Now I only need to move to a big city and get an iPhone. Worth it?

That's really cool. I've been resistant about switching to an iPhone - mainly because I've been with Sprint for so many years and I think AT & T would cost more. However, the more I read about cool apps, the more I think maybe I should just make the leap. Can any of you who switched from a Blackberry to an iPhone tell me if it was worth it?

Wouldn't it be really easy for potential car thiefs to modify this app to allow them to steal cars?

Fact check: Zipcar is based in Cambridge, MA, not NY/San Francisco as the article states.

[www.zipcar.com]

There's no point in this, you would still need the card to lock/unlock it.

@tbax929 is back from the beach: I get my cool apps on my iPod Touch. Most of the apps work on it and it's pretty awesome. I'd totally take an iPhone though if I could afford the extra-per-month cost.

@MostlyHarmless: Probably depends on where you live now and what kind of phone you have currently..

@Colonel Jack O'Neill: There is a point to this, mostly because if you had read the article you would know that the app doesn't just unlock a car. You can search for all Zipcar rentals in an entire area, reserve it, and pinpoint your car's parking spot.

And you only need the key to start the engine, which makes it more secure, actually. Then you don't have a key in your hand as you walk, and would-be thieves have less indication about where you parked until you're actually at the vehicle and unlock the door from your phone.

@tbax929 is back from the beach: I made the Sprint to ATT switch and it is like 20% more expensive to get the same minutes and texts that I had with Sprint. Plus, my coverage is not as good. I really hate ATT but I hate the thought of paying them an ETF to cancel even more.

@MostlyHarmless: If you don't drive enough to even need a car, Zipcar might be your best bet, actually. You'd save hundreds a year by getting rid of your car insurance, and you'd be saving a ton of money on gas, too, because Zipcar covers that.

The only problem I see is that they only rent small vehicles, so it's not as if you could even rent an SUV if you had to buy a piece of furniture and move it.

@searonson: I moved from Verizon to AT&T because I hated Verizon customer service and I wanted an iPhone. My coverage isn't as good, and I get more dropped calls. But I love the app store, and I love being able to do a lot of really cool things like order movie tickets online, get on AIM and ghcat, check Amazon and B&N's online inventory to compare prices, and reserve Redbox movies. You can't really do that with a Blackberry.

@Colonel Jack O'Neill: yes, you still need to scan your card once, but if you are like some people who take a zipcar out to run a ton of errands, its really annoying to keep pulling out my card everytime and trying to get the sensor to read it to unlcok the car. so with the app, i can unlock/lock the car from a distance w.o using the card after the initial scan.

@pecan 3.14159265: you never hold onto the actual car key for a zipcar. they are always attached to the inside of the car

@dragonfire81: That's what I was wondering as well.

I've never heard of Zipcar, but I do have an iPhone- and searching their website, I discovered I get an employee discount through work! I am giving serious consideration to getting a plan, especially since I travel for work and they are in most of the cities I visit. I see they do not have a Las Vegas location, though, which is where half my business travel is.

@pecan 3.14159265: Oooh! And order Chipotle.

mmmm....gloriouschipotle...mmmmmmm

I was a Sprint customer for eight years. I had an iPod Touch for a year before I switched to AT&T and an iPod three months ago.

My impressions:

1) While I do get more dropped calls with AT&T (about three a week vs 1 a week), each individual call sounds better (that may be down to the iPhone but I doubt it as I had a variety of Blackberries and other oddball phones, including the Motorola Q). About a wash.

2) Customer service: AT&T very slightly more compotant, but much friendlier. Advantage: AT&T.

3) Price: I get an employee discount with AT&T but not Sprint, so price is about even. Advantage: me, for having a job that gives me an employee discount (which is why just about everyone here has an iPhone).

4) In store service: I had a problem too complicated for customer service (the issue: I gave them an account PIN that was one digit off, because I'm an idiot, and instead of asking me "are you sure" or accusing me of identity theft, they sent me into a store location to fix my billing issue? Seriously, AT&T, weaksauce.) The guy at the store was so good, he convinced me to buy AppleCare and a new case! And I'm not Mac fanboi- I use Ubuntu! And I'm a salesman- I'm normally immune to salesman jedi tricks like that! I'm lucky I'm a dude, otherwise I'd be pregnant with the AT&T dudes' baby.

Overall, I'm happy I left Sprint, due to their retarded and non English speaking CS reps.

@flugangst: Don't tell us, tell the author of the post. (It's even in the Consumerist Commenter's code)

@pecan 3.14159265: Re: Small cars. Untrue. They have big minivans like the Toyota Sienna and Mazda 5 as well as Toyota Tacoma pickups and Ford Escapes.

Zipcar has more than just small cars, though. I can walk across the street from my office, and they have a full-sized pickup truck available.

@dragonfire81: Yeah, that's the first thing I thought of too.

Car burglary: there's an app for that!

So how does it work? Does the iPhone somehow directly control the car, or does the command go through AT&T, through the Internet, to Zipcar servers, then through whatever wireless technology they use to communicate with their cars?

