Read various comments above about the 3G connection problems (among others), and you will see what I mean by 'not credible'.
We are talking smartphones here, not just phones. And smartphones are becoming more and more like hand-held computers - and I am sure that Apple is marketing iPhone as one, in fact ... My point was that, compared to the class leaders (Nokia and SonyEricsson, in particular, and Rim to a lesser extent), iPhone is definitely, and regretably, is still more like phone ... And you don't seem to argue with that.
iPhone needs to catch up in terms of various basic software bugs as well as the basic functionalities, platform openness and reception quality - I am afraid the initial element of novelty (of how 'cool' iPhone is) is starting to wear off now once 3G has been released ... There is no more 'big thing' for us to wait, and Apple will have to work hard by going back to the basics and improving all those 'small things' that in fact make up a good smartphone.
Moreover, Apple will now have to face increasing competition not only in terms of design but, more importantly, also functionality and price. Even Samsung (watch for their soon to be announced GT series) and LG are now capable of making very very smart devices (at a fraction of the price) in the increasingly lucrative market of high-end phones.
I am sorry but you CANNOT compare the OS on Nokia and Sony handsets to the iPhone. We supply hundreds of these handsets to our business customers and the handset failure rate is enormous. This tends to go unreported as end users EXPECT nokia handsets to fucxx up or require major firmware updates just to enable simple tasks like holding a call, have a working earpiece, bluetooth operation etc etc.
If you don't like apple products then fair enough, come out and say that but don't come here with your bull about Nokia being the be all and end all of smartphones as you are well out of touch mate.
Nokia USED to manufacture reliable handsets however this generally ended with the Nokia 6210.
Read various comments above about the 3G connection problems (among others), and you will see what I mean by 'not credible'.
We are talking smartphones here, not just phones. And smartphones are becoming more and more like hand-held computers - and I am sure that Apple is marketing iPhone as one, in fact ... My point was that, compared to the class leaders (Nokia and SonyEricsson, in particular, and Rim to a lesser extent), iPhone is definitely, and regretably, is still more like phone ... And you don't seem to argue with that.
iPhone needs to catch up in terms of various basic software bugs as well as the basic functionalities, platform openness and reception quality - I am afraid the initial element of novelty (of how 'cool' iPhone is) is starting to wear off now once 3G has been released ... There is no more 'big thing' for us to wait, and Apple will have to work hard by going back to the basics and improving all those 'small things' that in fact make up a good smartphone.
Moreover, Apple will now have to face increasing competition not only in terms of design but, more importantly, also functionality and price. Even Samsung (watch for their soon to be announced GT series) and LG are now capable of making very very smart devices (at a fraction of the price) in the increasingly lucrative market of high-end phones.
Every manufacturer has to make compromises when they design a product. A single device cannot possibly be the best choice for every user. Perhaps the iPhone is just not for you. Luckily for you, your iPhone should command a good price on the used market. If the competing products are truly a fraction of the price, you should be able to cover the complete cost by selling your iPhone.
Apple has clearly focused on a market segment that values the multimedia aspects of the device. From what I can tell, it is the best combination phone/iPod/web browser available. It make be lacking some features for business road warriors. Apple is just beginning to address that market.
IMO, the iPhone has raised the bar for many smart phone features. In the US, they have had a huge impact on the affordability of smart phones. Before the iPhone, a Blackberry Curve would have easily cost $400 with a contract. Now they can be purchased for less than $100. Clearly the competition is responding to the iPhone. I'm sure Apple will reply. Everyone will benefit (including people like you who don't like the iPhone).
Read various comments above about the 3G connection problems (among others), and you will see what I mean by 'not credible'.
We are talking smartphones here, not just phones. And smartphones are becoming more and more like hand-held computers - and I am sure that Apple is marketing iPhone as one, in fact ... My point was that, compared to the class leaders (Nokia and SonyEricsson, in particular, and Rim to a lesser extent), iPhone is definitely, and regretably, is still more like phone ... And you don't seem to argue with that.
iPhone needs to catch up in terms of various basic software bugs as well as the basic functionalities, platform openness and reception quality - I am afraid the initial element of novelty (of how 'cool' iPhone is) is starting to wear off now once 3G has been released ... There is no more 'big thing' for us to wait, and Apple will have to work hard by going back to the basics and improving all those 'small things' that in fact make up a good smartphone.
