A Personal Blog
iPhone Must Die
Ugh… Evidence:
- 27 of 45 Techmeme are about, or in response to the iPhone (yeah, I know I’m not helping)
- All kinds of really important features for a huge number of phone users simply aren’t in the iPhone: Engadget article
- Call quality, and the network, are horrible: Valleywag article
- And, above all, the HYPE is insane… Especially when compared to the huge number of issues with this device at 200$, nevermind 600$
Ask yourself this would you buy the best designed car in the world, at a premium, if it wouldn’t go faster than 40mph?
This is effectively the most expensive phone ever created for the mass market (including AT&T’s plans), and it’s not even a very good phone! You have people trading in phones with better connectivity, better network, better audio, better cameras, more storage, better MP3 players… Just to grab this piece of history.
And make no mistake, for all my hating, it is a piece of history. The web browser alone will revolutionize the mobile device industry. I don’t believe the touchscreen will, but I believe future versions of the iPhone will make up for this. Long, long, long-time readers of this blog will know that I’ve been pushing for a true mobile convergence device for a long time, and the truth is that that iPhone is a huge new step in that direction from a UI and input perspective.
But, for all the things Apple did right, there’s a lot more they could have done. And the fact that they didn’t is what pisses me off. They’ve become complacent and started taking their customer base for granted (again).
Sure, they’ll sell out of this shipment. And the next. And the next. But I won’t be happy with the iPhone until it actually does its 3 primary tasks right: phone, multimedia device and mobile computer.
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| Print article | This entry was posted by Jeremy Wright on June 29, 2007 at 8:15 pm, and is filed under IT Thoughts. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site. |
about 5 years ago
Yawn
You’d never buy an iphone ever. You aren’t the target market and if they had built the product you wanted you still wouldn’t have bought it because it’s Apple. Meanwhile the rest are having fun with ours.
about 5 years ago
Why are you so certain that the iPhone does not fit your specifications? It is after all, a Version 1.0 product. Apple will be adding software periodically.
The Apple iPhone is not a Smart Phone, it is unfair to compare it to one. It is likely to re-invent the mobile Phone market if it can satisfy users in ways that Smart Phones cannot. Perhaps, Apple’s new ways are better than the Smart Phones? Who Knows? Neither you, nor I have one. And likely neither of us ever will. If Apple can find customers who like new ways of doing things, more power to them. Why is this any skin off your nose?
Why would you hate an inanimate object? If you don’t want or need one, why not let it pass? After all, tastes vary; there are people who like licorice. If you don’t, do you hate the people who do like it, too?
about 5 years ago
Ratty: If it works for you, great. Do you have one? Feel free to respond to the above issues and thoughts (including those raised by Engadget and Valleywag).
Louis: Hate? Erm… I don’t have any emotions with the iPhone at all… I hate the hype, because it’s blind to the issues. I’m disappointed with friends who are buying an inferior product (trading in superior ones, at a loss), especially a v1.0 product.
And, really the iPhone *is* a SmartPhone. Phone. Browser. Multimedia. Viewing multiple file formats.
It lacks decent connectivity. It lacks a huge number of messaging/protocol features that even a 50$ phone has. It doesn’t let you use the features it has fully (can’t use mp3′s as ringtones? my freaking blackberry can do that).
And for that, you’re paying more than any other mass market phone ever produced.
I’ve given the iPhone numerous props in the post above. And it will get better with time.
But right now, between the hype, the cost, the piss-poor audio/network, the lack of features and the fanboyism I’ve had enough.
Hence, the *******iPhone******* (stars signify big flashing lights) must die.
about 5 years ago
The only way Apple could produce an iPhone we want is if they also controlled the phone company, or partnered with an up-and-coming one with nothing to lose.
You can’t use your songs as ringtones because AT&T makes too much money selling ringtones. There’s no iChat app because AT&T makes too much money from text messages.
To really create what we want – and is easily possible – there needs to be a phone company willing to sacrifice the huge profits their making in the old business in order to lead the way into the new one.
about 5 years ago
I’m writing this from my iPhone. I love it so far. More info after sleep! Seven hours in line today.
about 5 years ago
Jeremy- Features on the iPhone are what they are for many and various reasons, all of which were carefully considered by arguably one of the most talented businessman of our time. You personally may not be pleased, but really who cares? The truth is, you are so far out of Apple’s design league in your judgement of what is important in this product it is laughable. Job’s job is to guide the company in making products that will make money. He has done this with the iPhone on a level that is mind boggling. The iPhone is a stunning achievement that offers unexpected and amazing features that are not to be found on any other device. Most people care nothing about the few features or tech choices you complain are missing or are inadquate. Most people buying the iPhone only had simple, free camera/music phones before. Now they have a the most sophisticated, elegant computer/phone in their hands and they are elated at what their $600 has bought them. Apple did not hype the iPhone, the features of the device sold themselves and people just cannot stop talking about them. To say, iPhone Must Die, is simply childish. So are you like 12 or something? No, I mean it, are you like 12 or something?
about 5 years ago
You’re an idiot. The iPhone is the best phone ever created and all you can do is b*tch about it. Get a freaking life!
about 5 years ago
Ah, the smell of fresh fanboys in the morning. Nothing quite like it.
