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Seven Disappointing Things About the iPhone

forbes.com — Apple's new iPhone promises to be 4.7 ounces of awesome. It promises to do everything the iPhone does well--surfing the Web, serving up music and movies, and letting you flick through your voicemail messages with a fingertip. Even before its release, there are some niggling issues--some minor, others major--that make the iPhone disappointing.

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  • MasterSparky, on 06/20/2008, -43/+31Maybe disappointed, but leagues ahead of everyone else!
    • mal1964, on 06/21/2008, -14/+8"but leagues ahead of everyone else"
      What does it do better?
      • fyngyrz, on 06/21/2008, -8/+21Doesn't do anything. That's the 8th thing. Being locked to AT&T means that in areas like mine - Montana - it's a dead hunk of metal.

        But hey. It wasn't meant for us anyway. Steve knows best.
      • migitalwarfare, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2if you can't acknowledge the obvious advantages that the iphone has over other phones, you're being selectively blind. the better OS, the better browser, better games, better software development, and visual voicemail are all painfully obvious
    • Sabre24q7, on 06/21/2008, -11/+5leagues ahead of everyone else? I think your mistaking it for other phones lol
    • dimitrisokolov, on 06/21/2008, -15/+14
      Sony Ericsson Xperia and Samsung Instinct both kick the iPhone's ass.

      iPhone can't even do MMS, shoot video, watch TV, or download a song while not on WiFi....lol. Cut & Paste might come in 2012 iPhone 6.0 lol....Holy *****. Not only that, we (me too) are stuck on AT&T's ***** up network.

      The Samsung Instinct vs iPhone comparision is particularily funny. "Somewhere in this ginormous circle"...lol.

      http://www.instinctthephone.com/

      • rodrigo74, on 06/21/2008, -4/+4Good points, but for f#ck's sake, drop the "lol".
      • tjex, on 06/21/2008, -4/+4The Xperia isn't even out yet as for the Instinct, it got bad reviews.
      • belfastbiker, on 06/21/2008, -0/+5Those instinct vs. iphone videos are pretty funky but...

        1. Internet speed - instinct is fast, but look how much screen is wasted with stupid *****.
        2. Live TV looks good, but why use "simulated video"?

      • 1platypus, on 06/22/2008, -0/+0How much do you want to be that the Instinct fails to even make a dent in iPhone sales?
    • chazuk, on 06/21/2008, -9/+203g video calls, MMS, Bluetooth file transfers, Video recording, expandable memory, user changable battery, A2DP Bluetooth stereo headphone support, FM Radio, 5MP Cam....

      Yep the iPhone is leagues ahead of my (ageing) N95.....
      • chazuk, on 06/21/2008, -5/+2Could the people burying me please explain what is wrong with my reply above?
        Does it matter that much to you that you would mindlessly bury an accurate and factual comment in defence of a ***** phone?

        And before you say I'm an Apple hater, my iMac, eMac and iPod touch say otherwise!
        • piwy, on 06/21/2008, -0/+9I didn't bury you. But i've owned nokia phones since i could buy one, and i've never used a single one of these features pundits and myriad of diggers seem to think we all need. Never had multiple batteries with me. The one time my battery ***** i replaced it in the store where i bought the new battery. For all intents and purposes i could do that in an apple store.

          Never used MMS (might be a cultural thing. MMS is rarely advertised here in the netherlands), cut and paste or voice dialing ( which i find only to be useful when driving, and even then i'd rather not call. Enough distraction on the roads already).

          From your point, 3g phone calls are mostly a gimmick, i've never seen someone actually use it. Only thing i totally concur with everybody about it the crippled bluetooth stack. That's just ridiculous. And on the radio thing, most of us get ipods so we don't have to listen to radio.

          But anyways, nobody is forcing anybody to get iPhone. If you're feeling the need to go on and on about how your phone is better than whatever other phone because it has way more features, please rest assured that you're as annoying as the iPhone fanboys. If you need all those fancy features, go get a nokia or a blackberry.

          /rant
        • MacParrot, on 06/21/2008, -0/+7Also, any chance you could just voice your opinion and NOT worry and whine about being buried? It happens for all kinds of reasons and appealing to the Digg Gods doesn't always work.

          Have an opinion...voice it...don't worry if someone or some group of people don't agree=much less stressful life...ahhhhh
        • chazuk, on 06/21/2008, -4/+1Macparrot;

          Perhaps I view digg in the wrong light but I normally only bury replies that are utter BS. If I had posted a barefaced lie then I deserve to be buried into hades itself. All I really want to do is get into the mind of a person who would dismiss facts because of their love of an object will not let them see it get anything else but praise.
    • omgsoemo, on 06/21/2008, -4/+3Leagues? Hardly, the iPhone is just the more trendy one. I mean, Christ, they even want a propietary Flash
  • UnseenLlama, on 06/20/2008, -30/+14These are all the same rehashed "disappointments".

    The Cost - yes, the initial cost is lower, but now that it's subsidized, the 3g data plan is in line with the other phones on ATT

    No Flash - Agreed. Would like a flash, but unless it's a Xenon flash (ala N82, forget about it)

    No Replaceable Batteries - Never had an issue with running on of battery on the 1st gen iPhone.

    Video Recording - There are jailbroken apps that prove video is possible. Wait until the app store is released.

    No Cut-And-Paste - Don't really care. Everything that I need to click on turns into a URL that opens Safari mobile.

    No Multimedia Messaging Service - Use email.

    No Voice Dialing - Got me on this one. It would be a nice to have for hands-free calling
    • KSUdesigner, on 06/20/2008, -2/+25Not that kind of flash, nimrod. Reading comprehension is your friend.
      • UnseenLlama, on 06/21/2008, -7/+4yeah...now that i think about it... Adobe flash still sucks!

        why can't people write a real web app!
    • Trax91, on 06/21/2008, -7/+4You are the BIGGEST Apple fanboy EVAR.

      Seriously, the way you defend Apple makes baby Jesus cry.

      And I'm a Mac user.
  • scoetrain, on 06/20/2008, -25/+88The inability to send/receive photos or sound through text messaging (MMS) frustrates the ***** out of me.
    • notoneofus, on 06/21/2008, -15/+21Assuming you're sending to other users who have email-enabled phones, why not just send an email? If you have an unlimited data plan, you won't even pay the nominal fee for a text.
      • HappyScrappy, on 06/21/2008, -7/+29Know what happens you assume?

        There are a lot of people who don't have email-enabled phones.
        • notoneofus, on 06/21/2008, -18/+3True. But how long will that be an issue?
        • lolroflmaoafk, on 06/21/2008, -23/+5All my friends have blackberries or iphones. Maybe you need better friends?
        • dragon76, on 06/21/2008, -1/+7How many people who do not have email-enabled phones actually know how to compose and use MMS? I'd like to see the data on that. A lot of simple, dumb phones have email function, it's not like the only people you can email with the iPhone are other iPhone users.

          It's also not like MMS is even a standard feature on dumb phones.
        • Laminarcissus, on 06/21/2008, -6/+2I think notoneofus's user name and post pretty much sums up the iPhone culture.

