Wondering what is an iPhone, exactly? Apple's successful contribution to the cell phone industry rolls up features common to cell phones and multimedia devices and packs them into a single gadget.
The iPhone is a smart phone.
The iPhone isn't just a cell phone; it belongs to that nebulous category of phones known as "smart phones," which can handle a million other tasks. With all of the functionality built into an iPhone, you can't even say it's primarily a cell phone; the cell phone feature almost seems secondary. But the iPhone is a cell phone, in addition to all of its other capabilities. The original iPhone stood out as one of the few touch-screen smart phones in the industry, but many other manufacturers have now followed the iPhone into the field with their own touch-screen offerings.
The iPhone is also an iPod.
Tired of carrying around multiple devices? The iPhone isn't just a smart phone; it's also an iPod. While the interface is slightly altered from traditional iPods, due to the touch-screen functionality, it syncs with your iTunes library and plays your music just like an iPod would. You have virtually all of the features of an iPod, and the phone wisely fades out the music when you receive a call or other alert, and then returns to your music when the call is complete.
You can run applications on the iPhone.
Apple has revolutionized the way smart phones work with the introduction of the App Store section of the iTunes Store. Developers can create applications for distribution through the App Store, and you can download and use these applications on your iPhone. Apps exist for practically everything: GPS navigation, grocery store lists, checking movie times and online banking. With applications, your iPhone is essentially a mobile computer.
The iPhone offers many of the features of a PDA.
In addition to the cell phone capability, iPod functionality and applications, the iPhone offers many of the same features you'd find in a PDA. You can manage your calendar from an iPhone and sync it with your computer; you can sync your contacts on your iPhone with your Outlook contacts, making it a virtual address book, and you can even take notes or use basic PDA functionality directly from your phone.
Use the iPhone to surf the Web and check e-mail.
Finally, the iPhone is an Internet-enabled device. You can set up e-mail on your iPhone so you're in constant contact with the office or your friends. You can use the 3G or Edge network to surf the Web using iPhone's mobile Safari browser. You can even download and view e-mail attachments on your iPhone, including Word documents and Excel spreadsheets.
Other iPhone features.
The iPhone is literally loaded with features. You've got a 2 megapixel digital camera; Bluetooth connectivity; video playback with a widescreen option; and SMS, MMS and multimedia capabilities. iPhone hardware enables it to operate as a fully functional GPS, and newer iPhones even boast a built-in video camera. With all these features, the iPhone's dominance in the market is easy to understand.
 | To learn how to use an iPhone, start playing with the icons on the face of the phone, and browse through the App Store. Soon, you'll feel like an iPhone expert. |
 | Common iPhone problems include freezing up or issues with syncing to iTunes. However, a few easy fixes and workarounds can help. |
 | Learn how to put movies on iPhones and you can watch your favorite home movies anywhere, anytime. All it takes is a little knowledge of converting video files to the right format. |
The iPhone app store is full of options, and some of them are pricey. Luckily, some of the best iPhone apps are free. Give any one of these apps a test run, and you won't regret it. |
"Where can I purchase an iPhone?" is an increasingly common question as the phones become more popular. Truth is, you can purchase an iPhone in many places, but your needs may dictate that one option is better than the others. |
