13 reasons to doubt the iPhone hypeThe honeymoon is over for the iPhone.
1. Why no 3G compatibility? The answer might be as simple as the fact that Cingular's 3G coverage still has gaping holes outside of major U.S. cities. The 3G question is very pertinent to those who want to stream video and audio to their phone at any time. But that requires living in an area with great 3G network coverage, and 3G will drain a battery faster than the 2.5G EDGE network. 2. Does the lack of 3G matter if the iPhone has Wi-Fi? If the user wants to only occasionally stream media or download files, the iPhone's Wi-Fi capabilities should scratch that itch...but only if you're at a Wi-Fi hot spot and not using it in the backseat of a car, on the train, or sitting on a park bench. And Wi-Fi will have just as much--probably more--of a draining effect on the iPhone's battery. 3. What's under the hood? Nobody knows for sure. According to this Information Week article, the iPhone is likely have a Samsung CPU and video processor. 4. Can you download directly from iTunes? This looks to be a big disappointment with the iPhone. Early reports, such as this iTWire interview with Apple's VP of iPod Products Greg Joswiak, say no. From the iTWire article: The Apple VP also quashed any speculation that the iPhone itself may house a self-contained version of iTunes. "iTunes was designed to exist on the Mac and PCs. That's where the music should live." Don't tell me where my music should and should not live, homeboy! I want it to live on my iPhone! Regardless of where my music wants to live, if Apple is touting the iPhone as a device that runs Mac OS X, doesn't that make the iPhone a Mac? Which brings us to the next question... 5. Just what does Apple mean by "it runs OS X"? And what do they mean by "multitasking"? During his keynote address, Steve Jobs mentioned the ability to multitask as one of Mac OS X's strong suits, as well as a reason why the operating system was chosen for the iPhone. Given the lack of 3G compatibility, that "multitasking" must be limited to applications within Mac OS X, not "multitasking" in the sense of being able to download a file while talking on the phone. That's the kind of "multitask" that 3G networks are built to do. Which begs the question: Who will really multitask between OS X applications on a mobile, touch screen device? At what point will anyone be simultaneously typing a document, formulating a spreadsheet, and composing a song on GarageBand on the iPhone? Playing media content while surfing the Web is technically multitasking, but it's possible that the iPhone will only be able to perform one of its three main functions at any given time: It's either an iPod, an "Internet device," or a phone, but it may not be able to do more than one function at a time. That doesn't sound like a big deal right now, but it could lead to an embarrassing situation if you're using your iPhone as a jukebox at a party when a call comes in. In all probability, the iPhone will run a watered-down version of OS X, with built-in restrictions on how the operating system can be used. No full iTunes. Probably no Skype or VoIP phone calls. It may be able to run "desktop-class applications and software," as Apple's iPhone site purports, but that's not the same thing as actual desktop applications. 6. Will it actually be called the iPhone? Not if Cisco has anything to say about it. Will it be the iPhod? The iCell? The iThing? The iCaramba? And will the iPhone have the same appeal with a different name? It might. After all, the name "iPod" doesn't exactly scream "music!" | |||||
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