[Macworld]

Post your comments for iPhone 3G: What you need to know here

[SandroM3949]

I'm glad to hear that I can pass my iPhone along to someone else. I read on CNet that AT&T would essentially turn your 1st gen iPhone into an iPod Touch as soon as you activated a 3G iPhone.
I've also read that if you already have an activated iPhone you MAY be able to do your iPhone 3G activation at home. Essentially, you buy your phone in the store, sign an agreement for terms and conditions and then take the phone with you to activate at home, via iTunes. I'm taking that with a grain of salt though.

[BearsFan34]

Are you completely sure about that last one (Exchange sync for business plan users only)? That would stink if true; the execs where I work purchased their own iPhones & I helped them hook up to Exchange email via IMAP. I re-watched the iPhone Firmware 2.0 announcement from earlier this year as well as the WWDC keynote, and no mention was made as to ActiveSync being for Business Customers with the Business iPhone Plan only.

[flyingout]

I have a question I have not found a clear answer to. Will I be able to activate with a new phone number in order to test (and return the phone if not happy with the AT&T network) and then once satisfied, transfer my Verizon number?

[macFanDave]

I'm disappointed that the camera still sucks. I always carry my iPhone, but I don't always carry a camera. I've missed some really great shots because of the suckiness of the iPhone's camera.
I might get my wife an iPhone 3G for the GPS, but I have a good sense of direction and don't really need it. I'll probably wait until my 2 year contract with AT&T is up to upgrade my iPhone.

[wolfneuralnet]

Spoke to an ATT rep last night who sounded very well informed. She said that if you want the Exchange functionality, you have to pay for the business plan. She mentioned having to route the data through different servers on their end.

I think this is ridiculous personally, but this is what she said.

[SandroM3949]

That does sound ridiculous. My Treo was able to connect directly to our company's exchange server, using Active Sync over the air, without any sort of business plan. It connects directly to an Exchange Server over your internet connection, be it EDGE, Wi-Fi or 3G. It shouldn't have to go over any AT&T servers. The iPhone 2.0 software will also allow the current 1st generation iPhones and iPod Touches access to Exchange servers using Active Sync, from what I've seen. Will they also require a business plan? Does that mean that I can't access Exchange if I use a wi-fi connection? Too many inconsistencies in the details right now.

I think restrictions such as this should be taken with a few grains of salt, until early July.

[lee_sf]

My iPhone says it's "activating" whenever a new OS update is installed. If iPhone 3G follows the same pattern, then some form of the original iTunes/iPhone home activation process will still exist.
Lotsa things to be curious about with the new HW. The audio quality of the original is OK, but the volume is too quiet. I can't hear it ring half the time, and the speakerphone is only marginally functional. Just making the thing louder would be a big, positive change.

[MAC1720]

What's the data plan price for current non-iPhone ATT&T customers who want the new iPhone 3G? I think for the first iPhone you just added $20 to your existing plan.

[maclia]

@Flyingout--
I know you can do it the hard way: 1) get new iphone and # via ATT. 2) test out during trial period. 3) cancel ATT contract/new number & return iPhone. 4) Buy new iPhone and port verizon number to new ATT contract.
There may be an easier way, but I don't know it. Make sure you understand the contract, especially the time you have to change your mind. I think they can vary greatly so be sure you understand all you need to do to cancel before you sign up for anything.

[JohnWDIII]

Does anyone have a list of 3rd party applications being developed for the iPhone?
For example on my Treo 755P I always have a half dozen books from eReader to be able to read at the Doc’s office or on a plane etc.
Also does anyone know if Apple’s me.com calendars can be made accessible to others via a password rather than just published to the world at large like as Goggle’s calendar?
I was one of the first to get the original iPhone in Panama City and was THE first to return it when I found there wasn’t any way to duplicate the server-based calendar of Now Contact and Now Up to Date (which I have been using for over a decade and its instability is killing me).
???

[Fribhey]

MAC1720 said:

What's the data plan price for current non-iPhone ATT&T customers who want the new iPhone 3G? I think for the first iPhone you just added $20 to your existing plan.

did you even bother reading the article?

"The new 3G data plan will cost an extra $10 per month for consumers?$30 per month. "

[MAC1720]

The article seems vague on that issue.

[argonaut]

Any word on whether the OTA calendar sync work with iCal server (or other CalDAV servers)? I really don't care about the Exchange?active Sync support (my employer doesn't pay my phone bills, they don't get to email me on my phone), but I have iCal server set up on my home mini and it would be great to be able to finally be able to edit CalDAV calendars on my iPhone.