iPhone facts from the first reviews

Well, the first reviews are in. But you may have missed some of the more interesting factoids unearthed by the trio of gadget reporters deigned worthy by El Jobso to get a pre-launch iPhone. Here's a few fresh n' interesting iPhone facts right off the presses:

• The mobile version of OS X or whatever it is the iPhone runs takes up 700MB of the device's capacity. Damn son! Update: we think Pogue got this wrong, we don't really know exactly how much space mobile OS X uses, but it's nowhere near 700MB.
  
• There's no way to cut, copy, or paste text! WHOA! Big, big mistake.
• No A2DP support. That, friends, is such a huge bummer right there.
• Sorry, music can't be used as a ringtone -- even if it's just a raw MP3. No additional ringtones will be sold at launch.
  
• On a PC the iPhone syncs with Outlook for calendars AND addresses! Noice.
• It supports Exchange in some capacity, according to Walt, but he doesn't exactly say how.
• Pogue again confirms document file reading -- but not editing -- for PDF, Word, and Excel (only).
• Adobe Flash support is officially out. It's just not in the browser. Neither is there any other kind of embedded video support. Sorry everybody, that's that.
  
• It will take snaps, but won't record video. How can Apple love YouTube as much as it does and not realize cellphone-shot movies make up a sizeable chunk of the crazy crap you find on there?

More after the break!

• Oh, and no MMS. And sorry, no voice dialing, either.
• Contact groups can't be emailed as contact lists.
  
• Apple sez between 300-400 charges the iPhone will lose battery capacity -- you'll send it in and get the cell replaced for a fee. Meh. We knew this would be the case, but still, meh.
  
• Apple can (and supposedly will) be rolling out periodic updates -- no surprise there.
• Battery life is, somehow, almost as mind-blowingly good as Apple claims for calls, music, and movies.
• As we suspected, users are prompted with lists of WiFi networks if you're not nearby a trusted hotspot. We've seen this on other phones, and we're afraid this would get friggin annoying.
• It's said to be very scratch resistant. The facade both front and rear apparently just doesn't pick up marring like regular iPods do.
• Voice quality is said to be good -- not great.
  

Anything else we missed from in there?

[randy @ Jun 26th 2007 8:22PM]

Voice quality? It is a phone, after all.

[John Doe @ Jun 26th 2007 8:51PM]

Voice quality? What is this voice quality you speak of? Its got cover flow. COVER FLOW MAN! Who cares about voice quality. Its synergy of the internet man! Synergy! Voice is so 20th century! Get with the.....*vomits* Sorry I tried to go as long as possible but every time I try and drink the *aid I keep throwing it back up.

The scary part it there probably are people who think that. Why the hell would I want a phone in my internet communicator.

[ItsTheOMGShow @ Jun 26th 2007 9:09PM]

All 3 articles shared one common concern: the network.

[Brendan Piper @ Jun 26th 2007 9:20PM]

I'm in your Internet communicator delivering sub-par audio

[paul34 @ Jun 26th 2007 9:24PM]

Even a device offering the highest voice quality quickly has that particular quality made moot by Cingular's obsession and abuse of the half-rate codec.

I have a feeling most of the functions that aren't in the phone are due to Cingular's diligence in crippling phones and ensuring their bottom line stays intact.

[jdmbo1 @ Jun 26th 2007 8:29PM]

Wow! All this and more for close to $500.00 and your cell-phone soul for 2 years!

[Adnan Osmani @ Jun 26th 2007 8:32PM]

Apple are taking such a beating for a few reasons, in my opinion.

1. They are charging people $600 for a phone whose individual component's (an iPod and a cellphone with internet access) cost significantly less than the phone itself. The fact that this hardware comes with OSX means nothing unless it can deliver the same functionality as other devices in it's category - like it or not, this is a glorified PDA with enhanced touch screen features, not much more. When people pay $600 or $2,400 over a period of time for a product that's more expensive than others on the market - the company behind it better be prepared to live up to basic quality or feature expectations.

2. Apple have hyped this phone up for a very long time. If you look at the last two pages on Engadget, you'll notice just how deep into the social conscience it's permeated - if they didn't want to be placed on such a high pedastal, they shouldn't have advertised it nor made as big a deal of it as other manufacturers do with their products.

