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A Year Later: iPhone Loves and Wants
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The iPhone hasn't been out for a year yet, but okay. I bought mine in October and I have loved pretty much everything about it. I hate that mine did have a defective screen and I am not having to get it taken care of, but that happens with anything electronic. 3rd party apps are coming, and I am sure iPhone 2 will have all the added features that we are begging for (GPS, 3G, better camera and the ability to shoot video).
You can read pdf files but only through email. Let's say you send yourself some pdf files, you can open them up in the email program. But at the moment, you can't save the pdf files, copy pdf files to your iPhone for storage and then view them with Acrobat reader.
I hope Apple fixes this.
Dynamic icons would be cool!
There is one..the calendar.
It would be cool if the clock face was moving and on the right time.
The Weather could be correct temp and snow for me today.
One of my photos instead of the sunflower.
Those would be nice touches IMHO
Andyvp
There is one..the calendar.
It would be cool if the clock face was moving and on the right time.
The Weather could be correct temp and snow for me today.
One of my photos instead of the sunflower.
Those would be nice touches IMHO
Andyvp
MMS, MMS, MMS, MMS, MMS, MMS, MMS, MMS, MMS.
There is NO reason why such an expensive and cool piece of technology should not have a feature that free phones have.
That and camera and video recording options. I dont get it.
There is NO reason why such an expensive and cool piece of technology should not have a feature that free phones have.
That and camera and video recording options. I dont get it.
Agree...
Yep. I agree with it all.
I love my phone ( I am on my 3rd one, since I bought mine the first month it came out.)
But I would like the 3G network and when I was in England it sounds like they want that too.
I have what I call the "classic" Iphone since I bought a 4 gig that doesn't exist.
Yep. I agree with it all.
I love my phone ( I am on my 3rd one, since I bought mine the first month it came out.)
But I would like the 3G network and when I was in England it sounds like they want that too.
I have what I call the "classic" Iphone since I bought a 4 gig that doesn't exist.
Some European views on the iPhone
I'm a longtime mobile phone user (mid-1990s) and also an early adopter in terms of new technology. I am also a Switcher, soon to break free from the shackles of the PC world when I buy my first Mac. I offer this as a perspective from the European end of the world.
In my humble opinion, Apple made a mistake to lock the iPhone in terms of software and of networks it runs on. This monopolisation will in the long run be detrimental to Apple. I read recently on Wired.com (http://www.wired.com/politics/security/commentary/securitymatters/2008/02/securitymatters_0207) that an analyst claims there are over a million unlocked iPhones, costing Apple between $300 million and $400 million in revenue. This was described on Bloomberg.com as an astounding number. Im not surprised at all; of course this is going to happen when the availability is restricted. Same thing happened with DVD region coding. Where I live in Europe I have several friends who - using the strong Euro - went to the US and bought iPhones which were subsequently "unlocked" to be used in European mobile nets. Apple has brought this loss upon itself.
The software limitations will hopefully soon be resolved with the SDK. However, imagine how much momentum Apple has lost by virtue of this shortsightedness. I currently use the Nokia E51, a beautiful phone though of course not without flaws. Apart from its hardware features (more of that below), its strongest point is the open Symbian/Series 60 operating system. My phone would simply not be the same if I could not personalise it just like I want it to be.
Here I see a contradiction in Apple's approach. Personality and individuality are heralded by Apple as the most important aspects of both its users and its products. It's that "strike a pose" thing, that Madonna sang of, be yourself etc. You're not the PC (read: Microsoft), you are Unique and special and destined to create beautiful things with iMovie etc. But Apple will not let us be such when it comes to the iPhone. And "us" should not only be read to mean "us overseas" but also "us in the US". Apple is actively restricting - using the same tactics that were once applied behind the Iron Curtain (forgive the polemics) - individual freedom. And what is perhaps the most surprising is that most iPhone and Apple users are ok with this. Sure there has been some rebellion but the massive outcry seems not to have happened. That it happens in the Land of the Free is equally surprising.
