Apple has always made a variety of products to suit a variety of needs. That's why the IPod video comes in different hard-drive sizes. That's why they have the Nano. That's why they have to Shuffle. I will admit that within a particular class Apple products tend to be more stylish and expensive, but they still make products across a wide spectrum. That's why I'm disappointed that there is only one phone with one feature set. It's certainlynotin keeping with the IPod model.
The iPod nano is not a lower end iPod. It's simply in a different class. The shuffle is a luxury compact car. The nano is a luxury coupe. The regular iPod is a big luxury sedan. Also throughout history, Apple has always started at the top. The regular iPod was the only option until the mini came out. The MacBook Pro was the first to get the Intel chip. The biggest and baddest iPhone is going to be the first.
Yes, Apple does come down a little bit with different size hard drives and different amounts of flash. That doesn't mean it isn't a luxury brand as a whole. Apple products cost more money and offer superior industrial design at the expense of features and freedom. That's what they have always offered, and the iPhone is no different from anything they have done previously.
That's not what we were asking for, nor is it what we were saying. We were asking for an IPhone with fewer features - we weren't asking for something with crappier construction. Just as the Nano has fewer features than the IPod Video, we were asking for a range of features with the IPhone.
Your point is well taken, though, that Apple starts big and then introduces alternative models.
I suspect we will see a lot of the IPhone features migrate to future IPods. That's what I'm waiting for. Personally, I just don't want all that crap on my phone. I like my Nano and I like my phone. I want a Nano in my phone. I'm asking that Apple incorporate an Apple product into a phone - that's all. They've done it with the IPod video - now I'd like to see them do it with the Nano. Not sure what's so controversial about that? If the Nano isn't crap on its own, then why are you assuming that it would become crap if combined with a phone? Let's not forget, the Nano is their top selling IPod by a large margin. Presumably, many Nano purchasers don't want video. If they didn't want it in their MP3 player (a rather logical place for video), what makes you think they'll all want it in their phone?
You know, I look at the iPhone, and it feels like it has too much. My first reaction is the same as yours, that I want less. When I really think about it though, the iPhone's problem is that it just doesn't do enough. Sure, I'd almost never use the video function. I also don't use text messages. However, those are features that most phones have these days. I'm already burdened with those two features I will never use. Where the iPhone falls short is a lack of features, not a glut. Here's the list of missing features, even though I already said most of them above.
No 3G so data services will be slow.
No wireless sync, you still need the USB cable.
Can't download music, movies or podcasts directly from the net, must sync with iTunes computer.
No memory card slot, not even a MicroSD.
Horrendous battery that is non-removable.
No Exchange, BES or Gmail support making E-mail useless.
Can't install Java applications.
Support for non-apple video and audio CODECs not likely.
If you add all those features, suddenly the price of the iPhone seems reasonable. In fact, if the iPhone did all that, I'd be tempted to bail on my brand new contract to get it. I'm sure either Apple or the hackers will solve most of these problems down the road. By then we'll all either be using iPhones if the other phone companies don't finally fix their horrendous user interfaces. The iPhone is basically a big device with less features than other much cheaper phones available right now. The advantage is all in the fact that its interface is not horrendous like every other phone available. If you were able to keep that interface and also all the features of modern phones, then it would be a guaranteed home run.
You are correct. It's got a lot of features (video, audio, phone, touchscreen), but it doesn't have the functionality. I think Apple is banking on the fact that most people aren't that tech savvy, and won't notice all of the shortcomings.
I'm a big fan of Apple, but this just isn't doing it for me.
I'm starting to wonder if Apple isn't beginning to get too carried away with their closed system and DRM. Look at how it crippled the Zune. Heck, Windows Vista seems to be written as a DRM platform first, and a GUI second.
The companies want the content, and Hollywood forces them to adopt all sort of crippling DRM. I really hope that consumers start voting with their wallet.
I never really liked apple, ever. Almost all of their products are a waste, your just paying too much money for something that looks good. I think the iphone is terrible, and a waste. Do you really need all of those functions on-the-go? Who needs to check their email so badly that it cant wait until they get home? and having to sync w/ itunes is crippling and defeats the purpose of mobility and wi-fi If you travel a lot I could see this as possibly being a good product, thats if they were to throw in a GPS.
People should just stick with what they got. ipod's are perfect for music, cell phones are perfect for calls, etc. When you combine those all into one device, they arent perfect. They're mediocre..
Some people do need all that functionality, I mean otherwise there wouldn't be a need for smartphones in the first place. Some people would rather carry around a phone that they can check their mail from rather then a laptop. And I think that combining an audio player with a phone makes a whole lot more sense then combining cameras and phones. It sure makes it so you don't have to carry around as much stuff as you normally would.
And you are right about how typically when you combine a lot of different things into one device, the device becomes much less then the sum of its parts, but I honestly think that the iPhone just about the sum.
And syncing with iTunes makes sense for the product, I mean iTunes already syncs to iPods and transfers music, movies, photos, contacts, calender. So I mean it pretty much does everything that you need in a syncing program. And also considering this is their first iPhone, I imagine that in the future they'll making syncing with iTunes easier, probably over bluetooth, among other things they'll add/fix.