          "iPhone: If it's not perfect for you, maybe you need better friends..."
      • chazuk, on 06/21/2008, -6/+14So every other manufacturer of phones should bow down to Apple for their lack of MMS support? (which was a standard BEFORE the ***** thing came along)

        I liked sending MMS photos to all that I know when my daughter was born. I doubt that my mother in law has a need for email on her phone, let alone wants it.
        • notoneofus, on 06/21/2008, -3/+9Well, I have a skewed point of view since I moved to Japan, where emails are basically free (and everyone has email on their phones), and texts cost money and don't work across different service providers. Not exactly the same other places.

          I don't feel everyone will bow to Apple. But I do think the Japanese system is a precursor for much of the rest of the world.
        • chazuk, on 06/21/2008, -4/+6@ notoneofusnotoneofus

          Do you think that the european providers will drop MMS just because it's chaper to email in Japan? Why on earth would the providers remove features, especially when it makes them money?
          I remember when the text messaging service in the UK was locked to texting to people on the same network as you. Once that was opened SMS usage exploded and people enjoyed the convienience of SMS dispite it not being cost effective compared to a call. MMS is not going away at all.
        • HolyChimp, on 06/21/2008, -3/+12MMS never exploded in the same way that SMS did, simply because it was a bit *****. It cost more and it required people to have phones that supported MMS (and not many did when MMS was actually new). Seriously, MMS is basically just a fancy email that your provider charges you for...
        • SeaICIubber, on 06/21/2008, -2/+10I'm in the UK which has a fairly advanced/matured mobile phone culture and in my personal opinion I'd say that MMS is nowhere near as popular as basic sms. I've sent just one in my entire life and never received one (yes I do have friends and receive quite a few sms)
          As HolyChimp mentioned MMS never took off here as it tends to be expensive, not included in text bundles (they count it as data) and there's still quite a few modern phones that don't support it natively and send you a web link to view the photo which is self-defeating.
          They've unlocked MMS finally but it hasn't exploded.
      • swiftheart, on 06/21/2008, -2/+10I think you'll find it's much more likely for a person to have an unlimited text plan rather than an unlimited data plan. (I suspect that's the case for everybody, but particularly in the youthful circles I'm in...where no one has a blackberry.)

        But even then, the reason why MMS is so popular is because the workflow is easy: take a pic, choose send as a text, select the number(s) in your address book to send it to, and then wait for the recepient's text in response.

        The workflow for sending an email is not the same or as easy, particularly since I, like the vast majority people I know, don't keep email addresses stored on my phone. Sure, if I had a blackberry I would, but I don't. Even then, if I did have an iPhone, I'd prefer to MMS pix and videos because of the workflow and how quickly they are received by the receipient.(Most phones default to being very good at taking calls and text, not so much emails. where the workflow is odder.)
        • notoneofus, on 06/21/2008, -4/+5Again, I'm jaded by region. I have all my email addresses on my phones (both my local Japanese phone and my international GSM phone). Everyone I know does as well, smart phone or not.
        • HolyChimp, on 06/21/2008, -3/+7So because you have your phone set up in a way that makes MMS better, MMS is better for everyone?
      • Tenoq, on 06/21/2008, -2/+1Our entire country has a problem with that idea - unlimited data will never be available here, and any sort of data on a mobile costs more. MMS though, is included in cap plans, like SMS. Very bad assumption.
      • johnpaul191, on 06/21/2008, -0/+2oddly i have some friends that just get a URL when i send them a MMS picture. kind of useless on their (random clamshell) phone, so they wait till they get home and maybe remember to look. i forget what network they have, but it's stupid.
    • purelithium, on 06/21/2008, -18/+13That's what this newfangled invention called "E-mail" is for!
      • mal1964, on 06/21/2008, -10/+10No, That's what this newfangled invention called "MMS" is for!
        • Laminarcissus, on 06/21/2008, -5/+3But you're missing the point. The iPhone doesn't do MMS, therefore it's not a valid technology. If it were, why would they leave it out?

          The iPhone does do email though, so fortunately that has finally been legitimized as a mainstream technology. I'm relieved because I use email all the time and I'd hate to see any lack of support by Apple make it go the way of HD.
        • p3ngwin, on 06/21/2008, -2/+5the iphone was designed as though it was only ever going to be released in America. no video calling, no MMS,etc
          some of the features that have been on every phone in the last DECADE!

          the Americans among you will state "send pics via email, you have unlimited data plan don't you?"...

          err...no. not everyone has that with their provider, nor should they have to have such a plan to send a simple 10 year old tech like an MMS.
          how in the hell are you supposed to have a moment in your life that you want to share in realtime with friends across the planet with MMS?
          you may have an unlimited data plan centric to the US, but they may not. yet their fully capable MMS equipped mobile is awaiting your contact through technology as old as SMS....but your iphone can't oblige.

          seriously, i've never seen a device that was designed so rigidly and narrow minded for a small region as the US's iphone.
        • mal1964, on 06/21/2008, -0/+2@laminar
          How about video?
    • patbon, on 06/21/2008, -6/+12I absolutely agree. Sure, email is a fine alternative, but jesus christ why is MMS not just included.

      How am I supposed to send nudy pics of myself to all my contacts : (
    • stockjones, on 06/21/2008, -7/+13MMS should be included thats just ridiculous for such a multimedia capable phone.
    • ThinkBox, on 06/21/2008, -8/+13MMS is not my primary delivery or retreval system for photos, and it never has been.

      The ONLY reason MMS has ANY ground is because most people cant download photos off their phone, they have to mms them throught email to a computer. This is stupid old and annoying technology.
      • locojones, on 06/21/2008, -6/+9Um, the reason MMS has ANY ground is because it's a fundamental feature of every phone in the industry (except the iPhone) and because it's monumentally easier to send a picture message than a stupid e-mail.
        • ThinkBox, on 06/21/2008, -3/+6You made part of my point for me.

          Keyword "monumentally easier" - which I change to interpret as "momentarily easier." The adaptation of email on cell phones where cell phones turn from a mobile unit of voice communication with a hierarchical number system into a mobile communications device with multipurpose communication services and methods.

          There also is a time where renting DVDs in a stores is "momentarily easier" than using the internet for media content, but with the progression of technology and the culture that controls that technology this will indeed inevitably change. If you do not see or expect this elementary change of technological progression, then you are a hindered to its advancement.

          Preaching the gospel of "momentarily ease" will get you nowhere as a company in any highly competitive market in the long run.
        • locojones, on 06/22/2008, -0/+3First, you need to calm down with the buzz words, you're not in business school and you can't flim flam your way out of a corner with meaningless adjectives. If the iPhone can't send a simply picture message, then it isn't, by definition, "a mobile communications device with multipurpose communication services," period.

          And second, renting DVDs in stores is also monumentally easier than renting them by mail. Why? For the same reasons that MMS is and always will be better than e-mail, speed and convenience.

          And really? It will get you nowhere as a company in a highly competitive market in the long run? Wow, that's fascinating considering that every cell phone manufacturer in the world includes MMS as a basic, fundamental feature in their phones, and they all seem to be pretty successful to me.

          For someone with Think in their name, you really don't do a whole lot of it.
        • ThinkBox, on 06/22/2008, -2/+1"every cell phone manufacturer in the world... ....and they all seem to be pretty successful to me."

          Really? Every single cell phone company is pretty successful?

