I have to agree I do
like Apple products, in fact I have an iPod Video and a Mini Mac, but would I
really spent £450 on an iPhone? Simple answer is no (However, anyone want to
give me one to review I'd be happy to assist in taking it off your hands), why?
Taking a step back
from the fact its an Apple product, lets look at some of the issues the
iPhone has.
The first issue and
this is for the European users is the lack of 3G data support. We do have EDGE
networks here, but they are not as widespread as in the US. The US are about 5
years behind Europe when it comes to Mobile Phone Networks.
Secondly, the iPhone
must be activated on a 2 year contract with AT&T. We are used to subsidised
handsets with great deals like cash back, free calls etc. But with the iPhone
you buy the device at full retail value and are still made to register with
AT&T. They do have a pre-pay option, but again its not ideal. People have
already started to hack the iPhone to preventing you needing to activate the
iPhone. In order to get the full use of the iPhone such as Wi-Fi and the music
element you have to register!
Cingular are huge in
the States. Having only launched the iPhone on one network seems to be a huge
mistake. Are people really going to move from one network just to have this
device?
With the iPhone
having Wi-Fi they seemed to have overlooked something. The ability to sync with
your PC/MAC and iTunes over Wi-Fi. There should be no reason why this couldn't
happen.
Purchasing music
from iTunes directly from the iPhone whilst out and about would be a great way
for Apple to make even more money. We'll it might be, but its not possible.
Personally I think this is down to the fact EDGE has a slow download speed
compared to 3G, so it would cost a fortune to buy the music then download
it.
As with all the
iPods the battery on the iPhone is sealed within the device. The battery will
give you about 5 hours call time and 16 hours of audio. If like me you listen to
your iPod for long periods of time (Such as work, but don't tell the boss), will
the battery life be sufficient? Not to mention the fact we all know Wi-Fi is a
huge battery drainer.
The two versions of
the iPhone are the 4GB and 8GB versions. Again, as with all iPods this is not
upgradeable. My iPod has 30GB of space and I do use most of it due to films,
music and podcasts I listen to and watch. Going back down to 8GB would be a
nightmare!
With email being a
key factor is most peoples life and the fact many businesses use Microsoft
office applications the ability to sync with exchange or view email attachments
made from within office would be a fantastic addition. Sadly the war between
Apple and Microsoft continues here. With firmware updates available to the
iPhone via iTunes updates can happen quicker then waiting for networks to send
out updates. Lets hope this update isn't to far away.
And finally, the
lack of support for software developers. Windows Mobile allows for additional
software to be installed to enhance the device, but the iPhone is locked down.
Admittedly you can write applications that run in the built in Safari browser,
but unless you are near an access point and using Wi-Fi these applications wont
work.
Even with these
negative points the Apple iPhone will be a huge success. Its an Apple product
after all. But remember there are numerous products on the market I'll cover
shortly that offer everything the iPhone does and more. For
less.
The iPhone is due to
launch in Europe towards the end of 2007 just in time for Christmas. Further information can be found at devicewire.com