Six ways the iPhone has changed my smartphone use

Before I got my iPhone earlier this month, I was already a smartphone user. There was a definite pattern to how I used my Samsung BlackJack -- some features got a workout, others languished.

But switching to an iPhone has changed how I use the smarter features of my phone. This has to do as much with the device's limitations as its capabilities, and is likely to change as new applications are released or Apple changes the feature set.

For now, though, here's how my smartphone behavior has changed:

• I'm spending less time on e-mail. Despite the fact that the iPhone now supports Microsoft Exchange servers, my employer's IT department isn't yet supporting it. The Mighty Houston Chronicle's e-mail administrators haven't yet made the tweaks that would let the iPhone connect in the same way that my Windows Mobile-based BlackJack did, so I am forced to use the Outlook Web Access page. That can be a hassle, so I spend less time looking at my e-mail when I'm not at a computer. And, I've discovered, this is not necessarily a bad thing.

• I'm spending more time texting. For some reason, I was not a big user of text messaging on the BlackJack, and even though I prefer its physical keyboard to the virtual one on the iPhone, I now find myself texting more than ever. It may have to do with the iPhone's SMS interface, which looks a lot like iChat from the Mac OS. It feels more like chatting to me, so I do it more often. It may also be serving as a substitute for e-mail.

• I'm spending more time with the real Web. Most Web sites looked awful on my BlackJack, but I used its Web browser anyway. However, the iPhone's version of Apple's Safari -- along with the larger, better-quality screen -- makes accessing the Web a real joy. When given the options, I eschew alternate pages designed for mobile devices so that I can see a site's full features. (I have a running debate with the Chronicle's David Herrold over whether iPhone users prefer the real Web vs. iPhone-optimized sites. I think particularly owners of the newer iPhone 3G want the real deal, given that Safari makes that possible.)

• I'm spending more time on Twitter. On my BlackJack, I had to rely on Twitter's mobile site to access my favorite microblogging service. Its features are extremely limited (you can't see non-followers' replies, for example). But there are now at least three Twitter applications for the iPhone that provide a fuller experience, and I use two of them -- Twinkle and Twitterific -- early and often.

• I'm spending a lot of time exploring apps. While there are plenty of applications available for Windows Mobile devices, finding and installing them is a hassle. While there have been complaints that Apple's App Store is a "walled garden", it sure is a pretty one, and the whole process of buying, downloading and installing programs for the iPhone is painless. I'm instantly more productive with my phone as a result. (On the flip side, with all the games, I'm also instantly more distracted!)

• I'm constantly seeking Wi-Fi. While the iPhone 3G's data network is much faster than the EDGE network used by the original model, it's still significantly slower than Wi-Fi, which both versions can access. My BlackJack, which was a 3G device, didn't do Wi-Fi, so I had no choice there. If I'm out and about, I find myself constantly checking to see if an available, open Wi-Fi node is out there. The difference in speed is dramatic, and worth the vigilance.

If you've switched from a different kind of smartphone to the iPhone, I'd love to hear your story. Or, if you recently started using a smartphone of any time, how has it changed your overall phone usage?

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