Facts and Myths about iPhone.......Singapore

Yes, I know, I haven't been blogging frequently for the past few months.....
then again....better late than never.......

Anyway, I had the shock of my life recently...and I thought it would be nice to share it here with everyone else on blogosphere......

Before I clear the air on certain facts and myths about the Iphone.....
heres the iPhone for you guys to drool over.....

sleek, user-friendly, and definitely a "want" for most people.....
unfortunately....currently only Singtel carries iphone in Singapore....and at the following prices....with a 2yr contract, $56 bucks a month.....
8GB - $348
16GB - $508

**Starhub/M1 users, fret not...you still can use the iPhone using your Starhub/M1 SIM cards....
Why? Coz Singapore sets are activated by a iTunes. Simply insert a Singtel SIM card, plug into itunes. Activate the phone, and you are good to go. The downside? You have to purchase the iPhone at the retail price of 1K+ since you dont enjoy the "singtel contract benefits"**

For those who are thinking "Woah, damn cheap"....read on..before you decide if you want to jump into the bandwagon.........

1. Camera - iPhone only comes with a 2megapixel camera....simply sucky if you ask me...considering certain phone models already have cameras which are even better than cameras.....Oh yah, no zoom functions too.....
   
2. Batteries - with a batterylife of slightly less than 1.5 days, you will be charging your iphone every alternate day. Things are made worst by the fact that the batteries are in-built, so drop the idea of getting a spare battery......
3. MMS and Message forwarding- Zilch. iPhone has none of these features. You can't delete a individual smses too. But of coz, there are 3rd-party applications to perform all these functions if you decide to "jail-break" your phones
4. Size - Simply bulky. Even my remote control is smaller and lighter.

**Jail-breaking:A jailbreak/jail hack is the act of bypassing software restrictions in certain computer operating systems, more specifically in Unix-like operating systems. It is used to increase user freedom. In the context of the iPhone, it allows the user to run unofficial code, bypassing Apple's official distribution mechanism (which distributes approved applications through the App Store). In even more layman's terms, jailbreaking allows the users to install 3rd-party applications which are not approved by Apple Application's store. And very often, 3rd-party applications are Free and definitely more fun.**

For other technical specs and functionalities...just do a google....I'm sure you will get all your answers you want...So now, lets move on the lesser known facts......

1. Singtel does not repair iPhones.
2. So does Apple store Singapore.

Yes, for those who already own an iPhone, you are screwed.
Singtel iPhones currently come with a one-year warranty, but that doesnt cover any damage caused by water or hardware failure due to "droppage"......

So what happens if your iPhone malfunctions??

For the lucky ones, a restore from iTunes will do the job.......iTunes does a backup of your phone everytime you sync your phone to your computer.....
Yes..."Phew" in a way....that take cares of your software issues....

For the unlucky ones.....your only way out is to go back to Singtel (Comcentre @ Somerset)....
At ComCentre, there's a special booth for iPhone users.....
Any hardware failures (excluding damage from water/droppage), Singtel will ONLY do a 1-1 exchange for your iPhone IF you are under warranty.......even so...its not a brand new set....
its a refurbished set (read: once spoilt too)

No warranty (including water damage/droppage)?
Fear not, ComCentre offers you a replacement set at a cheap price of 1k......
Yes, cheap price my ass you say....
But that was what the Comcentre-iPhone guy told me.....

So now, you guys must be wondering "Fuck you, now tell me how to check if my iPhone has been damaged by water!?"

There are a couple of indicators on the iPhone, which I'm 210% sure that Singtel does not tell you at the very beginning when you first purchase your iPhone...
Well, suck thumb if you bought a phone with these indicators already gone......

First up...below at the sync port........
Look carefully and you will notice a red dash on the 2nd iphone at the bottom.......

That red dash simply means "Good job, you are screwed. No more warranty. Your iPhone has come into contact with water"

Not convinced? iPhone has water indicator number 2........
Earphone jack port............

yes the little red dot again...............no not singapore....but water indicator....
Sorry to burst the bubble guys, but these 2 indicators, goes off very easily apparently.....
sweaty palms, humidity, rain drops.....the iphone is screwed.....
Or rather, you can screw singtel and Apple store....

So now what if your phone is water damaged and starts to malfunction?
Singtel wont entertain you, Apple store won't too....
Your only way out...its to look for unauthorised iPhone repairers.....
Yup, those that you would normally find in Sim Lim....

For me? Been that, done that...so just drop me a tinkle/message and I will recommend you someone good....