First iPhone Review from Walt Mossberg

[LimeiBook86]

I think video recording could be a software up-datable feature. If the camera is capable of it of course.

Adobe Flash is power-hungry, maybe in the future they will add limited Flash support. Even if it was only Flash 7 like the Nintendo Wii. I think Copy & Paste would be an easy thing to add.

I wonder about the ringtones, like if you can add a custom one at all. Even a standard QuickTime file to it to use as a ringtone, maybe there is a way to send it to the iPhone?

A phone without custom ringtones is sort of lame, I mean we've had custom ringtones for a long time. Taking that away wouldn't be smart, I think there has to be a way to add a ringtone... either by Apple or a clever hacker.

So I think we just have to wait for some updates on a few things, other things may be more far-fetched. But, you never know.

 

[fkalwar]

wonder if you can use bluetooth to make your own ringtones. thats what i do now with my slvr7. i edit an mp3 and selecet the part i want as the ringotne then send it to my phone bluetooth then set it as ringtone. i bet youll be able to with the iphone

yeah i was wondering the same thing. I hope you can.

 

[plumbingandtech]

I know... I can't wait for the 5 year Beta testing to be over.

Allow me to be your beta tester then!




I'll be happy to!

 

[mazola]

Can it 'squirt' to Zunes?

Can it?

 

[Peel]

"After five days of use, Walt -- who did most of the testing for this review -- was able to type on it as quickly and accurately as he could on the Palm Treo he has used for years."

This is the part I'm most relieved to hear.

 

[fkalwar]

Imagine listening to music, getting a call, the music fading out just for another song to come on? If you're not paying full attention, you'll totally forget that you have to answer a call.

unless you are listening to the exact same song as your ringtone is set to, how would you not notice?

 

[Peace]

I'm buying one.Period.

End of story..

Apple will work the kinks out.

 

[diamond.g]

He simply said you can't use T-Mobile SIM cards. I thought that seemed kinda obvious though..

He said it doesn't work with T-Mobile sim cards -- it has a sim card...an AT&T one.



You have 14 days to return it...standard Apple policy.

Hmm, I would have just said it doesn't work on T-Mobiles network. Much clearer than:

can't use the digital cards (called SIM cards) that would allow it to run on T-Mobile's network

 

[Digital Skunk]

Whaaa?? The 10 second loop of the same song should alert you to there being a call.

Or the fact that Jobs said the music will pause and you can hear the ringing going on outside of your earphones. Or the fact that all of sudden you will be hearing a different song playing then the one you started.

I own a Treo and I love(d) the keyboard (the f-key fails regularly now ... ), if the touchscreen is really as good -> WOW!

But WHY no copy/paste!?!?

Cheers

No copy and paste because it is still in Beta testing.

I'm buying one.Period.

End of story..

Apple will work the kinks out.

BETA TESTING!

 

[roland.g]

I would have to wait now for rev. B based on:

T-mobile SIM cards don't work
Call quality good, but not great
Songs can't be set as Ringtones

not a deal breaker, but the camera, and no video to boot.

 

[dartzorichalcos]

I wonder if Walt Mossberg is going to buy an iPhone.

 

[Bubbasteve]

A phone without custom ringtones is sort of lame, I mean we've had custom ringtones for a long time. Taking that away wouldn't be smart, I think there has to be a way to add a ringtone... either by Apple or a clever hacker.

I'm sorry but I don't understand what the appeal is to have sound clips from your favorite songs as your ringtone...especially for this type of phone

 

[Asar]

Hey Apple

great idea for you guys, since this IS a PHONE first. how about when at the home screen, turn the phone to landscape, and the old school phone pad automatically opens! great idea, pay me later...

 

[plumbingandtech]

Glenn Fleishman should be embarrassed that his "First Review" was not even in the same ballbark as Mossberg's review.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/0626200...ying_an_iphone_columnists_glenn_fleishman.htm

It seemed so rushed and so lacking in details... I understand it is a "first review" but geeez./...

 

[daneoni]

I wonder if Walt Mossberg is going to buy an iPhone.

He already has one. Hence the review, i highly doubt steve would ask for it back

 

[clayfu]

is he using the iphone with two thumbs or just one finger?
cause the problem isn't the one finger typing quickly and accurately, its the two thumbs!

 

[Random Ping]

- Songs can't be set as ringtones

This kind of a bummer. I wonder if Apple will make it easy to add our own ringtones developed via Garage Band?

 

[nuckinfutz]

Good review for a mediocre product... I will wait till the phone is on the Sprint network which had cheaper data and voice plans and better speeds.

He reviewed the iPhone not AT&T's network and mediocre was the last thing inferred from the review.

can't copy/paste, that sucks. Also, no songs as ringtones...that's idiotic. That's like the first thing i would have done.

The copy/paste thing needs to be addressed quickly. Ringtones ...probably going to cost you money. You probably don't want to know the real answer here

It kindof makes sense that you can't use songs as ringtones.

Imagine listening to music, getting a call, the music fading out just for another song to come on? If you're not paying full attention, you'll totally forget that you have to answer a call.

A little sad about the lack of video recording.

Good point but I think the ringtones will likely cost some dinero. They make a lot of money for the carriers and I doubt that AT&T is going to forgo them ducats. Video recording will likely be enabled later. I can see reason why Apple won't deliver this feature.

 

[benspratling]

No songs as ringtone is deal breaker

If songs can't be used as ringtones, I'm not buying the phone. I have developed a Pavlovian response to "A New Beginning" by Good Charlotte. It is a perfect ringtone-type song, and the intro ends at the same time my account rolls over to voice mail. I refuse to submit to "Marimba," which is just childish. You'd think the one cool thing about an iPod/cell phone would be you can finally set your favorite songs as your ringtone! If you can't have songs as ringtones, what other obvious features have they forgotten to include?

 

[diamond.g]

I'm sorry but I don't understand what the appeal is to have sound clips from your favorite songs as your ringtone...especially for this type of phone

What kind of phone is this?


Personalization is the cool thing about ringtones. I have some Afrika Bambaataa that I want as my ringtone. And I would always know it was my phone ringing (I mean come on how many people here even know who they are???)

 

[Macmaniac]

David Pouges review is out as well, his experience with edge was less then happy

But otherwise, you have to use AT&T’s ancient EDGE cellular network, which is excruciatingly slow. The New York Times’s home page takes 55 seconds to appear; Amazon.com, 100 seconds; Yahoo, two minutes. You almost ache for a dial-up modem

 

[Digital Skunk]

He reviewed the iPhone not AT&T's network and mediocre was the last thing inferred from the review.

I know... what is your point...?

I have my opinion on the iPhone and AT&T's network... didn't mention anything about the reviews having those comments in them.

 

[King Crimson]

Sure

I'm buying one.Period.

End of story..

Apple will work the kinks out.

There was no real software upgrade (at least not for the ones I owned!) from ipod generation x to the feartures of x+1 ...

It hurts, but I'll probably wait for iphone gen 2

Cheers

 

[awatiker]

I noticed a new icon has been added on the main page, it's brownish in color two down on the left. Can any one tell what it is?

 

[mambodancer]

Ringtones

Wait, did he say it doesn't have a SIM card? And we can't use our own music as ringtones?? Bummer.

I distinctly remember seeing a ringtone tab in the original iPhone demo that Steve Jobs introduced.

I'm betting that there is a new iTunes version available on 6/29 and I'm betting you'll be able to download ringtones and use songs as ringtones too.