An iPhone wishlist for Steve Jobs
- 7 Mar 08, 15:06 GMT
Dear Mr Jobs - or can I call you Steve?
So I gather thousands of developers are now going to be rushing to develop brilliant applications for the iPhone, backed by a $100 million dollar fund from one of Silicon Valley's top venture capitalists.
Good news? Maybe, though look what happened to Facebook when it let a thousand flowers bloom in a similar way last May - they soon began to choke the nice neat garden which had attracted so many users in the first place.
Doubtless there will be some attractive applications - and of course it will be up to iPhone users to decide what they want, but as one of that small but select crowd myself, there are a few things I'd like you to get sorted first. Right now I carry three mobile phones with me wherever I go. An iPhone for calls and web-surfing, a Nokia N95 to shoot video clips, and a Blackberry to pick up my corporate e-mail. I'd like to do everything on one device - and while the announcement that corporate e-mail is coming to the iPhone will help, I've a few other things on my list.
1. Search
I have 4,000 contacts, and a stack of e-mails on my iPhone - why is there no simple search function to track them down, as there is on the Blackberry?
2. Cut and paste
Slowly, I'm getting to grips with the touchscreen keyboard. But if I could cut and paste text - again, I can do that on my Blackberry - it would be faster.
3. A better camera
The 2mp camera is frankly poor - and a software glitch means mine isn't even capturing pictures at the moment. The 5mp you get on an N95 is becoming standard - and video capture is also an essential for me.
4. 3g
On the wi-fi networks I use at home and at work, web surfing on the iPhone is a dream. On the very patchy EDGE network inbetween, it's frustratingly slow.
5. Cheaper roaming
Now this one is not your fault - and it applies to other devices too. But while I am paying £7 for every megabyte I use abroad, the mobile internet will be strictly off-limits away from home.
So sort all that, Steve, and I'll chuck away my other devices. Mind you if Nokia or RIM can produce a device that will do everything I want , with the elegance of the iPhone interface, then they can have my custom instead.
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This is dot.life - a blog about technology from 91Èȱ¬ News.
Rory Cellan-Jones is the 91Èȱ¬'s technology correspondent.
Maggie Shiels is the 91Èȱ¬'s tech reporter based in Silicon Valley.
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Comments
Agree with every point, but I fear for the flood of angry people you will have stirred up!
I think your have to wait for the iphone 2 for 3g and higher spec camera.
If the iPhone will also synchronise seamlessly with MS Office [2003 et seq] (PC or Mac version), as well as have a second camera on the screenside to enable video conversations (ie so I can see the other party whilst also taking a video of myself), then I will finally consign my XDAII to my mobile museum.
So, what you really want is an HTC Touch Cruise? Ok, it's only a 3MP camera, but that does me, and it does everything else that the iPhone does and covers the rest of your list. Add to that GPS and loads of add on software, much of it free, and you have an almost perfect device. Why are Windows Mobile devices ignored so much?
As a devoted iphone user, I find these lists a bit surprising.
While I wouldn't say no to anything on it, there are many smaller improvements which I would appreciate far more. My big 3 are:
1. Web pages cache - the number of times I have mistakenly hit a link, only to find I have to reload the last page is insane.
2. The ability to delete individual texts - as I am a single 20 something, I'm sure you can understand the importance of this.
3. A punctuation key - I'd like a single key on the keyboard to represent punctuation, the iphone could then figure it out.
The thing is, all of this could be sorted with a simple firmware update.
In any case I still love my phone.
Anyone figure how to send multi-media messages without email?
How about not having to install iTunes to activate and update the phone? I have an MP3 player on my current phone and never use it so I don't want to have to install software that wants to encourage me to spend money on something I don't need.
Also the price is prohibitive. An 18, even 24 month contract is understandable but not when it's also costing £270 for the handset! I'd also like to be able to choose what network I want to be with.
I also gather picture messaging is missing... for some odd reason, and I completely agree it needs a good camera AND a decent flash. I've had two Sony Ericsson K800i's for this very reason.
Finally, having used an iPhone which is a lovely device, well done by the way, I think the on-screen keyboard for text messaging etc. is way too small and too fiddly. We don't all have tiny fingers and I for one kept hitting the wrong buttons.
All this in and we'll have the perfect device... at least until the next one comes along ;o)
I'm suprised you need the roaming feature on you phone.
You must spend half your life adding the 4000 contacts that you will never use in that life.
With regard to the N95 being used just for video.... why not get a video camera instead?
Oh yeah, and the Blackberry for email..... why do you need the iphone again? you can't use it when you're roaming, can't film with it... so you must usae it at home...where you could check your corporate email anyway...
Hmmm..... great article...absolutely pointles... like the time i've spent commenting on it......
i think the i-phone is a cool and smart device. but with its flaw's. but hopefully if they release a sequel.
they will put a 5 megapixel camera,
3G and all the extra's the i-phone is missing, but i feel then people will moan about the size of the device. my biggest bug bare with i-phone is that it's only on O2, that was a big mistake just think how many i-phones you could of sold if it was on all networks just in the uk alone, well thats my rant.