          Think about that in business terms. The only way that really exists is in a non-competitive market without innovation or good competition.

          That doesn't really describe the Telecommunications industry... at all. Based on that simple missed observation I can assess your opinion of Telecommunication business models to be fairly unaware. I believe you are describing where the market is right now, and I am looking forward to a time when the market has shifted to better technologies (like email) with more integration. MMS and SMS will die because of other platforms before voice communication becomes the secondary function of the phone.

          Also, on a side note, it's good to see people who have been here on digg for a long time. Its also great to see some thought out and creative commentary.
          Whats information input without proper dissection?
    • phatvolvo, on 06/21/2008, -9/+14I'm sick of people bitching about it not having MMS. MMS is rubbish! Email is far better and should definitely replace MMS. I don't miss grainy, expensive, low-resolution photos in the slightest... Please start keeping up with the times.
      • Laminarcissus, on 06/21/2008, -4/+3MMS is a middle ground between email and SMS in terms of ease of use and the thickness of the client you need to interact with. SMS takes moments to send text only. MMS takes not much longer to send multimedia content.

        Email is incredibly versatile, but it's much more complex than the others, takes more time to get something sent, arrives at the recipient in a less-friendly form than both SMS and MMS, and takes quite a bit more network overhead to implement for the same payload than MMS.

        Right tool for the right job.

        But the ultimate question is: why isn't it there? MMS was just too great an engineering challenge to get into their phone? An MMS client is a dumb, tiny thing, they couldn't find a corner in their groovy interface for it? *Every* other manufacturer, even the terrible ones, have managed to get that functionality in -- it's part of the basic set.

        That's why many of us react to it, not because its absence is necessarily a complete deal-breaker, but because its absence is just completely inexplicable.
    • inotocracy, on 06/21/2008, -3/+5Wait.. the iPhone doesn't have MMS capability?? Fail.
    • zerodefect, on 06/21/2008, -1/+3Jailbreak an iPhone, load MMS onto it via third party app and tell me how it looks. Horrible! The quality of MMS pictures is too low for a screen like that found on an iPhone. I'm sure the engineers at Apple could find a way to work around this, but as it sits now it just looks completely useless.
  • ThinkBox, on 06/21/2008, -20/+74This list is nothing new,

    What it needs:
    Flash, Replaceable Battery, Cut-and-Paste, Video Recording, MMS

    But they blow it, they are COMPLAINING about the $199 price point, WHAT A JOKE.

    If this makes it to the front page, it will because people aren't reading it. This is the same old article that has been retold since the iPhone first launched.

    Oh, and they quote Gizmodo... seriously....
    • virtualball, on 06/21/2008, -3/+10Sure, the cost is "more in the long run" but would you rather pay 599 or 199 and 24 easy payments of $10? (The $10 is the difference from the now 20 and the soon-to-be 30)
      • ThinkBox, on 06/21/2008, -4/+8This is like buying a TV and then complaining about cable costs. (ok, not JUST like, but this is AT&T, they upped the price).
    • zzz@tkz, on 06/21/2008, -5/+10You do realize that Flash would ***** DESTROY the battery, right? Mine can go through like, a day and a half without being charged, but with Flash? Maybe a day. Only way Flash would work would be with a little "Tap to activate element" thing. Even then, sheesh.
      • locojones, on 06/21/2008, -4/+7lol if you think Flash is going to destroy your battery, you must not have experienced 3G yet.
      • Taiyoryu, on 06/21/2008, -2/+9No Flash support means no Flash ads. That's a perk not a con.
      • ilgaz, on 06/23/2008, -0/+1Flash Lite 3 doesn't destroy anything. It works fine on every God damn smart phone.
        Apple is chickening about the advanced Flash options to code actual apps or even virtual operating systems or they are just cheap not to license it from Adobe. It is all. Nobody really thinks about your battery. If they did at first place, they would put a REPLACABLE battery.
    • kevincannon, on 06/23/2008, -1/+1The iPhone doesn't _need_ any of those.

      Most of those things have been made for a reason. Be that reason, cost, engineering challenge, size or another trade off. You can complain about the 'problems' with the iPhone all you want, but realistically, generally they are trade-offs rather than problems. One person might pay more to have a better camera and video recording, but the general public might not.

      The great thing about technology is that there's competition and there's other phones out there. Don't mistake 'problems' with the iPhone for some blind oversight, they're all part of a calculated balancing act and there's bound to be people who won't fit in with the target they've chosen.
  • seth123qq, on 06/21/2008, -24/+9complain, complain, complain, complain, complain, complain, complain, complain, complain, complain, complain, complain, complain, complain, complain,
    • crapmatic, on 06/21/2008, -1/+14What comes after that comma on the end? The suspense is killing me.
    • cthellis, on 06/21/2008, -1/+7...developers?
  • wazzledoozle2, on 06/21/2008, -22/+15My single biggest problem with the iPhone is the lack of expandable memory. 16gb is not enough! I bought a 30gb ipod video 3 damn years ago! (And I could use much more storage than 30gb at this point! 80 or 160gb would be nice)
    • ThinkBox, on 06/21/2008, -6/+17How did you survive 5 years ago.. much less 10... you really need more than 16 GB with you all the time? THis is a phone, not a computer replacement.
      • wazzledoozle2, on 06/21/2008, -7/+9I didn't have a mp3 player 5 years ago, much less one that played videos and internet content as well.

        For all intents and purposes, the iphone IS a computer (Apple loves to tout its OSX port). It's the best ipod at the moment as well, so the meager storage is very disappointing to me.
        • emanaydin, on 06/21/2008, -2/+9i agree with ThinkBox.. this device is still just a phone with some powerful features, its not a computer replacement. People are complaining about flash support? what other phone out there has flash support? expandable memory for even more GB's on a phone? What other cell phone has more than 4gb's? I think we're pushin it..get yourself an ipod classic with 80gb of storage, thats more than enough for anybody i'm sure.
        • dragon76, on 06/21/2008, -1/+5I had a Flash-enabled cell-phone with my Sprint Mogul. It's Flash lite. Flash ***** lite. All Flash lite is good for is playing games that could be made with Java. Someone show me a "Flash-enabled" phone that does not use Flash lite.
        • jaxcs, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1I think the iphone is actually something in between. It's part of the ultra portable market. yeah, I know, it's not a comp, but it's far from being just a phone as well. It's an multi purpose consumer electronic. So you can't really treat it like either.
      • xiphy, on 06/21/2008, -0/+3Beside the obvious roll out marketing strategy (start base, charge a premium for 'upgrade' models), the appeal of the iPhone to many is the consolidation of critical data (which many consider their music to be) into one convenient device. I admit the 8/16GB limit is annoying. I don't like to think about storage space, period. If it's even a possibility I'll run out, it's too little for my needs.

