iPhone Review :)

[Cybergypsy]

You could call iPhone perfect

January 18, 2007
BY ANDY IHNATKO
I have used the Apple iPhone. I had a private briefing the day after Steve Jobs' keynote and spent about 45 minutes noodling around with the device.

You may touch the hem of my robe if you wish.

In response to a Beatlemania-scale pile of e-mails, here's what I can tell you so far, based on my hands-on impressions, my talks with Apple and general first-hand sniffing around:

1. The touch-interface works flawlessly, in terms of both technical function and user interface design. Whatever you want to do -- select an album to play, make or take a call, compose and send an e-mail -- your first impulse is almost always the correct one.

This is the simplest phone ever.

And there are no lags, no pauses, no waiting for the slickly animated UI to catch up with you, even when you're scrolling through a stack of album art that's flopping past your finger in 3D: It's liquid.

The bad news: It works only with direct, skin contact. You can't wear gloves, and I don't know if you can even put a screen protector on it. On the plus side, the screen is supposed to be more scratch-resistant than an iPod.

"So long as you don't have a pocket full of broken glass, it'll be OK in there," I was told.

2. I think the iPhone's virtual keyboard is a huge improvement over the mechanical thumbpads found on the Treo and any other smart phones of its size.

The buttons are significantly larger, you don't have to hit them dead-center, you lightly tap them instead of punching them down, and the software is smart enough to know that you meant to type "Tuesday" instead of "Tudsday."

After 30 seconds, I was already typing faster with the iPhone than I ever have with any other phone. I suspect that true e-mail demons will need to adapt to the lack of tactile feedback, though.

3. It's the most beautiful freakin' display I've ever seen on a phone or PDA, both in range of color and level of detail. Even microscopic browser text is credibly readable.

4. The apps that were functional at the time of the demo give the satisfying, protein-rich experience of "real" software. The mail client and browser make you feel like you're using a powerful desktop app, not a cell phone that can kind of send e-mail and browse the Web (depending on how you define "e-mail" and "the Web").

5. Apple will keep a very tight rein on software development.

I asked point-blank if third parties would be able to write and distribute iPhone apps and was told, point-blank, no.

However, it appears that there'll be some third-party opportunities. I'm going to take a guess that iPhone software will be distributed the same way as iPod games: no "unsigned" apps will install, but apps will start appearing on the iTunes Store after successfully passing through a mysterious process of Apple certification -- one that ensures that they meet a certain standard of quality and won't, you know, secretly send your credit-card info to Nigeria.

The lockdown on software is an area of ongoing suspicious interest. I noticed that the iPhone's pre-release browser was missing some plug-ins. I asked if Real and Macromedia et al. would be writing media plug-ins for the iPhone's Web browser, and was told that no, the browser would ship with plug-ins, but Apple would be writing them all in-house. Odd, that.

6. The iPhone runs the same OS as the Macintosh. And not in the way that Windows Mobile is, I suppose, technically, if you want to split hairs about it, classified somewhere in the Microsoft Windows phylum.

Nope, everything I've learned (both in official briefings and "you and I never spoke, all right?" sort of discussions) says that it truly does run Leopard, the upcoming 10.5 OS that will be released for the Macintosh late in the spring.

Those spiffy UI animations, for instance, come courtesy of Leopard's Core Animation suite.

So will it run Mac software? Nope. The iPhone runs OS X, but it's an iPhone, not a Macintosh. And it stands to reason that the OS on the iPhone doesn't include any bits that it doesn't need.

And no, the iPhone's Widgets aren't the same as the Mac's Dashboard widgets. But they do use DashCode and other desktop widget tech, so who knows? I'm really hoping that widgets will be more open to third-party developers than apps.

7. The iPhone is still under development and isn't feature-complete. I opened the "Notes" application and found myself tapping impotently at a JPEG of what the app is supposed to look like. And the camera app only had one button.

Any complaints about what the iPhone can't do are premature. Remember, it won't ship for six months.

I really, really like what I've seen so far. But true judgment won't come until June.

[dentrecords]

Sounds very interesting!!! Good article.

