess only I can answer, but it is hard to do, never having experience with such devices.

Daily emailing and voice calling using my cellphone and PC with Yahoo Voice, getting the news (preferably from Fox News and The Washington Times newspaper) along with some on the other side, being in touch with Thais by cellphone as necessary for life here, and doing internet research (in that order of importance since I am a writer) are important to me. The ability to do things "on the go" is not all that important to me except on my long trips back to the States when laying around the airports.

Given those personal realities, do you think the Apple iPhone would be significantly better for me???

[sceadugenga]

Absolutely.

[dindong]

not

[mcgriffith]

iPhone is 3G.

No have 3G in Thailand, yet.

[britmaveric]

Yes - great phone. I put it off for a while, but I am very happy with it!

[Petruchio]

What is "3G"?

Their website says that to have internet on the go the phone has to be "tethered". Can it be "tethered" in Thailand??

Is anyone using one in Thailand? It looks like Scea and Britmaverick might be???

Petruchio

[onnut]

The iPhone 3Gs is the Dogs dangly bits, I love it and will never go back to a normal phone. You cannot get bored with them.

[Abrak]

I have had 3 iphones but here is the key point out them. While they are pretty good at everything, the thing that really makes them great is their integration with Itunes and the Ipods/Itouches. If you have an ipod or itouch buy an iphone - you will absolutely love it and rave about it as much as anyone else.

If you dont listen to music, audiobooks and podcasts - have no use for an ipod - really it isnt anything that special. If you dont even know what itunes is you wont get excited about it.

[mcgriffith]

Are the above iPhone users/posters located in Chiang Rai?

Just wondering.

Cause if you're in Bangkok/Pattaya, on True, you are on EDGE, maybe WiFi. No 3G in Thailand, except TOT CDMA service around Bangkok.

I don't know what the True mobile coverage in CR is.

Perhaps someone in CR with an iPhone can fill us in.

[Abrak]

Are the above iPhone users/posters located in Chiang Rai?

Just wondering.

Cause if you're in Bangkok/Pattaya, on True, you are on EDGE, maybe WiFi. No 3G in Thailand, except TOT CDMA service around Bangkok.

I don't know what the True mobile coverage in CR is.

Perhaps someone in CR with an iPhone can fill us in.

CDMA is from CAT not TOT and is available most places except Bangkok. It really isnt true 3G but you get about 500kbps (and I am not sure the iphone is CDMA compatible). TOT now has 3G throughout most of Bangkok at 2.1GHZ. AIS has 3G in Chiang Mai. The problem with the CAT CDMA is that it is ok for a data connection but useless for voice - I suspect the same with the TOT. Supposedly the TOT Bangkok 3G is generating 7Mbps but I dont even think they have a voice mobile license. The TOT 3G is ideal for lap tops in Bangkok.

The iphone is EDGE and GPRS compatible. (It is actually best to switch off 3G or it drains the battery looking for connections.) EDGE speeds are good enough for light surfing and checking email. EDGE is actually part of the 3G standard although it is generally called 2.75G. Essentially the iphone is a phone and if you combine it with a data package you get EDGE through AIS or DTAC. Data speeds I get are 90-175kbps - so 2-3x faster than a dial up modem. Even when you get 3G on the Iphone I dont know what you are supposed to do with it - I guess it will be better for watching youtube videos. Anyways admittedly having an iphone 3G is like having a 42 inch plasma TV that is HD compatible - it is still great for watching TV but dont hold your breath for the HD.

(P.S. Tethering is using your phone as a modem to set up a data connection for your lap top. It is a free service in Thailand (or it is part of your data package. As the data networks are slow it is of fairly limited use.)

Edited February 14, 2010 by Abrak

[mcgriffith]

Thanks for that, Abrak.

I have both AIS 3g (lite) via a flash drive modem hooked up to laptop, and a DTAC phone with EDGE, and data cable, for both laptop and mobile web use here in Chiang Mai.

Far as I know, if you buy an iPhone, and try to use in Chiang Rai, it will just be on EDGE.

Seems that at this point, an iPhone would be a waste of money. (3G has a throughput much much higher than GPRS/EDGE).

You can buy dozens of phones with EDGE capabilities (Blackberry, HTC, Samsung, Nokia N72, etc.) that are a lot cheaper than an iPhone.

Just my 25 satang.

[Abrak]

Thanks for that, Abrak.

I have both AIS 3g (lite) via a flash drive modem hooked up to laptop, and a DTAC phone with EDGE, and data cable, for both laptop and mobile web use here in Chiang Mai.