        For now, I'm sticking with a newly warranty claimed 80GB iPod video for my bulk music needs. I'll upload current favourites to the iPhone maybe..
      • NotaFanboy87, on 06/21/2008, -2/+5You guys are all retarded. They have it capped at 16 GB because that's as cheap as they could bring the price of flash down. Geez, look at the cost of a 32 GB SSD drive or a 64 GB for that matter... they're working on it, but I'm certain that nobody would pay $500 or $1000 for the same phone, but with more memory... Apple wants the price to go DOWN, not UP.
        • cliffr39, on 06/21/2008, -2/+1nobody would pay $500?? Funny that Apple sold so many when it first released at $499 (for only 4gb) and more for the 8gb. Your argument about memory/cost is valid (that it simply would be much more) but your supporting statement is a poor one (that nobody would pay it).
        • jakem1, on 06/21/2008, -2/+1You can't compare the flash memory in an iPhone to an SSD drive - they're different technologies. A proper comparison would be to an SD or CF card.
    • Trat, on 06/21/2008, -1/+3Knob, can't you just put your music on a server and stream it to your iPhone? I have a unlimited download data subscription for €10: goes super fast. Case solved...
      • dragon76, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1That's the solution I used for my PSP. An RSS of my iTunes library on my Mac.
  • Micherik, on 06/21/2008, -24/+15MMS is not a modern technology! I hope the iPhone will push this technology out of our World!
    • locojones, on 06/21/2008, -3/+6LOL that's the dumbest comment I've seen all week. And because I know Micherik will never be able to figure out why, let me spell it out -- e-mail is an older technology than MMS, so there!
  • ericdano, on 06/21/2008, -18/+9Bitch, moan, write article about it, and make the deadline for a story...
    "Journalism" at its finest.
  • falese, on 06/21/2008, -23/+5my biggest complaint is the lack of windows mobile.
  • bippitybop1, on 06/21/2008, -16/+13no video conferencing...despite all the hype and the patent
  • Weejay, on 06/21/2008, -19/+4I'm seriously considering giving up on Digg altogether, as I'm feeling that this site is nothing but a giant advertisement for the iPhone.
    I'm serious: http://digg.com/search?s=iphone&submit=Search§ ...
    • HA5TY, on 06/21/2008, -4/+11you don't need to warn us if ur leaving.
      • Weejay, on 06/21/2008, -9/+3Way to miss the point. I'm not being a drama queen, just pointing out how much of a hammering this whole iPhone has turned into, that's all. Of course nobody gives a ***** if I'm leaving, sheesh.
    • YoshoKatana, on 06/21/2008, -3/+7This just in: technology news website talks about most popular new gadget!
      • Weejay, on 06/21/2008, -6/+2New gadget? Are you kidding me? It's a been a year already. 365 ***** days. And just as many articles submitted to Digg I bet.
        • natenovs, on 06/21/2008, -3/+1according to weejay's serach there's been around 1245 submission
        • MacParrot, on 06/21/2008, -0/+5This also just in...you don't actually HAVE to read stories about stuff you don't care about OR make multiple comments!
          Yeah! Crazy, I know!

          I don't have an iPhone and frankly the amount of front page stories about (mostly just regurgitating the same crap) is annoying. Just block the topic or ignore them OR as you said, just leave Digg. Everything goes in cycles. Eventually some new toy will push it off the pages. In the meantime, just suck it up or leave.
    • SublimeRuin, on 06/21/2008, -1/+5I see nothing wrong with that list. It's not as if all these articles are repeating each other. Each tells a slightly different story about a different market/company's involvement with iPhone 3G. Oh wait - your leaving....well then nevermind - bye! Have a safe trip!
      • Weejay, on 06/21/2008, -7/+1Or maybe I should be the one wishing you a nice honeymoon with your precious iPhone. Do you rub it in the shower while thinking about its oh-so-slick touch interface?
    • stretch611, on 06/21/2008, -2/+10I'm tired of you whiners... Just leave already.

      If you do not want to hear about the iPhone, why don't you just turn off the apple section of your customizable front page? or do you not know how to effectively use a computer?

      You certainly care enough to read through the comments section of iPhone articles... I guess you are just trolling for attention.
    • Laminarcissus, on 06/21/2008, -3/+3If you really are serious then I'll give you a serious answer:

      You have to see the big picture.

      I can't abide the iPhone, what it stands for, or the people who love it, but I stick with Digg for exactly the reason you want to leave. It gives me an instant impression of what a large group of people is obsessed with, how those obsessions are evidencing themselves, and how they're interacting with other large groups that feel differently.

      Ten posts a day on Digg relating to iPhone aren't ten pieces of information on iPhone, they're one piece of information on the place that iPhone is holding in the brains of Digg users, good or bad.
  • CyberKiL, on 06/21/2008, -5/+12Although the keynote was a little disappointing regarding the lack of additional features, I still wouldn't completely count the 3G iPhone out of these missing things. It still hasn't been released yet, and these features could always be added later via firmware updates.
    • HappyScrappy, on 06/21/2008, -7/+1I think Forbes has used it, the press was given access. They'd know if it had those things.
  • mikesown, on 06/21/2008, -8/+32The author misses a very important detail. All but two of the seven disappointing things -- cost and battery -- are software related. At any point in time, Apple could opt to add in cut and paste, or Flash support. By buying the phone now, you wouldn't be losing out on any features should Apple choose to add the features in the future(and does anyone think they won't?). These are not disappointments of the iPhone itself, but the iPhone 2.0 software!
    • 35263526, on 06/21/2008, -3/+8If they were going to add those features, they would have by now, but even if they are at some point in the future going to beat the seemingly insurmountable hurdle of copy-and-past functionality, this is Apple we're dealing with; there's a very high chance they'd only include that functionality in the next hardware revision even if the old one is more than capable.
      • NotaFanboy87, on 06/21/2008, -5/+5so far, I've gotten all of these updates for free, with added features, stability and functionality. I'm also getting the 2.0 software for free. Copy and paste... if you want it so bad... code it yourself... the SDK is available!
        • 35263526, on 06/21/2008, -1/+4The SDK doesn't work like that; there are serious restrictions on what independant third-party apps can do, and it certainly wouldn't let someone program a universal UI extension to CocoaTouch.
        • jakem1, on 06/21/2008, -0/+3Code it myself! Copy and paste!! You must be kidding me if you think that's a solution to a glaring ommission. Next you'll be telling people to install a flash for the camera themselves.
    • Balanced, on 06/21/2008, -0/+2In general, I would argue that making a project selection on possible future features is likely to end badly.

      "Expandable software" is a feature. "Might get this or that one day" isn't.
    • Laminarcissus, on 06/21/2008, -3/+2They've been too overwhelmed so far to add cut-and-paste? An MMS app has been in the stress-testing lab for years, just to make sure it works properly on their closed platform?

      Hate Windows Mobile for a variety of well-deserved reasons, but at least if it doesn't do something I want I can download software to fix it, or even write it myself. With iPhone I get to sit and wait to see what they'll give me and thank them kindly, or see what they will sell me in a store they control.

      It's amazing how many of the same people going nuts over the "control" imposed on them by record and movie companies with DRM are happy to immediately bend over when it's Apple in the driver's seat.

      And not a problem with the phone, but the software? The worst of the fanboys in any area always sound the same, don't they? "Excuse me, but the Linux kernel did not crash, it was all the software and the user interface. If it weren't for those we would never have to reboot ever..."
    • kevincannon, on 06/23/2008, -0/+1Flash you say.

      Do you know how many other mobile phone support Flash in the browser?

      I think it's about two.
  • Owwmykneecap, on 06/21/2008, -21/+4iPhone spam. Boo.

