iPhone Review: A Week Later
So roughly a week after the purchase, I've managed to take out the little thing for a spin.
First and foremost, the product is not perfect. Nothing is. Everything has its pros and cons and the iPhone is no exception.
Let's bring out the cons -->
1) Edge VS 3G:
Yes. The iPhone is not on the 3G network, and has to suffer through the perils of the somewhat lackluster Edge network. This unfortunately slows down the internet browsing experience, but for how long I've used it, it's not incredibly horrible. The application sometimes has to time out because of the speed. Definitely a minus.
2) Video:
Surprisingly, the iPhone does not have video-capture technology in all its 4gb or 8gb glory. A camera this big with memory of that size without it... intriguing. Then again, I look to other areas to fulfill my photograpy and videography needs.
3) Email Coding:
According to reports, the mail function cannot be synced with Outlook-based email. This is a big no-no if you're going after the existing PDA, Blackberry, Blackjack market. Open-source email still functions fine (as I place non-work-related email to go through the phone such as Yahoo or Gmail).
4) Email Controls:
I saw interesting glitches on this one when trying to bring in my Yahoo/Gmail into the phone. It brings every single email and announces it as unread, even though of course, it has been read... almost 2 years ago. Tsk.
5) Basic Phone Settings:
Where is the bloody off button? There is no button on the iPhone that completely shuts the thing down. What is up with that? Disturbing. The next best thing really is the Airplane Mode, which shuts off phone/internet functions and leaves you with everything else. I guess it will have to do?
6) Sound Quality:
Alright, to fully enjoy the sounds of this techno-toy, you would have to make use of the available headphones because the speakers just do NOT cut it especially for the iPod.
7) Horrible Phone Plans
AT&T kills me. But... my saving grace is that a family with more than 1 iPhone becomes an incredible steal. I love the laws of economies of scale.
8) Battery:
When you run out. You're out. And no, there's no borrowing someone else's battery this time. And also the fact that you have to hand it in when you do need to permanently replace it is discomforting.
So why would I keep the thing or possibly recommend it to others?
The Pros -->
1) Idiotic Simplicity:
The wonders of the iPhone begin with the wonderful piece of material that comes with it, the Help Manual aka "Finger Tips" (har har). The functionality of the iPhone is easy to pick up on: conference calls, speaker phones, contact searches while on calls, holds; everything is as simple as pressing a button (which you do).
2) User Interface:
The screen is just beautiful. It's like a damn ocean with your fingers wading through. The interface is just so seamless and downright addicting that I randomly find my fingers trying to reach out to my laptop to get the same results. Photo browsing, net surfing, its just so different and it seems too easy; think of it as a little kid's way of playing Tom Cruise's character in Minority Report.
3) Multiple Browsing:
Okay, I don't know if any of the other next-gen phones allow you to surf more than one window at a time. But I love the fact that you can do that on the iPhone. It works for ADD kids like me.
4) Visualization:
Visual voice mail is brilliant. Why no one had it before, I have no idea. It takes away the pains of waiting for call after call trying to find the right one. Kudos to that.
5) The Screen:
Big is better. In this case, yes that is true. It's a lot easier to read emails, messages, the internet, movies, everything. It works with the UI so damn well.
Note: On smudging, and possible cracking, a film cover can be placed on the screen that will protect the screen and not reduce touch-sensitivity. A hard-shell can be bought for the phone to help save it from falling. Again like ANY OTHER PIECE OF EQUIPMENT: you don't drop your camera, you don't drop your computer, so don't drop your iPhone.
6) Apple Integration:
The ease of how everything fits together is just getting more and more ridiculous and it is a godsend. Photos, music, and the address book, how lovely. Enter into one, access through another, it's just less of a pain transferring calendars and alerts.
7) System Redundancy:
I am one of those people who love redundancy, whether it be documentation or inventory. It replicates my GPS, my iPod, and my laptop. In any event I am without one or the other, or one of them runs out of battery, well I can always bring this thing out and use that to replace the other. What can I say, I'd rather not have one single point of failure.
=== Endnotes ===
In a nutshell, the iPhone is a nice piece of technology, and it does revolutionize certain areas of the mobile phone industry. However, touted as the 'Jesus Phone', it does fall short in certain areas. I completely agree with how people across the board have rated the phones as above average, but not incredibly excellent in itself. It needs tweaking, which I am 100% sure it will receive, but the damn phone works for what it is right now. If you are in the market for a phone, or any other piece of technology for that matter, justify it for yourself and not what others hype it to be. Find out if it works for YOU. I had an age-old phone of 4+ years with none of the capabilities of the next-gen phones. I got an upgrade and am completely satisfied with the Apple replacement.