[gian @ Jun 26th 2007 8:24PM]

Is it just me or is Apple held to a higher standard than everyone else? You guys are asking for perfection. No one else is giving it. Why should Apple take such a beating?

[Jon @ Jun 26th 2007 8:39PM]

Steve Jobs asked for it the moment he claimed this phone to be 'revolutionary'.

[John Doe @ Jun 26th 2007 8:53PM]

When Jobs gets on stage and makes the claims he does, and his fanbase treats anything coming out of Apple as being touched by the hand of God. Then yes. Apple deserves to be held up to a higher standard. when they stop the above they will be treated as a mortal company.

[Jake @ Jun 26th 2007 8:57PM]

No MMS. Excluding MMS in a $500-$600 PHONE is ridiculous. That alone deserves a thrashing.

[Tom Boucher @ Jun 26th 2007 8:59PM]

As someone who doesn't use it now, why would I want MMS when I have regular ol email? I have no desire for it on a phone if I have working email client...

[Jonathan @ Jun 26th 2007 9:55PM]

um...to text message someone who doesn't have email on their phone a picture or video?

[Kichigai Mentat @ Jun 27th 2007 1:14AM]

Yes, something provides all of this. It's called the Nokia N95. The N95 provides WiFi, Bluetooth, HSDPA/UMTS, GPS, MMS/SMS, Flash, VoIP, swappable batteries, a physical keyboard, the ability to run 3rd party programs, the ability to edit Word docs, I think Excel too. I think it supports A2DP, but I don't know for sure. Its price is $500, and it's provided by a reputable phone company. Not to bash the iPhone, but the lack of MMS and IM is just a boneheaded mistake! I send MMS messages to my friends on their phones, and if I was going to e-mail my pictures to friends, I might as well just put them up on Flickr or transfer them to my laptop.

[Johnny @ Jun 26th 2007 10:33PM]

For $600.00 with 2 year contract, I'm asking it to be at least as good as my $99 with 2 year contract SE phone. Let's see...

Does it support mp3's as ringtone? Nope
Does it support Stereo bluetooth? Nope (WTF with that anyway?)
Can it record video? Nope
Does it support MMS? Nope

As a freshman product, I think the iPhone is an impressive product, but I can't get past the different ways it's been crippled. I still can't get over the lack of stereo bluetooth and mp3 ringtone support. I mean it's a music phone fer god's sake! If you are so concerned about revenue loss, make it so only songs purchased on iTunes can be used as ringtones at least. A lot of people would be upset by that, but certainly not as many who are bemoaning the complete lack of music ringtones.

Jobs and AT&T are selling this as the as the new "IT" gadget this summer, based on it's wow factor alone, but for a company that prides itself on producing products that make or at least enable the user to stand out from the crowd (see Mac ads, white iPod headphones, etc) why would they not include a feature that has become essential to those looking to differentiate themselves from the 'ring ring' or 'cha cha' crowd? If I am paying a $400-500 dollar premium, I expect the little touches to be taken care of before the orientation-sensing accelarometers and pinch-to-zoom interfaces, especially if that product carries an Apple logo.

[Jeff @ Jun 26th 2007 11:25PM]

"You guys are asking for perfection. No one else is giving it. Why should Apple take such a beating?"

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that my *free* Samsung A707 does all the things the iPhone does *and more*. It supports MMS. It supports 3G. It has expandable memory. It supports mp3 ringtones. It shoots video.

Apple should take a beating because they're asking $600 for a phone that can't even compete on features with other phones that sell for nothing. Yeah yeah, you're paying for the software. IT'S A FREAKIN' PHONE. It's not about the goddamn software, it's about communicating. That means good network support, and that's just one of the things the iPhone is missing... but not the only one.

Apple is having their feet held to the fire here because they have missed the point with this device. The point of a phone is to communicate. Everything else is secondary.

If you believe otherwise, then by all means, buy yourself an iPhone and see how satisfied you are with not being able to send or receive MMS, not being able to copy and paste text into emails, and with browsing the web over EDGE. Have fun.

[gian @ Jun 27th 2007 7:08AM]

Yeah...and the N95 requires me to buy a separate SD card (maximum of 2GB), with the phone costing $700 (already more than the iPhone) and the storage costing another $100. The N95 runs the Symbian OS. So, I'll have to contend with any of the cell phone viruses out there, at least moreso than I would on the iPhone, according to IBM's security experts. Don't get me wrong. The N95 is a nice phone, but it does not justify the cost when compared to the iPhone. I even feel a little guilty smacking on Symbian OS, when Windows Mobile sucks so badly.