Great article that precisely hits on the problems with iPhone and other mobile devices. I am eagerly awaiting 3G for iPhone before I jump in. My company is developing some very cool apps for it too so watch out for apps from desitouch.com this summer.
Regarding the coment on the contacts .
There is a function on the handset that allows you to narrow the search for contacts.
Simply when you are on the contacts list ther is an a to z list try touching the letter your contact is under and it will take you to that letter and make this easy to find.
I would like to see all cell phones include a programmable, multi function remote, that could be used to control TVs, cable boxes, audio systems and pretty much any device which features remote control capability. Device manufacturers could be encouraged to provide downloadable control codes at a central location on the Web. Users of phones featuring such programmable remotes could then simply connect their phones to a PC via USB, select the devices they wish to control and download the presets, giving them instant control over whichever devices they wish.
Wireless internet has really come of age here in Finland. A company called DNA offers a flat rate €20/month HSDPA (Downgrading to 3G, Edge, Gprs as you move further into the middle of the lake) including a little USB thumb to plug into your laptop, which holds the simcard. Got a modern mobile phone? Put the simcard in that and you're away with mobile broadband.
I think with it's fascination for re-branding, badging, packaging and generally figuring out what to charge, it will be a long time before the UK industry catches on. Same goes for Australia where mobile data is painful to say the least. Look out for iPhone's SDK (software development kit) out nowish/soonish .. Search applications will be plentiful in the not too distant future. Oh a side note: those HSDPA adaptors do get rather warm, so there is probably something in what "Mr. Jobs" says regarding the battery life of the iPhone if it had 3G.
Hi a brilliant wish list but you have miseed certain needed items like wind mob office 6 with email outlook web ect synced over the air not cradles , hsdpa oh and hsupa video messaging a solar panel recharge rear cover , voice activated all does it have gps ? driving could be handy and lastly a proper sms client with Yes multiple senders at once and copy and paste from sms to email that way we can use err predictive text too type longer texts sent as 1 email with a video emdedded maybe and so list goes on but what you really need is a proper pda come mobile /web camera sort of thing cant wait ohh i still doo all that now on a old 2000 mipps pda funny how things change ? for better or worse , good hunting . good video poor video blog .
The 5mp camera on an N95 does not work at that capacity with the battery nokia supply - you have to purchase a seperate battery at a cost of around 40-50quid - plus unless you are using the new N95 Black 8GB - you'll never sucessfully use any of the features on it. As a working phone it sucks - as an idea - its brilliant.
Anyway that just my 2p's worth!
Jobs has entered a market sector new to Apple. It is entering the mobile comms platform world with a fully fledged computer with an advanced GUI, wedded to a phone. That's not what Nokia, RIM or others have. But the question is, will Apple add 3G to its platform faster than the competition can turn a phone into a mobile computer platform. My bet is on Apple. The other wishes you list are frankly simple software upgrades for a Mac platform. Putting a GUI on Symbian is a really big ask
Presumably you've yet to encounter the Nokia N96? Not sure about its Mac compatibility but it's looking dangerously close in terms of desirability and whips the current iPhone for functionality.
I took my IPhone back for the lack of decent games, rubbish camera, inability to send/receive media messages (Because O2 claimed you can forward MP3's this way?? Isn't that defeating the object?!)
All in all, a power, money hungy jobs has skimped on what could have been the best phone ever out of greed, and need to control what he see's as his market....the MP3 market. Customers are savvy and you'll have to do a lot better than this to keep your buying public loyal!
Why not buy a camera if you want good pictures. Wallet phones are what they should be developing no need to carry a bulky wallet if your phone can do it for you, like the Sharp 910sh among others.
You forgot one thing. When is Apple going to realize that when we buy their product, it no longer belongs to them. We want full open operating systems now.
Unfortunately as it seems that only American developers can actually develop on the device itself, if you're in the UK you can use an emulator but not an iPhone or iPod touch.
See
Not forgetting more disk space. There's an odd disparity between the huge iPods available, and the diminutive iPhone/iTouch.
I certainly won't consider buying until the disk space gets dramatically increased.
I want this, I want that. Tsk! Moan, moan, moan. Some people are never satisfied are they.
You will just have to wait won't you. Think about it if Stevie released an all conquering 3G version of the iPhone from the start then he would have nothing to sell as a feature for the next version along the line and the next one after that etc. I think Apple certainly know what they are doing it that respect. Create demand and keep teasing. That's the way you keep the market hooked.
The fact that this blog entry has been created at all to address the issue shows what impact the iPhone is having, and will continue to have on the traditional mobile market. Like it or not Apple have (to a smaller degree than they claim) revolutionised or at least started the next development phase in the mobile arena. Which is all good as far as I'm concerned.
By the way can I have Firefox added to my iPod Touch please. :)
Stop grumbling. There are always improvement that can be made. just be patient and wait for the next version.
1. I tend to know the full names of people in my contacts, and rarely need to compile a list of everyone I know called Dave. So I remember the Alphabet, normally that is simple enough.