Far as I know, if you buy an iPhone, and try to use in Chiang Rai, it will just be on EDGE.

Seems that at this point, an iPhone would be a waste of money. (3G has a throughput much much higher than GPRS/EDGE).

You can buy dozens of phones with EDGE capabilities (Blackberry, HTC, Samsung, Nokia N72, etc.) that are a lot cheaper than an iPhone.

Just my 25 satang.

Now that you mention the AIS 3G in CM, I seem to remember it isnt compatible with the iphone in any case. (I suspect that if you have an AIS mobile you cant get 3G, they are using space on their 900 MHz GSM bandwidth (very few phones are 3G 900MHz compatible - they are all 900MHz GSM compatible). Basically everyone is waiting for space at 2.1GHz.)

A 3G chip is about US$8 so that is not what makes it expensive. I am sure that all mobile phone manufacturers make 3G phones which as you say can have up to 20x or more the data speed of EDGE (certainly Blackberry, HTC, Samsung and Nokia do) but there are not the networks. As a phone it is definitely expensive and people would be crazy to buy it just to use it as a phone (or even really just a phone plus mail plus internet.)

What speed are you getting on the AIS 3G? - should be pretty good, they only have 10,000 customers. The CAT CDMA is good for a toggle. Bt799 unlimited and nationwide I think but not in Bangkok. I think you should be able to roam on the TOT Bangkok 3G network with your AIS toggle at no extra cost.

The general view of True is that their data network which is 3G is patchy and unreliable. A lot of people have said they get better speeds with EDGE on DTAC or AIS. I havent tried it though.

[grrr]

You might want to hold out a few months before buying an iPhone 3GS as it's extremely likely a new model will be released in the next 4 or 5 months.

[Abrak]

The other thing to consider is a second hand iphone 2G. It is almost identical except it has no compass and the bluetooth doesnt allow you to listen to music wirelessly. It can be updated to the latest software.

[thaigold]

Strange, I live in Bangkok and have 3G - I love it!

[bsacbob]

Thanks for that, Abrak.

I have both AIS 3g (lite) via a flash drive modem hooked up to laptop, and a DTAC phone with EDGE, and data cable, for both laptop and mobile web use here in Chiang Mai.

Far as I know, if you buy an iPhone, and try to use in Chiang Rai, it will just be on EDGE.

Seems that at this point, an iPhone would be a waste of money. (3G has a throughput much much higher than GPRS/EDGE).

You can buy dozens of phones with EDGE capabilities (Blackberry, HTC, Samsung, Nokia N72, etc.) that are a lot cheaper than an iPhone.

Just my 25 satang.

I have a 3GS iphone and it is indeed the best thing since sliced bread, i am on True and pick up 3G in CM and BKK, although i have to say the reception on the fringes of town (Chiang Rai) is pretty poor. The main concern now is that if you buy the iphone outside of Thailand and jailbreak it to connect to any network in LOS, DO NOT install the latest 3.1.3 firmware update from Apple ortherwise you are screwed. Well for the moment anyway until someone on dev team hacks it.

Edited February 15, 2010 by bsacbob

[Lost in LOS]

get the 3gs..........no 3g yet but you never know. i had Motorola razors for years, always the latest models. I loved the phone but if you want to do internet stuff it is awful. My ipone is a week old and I love it. Now with the push of a button i can check emails, check gold prices, check my stocks, take photos and videos and email them with one click plus lot of other stuff including gps maps, compass etc. way to go but not cheap. will wifi with a connecton for faster speed or do everything but skype with a phone connection

[nycboy57]

The other thing to consider is a second hand iphone 2G. It is almost identical except it has no compass and the blue tooth doesn't allow you to listen to music wirelessly. It can be updated to the latest software.

Interesting to read the feedback on the iphone 3GS, as I was reading it I thought,

maybe I do not have an iphone 3Gs here in Bkk? Maybe my experience being so opposite from what I read, if I had read this first I never would have bought one and I would have missed out on the best experience i can honestly say I have had with this device.

In any case, I bought one in MBK when they first came out a few years ago the 2G I guess and had trouble day one when they had to unlock it, Since then I have

learned how to unlock it myself and jailbreak it, However the last generation model 3G I bought in Taiwan for about $900 unlocked from them, but I realized that if anything went wrong Apple would not

fix it here in Bkk. I would have to send back to Taiwan. So I sold the first one and sold the 3G from Taiwan when the 3Gs came out.

