First iPhone Review from Walt Mossberg

[Padriac]

i think you shouldn't judge people on what songs they like.

I find musical taste to be a great heuristic for understanding an individual's personality. A lot can be surmised by the Good Charlotte comment (age, ethnicity, motivation, temperment, etc.). Of course it's all a guess, but you have to start somewhere.

 

[diamond.g]

Digital Skunk is the new ng17!

You want innovation but then bitch about features already on other phones. What features do you want? All features of all phones ever released? This is NOT the Apple way... they always carefully consider which features are in and out to avoid clutter and improve usability. I think audio and video recording are more "niche" things on a phone: some people love it, but the vast majority don't care. Just like FM and audio recording on an iPod.

Obviously if you want a featuere the iPhone doesn't have, then don't get an iPhone. Since when were all products all things to all people?

I think some of the protest comes from Apple choice of bashing smartphones. People that actually use smartphones get used to a certain level of functionality. If I want to download a program that allows me to keep track of all the service intervals for my car I can, ebooks (Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy FTW!!!), etc.

I personally believe that there would be far less fuss if Apple just made up a new market segment, say like media phone or something. Then again are BB's and Treo's and BJ's smartphones or are they really pda phones?

 

[clayfu]

but i mean look at the way contacts are in most phones...you kind of HAVE to have search to get at them quickly.

The ringtones thing is a little lame tho.

As for the no video...a bit of a headscratcher there.

i absolutely agree, search is a NECESSITY, that ought to be the first software necessity on any phone. As cool as the screen and touch is on the Iphone this is a glarrrrrrrrringgggggggg ommission. Even my phone from 5 years ago has this option

 

[clayfu]

I find musical taste to be a great heuristic for understanding an individual's personality. A lot can be surmised by the Good Charlotte comment (age, ethnicity, motivation, temperment, etc.). Of course it's all a guess, but you have to start somewhere.

at the same time you're asserting your opinion of music onto another person as a template of their personality.
What if i found your taste in music even less refined? would i be able to classify you by my standards?

 

[diamond.g]

but i mean look at the way contacts are in most phones...you kind of HAVE to have search to get at them quickly.

The ringtones thing is a little lame tho.

As for the no video...a bit of a headscratcher there.

wait so you think scrolling through dozens of contacts is faster than typing on say the first four letters of the persons name (be it last name or first name)? Eh, well we will find out in a few days. Who knows maybe it is better.

 

[RnSK]

Says who, dude?

kinda hard to compare a phone with a music player when its supposed to be phone first...

The killer app on phones is makin' calls,heheh

Everything after that is "ooo...shiny".

Its an iPod with phone features and net stuff...but its pretty obvious that the skew was iPod here. Has been since Day Zero...to quote:

"An iPod...a phone...an internet device."

Seems like that was the order of importance.

 

[joemama]

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

Exactly! That's a reason not to buy it right there. I mean, the thing IS an iPod too, and no music as ringtone?!?!!?!?!? That is the first thing most teenagers will try and do.

Yawwwn. Rev B.

 

[clayfu]

The killer app on phones is makin' calls,heheh

Everything after that is "ooo...shiny".

Its an iPod with phone features and net stuff...but its pretty obvious that the skew was iPod here. Has been since Day Zero...to quote:

"An iPod...a phone...an internet device."

Seems like that was the order of importance.

haha quite possibly.

 

[King Crimson]

Treo <-> Spotlight

i absolutely agree, search is a NECESSITY, that ought to be the first software necessity on any phone. As cool as the screen and touch is on the Iphone this is a glarrrrrrrrringgggggggg ommission. Even my phone from 5 years ago has this option

The search function of my treo works like and as good as spotlight ...

 

[RnSK]

wait so you think scrolling through dozens of contacts is faster than typing on say the first four letters of the persons name (be it last name or first name)? Eh, well we will find out in a few days. Who knows maybe it is better.

