Apple Apple Peel 520

[Jamstruth]

I've been swithering over this product for a while now. The idea of it seems great to me. I pay £60 and get to upgrade my iPod to an iPhone (albeit a slightly limited one). The product seems nice and professional. Gives the iPhone 4 look (kind of...) and seems supported (hard to tell from the Chinese forum and bad google translate). I added the repo to my iPod to chart some progress and there's been a 4.2 version added. Unfortunately there's no changelog on the Cydia Repo so

From my quick download of the programs to mess with I've noticed a few bug fixes from the M.I.C. Gadget review translation a few months ago. You're no longer tied to a single ringtone as a few others have been added. No MP3 ringtone compatibility yet though BUT if you can find the directory you might be able to put your own files in as well as a few other bug fixes I'm sure (anybody willing to help me check yosion.net and see if you can find a full changelog). What's more I've just found that they've gotten GPRS internet access working (See here) and will be releasing an update to use that soon. YAY! (no 3G though...would suck to get this and then a 3G version to come out)
There are still a lot of bugs in the program though. By the looks of it SMS (something I would use a lot) is still a bit buggy with long texts sometimes getting scrambled and texts occasionally being send 4-6 times.

I've just found a solution to one of my main worries of the device: How to check my phone balance. Orange have an App available to check everything on your account. I could even buy Internet Access through it. Going to try and sync it to my iPod and see if it works (designed for iPhone so may not want to be synced to a Touch) but others such as how supported it will be and how buggy the software still is remain. Its £60 and I already have a 3G Phone with a nice QWERTY Keyboard etc. that I have no need to replace (even if it is a bit scratched up after only 1 year), an LG GW520. Its not the best but whatever. What do you think, iDevice tempers? Should I order one after Christmas from peel520.net or leave it be and stick with my current phone?

 

[Jamstruth]

Meh, should've guessed nobody would care but bump anyway.
Got £30 over Christmas and still wondering about this especially since they got that GPRS internet fixed up. Plus now is the best time to order since if I leave it too late I'll have Chinese New Year to contend with... So damned tempting.
Thought of another Con for the device though: I lose use of my Apple Headset (volume controls, mic etc.) and for some reason the Peel 520 mic doesn't register in apps (don't understand why they can't manage to route it down those pathways via mobile substrate)

Also found myself a changelog here

 

[shamiko_]

you could get the apple earphones with a mic bult-in, and then t would work.

 

[Schizoanalysis]

I saw that on l1ghtake (I think it was that site) -- and I also considered it -- and then I thought... "well, actually, no"... I would expect it to be too crappy to use...

 

[Wabsta]

Expect a product that works, but just not good enough.

 

[nando]

i suspect it doesn't work very well and probably just having a cheap cell phone + ipod touch is a better solution.

 

[Jamstruth]

you could get the apple earphones with a mic bult-in, and then t would work.

I have a pair of those BUT the Apple Peel covers the headphone socket and they haven't quite got it set up correctly from their own. There is no TRRS support (that's the mic and remote part) and apparently volume control in music can be a bit iffy (couldn't find anything to say they'd fixed it but found at least one topic complaining about it thanks to pigeon English Google Translating the site). The good news is that you can just drill an extra hole into the Peel520 to go straight to the actual headphone socket without damaging anything though. Still looks a bit silly mind.

I've realised another problem in that I have 1G iPod Touch cable which can't charge the Apple Peel (it has a different pinout to the newer ones). I only have this cable because my other one shorted out half the USB ports on my PC and I got this one from a friend. On top of this there's apparently problems with some Cell providers blocking SIMs as the IMEI number on the device isn't valid (no idea whether my network does this)

Cheap Cell Phone + iPT is my current set up. I'd love an iPhone though and, as good as my mum's Android phone is, for some reason the Android OS doesn't appeal to me as much. The Music Player is just a bit awkward to use from what I remember compared to the slick iPod App. I can't afford an iPhone as I just don't have the money for a £25 a month contract or whatever and this appeals to the little rebel inside who wants to have something nobody else has. but then my Scottish wallet is screaming "60 quid and it might not work!!"

Been trying to post on the yosion forums asking about a few of my worries but none of the topics have started for some reason. It flashes some message about it being moderated but its been days now since I first tried...

 

[Jamstruth]

Right I've decided now.
I'm going to wait until my Payday at the end of January. By this point a newer version of the Peel 520 will have been announced for iPod 4Gs (I don't have one but it may be improved and they can carry that over to their 1G/2G/3G model) and the GPRS internet access will likely have been released (they added the settings but no ability to turn it on) but that will be ordering right in the middle of Chinese New Year... Oh well its worht the wait to make a good decision about it. Seen a comment on Peel520.net saying Orange France works with the device so my Orange Uk SIM should be good for it.

 

[Schizoanalysis]

Let me know how the quality is!

If it is good, I might get one for my iPod Touch 4 too...

 

[testatura]

yup.. also interested in some first hand information bout usability and functionality of this, although if you sum up all things you could probably get used 3gs in great condition,but for itouch users this is great..

 

[redact]

i have one and it's ghey

no 3g (meaning no free facebook or twitter or gmail for me) and chunky as shit

the rumble is horrible, too

edit: also, you mentioned android music app sucking... try winamp for iphone

can wirelessly sync all my media itunes-style from my pc

 

[Schizoanalysis]

Hows the call quality?

Usable? Or only so-so?

 

[testatura]

i have one and it's ghey

no 3g (meaning no free facebook or twitter or gmail for me) and chunky as shit

the rumble is horrible, too

fast first hand info

but with ipod you have wifi if there is any,and also you can use it as a phone,and about rumble horrible like noisy or ? however i am fat and i don't fell earthquakes so i usually turn it off, except on joipad

 

[Jamstruth]

i have one and it's ghey

no 3g (meaning no free facebook or twitter or gmail for me) and chunky as shit

the rumble is horrible, too

No 3G but GPRS internet IS getting there and that's all I get in my town. They added the settings in the last update and have shown a demo vid. If you don't want it I'd happily take it off your hands though.

How's the texting, calling etc?

 

[Schizoanalysis]

I just read that it won't work with 4th Gen iPod Touch... I guess I can't get one anyway...

 

[Jamstruth]

I just read that it won't work with 4G iPod Touch... I guess I can't get one anyway...

It does work. There's just 2 problems. One is that there's no hole in the back for the camera (think that's where the battery lives too so no drilling to fix). The other is that the iPod 4 is thinner than the previous Gens. This is easily fixed with some padding (thin foam or the like) and after that if your iPod is jailbroken it will work fine. They're going to be announcing a new version of the Peel520 in January for the iPod 4's form factor.

 

[Schizoanalysis]

Thanks for the info... I might wait for the new one...

Hopefully, they'll improve the quality too!

 

[Jamstruth]

There's also another device called the C Apple Peel which is designed for the iPod 4's form factor but personall i don't think it looks as good. Hard shiny plastic nastiness.

 

[Schizoanalysis]

and $86!

I could buy a real phone for that...

 

[redact]

I just read that it won't work with 4th Gen iPod Touch... I guess I can't get one anyway...

it will but your ipod will move around in it as it's a little loose (i have tried my apple peel with 4th gen and 3rd gen)
as for what i meant with rumble, it just feels too weak (maybe trying to save battery?)