iPhones iPhones Videos An Overview of the iPhone Apple knows what customers want, and they take created the Apple iPhone with this in mind. This is one of the reasons this phone has become so popular. One of the biggest features that people want when they purchase a cell phone is simplicity. A cell phone needs to be easy to use. People want simplicity and functionality; they do not want a hassle when it comes to locating phone numbers and contacts. Here we will give you an overview of the iPhone and some of its features. The features of your Apple iPhone are so numerous that to list them all would fill an eBook. Your iPhone includes widgets (small programs that make everything simple) that help you to keep up to date with things such as the weather, stock reports, and anything else that you might wish to know. Keeping these on your start page gives you everything that you need to know right there, available for you to access anytime you need it. It is this ease of use combined with a plethora of features that has made the iPhone so popular. Continuing on with an overview of the iPhone, we should talk about mobility -- that is hands free mobility. Accessories are essential for hands free communication with your iPhone. For ease of use while driving (and for safety) or moving around, you need a Bluetooth for your iPhone. For cell phone users who run, jog, or walk, a sport band to attach your iPhone to your arm will keep in touch with everyone. The iPhone takes guessing out of making a phone call. By using a single fingertip, you can make a call to any of the people on your contact list, either by selecting their name or their telephone number. Need to make a conference call? If you are talking to two people, you can merge the calls so you can conference. It does not get any easier! An overview of the iPhone would not be complete without mentioning the memory capacity of the iPhone. You cannot upgrade the memory or add memory cards. There is a 6 GB model, an 8 GB model and a 16 GB model. That's it, no more. Another complaint is with the internet browser. Many feel that the search capability is severely lacking and the browser does not have the ability to save passwords. However, internet access is relatively easy with an iPhone. Let's face it, there is no such thing as a perfect internet connection. There are other features that you may like and find useful. There are more than 10,000 YouTube videos that have the H264 encoding the iPhone requires. This means that there is a literal sea of video content for you to view for free. If you want to watch any other type of video, you will have to get it converted to your iPhone's format first. YouTube is working very closely with Apple. The result of this is that videos posted to YouTube are easily viewed on the iPhone. In addition, the enormous selection of movies and TV programs on iTunes means that you will find something to suit your tastes, no matter what genre of video or TV programming you prefer. There is so much that iPhone offers that it is impossible to list everything that it can do in this article, which is just an overview of the iPhone. This device is one that manages to combine fashion, form and function into a single unit. You can buy the iPhone online or through AT&T. Take the time to get insurance on your purchase. If it breaks, you drop it into a glass of iced tea, or your dog eats it, you want AT&T to foot the bill. Now that you have an overview of the iPhone, why not an iPhone, enjoy it and listen to all the music you can possibly fit onto a single phone. Although it is pricey, it provides a lot of entertainment for the money. Top 5 Reasons to Own an Apple iPhone Although they are expensive, there are many reasons you should own an iPhone. After you page through the hype and advertising, you will see that this is a very functional cell phone that contains a number of extremely useful features that are built into it. With the iPhone, you are getting more than just a cell phone. This is the main reason that the price is so high. Here are the top 5 reasons to own an Apple iPhone. First, there is functionality. The iPhone offers you many features in addition to making phone calls that have superior quality. This phone is also an MP3 player, camera, PDA, navigator, and mini computer all rolled up into a single device. You can easily switch from application to application without the need for an awkward keypad that is too small for most people. This is one of the top 5 reasons to own an Apple iPhone. Next, there is the touch screen. The screen on the iPhone is touch sensitive. All of your commands are done through finger taps and drags on the screen. There are no fussy keypads or stylus to deal with. Everything is right there on your fingertips. This is another reason why you should consider an iPhone. Reason number three in the top 5 reasons to own an Apple iPhone is entertainment. The iPhone gives you either 6 GB, 8GB, or 16 GB of memory depending on the model you purchased. This enables you to download and store a significant amount of music, video and TV shows. You can carry all of this around with you without the need for an additional MP3 player. You can even hook up stereo headphones via Bluetooth technology if you wanted to. There is no lack of content available for your iPhone. You can get MP3 files in any number of places. You can also download MP3, video and other content for your iPhone from iTunes. With so much content available for you to watch and listen to, you should never be bored. The fourth reason to own an iPhone is the communications capabilities. You can easily send a text message to one or many people with just a few taps of the screen. There are many contact managers that you can download so that you can sort all of your contacts into categories. The iPhone makes keeping and staying in touch very easy. Your options to text, email, chat or talk are easily accessible and you never have to worry about not being able to find an important contact. This is probably one of the best reasons to own an iPhone. It helps you stay in touch easily. Finally, number 5 in our top 5 reasons to own an Apple iPhone is the camera. The iPhone comes with a 2 megapixel camera that is always ready to use. You can immediately share your pictures with all of your contacts with a few taps and drags of your finger. For anyone interested in digital photography or for those who just want to give it a try, the iPhone's picture quality is amazing, especially when you consider that it is a cell phone. The possibilities of how use this camera are endless. You are only limited by the space left on your iPhone and your creativity. These are the top 5 reasons to own an Apple iPhone. This list may or may not agree with your reasons. Overall, the Apple iPhone is a functional and sleek cell phone that makes a fashion statement as well as provides you with outstanding ease of use and functionality. As far as the smart phones go, this one is probably still the standard to go by. When you take into account all of the features packed into this rather compact unit you will begin to understand why this phone has become so popular. It is definitely worth looking into if you are in the market for a new cell phone. Top 5 Reasons Not to Own an iPhone Apple has done a great job telling the world about their iPhone. The advertising has worked and the iPhone is one of the hottest cell phones to own. For those interested in keeping up with the Jones' the iPhone is a must have item this year and probably next year too. The question is does the Apple iPhone live up to the hype. Is the iPhone really worth top dollar? What do the users say? Here are the top 5 reasons not to own an iPhone. The first reason is the price. This is a very expensive cell phone. The average price for an iPhone is between $500 -- $600. That is a lot of money for a phone. At this price it is really a luxury item as there are phones that offer similar features for a lot less money. For internet and email capabilities you can get a Blackberry or Motorola Q for a lot less than an iPhone. If you are looking for touch screens and music, there are hundreds of phones that will suit these requirements without having to shell out so much money. Although the iPhone's advertising is geared toward teens and young adults, does a teenager really need a $500 cell phone? This is the fist reason in our Top 5 reasons not to own an iPhone: Price. Reason number two in the top 5 reasons not to own an iPhone, the battery. Did you know that you cannot replace the battery in your iPhone? If that battery dies, you are out of luck. Apple decided that soldering the battery to the unit was preferable to offering a proprietary battery or any standard cell phone battery. This way when your battery dies, and without a doubt it will in under two years, you have to get a new iPhone. Apparently many users did not realize this as Apple made no effort to make this common knowledge. Now they are in litigation over the battery issue. Therefore, if you are considering buying an iPhone be sure to get a warranty that covers the battery if you can. Otherwise you will be paying for another phone within 24 months which is the average life of a cell phone style battery. Reason three: Internet access. Although the iPhone is touted as having amazing internet capabilities, there are many shortcomings to its browser. The browsers search capabilities are severely lacking. This makes finding what you want on the internet difficult and time consuming. The other feature the browser lacks is the ability to store passwords. This may have been done as a security measure as cell phones are not as secure as a laptop, PC or Mac. However, keeping track of a lot of passwords is difficult. Internet searching and browser issues is our third reason. Reason four not to own an iPhone is memory. You can purchase a 6 GB, an 8 GB, or a 16 GB iPhone. When you use up all of your available space on the iPhone, you must delete or back off content to another device like your PC or Mac. Many iPhone proponents claim that this storage capacity removes the need for a separate MP3 player, such as an iPod, therefore saving you money. In reality, teens can download 16 GB of music and video in an amazingly short amount of time. This leaves no memory for other applications or photos. You will still need a separate MP3 player so there are no real savings to be had here. There is no ability to upgrade the memory via a memory card or flash drive. This is another area where the iPhone is lacking. Finally, reason number five in our top 5 reasons not to own an iPhone is the service provider. You are limited to AT&T's cell phone service packages for the iPhone if you wish to use it. These packages are expensive as they all include data and internet. AT&T has no incentive to change their iPhone service pricing because they have exclusive rights to provide service to the iPhones. This has led to a great number of hacked iPhones on the market that can be used on other networks. As long as Apple and AT&T's agreement stays exclusive, you will have hackers. Overall, the iPhone is