After having an iphone I could never go back to any other phone, that is just for me,

I use it for some many different functions besides just calls.

Now for one thing this 3Gs i paid about the same as the last one but I bought it from

True Move here and it is unlocked and can use with any sim anywhere in the world.

If I wanted to Jailbreak to have other functions that was easy to do but went back

to the original reset since I get most apps from I tunes App. Store and it is fine for me.

The 3Gs does get 3G speed in most Bkk areas around Chidlom, Sukhumvit, and that is my area.

I can tether it with my laptop and use it as a modem.

I can now pay Skype for unlimited calls to any phone in Thailand for 200 baht approximately

but had to be connected to skype out with wifi locations.

However with a free application called Fring, I can now use the 3G connection to call my skype out recently it has been allowed and is getting better. I has it's problems, but I get free unlimited wifi from my True move iphone plan which is 599 a month, and unlimited internet, unlimited wifi, and 300 Text messages, 75 mms, and 300 minutes of talk time.

So with the unlimited calls with skype at 200 i have cut allot of my extra phone

usage I was using on my True move plan.

I also have the ability to use my Eyetv application on the iphone to connect

through wifi to my eyetv application on the mac mini i have

and watch my prerecorded movies and tv shows and live TV shows when in wifi areas.

They now have a way to get live3G for eyetv on 3G without being in a wifi area.

There is an application for free that makes the iphone 3Gs a wireless mouse, one is Logictec and that is free. So from my couch i can control my mac mini or my Fujitsu notebook.

Everyday new applications come out for sale or free for this device.

I get push email and am always updated with my emails.

Safari is the web browser. I tell you i feel strange writing about this since I sound like an Apple salesman, I am a retired person living here for the last three years from NYC, and this is my experience. I am not a Geek or a tech person , have learned about computers through trial and error and love it.

What more can I say than I wish you well on your decision and thanks for asking the question and for the other feedback you have received.

[jaironn]

one of the best things to have an iphone and maybe a mac

is that you can have a mobile me account

this gives you the possibility to sync your tel numbers photos mail and files

so if you lose your phone you go to mobile me and all the things are there , it sync's your phone all the time so your always up to date

if your somewhere and you don't have your phone or laptop you just go to a comp type your address and there it is

even if you lose your iphone you can find it on google map delete whats in it or send a sms to your phone

this only some of the things i think is fantastic with the iphone

good luck

[chang35baht]

Yeah, it`s called back-up.

[dindong]

Hey, what's wrong with my state of the art, mobile phone.

It makes calls, it receives calls, it plays groovy music, shakes, rattles and even wakes me up in the morning.

It doesn't cost megabucks, it's got sleek curvy lines and comes in assortment of colours.

I can send texts and even get texts.

[jaironn]

Yeah, it`s called back-up.

how many ppl lose there phone and dont have a back-up

thats what is good with this phone that you have your nmbrs in your laptop and or mobileme

[Abrak]

Hey, what's wrong with my state of the art, mobile phone.

It makes calls, it receives calls, it plays groovy music, shakes, rattles and even wakes me up in the morning.

It doesn't cost megabucks, it's got sleek curvy lines and comes in assortment of colours.

I can send texts and even get texts.

There is nothing wrong with your phone....

But if you want a phone that does a whole lot more then you should consider an iphone.

But if all you want is a phone that receives and sends texts then I am sure it is perfectly adequate. To be honest I used to be happy with a car that you could wind up windows with via a handheld wind up windows device.

Any way I am sure your phone can receive and answer phone calls which is great.

To be honest my mother is happy with a phone that answers calls and wouldnt like anything else more sophisticated. She likes to keep things simple.

Edited February 16, 2010 by Abrak

[sceadugenga]

Hey, what's wrong with my state of the art, mobile phone.

It makes calls, it receives calls, it plays groovy music, shakes, rattles and even wakes me up in the morning.

It doesn't cost megabucks, it's got sleek curvy lines and comes in assortment of colours.

I can send texts and even get texts.

You have committed the great blasphemy, this strikes at the very heart of gadget geekery.

Next thing you'll be saying that you only want a computer for email and internet surfing. With maybe a little light photo editing.

Heretic.

[skippybangkok]

Was a heavy smart phone / O2 user for years........ love my iphone - best phone i have ever had. Only gripe is battery, but its manageable. Get 3GS with better battery ( which even then is still so so )

[britmaveric]

Iphone 4 is rumored to have a replaceable battery which would be well worth buying it again just for that option.

