Interesting. My girlfriend recently replaced her RAZR with a iPhone 3G refurb, too.
Apparently, all the cool kids are doing it!
I just checked the AT&T website to determine what a “refurb” iPhone actually is, most electronics refurbs fall into the following categories;
1; defective product that has been repaired and brought back up to specs, going back through the QC process a second time and burned-in to insure proper function
2; overstocked product sold to a re-seller and cannot be resold as “new”
3; customer returned product that didn’t fit their needs (maybe they wanted a higher capacity/bigger/newer product)
4; demo product
According to AT&T, the iPhone refurbs are “unused or lightly used products returned within the 30 day return policy timeframe, some refurbished iPhones may have insignificant cosmetic scratches”, so in all actuality, a refurbed iPhone is just a new iPhone someone either tried and didn’t like, or just didn’t like and was returned
My iPhone was clearly an unused return, as it was absolutely flawless, no scratches at all, and it’s still covered by the one year Apple warranty, and I can add AppleCare on it any time before the one year warranty expires, ACare is $69, an out of warranty battery replacement is $85.95 through Apple, if you don’t mind voiding your warranty, DIY kits are available for much less, but there are a bunch of very delicate cables and friction connectors inside the device…
the refurbished iPhones are a great way to get an iPhone on the cheap, especially due to them being essentially unused…
Part of the refurb process is replacing things that would get scratched. In this case, if the glass is fine, they may just slap a new back on it and ship it. walla, new used phone.
That’s my impression, too. I’ve used a friend’s Palm Pre, and while it’s nice and has a lot of the same checkbox features, it doesn’t quite fit together as well as the iPhone. It burns battery a bit faster, it stalls a bit more often. I just upgraded to an HTC Touch Pro 2. It really wants to be an iPhone. But the browser’s not as responsive, it doesn’t do multi-touch gestures, the UI is laughably inconsistent, the auto-rotate feature sucks, and sometimes the phone just becomes unresponsive for 30 seconds. Yeah. The keyboard is really nice, though.
I think there’s quite a bit you can do. For one, they can always make the data faster, or the battery longer, or the camera better, or the screen more scratch-resistant. There’s active work on all those things.
They can make more things run in the background, which can be very useful. They could add IR output, which very quickly gains a huge portion of the fancy universal-remote marketshare for the cost of some design work and a few leds.
My iPhone just got better…
a couple weeks ago, I was able to return the refurb 3G, and upgrade to the 3GS, mainly because I wanted the newest tech on the iPhone, autofocus camera, Nike+iPod integration, compass (which is linked to the map app, keeping the map rotated in the direction you’re facing)
I had a ZAGG InvisibleShield installed on the touchscreen (great screen protector), and picked up a leather slim sleeve for it, but I couldn’t get past the “fragile/delicate” feel of the “naked” iPhone
So, tonight, I picked up an OtterBox Defender case, put the iPhone in it, not realizing the OBD has it’s own “screen protector” film glued into the top of the case, it caused major air bubbles and “oil slicks”, so, I hemmed and hawed a bit, then simply removed the film from the OBD, and allowed the Zagg to protect the screen…
So, now I have a nice, thick, substantial iPhone, the OBD adds just the right amount of girth to the phone, and the silicone outer skin both protects the phone from impact shocks (not that I plan on dropping the iPhone, but you never know…) and allows a far more secure grip on the phone, it’s no longer got that “slippery bar of soap” feel to it…
I may have compromised the splash resistance of the case slightly, but I’m not planning on getting the iPhone wet anyway, besides, the Zagg InvisiShield seals up against the inner plastic box of the OBD anyway, and it’s far more durable than the cheap polycarb film the OBD came with anyway, it’s a much better match for the rugged, over-engineered OBD
Plus, now the iPhone looks much more rugged and manlier, it’s no svelte supermodel-esque slimline phone anymore, it’s got some meat on it, and it looks healthy, rugged, and ready to take on the world, it’s iPhone “Anti-Bling”, makes the phone thicker, and “uglier” but able to take on life in the real world far easier now