    Overpriced shiny trash.
  • HappyScrappy, on 06/21/2008, -4/+12These are legitimate beefs. But the original iPhone sold well despite shortcomings like this and more (uselessly quiet speakerphone and nearly so with the ringer).

    It isn't clear to me that people are buying these based upon features or functionality.
    • Laminarcissus, on 06/21/2008, -5/+3That's exactly right, the people who buy iPhones see them on wired.com and do their product research in Maxim. Their feature evaluation is limited to envisioning themselves walking the people at the office through the interface, and trying to imagine who might ask them: "Hey, is that an iPhone?"

      In other words, the same reason crows pick up bottle caps: Shiny!
      • kevincannon, on 06/23/2008, -0/+2You really don't understand how people work very well.

        That kind of thinking results in getting a kick out of technology and big long feature lists. You revel in the discovery of an esoteric feature and hold it up as a sign of technical prowess. That's because you're into technology and it's a hobby. Most people don't consider technology a hobby. The same way many people don't consider cars a hobby either. They want something that does the job and does it well. They don't need all the extra shiny features, they don't need the ability play ogg files, and they don't get a kick about discovering an esoteric keyboard shortcut. This does not make people stupid or slaves to marketing. It just means they have other priorities.

        They have their own hobbies. Maybe they're as much a nerd about motorbikes, health or fashion as you are about technology and call you stupid for sitting in traffic, eating donuts and dressing badly while you sit playing computer games all day. No wait, that's not true, because people with other hobbies outside of technology don't generally think they're smarter than everyone else. Maybe you could learn a thing or two from them.
    • kevincannon, on 06/23/2008, -0/+1I think it's clear that techies often buy stuff only based on a feature list and can't see that there's other valid reasons to by products.

      Usability isn't a feature list, but make a big difference to how you use a product.
      User Experience - Every smart phone has a web browsing feature these days, but the web browsing on the iPhone really is better than anything else. The same is true for music & video playback. Yes, most other phones do it too, but they just don't do it as well. This is something that doesn't appear on a feature list.

      The new Nokia phone I own has an infuriatingly inconsistent UI. It has many of the same features of an iPhone but they're often buried deep within menus or offer a horrible experience.

      The iPhone success not because of features, but because it does a few select features really really well. People buy products based on features, but they recommend products based on their experience with them.
  • ferrell, on 06/21/2008, -18/+78) Only 2-3 times as fast as EDGE.

    I expected a LOT more from a "3G" phone.
  • pintomp3, on 06/21/2008, -6/+11no phone has everything. sure you can find other phones that have most of those features, but it will probably lack something the iphone has. can we stop the phone pissing contest? just get whatever phone has the features you want in your price range.
    • theuncommonman, on 06/21/2008, -0/+6Yes and articles like this help us to discover which phones HAVE the features we want.
    • Laminarcissus, on 06/21/2008, -3/+5Well let's just piss a little bit, can we? How about comparing the expensive-data-plan iPhone to the normal-data-plan AT&T Tilt (HTC 8900) on features and cost?

      Tilt: Cube interface, sliding keyboard, touch screen, full push email with Exchange and Blackberry support, cut-and-paste, MMS, 3G, GPS, Flash, extended battery life, 3Mpixel camera, video, voice dialing: $150

      iPhone: It's 1 oz. lighter than the Tilt and slightly thinner: $199

      You're right, the iPhone isn't really helped by a pissing contest.
  • theL3G4CY, on 06/21/2008, -3/+7tethering...
  • heystoopid, on 06/21/2008, -7/+4You missed the evil one of spy on the end user for profit

    link= http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/06/20/iphone_set ...
  • dcmjzero, on 06/21/2008, -19/+12The Cost
    This has been explained. It uses the 3G network. Author of this piece is wrong on this one.

    No Flash
    So. Like it could run most flash with that processor, anyway. And Flash Lite sucks....

    No Replaceable Batteries
    I have never replaced my RAZR battery. Who actually has 2 batteries?

    Video Recording
    I did this once on my RAZR. Once.

    No Cut-And-Paste
    This is a valid grip. WTF, Steve?

    No Multimedia Messaging Service
    Email FTW.

    Bonus: No Voice Dialing
    Voice recognition sucks on any platform. Phones doubly so.
    • BuhSnarf, on 06/21/2008, -5/+12The Cost:

      Hang on, other phones use 3G without the extra cost. I'm not sure about the US but here in the UK 3G is pretty much standard and one of the reasons that you very rarely see an iPhone on the streets here, that plus we definately aren't used to paying a subscription AND a cost for the phone. It would be interesting to see how well the iPhone did on a country by country basis as I've a feeling that it did well in the US but floundered in other countries because they didn't understand the local market.

      No Flash

      Of course it could run the majority of flash applications. To be honest the only flash application people actually want is YouTube (sad, but true) and the n95 can run YouTube full screen with Flash Lite smooth and fine so I'm sure the iPhone can. Now, whether Flash Lite has been ported to the iPhone OSX yet, no idea. But could be fixed easily.

      Replaceable Batteries

      I have two batteries. The reason? I spend quite a lot of time away from a wall socket so it's handy to have that back up if the first one fails and these days batteries are so slim that it just fits in my notebook bag without even noticing. Maybe it's not the corner of the market that the iPhone is aimed at (outdoors) but it *is* a useful function to have.

      Video Recording:
      Depending upon the quality, it's useful. True, on old phones it was a waste of time. But on the latest crop of smartphones you're getting 640x480 @ 30fps and it's actually a decent quality and very useful for when you have kids and parents that live far enough away to not see them. I'm sure there's other applications too ;)

      MMS:
      I agree, email ftw. But I still have a lot of friends who don't check their email that often and also don't have email on their handset. Some of these guys have got 5-10 year old phones that just support SMS and MMS.

      So, there are reasons for people griping.
      • mrhahn, on 06/21/2008, -1/+3Re: replacable batteries, quite a few companies offer their own products you can use -- e.g. http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/ric ...
        • Trat, on 06/21/2008, -6/+1Who needs a replacement battery? If my battery dies within one year, it gets fixed / replaced by Apple. After that year, I have a new phone anyway... Case solved!
      • HolyChimp, on 06/21/2008, -0/+4Here in the UK it doesn't cost any extra for the new iPhone, so it's daft to use us an example. Hell, we're even getting a pay as you go option. God knows why AT&T is shafting America, but at least we don't have to deal with it!

        And the iPhone kinda already has YouTube, but without flash draining your battery.
        • celotil, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1And apparently here in Australia we'll be able to buy the iPhone from Vodaphone or Optus for full price, then pop in our own SIM card from whatever plan we're currently on.

          I'm currently on a $5 per month plan with zero cost data (limit unknown, don't ask) and my phone bills are never higher than $10 a month. :)
        • jakem1, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1HolyChimp is talking about the cost of an iPhone up until now, not in the future. It's undeniable that the iPhone has been a relative failure in Europe and that's all down to the price and limited feature set. This might change with the next version but I think Apple have a lot of catching up to do after the first version.
        • BuhSnarf, on 06/22/2008, -0/+3I agree, they're not charging us now. But they did when iPhone 1.0 was released. There was the contract plus a fee. Relatively unheard of in the UK to pay for the phone and contract unless you're canceling your contract, the "termination fee".