Moreover, Apple will now have to face increasing competition not only in terms of design but, more importantly, also functionality and price. Even Samsung (watch for their soon to be announced GT series) and LG are now capable of making very very smart devices (at a fraction of the price) in the increasingly lucrative market of high-end phones.
look...if the market for the iphone were ONLY the folks that have been using smart phones for the past 5 years, then i'd say apple has a problem...the fact is, tho, that the iphone is one incredible market expander. NO ONE can touch what apple's been able to generate in terms of interest in the category. Nokia, RIM, Sony, Moto...all of them have had years to get the technology and usability to a place that could appeal to the masses. they failed to do that.
apple showed up with a device that, for many, will be their first foray into the smart phone world. they did their homework and have delivered some killer features that matter to that segment...
- consumer-focused contact engine synced with a user's home computer
- the world's pre-eminent media player, fully integrated into an already-established digital media distribution system
- a robust application store that allows outside developers to leverage/enhance/customize the platform on an individual level
- a full-featured (read NOT "mobile") web browser that facilitates the kind of surfing a user does from the comfort of their desktop or laptop
- terrific user interface that smashes ANYTHING that ANYONE's had out in, i don't know, EVER
- first-of-its-kind multi-touch screen enhances the appeal to a measure of the technophobe crowd
- the first to market with integrated visual voicemail -- you have to admit that was cool the first time you saw it
- oh and it's a phone, too
now, are they perfect? no, not all of them and not right now...but i bet you that by the end of the year, the bulk of the material performance issues will have disappeared...
but the larger point isn't that this isn't the smartphone killer...a replacement for the hardened smartphones that have been in use for the last several years. are there folks that have/will transitioned from those devices to iphones? yep...will they or should they represent the bulk of iphone users over the next 2 yrs? i don't think so...
the power of this device is that it delivers lots of capability to huge chunks of the wireless user community that previously didn't have an interest in this space. THAT'S POWERFUL.
look...if the market for the iphone were ONLY the folks that have been using smart phones for the past 5 years, then i'd say apple has a problem...the fact is, tho, that the iphone is one incredible market expander. NO ONE can touch what apple's been able to generate in terms of interest in the category.
The update helped my connection a lot. I went from barely 1 bar Edge to 3 bars of 3G at my house. I came from a BB 8800 that used to get 3 bars of Edge. It did nothave 3G. When I got the iPhone I only got 1 bar of Edge. Now it is 3 bars of 3G. So whatever they did helped me a lot.
I probably fall in between the passionate advocates and critics here. I have from day one been mighty impressed with the iPhone for what the iPhone is and professes to be.
However, there are still a number of basic problems which it hasn't addressed which cause this love affair to be less than perfect. For example, I still can't sync with Outlook unless I create a new Outlook profile. Apple can't explain this and regrettably as a non-Mac user, this is a daily major pain.
It is also still inexplicably sluggish with some applications. Apple would do well do be a bit more transparent with what is included in the sw upgrades, especially so those people on the 14 day exchange period here in the UK can have a better idea and confidence in whether problems will actually be addressed and fixed.
That said, I have faith that Apple will sort this out and fairly soon. If they do they will win many, many converts. But if they don't, the next model will be a far harder sell to anyone but the diehard Apple fans.
So in summary, well done Apple so far, but please get the glitches fixed pronto! Fingers are crossed.
I am sorry but you CANNOT compare the OS on Nokia and Sony handsets to the iPhone. We supply hundreds of these handsets to our business customers and the handset failure rate is enormous. This tends to go unreported as end users EXPECT nokia handsets to fucxx up or require major firmware updates just to enable simple tasks like holding a call, have a working earpiece, bluetooth operation etc etc.
If you don't like apple products then fair enough, come out and say that but don't come here with your bull about Nokia being the be all and end all of smartphones as you are well out of touch mate.
Nokia USED to manufacture reliable handsets however this generally ended with the Nokia 6210.
First point - let's go back to the topic here, which is smartphones and comparable phones. Nokia makes one third of the world's mobile phones - it's normal that many fuck-up as a result (what would you expect of a low-end device anyway)? But please, in the top-end segment, their phones are still magnificent both in terms of manufacture quality as well as the general functionality and ergonomics. I've had N95 for almost 2 years, and I had no single problem with it. The same goes for Sony Ericsson top-range phones (a friend of mine still misses his good old P990, having replaced it with an iPhone because of the hype).
After downloading and installing 2.0.2, I tested downloading and installing apps directly to the iPhone from the App Store over the air (WiFi), as it had been buggy for me under 2.0 and 2.0.1. The two apps I downloaded (Cubes and TanZen) took longer than I expected, but seemed to download and install without the phone restarting.
