iPhone/smart phone/tech savvy peeps come in here

[Brandon04GT]

So I received a brand new iPhone 4S for my birthday last week which I was very appreciative of. I am very behind technology and I've been getting by just fine with my old flip phone and old laptop and I've never kept up with all the new technological lingo. To be honest I don't know if i'm ready to transition to having a smart phone and dealing with all the crap that sometimes comes with it. I have a few questions/concerns that maybe you smart phone savvy peeps can help me with:

1. This phone originated from Singapore and it is factory unlocked. So far I've had it reset and everything is in English, the region is set to United States and everything. However, when tinkering with the phone, it still seems to have some Asian-region formatting embedded in it. For instance, when typing in a phone number in the "Phone" section in settings, it will group the numbers by 4's (ie. xxxx xxxx instead of xxx xxx xxxx like USA format). For some reason this just annoys me. Is there a such thing as hard resetting the iPhones operating system to be 100% like the phones purchased here?

2. I currently use AT&T and one of my buddies has told me that they suck for data plans. He said that Verizon and Sprint don't use sim cards and since my phone takes one, that means only AT&T and T-Mobile is available to me. He also said something like T-mobile does not support certain 3G frequencies and the iPhone 4S does not have 4G......so does that mean this kind of narrows down what provider I can use for data? How do I even know if my phone is compatible with T-Mobile or not since it was not even purchased here?

3. It sounds like this "4G" data technology is the newest and current one. How outdated is my iPhone?

4. Is it true that having a screen lock password will prevent a thief from jacking my phone and being able to use it? Or is it just a small hindrance for them and it can easily be hard reformatted if stolen?

5. Call me paranoid, but doesn't the iPhone 4S have some kind of embedded GPS and I can be tracked 24/7 without me knowing?

6. Is there anything else I should know? I'm gonna miss being able to throw my old flip phone around, picking up with my hands wet, or just buying a new one on ebay for $25 bucks if it breaks. I heard if the iPhone gets dropped once at the right spot, the screen cracks. There goes $500 bucks....


Thanks!
Brandon

[Jimvh2]

I've used an Iphone for several months and know just enough to be dangerous...

1. I would take it to Apple and have them reformat it. If it's still under warranty they may just exchange it.

2. My Verizon phone has a mini sim.

3. You're a phone behind. The Iphone 5 came out late last or early this year (I think)

4. If you lose your phone - someone can plug it in their Itunes account and reformat. This removes the lock and all of the apps. But the # stays in it.

5. Yes it has GPS. Find my friends app will show a snapshot for anyone you're friended. Most phones have a tracking of some sort - don't you wants crime dramas?

6. Go to an Apple store and take a class, they teach the cool stuff you're phone will do. Plus there's a cutie or 2 in there.

[the86d]

5) Yes, I saw a vid that states it tracks you even when location settings(?) are off, and update later when you turn them back on. I don't like devices that I cannot remove the battery from... But I have LOTS of tin-foil.

If someone factories one of these devices, and then wants to use it without service, do they have to be activated on cell-service so you can buy from the Apple-store to use as a one-trick-pony-dash-cam?

If so: Can you circumvent activation via jailbreak?

[Rusty_Rebar]

When you say you reset everything, do you actually mean you reset it, or do you mean you found a bunch of language settings in the menus and changed them? You will want to be sure and do a full factory reset. When you start it up again after that you should have to go through a full setup including putting in your apple id etc...

[mikedbom]

1. This phone originated from Singapore and it is factory unlocked. So far I've had it reset and everything is in English, the region is set to United States and everything. However, when tinkering with the phone, it still seems to have some Asian-region formatting embedded in it. For instance, when typing in a phone number in the "Phone" section in settings, it will group the numbers by 4's (ie. xxxx xxxx instead of xxx xxx xxxx like USA format). For some reason this just annoys me. Is there a such thing as hard resetting the iPhones operating system to be 100% like the phones purchased here?

You can reset your phone by connecting to itunes on your pc. You will need to download itunes and create an apple account. once that is done, you can restore the phone to original settings. You can also go into settings on the phone, tap General, scroll down and tap reset. There are reset options in there.