Those two limitations are serious for the users. But more importantly, they are serious in that they risk impeding Apple's market dominance on the worldwide market for smartphones. And this is most important. As other phone manufacturers catch up in terms of ingenuity (read: copy Apple's ideas like Sony has just done with the Xperia), Apple will wish that it had moved faster. And that would require providing a platform which its huge and fiercly loyal user base could have improved even further. Just because we still havent found that extraterrestrial life the SETI project is looking for doesnt mean were not further ahead today as a result of all the connected computers using the SETI @home screensaver than we would have been without them. Quite likely we are. Its hive thinking, networking. And best of all, these benefits would to a large extent have been of no cost at all to Apple.
Its popular to talk of feature wish lists for future developments of popular products. Clearly the biggest drawback of the iPhone is lack of 3G with the HSDPA (3,5G) variety. EDGE is so 20th century. As I mentioned I use the Nokia E51 which has this feature and it is a true blessing. Downloads are fast. To watch, download and save a 5-minute YouTube clips using the freeware emTube takes a minute or so. Internet access, especially in cities in Europe without solid coverage of wifi hotspots (which are most cities, actually, as such coverage tends to exist mainly in the very large cities), is universally available. Such access will change the behaviour of users and make the internet truly portable. Of course, this does not mean that the iPhone should not have wifi. It must have wifi, and it should also be open such that software like Fring will work and allow users to ring for free from all over the world. When I go to Japan on Friday I plan to use Fring to call my girlfriend in Europe over the Skype network. Roaming 3G/3,5G from Japan would just not make sense in view of the fossilised approach to international calling taken by mobile operators.
The iPhone excels at music and video and that need not be much improved, except to enable playing of also other multimedia filetypes, say WMA (the horror, the horror!), DivX etc. Then again this can be addressed by the developer community once the platform is open. What does need to be addressed are the business functions. Apple seems to be oblivious of the trend which has taken place the last several years in terms of merging business and pleasure in handsets. In 2004 I bought the Nokia 6230. It had an MMC card of 512MB which I used as music player. It worked like a charm, though the interface of the player itself was not ideal. At this time, Sony Ericsson was only beginning to contemplate the Walkman phones and the portability of music in a handset. But the 6230, which was a business phone, did it well to the envy of my friends. The E51 is a superb business phone with unlimited calendar, contact and call management features. The iPhone needs this. Plus it needs the copy and paste function incorporated in the Series 60 Nokia phones. Perhaps Apple could include this by extending the functionality of the multi-touch interface. That would be cool and innovative. A PDF reader is of course a must, as is Quick Office for Word, Excel and Powerpoint files. And if must be possible to edit them, a function which the E51 sadly lacks.
Battery life is fundamental to successful mobile platforms as cable requirements should be kept at a minimum. The battery much sustain extended and varied use of the phones functions. The E51 is ok but not good and I typically have to charge it every or every other day. The iPhone should incorporate a battery (which is easily replaceable of course, just as other mobile phones batteries are) which supports at least 3-5 days. This may seem like wishful thinking (it is) or as something which current technology doesnt allow. But I beg to differ. The iPhones size comes in handy here (and in the last comment I will make, see below). In view of the amount of technology that Nokia has managed to cram into the E51, which is almost two centimetres less wide than the iPhone, it should be possible to fit a competent battery in the iPhone.
Lastly, screen size. Here Apple has done everything right with the iPhone, though it appears not to have noticed it. The future is, as Microsoft recently put it, surfaces. Keyboards and buttons are outdated, at least on mobile devices. Of course, it doesnt make sense to let buttons and screen compete for space within a limited surface. This is the true innovation of the iPhone and it is, as the HTC Touch shows, being copied by other manufacturers. Apple has a magnificent lead here and should use it fully. With a full screen, in the proper meaning of the word, the iPhone will allow full web browsing (just as on a desktop), great video/image watching capabilities, and superb use of the business functions.
Apple has created a good platform with the iPhone in fact, great in several respects. But it seems Apple is not clear on where to take it. Lets hope that Apple realises this soon before the iPhone becomes just another phone out there with some cool functions and a snazzy interface, rather than the market dominator it appears destined to become.