…just to give you an idea of how tough this case is, there are vids on YouTube of people dropping their Otterboxed iPhones (one infamous video is of a phone dropped from a second floor bedroom onto concrete) and the iPhones surviving unscathed
Still, there are a couple minor flaws with the OBD, well, actually, it’s belt clip to be exact…
the clip is designed to hold the phone most securely with the screen facing in against the hard plastic clip, the phone can be installed facing out, but it is held in far less securely, and falls out easily, however, even with the screen facing in, the phone can be dislodged from the clip with a good jostling, I’ve temporarily fixed it by strapping a thick rubber band (from a broccoli bunch) around the pocket clip, and stretching that over the exposed upper part of the iPhone, that seems to work reasonably well, but I’d prefer a more secure pocket clip, it’s really the only weak link in the package
that said, the clip does have a cool feature, the spring-loaded clip jaws lock open, turning the clip into a stand for watching videos…
if Otterbox could redesign the clip to hold more securely, this case would be perfect, but as it stands it’s still one of the best ruggedized cases out there
I looked at the Otterbox for my 3GS but decided it just wasn’t what I really wanted. I ended up getting a Mophie JuicePack Air for extended battery life and all-but-the-front protection, and it works great. It may not protect it against shocks like an Otterbox, but I stopped using a belt clip when I damn near lost my Palm Treo a few years back. (Fortunately some kind samaritan found it and called me on it to come and collect it at her apartment.) Now I always keep the phone in a pocket of some sort, whether shirt or coat, and I’ve got extended use out of it if I need it on a long train ride – as I did over our Thanksgiving last month and will again this Christmas for the same 3.5 hour ride.
I’m kind of torn on the belt clip myself, part of me wants to use it for it’s intended purpose, to mount the phone on my belt, but the other, logical, part of me just cannot trust a $200 smartphone to a simple piece of spring-loaded polycarbonate plastic
My mind is filled with nightmares of the clip letting go/breaking and me not noticing my phone is missing
I’ve contemplated simply tearing the physical clip off, and using the remainder of the clip housing as a hard case to protect the screen while in my pocket, but the “stand” feature of the clip makes me hesitant to rip it off
I’ll probably end up just pocketing the phone with it stowed in the clip face-in, the clip adds another layer of protection for the screen…
one other annoyance (purely cosmetic) with the case is the large hole in the back that is only there to show off the Apple logo, to brag “I have an iPhone, look how cool I am!!”, I would prefer that Otterbox left that hole out, I couldn’t care less if other people know that I have an iPhone, in fact, I’d prefer they didn’t know, as it’s a popular theft item
So, I grabbed a spare Anti-Static bag, cut off a couple small squares of material, and strategically placed them over the Logo Window, now it looks like a shiny silver circle, unless the light hits it juuuust right, where the Apple logo is faintly visible, if you squint and scrunch up your eyes, it almost looks like a mirror for self-portraits
Another use of the Logo Window I just figured out, it gives me a place to put my index finger when holding the phone up to my ear, and in doing that, the window is completely blocked
I had a full InvisiShield on my 3G. I took it off about 9 months ago, and go completely naked. It’s SO much better. The screen is so much more responsive, there’s far less glare than the dispersed “orange peel” face of the Shield. And let’s face it - the screen is glass. It’s not going to get scrapes from your car keys.
And the best part? It fits in my pockets.
I was going to post about the voice commands, but got beat to it!
Yes, you just hold the inset button on the front of the iPhone down, and it activates the voice command prompt. It works great for dialing people’s numbers, less great for trying to find one song out of 6000.
I used to love the belt clip because it freed up pocket space and kept the phone close to hand, but I also had that nagging dread in the back of my mind that it was going to break, or slip off, and I wouldn’t notice because I had my iPod going. And that was exactly what happened, despite my normally being very careful about such things. It was only dumb luck that it was picked up a good samaritan and not some mooch who figured, cool, free phone. So belt clips and me are no longer on speaking terms.