2. Cut & paste is probably the reason why the Windows UMPC caught on sooooo well. They just got it right!
3. My camera is a better camera, that is why it is called a camera. This is a phone with a camera.
4. Blaming the phone for the network reliability and speed ... hmm. Do you shout at the postman for delivering your bills?
5. You kinda answered yourself. Well done.
I agree with everything said. Why do we have to wait so long for a phone which is actually truly useful?
Firstly, user experience is a USP of every single Apple product. Jobs and co. won't be so dumb as to let it slide with all the applications coming in June. They know perfectly well what they're doing.
Secondly, whilst I agree, your wish list is no different from those that appeared days after the iPhone was unveiled. Be patient!
Thirdly, show some appreciation for being able to have three top phones. Most people can't afford/ aren't given any by their employer.
First generation phone, first step into the mobile market.
Apple have done an astounding product.
Stop complaining and open your eyes!
Poor thing.
Indeed it is truly awful that you are obliged to carry around three devices with you at all time. Why, it is simply unimaginable that one would be obliged to surf the web on one device while filming on another and checking your email on the third.
It's just plain wrong.
3 mobile phones? That's madness. Doesn't Windows mobile 6 do all of that already and isn't there a device worth considering folowing the recent announcement from Sony Ericsson?
My wife and I have been asking for another more practical fix for the iPhone - we want iCal categories to work on the iPhone exactly like they do on a Mac. We'd get the phone if we could make our appointments on the go to whichever of our categories we choose, and we haven't received a reply from Apple as to why this doesn't function. We love our Macs and use iCal to keep us in sync with one another's home and work schedules.
I have the LG viewty, 5 megapixel, slo mo video capturing, touchscreen, high speed internet, better size. The iPhone wins in terms of style, everything else the Viewty is the outright winner.
I would like to see GPS. If it is there fine if not it should be great.
Don't worry RIM is adding features on the Backberry that will soon cover all your current bases on the iphone.
anyone with three devices needs an aspirin or two and a life.
Turn them all off 15 hours a day unless you prefer being a slave of others.
Budget quality time Charlie you will soon be dead!
Don't worry RIM is adding features on the Backberry that will soon cover all your current bases on the iphone.
anyone with three devices needs an aspirin or two and a life.
Turn them all off 15 hours a day unless you prefer being a slave of others.
Budget quality time Charlie you will soon be dead!
Hey Steve,
The showstopper for me is the lack of a user-replaceable battery. It's bad enough on the ipod, but on a mobile phone this looks suspiciously like outright corporate greed.
excellent run through. I hope to be in the market for a smart phone later this year, but because of all the shortfalls (you may have forgotten flash support as well ) I will be heading Nokia's way as it has the functionality I need. iPhone has a good intuitive interface, but it's not enough.
In the US where CDMA carriers (Verizon, Sprint) have just as much marketshare as GSM carriers (AT&T, T-mobile) it seems a bit backwards that the iPhone is bound to AT&T's slower GSM technology. Please open the iPhone to the CDMA carriers.
As lots of people must have pointed out, all of your wishlist could actually be satisfied by your N95!
Calls, web browsing, corporate email (assuming MS Exchange), pictures and video, Search my content (it's one of the active idle plugins on my phone), cut/paste, 3/3.5g, etc. Persuade the beeb how useful it is for your work and then they'll cover your final wish for you!
Im an N95 user and to be honest the camera and the connection speed is the only good thing these days, music playback is poor, battery life we all know about.Someone above said about the n96, well yes the spec is again amazing as it was with the n95 but i just want a touchscreen now! Web browsing on the n95 just tires you out after a while having to navigate with up, down and side to side. If the new iphone will have 3g, a half decent camera with flash 3.2 mp +, video recording and with any luck gps....ill be there in a minute, but hopefully someone with a little less monopolising view will have come up with a worthy competitor. Also keeping an eye on the sony ericsson xperia x1.
one guy above said they have done a great job for their first product, well yes they have but i think a lot of it is off the back of the apple name and the GUI, the rest i have to believe is apple lovers and people who dont mind about a very expensive phone having a spec of a 4 year old phone.
Yes the battery phone replacement will soon become a big issue as all those iPhone users who initially purchased the phone when it first came out start to think about a battery replacement!
Dear Steve,
The two things that I require on my iPone
is:
Mms
&
Adobe Flash player, so I can show clients
my website.
Another feature I would like is the ability
to ad family videos on my iTunes,so I
can download them to my iPhones.
Thank you,
Gerardo
KBD Dedigns
UK
From your list is there actually anything the iPhone actually does well?
You mention being able to surf from home or work vi wi-fi and that surfing with the EDGE network is patchy. Well frankly I have a computer available at these places which offers a far better surfing experience.
So the question is, do you really need to carry three phones, and what exactly does the iPhone offer other than the Apple logo?
How about the ability to handle Flash? It's pretty ubiquitous on the web these days. In spite of long running rumours of a Flash player for the iPhone, we're still stuck with empty holes on our webpages until this comes out.
While we are at it, I want: my car to hover over traffic jams, my TV to cook breakfast for me on Sunday mornings and the grass in my garden to change colour to suit my mood.