[dude @ Jun 27th 2007 11:21PM]

This phone lacks simple functions of nowaday phones and fails at media. No MP3 rings? Bad move. Inability to take video? Stupid. no copying and pasting? my old as creation SE T616 can do that. No embedded video ability or flash? what the hell happened to the full internet? No A2DP? Any decent media branded phone has A2DP. These need to be placed in as updates or this phone sucks the big one for its price.

[GODWELL @ Jun 30th 2007 7:25PM]

I have to agree. I am a TREO 700P (Defective phone that SPRINT refuses to upgrade to a 755P, the heir apparent) user and looking forward to the HTC MOGUL myself, but I can't fail to see the hating regarding the IPHONE. Give these people a chance to upgrade the phone. its only the first addition.

Remember the Treo 600 and the BLackberry still sucks (pretty much). JOBS is the a retentive mind-freak, but lets see and judge them on their 3rd addition which better be soon because with AT&T as a sole provider, it shouldnt be long.

[GODWELL @ Jun 30th 2007 7:29PM]

But then I gotta agree with JON as well...JOBS need to PROMOTE, MARKET and shut his fat mouth before he says stupid things like that!

[Jon P @ Jun 26th 2007 8:24PM]

David Pogue said (confirmed?) that there will be a future version of the iphone with 3G

[touristique @ Jun 26th 2007 9:22PM]

Well it's the next logical step up. That's like saying "there's a rumor that processors are going to get faster." OF COURSE THEY ARE.

[Ryan Block @ Jun 26th 2007 10:20PM]

He did not confirm it. He very deliberately stated that users can expect such a device at some point in the future -- which only stands to reason. There is no Apple confirmation on this, only speculation.

[Appleiscoolbutflawed @ Jun 27th 2007 3:29AM]

I'm almost certain Apple will release a 3G iPhone. It's basically a necessity to sell the device in foreign markets - since the USA's mobile phone network is sub-standard compared to the rest of the world. But in Japan, for example, the iPhone would be an expensive brick - they use 3G as standard. Australia is heading that way too, and most of Asia is already using 3G as standard.

[KR @ Jun 27th 2007 9:40AM]

Jobs said during the keynote in Jan that they'd be working on 3G phones for the future. I don't get how there have been so many questions over the last 6 months about things Jobs clearly stated on Day 1.

[Paul @ Jun 26th 2007 8:24PM]

it's still not worth 600$ for 4 or 8GB to me plus i already have a phone

[Ken @ Jun 27th 2007 11:14AM]

Don't want to burst your bubble, but a 2g Micro SD card is not $100. I just got a 2gig one for my Blackjack for $15 from newegg.

[Trace The Hedgehog @ Jun 26th 2007 8:26PM]

What the hell? That not good.

You cant use music as a ring tone?! That's about as bad as 3 plays in 3 days!

Hope all that is fixed with firmware updates

[Matt @ Jun 26th 2007 8:25PM]

Yeah. I'm an Apple Fan Boy. But seriously, too much iPhone stuff. There has been like 20 iPhone posts today I mean come one. Like i said I'm an Apple Fan Boy and I like the iPhone but I would rather here something about Microsoft than about the iPhone. Its getting old fast.

[Will @ Jun 26th 2007 8:40PM]

there are feeds to this site that take out iphone related topics...how about using it and stop complaining

[Gabe @ Jun 26th 2007 9:04PM]

he can't, he's a FanBoy!!!

[Stefan @ Jun 27th 2007 2:59PM]

seriously, so much iphone drama. why doesnt engadget start posting about paris hilton as well?

[Bob @ Jun 26th 2007 10:01PM]

Will you are missing the point, he can use that feed but there would be no new posts on it.

[Valentine Smith @ Jun 28th 2007 8:39PM]

are you opposed to scrolling past the IPhone articles just like I scroll past the items I'm not interested in (eg. the generic PC articles)

[Eric @ Jun 26th 2007 8:28PM]

Overall: It sucks

[thetinguy @ Jun 26th 2007 9:26PM]

It sucks?? Wtf are you talking about. It should absolutely be knocked for these flaws, but it certainly doesn't suck. It still has widescreen video playing in a phone, a fully fledged web browser, and huge screen for a phone. It definitely isn't perfect, but it definitely doesn't suck.

