A really basic iPhone question

[TwoBees]

Does the iPhone have an indicator light that shows when email has been received, you are roaming, the battery is low, or bluetooth is connected? For example, my BB curve has a light in the upper right corner that blinks red when I have a message waiting for me.

What about the android phones?

[tamie]

nope, not that I have found- drove me crazy when I switched from my BB to iPhone. I have mine set to ding when a new email comes in.

[crl]

Does the iPhone have an indicator light that shows when email has been received, you are roaming, the battery is low, or bluetooth is connected? For example, my BB curve has a light in the upper right corner that blinks red when I have a message waiting for me.

What about the android phones?

There is a battery indicator. Mine is set up to beep when I get a text, but not for e-mails (I only get emails on my iPhone if I deliberately retrieve them there). But dh has his set up to push emails onto his iPhone and it makes a short buzzing sound when he gets one. I don't know if you can set up just a visual cue instead. I've always either had signal or not, no roaming? Maybe that has to do with the plan we are on? And I don't use Bluetooth so I can't answer that.

Sorry I'm not more help.

Catherine

[TwoBees]

Oh, that's a bummer.

Thanks for the info.

[octmom]

I'm looking at my iPhone 3Gs now. There is a number in the corner of the e-mail icon (one of the standard icons that is always at the bottom the screen) that tells me how many messages are unread. I have mine set not to make any sound or vibrate when I get e-mail because the volume is too large (work and personal accounts) and I don't want it buzzing all the time. I could opt to have it make a sound. My DH's work BB drives me crazy because he has is set to vibrate when he gets e-mail and I can hear it all the way from another room if he leaves it on a table/ counter.

There is a battery life indicator in the uper right corner of the screen that has a visual (battery shape that is partially darkened) and a percentage of battery life left.

Not sure what you mean by roaming since I don't pay roaming charges with my plan. There is an icon in the upper right corner of the screen that shows how many bars and indicates if I am on 3G or not. There is a wifi icom beside it that shows when I am on wifi.

I don't use bluetooth, so I don't know about that one.

[TwoBees]

I'm looking at my iPhone 3Gs now. There is a number in the corner of the e-mail icon (one of the standard icons that is always at the bottom the screen) that tells me how many messages are unread. I have mine set not to make any sound or vibrate when I get e-mail because the volume is too large (work and personal accounts) and I don't want it buzzing all the time. I could opt to have it make a sound. My DH's work BB drives me crazy because he has is set to vibrate when he gets e-mail and I can hear it all the way from another room if he leaves it on a table/ counter.

There is a battery life indicator in the uper right corner of the screen that has a visual (battery shape that is partially darkened) and a percentage of battery life left.

Not sure what you mean by roaming since I don't pay roaming charges with my plan. There is an icon in the upper right corner of the screen that shows how many bars and indicates if I am on 3G or not. There is a wifi icom beside it that shows when I am on wifi.

I don't use bluetooth, so I don't know about that one.

I was actually wondering about an indicator light in the phone housing itself, which will alert you by blinking even when the screen is off. This way, you don't drain the battery by constantly turning on the screen to check notifications (maybe this doesn't drain the battery in the iPhone, but it does with my curve)

[crl]

I was actually wondering about an indicator light in the phone housing itself, which will alert you by blinking even when the screen is off. This way, you don't drain the battery by constantly turning on the screen to check notifications (maybe this doesn't drain the battery in the iPhone, but it does with my curve)


Mine turns the screen on momentarily when I get a notification. I check the time all the time using my iPhone and make multiple calls per day. I usually only have to charge it once every two or three days. (I actually have the original iphone.) But I am not a heavy user of browsing, etc. That eats up battery a lot faster.

Catherine

[TwoBees]

Mine turns the screen on momentarily when I get a notification.


That might work for me, thanks.

[octmom]

I was actually wondering about an indicator light in the phone housing itself, which will alert you by blinking even when the screen is off. This way, you don't drain the battery by constantly turning on the screen to check notifications (maybe this doesn't drain the battery in the iPhone, but it does with my curve)

Ah, I misunderstood.

[o_mom]

I was actually wondering about an indicator light in the phone housing itself, which will alert you by blinking even when the screen is off. This way, you don't drain the battery by constantly turning on the screen to check notifications (maybe this doesn't drain the battery in the iPhone, but it does with my curve)

Some of the Android phones can do this. I think mine can, but I have never bothered to set it up. You can probably find out at AndroidForums which phones would support it. There are also several apps that were mentioned to do this as well.

[jiggaman]

There's an android app that will light up different pixels on your screen different colors depending on whether you get a text, missed call, email etc. I forget the name but I'll try looking it up.


Edit: There's one called "Missed Call". It's free and here's the description

Unique feature: Customizable LED/Sound/Vibrate/Repeat notification for missed calls!

+ the same for SMS, bluetooth, calendar, battery, airplane mode

[BillK]

I've tried all the various LED indicator apps for my droid x and have yet to find one that works worth a crap. My old blackberry still had the best notifications. Iphone indicators are just bad.

[TwoBees]

Thanks for all the info. I just have to decide if the indicator light is an important feature for me or not.

DH told me getting an iPhone is a ridiculous idea because "it's not a business phone." Um, yeah, I don't want it for business.:duh:

[crl]

Thanks for all the info. I just have to decide if the indicator light is an important feature for me or not.

DH told me getting an iPhone is a ridiculous idea because "it's not a business phone." Um, yeah, I don't want it for business.:duh:

Don't tell my dh that. ;). He completely replaced his blackberry with an iPhone as soon as his firm started supporting it. He is a senior associate with an international law firm of over a thousand attorneys. He relies heavily on the iPhone (I have threatened to throw the blasted thing off a cliff if people don't stop sending him emails in the bloody middle of the night.) He might cry if you told him it wasn't a business phone and he had to give it up. :rotflmao:

Catherine

[tmahanes]

My Ally (android) has a light that does that.

[TwoBees]

Don't tell my dh that. ;). He completely replaced his blackberry with an iPhone as soon as his firm started supporting it. He is a senior associate with an international law firm of over a thousand attorneys. He relies heavily on the iPhone (I have threatened to throw the blasted thing off a cliff if people don't stop sending him emails in the bloody middle of the night.) He might cry if you told him it wasn't a business phone and he had to give it up. :rotflmao:

Catherine

Oh, that's just waht my DH thinks. I disagree. Regardless, I don't need it as a business phone. But he is a Windows person through and through, I can't even talk him into looking at Android phones. So his view is rather one-sided.

[egoldber]

Iphone indicators are just bad.

Why is it bad? I like that I can see the number of new emails on the icon.

[BillK]

Why is it bad? I like that I can see the number of new emails on the icon.

Compared to Blackberry - both Android and iPhone notifications suck imo - the Android ones are flakey - the LED lights suck (or are non-existent on an iPhone). I always loved how my BB's LED was sloped so if it was flashing and the phone was laying on its' back you could still see the LED flashing. I guess I just miss being able to see my phone laying on a shelf and tell by the flashing LED exactly what email account had an email rather than just one flashing light of the same color for any and all emails - including old ones from an hour ago. For example with my Droid X - if I get a new email it goes off. Then 15 minutes later - if I've not looked at it - and have not received any other email - it will go off again even if there's nothing "new" just because the old one is still there - so I don't know if I have 1 new email or 2 or 50 (hopefully that make some sort of sense). I really dislike how poor notifications are. Other than that though - I like everything else about my Droid much much more than my BB. Just my opinion.