Given the complete and utter 'Media Orgy' over the iPhone, I'm with this guy over at the Register...
Which is kind of a shame, 'cause up until now I'd been looking forward to it coming out.
Seriously though: although the post itself is amusing - it's the comments which have been more telling about the general feelings about the iPhone, amongst the general technical community in the UK (and I use 'technical' in the loosest sense hear as the Register has a lot of readers outside the 'technical' arena, and outside of the UK).
The most telling theme is that much of the iPhone functionality has been available in Europe for a fair few years now - in fact with most handsets having 3G - most of them still have a higher level of functionality already. There's quite a level of surprise of just how functionally limited the iPhone is.
Another good point is that, due to being touch screen, you probably need to use both hands: one to hold the phone and the other to use it. A standard handset can usually be manipulated by one hand - this is a big hitch, which users will really struggle with. The key to adoption of technology: userbility.
Personally I'm up for a bit of technology 'convergence' - so I like some of the principals behind the iPhone (outside of making Apple a 'shed load' of cash). I don't want to carry mp3, mobile phone, camera, dictaphone, PDA, etc. around with me - just one single, multi-purpose device. Until that comes out I'm happy to go with the least number of devices I can get away with - a combined mp3, mobile phone and camera (with some basic PDA functions, like diary synchronisation, email and web browsing - but no document creation or editing) and a seperate dictaphone (doubles as a 1GB USB key - always good).
You've probably heard about all the limitations this 'baby' has - but lets go through them again, just for the record:
- No MMS - er, like isn't MMS the 'Killer App' for mobile in most of the World ?
- No 3G support - browsing via GPRS - isn't that so 2004 ?
- No Adobe Flash support is officially out - so no playing YouTube (or even EUTube or intruders.tv)
- No voice dialling - whatever - most electronic devices don't recognise my dulcet 'Brummie' tones anyway
- No recording video clips - there's a camera, so photos, but it won't record video (so no posting to YouTube either) - another 'hasn't that been standard on most handsets for a couple of years now moment'
- Music can't be used as a ringtone - even if it's plain old MP3. No additional ringtones will be sold at launch. But you can bet the farm that they'll be selling ringtones real soon (probably via iTunes)
- Contact groups can't be emailed as lists of contacts
- 300 to 400 charges before the iPhone will lose battery capacity (you'll have to send it in and get the battery replaced for a fee). I charge my current phone once or twice a day - so that's easily going to be less than a year (unless the iPhone can do a 24 hour, work-day, stretch without recharge - which I don't believe) - frankly I expect more out of a pricey handset...
- No A2DP support. So multi-device bluetooth, which relies on A2DP is out too
- The unverified rumour that the he mobile version of OS X the iPhone runs takes up 700MB of the device's capacity
Does this mean I won't get one, when they come out in the UK ?
Probably not - but I will be waiting for a gen. 2 device - which addresses these functionality 'short falls' - before I do commit my hard earned to Mr. Jobbs.
I'm with you on this one no 3G - must be a yanky thing! Despite that, I will be buying an iphone and unlocking it to any network when released or the price drops - whichever comes first.
Posted by Harry on October 15, 2007 at 08:34 PM GMT #