I'm a longtime mobile phone user (mid-1990s) and also an early adopter in terms of new technology. I am also a Switcher, soon to break free from the shackles of the PC world when I buy my first Mac. I offer this as a perspective from the European end of the world.
In my humble opinion, Apple made a mistake to lock the iPhone in terms of software and of networks it runs on. This monopolisation will in the long run be detrimental to Apple. I read recently on Wired.com (http://www.wired.com/politics/security/commentary/securitymatters/2008/02/securitymatters_0207) that an analyst claims there are over a million unlocked iPhones, costing Apple between $300 million and $400 million in revenue. This was described on Bloomberg.com as an astounding number. Im not surprised at all; of course this is going to happen when the availability is restricted. Same thing happened with DVD region coding. Where I live in Europe I have several friends who - using the strong Euro - went to the US and bought iPhones which were subsequently "unlocked" to be used in European mobile nets. Apple has brought this loss upon itself.
The software limitations will hopefully soon be resolved with the SDK. However, imagine how much momentum Apple has lost by virtue of this shortsightedness. I currently use the Nokia E51, a beautiful phone though of course not without flaws. Apart from its hardware features (more of that below), its strongest point is the open Symbian/Series 60 operating system. My phone would simply not be the same if I could not personalise it just like I want it to be.
Here I see a contradiction in Apple's approach. Personality and individuality are heralded by Apple as the most important aspects of both its users and its products. It's that "strike a pose" thing, that Madonna sang of, be yourself etc. You're not the PC (read: Microsoft), you are Unique and special and destined to create beautiful things with iMovie etc. But Apple will not let us be such when it comes to the iPhone. And "us" should not only be read to mean "us overseas" but also "us in the US". Apple is actively restricting - using the same tactics that were once applied behind the Iron Curtain (forgive the polemics) - individual freedom. And what is perhaps the most surprising is that most iPhone and Apple users are ok with this. Sure there has been some rebellion but the massive outcry seems not to have happened. That it happens in the Land of the Free is equally surprising.
Those two limitations are serious for the users. But more importantly, they are serious in that they risk impeding Apple's market dominance on the worldwide market for smartphones. And this is most important. As other phone manufacturers catch up in terms of ingenuity (read: copy Apple's ideas like Sony has just done with the Xperia), Apple will wish that it had moved faster. And that would require providing a platform which its huge and fiercly loyal user base could have improved even further. Just because we still havent found that extraterrestrial life the SETI project is looking for doesnt mean were not further ahead today as a result of all the connected computers using the SETI @home screensaver than we would have been without them. Quite likely we are. Its hive thinking, networking. And best of all, these benefits would to a large extent have been of no cost at all to Apple.
Its popular to talk of feature wish lists for future developments of popular products. Clearly the biggest drawback of the iPhone is lack of 3G with the HSDPA (3,5G) variety. EDGE is so 20th century. As I mentioned I use the Nokia E51 which has this feature and it is a true blessing. Downloads are fast. To watch, download and save a 5-minute YouTube clips using the freeware emTube takes a minute or so. Internet access, especially in cities in Europe without solid coverage of wifi hotspots (which are most cities, actually, as such coverage tends to exist mainly in the very large cities), is universally available. Such access will change the behaviour of users and make the internet truly portable. Of course, this does not mean that the iPhone should not have wifi. It must have wifi, and it should also be open such that software like Fring will work and allow users to ring for free from all over the world. When I go to Japan on Friday I plan to use Fring to call my girlfriend in Europe over the Skype network. Roaming 3G/3,5G from Japan would just not make sense in view of the fossilised approach to international calling taken by mobile operators.