All seemed fine until I tried to move the new apps to my "Games" screen. The apps wouldn't move and the UI started acting erratically (e.g., ghost image of the app not following my finger, empty spaces arbitrarily inserted between other apps ). I tried turning the iPhone off and then on again, but the display glitches and loss of functionality remained. I had to reset the home screen layout (a pain with 40+ 3rd-party apps ). That seemed to fix the problem completely, however. But like someone else had resolved, I'll stick to installing apps from iTunes only for now as over-the-air app installation simply doesn't work properly for me (nor does dragging apps across multiple home screens).
Apple should add the ability to organize apps and home screens to iTunes, which would then sync to users' iPhones/iPod touches. Apple should also revamp the home screen maintenance functionality on the iPhone/iPod touch to launch a Home Screen Utility app. It could work similarly to Expose/Spaces in Mac OS X, allowing users to arrange apps within home screens as well as between them. They may have to tweak the UI to adjust for screen size and orientation. Whatever Apple's solution, it should be an improvement over the current method, which is neither convenient nor elegant.
Every manufacturer has to make compromises when they design a product. A single device cannot possibly be the best choice for every user. Perhaps the iPhone is just not for you. Luckily for you, your iPhone should command a good price on the used market. If the competing products are truly a fraction of the price, you should be able to cover the complete cost by selling your iPhone.
Apple has clearly focused on a market segment that values the multimedia aspects of the device. From what I can tell, it is the best combination phone/iPod/web browser available. It make be lacking some features for business road warriors. Apple is just beginning to address that market.
IMO, the iPhone has raised the bar for many smart phone features. In the US, they have had a huge impact on the affordability of smart phones. Before the iPhone, a Blackberry Curve would have easily cost $400 with a contract. Now they can be purchased for less than $100. Clearly the competition is responding to the iPhone. I'm sure Apple will reply. Everyone will benefit (including people like you who don't like the iPhone).
I can do no more but agree that the Phone is still a landmark device but only in the specific segment (multimedia/browsing) of the high-end phone market, still lacking capacity to accomodate many needs of business and other users. I do also agree that the main achievement of the iPhone launch has been the severe cut-down in prices all over the counter, thus greatly benefiting the consumer. Here in London, you can now get almost any smartphone for free (provided you sign up for a significant monthly plan) - still, a thing unimaginable even a year ago ...
My purpose was essentially to calm down all those Apple cheerleaders on here who are boasting about it being 'the' ultimate device. It's not yet - and it may never be such. Moreover, the problems with the 3G connectivity only emphasise the fact that Apple is still some considerable distance from actually making the device the way it markets it to be.
Btw, I'm not selling my iPhone 3G, not yet at least - though even some die-hard Apple fans on here have done so, which should be alarming to say the least.
Apple should add the ability to organize apps and home screens to iTunes, which would then sync to users' iPhones/iPod touches.
I hope they do this. With as many apps as I have doing it on the iPhone is very slow going.
Quote:
Apple should also revamp the home screen maintenance functionality on the iPhone/iPod touch to launch a Home Screen Utility app. It could work similarly to Expose/Spaces in Mac OS X, allowing users to arrange apps within home screens as well as between them. They may have to tweak the UI to adjust for screen size and orientation. Whatever Apple's solution, it should be an improvement over the current method, which is neither convenient nor elegant.
I don't understand how this would work. The shaky apps that you can move around seems to be the best method on the device itself.
First point - let's go back to the topic here, which is smartphones and comparable phones. Nokia makes one third of the world's mobile phones - it's normal that many fuck-up as a result (what would you expect of a low-end device anyway)? But please, in the top-end segment, their phones are still magnificent both in terms of manufacture quality as well as the general functionality and ergonomics. I've had N95 for almost 2 years, and I had no single problem with it. The same goes for Sony Ericsson top-range phones (a friend of mine still misses his good old P990, having replaced it with an iPhone because of the hype).
Yo clearly do not get what ratay1 was saying.
While you seem correct, it IS about smart phones, you're off your rocker when you start talking about smartphone comparisons. This is really about ONE smartphone, the iPhone, and what Apple is trying to do with the users they are attracting.
They are mostly attracting users that have little phone experience, or "just" dumb phone experience.
They are trying to bring THOSE users to the smart phone world and NOT trying to lure high end smart phone users away from their current machine.
You can brag about the beauty and stability of the very highest high end Ericsson and Nokia phones all you want and you're just proving you missed the point.
If many of the dumb-phone users out there were really impressed by THOSE offers, they would have already switched.
(if all it took was cut-copy-paste to get people off dumb-phones, dumb-phones wouldn't exist)
Get with the program, as ratay said this is about bringing new users into the smart-phone market and not impressing power users that have been there for years.....
look...if the market for the iphone were ONLY the folks that have been using smart phones for the past 5 years, then i'd say apple has a problem...the fact is, tho, that the iphone is one incredible market expander. NO ONE can touch what apple's been able to generate in terms of interest in the category. Nokia, RIM, Sony, Moto...all of them have had years to get the technology and usability to a place that could appeal to the masses. they failed to do that.
apple showed up with a device that, for many, will be their first foray into the smart phone world. they did their homework and have delivered some killer features that matter to that segment...