C'mon Beeb, let's have some REAL reporting.
Well what can I say, if people stop buying a product for what it IS and start concentrating on what it DOES then there would be no need for a "feature request". A manufacturer would realise that if it doesn't do a good enough job it will not be purchased.
Imagine buying a car with no seats and steering wheel just because it is a new Ford in the hope that the next Ford would include those extras deemed essential, thats ok though, there's enough space on my drive for two cars, so I'll buy a more useful one too and use the inadequate one to show off when the right crowd presents itself.
My HTC Kaiser (Windows Mobile) does it all, GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, slide out keyboard, e-mail, 3G and the odd phone call or two. No need for the cost of roaming, I'll just hook up my wi-fi abroad, if it doesn't do the job you want don't encourage poor products wait until one does, and get that.
How about a calculator that does more than the one I had back in 1976. The Treo had a great calculator that could quickly do scientific functions and conversions.
Lack of cut and paste is also unforgiveable. Not synchronizing notes is a pain.
Never-the-less I love my iphone internet surfing is superb and don't forget it is an ipod.
Dear Mr Jobs
Perhaps you can do as Mr Jones asks. I appreciate the price is achieved on the iPhone by the economies of scale through mass market production, but I'm sure you can create bespoke products based on the whim of every person on the planet, oh and if you can do it by tomorrow that would be great!
I've remembered that the iPhone was supposed to be 5 years ahead of any other mobile device, as declared by Stevie at Macworld 07. And really, the 2mp camera with no video is not 5 years ahead, it's about 2-3 years backwards really.
I'm looking forward to the new iPhone, if there ever will be one. If it's gonna be 3 years ahead still, I would imagine phones would have about 8-9mp cameras by then, so Apple have got a big challenge to live up to their prediction.
Meanwhile though, I'm soooo happy about this SDK that's been released. Reeeally looking forward to the new apps coming soon :)
Why do mobile phones need GPS? Why can't they use the cells/antenas to work out your position. And this would work indoors.
I would love to be able to have two or more phone numbers, i.e. personal and work. Then I would need only one device.
Dear Steve,
MMS and Adobe Flash player on the iPhone's Safari.
Thank you,
Gerardo
I can't believe what I'm reading! There isn't a single product in the world that 100% ticks everyone's boxes all of the time - no matter what it is. If there was, then there would never be a need to create new models of anything - cars, cameras, computers, mobiles, mp3 players...EVERYTHING IS CONSTANTLY EVOLVING!
What the iPhone does do, it does better than any other mobile I've ever owned. I literally haven't put it down since I bought it a month ago. And as for moaning about missing software features - at least you know Apple are constantly updating the software and responding to demand. Every previous mobile I've owned has had a niggle here or a niggle there BUT these niggles were never fixed. Have you ever looked at a Sony Ericcson or Nokia software support website? There's nothing there! "Oh the W880i has a firmware glitch - oh well, guess we'll sort it out in the next few years" Apple have released four major software updates for the iPhone in under a year, each time responding to customer demands and adding new features or ironing out any niggles. What other mobile phone manufacture does that? I'll help you out...NO ONE!
The iPhone is the single best gadget I've ever purchased and I pity the idiots who wave their crappy, cheap looking, clumsily developed phones at iPhone owners and say... "it's got a 5mp camera in it"!
I agree with Bob Foster (post 4)... the HTC Touch Cruise (available on O2 as XDA Orbit 2) is excellent. HSDPA/3G; 3MP camera; WIFI; micro SD slot to 32GB; TouchFlo interface; GPS with CoPilot 7 SatNav; mobile version of MS Office; downloadable apps such as Google Maps; manipulate photos by touch; excellent MP3 player with full graphic EQ, works with Windows Mobile Device Centre so fully sychronisable with Outlook for contacts, calendar, email etc. Comes with in-car phone holder, slip case, main & car chargers. I have had mine for 2 weeks on an unlimited data tariff & it has completely changed the way I use a mobile. Cheaper than the iPhone. Awesome.
I would like to see a provider offer me decent data allowances for 3g, until this happens why on earth would apple offer a device that rides on a network that offers 3 GB a month. I think that we will see more and more websites designed especially for devices like the iphone that will come stripped down for quicker load times. I doubt we will see a 3g iphone this year also, due to the fact that the FCC in the states must publish every patent application by law, and due to the nature of the 3g radio apple would need to submit this for testing, since this process can take months news of it would have surfaced before now.
Great article that precisely hits on the problems with iPhone and other mobile devices. I am eagerly awaiting 3G for iPhone before I jump in. My company is developing some very cool apps for it too so watch out for apps from desitouch.com this summer.
Mr. Jobs,
It appears you have removed the ability to connect to the new internet (IPv6) from your iphones! What is the deal? This lack of support is going to decreases battery life, increase cost the carriers and eliminates many great features that consumers would want.
I once was an I-Phone fan! I would add a lot more to that wish list though! Steve Job may want to spend some time here in Japan and learn from Japanese Cell Phones! I use a DO CO MO phone now and at $1.00 purchase prise with an excellent Low coast plan and full internet as well as much I do not even use like TV, GPS, MP3 and the list goes on and on! Japanese are actually the only once I meet that do not care much for the I-Phone at all and now I know why since I am living here! Steve do your home work! Granted the I-phone looks great, how ever that is about it!
