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Rationalizing the iPhone

follow-up: iPhone is $60 per month June 26, 2007

The iPhone comes out this month, but I still can’t decide just how excited I am. On the surface it’s a sweet piece of technology — a video iPod with a phone and camera. But I’ve got some questions that nobody seems to be answering.

Required Contract

It’s anticipated that this phone will only be available with a contract, and all signs so far point to a 2-year commitment. That’s a long time, especially if it ends up costing fifty or sixty dollars a month. It’s possible that it could be more than that once you figure in unlimited minutes, data transfer and all that other crap.

My current iPod has averaged less than $20 per month for the year and a half I’ve been using it, which will only go down considering that it was a one-time purchase. It’s just not sensible to triple or quadruple that amount for a device that will still be used primarily the same way I use my iPod.

Storage Capacity

My iPod has 60GB of storage space. The most expensive iPhone will only have 8GB — a huge step backwards. I use my iPod as a portable hard drive, keeping all of my current projects on there so that I can work on them at home or work or on any other computer that’s close by. It’s a wonderfully liberating way of doing things, and I would like to see this taken a step further to a point where your iPod could act as your main hard drive. You could plug it into any computer, login to your account and have your entire computing experience (desktop, dock, preferences, etc) the same on whatever computer you use.

But the iPhone is a step in the wrong direction for this. I will still carry my iPod just for the storage capacity alone even if I do get the iPhone.

On-Screen Keyboard

I was initially happy to see that the iPhone did not have a keypad of any sort. Every phone I’ve seen either lacks a full keyboard or has tiny keys that would not compliment my clumsy fingers. Apple needed to come up with something new, and they did. Their keyboard utilizes the touch-screen display and can change from a full QWERTY keypad to a numeric keypad to a bunch of other things (that have yet to be revealed).

This is definitely an interesting solution, but the downside is that you have to be looking at the phone to know what you’re pressing. I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty good at putting my thumb on a 5 and dialing any phone number without looking. This comes in handy while driving.

I’d like to test out the new interface, and I’m open to the possibility that the positives will outweigh the negatives. But it’s not going to be an easy transition.

Making Apps

One of the most promising things about the iPhone is that it runs Mac OSX as its operating system. This means that it has the potential to run any program from your computer. You wouldn’t want to put together a newsletter on your phone, but there are many legitimate uses for a large variety of programs.

Apple was quick to squash hope on that front though, immediately saying they would control the contents of the phone (that’s a nice way of saying you can’t add your own programs). Then this week they announced that developers will indeed be able to make programs for the phone.

Well, sort of.

See, the iPhone has Apple’s Safari web browser built in. And for quite some time now, people have been writing sophisticated software that runs inside web browsers using standards-based technology (Google Maps is a good example).

So on Monday Apple announced that developers would be able to create programs for the iPhone that run within Safari. These programs will have the ability to email, make calls and look up addresses on maps. It sounds good, but there are virtually no details available about how exactly this works.

There have been just enough clues to lead me to a firm understanding of how this will probably work. Basically what it means is that developers have to make a web-based application that is small enough to fit comfortably on the iPhone’s screen. The iPhone will automatically pick out any phone numbers or addresses and will link them to their appropriate action.

This approach is one of the most lame and insulting “solutions” Apple has come up with in recent memory. They have long said that the iPhone will have a fully-functioning version of Safari, so we already knew that we could write these apps.

But how about making custom interfaces? Can we harness the full power of the touch-screen and double-finger drag technique? Will the web app be available without connecting to the web, or do I have to pay for the data transfer to just load the app to have it even open up? Can you click and drag? Can apps take advantage of both the vertical and horizontal interface and know which state it is in? Exactly what are the pixel dimensions of the available screen real estate for my app within the Safari window? Does Safari have a fully-functioning Flash player, and if so, what version?

There is much to be desired about the current level of developer support on the iPhone.