[articsilber323]

nice find

thanks

[SIcBoy]

how much are they going for anyone know

[Kakashi]

600 bones

[darna]

i think it's worth evry penny... ipod + phone for 600, can't go wrong.

[Cybergypsy]

Originally Posted by SIcBoy

how much are they going for anyone know

499.99 and 599.99....with 2 year plan

[firmhonda]

Sounds nice, but I personally think that I'd rather stick with my treo. I looked on cingular's site and couldn't find a price. It may be because I only looked for a total of 30 seconds, but either way..

Originally Posted by Cybergypsy

The bad news: It works only with direct, skin contact. You can't wear gloves, and I don't know if you can even put a screen protector on it.

4. The apps that were functional at the time of the demo give the satisfying, protein-rich experience of "real" software. The mail client and browser make you feel like you're using a powerful desktop app, not a cell phone that can kind of send e-mail and browse the Web (depending on how you define "e-mail" and "the Web").
...
5. Apple will keep a very tight rein on software development.

I asked point-blank if third parties would be able to write and distribute iPhone apps and was told, point-blank, no.

However, it appears that there'll be some third-party opportunities. I'm going to take a guess that iPhone software will be distributed the same way as iPod games: no "unsigned" apps will install, but apps will start appearing on the iTunes Store after successfully passing through a mysterious process of Apple certification -- one that ensures that they meet a certain standard of quality and won't, you know, secretly send your credit-card info to Nigeria.
...
6. The iPhone runs the same OS as the Macintosh. And not in the way that Windows Mobile is, I suppose, technically, if you want to split hairs about it, classified somewhere in the Microsoft Windows phylum.
...
And no, the iPhone's Widgets aren't the same as the Mac's Dashboard widgets. But they do use DashCode and other desktop widget tech, so who knows? I'm really hoping that widgets will be more open to third-party developers than apps.
....

The things in bold kind of rub me the wrong way. It depends on what you call email and the web?? really? No third party apps? Sounds like this phone is going to make apple a lot of freakin money. I really don't like the fact that it seems as if you can't put a screen protector on it. I don't care how durable they say it is, it's a touch screen and they will break. It seems like it will be a great phone though, I guess I'm just picky.

Truth be told, I do love the display and what they say about the keyboard.. it sounds 1000000000X better than the treo.

Great find though, nice read.

[ethlar]

I plan on getting one,

Cybergypsy i assume youre getting one too?

[Cybergypsy]

Originally Posted by ethlar

I plan on getting one,

Cybergypsy i assume youre getting one too?

Already on the list :)




Mine is a big as a business card,,,has a touch screen, and have no need for a screen protector at all.

[JeShUa]

I dont get the concept of the iphone.. as it does not have 3g.. i mean.. its not aimed at the 'average consumer' as the average consumer will spend 100-200 max on a phone.. with a 2 year plan..
saying that.. lets assume that this phone is geared towards the power user.. who will have everything pushed, ect.. and uhh.. it doesnt have 3g? which means that you cant talk / send data simultaneously.. and slow for that matter..
I'm assuming that apple will release a 3g / upgraded unit within the next year.. as their excuse to no 3g was the lack of coverage.. but cingular is doing a pretty good job of expanding it in dense areas.. which would cover the average user.. who this isnt even geared towards imho... even though I dont like apple too much.. I'd recommend having standalone products as far as mp3 and cell phones go.. I have lots of songs on my phone.. but no headphones for it.. I just put it on speakerphone when I bump my ish :P.. I hope that the keybaord is revolutionary.. but yeah.. I really dislike apple.. flop iphone flop.. their marketing is in your head guppies!!!

[Cybergypsy]

Originally Posted by JeShUa

I dont get the concept of the iphone.. as it does not have 3g.. i mean.. its not aimed at the 'average consumer' as the average consumer will spend 100-200 max on a phone.. with a 2 year plan..
saying that.. lets assume that this phone is geared towards the power user.. who will have everything pushed, ect.. and uhh.. it doesnt have 3g? which means that you cant talk / send data simultaneously.. and slow for that matter..
I'm assuming that apple will release a 3g / upgraded unit within the next year.. as their excuse to no 3g was the lack of coverage.. but cingular is doing a pretty good job of expanding it in dense areas.. which would cover the average user.. who this isnt even geared towards imho... even though I dont like apple too much.. I'd recommend having standalone products as far as mp3 and cell phones go.. I have lots of songs on my phone.. but no headphones for it.. I just put it on speakerphone when I bump my ish :P.. I hope that the keybaord is revolutionary.. but yeah.. I really dislike apple.. flop iphone flop.. their marketing is in your head guppies!!!