an overpriced, over hyped, cell phone. These top 5 reasons not to own an iPhone are valid and you should consider this before you buy one. A Downside to the iPhone One of the biggest features that people want when they purchase a cell phone is simplicity. Apple knows what customers want, and they take created the Apple iPhone with this in mind. This is one of the reasons this phone has become so popular. It is easy to stay in touch with your iPhone. Playing around with the iPhone is so much fun. However, the iPhone has missed on a couple of points. There is a downside to the iPhone. It is not the perfect peripheral that it proclaims to be. Some of the issues are with the battery, memory, and AT&T. What -- there is a downside to the iPhone? Actually, there are several. The first issue is with memory. It is not possible to upgrade or add to the iPhones memory. You have either 6 GB, 8 GB, or a 16 GB model and that is it. If you love to download content and music, you will quickly find yourself running out of space. This means loading and unloading content from your iPhone to your computer. Nothing is more annoying than starting a download and finding out you cannot complete it because your memory is too low. This was one area that Apple missed on. Teenagers can download an amazing amount of music and video content. Having the option to use memory sticks would have been a nice feature. Many iPhone users are unhappy with the fact that the iPhone battery is sealed and cannot be changed. The overall consensus with the current owners is that they were not warned about the battery situation. Apple is being sued about the iPhone battery and the lack of disclosure on the fact it cannot be changed. I agree with the users here. If you shell out $500-$600 for a phone and it dies in 6 months, you are going to be pretty upset. The ability to change cell phone batteries is standard within the cell phone industry. Perhaps apple would have been better off with making money on battery replacements and this would have many users happy and Apple out of court. Short battery life is the number one complaint of heavy cell phone users. This is another downside to the iPhone. Finally, the calling plans that AT&T offers for the iPhone leave a lot to be desired. Lacking calling plans that allow free usage between AT&T users, or calling circles, or other forms of unlimited use, AT&T has fallen behind all of the other cell phone carriers. Furthermore, limits on area coverage and interruptions in service reduce the cell phone user's sense of freedom. This is why most of us chose to have a cell phone -- the ability to roam and call when and where we please. The iPhone and AT&T really shaft the consumer on the exclusive contract between the two. AT&T has no incentive to give better rates to iPhone users because they legally cannot go anywhere else. Roaming charges and fees for the iPhone are astronomical. This is a downside to the iPhone and it is compounded by the fact that hackers have found a way to unlock these phones so they can be used on other cell phone networks. Apple set itself up for this one, and until the exclusivity is removed, the hackers are going to be right there breaking into every code update that Apple releases. Apple has been making computers and peripheral devices for many years now. You would have thought that they would have put a little more effort into researching the effects on users that memory, battery life, and availability of an affordable cell phone plan would have on potential users. I foresee a decline in the iPhones popularity due to these concerns. Hackers will keep having a field day with unlocking iPhones until the agreement between AT&T and Apple expires, or it gets sent to the courts. It will be interesting to see how the battery issues turn out in court. There is a downside to the iPhone and Apple has done nothing to fix it. Stay in touch with your iPhone One of the biggest things that people desire when they purchase a cell phone is simplicity. They want to be able to access their phone books easily and quickly so the connect in an instant. Apple knows what adults desire, and they have created the Apple iPhone with this in mind. It is hard to believe that Apple has packed so great number features into one small device, but the company also knows what customers are looking for in their cell phones. Playing around with the iPhone is so much fun. It is easy to stay in touch with your iPhone. We communicate faster and more efficiently than ever before. Cell phones, IM, email and text messaging are all an integral part of daily life in today's society. For those who were born into this communication revolution, they expect instant contact with others and information. This is where the iPhone comes into play. Staying in contact is where the iPhone shines. It makes calling and keeping track of your contact lists a breeze. Applications such as Facebook make it possible to connect with your entire social network with just a few taps of the screen. Once speed dialing was the fastest way to communicate, now with your iPhone you can connect with just a touch or two of the screen. This is how you can stay in touch with your iPhone. One of the ways you can stay in touch with your iPhone is to create lists of frequently called numbers. Creating these lists is very easy to do. It makes no difference what your age or your status is in life, you are going to love the simplicity and the handy setup of the iPhone. It makes organizing your contacts easy and completely free of hassles. The Apple iPhone takes all of the guesswork out of making a phone call. With just one finger, you can make a call to any of the individuals on your list, either by selecting their name or their telephone number. Do you need to make a conference call? It is very simple to merge two calls that you are on so that everyone can talk at the same time. Nothing could be easier! Whether you are someone who has had a cell phone before or you are a first time user, you will find that the iPhone is everything that you could want and more. Take a look for yourself and see what the iPhone can do for you to make your cell phone calling experience a bit easier. Once you see that the iPhone is effortless to use, you will be convinced. Do you love YouTube? Many of us enjoy the videos on this website. With your iPhone, you can watch and save a video from YouTube and then send it to all of your friends with just a tap or two of the screen. You can stay in touch with your iPhone by sharing everything that you love with everyone that you love. It is quick and simple. You can even conference call. Experiencing iPhone woes? There are many forums and blogs that you can turn to for expert advice about how to use your iPhone to its maximum potential. You can find out more about how to stay in touch with your iPhone on these forums. This device is one that manages to combine fashion, form and function into a single unit. What Makes the iPhone Different When you are in the market for a new cell phone, you have a plethora of phones to choose from. One of the biggest challenges is finding the perfect phone that is compatible with your current cell phone provider. The choices slim down considerably when you start to head into the realm of smart phones. Smart phone are more expensive than others, mainly due to the fact they offer a higher end technology. The iPhone by Apple, is one of these smart phones. Why should you choose an Apple iPhone instead of another smart phone like a Blackberry? What makes the iPhone different from all of the other smart phones available. The Apple iPhone has a touch screen. While other cell phones have touch screen capabilities, most of the other smart phones do not. That is why they have keypads. The iPhone's touch screen is one of the features that have made it so popular. Everything is done through the screen. It makes texting, sorting through the main page, finding contacts and browsing the internet so easy. No awkward and cumbersome key pads to deal with (men know that these are usually too small to be practical), and no stylus to lose. Everything is done with a tough of a finger. You page through your options and make your selections with your fingertips. The volume and other controls are also controlled with just a tough or two from you. It is this ease of use that is what makes the iPhone different from the other high-end smart phones. The features of the iPhone are another way that it is different from the other smart phones. This phone is crammed packed with features. As some would say, "this is a mack daddy phone". What are the features that this phone has that others lack? First, there is the fact that the Apple iPhone has given the user the ability to have music, video content like movies and TV, texting, emailing, internet, photography and GPS navigation all in a single device. This is in addition to having great call quality. When you look at the fact that this allows the user to only need a single device instead of having to cart around a PDA, MP3 player, camera, cell phone and GPS system, and you have a very appealing device. These features are what make the iPhone different from all of the others. Is there anything else that makes the iPhone different? Yes, there are but these may not be positive differences. it is only available with AT&T's cell phone service. If you happen to be in an area with limited or no service by AT&T then you are out of luck if you want an iPhone. Another feature that makes the iPhone different is the battery. It cannot be replaced. If your battery dies, then you need a new phone. Not very good news to someone that has just spent $500 on a phone. There is no way to add to the memory of the device. You can purchase your Apple iPhone with either 6 GB, 8 GB, or 16 GB of memory. If you run out of room on your phone, you have to delete something. There are no slots for memory cards. This is something that Apple should have researched better. Teens who love music and video content can burn through 8 GB or memory in record time. Overall, what makes the iPhone different from all of the others is its ease of use and versatility. Along those lines, Apple did a fabulous job. Just like with anything else it is not a perfect phone, then again, what is? Unlocking Your iPhone: Is It A Good Idea We have all heard about unlocking your iPhone so that you can use a different SIM in it. This may be a good idea in certain situations. Many people want to unlock their iPhone to get around using AT&T as their cell phone service provider. Others just want to use the iPhone for internet and music capabilities and they do not want to use it as a phone at all. They hack the firmware so that they do not have to activate the phone on any network in order to use it. Here is the question before us. Unlocking your iPhone, is it a good idea? If you are looking to unlock your iPhone to use it on another network such as T-Mobile then you are breaking the law. It is illegal and in violation of Apple's agreement with AT&T to use it on another network. Apple receives royalties from AT&T for every iPhone that is