I’ve been browsing the directories of my jailbroken iPhone and there are actually dictionaries for US English, GB English, German and French. It is still version 1.1.1!

So what iPhone power users need is a pocket device that delivers a 3G connection via WiFi. It must exist.

I have never even attempted to use email/web except on WiFi; my service provider is criminally expensive for it. But this wouldn’t be viable if I was travelling more. My general plan is do without cellular net connectivity until iPhone 2.0, when I will sign up for the 3G iPhone on contract.

The phone comes up with the little E logo most of the time. Is that what it shows when the connection is only GPRS? I’ve never seen a GPRS logo.

[quote author=“sleepygeek”]The phone comes up with the little E logo most of the time. Is that what it shows when the connection is only GPRS? I’ve never seen a GPRS logo.

The E shows whenever it can get a data connection via GPRS or EDGE.

I can only repeat that there is NOTHING wrong with EDGE when its working at full speed. Its not lightening fast, but its not at all bothersome. On the launch night on Friday, I uploaded 30 pictures to my .mac gallery mostly via EDGE and each picture took mere seconds.

I had also been using my phone all day long, streaming stock quotes, emailing, and talking to people on the phone. Only after about 8 hours of almost-constant use including a lot of data usage, music playing, and the additional burden of my bluetooth connect to my headset requiring additional batter drain, did the battery give out.

If the phone had been 3G, it wouldn’t have lasted more than 4 hours.

I am absolutely 100% certain that Apple made the right choice in going for batter life over 3G. Heavy users of their iPhones will understand what I mean, and cherish the long battery life.

The E always shows if you are not connected to a WiFi network.

I have no data plan whatsoever (no APN entered, etc…) and the E still shows

[quote author=“Tommo_UK”][quote author=“sleepygeek”]The phone comes up with the little E logo most of the time. Is that what it shows when the connection is only GPRS? I’ve never seen a GPRS logo.

The E shows whenever it can get a data connection via GPRS or EDGE.

I can only repeat that there is NOTHING wrong with EDGE when its working at full speed. Its not lightening fast, but its not at all bothersome. On the launch night on Friday, I uploaded 30 pictures to my .mac gallery mostly via EDGE and each picture took mere seconds.

I had also been using my phone all day long, streaming stock quotes, emailing, and talking to people on the phone. Only after about 8 hours of almost-constant use including a lot of data usage, music playing, and the additional burden of my bluetooth connect to my headset requiring additional batter drain, did the battery give out.

If the phone had been 3G, it wouldn’t have lasted more than 4 hours.

I am absolutely 100% certain that Apple made the right choice in going for batter life over 3G. Heavy users of their iPhones will understand what I mean, and cherish the long battery life.

Tommo, please don’t get me wrong, I do not disagree with your view and experience. You are right and your statements are totally logical, and I trust that EDGE provides a good enough experience.

But might I ask a question?. How is so that 3G consumes that much more than EDGE. My Nokia phone battery lasts for full days of intensive 3G use serving through Bluetooth a plugged-into-mains MacBook (because obviously it does not last for that long). The full charge battery icon of the Nokia only missing a half bite of its full charge state after that.

Now compare the smaller battery size of the Nokia N70 with that of the iPhone, which is much larger. I think that where the iPhone consumes most of its power is in the CPU or graphics chip or whatever, not in the communications, because I feel it warming the most while playing videos or photos, or when using Safari or Maps over WiFi. (or is it WiFi what drains the battery?). I don’t know what this supposed (or real) consumption overheat that 3G would add is, but I do not think that it would affect that much to the total battery life.

I deduce it by simply comparing the size of the Battery of my Nokia to that of the iPhone as shown in disassembly photos of it. The percentage of power driven to the 3G circuitry would be much less in an iPhone to what it currently is in the Nokia, and the Nokia still lasts for many hours without dying.

For battery life, it’s a mixture of factors. It may be that the big screen and CPU/graphics hardware consume more power on the iPhone, but they are more important in defining the iPhone than Edge vs 3G. Therefore Apple chose to sacrifice 3G and keep the CPU/graphics.

