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The iPhone's Top Pros and Cons
By David LaGesse
Posted 6/22/07
Face it, the iPhone can only have so many folks swooning if it's got raw
sex appeal. This is one device that will appeal to both genders, leaving us
to ponder just what will draw people when Apple launches the phone on June
29–and what everyone should be wary of.
Seven attractions:
Striking looks: And we don't just meet the slim, hot look of the case. This
phone has a large, beautiful, and bright screen–which is all the more
surprising since it's a touch-screen, which is usually less vivid. The
screen measures 3.5 inches across, bigger than just about anything made for
the hand, and can produce as good an image as a typical desktop monitor did
just a few years ago.
Friendly demeanor: This looks to be one of the easiest cellphones to get to
know and use. Apple does software well and has packed nearly 30 years of
experience into lists that scroll with the flick of a finger, photos that
expand and shrink with a stretch of a thumb, and a screen that gets wider
or taller with the twist of a wrist. In short, the iPhone strives to become
one with your hands.
Smarts: The phone comes with all the elements of a smart phone, including
an address book, calendar, maps, notes, and, of course, E-mail. A
full-fledged Web browser comes with the system, which also is a version of
the OS X that runs Apple's computers. That means it can do several things
at once, such as send a photo to a friend while checking the calendar.
Good voice: The iPhone hails from the folks who brought you the iPod, and
you can bet this will be the best phone yet for listening to tunes. Plus it
will work with the hundreds of iPod speakers and other accessories out
there, including docks built into your Mercedes or Volkswagen, and maybe
even at your seat on a Boeing Dreamliner. Just be sure to turn off the
wireless before take-off.
Sensitive communicator: Besides a cellphone, the iPhone has built-in WiFi
and Bluetooth, which should make it easy to connect to high-speed Internet
hot spots and companion devices, like headsets. The phone itself is no
slacker, with the industry's first visual voice mail: Your messages show up
on a list, making it easy to find the one you want to hear first.
Buff muscles: With built-in memory of at least 4 gigabytes, the phone has
the heft to carry a goodly amount of music, photos, and videos.
Worldliness: The iPhone is ready to roam the globe, with its four bands of
cellphone reception.
Seven reasons to be wary:
Gold-digging: Starting at $500, the iPhone is one pricey date. That's even
before the cost of a monthly voice and data plan, whose prices AT&T and
Apple haven't yet revealed. Analysts estimate that Apple's cost is about
half of that $500, suggesting that the company is milking the early
adopters.
No prenup: Purchasing an iPhone will force you to sign a two-year contract
with AT&T, which will provide voice and data service. And unlike just about
every other phone out there, there is no discount on the purchase price for
signing that two-year agreement.
Touchiness: There's only one key, and that simply brings you back the
phone's main menu. Not having a mechanical keyboard means you'll need to
focus your eyes on a virtual keypad to dial a phone number or a virtual
keyboard to text a message. The soft versions look responsive, but they can
never perform as well as hard keys.
Lack of sociability: The iPhone won't run on AT&T's fastest data network,
making it painfully slow for Web browsing or sending and receiving photos,
unless you happen to be at a coffee shop with free WiFi. But the WiFi can't
be used to connect to other iPhones, unlike the Microsoft Zune, nor can it
sync music with a desktop computer.
Unfriendliness: Apple won't let software developers write their own
programs for the iPhone, saying it wants to ensure tight security and ease
of use. The phone's Safari browser can run applications developed for the
Web, but that means having to connect first to the Internet, and that's
slow with the iPhone unless it's within range of a WiFi network.
Questionable stamina: Apple promises eight hours of talk time, but analysts
suggest that's optimistic—and that using WiFi or playing videos will cut
that time significantly. Plus, it appears users won't be able to change the
battery, and they'll have to send it back to Apple for a new one.
Weak eye: A phone this expensive should do better than a 2-megapixel
camera. It should even have an optical zoom.
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