- consumer-focused contact engine synced with a user's home computer
- the world's pre-eminent media player, fully integrated into an already-established digital media distribution system
- a robust application store that allows outside developers to leverage/enhance/customize the platform on an individual level
- a full-featured (read NOT "mobile") web browser that facilitates the kind of surfing a user does from the comfort of their desktop or laptop
- terrific user interface that smashes ANYTHING that ANYONE's had out in, i don't know, EVER
- first-of-its-kind multi-touch screen enhances the appeal to a measure of the technophobe crowd
- the first to market with integrated visual voicemail -- you have to admit that was cool the first time you saw it
- oh and it's a phone, too
now, are they perfect? no, not all of them and not right now...but i bet you that by the end of the year, the bulk of the material performance issues will have disappeared...
but the larger point isn't that this isn't the smartphone killer...a replacement for the hardened smartphones that have been in use for the last several years. are there folks that have/will transitioned from those devices to iphones? yep...will they or should they represent the bulk of iphone users over the next 2 yrs? i don't think so...
the power of this device is that it delivers lots of capability to huge chunks of the wireless user community that previously didn't have an interest in this space. THAT'S POWERFUL.
agreed, see my comments above. Lol, wbrasington, just saw you made the same comment ...
Deal with it - iPhone is not yet as credible, versatile or, not least, as OPEN a device to amount virtually to a handheld computer in the way, for instance, N96 is ... Make no mistake about it - I want iPhone to be good enough, but it just isn't at this stage, that's all.
As soon as you compare an iPhone 3G to an N96, YOU have lost all credibility. Not only is the N96 insanely expensive ($600, compared to iPhone 3G at $199 for the same storage capacity), but it is running a highly underdeveloped software (Symbian OS) that is nowhere near the level of sophistication as the iPhone OS. Also, while many people complain about the lack of a "real" keyboard on the iPhone, a virtual QWERTY keyboard is so much better than basic T9. If Nokia wants to market the N96 as a mini-computer, shouldn't it include something all computers have - a full keyboard? Also, syncing is not nearly as sophisticated as with the iPhone, as there is no comparison to the integration between iTunes and iPods/iPhones. And as far as the openness of the platform goes, apparently you haven't heard of the iPhone SDK or the App Store on iTunes, where there are literally thousands of applications for every need. I would rather omit copy/paste than have to use T9 on a glorified music phone that will take me ten times as long than what I am doing with my "fake" keyboard.
Deal with it - iPhone is not yet as credible, versatile or, not least, as OPEN a device to amount virtually to a handheld computer in the way, for instance, N96 is ...
I overlooked how silly this was.
So now we're going to use how OPEN a device is to decide the superior phone?
Hackers of the world unit, phones are going to be OPEN!
So the N96 is virtually a handheld computer but the iPhone isn't.....
As soon as you compare an iPhone 3G to an N96, YOU have lost all credibility. Not only is the N96 insanely expensive ($600, compared to iPhone 3G at $199 for the same storage capacity)
You are comparing a free and clear unlocked handset to a 24-month contracted locked device. I think the going rate for factory unlocked iPhone 3G is $1000 out of Hong Kong.
You are comparing a free and clear unlocked handset to a 24-month contracted locked device. I think the going rate for factory unlocked iPhone 3G is $1000 out of Hong Kong.
I think it's cheaper for an unlocked in the US, although if quoting Hong Kong helps bolster your point fine.
I don't understand how this would work. The shaky apps that you can move around seems to be the best method on the device itself.
I find the method a bit awkward, particularly when moving app icons to different home screens. I'm thinking that instead of app icons wiggling when held (which has always struck me as a bit silly), the home screen could "fall back" onto a grid of all your home screens (viewable in either portrait or landscape). You could then select individual home screens to organize (tap to select and they would "come to the front" somehow to fill the screen) by moving app icons around with your finger. A menu bar could be included and feature buttons like Edit, Save, Name Home Screen, and even Lock Home Screen. And as with Spaces (or the way iPhone v2.0.2 is supposed to work), dragging an app to an edge of a home screen would move to the adjacent home screen in that direction.
I also find the bumping of extra app icons annoying because I try to organize each screen by genre (to some degree). Instead of bumping them to the next home screen, maybe they could be bumped to the last screen, or to a list of non-placed apps (like the Widget Manager in Mac OS X). Maybe this socalled "Mobile App Manager" could be used to turn app icons on or off (I could be wrong, but I think there are still a maximum of 16 possible screens), or even assign which home screen each app appears on, like you can assign apps to specific Spaces in Mac OS X.