The iPhone is good but will never be truly great. Why? Because marketing and accounting dweebs control it, not engineers, and they'll always keep back enough to look peeps into an endless 'upgrade' cycle. Google Android is the future.
Dear Mr Jones,
Why exactly do you aim such an arrogant list of demands at Apple, then tack an other manufacturer invitation on the end? Could it be that Apple have made the best device, and you're simply a whiny sycophant with a delusion of importance? Dear Mr Jobs? (no, you can't call him Steve, despite you're best pretense, he doesn't know who you are) Could the reason for this be that you don't have the slightest clue who the CEOs of Nokia or Blackberry are, but are so desperate to be seen as in the loop that you latch on to the most public figure available?
Your wish list is laughable.
1. With groups, favourites, recents and alphabetical indexing the iPhone has no significant need for contact searching. I suspect this is just boasting of having 4,000 contacts. I have 2,000, yay me, and have never felt a search would be in any way faster of easier.
2. Cut and paste? Seriously? When the iPhone has no native document editing ability it's virtually useless. Asking for document editing would be a credible point, cut and paste is just a utility that for the time being is a nonsense.
3. A 2MP camera is on the one hand thoroughly fine, and on the other, very much the norm on phones at the moment, where are you pulling your "standards" from? Camera resolution is just about the least of any camera phones problems, it's just a lowest common denominator upsell, and I expect more from a tech journalist. Complain about the lens, complain about the zoom, complain about the lack of flash, don't complain about the resolution, it just makes you look like a clueless fool. I also have serious doubts about your credentials if video capture on a mobile phone is important to you. Video capture on phones is notoriously poor, and will remain so for many years to come; if you want video capture then buy a video camcorder.
4. 3G is the most common complaint about the iPhone, so you can't redeem yourself by stating the obvious, though if you seriously think EDGE is too slow to bother with then you're a man with an embarrassingly low patience limit, and I doubt you'll be that impressed with 3G which really isn't that much faster in real world use.
5. Nothing to do with Apple, and not even anything to do with Nokia or Blackberry. Thoroughly poor tech blogging, and a pitiful attempt to bulk out a bogus list.
Stick to proper reporting, this informal blogging and pointless video effort is far beneath the 91Èȱ¬, I'd be embarrassed to see an amateur site put this rubbish up.
For a first-generation model, I think the iPhone is pretty cool. Sure it has it's problems, but those are to be expected.
I certainly hope Apple *listens* and improves with these suggestions.
As a systems administrator, I toyed around with a "jail broken" phone a while ago, and I really enjoyed the enhanced functionality. I would love to have an SSH client, and other tools at my disposal. Come on Apple... don't let the open source phones get ahead of you on that!
I don't own an iPhone, but I have tried it. I was pleasantly surprised with the screen and the user interface. It's the best GADGET I've seen in a very long time.
I'm still not sure the hardware they are selling is worth so much. Some of the previous comments are asking Rory to get a proper camera instead of N95. In a way they are admitting the iPhone does not integrate enough functionality in one device, which is the whole point of having a smartphone.
If the next generation of iPhones have the features you are asking for, and the price is comparable to similarly featured devices, I might get one. But at this moment in time, I don't have that sort of money for a fancy screen.
Simply get a Windows Mobile, like htc and the likes. I've got one with 3.5G, native support for Outlook and the corporate emails, 3M camera, it takes videos unlike the iphone, and the skyfire browser is probably better than safari. IE is not too bad. And can open all my office documents. Had a 12MB pdf file open and was breezing through it. And also have GPS. It's touchphone too. I suggest people check around instead of duped by hype!!
Very useful article. I haven't spent much time looking into the iphone, but the almost comical list of failings has affirmed for me what I already suspected, that I certainly don't want one!
To be fair though, I would never buy one whilst O2 is the only option. Nothing against O2, but where I live only one operator works reliably - and it isn't O2 !
Many complain of Microsoft's anti competitive strategies, but let's not forget that Apple have probably been far guiltier over the years... Do you remember the really bad old days when you couldn't even put a standard SCSI hard drive in a Mac without having to "patch" the O/S with a small hack to do it ?
Open standards. The onward march of Linux and other quality open source software will have the last laugh.. I hope.
Steve,
1: Open it to all networks
2: Install 3g
3: Bring price down to sensible level
then u get my cash (and I suspect millions of others as well)
Oh and please drop the "Im a cool ceo that doesnt wear suits" routine on your launches. Its cringing me to the max!
My MDA does all that you need and it costs less.
Hmmm, i have just bought an HTC touch dual, does everything I want and more.
A truly Quality product
Jenny
This is my wish list for iPhone2 :
1. Copy/Paste
2. 3G
3. GPS
4. Flash support
5. PDF Reader
6. Camera Autofocus
7. Camera Flash
8. Record Video
9. Higher Resolution Camera
10. MMS Support
11. 32GB storage
12. Remove recessed headphone connector
13. Bluetooth
14. Search
15. Lotus Notes support
there is already a very good search programe from polar bear farm .
