So you just got an iPhone -- now what?
All day on December 25, TUAW presents "Now What?" We've got first steps and recommendations for all the Apple gifts you (hopefully!) found under the tree today. Happy holidays!
Congratulations, you've finally gotten an iPhone! It's either your very first one, or you've managed to upgrade to the iPhone 3G. As with any new hardware purchase, now you get to have even more fun selecting accessories for it.
How to use your iPhone
There is plenty of information out there if you're looking for a basic guide to the functions of your new iPhone. One of the best sources for free information is right here at TUAW. Here's a couple of tips to help you get started:
- Taking screenshots: Hold down the home button and then quickly press the sleep/wake button. You'll see a flash and hear the sound of a camera click, and a screenshot of your current screen will be placed in the Camera Roll under Photos.
- Back to home: If you're browsing a page on a home screen other than the initial one, press the home button again and it'll take you back to the first page of the home screen. You can also speed-scroll through your home screens by tapping to the left or the right of the white & gray page indicator dots at the bottom of the screen.
- Back to the top of the screen: In both Mobile Mail and Mobile Safari, if you've scrolled down to the bottom of the page and want to get back to the top easily, just tap the menu bar and your page will spring back to the beginning.
Headphones
If you're like a good many people, you want to replace the stock Apple earbuds as soon as possible. I love my Bose In-Ear headphones, for example. Shure is another excellent brand for purchasing earbuds, and their SE110MPA Sound Isolating Stereo Headset includes an inline microphone and a control button for receiving and ending calls. Sennheiser also makes a similar headset, but for a lower price. For the true audiophiles, there's Etymotic's hf2 headset. If you have $350 to spend, there is the Beats headphones by Dr. Dre.
If you like Apple's headset but find that it's a poor fit, then it's worth the $9 to purchase a set of BudFits. They attach onto Apple's earbuds and then wrap around your earlobe for a very secure fit.
Cases
There is no shortage of cases out there, and you can easily find one to fit your needs and to protect your investment. For the full body armor experience, you can't go wrong with the iSkin revo. The major downside to this product is that you do need to remove the plastic cover over the touchscreen in order to use it. I recently got my hands on the iCase Slider, which offers the same amount of protection, but leaves the touchscreen exposed. You can also slide the bottom off so you can dock your iPhone, and it feels great in the hand.
For those wanting a leather case, Sena makes a very nice line of products, from wallets to pouches. For those wanting a case that allows you to use prop up the iPhone so you can watch video, check out a product such as the Power Support Crystal Jacket. Power Support also makes a nice film that products your touchscreen from fingerprints and smudges.
Apps and Games
You've most likely browsed through the App Store by the time you've read this article, but there is a lot to choose from. Some of the best applications I've come across include (all links below open iTunes):
- Getting groceries: For groceries and personal items, GroceryIQ is a fantastic list application. It even lists local brands such as Shamrock Farms here in Arizona and is currently on sale for $.99USD
- To-do lists: The front-runners are Things and OmniFocus, though after having purchased the latter, I do believe there are better alternatives. There is also much love for Remember the Milk for those who are pro members of that site, and ToDos is a great, basic and free to-do application.
- Games: Some of the most-talked about games at the moment include Rolando and SimCity. Tap Tap Revenge is a very popular and free take on the Guitar Hero/Rock Band franchise, and it's also available in several paid versions, one featuring music from Nine Inch Nails.
- Books: If you're a bibliophile like I am, then definitely download the Shakespeare application. All of the Bard's works at your fingertips for free! I am also a big fan of Classics and the way the app presents legendary works of literature.
- Finances: Mint's new application has made me a devotee of the site -- and both the main site and the iPhone application are free. There are also banking applications from Chase and AT&T's Mobile Banking application.
- Instant Message: While there are free basic applications out there for AIM and a few others, the best IM experience I've had on the iPhone is with BeeJive IM. I balked at the cost at first, but managed to buy the application while on sale. It's been the best app purchase I've made to date. It's easy to use, does not lose the connection easily, and if I exit and go to another application, BeeJive will keep me logged in and store messages for me to read when I return back to it.
What other iPhone accessories, apps, or games would you suggest for those getting their first ones? Let us know in the comments!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
waiownsyou said 3:08PM on 12-25-2008
God, you guys should merge all these into one big ass "So you just go an i[Item] -- now what?" to save page retail space.
Oh and Merry Christmas
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mark said 3:10PM on 12-25-2008
Hack it!
www.hackthatphone.com
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alpayerturkmen said 3:18PM on 12-25-2008
So I am bored with all those "now what?" stories -- now what?