And what? No ignition from the iPhone?

@dragonfire81:

It doesn't really work that way. The iPhone is communicating with ZipCar's computer system through the cellular data network--not directly with the car. Your phone sends a request to Zip's computers, and if you are allowed to unlock the car in question (i.e. have an account and have reserved it) then Zip sends a signal back out to the car to unlock it. It's a completely different animal from a regular keyless entry remote.

Wow, what a beautiful use of technology.

@bornonbord: What you say is true: You know what's driving me nuts? I still haven't ordered from the Chipotle App. I forget every time! I usually remember as I'm pulling into the Chipotle parking lot.

@pecan 3.14159265: A pirate walks a little awkwardly into a bar with a steering wheel attached to his crotch.
The bartender says: Is that a steering wheel?
The Pirate says: Aye, it's driving me nuts!

I just used the app this morning. I unlocked the car using the phone, which was pretty cool. I can see the car in it's space from my office, and my reservation doesn't actually expire for another 45 minutes. The app has links on it to call Zipcar directly or to report damage or to see if you can extend your reservation. This is a great app. I can also see the reservations that I have coming up.

I also am considering telling the car to honk right now, just because I can.

@sean98125: Wait til old people or tourists walk by it.

@pecan 3.14159265: Or dogs getting ready to poop.

Ooh this was in the Keynotes! I hate that they tease you with all these stellar new gadgets and features in those presentations and then make you wait months before you can actually get your hands on them.

I can't wait to test this out.

@tbax929 is back from the beach: The Iphone is great, unless you like making calls and sending text messages that people can read.

@tbax929 is back from the beach: I went from TMobile's 7290 Blackberry (I think it was 7290, it was the full keyboard model before the Pearl) to the first gen iPhone and wow what a world of difference. The customer service nosedive I took between the companies was staggering at first, but the phone is just SOOO much more efficient. Everything from the butt dial (I was always randomly calling people when it moved around in my purse or pocket) to accessing email is miles better on the iPhone. There is nothing on the market that comes close to the user interface or design. The Storm was a cruel joke and while the Palm Pre did a little better, it was still tremendouly lacking especially given they had extra time to see how the iPhone faired.

After the first rocky 6 months AT&T did gradually step up their game and now they're not bad at all. A simple customer service call was once a cluster fuck and dropped calls and black outs were a norm. No longer. I'll still always hold a special place in my heart for the consistent above and beyond service I came to expect from TMobile, but I haven't had any issues with AT&T in at least a year and any interaction has been pleasant. It's hard to do an accurate comparison of phone companies because different people have such different experiences, but there is really no comparison when it comes to the actual phones. The iPhone is just light years ahead. I'm so confident in my phone that over 2 years and 2 new models later I haven't seen any need to upgrade. Everything I could ever need is already on my phone or an App download away.

@lacubsfan: Huh?

@TCama: It is probabaly like onstar, where the car has a built in mechnisim to accept requests from their control center and the app sends the request to that control center.

@tbax929 is back from the beach:
Stick w/ Sprint and get the HTC Hero that comes out in a couple of weeks. Sprint is significantly cheaper, and Android has a decent App Marketplace.

[gizmodo.com]
[reviews.cnet.com]
[www.android.com]

@cc82:
Thanks to you, and everyone, for all the advice. I'm still not sure what the heck I should do. I'm not under contract, so I don't have to pay an ETF if I leave. But my calls are pretty important, and friends I have here have complained about dropped iPhone calls a lot. Decisions, decisions...

@tbax929 is back from the beach: I've always had AT&T and for the most part I've never been unhappy. I went from HTC smart phones to the iPhone and it is really awesome. I pay about $65/mo for unlimited data, text, and 400 minutes. And in my travels across Texas, Orlando, and Las Vegas, I've never had dropped call issues as long as I was actually in a coverage area. I don't use their customer service number, I always go to the store and see one particular person. She understands my need for the newest toys, is very patient with my grandfather, and often saves me money by tweaking our package around. Actually, when I first got an iPhone she was sure I wouldn't like it, but I was hooked in about a week. (Well, as soon as I learned I could jailbreak.)

I'd be worried having it work in underground parking garages where you cannot get service.

@Tankueray: HTC's newer Android-based phones are significantly unlike their older Windows Mobile ones; I've switched from an iPhone to a G1 (an Android-based phone made by HTC), and am far happier for it.

@Trai_Dep: Now that's just mean. The dog's just trying to get some relief, and nature is one call you can't put on hold, man.

@Charles Duffy:
Well, I'm at least intrigued enough to check it out when it comes out, which appears to be 10/11.

I was just reading about Zipcar the other day. How much does it cost to rent cars? My husband and I are planning on moving to a bigger city with Zipcar, and we were thinking of ditching our car. Worth it?

@korybing: In the DC area it's like $10 an hour or around $65 a day. As much as I love my car I would be all over this if I lived in a big city.

@CFinWV: Wow that's awesome. I'll definitely look into that if I ever make it to a city that offers it.