So you thought that snazzy ol’ iPhone would be a cinch to switch, did cha? *lmao* Yea, good thinking!
45 hours of no phone — and it only worked after the author had to go to the AT&T store to deal with some pimply faced moron.
The best part of all of this, is the hit that the vaunted Apple brand is taking.
- If you don’t have a phone contract, then you have a brick. Yes you read that right. If you don’t have the phone turned on, then the iPod part, the camera part, the movie part all lock up.
- 2 day average to get service – many waiting longer than that.
Here’s the stats on my [Andrew Garcia] little ordeal:
Time between purchase and activation – 45 hours
Activation wait (1st attempt) – 43 1/2 hours
Activation wait (2nd attempt) – 1/4 hour
Store clerks – 3
Phone tech support workers – 6
Hours on hold (total) – less than an hour (shocking! It was the only thing missing) - hassles of moving your number.
- AT&T – worst data service on the planet.
- Sealed Battery – same stupidity as the iPod.
- 4 or 6GB – so it’s really an iPod Nano with a phone. hmm.
- no memory slot
- no way to upgrade anypart or the phone
- not 3G – that’s why it’s on AT&T and not a real network like Sprint
- all ringtones are paid only – most likely through iTunes that is losing it’s biggest supplier of music
- seems that only apps written by Apple of AT&T are allowed.
- Beta – it’s really a beta version of a phone
- Apple not being forthcoming on their battery life tests
- no keyboard — yea it has the touch keypad, however even Jobs admits it takes time to get used to. Yea, I bet it does. On the other hand I like the larger space for veiwing. Would I ever watch a movie on it? Hell no! Why? I can afford a real TV, besides I have an iPod, don’t need a new one thank you.
- NOT business friendly.
- lacking in plugins for browsing
The last tip I received from AT&T support worked. I had to go back to the AT&T store and get a new SIM card. Activation was a snap after that.Of course, getting the SIM card was typically surreal. As I approached the salesman, I told him that AT&T’s phone support had told me to come in, and then I gave him a brief explanation. He looked at me and, in rapid succession, said:”We can’t do that.”
“I can sell you a SIM card.”
“We’re not permitted to do that.”
I know that I’m primed for an argument next month, when I presume AT&T will send me a bill for two activations and phone lines. But that’s a problem for next month’s Andrew. Today’s Andrew is too exhausted to try to even start playing with the damn thing. Well, maybe not …
No doubt the problems will be blamed on everyone but Apple. The sycophants will of course step up and get one. Apple’s iPhone is the Paris Hilton of the phone set.
Tags: apple, ipod, iphone, at&t, cell, motorola, nokia, samsung