RANK: B+
Questions/Comments are welcome [Please keep them civil or they will be deleted or worst, publicly humiliated]
First and foremost, the product is not perfect. Nothing is. Everything has its pros and cons and the iPhone is no exception.
Let's bring out the cons -->
1) Edge VS 3G:
Yes. The iPhone is not on the 3G network, and has to suffer through the perils of the somewhat lackluster Edge network. This unfortunately slows down the internet browsing experience, but for how long I've used it, it's not incredibly horrible. The application sometimes has to time out because of the speed. Definitely a minus.
2) Video:
Surprisingly, the iPhone does not have video-capture technology in all its 4gb or 8gb glory. A camera this big with memory of that size without it... intriguing. Then again, I look to other areas to fulfill my photograpy and videography needs.
3) Email Coding:
According to reports, the mail function cannot be synced with Outlook-based email. This is a big no-no if you're going after the existing PDA, Blackberry, Blackjack market. Open-source email still functions fine (as I place non-work-related email to go through the phone such as Yahoo or Gmail).
4) Email Controls:
I saw interesting glitches on this one when trying to bring in my Yahoo/Gmail into the phone. It brings every single email and announces it as unread, even though of course, it has been read... almost 2 years ago. Tsk.
5) Basic Phone Settings:
Where is the bloody off button? There is no button on the iPhone that completely shuts the thing down. What is up with that? Disturbing. The next best thing really is the Airplane Mode, which shuts off phone/internet functions and leaves you with everything else. I guess it will have to do?
6) Sound Quality:
Alright, to fully enjoy the sounds of this techno-toy, you would have to make use of the available headphones because the speakers just do NOT cut it especially for the iPod.
7) Horrible Phone Plans
AT&T kills me. But... my saving grace is that a family with more than 1 iPhone becomes an incredible steal. I love the laws of economies of scale.
8) Battery:
When you run out. You're out. And no, there's no borrowing someone else's battery this time. And also the fact that you have to hand it in when you do need to permanently replace it is discomforting.
So why would I keep the thing or possibly recommend it to others?
The Pros -->
1) Idiotic Simplicity:
The wonders of the iPhone begin with the wonderful piece of material that comes with it, the Help Manual aka "Finger Tips" (har har). The functionality of the iPhone is easy to pick up on: conference calls, speaker phones, contact searches while on calls, holds; everything is as simple as pressing a button (which you do).
2) User Interface:
The screen is just beautiful. It's like a damn ocean with your fingers wading through. The interface is just so seamless and downright addicting that I randomly find my fingers trying to reach out to my laptop to get the same results. Photo browsing, net surfing, its just so different and it seems too easy; think of it as a little kid's way of playing Tom Cruise's character in Minority Report.
3) Multiple Browsing:
Okay, I don't know if any of the other next-gen phones allow you to surf more than one window at a time. But I love the fact that you can do that on the iPhone. It works for ADD kids like me.
4) Visualization:
Visual voice mail is brilliant. Why no one had it before, I have no idea. It takes away the pains of waiting for call after call trying to find the right one. Kudos to that.
5) The Screen:
Big is better. In this case, yes that is true. It's a lot easier to read emails, messages, the internet, movies, everything. It works with the UI so damn well.
Note: On smudging, and possible cracking, a film cover can be placed on the screen that will protect the screen and not reduce touch-sensitivity. A hard-shell can be bought for the phone to help save it from falling. Again like ANY OTHER PIECE OF EQUIPMENT: you don't drop your camera, you don't drop your computer, so don't drop your iPhone.
6) Apple Integration:
The ease of how everything fits together is just getting more and more ridiculous and it is a godsend. Photos, music, and the address book, how lovely. Enter into one, access through another, it's just less of a pain transferring calendars and alerts.
7) System Redundancy:
I am one of those people who love redundancy, whether it be documentation or inventory. It replicates my GPS, my iPod, and my laptop. In any event I am without one or the other, or one of them runs out of battery, well I can always bring this thing out and use that to replace the other. What can I say, I'd rather not have one single point of failure.
=== Endnotes ===
In a nutshell, the iPhone is a nice piece of technology, and it does revolutionize certain areas of the mobile phone industry. However, touted as the 'Jesus Phone', it does fall short in certain areas. I completely agree with how people across the board have rated the phones as above average, but not incredibly excellent in itself. It needs tweaking, which I am 100% sure it will receive, but the damn phone works for what it is right now. If you are in the market for a phone, or any other piece of technology for that matter, justify it for yourself and not what others hype it to be. Find out if it works for YOU. I had an age-old phone of 4+ years with none of the capabilities of the next-gen phones. I got an upgrade and am completely satisfied with the Apple replacement.
RANK: B+
Questions/Comments are welcome [Please keep them civil or they will be deleted or worst, publicly humiliated]