connected to their network. Apple loses money on every hacked iPhone. Many feel that it is ok to hack the iPhone's firmware so that it can be used on another network. It is the author's standpoint that this ethically wrong. Whether you agree with AT&T and Apple's agreement or not is up to you. If you do not agree with it then do not use the iPhone as a cell phone. In this case, I do not agree with the hacking of the firmware. On the other hand if you do not want the high expense of AT&T's iPhone service and you are looking to use the iPhone for its music and internet capabilities then hacking into the firmware so that you do not have to activate the AT&T cell phone service is OK. You should be able to buy the iPhone and use it for the music, video and internet capabilities without having to connect to AT&T's cell phone network. You can use places that offer free WiFi to access the internet via your iPhone. The iPod does not give you internet capabilities. Therefore, if you want to have internet, combined with awesome content then you really do need an iPhone and you should not have to purchase expensive cell phone service in order to enjoy the reason most people buy an iPhone in the first place. Unlocking your iPhone, is it a good idea? In this case, yes it is. Then there is a third reason to hack into the firmware. This is really in a grey area as it uses the full capabilities of the iPhone, including using it as a phone. You can add Skype VOIP service for about $10 a month and then you have a WiFi phone. If you are using the iPhone in this way and do not want to use AT&T's cell phone service you are still going to have to hack into the firmware so that you do not activate the phone with AT&T. Is this in violation of the AT&T, Apple agreement? No, it is not. That agreement is for AT&T to provide exclusive cell phone service for the iPhone. The VOIP service is not cell phone service. Therefore, if you are not using another cell phone service provider for your iPhone you are not violating any agreement. This is one way to get around the exclusive contract with AT&T and still be able to send and receive calls. The only drawback is that you need to be in an area where you can pickup a WiFi signal in order to use your Skype VOIP service. Unlocking your iPhone, is it a good idea? It depends on your views. On one hand there are legal and ethical issues with hacking into the firmware in general. However, your intent on why you are doing this also comes into play. Apple and AT&T have an exclusive agreement as far as cell phone service goes. Apple does not recommend the use of any other SIM card other than the one that came with your phone but it does not specifically prohibit it either. If you bought the iPhone to use for content and internet only or even if you plan to use it as an expensive Skype VOIP phone, that is your business and you should be able to do this without signing up for expensive cell phone service you do not need. Unlocking your iPhone, is it a good idea? Perhaps. Troubleshooting Your iPhone Where you can turn to and what can you do if you are having problems with your iPhone. There are many reasons that you might be experiencing problems. Before you can correct what is wrong, you have to know what is causing your problems. Apple's website has a lot of information about what you can do to correct your iPhone problems. Listed below are some common issues. Troubleshooting your iPhone is not as difficult as you would think. Let us take a look at some common problems and solutions. Is your iPhone "frozen" or not working? If so, let's take a look and see why. Does it need to be recharged? You can charge the iPhone with a high-powered USB port, not on a low powered one. If you are using your PC to charge your iPhone, be sure that your USB port is a high-powered port. If you are using a USB hub, check the power, some are low powered, your keyboard USB port (if you have one) is low powered. Only a high-powered USB port will charge your iPhone. If you are sure that your iPhone is fully charged, try restarting it. To do this hold the sleep/wake button and wait for a red colored slider to appear. Then slide your finger across this red slider and this will turn off the unit. Wait at least 10 seconds before you restart. You restart the iPhone by holding the sleep/wake button until you see the Apple logo. Is your iPhone locked up? Did an application freeze? If you press the home button and continue holding for about 6 seconds or so you should be able to cancel the program that is locked up. Then restart your iPhone. There is the ability to actually reset the Apple iPhone. To do this you need to press and hold the wake/sleep button and the home button at the same time. Keep holding these two buttons down at the same time until the Apple Logo appears. Ignore any other symbols that may appear. It is important that you wait for the Apple Logo before releasing the two buttons. Sometimes content that is not synced properly will cause problems for your iPhone. This will require more than a restart. Connect your iPhone to your computer and go to the iTunes site. Change your sync options for each of the following categories: contacts, podcasts, calendars, videos, and MP3s. You may have to remove several files that may be causing problems. If none of the above items work when troubleshooting your iPhone, try resetting it. Go to settings and then general, then reset, then reset all settings. This will reset everything but keep all of your files and documents intact. Hopefully this will solve your problems. However if you are still having problems with your iPhone at this point you may have to reset the phone. This will unfortunately remove all of your saved files, folders, and content so do this with caution. You may want to try to backup all of your content before attempting this. To reset all of the iPhone's settings, go to settings, select general, then choose reset, and finally pick erase all contents and settings. Everything on your iPhone will be reset and all of your content that you have saved will be erased. This will include pictures, music and videos, text messages, files, folders, added on applications and more. It puts your iPhone back to the state when you first bought it. Use this option with care. As you can see there are many ways to reset or unfreeze your iPhone. If you are still having problems the best advice I can give you is to go to Apple's website and click on the troubleshooting guide for the iPhone. They have an enormous amount of information out there for you. Just go to apple.com and follow the links to get to the iPhone troubleshooting area. This may be the best way for troubleshooting your iPhone. Travel and Your iPhone Do you like to travel? Are you on the road constantly for business? Then the Apple iPhone may be the phone of choice for you. The reason for this is that the iPhone has a GPS navigator built into it. If you are always on the go, a navigator is what you need. Fussing with maps and asking for directions is a thing of the past. Nowadays, tech savvy people have a navigation system in their cars. With an iPhone, you always have your navigator with you, no matter who is driving. Travel and your iPhone; it's a match made in heaven (sort of). Why would you need a navigator on your cell phone? Anytime you need directions, to a new club perhaps, just tell it where you want to go an viola' directions are there. Even those of us who are no longer part of the club scene will benefit from having a navigation system with us at all times. You can use this to quickly find directions to the field your kid should be playing on. Perhaps the directions given to a friends party were vague. These are all situations where having a navigations system like the one included with the iPhone comes in very handy. Lost in the desert? (yes it happens) Then you really need the navigation system on your iPhone. In addition to the navigation system there are other reasons to make sure you have your iPhone with you when you travel. Aside from the fact that you will always have a cell phone with you, another advantage is that all of your entertainment is with you as well. If you are taking a long drive and there is nothing to see but cornfields for the next 400 miles, having movies, eBooks and music to entertain you can be a godsend. With the iPhone, you can take your movies and television shows with you wherever you go. This is another reason for pairing up travel and your iPhone. Are travel and your iPhone really a good match? Let's take a look and see. For example, instead of stopping to ask directions, you can get the information that you need right there on your iPhone. The Apple iPhone is right there to help you find your way with the ability to view satellite images of major street names. The iPhone can help you find landmarks and other things that you might be interested in along the way on your trip. It's like having a navigator right there with you in your car, letting you know what you need to know and getting you where you need to go. Now that you know why travel and your iPhone make such a good pair, remember to keep this in mind for your next trip. Be sure to load up on plenty of movies, eBooks, TV shows and music. Use your Apple iPhone to plan your travel route. Check the navigation system for points of interest along the way and make sure that you visit some of them. You can even mark the gas station along or near your route so you can plan a fill-up before it becomes an issue. If Apple keeps making features like this built into their cells phone AAA Travel services may get put out of business. The Dangers of Unlocking Your iPhone You may have heard that there is an unlock for the iPhone. Not only can you unlock iPhone firmware 1.0.2, now firmware 1.1.2 is also cracked and so is firmware 1.1.3. There are many ways to unlock your iPhone. If your read all of the hype, then you might think that this is not a big deal and anyone can do it. You have the choice of purchasing an unlock from iphonesimfree.com or you can search YouTube for the latest video on how to unlock your iPhone. There is risk associated with this, especially if you start messing around with the bootload program. The dangers of unlocking your iPhone may actually outweigh the benefits. Before we go any further, we need to be certain that everyone understands what we are talking about. An unlocked iPhone is an iPhone that has its firmware hacked into. The most common reason for this is so that the user can bypass the Apple -- AT&T exclusive agreement that AT&T is the sole provider of cell phone service for the iPhone. When you unlock your iPhone, you are allowing the iPhone to be used on any cell phone network using standard GSM technology. Now that we have the terms cleared up, we need to see if it is really worth risking the dangers of unlocking your iPhone. There are risks, make no mistake about it. Some of those risks are recoverable, some are not. If you make a serious mistake, you can "brick" your iPhone. In a sense, this is exactly what happens, your iPhone locks up, cannot be recovered from, and is now