2. I currently use AT&T and one of my buddies has told me that they suck for data plans. He said that Verizon and Sprint don't use sim cards and since my phone takes one, that means only AT&T and T-Mobile is available to me. He also said something like T-mobile does not support certain 3G frequencies and the iPhone 4S does not have 4G......so does that mean this kind of narrows down what provider I can use for data? How do I even know if my phone is compatible with T-Mobile or not since it was not even purchased here?

I use AT&T for data and have no problem. I'm sure Verizon folks will have their own reasons for liking Verizon but AT&T is just as good in my opinion. 4G is not the newest network...LTE is the latest and greatest. Iphone5's and other newer smart phones have LTE capability and it is lightening fast compared to 4G. I would advise against going with T-Mobile due to coverage issues.

3. It sounds like this "4G" data technology is the newest and current one. How outdated is my iPhone?

The 4S is a good phone and is not that old. Right now at AT&T, the 4S and 5 are the same price with a 2-year commitment.

4. Is it true that having a screen lock password will prevent a thief from jacking my phone and being able to use it? Or is it just a small hindrance for them and it can easily be hard reformatted if stolen?

A screen lock will prevent someone from getting into your phone. If you forget your password, you will have a certain amount of tries to unlock it and then it will lock you out for 10 mins, an hour, and then forever. You will need Apple support to unlock it again or you'll need to restore it.

5. Call me paranoid, but doesn't the iPhone 4S have some kind of embedded GPS and I can be tracked 24/7 without me knowing?

Most new phones have GPS. Whether you can be actually tracked is a question for the conspiracy theorists. Like mentioned earlier, there are apps that can track your phone but you have to allow it.

6. Is there anything else I should know? I'm gonna miss being able to throw my old flip phone around, picking up with my hands wet, or just buying a new one on ebay for $25 bucks if it breaks. I heard if the iPhone gets dropped once at the right spot, the screen cracks. There goes $500 bucks....

My advice is to get a good case for the phone. The new iphones are very nice but I put mine in an Otterbox case. I have dropped it several times from about 5 feet and it has survived. My first phone didnt have a case and I dropped it once and shattered the screen. Good news is, you can replace the screen and battery if needed. Screens are around $14 on amazon including tools. Batteries are about the same price. There are some good youtube videos showing how to do it. But if you are not good with electronics, take it to the Apple store...$100 for a screen replacement or battery change.

I hope that helps.

[LightsOut!]

1. This phone originated from Singapore and it is factory unlocked. So far I've had it reset and everything is in English, the region is set to United States and everything. However, when tinkering with the phone, it still seems to have some Asian-region formatting embedded in it. For instance, when typing in a phone number in the "Phone" section in settings, it will group the numbers by 4's (ie. xxxx xxxx instead of xxx xxx xxxx like USA format). For some reason this just annoys me. Is there a such thing as hard resetting the iPhones operating system to be 100% like the phones purchased here?
Go to SETTINGS, and you can perform a factory reset, no problem. I've done this before with an imported phone. No need to go to AT&T or through iTunes.

2. I currently use AT&T and one of my buddies has told me that they suck for data plans. He said that Verizon and Sprint don't use sim cards and since my phone takes one, that means only AT&T and T-Mobile is available to me. He also said something like T-mobile does not support certain 3G frequencies and the iPhone 4S does not have 4G......so does that mean this kind of narrows down what provider I can use for data? How do I even know if my phone is compatible with T-Mobile or not since it was not even purchased here?
You will need a new SIM, but in this case, you will have to go to the AT&T store. You will need a new MICRO SIM for the iPhone through AT&T. It's easy to swap though once you have it. For the 4S, it should show 3G only (max). The iPhone 5S supports 4G/LTE, though.

3. It sounds like this "4G" data technology is the newest and current one. How outdated is my iPhone? Not that outdated. It's not THAT big of a difference.

4. Is it true that having a screen lock password will prevent a thief from jacking my phone and being able to use it? Or is it just a small hindrance for them and it can easily be hard reformatted if stolen? Having the screen lock helps. What's more important is setting up "Find My iPhone" though this is somewhat flawed as well. But yes, if someone finds it, they can wipe it through iTunes.

5. Call me paranoid, but doesn't the iPhone 4S have some kind of embedded GPS and I can be tracked 24/7 without me knowing? Find My iPhone. But once the device is out of battery or power, it cannot be tracked.

