Real Kato Blog: iPhone Followup

Observations on day five of the iPhone.

So first of all, let me just say that the iPhone is without question the best phone I've ever owned. But before I get to the details, let me talk about the other phones I've owned in my life.

My previous cell phones were all Sony Ericsson models. I actually resisted getting a cell phone for a long time, figuring that I really didn't want people to be able to get a hold of me. I would always tell people that a cell phone was like a leash. Of course, this is during a time when I was mostly girlfriend-less, so... well, interpret that however you like.

When I finally did get a cell phone (I think this was in 2001), I got an Ericsson T28.

I was looking for two things: I wanted a phone I could use overseas (so it needed to be GSM); and, I wanted a phone that I could use for Internet access. Mobile internet was pretty dang primitive at the time, and the T28 wasn't much of an Internet phone by itself, but it did allow me to tether my computer to it using an modem kit. I liked the phone a lot; it was tiny and light, and it flipped open with the push of a button. It was simple to use and the battery lasted forever. But after a couple of years, it just refused to get a cell signal any more, and Cingular insisted that my only recourse was to replace the phone. (Bastards... I knew they were lying, but what could I do?)

My next phone was a Sony Ericsson T616, a soap-bar style phone.

It was also pretty small and light. It had a nice color screen and built-in internet features. It could sync to my Mac over Bluetooth. It had a camera in it too, which turned out to be pretty lousy... but just having a camera phone was still a novel concept for me. The T616 lasted a couple of years, after which it would power off randomly. That got to be pretty annoying. But it was, otherwise, a decent phone.

When Amy and I decided to get on the same cell phone plan, we each got Sony Ericsson W600i Walkman phones.

The cool part of these phones was that you would open it by flipping the screen around it a half-circle. It was a music player, though I actually never used it as such. It had a camera which, again, turned out to be pretty lousy. It had a pretty good Internet access, and it could play games. But the biggest problem was that the quality. We had to return three different phones due to various issues: couldn't access the Internet, couldn't get a cell signal, couldn't hold a battery charge, couldn't send text messages. We finally got tired of sending phones back... I settled for one with a battery that would only last a day (on standby), and Amy settled for one that would only intermittently send text messages. But neither of us were entirely happy.

So it was with great joy that we purchased our shiny new iPhones this past Monday.

The iPhone resolves every issue that I've had with every other phone I've had: it has real Internet access, it has a nice camera, the battery lasts all week, and it syncs to iTunes. It's just fantastic. I have absolutely no regrets about buying this phone.

But I promised I'd look at it with a critical eye, so I'll go ahead and pick a few nits.

1. It's slick. I mean slick as in slippery. I'm terrified of dropping it. Even though it's reportedly pretty rugged, I don't want to take that chance. I'm going to have to get a case of some kind for it, though I also hate the idea of covering it up. To answer a question from Steve: you need thumbs just so you can hold the thing, not to use it.

2. It's missing a few software features. No doubt these will be addressed in updates, but right now, I'm wishing for: iChat (with video); Yahoo IM; hybrid map-satellite view on Google Maps; digital zoom on the camera; and, a to-do list function.

3. Some things don't work quite right. Gestures aren't universal: the slide-to-the-right gesture that works to delete emails doesn't work to delete other things. Safari doesn't let you open a link in a new window. It's too easy to click something accidentally that initiates a phone call. Safari has some rendering bugs. But I think all these things are also correctable in a software update.

But for every problem with the iPhone, there are ten things that it does right. The functions for the physical buttons are so well-thought-out... I mean, it seems so obvious to have a single toggle switch that silences the phone, but how come no other phones have that? The on-screen keyboard; slide to unlock; pinch-unpinch to zoom out and in; YouTube; it's all just as good as advertised. The phone just has "thoughtful" written all over it.

And I'm optimistic about its durability. MacWorld subjected the iPhone to various drop tests (including five foot drops onto concrete), and it kept on chugging with barely a scratch. I sat on it once and it was fine.

Yes, there's the battery thing... the battery is non-replaceable, and it will run out of gas after about 300-400 recharge cycles. But for me, one full recharge cycle is like a week. So we're talking years and years of useful life... and there's always the battery service policy. So I'm not concerned about that.

In short: it's a great device. Some folks have remarked that "iPhone" is a bit of a misnomer, given all that it actually does. Amy has dubbed it "iEnvy". I think that's appropriate.

Permalink 3 Comment

Posted by Ken in: techwatch

Comments

Comment #1 from JohnC (Guest)
2007 Jul 7 - 11:29 pm : #

what about the fact that it has been hacked alreay and the root password is on teh intertubes?

Comment #2 from LizD (Guest)
2007 Jul 8 - 1:36 pm : #

My nephew bought one, but he is only 13, and his Mom wouldn't pay the activation or monthly fees. So, his cousin dubbed it the "iClock" since that's all he can do with it.

Comment #3 from Ken (realkato)
2007 Jul 8 - 3:45 pm : #

Liz, several people have figured out ways to use the music and Internet features of the iPhone without actually activating it through AT&T. Google "iPhone activation hack" and you'll find some answers.

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