nothing more than an expensive brick. In order to prevent this from happening, you need to be certain that the instructions you are following are accurate. Even iphonesimfree.com will not guarantee that their software will not harm your iPhone. All they state is that it will work. They do not offer money back guarantees. Why do you need to unlock your iPhone? If you are happy with AT&T as a cell phone service provider and you enjoy their visual email (an AT&T exclusive) then there is no reason to unlock your iPhone. Just keep using it as is. You can keep upgrading to the new firmware releases without worrying about killing your iPhone. If however, you would rather use T-Mobile as a cell phone provider or if you are looking to get enhanced music and video content then you can unlock the iPhone. Here is the risk; right now, there are hacks to unlock the iPhone through firmware versions 1.1.4. However, only iphonesimfree.com states that their product is guaranteed to work with every firmware update from Apple. They claim that any unlock from them is good for every firmware update. Others claim to be able to have unlocking instructions for free that will unlock your phone without having to downgrade to firmware version 1.0.2. The problem is if you unlock your iPhone this way and then you upgrade to a higher version and it does not work, your iPhone will re-lock. If this happens then you might not be able to use your iPhone even if you go back to using the SIM card that originally came with your iPhone. Then you will have to go and figure out a way to get it to work. Apple will not be of any help to you if your iPhone bricks or even refuses to connect to a cell phone service because you decided you wanted to hack the firmware. What about buying an unlocked iPhone? Here again the dangers of unlocking your iPhone still hold true, only this time you have no idea of how the phone was unlocked. If you purchase an unlock from iphonesimfree.com and have problems you can contact them and they will help you. Vendors selling unlocked iPhones may not be so helpful. The dangers of unlocking your iPhone may not be apparently clear. However, there is a danger of ruining your iPhone. That makes it very expensive experiment. Are you sure you want or need your iPhone unlocked? If you do remember the dangers of unlocking your iPhone before you do something that cannot be undone. The Apple iPhone -- Super Phone or Super Hype The Apple iPhone, super phone or super hype? Is this cell phone really the complete package that Apple purports it to be or is it all hype? Let us take a look at the facts and fiction about the Apple iPhone to see how it really stacks up against the advertising. Ease of use, this is what Apple shows in all of its advertising. On this point, they hit it dead on. The Apple iPhone is extremely easy to use. If you can tap something with your finger or slide your finger along a screen you can use the iPhone without difficulty. For ease of use, the iPhone is a super phone. Music listening and storage. As far as sound quality goes, the iPhone is great. A set of good quality stereo earbuds are required to enjoy the iPhone's sound quality. To complete the upscale look of the iPhone, perhaps a set of Bluetooth stereo earphones are in orders. In the category of sound quality and music playback capability, the iPhone is a super phone. Storage is another feature that Apple hypes the iPhone. With 6 GB, 8 GB, and now 16 GB, this seems like a tremendous amount of storage. Here is where the downfall is, you cannot upgrade the memory or use external memory such as memory cards or sticks. Therefore you are limited by the amount of content you can have on your iPhone. You cannot take content with you. A work around could be to store content on an internet site and swap it out when you want it. Any teenager I know can blow through even 16 GB of music in an amazingly short amount of time. If you add in videos and TV shows, 16 GB becomes filled rather quickly. In the storage department, the Apple iPhone becomes hype instead of a super phone. What about battery life. Here is where there is no hype at all: actually Apple has very little to say about the iPhone's battery. Here is why. You cannot change it. Most cell phones have a removable battery. This way if it dies, you change it out with a new one. The iPhone lacks this capability. Once that battery dies and will no longer hold a charge, you need a new phone. The reason Apple is so quite about the battery is probably due to the current litigation surrounding this. Is this hype or super phone? Neither one. The battery issue definitely does not qualify it as a super phone. Apple has said very little so there really is no hype involved. Perhaps we should just categorize this as buyer beware. What about that touch screen? This is where you see the Apple iPhone hyped to the max. Is this super phone or hype? The touch screen is super sensitive. If your phone hits up against something in your pocketbook, or knocks into something while you are getting in and out of your car, you can end up calling people or having your iPhone do something weird. The touch screen does allow you to easily manipulate the iPhone. Overall, the touch screen ranks it as super phone not hype. Just be careful with it. Next there is internet access. All of the commercials for the Apple iPhone show it as a super phone when it comes to internet access. You can use any WiFi to contact friends on Facebook or watch content on YouTube. Well, the browser needs better search capabilities. This is one area where the iPhone is lacking. Another is that the iPhone's browser does not store password. This was most likely a security feature that Apple built in. Personally, you are better off it does not store your passwords. In general WiFi networks are not secure, and you do not want your banking access information readily available to the public. Is this super phone or hyper. I will give them super phone on this one although it is not any different than any other smart phone out there. The Apple iPhone, super phone or hype? It is looking like it comes out as a super phone. Especially if you want the music and internet capabilities. The Apple iPhone for Business If you view the advertising for the Apple iPhone, you would think that it is strictly for young adults to be used for pleasure. Most of the advertising focuses on the iPhone's entertainment value. They focus on music, video, and Facebook. Overall, not very business like. However, the Apple iPhone for business purposes is something you do not see advertised much. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the only service provider for the iPhone is AT&T and they are not looking to cut anyone deals on iPhone services. Nevertheless, the iPhone can be a useful business tool; one just has to decide if the cost is worth it. Is using the Apple iPhone for business really a viable option? It can be. Your particular business situation will dictate if this phone is something your company should consider or if it will be impractical. There are situations where the iPhone will shine and then there are other situations that will make it totally impractical. You should consider the Apple iPhone for business if you need to stay in contact with others constantly. This would include texting, chatting, email and cell phone communications. An ideal example for an iPhone in a business environment is a buyer for a retailer. When the buyer goes to shows or other purchasing events, using the iPhone as a camera to send potential product to management can give the competitive edge to your business. The fashion industry lends itself to iPhone use. If you are attending the fashion shows in order to see which designer lines to bring in, then the iPhone is what you need. You can snap a picture or take a video of the hottest items still on the runway, send them to purchasing and orders can be placed before the end of business that day. If your business thrives on having the latest and greatest designer fashion in your shop, then the sooner you can place orders for the upcoming season, the more profitable you will be. If you do not get the new styles in first, someone else will. Antique dealers and art collectors will benefit from having an iPhone. There is no better way to send pictures of art and antiques to clients and to your business than with an iPhone. When you are looking to make purchases, you can keep customer wish lists with you, along with their contact info. If you find something they are looking for, you can let them know before you make an offer on the item. In a sense, you are pre-selling your inventory! It does not get any better than that. These are some of the ways that using the Apple iPhone for business purposes can be profitable. This would justify the cost. On the other hand, if you are in an environment that is less than safe for a sensitive device like the iPhone then using the Apple iPhone for business probably will not make much sense. Construction sites, factories, assembly lines, shipping and receiving departments, and anything near water are not favorable to iPhone usage. The touch screen is very sensitive. Dirt, debris, water, moisture, grease and oil are not friends of the iPhone or any other cell phone. Industrial environments are too tough for this delicate phone. It does not handle being dropped well. There is a high risk of breaking the screen or damaging the unit. This is really a phone for a less stressful environment. If this is your particular business situation, then using the Apple iPhone for business is not a wise investment. Therefore, now that you understand which business applications are suitable for iPhone use and which are not, you can decide where your business fits in. Should you buy the Apple iPhone for business? If you can justify the high costs of the phones, and using AT&T for your business cell phone service the perhaps it is worth it. You are the one who knows your companies finances. If the iPhone fits in then you can consider it. However, if you are in an industry that tends to be rough on laptops and cell phones or if you require an industrial strength walkie-talkie phone due to your working environment, then using the Apple iPhone for your business is not a viable option. What should you decide on? The Apple iPhone -- Downloads and Piracy One of the biggest things that customers want they purchase a cell phone is simplicity. People want to make their calls quickly and they need to be able to access their contact lists without a fuss. The Apple iPhone makes this easy. This is why is has become so popular. That popularity has its downfall. There are many programs that can hack into the iPhone and undo the security that Apple has put into it. So what is the link between with the Apple iPhone, downloads and piracy? It is amazing that Apple has been able to pack so many features into one small device. The Apple iPhone includes widgets. These are simple but powerful programs that allow you to keep tabs on things like the weather, stocks, news and more. Everything that you could want or need to know is right there, available