Slow Release of iPhone Updates
When I purchased my iPhone in June, I was hoping to see new features added within the first year. The features I was hoping for were:
- voice dialing through the Bluetooth ear piece
- ability to access files on my iPhone (use it as a hard disk)
- ability to use iChat when connected to WiFi or through EDGE
- ability to read email in landscape mode
- ability to print from iPhone
- junk mail folder and junk mail filtering
To date, none of these have come to life.
Is anyone else disappointed at the slowness of updates coming from Apple? Maybe I'm being overdemanding, but I love my iPhone and want to see it made into an even better product. I'm sure I'm not the only one asking for the above options.
- voice dialing through the Bluetooth ear piece
- ability to access files on my iPhone (use it as a hard disk)
- ability to use iChat when connected to WiFi or through EDGE
- ability to read email in landscape mode
- ability to print from iPhone
- junk mail folder and junk mail filtering
To date, none of these have come to life.
Is anyone else disappointed at the slowness of updates coming from Apple? Maybe I'm being overdemanding, but I love my iPhone and want to see it made into an even better product. I'm sure I'm not the only one asking for the above options.
Comments
Oh yeah, I definitely hear ya there. But I believe that one was purposefully omitted. ATT makes $90 for every $10 they invest into text messaging though. They make a nine fold-profit. Its mind-boggling to think about. And although Apple has re-arranged some stuff at ATT, I think this one is going to take a while. While, I do understand that other phones have chatting capabilities, I think that it is because the iPhone is so easy to text on, that they want to make sure to keep those revenues coming in. Bummer big time. However, the good news is that Meebo.com actually has a really good chating feature on it that can be used with AIM. I've used it, and its great. I think Apple probably saw something like this coming in the form of a web 2.0 based app. and had no problem relinquishing the iChat feature. Who knows. But meebo.com is definitely an option for that.
The SDK thing was always going to come, but apart from that the only thing I can see then truley adding is flag plugins depending on when they sort out their thing with Adobe. Even then, they could just save that for their next range of phones.
I guess mainly because Apple has consistently touted that the iPhone can be software updated...so we do expect it.
Correct. I never expected updates for my RAZR, nor did I expect updates for the Treos or Blackberries. However, the CEO's of those companies weren't touting that their products would be upgradeable through software updates.
I doubt anyone is expecting anything earth shattering, but after all, Apple said the updates were coming, not us.
On a side note, the best iPhone web app for instant messaging is JiveTalk. iphone.beejive.com (makes Meebo look like a dirty trash can full of poop).
Iphones sucessor will be announced soon and out by the summer so why would Apple spend time updating the iphone. They would much rather you all get bored with it so that you rush out and buy their latest product(s).
At least you are hoping it works out this way. Apple has said multiple times additional functionality will be added to the phone.
I concur. These updates should definitely be rolling out much faster than they have been.
I don't mind giving them time to polish the UI and work out bugs. I would imagine the updates will be a big marketing event with the SDK release.
- junk mail folder and junk mail filtering
I have junk mail folder and filter through GMail IMAP.
- Hard drive mode
- Ability to delete more than one email at a time
- Ability to customize SMS message alerts (ala ringtones)
- Some form of copy and paste
At least you are hoping it works out this way. Apple has said multiple times additional functionality will be added to the phone.
I don't mind giving them time to polish the UI and work out bugs. I would imagine the updates will be a big marketing event with the SDK release.
You have youtube now as well as SDK in Feb. At most you will get a few things like forwarding of sms or MMs but dont be expecting hard drive functionality. If such a basic thing hasnt already been implemented this whole time with all these ipods then what chance will they have of putting it in the iphone.
Seriously I wouldnt expect much more from Apple apart from a few tweaks here and there, new phones are released every year to suceed previous models and iphone will be no different. The new one will be out in May. They may have said its upgradable by update but did they actually say they will add all these things? No, they are just basically a wish list.
I concur. These updates should definitely be rolling out much faster than they have been.
I doubt anyone is expecting anything earth shattering, but after all, Apple said the updates were coming, not us.
On a side note, the best iPhone web app for instant messaging is JiveTalk. iphone.beejive.com (makes Meebo look like a dirty trash can full of poop).
Updates will continue happening. Strong evidence of this is how Apple is handling the hardware accounting for iPhone, amortized over 24 months. That indicates Apple has a long term software update strategy for the iPhone where those updates add new functionality, not just security or bug-fixes. I would expect once the phone is 24 months old they will only get software/bug-fixes, but expect at least some sort of new stuff out to at least 18 months.
voice dialing doesn't cost att anything so why not include it.
Voice dialing isn't the most accurate technology out there. I imagine that they want to only put options on the phone that help perfect its great usability. Not tarnish it. There's nothing more frustrating than something that doesn't work 100%. I can see apple adding this feature once it becomes foolproof. But right now, I just don't think its there.
Voice dialing isn't the most accurate technology out there. I imagine that they want to only put options on the phone that help perfect its great usability. Not tarnish it. There's nothing more frustrating than something that doesn't work 100%. I can see apple adding this feature once it becomes foolproof. But right now, I just don't think its there.
It worked pretty well on my RAZR.
Nobody expects perfection. Mac OS X isn't perfect.
voice dialing
search function that is notes email and photos
improved mail:take message size up to at least 700 messages, being able to make smart folders, delete multiple emails at one time, send group emails
have a notes app in OSX that syncs with iphone notes
up safari pages open to more than 8
being able to add text to a photo
option for scientific calculator
It worked pretty well on my RAZR.
Nobody expects perfection. Mac OS X isn't perfect.
Yeah, I had a RAZR too and I would definitely say that it didn't work so hot. They're omitting this option for a reason. They didn't just "forget" it, or over look it. The technology isn't there. And I would say that "pretty well" isn't good enough for Apple.
option for scientific calculator
Yeah, I can't wait till this one comes out either. Engineering classes would be so much better if I could incorporate an engineered marvel
Yeah, I had a RAZR too and I would definitely say that it didn't work so hot. They're omitting this option for a reason. They didn't just "forget" it, or over look it. The technology isn't there. And I would say that "pretty well" isn't good enough for Apple.
The multi-touch interface isn't perfect, but it's included. Bluetooth connectivity isn't perfect, but it's included. The Safari web browser isn't perfect, but it's included.
Just because something isn't perfect doesn't mean it shouldn't be included. Voice dialing works well enough that it should be included.
As I mentioned previously, I had no problem with my RAZR's voice dialing. Those that have problems either have varying voice pitches, varying enunciation, or do not record their sample voices for each name in a quiet environment.