          I think the new version will sell better in the UK. But I don't think it'll be wipe out to every other manufacturer like everyone's predicting, I still think a very large percentage of the UK population are using low end, cheap phones either on PaYG or small contracts. Not many people *need* that many minutes a month.
    • shinguards13, on 06/21/2008, -0/+4Well said sir. Very well said.
    • turbodiesel, on 06/22/2008, -1/+1Voice dialing doesn't suck on other platforms, it works very well. MS Voice command (similar to Sync) rocks.

      • dcmjzero, on 06/23/2008, -0/+1i have ms's voice recognition on my laptop... and it sucks balls. maybe yours uses a different implementation.
  • sfacets, on 06/21/2008, -4/+14Oh yay. A list.
  • OBAMA4POTUS, on 06/21/2008, -10/+9iphone is overrated, get an ipod touch that can do everything the iphone can except call people for way less $$$
    • unixfag, on 06/21/2008, -0/+2Isn't the 8GB iPod Touch $299?
      • sKiLLa182, on 06/21/2008, -2/+4Yeah, and last time I checked, you didn't require a monthly bill or a data plan with it.

        Regardless, the iphone has a little more than that. The newest one has GPS and can surf the net without WiFi via 3G.
      • Krissam, on 06/21/2008, -5/+2yea, because i have enough space in my pockets already...
        Wallet
        Phone
        Keys
        Zune
        Ciggerets/Ligther
        and you want me to find space for a 8gb ipod touch inthere?
        • DailyWail, on 06/21/2008, -1/+10Remove Zune, stop smoking.

          You have more than one pocket right?
        • MacParrot, on 06/21/2008, -1/+6@DailyWall

          Ok I can see removing the Zune as the Touch would be a replacement for it (who needs more than one content player at all times?), but giving up cigarettes? That's just crazy talk!
    • Laminarcissus, on 06/21/2008, -2/+6Yeah, my car is over-rated. My living room does everything it does -- seats, video screen, place for beverages, plus there's way more room, except you just can't go anywhere.
  • Magus416, on 06/21/2008, -6/+10It's not perfect but I've yet to see a phone that is.
  • binford04, on 06/21/2008, -2/+33Sponsored by Verizon Wireless? Anyone else notice that?
    • davidseigle, on 06/21/2008, -0/+9Tisk Tisk Tisk

      How biased is our journalism now a days?

      Thank you for pointing that out

      Luckily I can say I am dropping Verizon and picking up a different service sometime around July 11th
    • smashingmonkey, on 06/21/2008, -0/+2Wow - nice catch. Although truthfully the article is on target and even calls the iPhone awesome... and I too plan on switching carriers on July 11th.
  • Realnemesis, on 06/21/2008, -15/+25Sadly even without all this the iPhone still ***** on every other phone on the market....
    • mal1964, on 06/21/2008, -9/+10I'll take MMS over being able to *****.
      • Trat, on 06/21/2008, -8/+5Who sends MMS? I have email: much better. MMS is for plebs... iPhone =/= for plebs.
        • mal1964, on 06/21/2008, -3/+6"Who sends MMS?"
          Most people who have a phone that can. I'm sure thats why cameras were put on cell phones in the first place.
      • MacParrot, on 06/21/2008, -0/+4Then you and your phone would last about a week before you died of renal failure.
    • theuncommonman, on 06/21/2008, -3/+4not really
  • iPoul, on 06/21/2008, -8/+0"No Flash
    The iPhone is a surprisingly capable Web browser. Its wide, high-resolution screen and the ability to bop around the Web by tapping links with a fingertip has turned mobile Web surfing from a chore into a pleasure. The biggest hitch: the iPhone still doesn't support Adobe's (nasdaq: ADBE - news - people ) Flash technology, which means many multimedia-rich sites remain off limits. While Adobe is working hard to make its technology iPhone-friendly, don't hold your breath. "

    Lies, flash works for me! stupid article.
  • stockjones, on 06/21/2008, -9/+6Wow I'm quite surprised about the missing features. No MMS? I knew about the AT&T pricing which is ridiculous. I assumed it would have flash support and what is with Apple and the No Replaceable Batteries thing. I just dont get it. I was seriously so close to buying this new phone but now I'm holding off.
    • HolyChimp, on 06/21/2008, -0/+8If you were actually considering buying this phone you would have done enough research to already know some of the most common gripes with the iPhone....
    • cliffr39, on 06/21/2008, -0/+3Do you have an iPod? They aren't replaceable either... And what difference would it make? All my laptops, obviously, have user-replaceable batteries - but where can you find those batteries??? Surely not Best Buy. Can't even find some of them from the manufacturers website as they stop selling parts after a few months.
      • jakem1, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1That's not a very good comparison. I can buy a battery for every major brand mobile phone everywhere.

        If Apple didn't want to manufacture their own accessories they could easily license someone else to sell compatible batteries on their behalf.

        Also, an iPod battery lasts a lot longer than a phone's battery (these days) and it's not as much of a problem if it goes flat.
  • mparker7410, on 06/21/2008, -5/+7Half of those are software issues, which could be fixed after with the update, or have a 3rd party app to add the capability.
    • ilgaz, on 06/23/2008, -1/+1Do you think Apple allows 3rd parties to implement those deep features? Check the SDK EULA.
  • judicar, on 06/21/2008, -6/+21The thing about the iPhone is that every other phone maker is trying to take a cell phone and turn it into a computer, Apple went the other way and took a computer and turned it into a cell phone. Technology like MMS was developed to be the cell phone analog of email, sms the cell phone analog of irc/aim/etc, these sorts of technologies are about to go extinct. Eventually the cell phone as a discrete device will vanish and just be another feature on a computer, in ten years the cell phone will go the way of Pong machines and 1 ton computers.
    • flipmeat, on 06/21/2008, -1/+1Um, the computer will eventually vanish and become part of the cell phone. Kinda hard to put the computer in your pocket.
    • wayne247, on 06/23/2008, -0/+2That's an extremely insightful comment, which is rather rare on digg. I'd digg you all my modpoints if I had more than one.

      You're right about MMS/SMS, it's a hack of the cellular telephone system (I think it was originally some sort of phone debug channel that nokia went "Heyyy we could send messages with this channel"). Ultimately, everything we do will be IP based. Your phone will have its unique ID, be it a phone number, an email address or something else, and everything else will just be channeled through whatever connectivity is available. Implementing SMS is retarded when you think of the future, because it's a hack only present on cellular phone systems, nowhere else.

      It's the phones that are going to adapt to the internet, not the internet that is going to adapt to phones.
  • krete, on 06/21/2008, -5/+9i still like it
  • AMPoet, on 06/21/2008, -13/+89. No forward facing camera. Nuff said.
    • MacParrot, on 06/21/2008, -0/+2Thanks for that Stan!
    • celotil, on 06/21/2008, -0/+2I'm too ugly for video conferencing, and have never used it on any of the phones I've owned, so no forward facing camera is fine for me.
  • ramsinks.com, on 06/21/2008, -15/+5Yeah, because voice dialing is just soo cool!!
    "bob", Did you say "bill"?
    "BOB!" Did you say "bib"?
    "BOB!!!"

    Look like a retard.