I suspect choosing Edge also made it easier to negotiate unlimited data contracts at a bearable price for iPhone users.

[quote author=“sleepygeek”]For battery life, it’s a mixture of factors. It may be that the big screen and CPU/graphics hardware consume more power on the iPhone, but they are more important in defining the iPhone than Edge vs 3G. Therefore Apple chose to sacrifice 3G and keep the CPU/graphics.

I suspect choosing Edge also made it easier to negotiate unlimited data contracts at a bearable price for iPhone users.

Agreed from the strategy point of view, and I understand very well why Apple chose EDGE for the current iPhone. But now, what would be the real loss of battery life if the same device had 3G?. Barely nothing, I suspect, precisely because all the power from an iPhone battery goes to the other hardware which makes (allows) the iPhone be what it is. Or, how do you explain that with such tiny batteries, a 3G Nokia Phone runs for well over one day?. Is all the power being drained only by the 3G circuitry in that case?. Possibly not. So, that was my point. I have yet to find a site which clearly states the difference in power consumption of 3G circuitry versus EDGE.

[quote author=“carbonat”][quote author=“sleepygeek”]For battery life, it’s a mixture of factors. It may be that the big screen and CPU/graphics hardware consume more power on the iPhone, but they are more important in defining the iPhone than Edge vs 3G. Therefore Apple chose to sacrifice 3G and keep the CPU/graphics.

I suspect choosing Edge also made it easier to negotiate unlimited data contracts at a bearable price for iPhone users.

Agreed from the strategy point of view, and I understand very well why Apple chose EDGE for the current iPhone. But now, what would be the real loss of battery life if the same device had 3G?. Barely nothing, I suspect, precisely because all the power from an iPhone battery goes to the other hardware which makes (allows) the iPhone be what it is. Or, how do you explain that with such tiny batteries, a 3G Nokia Phone runs for well over one day?. Is all the power being drained only by the 3G circuitry in that case?. Possibly not. So, that was my point. I have yet to find a site which clearly states the difference in power consumption of 3G circuitry versus EDGE.

Does the Nokia also act as an iPod, for music and video? Is it also supporting a touch screen with brilliant visual feedback. These things use battery power. The 3G chips that were current when Apple made their decision to forgo 3G were power hogs. And alas the US has very little 3G coverage (and in fact is very low on the WI-FI coverage maps).

I agree with all but I’m actually talking/asking about something else. Of course the Nokia is not an iPhone. G3 is running and operative since several years ago. There have existed G3 phones for the same years. That technology is not something new. I give up with trying to explain my point. Must be too difficult for me to express it in English.

Probably the answer to your question is that the Nokia does not use much of the 3G possibilities whereas the iPhone would.

[quote author=“MaCroissant”]The E always shows if you are not connected to a WiFi network.

I have no data plan whatsoever (no APN entered, etc…) and the E still shows

My HTC Wizard 8125 had two icons. The G square meant there was a GPRS network available. The E square meant there was Edge available. I’ve never seen the G square on the iPhone, just E or nothing. Might be that I’m not paying attention, or Edge is so pervasive there is no real legacy G left.

I think the iPhone shows the E sign as soon as you do not have a WiFi connection (even if you do not choose to connect to your Edge network like me)

or maybe it shows if an Edge network is in range, even if you’re not connected?

E appears whenever you can get an EDGE or GPRS connection.

Hope that (finally) clears this up

Tommo, did you get a UK iPhone, or (presuming you are on O2) do things like visual voicemail work on your US iPhone?

[quote author=“wheeles”]Tommo, did you get a UK iPhone, or (presuming you are on O2) do things like visual voicemail work on your US iPhone?

No I stuck with my US phone for now. I don’t have Visual Voicemail, but I subscribe to SpinVox instead which converts/transcribes my voicemails into SMS messages and/or emails and they appear in my SMS inbox properly labelled with the correct Caller ID/address book info so its the next best thing to (or arguably even better than) VV.

I think I’ll wait for a 16GB or 32GB version next year (with or without 3G - I’m more interested in the extra storage than 3G) before buying a UK phone.

I’d happily pay Ј400+ for a 32GB iPhone.