Its a Apple thing, you would not understand!

[louieinyo]

There are only 2 iphones that exist right now.Steve jobs has one(he can't make calls on it yet)and one in a glass case in san francisco.How did this guy get his hands on one?

[SIcBoy]

i am going to get one of them

[Exeon]

I think the iphone is a waste IMO, not worth $500 or $600 for a phone with a touch screen with old camera tech 2 megapixels. Not to mention battery replacement and 1st gen will have problems. I'd rather get a ps3 for that price, better yet save more for a laptop.

[Gonzo]

I wondered why the iPhone didn't use the coveted 3G myself so I did some research and found out why, though the technical details beyond this I don't know anything about... (not a cell phone network expert, heh)

When everyone talks about iPhone not supporting 3G, what they are usually referring to is EVDO. EVDO is faster than EDGE (what iPhone will use) but the real problem is EVDO is related to CDMA. Why is that relevant? Because CDMA is a direct rival (owned by QUALCOM and used by Verizon and Sprint) to GSM which EDGE is a part of. Cingular is the largest GSM supplier and thus Cingular can't and won't use EVDO.

The reason why iPhone uses EDGE is because it is already widespread across the entire country (No 3G network is yet). So everyone can use the iPhone in the United States instead of being able to use it only in certain places (which makes no business sense)

Not only that but GSM is more of a global standard and is already in place throughout Europe and Asia. So iPhone can go global (on Cingular to boot) on infrastructure that is already built.

Plus if you think iPhone is already expensive, your monthly bills will be much higher if it were to use 3G.

Another reason it is not critical for the iPhone to use 3G is because it can automatically switch to Wifi when it is present. WiFi is MUCH faster than any wireless network and it is free to use. Infact iPhone is pretty much the first phone that encourages the use of WiFi when available which is good for consumers. As you can imagine usually cell phone carriers wouldn't want customers to be able to use WiFi.

Also apparently some revisions of EDGE are already considered 3G and I believe can be implemented on the existing EDGE network in the future with greater ease.


In the future iPhone will likely use true 3G but on an HSUPA network.
For right now though Apple wants to make sure everyone can have access to iPhone.

If you want to hear this explained by someone who actually knows a lot about it you can go here: http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/RDM...7E617E96A.html

[truflip]

dont the 1st gens have either 2GB or 4GB of space only?

[Cybergypsy]

Originally Posted by louieinyo

There are only 2 iphones that exist right now.Steve jobs has one(he can't make calls on it yet)and one in a glass case in san francisco.How did this guy get his hands on one?

Read the story.......

[firmhonda]

Originally Posted by truflip

dont the 1st gens have either 2GB or 4GB of space only?

Are you serious? Wtf can be done with that? I'm trying not to dog the iphone because honestly, I don't want to hear the responses. lol.
I'm just curious if someone would like to do a comparison on the iphone and the treo 700/750. The only things that seem better are the keyboard and the screen. And if you can't use a protector for the screen that falls off the list too. I honestly don't want to hear the 'touchscreens don't need protection' either. I'm on my 2nd treo right now and I've got a friend that's been through a few of them. Touchscreens are weaker than regular screens, seems like that would be common sense.

[Cybergypsy]

Originally Posted by firmhonda

Are you serious? Wtf can be done with that? I'm trying not to dog the iphone because honestly, I don't want to hear the responses. lol.
I'm just curious if someone would like to do a comparison on the iphone and the treo 700/750. The only things that seem better are the keyboard and the screen. And if you can't use a protector for the screen that falls off the list too. I honestly don't want to hear the 'touchscreens don't need protection' either. I'm on my 2nd treo right now and I've got a friend that's been through a few of them. Touchscreens are weaker than regular screens, seems like that would be common sense.

funny mine above never needed it i also carrry my keys in the same pocket.......