for you to use whenever you need it. Apple knew that downloads for their iPhone would be a hot commodity. Other software manufacturers and programming gurus know this too. They are getting into the downloadable software scene too. Many websites are geared to the iPhone user. To find them all you need to do is search for them using your favorite search engine. Some iPhone-approved websites are member's only sites that offer unlimited content such as videos, movies, music, games, and more. These websites also have free iPhone themes that you can load onto your iPhone. On many iPhone sites, there are no download restrictions on content, music, games or other items than can be transferred to your iPhone. The only limitation is the space available on your phone. You might even be able to find a website that offers a membership bonus, like the free software or CD's. A popular feature with the iPhone is the ease in downloading. This is not always easy however. Sometimes the iPhone can balk at high download speeds and takes can take its time. Slow transfer rates frustrate many iPhone users. Many younger users are used to instant downloading. Slow speeds frustrate them. For teens and those in their early 20's, 15 seconds is a long time. Knowing about potential lags in download time allows you to plan your downloads during off-peak hours. This is the case with any download from the internet. iPhone approved websites as well as non-approved (pirate sites) give you a plethora of download options. There is a good reason to use an iPhone-approved website. These sites ensure the highest standards in MP3 downloads and they assure their membership that no malware will be hidden contained in downloads or on the website. If you are more adventurous and very careful about spyware and the like, you can use unauthorized websites. Unless your phone has a problem, it may not seem like a big deal to use unauthorized software. However, if you run into a problem, Apple will void the warranty and they may lock your phone. This is one way that the Apple iPhone, downloads, and piracy are all related. Apple does not allow others to produce software for the iPhone. This is due to their proprietary operating system. However, third parties can produce peripheral devices (like headphones and docking stations). Those restrictions never bother hackers (both white and black hats). Not surprisingly, hackers have broken into the iPhone's code. This is why you see ads for "unlocked" iPhones. Pirated software disables the internal "firewall" of the iPhone, thus making it possible to use other cell phone providers other than AT&T. Apple is working at a frenzied pace on a firmware update to curtail pirating. The apple iPhone, downloads, and piracy are hot topics on the internet. If you are looking for expert advice for your iPhone, look no further than the internet. You can find many blogs and websites with important iPhone information. This is peripheral that combines function, fashion and form into one. With a statement that an iPhone makes, why not see if an iPhone will work for you. Texting and the iPhone Cell phones, IM, email and text messaging are all an integral part of daily life in today's society. For those who were born into this communication revolution, they expect instant contact with others and information. This is where texting and the iPhone come into play. The Apple iPhone offers unsurpassed accessibility, convenience, and technology, all rolled into one very portable package. Texting and the iPhone, it has never been easier to stay in touch. Staying in contact is where the iPhone shines. It makes calling and keeping track of your contact lists a breeze. Applications such as Facebook make it possible to connect with your entire social network with just a few taps of the screen. We communicate faster and more efficiently than ever before and with your iPhone you can connect with just a touch or two of the screen. You can make a call, send pictures and texts to a friend, or perhaps send email or chat via IM. This is how you can stay in touch with your iPhone. Texting is a big part of that communication capability. The Apple iPhone truly excels when it comes to its texting features. No other phone gives you the ease of use combined with constant connectivity. When texting, your iPhone flags a word that it thinks is misspelled. You can override this error flagging by telling your iPhone that this is a new word. To teach this new word to your iPhone, tap the screen 3 times to cancel the correction and the word will then become a part of your iPhone dictionary! The iPhone seeks out the typos that you make when you are texting someone and it fixes errors for you. This saves you a lot of time, because you don't have to worry about going back and fixing them yourself. Texting and the iPhone have made staying in contact easier than ever. A feature that the iPhone has that teenagers will like is the ability to send out a text message to more than one person at once. So when news that the hottest band around will be coming to town soon, your teenager can tell everyone they know about the news with just a few taps of the screen. Write a message, select a list of recipients and send to as many people as you have in your contact list! It is that simple. Texting and the iPhone is more than just another way for teenagers to stay in contact with one another. You can send texts to let clients know of a change in plans or if you are caught in traffic. Send a quick text to see if your spouse needs you to pickup something on the way home. Text the groomer to let them know you are on your way to pick up Fido. Looking to buy a gift, text the person to find out if they have a certain DVD or book. This is how we can all live better using texting and the iPhone. This little piece of technology combines form, fashion, and productivity into one device. The iPhone has become a status symbol, especially with young adults from their teens to their early thirties. If you are having trouble with texting and your iPhone there are many blogs and forums where you can get expert advice on what to do. SIM Cards For Your iPhone Here is the good news. It is easy to replace the SIM cards for you iPhone. You have to decide what purpose you want these SIM cards to perform. Some offer enhanced features to your iPhone. Many of these will work only with AT&T and cannot be unlocked. Others will actually unlock the iPhone and allow you to use it on any network, not just GSM networks like AT&T and T-Mobile. Here is the biggest problem with unlocked phones, you cannot just get them to work on any network. The cell phone provider needs the phone information from the inside of the phone in order to set up service. Therefore, in order to use an unlocked iPhone on another network other than AT&T you will have to get a SIM from a different phone and replace the SIM in your iPhone with that SIM. It is not as easy as it first sounds. You first have to activate the first phone on whatever network and then switch that SIM into an unlocked iPhone. So far so good right? But how do you change the SIM? That is easy. Look near the headphone jack. There is a little hole. Take a paper clip, unbend it, then poke into the hole. The SIM holder, located under the home button, will open up and allow you to remove the SIM. Another problem with changing the SIM of an unlocked iPhone is they may not be the same size. So you may need to get a plastic tray that helps the SIM fit into the iPhone's SIM tray better. You can also get SIM cards for your iPhone that do not need to be unlocked. Some of these offer better performance and additional features. These do not have the same issues as the unlocked, but size still can be a problem. Many will come with a plastic try that works as an adapter. For these SIM cards, all you need to do is to swap out the SIM card, your phone should remain activated. If you have trouble, contact the vendor of the SIM first, then contact Apple. Where do you buy SIM cards for your iPhone? The place with the biggest selection is eBay. As per usual, when shopping on eBay make sure you are dealing with a reputable seller. Check the seller's ratings and feedback. Also check their PayPal ratings. Never pay by check, cash, money order, or wire transfer. Always use PayPal or your credit card. On eBay there are literally hundreds of different SIM cards to chose from. Many have very vague descriptions. In addition, many of the newer SIM for 1.1.1 and higher will require a rather extensive unlock procedure. If you see terms like iphoneSIMfree, Jailbreak, or AppTapp then you know you are dealing with a SIM that will require an unlocked iPhone in order to use it. Overall, changing and locating SIM cards for your iPhone is not a difficult task. The problem lies with the SIM cards that can only be used in an unlocked iPhone. If you are planning on unlocking the 1.1.1 and higher firmware be prepared for a long drawn out process or be prepared to pay iphoneSIMfree for their version of an unlock. Then you have the issue of finding a way to use the unlocked iPhone on another network. The iPhone supposedly only works on a GSM network, which translates to AT&T or T-Mobile in the US. Exactly how these other SIM get the iPhone to work on a non-GSM network is something I have been unable to figure out. All in all be careful when purchasing SIM cards for your iPhone. Know what you are buying. Photography with Your iPhone There are an amazing amount of features available for you to use on the iPhone. In particular, your iPhone contains a two megapixel, high quality digital camera. This is great news for shutterbugs, as you do not have to take a camera and a cell phone with you. All you need is your iPhone. Digital photography with your iPhone has never been easier. Instead of using your cell phone to talk, just point and "click" actually tap your finger, to get great high resolution pictures that you can immediately send to everyone on your contact list. If you are even remotely interested in digital photography with your iPhone, you should give it a try to see how easy it really is. Even a beginner can take excellent photographs with the iPhone's built in camera. With your Apple iPhone close at hand, you never have to worry missing a chance to snap a great photograph. It is very easy to store and display all of your special photos. Just a tap of your finger will reveal all of the photos you have saved on your iPhone. In addition, when you take your pictures you have the option of posting them straight into a Mac Photo Gallery. This phone is an amateur photographer's dream come true. With your iPhone, you are always ready to capture the perfect photo opportunity. See news or traffic happening, many news stations will pay for photos and short videos taken at a scene, even if you are an amateur. Wouldn't it be nice to earn a few dollars with your cell phone? The iPhone makes showing off your pictures quick and easy because you can share them almost instantaneously after taking the pictures. You can also easily synchronize your Apple iPhone to your PC or Mac, therefore allowing for