I'll soon be able to upgrade my Nokia N95 8gb and have already started receiving those calls from Vodafone. All I keep hearing about is the iPhone. It seems to me that those who have got these love them. So this evening I've been trying to educate myself about these little wonders.

So far, from the website I have found that they are a three in one phone (bit of a no brainer really!). But then, my phone has the same functions such as music player, internet etc. So, what seems to be what is making everyone I know rave about them are these things called 'apps'.

So, my questions for those who have these are...

What exactly are apps?

Apart from normal phone, text and internet stuff, how do you use your iPhone?

What apps do you have/use?

Are they actually useful or more of a gimmick?

Thanks and Merry Christmas one and all.

Apart from Phone, text and internet.

It's a superb email client for my personal Sky account and works MS Exchange server.

Used it for the first time with Google Mapsthe other day when my Tom Tom couldn't find a street, I wasn't too far away but Tom Tom was very confused.

iPod in the car.

And that's it! I'm sure there will be lots of people telling you that cheaper stuff will work just as well but I went from N95 to E71 to iPhone and the iPhone is the best by far.

I'd stick with Nokia personally. I have an N86. Think of it like an N95, but quicker, better screen (OLED), fm transmitter, awesome 8megapixel camera, better build quality, better slider build, metal construction, hardened glass screen. It's one of the best models out there but got very little publicity.

If you're into Nokias it's a a good handset.

As for iphones, I can't understand the hype. Everytime you criticise an iphone about a hundred Starbucks coffee drinking, emo, ever-so-fashionable iPhone owners claim you're just jealous you don't own one. I've owned both and much prefer the N86.

Having said that it's not like they're a bad peice of kit.

Edited 22 December, 200916 yr by allclownsareevi

Aside from phone and web, I use it for email (gmail and corporate exchange) and surprisingly frequently as an ssh client. I can't be bothered faffing about with other apps.

IF you do buy 1 , dont use it as a slinky , apparently they are rubbish on stairs........

Edited 22 December, 200916 yr by pete8tch

If you get one, bejeweled 2 game is a MUST !!!

I cant get off it and I've had it for months now !

The main thing I use mine for is the internet and when it has a 3G/wifi connection its pretty fast I highly recommend the iphone and I can't see myself with any other phone for quite some time

IF you do buy 1 , dont use it as a slinky , apparently they are rubbish on stairs........

Cheers Mate :'(

FYI the 3GS is more robust apparently and i now have a shock proof cover on it.

I use my iPhone for all sorts, Phone, Text, Email, Watch video's/Play games when sat where i can't use my laptop, iPod, Satnav when in works car's, Cookbook (jamie olivers recipe app) Checking News, Mobile RR using Dynolicious & Car Track, Handheld GPS using MotionX GPS

It is by far the best Phone i have owned

Carl

Had my iPhone since July last year and wouldn't have any other phone now. Use it to sync with Outlook on my pc so always have my diary and contacts with me, email for my other job, Don't use many apps although I do use Google Earth for planning meetings and Motion X as hand held GPS.

One of the best things for me is the texting on it - I have a problem with using small keys and always hate havinfg to press keys more than once to get a letter - iPhone has a QWERTY keyboard for text and in landscape mode is very easy to use. Phone keyboard is also nice and big as is the calculator (and it turns into a scientific calculator if held sideways)

Having the phone, email, contacts, diary, internet and iPod all on one device that just works is brilliant.

I mostly use mine for emails/texts/calls. But I often use the maps.

The apps I use a lot are:-

currency exchange

facebook (sadly...)

translator

world clock

notepad

ebay

Weather reports

Play chess on it now and agin

use it as an ipod in the car

record fuel I put in my car to work out mpg and pence per mile

gos tracker

It's a good piece of kit, the camera is rubbish but I think it's a lot better on the S model, mine is just a 3G.

Oh and what ever you do, DON'T GET A WHITE ONE. I often see people with them and they look really silly. IMHO....

Are they actually useful or more of a gimmick?

Don't know, don't have one but the money I've not spent on an iphone means I can take my wife to Rome to celebrate our 10th "anniversary" and that is actually useful. And even without an iphone, I'll still be able to use wifi, mapping, GPS, italian phrase book, currency convertor (not that you need one), facebook and even the weather report on my phone.

IMO, great bit of kit

Confused though how a mobile phone gadget thing causes such nark with some people.

Edited 23 December, 200916 yr by Lance

Been Nokia for over 10 years, and came to the iPhone after a couple years with an N95 8GB. Not unhappy with the change. Much better than the Nokia for what I use it for. Always found the N95's browser lacking. Only thing I miss is proper bluetooth OBEX transfer. Apart from that and a slightly worse battery life it's much more 'useful' and quicker to use than the 95 was to me.

Biggest change I can note is that I have not used my desktop email client since I got the iPhone. Emails are now 99.99% a phone thing and nothing to do with my computer. Along with Twitter (which I never got until it was in my phone) it's a rather liberating experience. Kind of like when you first ever got used to having a mobile phone and being contactable all the time. Except now it's reliable (and usable) email all the time.

It's overpriced, a little feature-crippled and a bit flashy. But still probably the best phone I've owned.

Most of the main worthwhile apps are, and always have been, around on other platforms like Windows mobile and Nokia's Symbian for some time. Facevook, twitter, chess, suduko etc etc is around and easy to find for FREE.

If you find the std Nokia browser too slow, try Opera Mobile 10. Faster than an Iphone on my N96 in the same location using wifi