The iPhone Is Perfect for the Smartphone Newbie

If you haven’t purchase a Smartphone yet you will want to take a look at what I have to say. I too was a Smartphone newbie just a little while ago and this is my story of why I finally upgraded and purchased the iPhone 4.

You haven’t taken the plunge and bought a Smartphone for one reason or another. They are too expensive, you have to buy a data plan, too hard to learn and on and on. I was one of those holding out with my 5-year old LG phone. It was fine for what I used it for, calling (not that much either), texting, and occasionally taking pictures and sending them via email or text.

But, for me, as a full-time blogger, I couldn’t hold out any longer. I needed a way to keep up with my readers and email in real-time and I also wanted to be able to post pictures and videos as I took them on Facebook or YouTube. When I finally gave in I did a lot of research. I spent almost a year holding out even though I have been a full-time blogger for 3 years. I use Facebook, Twitter, Whrrl, and Foursquare on my computer and yet I held out. One big reason for me was one, the price of the monthly data plan and two, the fact that I work at home most of the time so when would I use it.

During my test it came down to two phones, either the Droid or the iPhone 4. I use Verizon as my provider and the iPhone wasn’t out yet. Two of my sons have the DroidX and after using theirs I found I liked it and it seemed simple enough. When you get older it gets harder to learn new things and I didn’t want something that would be difficult and, I wear reading glasses to see small text now and those screens are tiny.

When the iPhone 4 came out I decided to go have a look at the Verizon store. I have the Apple iPad and as soon as I tested the iPhone I was hooked. It was exactly like the iPad, just smaller. If you have an iPod Touch it will be exactly the same except with phone and Web features.

The added expense isn’t something I was looking forward to paying but I was able to get a 12% monthly discount on the plan. I am not sure why. Maybe it is because we have been with them for so long. It never hurts to ask if there is a discount so ask and see. Always ask if there is a military or senior citizen discount if you are eligible too. I like the fact that the Verizon data plan gives you unlimited time and downloads. The AT&T plan is limited but I did find that now they are lower the price of the iPhone to attract new customer. In the long run the unlimited plan is better though because you will be paying less over time.

What I like about the iPhone 4 is that it is made well, feels very sturdy in my hand and is easy to fit into my pocket or inner pocket in my purse. I also like how it recognizes my touch very easily. It is actually much better than the iPad. The iPad does recognize your touch but when typing I found I make a lot of mistakes on the iPad. Maybe because of the larger keyboard, I’m not sure. I am a touch typist and I thought that would be simple, but it is not. With the iPhone 4 I just use one fingers and I fly through the keyboard with ease.

Just touch an icon to open an app (application) and you’re on your way to doing great things with your new Smartphone. If you don’t know how to use an app you can go online at the Apple App website to learn about it or just start playing around with the icons within the app. That’s how I learned. Of course, you will stumble your way through the process but we learn best by making mistakes.

There are certain features I love about the iPhone that made it easy for me to transition. The alarm feature is really neat. Just set it and pick a sound and it will come to life like an alarm clock to remind you of that important date or time. We were in a crowded show when I learned about that feature and I set it to remind us to meetup with a vendor. I had forgotten about the appointment and at the right time it came to life.

The camera and video features are great too. It may have replaced my regular digital camera because now I don’t have to take two things with me. The iPhone 4 has an 5 megapixel camera so it takes great pictures. And, the videos are super clear. I recorded a video and then uploaded it directly to YouTube without even having to put it on my computer first. That feature makes it super convenient. You can attach a picture to a text message, email, or upload directly to Twitpic.com for Twitter or Facebook.

Check out some of the photos I have taken with my iPhone 4’s camera.

Click on each picture to open it in a new window to view it larger.

The first picture I saved smaller and the second picture of the roses is a larger file so may take longer to view.

There will probably be some extra apps you want to install and you do it directly through your iPhone. Just use the App Store and use the search to find what you are looking for. I have apps like Facebook, ESPN ScoreCenter, Flashlight (very handy), Whrrl, Shopkick, and more. I will be sharing all about apps, how to get them, and what my favorite free apps are so stay tuned for that in a new post.

There are so many features to cover with the iPhone that I couldn’t cover them all in the short time I had for the video. I tried to cover some of the basics. Once you learn the basics you can go on to use more features. I am happy with my iPhone 4 purchase and I am glad I spent the extra time searching out the right phone for this Smartphone newbie.

Pros:

• Sturdy and durable
• Touch screen recognizes your touch easily
• Keypad is very easy to use and it shows the keys larger as you type
• The screen enlarges easily to make the text more readable
• apps are easy to find and install
• photos are clear and bright, easy to send and upload online
• video are clear and easy to upload to YouTube

Cons:

• Extra expense of the monthly data plan
• Phone itself is pricey

[rating:5]

Disclaimer: this iPhone 4 was a personal purchase and I was not compensated for this review. All opinions, as always, are 100% my own.