I agree with all of the points in the post.
Though I realise I'll have to wait for the iPhone 2 for many of my requests, such as a better camera and 3G.
Right now, MMS, flash player for safari, cut and paste, ability to forward sms, remove individual sms, folders for sms etc will do.
I can't wait for the 2.0 firmware, it's going to be incredible.
I have a hacked 1.1.1 version iphone in indonesia, initially impressed but now frustrated it is consigned to being my second phone.
Indeed a great product, but just not great enough.
1. 3G version please, happy to accept it gets slightly thicker due to additional power required.
2. Unlocked - visual voice mail is no more than a gimmick - who actually buys the product for this feature. Mr. Jobs trying to convince us that the iphone must be locked to single provider purely due to visual voice mail. Sorry that it lame excuse.
3. Twin or triple sim card slots, always on for each sim - already available from Samsung in South East Asia.
Remember mobile phones are exactly that - MOBILE, so please give the consumer the choice how to use and control costs. If not, this product will never realise its true commercial potential.
To the people asking "why a video camera". Even print and web journalists today are expected to shoot video. My local newspaper, The (Louisville, Kentucky) Courier-Journal has hired on a full-time videographer and all reporters are expected to be able to shoot video of their stories. It's simply how it is today in the world of journalism.
let's also not forget the author is a reporter for a television news provider. And let's face it, even a small dedicated video camera, or even still camera, is significantly larger than even a large cell phone.
Im afraid my list is much longer than this.
- Sync iTunes/iPhoto with the iPhone over wifi?
- Take videos with the iPhone?
- More space to actually be able to watch movies?
- Skype calls over wifi?
Forrest wrote:
"As a systems administrator, I toyed around with a "jail broken" phone a while ago, and I really enjoyed the enhanced functionality. I would love to have an SSH client, and other tools at my disposal."
If that is your major requirement, any Symbian phone of the last 5 years will suit - there have been ssh ports *for ever* in UIQ and S60 flavours. I can't remember for sure but I think I had SSH running via PuTTy on my ancient 7650. Definitely on my old P910. I'm sure Windows Mobile has lots of 3rd party SSH apps too.
I can't imagine that you'll ever get SSH built into a phone - unless someone decides to make a sysadmin handset, which I guess the OpenSourcers might do.
Windows Mobile devices are the best. I have been using it for one year now and it have all Function which mention here. Why wait for iphone when you can use Windows Mobile devices now.
At the end of the video you say if any of the other devices can provide these functions, you will be swayed to them.
Well the Nokia N95 allows you to search contacts, organised messages and emails or sort them into folders.
The N95 has a cut and paste facility.
The N95 has a 5mp camera which can also take high quality video.
The N95 is 3g.
The N95 can be used with the Vodafone network which offers the Vodafone Passport plan - meaning you get very cheap calls when abroad.
I'd suggest you ditch the other two devices and just go with the Nokia. Its much better than it gets credit for.
I think the ability to send pictures via Bluetooth or mms would be helpful (not to mention an industry standard). Also I find the whole ringtine thing a bit of a rip off. I've already paid 270 quid for the phone why should spend 2 quid everytime I want a proper song for a ringtone? I should be able to pick songs from my iPod list and use them. Flash would also help in safari. Also I have seen on the net that 'jail break' iPhones can be customised down to the smallest detail like what picture u can have as a battery indicator. Surely those of us who have not 'broken' into our phones can have the same level of customisation.
Agree with all the comments in the Blog and would also like a built in GPS receiver (switchable to save power) so could have TomTom or something similar. Could then dump my Dell Axim! Don't mind if its a millimetre thicker to provide the battery capacity and space for the GPS.
Johnyjf
Firstly, I don't own one of these Iphones, but I'm working on it (thats if they ever arrive in Australia?)
I am looking at the Ipod touch but that too is rather lacking in functions & features.
Mainly the memory is what gets me, what the hell where they thinking having it built-in and in 3 different models?
Ever heard of an MMC port, these cards are getting cheaper by the day and we are trying to save resources not throw them away every time a new model comes out, which I heard has been happening with the Ipod Touch, so Mr. Jobs do yourself and the rest of us a favour, include an MMC port and a way of using some kind of replacement rechargable battery without having to risk it all by sending it back to you! Afterall we're not made of money.
3G would be nice in the phone, as too being able to read Ebooks on the Itouch.
A better camera would help and could be included in both instead of just the phone, regards Marty
This blog is a bit pointless, non of this infomation is new. people were making these points before it was launched in the UK, and obviously After it was launched. flogging a dead horse.
i sell phones, iphone has the best user interface and the best support. thats it unquestionable.and i have experience from nokia 2310s to xda and so on.
there are better spec phones, we know this, so stop repeating your self.
or maybe congratulate apple for the best marketing ive ever seen.
i've met so many blind apple fans with iphones who swear they're the best thing since jesus, but after extensive playing i have to say i think they've RUBBISH! just like the macbook air. absolutely pointless, unless you're filthy rich and need a different device for every room/chair/private jet. apple make decent products sold at disgusting prices.
and steve jobs is silly.
so there.