6. Is there anything else I should know? I'm gonna miss being able to throw my old flip phone around, picking up with my hands wet, or just buying a new one on ebay for $25 bucks if it breaks. I heard if the iPhone gets dropped once at the right spot, the screen cracks. There goes $500 bucks.... Buy a sturdy case like the Otterbox Defender.


Thanks!
Brandon

[Brandon04GT]

Thanks for the responses guys. When I mentioned that I reset the phone, I meant that I went through the settings and selected a full factory reset to make it as if the phone was just taken out the box. What I think is that factory firmwares are still region based and so i'm trying to see if I can make it so everything is US based.

So as far as the tracking, as long as I don't have a "find my friends/find my iphone" app, does that mean I am mostly safe?

[LightsOut!]

Thanks for the responses guys. When I mentioned that I reset the phone, I meant that I went through the settings and selected a full factory reset to make it as if the phone was just taken out the box. What I think is that factory firmwares are still region based and so i'm trying to see if I can make it so everything is US based.

So as far as the tracking, as long as I don't have a "find my friends/find my iphone" app, does that mean I am mostly safe?

Check under the General Settings > International menu. By default, it may be set to a different region, not necessarily firmware related.

What do you mean by safe? The Find My iPhone app helps you track your phone in case it gets lost, not vice versa.

[Brandon04GT]

Thanks. I just checked the "International" menu, and everything is in English/United States.

So AT&T only offers a 5gb max data plan right now for like $70 a month. I just spoke with a T-Mobile rep online and another one over the phone and they told me a few different things.

Basically they told me that currently they have an unlimited talk/text/web 4G for $70 a month. I could get that, but it would be a waste of money since I can only connect at 3G speeds. They mentioned that the unlimited 4G plan is only up to a certain amount, then it drops to 3G. So having a 3G only plan aint all that bad.

They then told me they offer an unlimited talk/text/web 3G for $50 a month. Both contract free.

That sounds really good to me....$50 for unlimited everything. Unless there is a catch?

And as far as all this 3G/4G talk....does it basically just mean connection speeds? Like having a 5, 10, 15 mbps home internet package? What would 3G be equivalent to?


Thank you

[LightsOut!]

No problem! I would just stick with the 3G plan on the iPhone 4S; not worth the extra $.

3G is just the type of signal/network/technology (yes, it correlates with speed).

4G is the latest type of signal/network in its "planning/development" stages, and will be the new standard.

That's why you see 3G/4G networks that are cross-compatible. 4G is slightly faster than 3G, but not significantly noticeable. So yes, as an example, you can say 3G is like a 3MB DSL line, and the 4G can be like a 4-4.5~MB DSL line.

[Brandon04GT]

Alrighty, thanks. I bought a Magpul field case online but I think I like the looks of the Ottobox better. The Armor series looks pretty serious, but at $100 bucks, double the weight and almost an inch thick, I think the Defender series is a much better all-round option.

Best buy has it for like $50 bucks but eBay has it for about $28 shipped lol. I'm trying to make sure if it's the same thing since the price difference is too good to be true.

[LightsOut!]

You're welcome. Yeah, I get all my iPhone accessories through Amazon or eBay; no problems whatsoever. The Magpul ones are nice, but does not absorb drops as well. My friend managed to chip his Magpul one on his iPhone 4.

[jbj]

The screen protectors are a good investment. Besides keeping your grubby chicken-eatin' prints off the screen, anything metal in your pocket can scratch the screen (ask me how I know).

[LightsOut!]

Yep, fully protected front and back. It helps a lot.

[Brandon04GT]

Yup....I have a front and back screen protector film thingy on already. The only problem is the camera lenses are not protected and I know it's just a matter of time till they get all scratched up. Don't think there's anything I can do about it though.

I'm also gonna have to get used to not keeping my phone and keys in the same pocket....oh the joys of having an expensive phone that will eventually be worth close to $0 in a couple of years...

BTW, can anyone recommend the best GPS app to download? unless google maps has GPS already. Might be something I could actually use if/when I get lost driving.

Also, are you supposed to download an iPhone app if you wanted to use your iPhone like an iPod? Or is that "Music"?