I had a chance to check out the iphone in person at the 2007 macworld presentation. While it has become a media sensation, the iphone is lacking in several key areas. Here is my list of 10 reasons why I won’t be buying apple’s iphone, at least in its current iteration.
1) It's too big.
It looks at least 3x as thick as my Razr. Even the video ipod is too large for my tastes, I use an 8gig nano. Apple is clearly years behind with cell phone trends. Thin is in!
2) It looks slippery.
A cell phone needs to be able to survive the rigors of everyday life! How many people will drop this shiny monstrosity? The ipods are notoriously slippery due to their glossy surface, and I do not see how this can possibly be pulled off safely with a phone. Phones are handled much more often than ipods, and apple’s touch screen means that carrying cases are not going to be able to completely incase the device. I predict a lot of returns several days after the phone’s release, due to drop-related damage.
3) They can track your every move.
The iphone's integrated GPS can be used to track your every move! Did you see the example of using Google maps in the demonstration video where the phone can pinpoint your location on a map? Clearly the iphone is transmitting location data to a central server which can be used to store and track your movements. Who wants to pay 500$ for a device that makes big brother's job even easier!
4) 5 hour battery life.
This is fine for a laptop, but for a phone it's pathetic. Most cell phones can last a couple of days without being recharged.
5) The stupid touch screen.
Touch screens are 1980's tech. There are already phones available which can accept voice input. Voice recombination input is far more intuitive than complicated finger-movement yoga.
6) OS X ON A PHONE???
Honestly, a phone is used to call people most of the time. Having a full fledged UNIX operating system is overkill to the nth degree. Honestly, would anyone want windows xp on a cell phone? Or Red Hat gnu-linux? Or SCO UNIXWARE? This is totally unnecessary. The inclusion of OS X also means that there is the added cost of having a full OS X license included in the cost of the phone (which is 129$ for a single use license). Granted, many people will still buy into it, probably the same crowd who think a 5 hour battery life on a phone is acceptable.
7) Can't upgrade it.
Nearly all new phones out these days can accept secure digital cards, but the apple phone can't. This is similar to the situation with apple's computers: none of them have card readers. Personally, I find card support to be essential on any system. Some claim the iphone is a PDA, not a phone, but nearly all windows based pda's can be upgraded with compact flash cards.
8) Cingular only.
This makes as much sense as selling computers that can only access the internet through AOL, Give me a break!
9) No external application support.
While the iphone is running an operating system which consumes over 500mb of flash memory storage, it apparently does not support third-party applications. This means that every windows based PDA in the last 5 years is a better option for those who want a full fledged portable computer.
10) Too expensive!
499$ for the 4 gig model, 599$ for the 8 gig model. WITH A 2 YEAR CIGULAR CONTRACT! Keep in mind that 8 gigs is a pathetic amount of space for a device which is supposed to support video playback. A 2 year contract is a HUGE commitment. Apple has tied their own noose with this one.
Overall, Apple's iphone seems to be both a monstrously bloated phone, and an extremely crippled PDA. This appears to be more of a technology demonstration / gimmick, similar to the 20th anniversary Mac or the g4 cube. It's pretty to look at, but barely functional. However, there is no doubt that it will be popular with the polo-wearing rich kids and early-adopters that have been sucked into Steve Jobs' reality distortion matrix. I won’t be one of them.
Professional Journalist
29 comments:
How about I give you 10 reasons to shut the fuck up?
This is quite possibly the worst criticism of the iPhone I have ever read. Granted, the phone does have its flaws, chief among them being the Cingular exclusivity. But the rest of these? Come on...
1.) Too big? It is thinner than a Razr and the exact same thickness and width as a 5th-generation iPod but slightly taller. If you look at the most powerful smartphone out there, the Cingular 8525, it is almost twice as thick as the iPhone.
2.) It looks slippery? Not even gonna go there.
3.) The iPhone does not have GPS.
4.) 5 hour TALK TIME is a lot different than 5 hours of battery.
5.) Again, the Cingular 8525, as well as the 8125, Sprint/Verizon vx6700, T-Mobile MDA, all have some sort of touchscreen capability.
6.) It is not full-fledged OS X, but an adapted version of the operating system. There is a big difference between Mac OS X and the OS X on the phone.
7.) You consider SD cards as upgrade? For phones with no internal memory, yes you are correct, but the iPhone ships with AT LEAST 4 GB of memory.
8.) OK, I concede this point. Cingular sucks.
9.) Windows Mobile phones are certainly not full-fledged computers.
10.) Yeah it's expensive, but nearly every phone you buy comes with a two-year contract. This is not something Apple invented.
Please research more than one of your facts before writing about them, "Professional Journalist".
I was going to criticize your absurd blog, but something tells me this might be some kind of hoax. Who calls themselves a "Professional Journalist?"
thank you everyone for your feedback
your blog sucks
Wow, I really dont know what to say to this...
I came here because you randomly put your blogger URL on a comment for a unrelated digg story (totally professional...NOT)
You have like two post, both being kind of stupid, so yeah, dont call your self a "Professional Journalist"
Oh, and you obviously dont know shit about what you write about. And you dont have any sources, or if you do, they arn't creditable sources, like a "Professional Journalist" would have. Like 90% of the iPhone 'facts' you wrote were bullshit...I was at the keynote, I got the facts first hand.
Oh, and after flaming you so much, I've just come up with a great way to help you out. I've come up with a better heading for you:
News from Stanley Feinbaum, Professional Dee-dee-dee.
