Looks like the topic of the week among technology lovers is the Apple iPhone. I was in the middle of a course on GUI design minutes after Jobs revealed the product at MacWorld and could see half the other students’ laptops in the room checking out the photos and features at Engadget, Gizmodo and other blogs covering the event.
I wasn’t that impressed. When it’s actually available, under whatever name it ends up with, I won’t be buying one. Here’s why:
- It’s too big. Sure, you want a big screen to watch video, browse the web, and do everything else the iPhone does, but you have to put it back in your pocket when you’re done. A 4.5″x2.5″ rectangular bulge in your pocket all day is uncomfortable and, with jeans, about as geeky looking as a pocket protector.
- It’s too expensive. The 4GB model is $499 and 8GB $599 with a 2-year service contract. The iPhone packs a lot of expensive parts into a small space, but most people would probably be just as satisfied with whatever cell phone their carrier is offering for under $100 when they renew — which would also have a color screen, video, music and web browsing. Add $40 and buy yourself a compact mp3 player.
- It’s only available from Cingular. That means many people would have to leave their carrier, often for an inferior one in their area. It also means no 3G/EVDO; enjoy trying to use the Safari browser on Cingular’s snail-speed network.
- It doesn’t do anything new. Windows Mobile 5 has all the same functionality, minus the polished Apple UI. For the same $600 you can buy a pretty nice 12″ ultraportable laptop that does much more.
Josh
January 11th, 2007
Point #3 is the real deal breaker for me. I’m not planning to leave Verizon any time soon.
I actually think it’s too small–not top to bottom or side to side, but back to front. 11.5mm is too thin for my hands (at 6′3″ I have matching large hands).
By the way, if you have any suggestions for a $600 ultraportable laptop, I’m all ears.
Brendon Kozlowski
January 11th, 2007
As I’ve said on another forum…I’d actually be interested if it was $200 cheaper and didn’t have that minor “phone” option. (Afterall, considering everything it can do, the phone aspect is truly a minor feature.) Besides, with a speaker/microphone and WiFi, what’s to stop someone from just simply using Skype or something similar?
Zach Holman
January 11th, 2007
Windows Mobile 5 has all the same functionality, but that’s like saying that a bike is like a 747, since they both provide transportation. WM5 is absolute trash; it is far too inefficiently designed, requiring a ton of clicks to get things done, and it freezes or crashes on me at least a couple times a week. I just want something that actually cares about the user experience and that syncs well with my Mac.
In terms of 3G: yeah, I’ll miss my EVDO from Verizon if I do make the switch to the iPhone. But, depending on how well the WiFi works out, I’m not sure it’ll matter as much to me. I’ve realized that most of the time I’m usually around a wireless network, so I’m guessing that most of the time I can just use that and skip the 3G connectivity.
Something else to consider: I think most of your points will be solved a year or two down the line. I would assume Apple would eventually make some sort of iPhone Nano type device, something smaller, with less features and cheaper priced (by this time, there might not be an exclusive with Cingular, either). So, while Apple might not fit what you want right now, they might further down the line.
Dan
January 11th, 2007
Josh: I bought an Averatec 2260EY-1 a few months ago for under $600 at Staples. I’m more than happy with it. It’s small and light enough to carry to classes without feeling like a brick in the bag, and looks just as good as a MacBook to me.
Here’s #5 for the post: I have enough trouble trying to keep dust out from under the screen of my last two cell phones. My current phone can’t be cleaned under there in any way, so the only choice I have if too much dust gets under is to call in the manufacturer’s warranty for a replacement. I can’t imagine trying to keep that huge iPhone screen clean, not only on top with all the finger grease and ear/hair grease, but underneath as well.
Jason
January 11th, 2007
Oh please… Windows Mobile 5 a bad platform? Find one mobile platform that comes close- and no Palm does not come close. Too many clicks? This isn’t the OS’s fault, but the software designers fault. As for the crashing problem, maybe its your device. I have owned 4 Pocket Pcs/ PPC phones and not had trouble with any that I would not consider ordinary computing problems. Have you never had an errors on a Mac before?
Frankly, your jumping on a bandwagon and have no idea what Apple’s OS will be like. I have read reports online that it is not a full version of Unix and Apple is not opening it up to allow third party developers to make applications. That is a huge no sell for me.
Also, I hate Cingular with a passion. I actually sued them once and won. It would be very hard to get me to switch from Verizon.
I think I will wait until after the Cingular contract is over, wait to see if Apple allows third party developers, and wait for the kinks to work out and then MAYBE I will switch to Tmobile and iPhone.
Robert Norton
January 11th, 2007
I totally agree with Jason - I’ll stick with my Audiovox PPC6700 and rock away.
Dave
January 11th, 2007
Damn haters! BTW the funniest shit I have EVER seen “I bought an Averatec 2260EY-1 a few months ago for under $600 at Staples. I’m more than happy with it. It’s small and light enough to carry to classes without feeling like a brick in the bag, and looks just as good as a MacBook to me.” Oh I see you are blind and stupid.
Sean
January 12th, 2007
“…looks just as good as a MacBook to me.â€
LOL!
Jason
January 12th, 2007
Dan, You Apple fan boys are all the same… Zealous idiots who come on someone else’s blog and insult them because they don’t agree with you. He didn’t even say that Macs were bad. Honestly, Macs are great machines, but sometimes it’s their community of self righteous jerks who I cant stand.
Fahd
January 12th, 2007
Agreed on all counts!
Just get something like a Sony Ericsson w810i for cheaper and has similar features.
Brendon Kozlowski
January 12th, 2007
The biggest problem I’ve seen that someone else pointed out to me was that there’s no tactile response from the phone. Although not everyone does this, many people do: dial a number or send a text message without actually looking at the phone by touch and feel alone. The smooth face of the iPhone will not allow for this. You could memorize distance from edges of the phone, but it’s much less intuitive than a noticeable bump or groove to alert you that you’re hovering over a button or key.
By the way, “…looks just as good as a MacBook to me” - there’s nothing wrong with that statement. Everyone has their own opinion on visual aesthetics. For instance, Jettas and BMW sedans…people seem to love the body style of these cars - I can’t stand them (well, I like a couple of the BMWs, none of the VWs though). It’s all about personal preference - and sometimes, peoples’ preference is neutral. Learn to be more understanding and open-minded.
Jason
January 13th, 2007
Well Said Brandon. I too, dislike Jettas
Robert Norton
January 13th, 2007
Brendon: In regards to the smooth face with no ‘button’ feel this really isn’t an issue. On my PPC6700 (which I’ve been using for nearly a month) I got use to dialing without looking at the screen (with my thumb) in less than like 2 weeks without even having to feel all the way across the screen to find the edge. This is because most people can remember their thumb position and all hold the phone their own way…
As for the laptop, I think he was scaufing because an Avertec is a fairly low budget Laptop, compared to a Macbook. To make an analogy about your car point, it would be like saying, “I like my Kia, it was cheap, fits in my garage perfectly and looks just like a Jaguar.”
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