Don’t Forget About the Camera

Nobody’s talking about the camera on the back of the iPhone. All we know is that it’s 2 megapixels. I know better than to expect a high quality camera to be included on such a small item, let alone any cell phone. But there are many times when I’m without a camera because I don’t feel like lugging around my DSLR equipment. Having something is better than nothing, and it seems like that was Apple’s thoughts as well.

Maybe it’s great. Maybe you can use the camera to create custom wallpapers. Maybe you can upload them to Flickr right from the phone. Maybe it records video. But I guess we’ll just have to figure that out on our own.

Think I Just Made Up My Mind

That’s the first time I’ve really laid it all out there, and I guess it’s easy to see that I am going to sit out the first version. It really is a remarkable product. But it’s that awkward first product that will soon show its flaws and beg for updates.

You may find me drooling over yours if it comes within arms reach. But until it can play a full-screen 3D version of Beer Dude 3, I’m sticking with my Sony cassette walkman.

cubs1944

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13TH, 2007 8:00 AM

1

I want one but I’m with you...give me the second or more like the fourth generation iPhone.

Sarah P

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13TH, 2007 8:11 AM

2

Dave I have a palm treo and the best feature is the internet access. I can access web pages like daveheinzel.com and basically see and interact with all the sites features except the podcasts. Although I must say that since the screen is just under 3”, much smaller than the iphone, looking at full websites is a pain because I have to scroll side to side to read articles. I tend to go to the mobile sites for the scaled down content that fits my screen. At this point it is better than nothing.

The monthly cost is high but I am paying for two phones so I blame Heather for the high cell phone bill.

The biggest disapointment is the lack of good applications. Palm has many apps to choose from but they all seem to suck. And the phone feature is a little clunky.

I’m interested to take a look at the iphone to see if it is an improvement to my treo. This technology is in its infancy and I would suspect that things will improve greatly in the next year or two.

Until then I’m hoping that the mobile version of daveheinzel.com will be released soon.

Chris WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13TH, 2007 8:22 AM

3

Chris - I’d love to make a mobile-friendly version of daveheinzel.com. I think the screen on your phone is about 320 pixels wide, so as long as I can fit everything in there, it should work, right? I don’t know much about how web browsing works on phones or palms, and I don’t actually have a phone that I could test this on. Anybody out there know of any good resources to use online? I’ve tried some Googling, but I keep coming up empty.

daveheinzel WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13TH, 2007 8:40 AM

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Dave go to Chicago Tribune’s mobile website at mobile.chicagotribune.com to see how it is set up. Some sites are more interactive and have more features that others.

Chris WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13TH, 2007 8:49 AM

5

I think you left off a big one... price. As indicated in your storage diagram the iPhone has a lot less storage than the current video iPod’s (60-80GB). The main driver here is that they are using flash memory now which is a lot more expensive than a hard drive. Regardless, I am not prepared to pay $500 for another Ipod that can’t even store all my Rush albums on it much less my entire music collection.

I think just like the original iPod we all have sticker shock. But we will get used to it and the iPhone will “grow” into that price and one day it will be just as successful as the iPod is today. And then I will wish I had bought some stock and probably cry about it.

As far as Apple controlling the software that can run on the iPhone... isn’t that why they almost croaked in the beginning? I could be off but I think Microsoft took the market by storm because they allowed anyone to write applications that would run on Windows. Apple tried to control this too much and Billy got ahead. I could be wrong, I need to get out my encyclopedia.

dennydeaton WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13TH, 2007 8:53 AM

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Denny, my understanding (which may or may not be accurate) is that Apple’s downfall in terms of grabbing market share was a result of not letting their OS be run on computers by other manufacturers. There was plenty of software available for the Mac, but because everyone and their brother could build a cheap PC that ran Windows, more and more software developers realized that they’d have a larger audience developing for Windows.

Flash-based memory is nice, but it’s not ready for the general public yet in terms of the cost to capacity ratio. Maybe in a couple years, but not now.

