And the reality slowly sets in about what the
iPhone is and is not. Noted analyst and Engadget pal Michael Gartenberg stated that the iPhone is first party software ONLY -- i.e. not a smartphone by conventional terms, being that a smartphone is a platform device that allows software to be installed. That means hungry power-users -- you know, those people ready and willing to plunk down $600 for an 8GB musicphone -- won't be able to extend the functionality of their phone any more than Apple (but thankfully not Cingular) dictates. Other unfortunate realities about the device:
- No 3G. We know you know, but still, it hurts man.
- No over the air iTunes Store downloads or WiFi syncing to your host machine.
- No expandable memory.
- No removable battery.
- No Exchange or Office support.
posted January 9th 2007 9:41PM
Take these oft-heard complaints about the iPhone specs:
1) It's tied to Cingular in the US
2) There's no Skype on the phone
3) You can't install and run your own software
I would have thought that they're all basically about the same thing - that is, if you could install your own software, what's likely the first program to be written for the phone? Why, Skype, or some Skype clone, of course. Which would mean that (while you're connected to the net via Wifi) you could make and receive calls WITHOUT Cingular, with whom Apple obviously have an agreement. Clearly, if the whole world was Wifi-covered, there'd be no need for a mobile-carrier at all, but we're far from that and someone has to supply the service for those out-of-Wifi times.
But it does make me think that we're unlikely to see homebrew software on the iPhone until they can come up with some answers to this issue.
Bob
It's still early to add 3G/3.5G to iPhone:
Off the shelf 3G solutions can be divided to two groups:
A. Reliable, very expensive, not suitable for $499 phone.
B. Cheap, unreliable, power hungry, quality that will damage Apple name.
For pripority solution you need to have many years of in-house design (eg.Nokia) or partnership with a leading solution provider, which is costly and adds risks to your time to market.
It's true iPhone is not a smart phone, but it hosts the touch and feel that smart phones lack for so many years. I hope it will give new directions of life to the designers of those crap smart phones..
Shane, you say you're no Apple fanatic but you did sound exactly like one to me.
when it comes to innovation and usability, i don't honestly see what iphone offers in terms of improved usability or true innovation (not this "coolness" factor). I own zero apple products exactly because i don't like cults. there is a ton of great (and actually, greater than apple's) products some of which I've had a pleasure of using.
I can think of another reason there would be no 3G... What if Apple originally developed it eyeing T-Mobile instead of Cingular/at&t? They don't have 3G, so that would be pointless to have it, right?
OTOH, if it's signal levels and/or other qualities were not up to T-Mobile's standards, they'd refuse it. Apple still would need to get their R&D back, so they could go to Cingular/at&t.
Obviously, this all happens behind closed doors, so no one would even know.