Although I really do like the iPhone, I don't think I'll be getting one, and it's really because of the battery life, and because of how much it costs. It's probably going to be best to wait until gen 2.
I realized another thing about the iPhone after reading an article. This thing probably won't be a hit outside of the US, especially not in places like Japan. In the US phones suck so bad that to the consumers, the benefits of the iPhone outweigh what it lacks as long as you aren't a very sophisticated or enterprise user. In Japan, South Korea and most of Europe, even the cheapest phones are light years beyond the iPhone. Just about every phone in Japan can pick up broadcast television among other amazing features. People there have no problem with the current user interfaces. Also, people there like their stuff small, really small. The iPhone is just way too big. Another thing, in places like South Korea, the iPod isn't even that popular. At least it's nowhere near as popular there as it is here. Over there people use all sort of different mp3 players, often already built into their mobile phones.
The iPhone only offers something new and amazing because the carriers in the US have been holding us back. It's almost as if I tried to sell my old crap cellphone to cargo cult.
Here are a few more IPhone nuggets courtesy of this FAQ.
- No voice dialing. (How do you dial in states with hands-free vehicle laws?) - Can't load MAC OS software onto it. - No GPS (What a waste of a good screen.) - No Word/Excel/Powerpoint documents - Can't record video
Comments
Yes, Apple does come down a little bit with different size hard drives and different amounts of flash. That doesn't mean it isn't a luxury brand as a whole. Apple products cost more money and offer superior industrial design at the expense of features and freedom. That's what they have always offered, and the iPhone is no different from anything they have done previously.
Your point is well taken, though, that Apple starts big and then introduces alternative models.
I suspect we will see a lot of the IPhone features migrate to future IPods. That's what I'm waiting for. Personally, I just don't want all that crap on my phone. I like my Nano and I like my phone. I want a Nano in my phone. I'm asking that Apple incorporate an Apple product into a phone - that's all. They've done it with the IPod video - now I'd like to see them do it with the Nano. Not sure what's so controversial about that? If the Nano isn't crap on its own, then why are you assuming that it would become crap if combined with a phone? Let's not forget, the Nano is their top selling IPod by a large margin. Presumably, many Nano purchasers don't want video. If they didn't want it in their MP3 player (a rather logical place for video), what makes you think they'll all want it in their phone?
- No 3G so data services will be slow.
- No wireless sync, you still need the USB cable.
- Can't download music, movies or podcasts directly from the net, must sync with iTunes computer.
- No memory card slot, not even a MicroSD.
- Horrendous battery that is non-removable.
- No Exchange, BES or Gmail support making E-mail useless.
- Can't install Java applications.
- Support for non-apple video and audio CODECs not likely.
If you add all those features, suddenly the price of the iPhone seems reasonable. In fact, if the iPhone did all that, I'd be tempted to bail on my brand new contract to get it. I'm sure either Apple or the hackers will solve most of these problems down the road. By then we'll all either be using iPhones if the other phone companies don't finally fix their horrendous user interfaces. The iPhone is basically a big device with less features than other much cheaper phones available right now. The advantage is all in the fact that its interface is not horrendous like every other phone available. If you were able to keep that interface and also all the features of modern phones, then it would be a guaranteed home run.You are correct. It's got a lot of features (video, audio, phone, touchscreen), but it doesn't have the functionality. I think Apple is banking on the fact that most people aren't that tech savvy, and won't notice all of the shortcomings.
I'm a big fan of Apple, but this just isn't doing it for me.
I'm starting to wonder if Apple isn't beginning to get too carried away with their closed system and DRM. Look at how it crippled the Zune. Heck, Windows Vista seems to be written as a DRM platform first, and a GUI second.
The companies want the content, and Hollywood forces them to adopt all sort of crippling DRM. I really hope that consumers start voting with their wallet.
If you travel a lot I could see this as possibly being a good product, thats if they were to throw in a GPS.
People should just stick with what they got. ipod's are perfect for music, cell phones are perfect for calls, etc.
When you combine those all into one device, they arent perfect. They're mediocre..
And you are right about how typically when you combine a lot of different things into one device, the device becomes much less then the sum of its parts, but I honestly think that the iPhone just about the sum.
And syncing with iTunes makes sense for the product, I mean iTunes already syncs to iPods and transfers music, movies, photos, contacts, calender. So I mean it pretty much does everything that you need in a syncing program. And also considering this is their first iPhone, I imagine that in the future they'll making syncing with iTunes easier, probably over bluetooth, among other things they'll add/fix.
Although I really do like the iPhone, I don't think I'll be getting one, and it's really because of the battery life, and because of how much it costs. It's probably going to be best to wait until gen 2.
The analysts agree with me.
The iPhone only offers something new and amazing because the carriers in the US have been holding us back. It's almost as if I tried to sell my old crap cellphone to cargo cult.
If I lived in an urban area, I'd be all over that.
- No voice dialing. (How do you dial in states with hands-free vehicle laws?)
- Can't load MAC OS software onto it.
- No GPS (What a waste of a good screen.)
- No Word/Excel/Powerpoint documents
- Can't record video