The iPhone excels at music and video and that need not be much improved, except to enable playing of also other multimedia filetypes, say WMA (the horror, the horror!), DivX etc. Then again this can be addressed by the developer community once the platform is open. What does need to be addressed are the business functions. Apple seems to be oblivious of the trend which has taken place the last several years in terms of merging business and pleasure in handsets. In 2004 I bought the Nokia 6230. It had an MMC card of 512MB which I used as music player. It worked like a charm, though the interface of the player itself was not ideal. At this time, Sony Ericsson was only beginning to contemplate the Walkman phones and the portability of music in a handset. But the 6230, which was a business phone, did it well to the envy of my friends. The E51 is a superb business phone with unlimited calendar, contact and call management features. The iPhone needs this. Plus it needs the copy and paste function incorporated in the Series 60 Nokia phones. Perhaps Apple could include this by extending the functionality of the multi-touch interface. That would be cool and innovative. A PDF reader is of course a must, as is Quick Office for Word, Excel and Powerpoint files. And if must be possible to edit them, a function which the E51 sadly lacks.
Battery life is fundamental to successful mobile platforms as cable requirements should be kept at a minimum. The battery much sustain extended and varied use of the phones functions. The E51 is ok but not good and I typically have to charge it every or every other day. The iPhone should incorporate a battery (which is easily replaceable of course, just as other mobile phones batteries are) which supports at least 3-5 days. This may seem like wishful thinking (it is) or as something which current technology doesnt allow. But I beg to differ. The iPhones size comes in handy here (and in the last comment I will make, see below). In view of the amount of technology that Nokia has managed to cram into the E51, which is almost two centimetres less wide than the iPhone, it should be possible to fit a competent battery in the iPhone.
Lastly, screen size. Here Apple has done everything right with the iPhone, though it appears not to have noticed it. The future is, as Microsoft recently put it, surfaces. Keyboards and buttons are outdated, at least on mobile devices. Of course, it doesnt make sense to let buttons and screen compete for space within a limited surface. This is the true innovation of the iPhone and it is, as the HTC Touch shows, being copied by other manufacturers. Apple has a magnificent lead here and should use it fully. With a full screen, in the proper meaning of the word, the iPhone will allow full web browsing (just as on a desktop), great video/image watching capabilities, and superb use of the business functions.
Apple has created a good platform with the iPhone in fact, great in several respects. But it seems Apple is not clear on where to take it. Lets hope that Apple realises this soon before the iPhone becomes just another phone out there with some cool functions and a snazzy interface, rather than the market dominator it appears destined to become.
I'd like a faster way to shut down/shut off iPhone before i got to sleep at night i shut it off cause, of that "whole battery scare" it saves more i think cause i charge my phone way less.
<(0.0)> ALL MOBILE
Black MacBook
iPhone 8gb *speak case
hey, i'm just dropping by to say "hey" and that i'm getting my iphone tomorrow. couldn't be happier. just a little excited note amidst all the wishing. and what is better is that my wife will wait to get one until iphone 2 comes out. then i get that and she gets mine. seriously, best wife out there. so . . . until tomorrow!!
Video Record and MMS Messaging
Ok, how about including an option to record video and then send/receive them as MMS messages, or store them on your computer or email them?? It seems like the most advanced phone in the world could have included some of these basic options that have been around since 1998!
Ok, how about including an option to record video and then send/receive them as MMS messages, or store them on your computer or email them?? It seems like the most advanced phone in the world could have included some of these basic options that have been around since 1998!
iPhone Wants
I second the REAL GPS detachable BT option. I am waiting for the BT HW GPS option before putting out $500 for just a phone/MP3 player. For the iPhone to be competitive with either the new 3rd Qtr Garmin Nuviphone or Sony Ericsson Xperia X1, it will have to have full WORLDWIDE downloadable maps with detail and POIs at least equivalent to the Microsoft Streets & Trip/Autoroute programs. I have these maps now on my iPaq PDA and with a BT GPS receiver it is better than almost all of the current expensive dumbed-down GPS hand helds with their cartoonish map displays. Also it should have full GPS details display configurability including continuously displayed elevation. For an example of the display configurability look at the User Manual for the Garmin StreetPilot 2620 series. I would expect that Apple could do at least as well as my old iPaq with an updated HW iPhone with detachable BT GPS.