[Kloud @ Jun 27th 2007 12:23AM]

"Full fledged web-browser."

But without copy/paste of text, flash support, or embedded video support. Right.

[El Cartel @ Jun 26th 2007 8:28PM]

NO video Ha, No Mms Ha, Can't even use your Music for Ringtones Ha. It just gets better and better. I'm sticking to my Nokia N95 it does that and More. And its unlock.

[carlo @ Jun 26th 2007 9:22PM]

Yum, Nokia n95... that phone has really got my attention... it's just so big and thick though... haha.

[Sam B @ Jun 26th 2007 9:49PM]

All well and good, mate, but that N95 is still $750 unlocked as far as I know. If that $250 price difference for GPS and, oh boy!, picture messaging gets you hard, then by all means.

[MrCupertino @ Jun 27th 2007 12:19AM]

but does your Nokia have iTunes or a nifty touchscreen? what about 8gb of space? I bet you have to squint to surf the internet.

[Martin Newham @ Jun 27th 2007 2:58AM]

Did anyone mention the 5MP camera on the n95..?

[El Cartel @ Jun 27th 2007 7:17AM]

first of all, I don't have to squint to read website. you think the iphone is going to make the web browser better if you did your research the N95 has a similar webroswer which does the same type of thing and the N95 came out first. Secondly you can stay with you touch screen and non removable battery which will have to be replaced after 300 charges. And lastly I can transfer music and create or delete music from the N95 you on the other hand will have to go to a computer and do all that. I just wanted to point out that the iphone is not the best phone out on the market. At least my phone records video and has a five mega pixel camera. Stay with your two mega pixel and you can't even record film ha.

[Roberto @ Jun 26th 2007 8:32PM]

You forgot to mention that you cannot send MMS or Multimedia Message of a photo taken on the iPhone, only does via email. But who cares? I am getting two of them!

[Vic Ferrari @ Jun 27th 2007 9:59PM]

for all who say no MMS well i think i have it figured out. ok so if you have email access on the iphone then you can send pics to your friends to their phones to different networks. this is what i did. right now i have verizon and my dad has att. so if i put in my outlook email my ##########@vtext.com and send it i get a text but no pic if i email my ########@vzxpix.com my phone gets the pic. now on my dads phone if i email his #########@mms.mycingular.com gets texts and pics too. so all you would have to do is just add a second email to all yours friends info if you need to send a pic.

[Nogami @ Jun 26th 2007 8:32PM]

Lol... Less and less appealing every day. Everything that the iPhone doesn't do, my Windows Mobile 5 phone does (and more). Oh yes, and it's cheaper, unlocked, and available everywhere without waiting like a peon in a lineup...

[Chrisphillers @ Jun 26th 2007 9:32PM]

ROFL!

a) WM is slow, buggy and crashes every 5 mins b) WM is an OS not a phone!
SYmbian and Linux both offer iphone beatersm notably the only decent phone that categorically beats the iphone is the symbian N95.

[elmapache @ Jun 26th 2007 9:59PM]

But the iphone is COOLER! :p

[Simon @ Jun 26th 2007 10:08PM]

... So comparing Windows Mobile to iPhone OSX isn't a legitimate comparison? Talk about bloatware - 700MB of OS?!

[JM @ Jun 27th 2007 1:31AM]

I don't know what that ROFL person is going on about. I've had WM5 smart phone for 8 months and it's never crashed and has performed smoothly without any problem.

I use an HIC p4350. It has a nice large touch screen. It has an illuminated full functional slide on keyboard in addition to a stylus and plain old finger inputs. It's thicker and heavier than the iPhone but personally I don't care for light and ultra slim. Too easy to lose. Too easy to sit on/step on and damage.

So I'm happy with my phone now and the iPhone, while intriguing and very beautiful isn't compelling. There are key negatives that would prevent me from purchasing it:

1) Lack of a removable battery (sorry can't wait on the Post Office and Apple to replace the battery for me when it's my only means of communication)

2) Lack of mp3 ringtone support. I've customized rings for ALL of my contacts so I know who they are before I even look at the phone.

3) Lack of MMS.

I'd like to see where the 2nd gen of the iPhone ends up, tho. The first gen of iPods was "ok", but by third gen it was great. I'm sure I'll end up with an iPhone at some point. But not this one.