further distribution and printing of your pictures. Worries about missing great photo opportunities are a thing of the past when you carry a camera in your cell phone. The Apple iPhone's camera is well above the average cell phone standard of 1.5 megapixels. Your iPhone boasts a high resolution, two megapixel camera that is ready to use whenever you want to take a picture. If you are familiar with camera phones, you will find that photography with your iPhone results in picture quality that rivals those from a higher priced digital camera. Even in less than ideal situations such as poor lighting, the iPhone's camera automatically adjusts to make every photograph you take look fabulous. With the Apple iPhone as your camera you are only limited by creativity and available space on your phone. Photography with your iPhone is just one of the many capabilities of this cell phone. It is more like a all in one device that it is a cell phone. Combining a camera, cell phone, MP3 player, as well as the ability to search the internet and send texts and emails, you have a device that does it all. The iPhone by Apple is a piece of technology combines form, fashion, and productivity into one device. They have put a lot of functionality into the iPhone and the ability to take and share high quality, digital photographs was not overlooked. This is not surprising, as they have been in the computer and peripheral market for a long time. Music On The Go With The Apple iPhone Some people say that variety is the spice of life. This is very true. It is also true for music. In addition, if you have an iPhone there is no better way to have your music on the go. It does not matter where you are heading off to; everyone wants music in his or her life. Taking it with you is definitely the way to go. Having your music with you is almost a requirement these days. Once upon a time you would need to schlep around a CD player with you. Now, with the iPhone, your music is always close at hand. Today you can have music on the go with the apple iPhone. The portable CD player is now a thing of the past. Digital music is available as MP3's. These files are easily carried with you be it in a MP3 player or an iPhone. As an Apple iPhone owner, you can bring all of your favorite music with you, and it is right there at your fingertips. Those of you who have the Apple iPhone do not have to fret about having to bring along a separate MP3 player to listen to your music. All of the tunes you love to listen to are right there on their cell phone. The music is available to play whenever and where ever you are ready to listen to it. When it's time to rock out, you are ready to roll. The Apple iPhone makes retrieving your favorite tunes a snap. Just a touch of a finger and you can quickly browse through all of your music. You can sort and retrieve it by play lists, albums, artists, or songs. How you organize it is up to you. What if you cannot think of the album name? If you remember what the album looks like you can use program such as Cover Flow to make it easy for you to locate your favorite albums based on the graphics presented on the album cover. It's more than just music on the go with the Apple iPhone, it's an entire music library. Do you like karaoke? If you love to sing a long with your favorite song but the words elude you fear not, as long as you downloaded the music from iTunes, you can have the words appear right there on the screen. It's not a phone, it's a personal karaoke machine, compliments of your iPhone. It really doesn't get any better than this. Wait a minute, you don't have an iPhone? Where can you get one? Go to any AT&T store, they will have them. On the other hand, you can get them online. These phones may be smart, but they are quite expensive. Be sure to check for bargains no matter where you shop. In addition, take the time to get insurance on them. If they break you want AT&T to foot the bill, not you. If you are not an AT&T customer, see if they will give you a good deal on an iPhone if you switch over to their service. The cell phone business is extremely competitive, so be sure to bargain and haggle with them. You will be surprised at what might happen. If you want your music on the go with the Apple iPhone, then you are going to need and iPhone to be on the go with. Buy one, enjoy it and listen to all the music you can possibly fit onto a single phone. Marketing with Your iPhone When most people think about the iPhone they think of the younger generation talking, sending texts to millions of other teens, sharing photos, and more talking. That's what corporate America is beginning to see, especially those with savvy marketing departments. Smaller to medium sized businesses have really started to pay attention to what the younger set is doing with their iPhones and how they socialize. It is very different from what most of us grew up with. What these businesses have discovered is a virtual gold mine for sales opportunities. This is how marketing with your iPhone can help to increase your bottom line. Using a phone for marketing is not something revolutionary and new. Ever since man discovered the telephone, it has been used for sales and marketing purposes. However, in today's competitive markets, how you use the telephone is more important than ever before. Let's take a look and see how marketing with your iPhone can generate more business for your company. First of all, you will need an account with several of the social marketing websites that are out there. If you are specifically looking to target iPhone users, who happen to have more disposable income than others. This is based on the fact that they can afford a $500-600 cell phone. The websites you should be specifically looking into are Facebook and YouTube. No, these websites are not just for kids. Here is how powerful using social websites can be. Take Facebook for example. Have a programmer write a Facebook application for you to upload. This is not difficult and almost anyone with some knowledge of C++ or other language can do this for you. Have this application be unique and desirable. Perhaps make it a game, or a contact manager. Then offer a very desirable feature that can only be retrieved if they visit your website. For example, there is a fish tank application that offers glitter fish and other critters for your tank. You can only get these fish if you visit a website first. Now here is how this marketing with your iPhone helps you. Your application gets downloaded by Susie who loves it. She also wants your special feature so she visits your website, which happens to sell upscale shoes, handbags and accessories. She fell in love with your product and ordered a bag. Then she sent a notice to all of her friends about your application. Then those contacts also visited your website and sent out more links and information about your application and website to others. The "viral" marketing has started and you really did not have to do much other than getting the application uploaded to Facebook. In a nutshell, this is how you can start marketing with your iPhone. The iPhone plays a huge part in this marketing scenario listed above. You as a salesperson or marketer can use your iPhone to rate the uploaded application, keep track of who is downloading it, post messages to the blog about how great it is and invite everyone who has downloaded it to be your friend. Now, your list of friends becomes your potential customer database. You can send out special sales to these people because you know they fit into your companies demographics. More and more businesses are starting to catch onto this concept. This is one way that you can start marketing with your iPhone. YouTube is another avenue for marketing with your iPhone. There are so many ways you can use this website and your iPhone to market your business. Musicians can post demo videos out there. Companies that are offering a product can post a sample advertisement or an additional advertisement out there. Keep in mind that iPhone users can download and save these videos to their iPhones and readily share them with everyone. You want your video to be entertaining, worth sharing and effective. Selling blenders? Why not do a video on how not to use your blender. Same thing with vacuum cleaners. As you can see, marketing with your iPhone can take your business into areas that only a few are utilizing. However, each day more and more companies are joining in the social marketing revolution. Now is the time to get in on this, before everyone else does and it becomes no different that junk mail, spam, and telemarketing. iPhones on eBay Can you buy an iPhone on eBay? Yes, you can. However, there are important things to watch out for if you want to buy iPhones on eBay. With eBay it is always caveat emptor -- buyer beware. This is true when you are looking to purchase iPhones on eBay as well. If you take measures to be sure that you know what you are buying, then you can get a really great deal on an iPhone. However, if you are not careful, you will be disappointed and possibly out of a lot of money. This is what you need to be aware of when buying iPhones on eBay. First, know what you are buying and if you are not sure ask the seller before you bid. Some things to look out for are conflicting information between the title and the extended description. For example there was a listing for an unlocked 16 GB iPhone. That is what the title said. In the description is stated very clearly that this phone is locked but then went on to say that they are using it with T-Mobile, so it is clearly unlocked. The best way to resolve issues like this is to send the seller an email and ask for clarification. Save this email and the response you get so that if you are the winning bidder you have recourse if the iPhone is not as described. Know the difference between unlocked and locked. Unlocked means that the firmware has been hacked and now you can insert any chip that will work on ST&T or T-Mobile's networks. If you use T-Mobile you will lose the visual voice mail, which is an AT&T exclusive feature. In the US the iPhone will work only on cell phone networks AT&T and T-Mobile. This has nothing to do with the chip and everything to do with the wiring. The iPhone will only work on the radio frequencies that AT&T and T-Mobile provide. The terms "unlocked" and "new, unopened box" are incompatible. You have to open up the box and hack into the firmware in order to unlock the iPhone. Apple does not ship unlocked iPhones. In order to hack into the iPhone you must open the box, and hook the iPhone up to a computer. This is hardly unopened. Locked means that the firmware that Apple shipped the phone with is intact and untouched. These phones will only activate and work on the AT&T network. However, a locked phone has no issues or troubles with any firmware upgrades whereas an unlocked phone must be careful when updating to be sure they do not re-lock the iPhone. Another thing to look out for when buying iPhones on eBay is to know if the phone is refurbished, new, or used. A refurbished iPhone is one that Apple (hopefully) has