I'm just thinking out loud here. Anyone else have any ideas?
Comments
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My findings:
Camera: IT'S EVEN SLOWER THAN BEFORE TO LOAD! WHAT THE F*CK?!
You mean the camera that can't even shoot video/conference calls? -Quicktime- invented by Apple?
That's more like "WHAT THE F*CK?!"
Read various comments above about the 3G connection problems (among others), and you will see what I mean by 'not credible'.
We are talking smartphones here, not just phones. And smartphones are becoming more and more like hand-held computers - and I am sure that Apple is marketing iPhone as one, in fact ... My point was that, compared to the class leaders (Nokia and SonyEricsson, in particular, and Rim to a lesser extent), iPhone is definitely, and regretably, is still more like phone ... And you don't seem to argue with that.
iPhone needs to catch up in terms of various basic software bugs as well as the basic functionalities, platform openness and reception quality - I am afraid the initial element of novelty (of how 'cool' iPhone is) is starting to wear off now once 3G has been released ... There is no more 'big thing' for us to wait, and Apple will have to work hard by going back to the basics and improving all those 'small things' that in fact make up a good smartphone.
Moreover, Apple will now have to face increasing competition not only in terms of design but, more importantly, also functionality and price. Even Samsung (watch for their soon to be announced GT series) and LG are now capable of making very very smart devices (at a fraction of the price) in the increasingly lucrative market of high-end phones.
I am sorry but you CANNOT compare the OS on Nokia and Sony handsets to the iPhone. We supply hundreds of these handsets to our business customers and the handset failure rate is enormous. This tends to go unreported as end users EXPECT nokia handsets to fucxx up or require major firmware updates just to enable simple tasks like holding a call, have a working earpiece, bluetooth operation etc etc.
If you don't like apple products then fair enough, come out and say that but don't come here with your bull about Nokia being the be all and end all of smartphones as you are well out of touch mate.
Nokia USED to manufacture reliable handsets however this generally ended with the Nokia 6210.
Read various comments above about the 3G connection problems (among others), and you will see what I mean by 'not credible'.
We are talking smartphones here, not just phones. And smartphones are becoming more and more like hand-held computers - and I am sure that Apple is marketing iPhone as one, in fact ... My point was that, compared to the class leaders (Nokia and SonyEricsson, in particular, and Rim to a lesser extent), iPhone is definitely, and regretably, is still more like phone ... And you don't seem to argue with that.
iPhone needs to catch up in terms of various basic software bugs as well as the basic functionalities, platform openness and reception quality - I am afraid the initial element of novelty (of how 'cool' iPhone is) is starting to wear off now once 3G has been released ... There is no more 'big thing' for us to wait, and Apple will have to work hard by going back to the basics and improving all those 'small things' that in fact make up a good smartphone.
Moreover, Apple will now have to face increasing competition not only in terms of design but, more importantly, also functionality and price. Even Samsung (watch for their soon to be announced GT series) and LG are now capable of making very very smart devices (at a fraction of the price) in the increasingly lucrative market of high-end phones.
Every manufacturer has to make compromises when they design a product. A single device cannot possibly be the best choice for every user. Perhaps the iPhone is just not for you. Luckily for you, your iPhone should command a good price on the used market. If the competing products are truly a fraction of the price, you should be able to cover the complete cost by selling your iPhone.
Apple has clearly focused on a market segment that values the multimedia aspects of the device. From what I can tell, it is the best combination phone/iPod/web browser available. It make be lacking some features for business road warriors. Apple is just beginning to address that market.
IMO, the iPhone has raised the bar for many smart phone features. In the US, they have had a huge impact on the affordability of smart phones. Before the iPhone, a Blackberry Curve would have easily cost $400 with a contract. Now they can be purchased for less than $100. Clearly the competition is responding to the iPhone. I'm sure Apple will reply. Everyone will benefit (including people like you who don't like the iPhone).
Read various comments above about the 3G connection problems (among others), and you will see what I mean by 'not credible'.
We are talking smartphones here, not just phones. And smartphones are becoming more and more like hand-held computers - and I am sure that Apple is marketing iPhone as one, in fact ... My point was that, compared to the class leaders (Nokia and SonyEricsson, in particular, and Rim to a lesser extent), iPhone is definitely, and regretably, is still more like phone ... And you don't seem to argue with that.
iPhone needs to catch up in terms of various basic software bugs as well as the basic functionalities, platform openness and reception quality - I am afraid the initial element of novelty (of how 'cool' iPhone is) is starting to wear off now once 3G has been released ... There is no more 'big thing' for us to wait, and Apple will have to work hard by going back to the basics and improving all those 'small things' that in fact make up a good smartphone.