[Petruchio]

I certainly do appreciate all the good feedback on the Apple iPhone 3Gs Smartphone. Thank you all very much, and I think several more than just me have benefitted.

I am a lot more informed but still undecided.

A decision to buy seems marginal in my case in some areas, and compelling in others. I guess the learning curve and the monthly fee for the internet connection hangs me up some, living on Social Security as I do. I am too used to cheap cellphone rates I guess, but as the saying goes, "Don't buy a boat if you can't afford the dock space."

This phone is available at the True Move shop in Big C here in Chiang Rai for 30,495 ($931 USD), and the unlimited acess internet connection with 300 SMS messages and 300 minutes is 599b ($18.30) per month.

I have a question about emailing. Do you have to use MobilMe to take advantage of all the email features, or can I still use Yahoo and Yahoo Voice as I am now doing??

Petruchio

[bsacbob]

I certainly do appreciate all the good feedback on the Apple iPhone 3Gs Smartphone. Thank you all very much, and I think several more than just me have benefitted.

I am a lot more informed but still undecided.

A decision to buy seems marginal in my case in some areas, and compelling in others. I guess the learning curve and the monthly fee for the internet connection hangs me up some, living on Social Security as I do. I am too used to cheap cellphone rates I guess, but as the saying goes, "Don't buy a boat if you can't afford the dock space."

This phone is available at the True Move shop in Big C here in Chiang Rai for 30,495 ($931 USD), and the unlimited acess internet connection with 300 SMS messages and 300 minutes is 599b ($18.30) per month.

I have a question about emailing. Do you have to use MobilMe to take advantage of all the email features, or can I still use Yahoo and Yahoo Voice as I am now doing??

Petruchio

No you don't need Mobile Me (its for Mac anyway) you can use all your mail programs from the iphone and still access them as normal through a pc, if you are using a mac they just sync up as soon as you connect the iphone to the mac, along with your address book, itunes and pictures is you wish The big thing to watch out for with True, as i found to my cost, is to make sure you turn off the edge and 3G and only turn it on when you are away from a free wireless hotspot and need to check your mail or browse the internet, otherwise you will use up your bundled internet time and end up with a very large bill.

I am not sure if you are correct about the unlimited internet access, i have been with them for 4 months and although it was detailed on the web site the package was not available in CR, but maybe things have changed. But if your right rush out and buy one today !!!

[Abrak]

I certainly do appreciate all the good feedback on the Apple iPhone 3Gs Smartphone. Thank you all very much, and I think several more than just me have benefitted.

I am a lot more informed but still undecided.

A decision to buy seems marginal in my case in some areas, and compelling in others. I guess the learning curve and the monthly fee for the internet connection hangs me up some, living on Social Security as I do. I am too used to cheap cellphone rates I guess, but as the saying goes, "Don't buy a boat if you can't afford the dock space."

This phone is available at the True Move shop in Big C here in Chiang Rai for 30,495 ($931 USD), and the unlimited acess internet connection with 300 SMS messages and 300 minutes is 599b ($18.30) per month.

I have a question about emailing. Do you have to use MobilMe to take advantage of all the email features, or can I still use Yahoo and Yahoo Voice as I am now doing??

Petruchio

Please accept that being on social security and owning an iphone is a very beautiful political statement.

[iSabai]

I certainly do appreciate all the good feedback on the Apple iPhone 3Gs Smartphone. Thank you all very much, and I think several more than just me have benefitted.

I am a lot more informed but still undecided.

A decision to buy seems marginal in my case in some areas, and compelling in others. I guess the learning curve and the monthly fee for the internet connection hangs me up some, living on Social Security as I do. I am too used to cheap cellphone rates I guess, but as the saying goes, "Don't buy a boat if you can't afford the dock space."

This phone is available at the True Move shop in Big C here in Chiang Rai for 30,495 ($931 USD), and the unlimited acess internet connection with 300 SMS messages and 300 minutes is 599b ($18.30) per month.

I have a question about emailing. Do you have to use MobilMe to take advantage of all the email features, or can I still use Yahoo and Yahoo Voice as I am now doing??

Petruchio

I've been getting along fine using only wifi connections for internet, when available. And here in Phuket there are plenty of free hotspots, even where you don't expect to find them.

I considered a True plan when I bought the phone, but they didn't offer an unlimited internet package at that time. So now I'm still using the AIS sim, and wifi where I can get it. If Thailand ever gets its act together and gets up a nationwide 3G network, I'll definitely go with a monthly package.

As far as the phone itself, and what it does and all the available apps, it's brilliant!