When you end almost every wish with, "My Blackberry has/does it." sounds like you should stick with your blackberry. The iPhone will never appeal to everyone. Doesn't look like it meets all of your requirements, and probably never will. Sounds like cheaper roaming is O2's issue, not Apple.
You can do corporate email on an iPhone.
Exchange and Notes servers support the standard IMAP4 protocol. My wife uses Outlook in the office and Apple Mail (via IMAP) when at home) both accessing the same server side mail folders. an iPhone works the same way. The issue is not whether or not the iPhone supports corporate emai9l, and more whether the corporate IT departments can be bothered to configure IMAP4 SSL on their firewalls.
BTE i don't have an iPhone but use this approach from my Nokia, works great
What ever happened to the concept of get it right first time everytime?
"and while the announcement that corporate e-mail is coming to the iPhone will help"
I don't understand this comment. If by Corporate email you mean MS exchange , it also supports IMAP4 SSL, so you can access your corporate email on an iPhone. The issue is whether your IT department have it enabled and accessible via the firewall.
I don't have an iPhone (would like one - on vodafone though) but I pick up my corp email on my nokia via IMAP4 SSL. No problems.
Ok, you're calling out a company that is making its first foray into the mobile market - and who are also supplying new features pretty regularly!
sure there are a few things missing - but when was the last time you saw such a call for more features from any other phone? from the day we buy our phones we know exactly what they can and cant do - are you suffering buyers remorse? possibly.
i have the n95 - and its dog slow to use - menus, switching between features... at first it doesn't seem so bad - but after a few weeks when you want it to just 'pop' that extra second of waiting really does feel like an age. i now own an iphone - and whenever i got back to using my n95 it feels primitive. i've also owned the lg viewty - again, out of the box it felt great - after a few weeks of use it was slow and a pain to use. even though it shares alot of the iphones functions, decent browser, touchscreen etc - and in most respects actually surpasses the iphones features (video, 5mp cam, hdspa!) once you've used the iphone for the same amount of time the viewty feels like old technology.
use the iphone, navigate its menus, make a call, type a message - use it for a week or 2... then go back to your previous phone... you'll long for the iphone.
the iphone isnt perfect - but as a 1st device into a new market - apple have done a really great job setting a new standard in functionality and ease of use - things can only get better for the iphone. it stands as testimony to the device that people want search, they want 3g etc etc - because they already realise the device as it stands is years ahead of anything else on the market - and its software is constantly being updated.
also - as a bbc tech correspondent - please flip your video, have you not realised its inverted?...
If you watch the recent developer conference closely you'll notice that iPhone 2.0 has contact search - and everybody knows that 3G is coming.
So that's 2 of your 5 complaints guaranteed to be addressed in the next few months.
I have to agree. The iPhone is lousy for typing. I bought it two months back, and I find it to be nothing more than a toy....not something you will use when you want to COMMUNICATE on a busy day. My teenage daughter uses it now.
I don't have an iPhone, but a friend of mine does, and he told me something that I thought is completely insane. Apparently, there's no way to picture text, only emailing pictures works. Is this true? And if so, I think it should be fixed. Other things may seem like a bigger deal, but the iPhone attracts a lot of young people. Young people picture text. It's not that complex, why not have it?
I thought i put my two cents in for all the readers.
1. Great post from the author, it lists some critical issues that should have been dealt with by Apple
2. Some people are saying "But this is Apple's first step into the phone market stop complaining". Let me put it this way, if Steve jobs didn't have a 100-1000 page report detailing everything required of a modern phone, trends, market shifts, market control, demographics of interest, or simply put...the whole shebang I guarantee you that all his consultants, business analysts, their managers and their executives in charge of project would been fired 5 minutes after report is delivered. Basic rule of business is to ensure you have every base covered and to spend millions and millions of dollars/pounds/euors on R&D without having this information is crazy. Trust me they had this information and they knew what they are doing.
3. Building up on previous point, one of the gentlemen posted saying that Apple is teasing people for sales. Bingo. He got it to the tee. Apple has purposly produced a 80% complete product so that they can entice you and me to spend another 500+ bucks on the subsequent models.
Next gen iPhone is probably going to have 3G on it and a few more tweaks. One after is going to have another critically addressing fix as well and so forth.
I'm a manager/exec with a MBA and we use the same tactics as Apple to build sales and entice old customers to same product. I hope some of you understand now why this product has been developed as it has.
Thanks for reading my post.
Here's a thought: put down the cell phone, iphone, and blackberry and BE FREE! Answer your voicemail and email a little later. Surf the web later. Live life.
windows mobile is so unstable. I had the htc touch through the sprint network here in the us and it was crash after crash. I love the iPhone and I do agree we need 3g for the phone and other dare i say improvments. As a whole the iPhone is one of the most intelligent smart phones I have owned :)john
Or - instead of people being conned by the marketing for an over-rated, over-hyped and over-priced product; just buy an XDA2 which is a fraction of the cost, but delivers everything the iphone has + the corporate tools those of us who work in industry and commerce actually need!