If you know the first few letters of Ephigenia Witherspoon's name I'm thinking pointing at E would get ya there right quickly

 

[diamond.g]

at the same time you're asserting your opinion of music onto another person as a template of their personality.
What if i found your taste in music even less refined? would i be able to classify you by my standards?

wow, you guys take the ringing thing to heart huh? My personal metric is when out and about I have my phone on vibrate (mostly cause my stereo is waaay too loud and I'd miss all kinds of calls). When I am home and my phone is n the table (and since my cell is my home phone as well) it goes on ring. Since my wife and I will both have the same phone we need a way to tell who's phone is ringing. Well that and I like me some Planet Rock

 

[Digital Skunk]

I think some of the protest comes from Apple choice of bashing smartphones. People that actually use smartphones get used to a certain level of functionality. If I want to download a program that allows me to keep track of all the service intervals for my car I can, ebooks (Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy FTW!!!), etc.

I personally believe that there would be far less fuss if Apple just made up a new market segment, say like media phone or something. Then again are BB's and Treo's and BJ's smartphones or are they really pda phones?

All of those are smartphones... the big separator is the phones ability to be used in the big business sector and full customization of software and limited hardware. I can expand the storage, replace the battery, replace the SIM card on certain models, etc. I can download thousands of software options with different markets like education, business, productivity, personal errands, etc. Not to mention that I can get one on almost any network... not just Cingular.

 

[Zadillo]

Honestly, if the biggest issues with the phone are things like "no customizable ringtones" and "no 3G", I think that is great.

These are the kinds of things that are easily fixable in a revision (and in fact Apple's already said 3G is coming later).... and things like customizable ringtones should certainly not be difficult to add via software updates, etc.

I think it would be much worse if reviews indicated the fundamental UI was flawed, that the iPhone wasn't pleasant to use, etc.

Those are things that aren't as simple to address.

Given that this is Apple's first foray into phones, it seems like a great first start.

-Zadillo

 

[tribulation]

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.

Maybe they are arrogant enough to force users to use the default one(s) to constantly market the tone+phone. Wouldn't surprise me. possibly using users to actively market the iphone's distinctive ringtone like Nokia's.

 

[Padriac]

And you are the go to guy when some one needs a yelling screaming cursing guy that comments on someone else's opinions the manner that only a selfish "know it all" fight picking computer nerd knows how.

I will continue to ignore you before I curse you out and get blocked by the Admins... who are actually quite nice when you send them enough emails.

I'm the fight picker? You're bringing up fictional Linux OS's as reasons to hate the iPhone. Not sure I've ever yelled or screamed, especially on a forum (how would I do it? All caps?).

There are features on other phones that some find useful that aren't on the iPhone. Got it. Yeah, Apple totally should add a search feature for contacts, I agree, but it's far from a dealbreaker, especially given the ease at which such a thing could be added and given how many phones *don't* do it. Put it in the "next software update" checklist.

 

[austincharles]

It targets the iPod market market more than anything else.

With an 8 GB capacity, I can't understand how iPhone's major market would be for music playback. Maybe stats hold truth that 8 GB models of iPod nano are the most popular or what have you, but with a 4 & 8 GB capacity I don't think everyone is cashing in their iPods for iPhones.

 

[Lepton]

No voice dialing

The no custom ringtones thing will bother me a lot, but no voice dialing is bad, bad, bad. How can you effectively use a Bluetooth earpiece without voice dialing? This makes it not a hands-free phone, and I need a hands-free phone by law for my car in my locale.

If there is no surprise voice dialing ability at launch, I'm going to wish real hard it arrives in a software update soon. And while I'm wishing, it would be neat if it was speaker independent and didn't need training, like the software on my current Nokia.

 

[puckhead193]

does anyone know how fast edge is? How long will it take to view a web page? Depending on speed i see all the complaints be handled with a software update except for 3g and video.

 

[paja]

Palm & RIM Marketing

Wow, I can't believe the anti-iPhone marketing that is going on at MacRumors.

The PALM and RIM marketers are doing their very best to trash the iPhone.