James, have a nice day.
Tim, drop me an email and let me know what you think about the iPhone :)
Thomas, the best for last. Sorry, but how was dropping MMS a good design choice? Oh, and Apple didn’t hype it? “The most revolutionary mobile device in history”? “… will completely change the way users think about mobile computing”? Sorry, have you not see the ads or the keynote? Apple hyped the hell out of this product.
And as far as me not being the target market, sorry I don’t buy that. To say I’m not the target market simply because I don’t like the device is to believe that Apple made every single decision perfectly, executed on the iPhone perfectly and delivered a device sent straight from heaven. And that if I don’t like it, it’s because it wasn’t for me. Not because they made any mistakes (gawd forbid).
Bill, thanks for stopping by mate. I actually agree with you that some of the choices were likely forced by AT&T. I’m not sure you can chalk up lack of MMS to that, but some of the choices. Which, of course, contradicts Thomas’s theory that every decision was made by Jobs as a design decision ;-)
Anyways, I’m done on this. My original post was fair. The iPhone is being vastly overplayed in the media and blogosphere. The iPhone has a huge number of missing pieces that regular phones are able to take care of at 1/10 the price. And, worst of all, that thing you want to “just work” (perfectly), ie: the phone portion, needs work.
And given all those bits, paying 600$ for the device and being told to be “thankful” for the privilege reeks of the Apple attitude of old. The attitude that would have killed the company had Microsoft not saved them.
about 5 years ago
Another bit: http://iphone.macworld.com/2007/06/things_to_do_with_an_iphone_wh.php
Someone’s iPhone arrived dead. That’s okay, it’ll happen. I’m sure Apple will replace it.
Last comment? Asks why in the world he can’t use his music as a ringtone. And, yeah, that guy’s the target market. Which… makes him 12 too? ;-)
about 5 years ago
Couldn’t find the trackback url, so here’s a post I made: http://www.billerickson.net/2007/06/30/iphone-v2-or-what-the-iphone-should-have-been/
about 5 years ago
People knocking Apple’s choice of Edge really have no concept of what is going on. First, most people will use the Wi-Fi, and rarely rely on Edge. Second, there is a huge patent fight going on now over 3G. Had Apple included 3G, Apple likely couldn’t ship its product into the Country, and it might be another Creative Hundred Million Dollar deal all over again. Third, ATT is actually increasing Edge’s performance so it doesn’t suck so bad.
I agree about the ringtones, however, Apple is pretty quick to respond to complaints. I suspect there is a decent reason why you cannot do this.
about 5 years ago
The fact that the phone is the most expensive to hit mass market is NOT true though. First cell phones for a while were several grand, the first compact Motorola which was the first to reduce cell phone to pocket size was I think 3 grand.
about 5 years ago
Some minor factual corrections: Nokia has had, for quite some time, more expensive phones, e.g. the Communicator series. However, they’re not carried by US operators, but in rest of the world they are. E.g. N95 and E90, though they are of course more feature-packed than the iPhone.
Also, high-end Nokia phones (again, not the ones that ship in the US) have been shipping with the same browser (Safari) as the iPhone has, for over a year now. And yeah, it’s sweet.
What’s revolutionary with the iPhone is that it’s finally bringing the high-end phones to the US, and waking people up to the reality that cell phones don’t have to be crappy. And that’s good, because then people will start to pay attention to mobility.
about 5 years ago
Terrine: Feel free to wander round your town and tell me how many free, open wireless networks there are. In downtown Toronto (one of the most wired places on earth), I went for a half-hour walk and found 2 (2!!!) yesterday.
Also, it’s not irrelevant. Apple could have chosen other providers (for whom providing connectivity would have been a requirement of the deal), and Apple wouldn’t have been liable or in danger at all. EDGE sucks. Apple chose EDGE. AT&T sucks. Apple chose AT&T. Most of the current problems going on have to do with that choice. And anyone who believes Apple isn’t responsible for their choice in provider is deluding themselves.
Nir: The key word there is “mass”. If you only made 10-100K of them, it isn’t destined for the mass market. This is the most expensive mass market phone ever, hands down. Think of it this way, you’re paying 600$ when you’re locked in for 2 years. Name another phone you had to pay 600$ for with a 2 year contract. A CURVE is only 200$ with a 2 year contract.
Janne: More expensive phones exist in the rest of the world. Since this is a US-only launch, comparing the phone to US-only phones makes sense.
about 5 years ago
Jeremy, I am sorry, but you did not actually *say* US anywhere in your article. Therefore I took “most expensive phone ever created for the mass market” to mean globally.
Besides, the Nokia N95 is a more expensive phone – AND you can buy it in the US.
BTW, I agree – iPhone is overhyped, much like the original iPod was underhyped (considering how successful it became). Just wanted you to get your facts straight ;-)