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How does it compare to other smart phones?

There are loads of smart phones on the market, many of which offer a similar feature list to that of the iPhone, including web browsing, e-mail, and music and video playback. The main difference is that the iPhone is (generally) a pleasure to use, whereas most other smart phones are fiddly and confusing.

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No pocket-sized internet device can match a computer with large screen, mouse and a full-sized keyboard, but the iPhone comes about as close as you could hope. Web browsing is very well handled, with a great interface for zooming in and out on sections of a web page. However, when you’re out and about, you’ll find the access very slow compared to a home broadband connection.

And for e-mail?

The e-mail tool is slightly less impressive. It does everything you need it to do, but is annoying in some ways. For example, deleting multiple messages is a bit cumbersome, there’s no BCC field, and it doesn’t copy your sent messages over to the e-mail application on your Mac or PC. These annoyances may be fixed in future software updates.

Can I use an iPhone as a hard drive to move files between computers?

No, not at present. Unlike the iPod, the iPhone doesn’t offer a “disk mode” to allow storage of any computer files. The most likely reason for this is that using the device as a hard drive would require you to “eject” it from your computer before disconnecting, which would be a real pain if you had an incoming call. There is, however, a software work-around for Macs.

Can’t it edit Word and Excel docs?

For now, no. You can open, read and forward Word and Excel docs sent to you by e-mail, but you can’t edit them.

Do I need a computer to use an iPhone?

Yes – or at the very least you need access to one. You can’t activate an iPhone without a Mac or PC. Moreover, a computer is the only way to get music, video and other media onto the phone. To copy a CD onto an iPhone, for example, you first copy it onto the computer and then transfer it from computer to phone.

Can it download music directly when I’m out and about?

Yes, via the iTunes button on its home screen, which gives you access to music from the iTunes store. However, the feature only works when you are connected to a wi-fi network, and you will more than likely find it far easier to do all your downloading on your computer and then transfer that music to your iPhone.

What’s all the controversy about the battery?

Like the original iPods, the iPhone has received quite a lot of negative publicity over its battery, which gradually dies over time and can only be replaced by Apple for a substantial fee ($76 in the US). All rechargeable batteries deteriorate over time and eventually die, but with iPhones the replacements cost more than for other phones – and you can’t fit them yourself (at least not in theory). Expect to replace it after two to four years, depending on how much you drain it each day.

Does the screen scratch easily?

It’s not invulnerable, but the iPhone screen is significantly more scratch resistant than that of an iPod. In our tests, a few weeks of carrying an iPhone around in a pocket with keys and coins resulted in no visible scratches.

Can I use the SIM card from my current phone?

Theoretically no. You can swap the SIMs between two iPhones, but if you insert a non-approved SIM from a different phone, you’ll get an error message and it won’t work. Within hours of the iPhone being launched, geeks across America were working to find a way to “unlock” the phone and get around this and it wasn’t long before a way was found. So, while it is possible to use the iPhone on almost any network and in almost any country, the process is only for those people who don’t mind invalidating their warranty by updating the phone with non-Apple-approved software.

Does the iPhone offer fast internet access?

Yes and no. On the move, current iPhones offer relatively slow internet access, which isn’t helped by the fact that they use EDGE rather than 3G. But the iPhone can offer broadband speeds when connected via wi-fi. Even here, however, it won’t be as fast as the same connection accessed via a Mac or PC.

Will all websites work on an iPhone?

The iPhone features a fully-fledged web browser – Safari – which will work with the overwhelming majority of websites. The main catch is that Flash and Java aren’t currently supported. The lack of Flash means that most online animations simply won’t display. That includes many banner ads (no great loss there) as well as some interactive graphics and a few entire websites.

Java is mainly used to create applications embedded within webpages – things such as online calendar tools or broadband speed tests. Though you may occasionally come across a page that requires Java, its absence isn’t a huge loss. Thankfully, Javascript, which is a very different beast to Java and totally ubiquitous on the Web, works fine.

What’s the sound quality like for music?

Pretty-well the same as with an iPod. Tracks downloaded from the iTunes Store or imported from disc at the default settings sound marginally worse than CD quality. However, you’re unlikely to notice any difference unless you do a side-by-side comparison through decent speakers or headphones.

Can I use my existing earphones or headphones?

Yes, but annoyingly you might need an adapter. Although the iPhone features a standard headphone socket (also known as minijack socket or 3.5mm audio socket), it’s positioned on the curved corner of the device and recessed in such a way that most regular headphone jacks won’t fit.

Can I use it while wearing gloves?

No – at least not in our experiments. Unless, of course, you wear fingerless gloves. But then most modern mobiles are at best fiddly with a pair of gloves. The iPhone also won’t work with a stylus or connect to a mouse.

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For more iPhone answers check out The Rough Guide to the iPhone at www.roughguides.com. The book is available in the UK for £6.99

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