Apple gets two favorable reviews and the haters can't deal with it. Notice these recent "regulars" never have anything good to say about apple ever!

Sorry PALM and RIM, but the iPhone will be a bhuge success!

 

[RnSK]

I agree 100%

I think some of the protest comes from Apple choice of bashing smartphones...if Apple just made up a new market segment, say like media phone or something. Then again are BB's and Treo's and BJ's smartphones or are they really pda phones?

I had a problem with this since january when they said that there wasn't going to be support for 3rd party apps. Reinvention is one thing, but redefinition won't fly. My joke name was iPhone SIMO at the time: Smartphone in Marketing Only

 

[Padriac]

at the same time you're asserting your opinion of music onto another person as a template of their personality.
What if i found your taste in music even less refined? would i be able to classify you by my standards?

No I'm saying that certain personalities, ethnicities, age-groups, and educational levels will tend towards certain musical taste. It has less to do with my opinion (although I insert that as well: if you like stuff I don't I can figure we differ personality wise in some basic way) and more to do with simple statistics.

You should definitely be able to get a ball-park estimate of who I am based on my musical taste. Statistics are statistics. Whether you find my taste refined or not is personal to you, of course. Obviously I don't think highly of Good Charlotte and would account from that.

I can save you a lot of time by noting that I write for a music site or two. You should be able to get a ball-park estimate just from that.

 

[dogtanian]

If this device is to succeed in Europe/UK, it will require 3G and MMS messaging.

Features like iChat will more than likely be added, plus maybe flash, ringtones and games would be obvious software updates like youtube on appleTV.

 

[Digital Skunk]

I'm the fight picker? You're bringing up fictional Linux OS's as reasons to hate the iPhone. Not sure I've ever yelled or screamed, especially on a forum (how would I do it? All caps?).

There are features on other phones that some find useful that aren't on the iPhone. Got it. Yeah, Apple totally should add a search feature for contacts, I agree, but it's far from a dealbreaker, especially given the ease at which such a thing could be added and given how many phones *don't* do it. Put it in the "next software update" checklist.

Good for you man...

Never said I hate the iPhone... did I call you an iPhone fanboy? No... just stop posting to me okay. I am trying very hard to not say anything to you that will get me blocked or kicked out of the forums.

Thanks.

Wow, I can't believe the anti-iPhone marketing that is going on at MacRumors.

The PALM and RIM marketers are doing their very best to trash the iPhone.

Apple gets two favorable reviews and the haters can't deal with it. Notice these recent "regulars" never have anything good to say about apple ever!

Sorry PALM and RIM, but the iPhone will be a bhuge success!

We all want it to be a huge success, but the iPhone fanboys seem to ignore the fact that it is missing some major functions as per the review and the specs on Apple's page. You can't claim a device as being innovative if it doesn't have many of the basic functions of other phones and devices. Or if it can't access certain web technologies that have been in place for over four years.

When other devices have those features but aren't full of the glitz and glamour and high price tag then the other phones are still considered more useful and practical.

 

[RnSK]

I don't think anyone with a clue is...

Sorry PALM and RIM, but the iPhone will be a bhuge success!

...debating if or not its going to be a success. The issue is that Apple has kind of co-opted, or are trying to via marketing, a market segment the iPhone isn't really in.

I mean, its an iPod with phone features and damned fine internet in yer hand.

What established segment does it go into?

 

[clayfu]

Wow, I can't believe the anti-iPhone marketing that is going on at MacRumors.

The PALM and RIM marketers are doing their very best to trash the iPhone.

Apple gets two favorable reviews and the haters can't deal with it. Notice these recent "regulars" never have anything good to say about apple ever!

Sorry PALM and RIM, but the iPhone will be a bhuge success!

i think there are glaring problems that people can't seem to accept that are pretty commonplace on normal phones.

no one seems to bring up that in both reviews they say the call quality is just okay? not great?

otherwise, the internet browser that i'm sure you'll be doing tons of on your 10kb/sec connection and 3 inch screen is working great.