taken from not working properly to a like new state. This is a great way to get an inexpensive iPhone. However, an ethical seller will clearly state that this is a refurbished item. Les scrupulous sellers may not disclose this. If unsure, ask. New and used are self-explanatory. Be alerted to the fact that there are phones that are similar in appearance to the iPhone but they are not iPhones. On eBay, you will see phones called A88, iPhone, PDA, cell phone... These are not Apple iPhones, they are iPhone look alike. Make sure that the manufacturer of any iPhone you purchase is Apple and not CECT. Finally make sure that you are aware of the sellers return policies and only pay through PayPal using a credit card or pay directly with a credit card. Never pay with cash, checks, Western Union, wire transfers or money orders. This way if you are sold a fraudulent item, you have recourse through your credit card company or PayPal. Buyers who do not take credit cards or PayPal are questionable so once again remember caveat emptor, buyer beware. eBay tries to make their venue a safe place to purchase items. An educated consumer stands the best chance of getting a good deal. Before you buy iPhones on eBay do a little research to be sure you are getting exactly what you are looking for. iPhone and Ringtones Apple knows what customers want, and they created the Apple iPhone with this in mind. This is one of the reasons the iPhone has become so popular. Your iPhone and ringtones are something to really rave about. There are many ways to customize your ringtones. Giving users the ability to personalize the way their phone rings is something that appeals particularly well to the younger crowd. They love to customize everything and to have a selection of ringtones be limitless is something teens and young adults all want. Here we will talk more about the iPhone and ringtones. In addition to its cell phone capabilities, your iPhone combines the organization of a PDA, the music of an MP3 player, and a camera all rolled up into one device. There are so many applications, features, and ways to customize it that it boggles the mind. With the ability to customize sounds and music, your iPhone and ringtones is one way of making your phone an extension of your personality. Whether you like animals sounds, voices, jazz, rock, synthesizes sounds or something completely different, your iPhone will ring just the way you design it too. This is one of the many features that make the iPhone very popular. This phone really caters to our ego. Customizing ringtones is something that the iPhone is renowned for. When you customize your ringtone, you know that it is special and that you can immediately pick it out from all the other ringtones in the surrounding area. Apple has made it easier than ever to find just the right ringtone for your iPhone. When you have a cell phone, one of the features that you want is to be able to personalize your phone by choosing your own ringtone. With some phones, it can be frustrating because you have a limited amount of ringtones to choose from. That is not the case with the Apple iPhone. With the iPhone, you can take any MP3 file and change it into your own personalized ringtone. Play the MP3, change the way it sounds through the playback features and you can save it to use as a ringtone if you desire. This is a great feature and if you have the time to put into it you can customize a ringtone for everyone on your contact list. You will know who is calling without ever looking at your phone. All you have to do is remember who has which ringtone, and you are in business. You are only limited by your imagination and the amount of memory available on your phone. There is so much that iPhone offers that it is impossible to list everything that it can do in a single article. The iPhone and ringtones are one way that this phone stands out from all of the others. Giving the iPhone the ability to customize ringtones was sheer genius. This is truly a young person's cell phone. The combination of customizable MP3's and internet access makes this a fun phone for the young professional on the go. Having you own personalized ringtone can make a statement about who you are. Apple has been making computers and peripheral devices for many years now. It is no wonder that they have made the iPhone so versatile and functional. How to Unlock Your iPhone How to unlock your iPhone. Can this be done? Yes, you can unlock your iPhone and use it on another network other than AT&T. This method first became public in August 2007. Both PC Magazine and MacWorld have published instructions on how to unlock your iPhone. Be sure that you are running the iPhone firmware that is 1.0.2 or earlier, do not upgrade your phone to 1.1.1 or later as this will relock your phone. Here is how to unlock your iPhone. Step one -- be sure you have your iPhone; the data cable and a great connection to WiFi access. Before you begin, cancel the iTunes helper that is running in the background on your PC or Mac. For the PC, bring up the task manager and in the process tab find the iTunes helper and click end process or kill process. On the Mac, go to the activity monitor and select the iTunes helper, then click on the Quit Process button. Step two -- go to the website www.widgx.org/completeunlockpack2.rar and download the file, then unzip it to your PC or Mac desktop. Also, download and unzip to your desktop, www.widgx.or/iphonefirm1.0.2.zip. Once you have these files unzipped and available on your desktop, you are ready to begin unlocking your iPhone. Step three -- get iTunes version 7.4.12 from filehippo.com. Install this on your computer. When we start the unlock process you may get a message to upgrade iTunes, ignore this message; do not upgrade. Step four -- if you are not unlocking your iPhone new and out of the box, then backup all of your content; music, videos, photos, applications, everything to your Mac or PC. If you leave it on the iPhone and do not back it up, you will lose all of your content forever. Step five -- put your iPhone into restore mode. To do this press and hold the following 2 buttons at the same time -- the sleep/wake button and the home button. Continue holding these two buttons at the same time until you see a yellow warning triangle, then let go. Ignore all other icons and wait for the triangle. Ignore the Apple logo, which may appear several times. Once the triangle appears, let go of the buttons. Step six -- be sure that you have the firmware version 1.0.2 on your desktop. Then launch iTunes, you will see a message that iTunes detected your iPhone in restore mode. Press the shift key then press restore. This is very important that you press and hold the shift key before you click on restore. You will then get a message asking you what firmware you want to restore to. Choose 1.0.2 by double clicking on it. Then wait. This will take a little bit of time, your iPhone will go through several different cycles as it installs the firmware, leave everything finish and do not touch your computer or phone until this step completes. When this step completes, close iTunes. Step seven -- Open the folder that you downloaded earlier. Look for the AppTapp installer. Launch the AppTapp installer. When prompted for the firmware version choose version 1.0.2. Then click install. This will take some time as the program will be downloading and installing files to your computer. Make sure no other programs are running at this time. Your iPhone will cycle through a few times, let everything go. When it is done click on OK. The install bar may not go all the way to the end, but when your iPhone goes back to the world screen and the black screen closes on your computer, you are done. Step eight -- Go to the folders that you downloaded earlier, and look in the backup folder for a file that says point and click here for activation. Then click on the file that says CLICK HERE. A message will ask you if you are ready, just hit any key to continue. Once this is done, turn the phone off, then on again. Now you are ready to insert the SIM of your choice into your iPhone. Step nine -Turn off your phone. Using a paper clip, unfold it. Then insert it into the hole located next to the headphone jack. This opens up the SIM holder. Remove and replace the SIM with whatever SIM you prefer. Turn on your iPhone and that's it. This is how to unlock your iPhone. Features of your iPhone The features of your Apple iPhone are so numerous that to list them all would fill an eBook. Your iPhone includes widgets that help you to keep up to date with things such as the weather, stock reports, and anything else that you might wish to keep your eye on. Everything that you could desire or need to know is right there, available for you to use whenever you need it. It is this ease of use combined with a plethora of features that has made the iPhone so popular. The iPhone not only is a great phone and camera, but it is also a wonderful way to get rid of boredom. With the Apple iPhone, you take the ability to find out everything that you need right there on your cell phone. The features of your iPhone include accessibility, convenience, and technology, all rolled into one very portable package. It is able to be used by professional and novice users alike. The Apple iPhone is one of the most amazing pieces of technology that is available today. It makes no difference what you are looking for in a cell phone; you will find that the iPhone delivers it fully. The Apple iPhone is equipped with something called an SMS application, which includes a QWERTY soft keyboard that is highly intelligent. This phone literally has it all -- phone, Internet access, games, music, and a built-in digital camera. The iPhone reacts to the gentlest touch to the sensors embedded into the screen's surface. This allows the user to perform a variety of tasks such as dialing, scrolling, or searching, by using the screen. It does not get any easier. It is also a breeze to adjust the volume on your iPhone so that you do not disturb the people around you. If you can operate a DVD player then you can use an iPod. The controls are very similar to each other. You can play, stop, rewind and pause, just like on the remotes you are used to. The Apple iPhone has an maple screen of 3.5 inches and this allows you to enjoy anything that you rented or purchased from the form iTunes or downloaded from YouTube. The iPhone comes with three choices of capacity -- 6 GB, 8 GB or 16 GB. A major complaint is that the iPhone lacks any ability to expand the memory. Connecting to the internet is one of the iPhone's featured abilities, many feel that the search tools need massive improvement in their functionality. Furthermore users state that the browser has difficulty saving password information. The touch-screen makes scrolling really a breeze. The iPhone lets you adjust the size of the fonts to make reading more enjoyable. It has a magnifying glass feature that lets you zoom in on a single word or section of words. To access the magnifying glass, just tap and hold the screen. Focusing on the area you are editing