I also go naked with the phone just for the feel, though I may yet apply another front shield. (I can’t use a full body because it won’t fit in the JuicePack; just a front.) I’m not worried about scratching the glass. The real concern is the indium tin oxide coating (the stuff that gives glass its capacitive touch capability) which can wear down over time. It’s tremendously thin to begin with, and previous generations of devices have had users discover certain areas of their screens becoming less responsive to touch, or not at all. (Especially the bottom where you slide to unlock.) I don’t know if that’s improved with the latest iterations, though I know the 3GS (and presumably G2 Touch) has an additional oil repellent coating that makes it easier to clean off smudges, which also might afford a bit of extra protection from wearing out the ITO coating. In either case I try and be gentle when touching the screen. I’m beginning to worry less about the longevity of the iPhones as I usually upgrade every year anyway, but still. It concerns me.
Never use the voice commands. If I could use them properly over Bluetooth I would, but they don’t work that way. I actually got a Blueant V1 with its own built-in voice functionality instead. It won’t control the iPod, but I can dial and answer calls with voice.
I can recommend this type of case. The little metal logo on the front is easily removed, and can be replaced by many stylish doodads. I replaced mine with a stainless steel guitar pick.
Forgot to mention that I use the Incipio Feather case. It’s very thin walled, but strong, and will still fit in the leather carrying case.
I could have written this post! I love my (pink!) Razr and have no desire to “upgrade”. I have no use for the multimedia stuff since I am never more than a foot away from my computer anyway (and the laptop goes everywhere I go) I even use my computer to text rather than my phone. My kids are constantly after me to ‘get a blackberry…get an iPhone…get a [latest, greatest thing]’ but I like my Razr and intend to keep it until it dies and can’t be replaced.
I have had my iphone for over a year , and only recently decided to go out and pick up a razr for the backup phone. All the things I can remember doing over the summer, I shudder to think. I can replace the razr and the sim card, for about 50 bucks, but replacing the actual Iphone would be somewhere over 200 bucks minimum.
Next summer the iphone will be in the car more often than this previous one.
Declan
On a whim, I called Otter Products a few days ago, to see if they still had the older style pocket clip available for purchase, its a much boxier design and holds the case very securely, far more secure than the clip that came with the case
I spoke to a rep at Otter, and he told me they had just redesigned the current clip to have a more secure hold, he took my info and said he’d get the redesigned clip right out to me, saying it would take about five to seven days for me to get it
It arrived yesterday (three days total) and was sent no charge, I don’t even need to send the original clip back
and yes, this redesigned clip holds the case incredibly well, with the original clip, I could shake the Otterboxed iPhone out of the clip quite easily, and I had a couple close calls while at work, if it hadn’t been for the rubber band holding the phone in the clip, it would have dropped out
the new clip? not a single failure, not a single premature disconnect, the redesigned clip works as intended, they tightened up the “ears” that hold the Otterbox case in the clip, in fact, it’s now somewhat difficult to remove the phone when I want to, I have to rotate the clip until the phone is facing down, and pull the phone clear of the clip
This is good, I want a pocket clip that does it’s utmost to retain the phone, and makes it difficult for the phone to accidentally auto-release
If you have an Otterboxed iPhone, give Otter a call, and get the new clip, it works
I am firmly of the opinion that the RAZR was the acme of cell phone design, and that nothing on the market today comes close. (I may be the only IT guy who DOESN’T want an iPhone.)
The one thing I want is true voice calling. I don’t want to have to enter the phone number in the phone book and give it a voice cue, I want to tell the phone, “Dial 1-304-555-1212” and have the phone do it. I suppose this is because I have rather a better memory for numbers than most people.
You know, you can DO that with an iPhone 3gs…no training necessary.
Thanks for the comparison, even if it is a sort of oranges and apples deal 
I still use a V3, and my biggest quibble is the buttons. They often stick a bit or you press them but they don’t actually send their signal through. Can be very frustrating. That and that non-universal USB - you can’t just plug into any computer or any USB charger, the computer needs to have drivers loaded and the charger needs to have a Motorola label on it somewhere :rolleyes:
I’d be sceptical of an iphone for the same reason you were -that big piece of touchscreen plastic waiting for my butt to sit on it or for a concrete floor to break its fall…
It may sound like be being pedantic, but I’m not…the iPhone screen is glass. And the first display I’ve EVER owned to go two years with no protection and nearly no scratches.
Now, you sit on you phone, I have nothing positive to say about how you treat stuff.
My iPhone sits in my left front pocket with no change, and no keys.