Most Buyers Like New iPhones
Despite some activation problems, customers are happy with the iPhone.
July 2, 2007 — -- The professional critics have offered their iPhone opinions, giving Apple's new cellphone mostly a thumbs up.
Now it's time for thousands of consumers to weigh in after they bought iPhones this weekend. The gadget went on sale starting Friday night at nearly 2,000 Apple and AT&T stores after six months of anticipation.
USA TODAY heard from more than 350 people who said they bought an iPhone. Based on their first weekend's experience, virtually all of them said they'd do it again.
"I'm immensely satisfied," said Scott Ritcher, 37, a graphic designer and freelance writer in Louisville. He bought the bigger and pricier of the iPhone's two versions, for $599.
Still, some consumers had a few gripes, especially about delays in getting phones activated by AT&T, the iPhone's exclusive service provider. AT&T said a small percentage of customers had problems, which it was working to resolve.
Jenny Springfield, a nursing student in Jackson, Miss., 23, said she didn't get her $599 iPhone activated until 11 a.m. Saturday after starting the process at 7 p.m. Friday night. The delay was annoying because AT&T deactivated her old cellphone immediately, leaving her without a cellphone for 16 hours.
First persons: Reviews from iPhone owners
Kentucky
• Ryan Nealis
Student, 28, in Louisville
Q: Favorite feature?
A: The photo album. "I was really, really surprised by the photos and how clear they were."
Q: Least favorite?
A: The keyboard. Hard to use because the keys are too close together.
Q: Any buyer's remorse?
A: Nealis almost returned her iPhone after considering how much she paid for it. But she changed her mind after a friend said she wouldn't regret keeping the gadget. "I started using it, and it's superior," she said.
Ohio
• Ryan Andersen
IT manager/developer, 39, in Maineville
Q: Favorite feature?
A: The touch-screen and the fluidity of the controls.
Q: Least favorite?
A: Problems syncing to the computer.
Q: Biggest surprise?
A: "That it actually existed. I was like, 'No way they got all of that into something so small.' "
Q: Feature you'd like in a future iPhone?
A: A Web browser that supports Flash.
Q: Any buyer's remorse?
A: None. "I'm ecstatic. For a first-version phone, it's amazing."
Indiana
• Phyllis Baker
Nurse, 55, living in Avon
Q: Favorite feature?
A: "The Internet connection. You're able to have it wherever you are. It's great for checking e-mail."
Q: Least favorite?
A: "I've never had a phone with a keyboard, and I need to learn how to type with more than one finger."
Q: Biggest surprise?
A: "How great the video and pictures look on the bigger screen."
Q: Any buyer's remorse?
A:"I'm loving it. Not to mention that it's cute as heck."
New York
• Jose Romualdo
High school graduate, 18, living in Yonkers
Q: Favorite feature?
A: "You can surf the Web in landscape, and it makes everything look widescreen."
Q: Least favorite?
A: "The speaker isn't loud (enough). When it's in your pocket and it rings, you really can't hear it."
Q: Biggest surprise?
A: The long battery life. "I've been surfing the Web and listening to music all day."
Q: What feature would you like in a future iPhone?
A: "Instant messaging. That would have been a great feature."
Wisconsin
• Doug Smith
Systems administrator, 25, in DeForest
Q: Biggest surprise?
A: "Movies on YouTube load just as fast as my cable modem."
Q: What feature would you like in a future iPhone?
A: "When you turn the phone on its side when you are browsing the Web, the keyboard gets a little bit bigger. ... It would be cool if you could do that with e-mail and text messaging."
Q: Any buyer's remorse?
A: "My wife sat in line with me the whole 12 hours. It's been kind of a pain to get it away from her. We should have just gotten two."
Mississippi
• Love Goel
Law school student, 21, in Jackson
Q: Favorite feature?
A: "The visual voice mail is pretty cool."
Q: Biggest surprise?
A: "Normally, these things are touted to be really amazing, and they don't end up being quite as good. But this is really exactly what they said it was going to be."
Q: Feature you'd like in a future iPhone?
A: "Increase the capacity of the memory and extend the battery life."
Q: Any buyer's remorse?
A: "Very happy with it."
Hopkins reported from San Francisco. Contributing: Julie Moran Alterio, The Journal News, White Plains, N.Y.; Tim Evans, The Indianapolis Star; Julie Goodman, The Clarion-Ledger, Jackson, Miss.; Jessie Halladay, The Courier-Journal, Louisville; Ben Jones, The Post-Crescent, Appleton, Wis.; Lori Kurtzman, The Cincinnati Enquirer.