makes it easier to view your work on this smaller screen. These features of your iPhone make reading and editing email and texts easy. There are many blogs and forums where you can get expert advice on how to use your iPhone. The iPhone has become a status symbol. This little piece of technology combines form, fashion, and productivity into one device. With so many features of your iPhone to explore, it could take weeks before you understand its full functionality. Apple has been making computers and peripheral devices for many years now. It is no wonder that they have made the iPhone so versatile and functional. Customize Your iPhone with Accessories One of the biggest features that people want when they purchase a cell phone is simplicity. They want to be able to make their calls quickly and easily, without having to fret about locating the number that they are searching for. Apple knows what customers want, and they take created the Apple iPhone with this in mind. This is one of the reasons this phone has become so popular. Another reason is that you can customize your iPhone with accessories. The power of the iPhone is like an uncapped volcano. There are so many applications, features, and ways to customize it that it boggles the mind. The Apple iPhone includes widgets that help you to keep up to date with things such as the weather, stock reports, sports, and anything else that you might desire to keep a close eye on. Everything that you could desire or need to know is right there, available for you to use whenever you need it. The Apple iPhone offers unsurpassed accessibility, convenience, and technology, all rolled into one very portable package. Your iPhone combines the organization of a PDA, the music of an MP3 player, and a camera all rolled up into one device. It is customizable to suit your exact needs and no two people use their iPhone in the same way. It is powerful enough to be used by professionals and easy enough novice users to get started with it quickly. What can you do to add to the enjoyment from your iPhone? Can you customize your iPhone with accessories? You are in luck because there are many ways to customize and add accessories to your iPhone. First, you can purchase the iPhone case or wallet. Your iPhone will then travel with you by hooking onto your pants, belt, or hang from a shoulder strap. Another accessory that is a must have for ease of use while driving or hands free mobility, is a Bluetooth headset for your iPhone. This is a requirement for using your cell phone in your car in many states. It is also a safety issue. You should always drive hands free. For cell phone users on the move, there is a sports band available. This accessory is used to attach your iPhone to your arm while jogging, walking, or exercising so you can keep in touch with everyone. Skins and screens are another way to personalize your iPhone's look. The skin pictures are fashionable and attractive but unobtrusive. They maintain access to the essential controls of your iPhone such as those used for navigation, charging connections, and access to the touch-screen. If you desire variety, buy many skins and change the look of your iPhone to match your mood or your clothing. Another option that is a must is a screen protector. The screen protector reduces damage from scratches and dirt. Most skins fit over the screen protector however; you can buy some skins that come with a screen protector already built in. When the screen protectors get dirty, just replace them. The skins are inexpensive enough so that when they get soiled you can replace them instead of trying to wash them. In addition to being able to customize your iPhone with accessories, there is so much that it offers that it is impossible to list everything that it can do. Apple has put a lot of functionality into the iPhone. This is not surprising, as they have been in the computer and peripheral market for a long time. Apple iPhone and AT&T The Apple iPhone and AT&T, is exclusivity a good thing? The answer to the question depends on what side of the market you fall. If you are a consumer, exclusive agreements are rarely a good thing. On the other hand, if you are a retailer or provider of services, exclusive contracts can help increase profitability and market share. Here is a discussion of both sides of this coin. Apple entered into an agreement with AT&T so that AT&T is the official and exclusive provider of cell phone service for Apple's highly coveted iPhone. If you happen to be Apple or AT&T this is a great thing. Apple makes money off of the sale of every iPhone and it collects royalties from AT&T for every cell phone contract sold to an iPhone user. Not a bad deal for Apple. AT&T profits because in theory every Apple iPhone sold will have to activate an AT&T cell phone agreement. Nice piece of the cell phone service pie for AT&T. As far as these two companies go, there is a lot of money to be made from this agreement. Furthermore, it saves Apple the hassle of having to make different phones or different SIM cards for all of the major cell phone service providers. From the perspective of Apple and AT&T this is a great arrangement. However, this agreement of the Apple iPhone and AT&T has opened up the door to a massive hacking movement. I am not sure that this is such a bad thing for Apple, although they claim different. Owning and using an unlocked phone is a status symbol in itself. A way of "sticking it" to corporate America. Apple may just be selling more phones because of this. It is free and effective advertising resulting in sales for Apple. I'm sure AT&T does not appreciate the hacking, as they have nothing to gain from it. This is the corporate end of the Apple iPhone and AT&T equation. What does the exclusive agreement with the Apple iPhone and AT&T mean to the consumer? It means that there is a limited way of acquiring this phone. If you already have a relationship with a cell phone service provider other than AT&T and do not wish to change, then owning an iPhone is going to be difficult. What if you love the iPhone's music and content features but do not want to use it as a cell phone. The Apple iPod does not offer internet access. One of the main selling points of the iPhone is internet abilities and music functionality. If you love MP3's, videos, TV shows, and movies then the iPhone is a dream come true. However as soon as you go to open up your iTunes account and plug your phone into your computer you will be asked to sign up for AT&T's cell phone service with your credit card. If you do not pass their credit check or if you do not want to use AT&T this limits you and actually excludes you from using the iPhone. In this scenario the Apple iPhone and AT&T agreement is bad for consumers because it limits free and open competition in the marketplace. AT&T has no incentive to offer any deals on cell phone service to iPhone customers. However, no one likes to be excluded not even once. Stating you have an exclusive agreement is an open invitation to every hacker on earth to prove your agreement is not exclusive and they will find a work around. This is exactly what has happened and in this case the consumer may have a partial victory. There are free unlocks available for your iPhone on YouTube for versions of their firmware up to 1.1.3. There are software programs available for under $100 that will unlock your iPhone in seconds, with just a few clicks. An unlocked phone will work with T-Mobile and AT&T in the US or on any other standard GSM cell phone network. All you will need ids the correct SIM card. In addition, with the unlocks available, you do not have to use the cell phone service at all. You will still be able to download content to your phone either via your computer or via WiFi. Furthermore, you can get Skype VOIP service for your iPhone and get around the whole cell phone issue entirely. This is how the Apple iPhone and AT&T agreement has ended up. It looks like in the long run AT&T could be the loser. Websites for Your iPhone You have seen all of the ads. The Apple iPhone is one of the few phones that are truly internet friendly. There are many places to visit with a mobile phone, but depending on your phone and connection speeds, you may be seriously disappointed. The iPhone has revolutionized how we access the internet with our cell phones. If you don't believe this, just take a look at how many websites offer iPhone content. There are a number of really good websites for your iPhone. The ones listed below are just a few of them. Facebook is a website that seems to have been designed for an iPhone. There are many mobile applications available for free downloading on Facebook. A visit to this website via your Apple iPhone will allow you to share photos, thoughts, ideas, and more with your entire social network. Online social networking websites are becoming more popular everyday. If you do not believe this just look at how many new Facebook and MySpace accounts are opened everyday. This is not just for children. With Facebook and an iPhone, you can stay in touch with your teenagers. It's easy to keep tabs on them if you have them list you as a friend in their Facebook profile. This way with a few taps of the screen, you can see who their friends are. You will know where they are going and what they are doing because you can easily ask them. This is one way to make websites for your iPhone work for you. Another website for your iPhone is YouTube. The movies and other items available for download on YouTube are iPhone compatible. You do not need a converter application to download and view content from YouTube on your iPhone. YouTube and Apple have worked together on this so that with your iPhone your access to the fun on YouTube is quick and easy. This comes in handy when you are on a trip or away from your computer and boredom is setting in. YouTube has a lot to offer. From the funny to the absurd to things of a more serious nature, you can always find something there to entertain you. Have bored kids in the back of the car? Hand them YouTube on your iPhone and let them watch short clips from the Muppet Show. Sitting in a waiting room for what seems like an eternity? Why not check out the content on YouTube and other websites to keep you from being bored to tears. After all, it is much better than just sitting there listening to your hair grow. Another website that is a must visit for Apple iPhone users is iTunes. This is where you can download a plethora of content for your iPhone. With what seems like an endless supply of movies, TV shows, eBooks and music, you could literally spend days searching and downloading everything that appealed to you. This is how iTunes and other websites for your iPhone help keep you entertained. These are just three of the most popular websites for your iPhone. The great thing about this is that you can access them via your Apple iPhone or with your PC or MAC. How about that for easy access. Has the iPhone revolutionized the communication industry? Perhaps not single-handedly but it sure has contributed to it.
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