Moreover, Apple will now have to face increasing competition not only in terms of design but, more importantly, also functionality and price. Even Samsung (watch for their soon to be announced GT series) and LG are now capable of making very very smart devices (at a fraction of the price) in the increasingly lucrative market of high-end phones.
look...if the market for the iphone were ONLY the folks that have been using smart phones for the past 5 years, then i'd say apple has a problem...the fact is, tho, that the iphone is one incredible market expander. NO ONE can touch what apple's been able to generate in terms of interest in the category. Nokia, RIM, Sony, Moto...all of them have had years to get the technology and usability to a place that could appeal to the masses. they failed to do that.
apple showed up with a device that, for many, will be their first foray into the smart phone world. they did their homework and have delivered some killer features that matter to that segment...
- consumer-focused contact engine synced with a user's home computer
- the world's pre-eminent media player, fully integrated into an already-established digital media distribution system
- a robust application store that allows outside developers to leverage/enhance/customize the platform on an individual level
- a full-featured (read NOT "mobile") web browser that facilitates the kind of surfing a user does from the comfort of their desktop or laptop
- terrific user interface that smashes ANYTHING that ANYONE's had out in, i don't know, EVER
- first-of-its-kind multi-touch screen enhances the appeal to a measure of the technophobe crowd
- the first to market with integrated visual voicemail -- you have to admit that was cool the first time you saw it
- oh and it's a phone, too
now, are they perfect? no, not all of them and not right now...but i bet you that by the end of the year, the bulk of the material performance issues will have disappeared...
but the larger point isn't that this isn't the smartphone killer...a replacement for the hardened smartphones that have been in use for the last several years. are there folks that have/will transitioned from those devices to iphones? yep...will they or should they represent the bulk of iphone users over the next 2 yrs? i don't think so...
the power of this device is that it delivers lots of capability to huge chunks of the wireless user community that previously didn't have an interest in this space. THAT'S POWERFUL.
look...if the market for the iphone were ONLY the folks that have been using smart phones for the past 5 years, then i'd say apple has a problem...the fact is, tho, that the iphone is one incredible market expander. NO ONE can touch what apple's been able to generate in terms of interest in the category.
[...]
THAT'S POWERFUL.
Nice post!
My first post on this forum.
I probably fall in between the passionate advocates and critics here. I have from day one been mighty impressed with the iPhone for what the iPhone is and professes to be.
However, there are still a number of basic problems which it hasn't addressed which cause this love affair to be less than perfect. For example, I still can't sync with Outlook unless I create a new Outlook profile. Apple can't explain this and regrettably as a non-Mac user, this is a daily major pain.
It is also still inexplicably sluggish with some applications. Apple would do well do be a bit more transparent with what is included in the sw upgrades, especially so those people on the 14 day exchange period here in the UK can have a better idea and confidence in whether problems will actually be addressed and fixed.
That said, I have faith that Apple will sort this out and fairly soon. If they do they will win many, many converts. But if they don't, the next model will be a far harder sell to anyone but the diehard Apple fans.
So in summary, well done Apple so far, but please get the glitches fixed pronto! Fingers are crossed.
I am sorry but you CANNOT compare the OS on Nokia and Sony handsets to the iPhone. We supply hundreds of these handsets to our business customers and the handset failure rate is enormous. This tends to go unreported as end users EXPECT nokia handsets to fucxx up or require major firmware updates just to enable simple tasks like holding a call, have a working earpiece, bluetooth operation etc etc.
If you don't like apple products then fair enough, come out and say that but don't come here with your bull about Nokia being the be all and end all of smartphones as you are well out of touch mate.
Nokia USED to manufacture reliable handsets however this generally ended with the Nokia 6210.
First point - let's go back to the topic here, which is smartphones and comparable phones. Nokia makes one third of the world's mobile phones - it's normal that many fuck-up as a result (what would you expect of a low-end device anyway)? But please, in the top-end segment, their phones are still magnificent both in terms of manufacture quality as well as the general functionality and ergonomics. I've had N95 for almost 2 years, and I had no single problem with it. The same goes for Sony Ericsson top-range phones (a friend of mine still misses his good old P990, having replaced it with an iPhone because of the hype).
