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Word on TheStreet is that you shouldn't buy an iPhone 4

TJ Luoma
Updated ·5 min read

T

wo things are for certain: the iPhone 4 will be a huge success and there will be plenty of places that look to cash in by writing link bait headlines.

Yahoo (remember them? They're the search engine you used before Google) jumps right in with 5 reasons not to buy the iPhone 4. Well, that's what it's called on their front page where it is prominently linked. When you click through it's actually titled: "5 Big Blemishes for the Apple iPhone 4" so you can see they're ramping up the hyperbole machine.

The story is actually syndicated from TheStreet.com (home of Jim "didn't see the economic crisis coming" Cramer), and is written by Scott Moritz, whose track record is so poor someone has compiled a list of his bad calls.

The article doesn't say that you shouldn't buy one, it says "[t]here are, however, a few shortcomings." Really, Sherlock? Here's a clue for you: every device has a few shortcomings, but let's see what shortcomings Scott found.

Read on for more...



1. "Everyone else uses a 8-12 megapixel camera, but Apple is only using 5 megapixels."
Megapixels are the new megahertz myth. Steve Jobs addressed this in the WWDC keynote (around the 51 minute mark), where he mentioned that people like to talk about megapixels, but Apple asked "How do we make better pictures?" It's not just Steve Jobs who says this either; go to 6mpixels.org and they will tell you that the more pixels you have, the worse your images will be. They also add that "increasing the number of pixels in digital cameras does not lead to better images." So Scott's first point has just gone down in a blaze of facts.

2. "Swyper no Swyping."
Scott's second reason is that Swype is a glaring omission to iPhone's feature list. Personally, I've never heard of Swype before and Scott didn't bother to link to it; apparently TheStreet.com prefers only to link to themselves or use those double-underline link-ads rather than sending people elsewhere. SwypeInc has a lot of comments from various tech blogs saying how great it is, and also features a "news" section that it is only available in a limited beta.

So Apple is being dinged for not including beta text input software on their flagship product? I have to ask Scott: are you familiar with Apple at all? All I have to say about this is what I've said for the past three years: I haven't heard many people who have used an iPhone for a while complain about their typing speed. You get used to it. Maybe when Swype is out of beta, Apple will add it (or it will come in via the App Store). But is it really a reason not to buy the iPhone 4? Hardly.

3. FaceTime video calling.
Scott doesn't like that it's Wi-Fi only and only for people using other iPhone 4. On the other hand, FaceTime actually works, unlike many others. He goes on to say that it is "not exactly an application of global Skype-like proportions" which would be a good ding if Skype wasn't available for the iPhone.

Apple has already said that they are hoping to work with cellular providers to get FaceTime to work over more than Wi-Fi, and they're going to submit it to be an open standard. But here's the rub: even if Apple kept FaceTime to be Wi-Fi only and even if no one except Apple ever uses FaceTime technology, I'm willing to bet that more people use FaceTime than other video calling solutions, because Apple will make it easier to actually do. Why do I think this? For the simple reason that every cellphone and smart phone that I owned before an iPhone offered 3-way calling, but I never used it, because I could never remember the steps necessary to make it work. The iPhone makes it as simple as possible, so I've used it a lot.

4. iPhone 4 Shortages
 Really, Scott? Really? One of your reasons not to buy an iPhone is that a lot of people want to buy iPhones. How does the bottom of that barrel feel, Scott? "The frustration could push buyers toward other phones." Yeah, and monkeys could -- never mind.

5. No Verizon iPhone.
Once again, I'll say what I've been saying to anyone who will listen: Verizon would give you a better network, but you won't get anything cheaper or better from Verizon; in fact, you might get less. Anyone familiar with Verizon knows that they are well known for wanting control over what is on the phone and will selectively disable features, sometimes so they can reenable them for a monthly fee. How does $5/month for Visual Voicemail sound to you?

Scott says that a new iPhone at Verizon would be bigger news... and then goes on to say that a Verizon iPhone isn't going to happen until next year "if ever." So Scott apparently thinks you should wait for a Verizon iPhone which he's not sure will ever show up.

Look, I'm no fan of AT&T, and their charges for tethering without any additional data allotment show the utter disdain they hold for iPhone customers. AT&T appears to want to milk as much as they can from iPhone customers for as long as they can. Their 3G coverage is a joke, and they are even more of a laughingstock than they were 3 years ago when the original iPhone came out. The fact that the iPhone has been so successful on AT&T's network is a testament to how good the phone is. So, yeah, Scott, Verizon's network is better, but it's not an option, and hasn't been for 3 years. Your entire article is based around a 3-year-old point. Well done.

Photo credit: Louisville, KY iPhone 4 line picture by mstivers via Twitter.