A big list of "Pre-buying-my-iPhone" questions...

Question

...so, tomorrow will be taking me to the nearest city in search of an iPhone.
But to save me bugging the poor sales guy for a few hours on end, can anyone answer me this (rather long) list of questions please...?
1. Does the iPhone have...
-a) support for syncing contacts to yahoo mail's address book?
-b) support for syncing contacts to gmail's address book?
-c) a memopad?
-d) an alarm? and can you customise the alarm sound to one of your own mp3s?
-e) facebook support (in an app, not over m.facebook.com)?
-f) google talk support?
-g) slingplayer?
-h) flickr upload capabilities?
-i) pacman?
-j) an rss reader?
-k) ability to sync to and from google calendar?
-l) ability to sync to and from MULTIPLE google calendars, and differenciate between them?
-m) ssl in web browsing (the ability to use secure web pages)
-n) a speakerphone? is it loud?
-o) a vibrate function?
-p) the ability to read pdf's that i get emailed?
-q) the ability to download photos from my pc onto it?
-r) the ability to upload photos from it to my pc?
-s) a video playback function? what formats will it play?
-t) flight mode?
2. if i buy it on the £45 plan (and get the 8gb for free), can i drop my plan to the £35 after a certain length of time? how long? are there any penalties or charges for doing so?
3. if i buy it in an apple store, and it goes wrong, can i take it back to an o2 or carphone warehouse store for help (and repairs if necessary)?
4. if i buy it in an o2 store, can i take it back to another o2 store (not the one i buy it from) if theres a problem?
5. if i buy it, is there a "change your mind" period if i don't get along with it, if i buy it in...
-a) an apple store
-b) an o2 shop
-c) carphone warehouse
6. if i want to bring a number from another network, do i need the pac code when i buy the phone, or can i call through the pac code next week (and presumably be connected on a temporary mobile number in the meantime)?
7. when i near the end of my 18 month contract, how long before the end of the contract can i upgrade my phone? can i opt to pay a fee to do it ultra-early?
8. apart from crippled bluetooth and a lack of mms, are there any big downsides to the iphone?
9. if i set up my gmail on the phone, does it check automatically every (x) minutes, or do i need to manually check to see if i have new mail?
10. whats the average battery life of a 3g iphone in real everyday use?
11. can i set my own mp3s as ringtones?
12. does it support video ringtones?
13. can you get msn messenger on it? and does it keep you signed in even when youre not using it?
14. do you HAVE to use itunes to get music onto the iphone? is there an alternative?
15. is there a way to put photos onto the iphone from the pc, without "syncing" a whole folder of photos through itunes?
16. can you just move stuff (like photos, videos) to and/or from the iphone like you would do with a usb memory stick drive, or do you have to use the program?
17. do the iphone tariffs include bills sent through the post? are they itemised? or do you have to view your bills online?
Thankyou if you've got this far, you've been a great help

Answer 1

billbennett wrote:
-c) a memopad?
There is a note pad plus a ton of different memo apps in the App Store
-d) an alarm? and can you customise the alarm sound to one of your own mp3s?
You cannot customize alarm sounds.
-e) facebook support (in an app, not over m.facebook.com)?
Check out the App Store
-f) google talk support?
Check out Google App
-i) pacman?
Check the App Store
-m) ssl in web browsing (the ability to use secure web pages)
Yes
-n) a speakerphone? is it loud?
Works fine for me. Try one in the store and see if it is adequate for you.
-o) a vibrate function?
Yes
-q) the ability to download photos from my pc onto it?
You can save photos to the iPhone but they will be optimized for the iPhone
-r) the ability to upload photos from it to my pc?
Yes
-s) a video playback function? what formats will it play?
Read the spec page on Apple's website
-t) flight mode?
Yes
8. apart from crippled bluetooth and a lack of mms, are there any big downsides to the iphone?
Play with one and decide for yourself. Personally, I don't care about bluetooth or MMS but if those are big deals to you, the iPhone is not the phone for you.
9. if i set up my gmail on the phone, does it check automatically every (x) minutes, or do i need to manually check to see if i have new mail?
That's your option.
10. whats the average battery life of a 3g iphone in real everyday use?
It depends on how you use it.
11. can i set my own mp3s as ringtones?
If you use the search box in the upper right, you can find lots of threads on how to create your own ringtones.
12. does it support video ringtones?
No
13. can you get msn messenger on it? and does it keep you signed in even when youre not using it?
Look in the app store. If you're not using it, it shuts down.
14. do you HAVE to use itunes to get music onto the iphone? is there an alternative?
You have to use iTunes.
16. can you just move stuff (like photos, videos) to and/or from the iphone like you would do with a usb memory stick drive, or do you have to use the program?
You have to use iTunes and whatever photo software you have. It does not have a disk mode.