I am really anticipating the release of the next gen iPod. There is a LOT that they could do with it - such as adding wifi and having it run OSX. I hope they don’t use flash-based memory — I’d love to see a 120 GB iPod. Now that’s something I would buy.

daveheinzel WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13TH, 2007 9:06 AM

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the huge thing for me is the storage space. as much as i was anticipating the iphone, i was equally disappointed to find out the biggest one would be only 8g. i sometimes use my 40g ipod for a portable external drive as well. im sure not nearly as often as you do, but even just solely as an mp3 player is really unacceptable for my usage. 8g would really have to make me think long and hard about what music i wanted to listen to for the next couple days and the is the exact opposite of why i have the ipod in the first place. so, i too am going to be holding off and waiting. its just not worth it for the price. i know in a year or two’s time there will be much better and bigger versions of the iphone, just like there was after the introduction of the first ipod.

oh yea, by the way:

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lanny WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13TH, 2007 10:28 AM

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Thanks, Dave...I’ve been going back and forth too. It’s so dang hard to resist the look and the feel, but, you’re right when you say to wait for the next generation. I think I’ll settle for the new Blackberry Curve for now at 1/3 the price and enough features to keep me happy for a while.

missy

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13TH, 2007 10:29 AM

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I think once the iphone over comes its initial technology curve, the ipod will become obsolete. the market place wants a mobile device that does everything. the iphone has that potential along with all the other mobile pocket pcs in the market. I’m typing this comment on my treo because I’m stuck at city hall. People will spend the $500 plus for the phone because they want something cool. The next couple generation versions will be even better. We only have to look at the evolution of the ipod the last five years. Iphone is really that next step and apple has a cool factor advantage over the brands. I’ll be buying one once it’s available for sprint. I’m at the begining of a two year plan because I wanted a treo.

chris

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13TH, 2007 10:40 AM

10

You mentioned the 2 year commitment, but not the notoriously bad service offered by “the new AT&T”.

The horrible battery life of 5 hours is what killed the charm of the iPhone for me and the life only goes down from there.

regular visitor

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13TH, 2007 1:29 PM

11

The five hour battery life is constant talk time, video playing or browsing time. Apple does not specify battery life for an idle iPhone. It is possible that some users may be on the phone for five hours constantly or some combination of talk time and video playing equaling five hours, but for me it just makes sense to charge it each night.

Also, there is a rumor floating around that there may be a prepaid plan available. Digg.com has pointed out AT&T insiders who say that such a prepaid plan has a spot in their billing software. It is also interesting that the tag “Requires new 2-year contract and activation” has been dropped from both the televised and apple.com iPhone ads. Keep fingers crossed.

For me, buying an iPhone on June 29th at 6pm is not a must, but having one soon after may be. I’ve been giving myself reasons why I must have this “must-have” device since it was revealed. I’m still not positive if I will have one in my hands on June 30th though.

Joe

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13TH, 2007 3:21 PM

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Joe - I think the iPhone is perfect for you. Mostly because somebody has to buy one, and if you do, then I’m sure to get my hands on one sometime this year. So please to buy the phone please and thanks.

daveheinzel WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13TH, 2007 3:26 PM

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It looks like it might be a while before anyone, even AT&T, gets their hands on the iPhone.

http://tinyurl.com/2vvd4y

shoo THURSDAY, JUNE 14TH, 2007 8:25 AM

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I just wish someone would come out with a phone that makes and receives calls, rings real loud, isn’t encumbered by a bunch of non-phone stuff, and can survive falls of more than 3 1/2 inches. Is that too much to ask?

BigDog

THURSDAY, JUNE 14TH, 2007 11:16 PM

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...and toilets.

Angi SUNDAY, JUNE 17TH, 2007 11:47 AM

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Apple has just issued a press release about updated battery life for talk-time and standby on the iPhone. It now has a better battery life than my current phone. Chalk one up for iPhone.

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2007/06/18iphone.html

Joe

MONDAY, JUNE 18TH, 2007 10:38 AM

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Big Dog, I totally agree.

It’s refreshing to finally find somewhere that people are talking about reasons to NOT buy the dumb iPhone. Finally.

Betsy WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20TH, 2007 11:06 AM

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Comments have been turned off since I moved over to Humzoo.