    I'll just "tap" thank you.
    ---------------------------
    lol @ replaceable batteries. Yep, let me get out my AA's from Duracell here...
    ------------------------
    $160 more in 2 years? Um.. I spend more than that on AA's!
    --------------------------
    Video Recording - where have you been? (it WILL be done.. again..)
    ---------------------------
    Is Flash still a thing?
    ------------------------------
    Multimedia Messaging Service ? Nobody wants to see you or your stupid video.. I promise.
    ---------------------------

    BONUS:
    Getting people to come to your site for lame 90's style FUD.
    • saisumimen, on 06/21/2008, -2/+3Do the world a favor and please remove yourself from the gene pool.
  • robmcm, on 06/21/2008, -2/+1All valid, well apart from price. Would love to see apple implement these, if not then a third party from the app store. There is a MMS application already btw
  • davidseigle, on 06/21/2008, -3/+8"AT&T put together a pricier data plan for the phone to help it subsidize the up-front cost of the handset"

    The wording of this is horrible the iPhone will be on the same pricier plan that ALL the 3g phones that AT&T sells are. This is not something AT&T is "pulling" together or a hidden fee. It is the same 3g plan they have ALWAYS had.
  • kevdude421, on 06/21/2008, -10/+4Apple fanboys ITT.
  • Barackalypse, on 06/21/2008, -3/+11I would love for more and more platforms NOT to have Flash, then maybe websites will stop using the crappy bloatware to waste my time and bandwidth with gimmicky intros and other distractions from the information I actually want.
    • Laminarcissus, on 06/21/2008, -1/+1Yeah, like thin-client streaming media players or cross-platform mobile-optimized web apps not dependent on the king of bloatware, Java.
    • solid12345, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1Bleh, personally I grow tired of the cut-and-paste blog designs of every website I see nowadays, a mile-long vertical page on the left and a menu on the right that disappears as you go down.
    • kevincannon, on 06/24/2008, -0/+1Flash is successful because lots of people visit websites that use Flash.

      Sorry, as long as there's demand there will still be Flash.

      That demand is never going to go away. Even if Flash dies you'll still replace it with some other technology like Javascript/SVG or Silverlight to build the same kind of highly interactive experiences.
  • macwac, on 06/21/2008, -1/+11To me there is only one hugely disappointing part to the iPhone, it being locked and having to activate it in store.
    • solid12345, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1True, I was keen on getting the new 3G phone until I found out you won't be able to buy one without a contract, luckily one of my clients and friend is looking to get the new one and will offer to sell me his old one for a fair price unlike all the assholes on ebay marking up broken and cracked Iphones for 400-600 dollars.
    • kevincannon, on 06/23/2008, -0/+1Well, in many countries you can buy it unlocked but it's about 900 quid unlocked.
  • Wang, on 06/21/2008, -3/+6Seven disappointing things about this article:

    1) It's all been said before on digg, in many other articles over the last few weeks.
    2) See 1) another 6 times.
    • ilgaz, on 06/23/2008, -2/+2It is also needless to write articles like that. Idiots will buy that junk and will run to digg to bury all sane comments etc.
  • shadowofleaves, on 06/21/2008, -5/+8Yes the 3G plan costs more. Do you pay the same amount for dial-up as high speed internet? Get over it.
  • dpogni, on 06/21/2008, -6/+2cry me a river.
  • duggdowncatisad, on 06/21/2008, -11/+7but but but it's APPLE! They could sell a turd with the Apple logo on it for $499 and the geeks would line up at the Apple Store to buy it. Of course people overlook minor annoyances.
    • MacParrot, on 06/21/2008, -1/+6By repeating this line (which is pretty much said in EVERY Apple post) you have proven yourself to be the very sheep you supposedly rail against.

      Good day to you sir...I SAID good day
  • XternalHD, on 06/21/2008, -3/+5I don't have any problem with many of these "disappointments" which most of them can be resolved using 3rd party apps. What I do have a problem is activating in-store, ***** that, I want to do it in the privacy of my own home, so I can jailbreak it.
  • Jareth86, on 06/21/2008, -1/+7Really? My biggest disappointment is that you must sign up with AT&T to use it. If it wasn't for that, the iPhone would be well on its way to replacing the blackberry.
    • stretch611, on 06/21/2008, -3/+3I used to have two complaints about the iPhone.

      Number one was: $499
      Number two is $ AT&T

      Now the iPhone is only $199, that is a lot more reasonable for a price. However will still need to get rid of the huge monopoly. Back in 1984 (under Reagan no less,) our government broke up the monopoly to protect consumers only to let our current government officials let AT&T put itself back together while accepting bribes (err, "campaign donations.")
      • Laminarcissus, on 06/21/2008, -4/+2Huh? This has nothing to do with monopoly and everything to do with the free market.

        Your precious Apple accepted a gigantic amount of money from AT&T for exclusivity. That's why its there.

        Don't blame AT&T for offering it, any company would (and probably did) -- blame Apple for accepting it and limiting your choice.
        • Jareth86, on 06/21/2008, -0/+3Actually, most peoples beef with AT&T comes from the fact that they have ***** service, and have been almost enthusiastically complicit in wiretapping their customers for the NSA.
  • vancanucksfan, on 06/21/2008, -6/+17people have to understand that the iphone is not the holy grail and it doesn't suit everyone. i have my reasons why i won't get the iphone and a blackberry or windows mobile phone is right for me and many others I'm sure. I'm currently using the htc s640 smartphone which is only released in canada at the moment. its the same form factor as a blackberry curve and looks similar. it runs windows mobile 6

    http://www.journaldugeek.com/images/2007_11/htc_s6 ...

    1.no physical keyboard - a must for me,i tried the touchscreen to type with one hand and it was impossible. two hands is decent,but still it doesn't feel very comfortable for me tapping glass. my use is mostly one handed.

    2.no replaceable battery - i always swap batteries because a regular charge is not enough. i keep extra recharged batteries in very convenient places,like the car,home,office just in case i need to be in a conference call and my battery doesn't have enough juice to cut it. swap battery and boom,I'm in business.

    3.no copy paste - this is pretty huge for me. i receive important numbers for work. i have to add them in an excel spreadsheet and mail the document to the higher ups. if i had to type them in manually id get my ass kicked.

    4. no editing word/excel/pdf - i always receive documents that need error checking and to make sure everything is right. i can edit out mistakes and add important information then they go to email. the ability to read them is not enough.

    5.no tethering - sometimes my internet connection disconnects when i'm doing something important work related. with my winmo phone,i can just tether it up and be up and running in no time.

    6.no memory card support - ok,the internal storage is fine and dandy, but what if my phone stops working or wont power up anymore. i have to send it in for repairs and someone who i dont know may go through my personal pictures and documents. at least with a memory card,i can pop it out and be done with it. sure you can always backup your stuff often, but what if this happens when you forgot to do your backup?

    7.software library - im sure the iphone will have great third party apps created for it using the SDK,but as it stands right now, windows mobile and blackberry have a massive library. apps take time to develop,and until that happens and apple builds a decent library,the other platforms have an advantage.

    8.size - the iphone is too big for me. i need the slimmest and lightest phone that does everything i need.