I find it a bit more fitting
This blog sucks mad dick..
thank you for your comments
A lot more phones have GPS than most people know. Spamming Digg will only get you flamed. You suck at life my pathetic friend, I hate you.
You talk so much shit!
You are just finding pathetic excuses for not liking the phone e.g. battery life-incorrect
GPS-Incorrect (ANY phone can be traced to where it is with cell triangulation)
Price- How much is a nano ????
By the time it comes out it will not even look like this this, 6-12 month is a long time in the mobile world.
And just for the record, you cant call yourself a 'professional' Journalist. you are either e journo or not!
Stop the digg blog spam. kthx
10 Reasons why your wrong.
1)Its the same size/ a bit thinner than a Razr and as thick as a video iPod.
2)It might look slippery but have you ever held one?
3)No GPS = your wrong.
4)Thats 5 hours of talk time buddy.
5)So instead of being able to use your phone in a loud area or a quite area without disturbing people you want to have to yell at your phone to get it to understand you?
6)Its not a full version of OSX; do you even read anything about this phone before you start typing?
7)Sure you cant put an SD card in the iPhone, but why would you? It comes with at least 4 gigs of memory already and the SD slot is more standard on phones with almost NO internal memory
8)I agree with this point.\
9)Neither the iPhone or any Windows Mobile phone is a fully functional computer
10)Yes its expensive, but the blackberry pearl was $400 when it came out but I don't see you getting your panties in a bunch over that.
Also 2 year contracts are standard in the cell phone industry.
"Primarily, the iPhone is a phone, the other features are there if you ever wanted it. If you are trying to replace your camera or want to watch movies on a regular basis, this may not be the best device!"
Uh guys.....i think it was sarcasm about how people have been talking about the iPhone in the ...ugh..... blogosphere and on Digg et al
Although by point 8 it ran out of humour
I prefer the term "blog orb", but it is a serious piece of journalism.
Muwahahaha. In some perverse way I enjoy your work, pissing off digg users like that. I like it. Hope you keep going full steam ahead and piss off even more of those pre-nursery lusers on digg.
It is definitely the worst criticism.
But that doesn't change the truth that the Iphone sucks.
But our "professional journalist" does seem to know the right reasons.
To name a few
No 3g Support(but the delay in the release might be to support 3g)
Do you really want to switch your service provider. This is their biggest mistake. Many of you pointed out that 2 year contract is standard. So lets say I am still 6 months into my previous contract. Iphone really lost a lot of market there. They have absolutely no international market with this cingular partnership.
Upgrade does not exist and that is minus point. They are trying to create a trend a complete different lifestyle. Once you really start watching video on your Iphone trust me the 8GB is not going to be enough.
Iphone is a closed platform means all iphones are going to look the same or only as different as apple wants it to looks with their own themes. You cannot have any 3rd party downloads. you basically cannot "hot rod" your phone.
Does cingular have good coverage everywhere like say the country ranch you go for your weekend holidays.
There are many more but you see I am not a "professional journalist" :-P, so i will stop here.
dumb ass the phone has 16 hours music play back time and 5 hours talk time and when the phone is in stand by the phones battery can last up to 3 days!!! and at least cingular has roll over. we can re use are minutes !!! and its not tuch screen its multi tuch ass hole you can use 2 fingers at once and speach reconition isnt that great specially if yor in a crowd
!!!! and why use flash memory the phone downloads softwear phone the internet and wirelessly updates from the apple server using cingulars 3g speed internet (cingular EDGE) and its the phone version of OS X they wont charge you for it its pre installed fuckin prick you think any other phone can compair to this get a life loser
1. Ur a moron.
2. Apple makes quality products so u can't go wrong. 3. If the highest memory card is 4 GB about, why is there a need of one if the internal memory is this or even 8gb.
4.U have never held one before, so how u know its slippery.
5.its about the same size of a ipod- which has over 100 million sold dude.
6. i have a razr- it has caused me a ton of problems over the yrs.-SUX big time. Just because its thin-doesn't make it the world's best phone.
7.etc.
What i find amazing is that you judging a phone you never even held in you hand..... have you even seen it in person? yet alone use it...im guessing....NOT. Some professional you are. Your blog only makes you look incompetent.
The Fact still remains.. apple has a nac for comming up with some wonderful products. Nothing is perfect, in this world but you have to admit this phone has some pretty amazing features that has never been seen before. Does it have everything... no , but tell me what cell phone does.. on thing you can be certain of apple will continue to improve on its new product like it has will all its produtus which i guess its why it on of the best consumer product companies in on this PLANET.
so am i gonna buy one? your damn right. Im a graphics person .. had macs my whole life.. no other phone will fit into my life more seamlessly than this iPhone. besides im sure its gonna be a HELL of a lot more fun to use than my Motorola Q which ive hated for the past year.
VIVA iPod!
:)
ps. to above comment:
you dont have to be a mac person to love the coolness of this phone! i know plenty of pc users and mac haters who think this phone is awesome!
I am not a "mac hater" per say, but I am definitely more of a PC guy and I cannot wait until this phone comes out and I can get one... There really is nothing bad that anyone can say about this phone... I don't know why anyone would be bashing it...
Did you know that 'i' in the 'iphone' stands for 'idiot'? LOL
Good for people to know.
Very informative post by the author, waiting for such more posts on New Apple iPhones . Buy Apple Accessories India
There's definately a great deal to know about this topic. I like all the points you made.
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