The iphone is by no means perfect, or even great, but it does what it says on the tin, looks good and works reliably (at least mine does). It also has the benefit of an incredibly intuitive user interface that makes accessing everything a doddle. The earlier contributor was right, that the device generates so much comment and attention is a clear indicator of its impact in polarising mobile phone users and scaring the hell out of manufacturers. Much as I hate to say this,(I don't normally care much for Apple and loathe Steve Jobs' and his reluctance to answer straight questions)I think Apple are ahead of the game here.
Wow, what a lot of people seem to take Rory's call for more features as some kind of attack on their iselves...
For what it is worth I am impressed with the iphone, but it is just a shade too large and needs more functionality before I drop £300 on it. I am also irritated by the way it is just available from one mobile network. I like my current provider and I would prefer any future phones to be with them.
I totally agree with this article. I too find myself carrying two phones as the iPhone lacks SSH.
Spot on regarding the iPhone. The price alone has put me off and I'm a Mac User through and through. My mobilephone contract ends this year but I'm not going anywhere near the iPhone. Not until all the issues mentioned here are resolved and the price just to buy it let alone run it is sorted out and reduced. Nokia and Blackberry do it better and cheaper.
There are 2 types of company in the technology market. Apple, who want nothing more than the 'cool' factor, restricting their products deliberately so the hooked apple fans have to buy the next version, and everyone else, who will try to beat the competition on functionality, interoperability, or price. Apple will never produce a product that has the best available on it. It’s just not in their marketing plan.
I think this article is perfect and I agree with all his requests. But the main thing with iphone is that you have to choose 02. I would have bought one if I didn't have to change network.
As a self confessed 'Apple Junkie', I am not going to put my comments in to this...
For a mobile, I use a Nokia!
Hey Steve,
I love the look & feel and the interface is to die for -- but the showstopper for me is the absence of a user-replaceable battery.
This is bad enough on an iPod which can be switched off for days at a time to minimise recharge cycles and is not essential for business, but on a phone this is a step too far (at least it is for me).
... what about streaming music via wifi from iTunes to iPhone/ iTouch without the need to download/ sync manually?
Hello, Rory! :)
You carry an N95 just for video recording? Doesn't it make more sense to carry a digital camera instead?
Just a couple of points...
I carry a mobile phone rather than a video camera because it enables me to go live - it is also smaller.
And I'm not quite clear why I have no right to demand more from the iPhone - just like any customer. In fact, Apple has prospered because it has focussed so single-mindedly on constantly improving the user experience.
Oh - and my iPhone was bought with my own money, not the licence fee. And while I still love it, that does not mean I can't see its faults.
There are some excellent suggestions here! It may be useful for some iPhone owners to know that Apple actually on their products, including feedback for 'feature enhancements'. If you let them know then they may just do something about it!
Rory:
With Spotlight searching capabilities in Leopard and Tiger I hope a proper contact search isn't too far off! In the mean time, have you tried using the Maps application for searching contacts?
It's unfortunate how easy it is for commenters to criticise a blogger, in spite of not having all facts to hand. Curiously just read this after my own blog post of 10 reasons I hate my iPhone. I suspect I'm going to get some irate comments from Apple fans!
Some of the specs you're asking for are at least 12mnths away or more. The iPhone without the specs you're looking for is still too cool for school. Apple are not looking to do everything at once as they can't even keep up with production for the iPhone as is now - never mind with it being a business friendly iPhone. You may get a 3mp camera with a 3G iPhone, but a camera on the phone isn't Apple's priority and neither is video. Maybe there will be little tweaks here and there but you are mainly looking at the same iPhone with 3G and _maybe_ longer battery life later this year.
I got the Iphone in the Uk on release. I think Its the best gadget since the ipod !
It is a lifestyle thing, and as a music lover it suits my life to a tee.
I have it cabled to my hifi in the car so can listen to all my tunes controlled through the head unit. (do that on a N95!)
I dock it at home to my hifi seperates. (do than on a N95)
I use it at work to pick up my personal emails and check stock prices (with 1 click) The screen is 1000 time better than other phones.
My contacts get synced with Outlook so my home PC is always upto date.
Unlike windows devices it does not freeze up with an hour glass and you also dont need a stylus like the HTC
Believe me its all good !
A N95 is a great camera phone for many people, but if you like music/watching videos reading email on decent size screen its a no brainer.
thx
This is what I would like to see:
(1) 3G - with unlimitted use tariff
(2) Camera - with autofocus and a proper flash (pointless otherwise)
(3) Slide out keyboard (like the new Sony Ericsson X1)
(4) Front Web Camera and Windows Live Messenger support
(5) WiFi
(6) Sky and 91Èȱ¬ program streaming.
And the really nice to have - this would make it a killer device:
(1) GPS with Sat Nav as good as TomTom.
(2) Cradle for car that charges
(3) Bluetooth integration with car new generation headsets so that you get handsfree calling and wireless streaming of music / Sat Nav voice assist to the car HiFi.