All seemed fine until I tried to move the new apps to my "Games" screen. The apps wouldn't move and the UI started acting erratically (e.g., ghost image of the app not following my finger, empty spaces arbitrarily inserted between other apps
Apple should add the ability to organize apps and home screens to iTunes, which would then sync to users' iPhones/iPod touches. Apple should also revamp the home screen maintenance functionality on the iPhone/iPod touch to launch a Home Screen Utility app. It could work similarly to Expose/Spaces in Mac OS X, allowing users to arrange apps within home screens as well as between them. They may have to tweak the UI to adjust for screen size and orientation. Whatever Apple's solution, it should be an improvement over the current method, which is neither convenient nor elegant.
Beyond that, everything seems quite snappy!
Every manufacturer has to make compromises when they design a product. A single device cannot possibly be the best choice for every user. Perhaps the iPhone is just not for you. Luckily for you, your iPhone should command a good price on the used market. If the competing products are truly a fraction of the price, you should be able to cover the complete cost by selling your iPhone.
Apple has clearly focused on a market segment that values the multimedia aspects of the device. From what I can tell, it is the best combination phone/iPod/web browser available. It make be lacking some features for business road warriors. Apple is just beginning to address that market.
IMO, the iPhone has raised the bar for many smart phone features. In the US, they have had a huge impact on the affordability of smart phones. Before the iPhone, a Blackberry Curve would have easily cost $400 with a contract. Now they can be purchased for less than $100. Clearly the competition is responding to the iPhone. I'm sure Apple will reply. Everyone will benefit (including people like you who don't like the iPhone).
I can do no more but agree that the Phone is still a landmark device but only in the specific segment (multimedia/browsing) of the high-end phone market, still lacking capacity to accomodate many needs of business and other users. I do also agree that the main achievement of the iPhone launch has been the severe cut-down in prices all over the counter, thus greatly benefiting the consumer. Here in London, you can now get almost any smartphone for free (provided you sign up for a significant monthly plan) - still, a thing unimaginable even a year ago ...
My purpose was essentially to calm down all those Apple cheerleaders on here who are boasting about it being 'the' ultimate device. It's not yet - and it may never be such. Moreover, the problems with the 3G connectivity only emphasise the fact that Apple is still some considerable distance from actually making the device the way it markets it to be.
Btw, I'm not selling my iPhone 3G, not yet at least
Apple should add the ability to organize apps and home screens to iTunes, which would then sync to users' iPhones/iPod touches.
I hope they do this. With as many apps as I have doing it on the iPhone is very slow going.
Apple should also revamp the home screen maintenance functionality on the iPhone/iPod touch to launch a Home Screen Utility app. It could work similarly to Expose/Spaces in Mac OS X, allowing users to arrange apps within home screens as well as between them. They may have to tweak the UI to adjust for screen size and orientation. Whatever Apple's solution, it should be an improvement over the current method, which is neither convenient nor elegant.
I don't understand how this would work. The shaky apps that you can move around seems to be the best method on the device itself.
First point - let's go back to the topic here, which is smartphones and comparable phones. Nokia makes one third of the world's mobile phones - it's normal that many fuck-up as a result (what would you expect of a low-end device anyway)? But please, in the top-end segment, their phones are still magnificent both in terms of manufacture quality as well as the general functionality and ergonomics. I've had N95 for almost 2 years, and I had no single problem with it. The same goes for Sony Ericsson top-range phones (a friend of mine still misses his good old P990, having replaced it with an iPhone because of the hype).
Yo clearly do not get what ratay1 was saying.
While you seem correct, it IS about smart phones, you're off your rocker when you start talking about smartphone comparisons. This is really about ONE smartphone, the iPhone, and what Apple is trying to do with the users they are attracting.
They are mostly attracting users that have little phone experience, or "just" dumb phone experience.
They are trying to bring THOSE users to the smart phone world and NOT trying to lure high end smart phone users away from their current machine.
You can brag about the beauty and stability of the very highest high end Ericsson and Nokia phones all you want and you're just proving you missed the point.
If many of the dumb-phone users out there were really impressed by THOSE offers, they would have already switched.
(if all it took was cut-copy-paste to get people off dumb-phones, dumb-phones wouldn't exist)
Get with the program, as ratay said this is about bringing new users into the smart-phone market and not impressing power users that have been there for years.....
look...if the market for the iphone were ONLY the folks that have been using smart phones for the past 5 years, then i'd say apple has a problem...the fact is, tho, that the iphone is one incredible market expander. NO ONE can touch what apple's been able to generate in terms of interest in the category. Nokia, RIM, Sony, Moto...all of them have had years to get the technology and usability to a place that could appeal to the masses. they failed to do that.
apple showed up with a device that, for many, will be their first foray into the smart phone world. they did their homework and have delivered some killer features that matter to that segment...