I second the REAL GPS detachable BT option. I am waiting for the BT HW GPS option before putting out $500 for just a phone/MP3 player. For the iPhone to be competitive with either the new 3rd Qtr Garmin Nuviphone or Sony Ericsson Xperia X1, it will have to have full WORLDWIDE downloadable maps with detail and POIs at least equivalent to the Microsoft Streets & Trip/Autoroute programs. I have these maps now on my iPaq PDA and with a BT GPS receiver it is better than almost all of the current expensive dumbed-down GPS hand helds with their cartoonish map displays. Also it should have full GPS details display configurability including continuously displayed elevation. For an example of the display configurability look at the User Manual for the Garmin StreetPilot 2620 series. I would expect that Apple could do at least as well as my old iPaq with an updated HW iPhone with detachable BT GPS.
Top Ten Things The iPhone Should Have But Doesn't
Here's my list of iPhone no-brainers, or the things that it should have, but I can't believe doesn't.
1. Cut and paste. Duh.
2. Ability to delete multiple emails at once.
3. Search. Duh.
4. The ability to set ANY SONG ON MY IPHONE AS AN ALARM.
5. Chat/IM
6. Picture messaging.
7. Video.
8. Dedicated Contacts app.
9. Folders.
10. Voice memos.
Here's my list of iPhone no-brainers, or the things that it should have, but I can't believe doesn't.
1. Cut and paste. Duh.
2. Ability to delete multiple emails at once.
3. Search. Duh.
4. The ability to set ANY SONG ON MY IPHONE AS AN ALARM.
5. Chat/IM
6. Picture messaging.
7. Video.
8. Dedicated Contacts app.
9. Folders.
10. Voice memos.
iPhone wants before I buy
Synch to multiple computers for address book
Make your own address book template
Non-scratch case
Address book search
Cut and paste
GPS worldwide (or at least US and Europe)
Ability to switch out for European prepaid SIM when in Europe (yeah, I'm holding my breath for that one; I'd be happy to keep paying AT&T)
Synch to multiple computers for address book
Make your own address book template
Non-scratch case
Address book search
Cut and paste
GPS worldwide (or at least US and Europe)
Ability to switch out for European prepaid SIM when in Europe (yeah, I'm holding my breath for that one; I'd be happy to keep paying AT&T)
A semi Spotlight search would be useful but also consume valuable space for indexing.
Copy and paste are coming.
Safari requires a Snapback option like the desktop version.
Calendar entries need category menu option.
Bluetooth needs easier toggle.
Ability to store and view PDF and other doc stored on the iphone is desired.
Landscape orientation for email would be helpful.
Macrumors needs iPhone friendly version of site like Macnn.
i've had my iphone for a week now . . . some wants
i agree with so many people with their lists, but just to add my 2 cents, after a week of exuberant iphone ownership, the needs/wants i would like to see in the near future are:
1. ichat
2. dedicated contacts app
3. gps
4. exchange (yeah, i know . . . )
5. email landscape view
6. copy and paste
7. document storage (disc mode) with ability to edit and save
8. search function
9. progress bar for songs/podcasts like movies do (especially with a 2 hour podcast, it would be nice to rewind easily vs. holding the back button for an estimated amount of time)
10. picture messaging
11. video capture (and messaging)
12. voice dialing
13. set song as alarm
14. BT internet to computer from iphone
that's a good wish list. i am absolutely smitten with the iphone the way it is, but obviously, any device can always be updated/improved. so, for what is worth, this is my list.
i agree with so many people with their lists, but just to add my 2 cents, after a week of exuberant iphone ownership, the needs/wants i would like to see in the near future are:
1. ichat
2. dedicated contacts app
3. gps
4. exchange (yeah, i know . . . )
5. email landscape view
6. copy and paste
7. document storage (disc mode) with ability to edit and save
8. search function
9. progress bar for songs/podcasts like movies do (especially with a 2 hour podcast, it would be nice to rewind easily vs. holding the back button for an estimated amount of time)
10. picture messaging
11. video capture (and messaging)
12. voice dialing
13. set song as alarm
14. BT internet to computer from iphone
that's a good wish list. i am absolutely smitten with the iphone the way it is, but obviously, any device can always be updated/improved. so, for what is worth, this is my list.
Yes, but Apple doesn't do updates. Unless you prioritize downloadable ringtones