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John said 4:16PM on 12-25-2008
Trace is an awesome free game
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BJ Nemeth said 3:28PM on 12-25-2008
Regardless of the criticism, I thought today's series of articles was a great idea. I thought it was timely and useful, and appropriate content for a slow day that would otherwise probably see only one or two posts, if that.
Keep up the good work, TUAW!
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Michael Rose said 4:38PM on 12-25-2008
Thanks BJ!
Tom Neff said 3:41PM on 12-25-2008
Get the Apple TTY Adapter - they sell it for adapting deaf devices to the iPhone - but it also adapts your existing 2.5mm telephone headsets. Great for the gadget bag.
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Elam said 3:47PM on 12-25-2008
Great series of posts...
I think the Griffin Tech Clarifi case has got to be considered when looking at 3G cases.
http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/clarifi
The built-in lens has worked great when I tried it out...now I just need to upgrade my own phone to a 3G :-)
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Klaus said 4:08PM on 12-25-2008
Get some cool ringtones for it:
http://www.ringtonefeeder.com/
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TMM said 4:46PM on 12-25-2008
Again: No Koss Porta Pro in your list.
They are a STEAL for the money and their sound is - although a little bass heavy and warm - very, very good and they can compete to much more expensive cans easily.
I'm really suprised to not see them mentioned on any of your posts about iPod / iPhones ...
I can recommend them.
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Faye said 5:14PM on 12-25-2008
I love "Easy Writer" for email; it lets you type in landscape mode ... great for people with 'fat finger syndrome' .... and if you use more than one email account, it lets you choose which one to use when you finish typing your message and are ready to send it.
For those of us who are hockey nuts:
1) You can get the schedule for just about any of the NHL teams in the Free section of the iTunes store
2) HockeyScores is ad-supported, free app, with the latest scores.
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balls said 6:07PM on 12-25-2008
My GF got me these http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/tunebudsmobile
I wouldn't have expected them to be that good, but they're actually pretty good. Nice braided cable, and suprisingly fit really well.
If you're on a budget, I would give them a try.
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Squid7085 said 6:55PM on 12-25-2008
I just want to know how many iPhones were under trees this holiday season. :-)
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robogobo said 7:00PM on 12-25-2008
um, jailbreak it, duh.
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tnstatc said 9:09PM on 12-25-2008
I don't use my iPhone as an iPod much, except when I'm out walking. So I'm not real motivated to spend a bunch of money on fancy ear/headphones that won't get that much use. But the Apple earbuds won't stay in my ears. I asked for a set of Comply Whoomp! earbud enhancers (http://www.complyintheear.com/products/whoomp/whoomp-earbud-enhancers/) this Xmas and tried them out this morning. They perform as advertised - they stayed in my ears, the sound was better (directed towards my ears), and they didn't hurt. Not bad for $20 (for two sets plus a little zipper case to hold them and the earbuds).
And the best iPhone case on the planet has gotta be the Otterbox Defender (http://www.otterbox.com/iphone-cases/iphone-3g-defender-case/) (there's one for the iPod Touch, too). It's a little pricey, but it combines the best features of both hard cases and silicone, has screen protection, and comes with a holster. And their customer service is awesome -- I broke the belt clip on the holster, and not only did they honor the lifetime warranty, they sent me two new holsters, so if I break another one, I'll have one on hand while I wait for the replacement.
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Jose said 9:59PM on 12-25-2008
Uh... return it and get a Blackberry!
Raheem said 9:12AM on 12-26-2008
Lmao... no way Jose!
(I like to do much more than e-mail :P)
Olga said 1:08AM on 12-26-2008
I would add to the list of to-do software Task2Gather. It is a deal! this app allows for full-scale collaboration on the go: http://task2gather.com/site/iphone.html
It has online version that works via desktop PC or Mac.
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Mac Diva said 9:36AM on 12-26-2008
I recommend Avatron's Air Sharing. This iPhone app makes it possible to share files between the iPhone and any computer on your Wi-Fi network. You treat Air Sharing as a server.
I also find Apple's Remote application a good companion for my Apple TV, especially when I can't find the little remote that comes with Apple TV. It replicates your Apple TV's content and controls on your iPhone. (Those remotes are the perfect size for misplacing.)
My most addictive game application is Wurdle, a find words strategy game. It is hard to quit. I second the shout out for Classics. You might want to start with Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol."
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Miguel said 9:21AM on 12-31-2008
Wi-fi if you´re not using 2.2 firmware. Since I upgraded it, my Wi-fi keeps dropping. I tried to use it with public Wi-Fi, to no avail