- consumer-focused contact engine synced with a user's home computer
- the world's pre-eminent media player, fully integrated into an already-established digital media distribution system
- a robust application store that allows outside developers to leverage/enhance/customize the platform on an individual level
- a full-featured (read NOT "mobile") web browser that facilitates the kind of surfing a user does from the comfort of their desktop or laptop
- terrific user interface that smashes ANYTHING that ANYONE's had out in, i don't know, EVER
- first-of-its-kind multi-touch screen enhances the appeal to a measure of the technophobe crowd
- the first to market with integrated visual voicemail -- you have to admit that was cool the first time you saw it
- oh and it's a phone, too
now, are they perfect? no, not all of them and not right now...but i bet you that by the end of the year, the bulk of the material performance issues will have disappeared...
but the larger point isn't that this isn't the smartphone killer...a replacement for the hardened smartphones that have been in use for the last several years. are there folks that have/will transitioned from those devices to iphones? yep...will they or should they represent the bulk of iphone users over the next 2 yrs? i don't think so...
the power of this device is that it delivers lots of capability to huge chunks of the wireless user community that previously didn't have an interest in this space. THAT'S POWERFUL.
agreed, see my comments above. Lol, wbrasington, just saw you made the same comment ...
agreed, see my comments above. Lol, wbrasington, just saw you made the same comment ...
great minds and all that....
Deal with it - iPhone is not yet as credible, versatile or, not least, as OPEN a device to amount virtually to a handheld computer in the way, for instance, N96 is ... Make no mistake about it - I want iPhone to be good enough, but it just isn't at this stage, that's all.
As soon as you compare an iPhone 3G to an N96, YOU have lost all credibility. Not only is the N96 insanely expensive ($600, compared to iPhone 3G at $199 for the same storage capacity), but it is running a highly underdeveloped software (Symbian OS) that is nowhere near the level of sophistication as the iPhone OS. Also, while many people complain about the lack of a "real" keyboard on the iPhone, a virtual QWERTY keyboard is so much better than basic T9. If Nokia wants to market the N96 as a mini-computer, shouldn't it include something all computers have - a full keyboard? Also, syncing is not nearly as sophisticated as with the iPhone, as there is no comparison to the integration between iTunes and iPods/iPhones. And as far as the openness of the platform goes, apparently you haven't heard of the iPhone SDK or the App Store on iTunes, where there are literally thousands of applications for every need. I would rather omit copy/paste than have to use T9 on a glorified music phone that will take me ten times as long than what I am doing with my "fake" keyboard.
Deal with it - iPhone is not yet as credible, versatile or, not least, as OPEN a device to amount virtually to a handheld computer in the way, for instance, N96 is ...
I overlooked how silly this was.
So now we're going to use how OPEN a device is to decide the superior phone?
Hackers of the world unit, phones are going to be OPEN!
So the N96 is virtually a handheld computer but the iPhone isn't.....
(*I think I wet myself......*)
As soon as you compare an iPhone 3G to an N96, YOU have lost all credibility. Not only is the N96 insanely expensive ($600, compared to iPhone 3G at $199 for the same storage capacity)
You are comparing a free and clear unlocked handset to a 24-month contracted locked device. I think the going rate for factory unlocked iPhone 3G is $1000 out of Hong Kong.
You are comparing a free and clear unlocked handset to a 24-month contracted locked device. I think the going rate for factory unlocked iPhone 3G is $1000 out of Hong Kong.
I think it's cheaper for an unlocked in the US, although if quoting Hong Kong helps bolster your point fine.
I don't understand how this would work. The shaky apps that you can move around seems to be the best method on the device itself.
I find the method a bit awkward, particularly when moving app icons to different home screens. I'm thinking that instead of app icons wiggling when held (which has always struck me as a bit silly), the home screen could "fall back" onto a grid of all your home screens (viewable in either portrait or landscape). You could then select individual home screens to organize (tap to select and they would "come to the front" somehow to fill the screen) by moving app icons around with your finger. A menu bar could be included and feature buttons like Edit, Save, Name Home Screen, and even Lock Home Screen. And as with Spaces (or the way iPhone v2.0.2 is supposed to work), dragging an app to an edge of a home screen would move to the adjacent home screen in that direction.
I also find the bumping of extra app icons annoying because I try to organize each screen by genre (to some degree). Instead of bumping them to the next home screen, maybe they could be bumped to the last screen, or to a list of non-placed apps (like the Widget Manager in Mac OS X). Maybe this socalled "Mobile App Manager" could be used to turn app icons on or off (I could be wrong, but I think there are still a maximum of 16 possible screens), or even assign which home screen each app appears on, like you can assign apps to specific Spaces in Mac OS X.
I'm just thinking out loud here. Anyone else have any ideas?