    9.a2dp - i love my motorola s9 wireless bluetooth headset. using a wired headset at the gym is really a drag since the wires are always flopping in the way,and the earbuds always fall out. i pair my headset with my phone, put the phone in my pocket and im good to go. one time i had some rap playing with many explicit words,and the headphones accidentally came out of the jack. that was a little embarrassing having everyone stop what they're doing and looking at you.

    10. flashing LEDs - these are the best. without having to wake up your phone to see if you missed a call or message, the flashing LEDs let you know whats up. if my phone is sitting in the car and i missed a call because my music was too loud, when im at a red light all i have to do is just look at my phone instead of trying to wake it up, unlock it, and click on many things. same if its sitting on my desk but i forgot that my phone was in silent mode. saved my ass many times.
    • mattyohe, on 06/21/2008, -4/+91. It takes a little longer than "a try" to get used to how the keyboard works. I'm able to fly with one hand.

      2. Slim battery packs exist that remedy this "problem". Buy those instead.

      3. Yeah, this is a problem, but not something that can't be resolved by a software update. Apple has done a lot to fix the various "problems" over this first year, and they have invested in various patents for gestures that will probably be the solution. Hold tight.

      4. You copy edit on a cellphone? Sigh.

      5. If you are this important copy editor, why not just buy a EVDO card for your laptop and do all of it on that? 3, 4 and 5 solved.

      6. This is what exchange or mobile me is for.

      7. They've been developing since March, and all on newer technologies and software techniques than any of the competitors. The iPhone is attracting many developers.

      8. I'm not sure what phone will do "everything" that is comparable in size/weight to the iPhone. Care to name any?

      9. Okay, this is your first valid point. Apple could sell a lot of branded bluetooth headphones.

      10. Yeah, maybe this would be a nice option, but you only need to wake the iPhone, not unlock or "click on many things."
      • Laminarcissus, on 06/21/2008, -2/+11. I guarantee you can't beat someone equally experience with a physical keyboard. Not now, not ever. Not even close. Any dispute on this could easily be solved on YouTube.

        3. How long have they had to fix this? Are they founding a special engineering lab to research the implementation of C+P on the iPhone? But I'm sure you're right, that update is probably right around the corner. Just buy the phone and then we'll let you know...

        4. Yes, those of us who actually work have to do things like that. Are we excited about having to do it? No. Are we excited about being able to do it in three minutes on our phone without taking out our laptop during a boarding call in the Dallas Airport? Yes.

        5. See 4.

        6. What if I want to add a large app to the phone? What if my company wants me to have an inventory and pricing app that's not network dependent? On my current phone our IT department can just load up an SD card with the most current data and I can pop it in, no system memory taken, no need for big syncs to my machine. Easy. Or not, depending on your phone.

        7. On Windows Mobile, anyone can develop for a phone and, if they want, post it on the Net for anyone to download. How does that work with Apple again? Apple's pathological need to control everything seem almost like a conspiracy to keep the number of available apps for their platforms low. True for desktops and it will be just as true for the iPhone. The low application base really diminishes the potential value of their operating systems, mobile or not.

        8, The AT&T Tilt (HTC 8900) is slightly heavier and slightly thicker, but that's because it has a full slide-out keyboard and wide tilting screen. It kills the iPhone with everything and more, and it's $50 less with a cheaper data plan. You won't find many phones with a full keyboard that are exactly as light/thin as the iPhone, but for real users that's a deal-breaker -- see 1., and many come close.

        But if you want to drop my fetish for keyboards, then the HTC Touch makes the iPhone looks silly too. TouchFlo interface, thinner and lighter, same talk and standby time, 3.2Mpx camera, second front-facing camera for conferencing, Bluetooth 2.0, and yes, they managed to figure out a way to implement MMS and cut-and-paste.

        The iPhone is great for people who don't want to do any research, don't have real needs, and have money to burn on a shortcut to awesome. The rest of us, however, have to pay a little more attention.
      • rlbond86, on 06/22/2008, -0/+1Half of your arguments consist of "why would you do that on a phone?" Parent has legitimate iPhone woes and you just make fanboy excuses for Apple.
    • dragon76, on 06/21/2008, -0/+2Flashing LEDs??? OMG, you know that for almost every platform that allows it people try to turn those ***** OFF!!! One of the standard replies to the question of turning them off on XDA-developers is use a Sharpie!
  • uglymike, on 06/21/2008, -5/+11No video calls, no MMS, no thanks.
    Put these basic features in to the phone and I'll be on it like stink on a monkey.
    Until then, my cash stays firmly in my wallet.
    • Trat, on 06/21/2008, -3/+7Who uses video calls? No one, if I call someone I don't want to see his face, else I would have looked him up. I have a webcam on my Mac: never used it. I have PSEye on my PS3: only use the mic. I know like a dozen people on my MSN list with a build in webcam: nobody cares. Get over it: nobody cares for video calls.

      MMS? I know nobody who has ever sent / recieved one. I have MMS capable phones since 2000: never sent / recieved one. Everybody lives by email these days: get over it.
    • nycmac247, on 06/21/2008, -0/+3Question: Do you currently, routinely have video chats on your computer?
    • SickofSects, on 06/21/2008, -0/+2uglymike, are you sure your friends want to see your ugly face (you said it, not me) when you call?
  • Lancelot9201, on 06/21/2008, -3/+11Did anyone remember the ***** camera - I cannot believe they didn't upgrade this feature.!!!
    Anyone who's used their 1st. generation iphone camera knows what I mean.!!!
    • Trat, on 06/21/2008, -6/+1Who uses his phone camera. I have a digital rebel = fcks every phone camera in the ass...
      • celotil, on 06/21/2008, -1/+0I'm pretty much the same. Can't hold my current phone steady enough to take nice pictures, but my S5 takes sweet pics and it's with me everywhere I go.
  • dafragsta, on 06/21/2008, -6/+4***** list, ***** iphone. Talk about pandering for a front page appearance.
  • Niz1, on 06/21/2008, -10/+4i just have to repost what this guy said on Forbes, lol, he also doesnt know the diference between MMS and SMS and ends up defending the point that the phone doesnt have SMS!! lol and cut and paste?? lol how about touch and drag like a mouse to select text, i think the iPhones great but it has some flaws but a clear apple fanboy!:

    Posted by davesmall | 06/20/08 07:35 PM EDT
    Shooting down his points one by one:

    The Cost -- Are you kidding. Save $200 on the front end and pay another $10 per month for hugely increased functionality. What a bargain!

    No Flash -- It's in the works but so what. It's not a deal breaker

    No Replaceable Batteries -- This is a ridiculous argument. A replaceable battery would add bulk, cost, and weight. It's very inexpensive to have a battery replaced by Apple. I'm an iPod owner and I don't want a replaceable battery. The trade-offs aren't worth it. Apple figured that out before I did.

    Video Recording -- Are you kidding me? Who gives a damn about that. Certainly not I.

    No Cut & Paste -- Nice to have but how do you do it with a touch screen interface? Perhaps you can tell me (and I'm sure Apple would like to know too). I'm waiting.

    No Multimedia messaging service -- I think I've owned a total of six or seven cell phones and I've never sent or received an SMS message. I use Email on the iPhone constantly but cell phone messaging strikes me as a total waste.

    No Voice Dialing -- C'mon admit it! You're nothing more than an Apple hater trying to dream up negatives. Forbes should show you the door.
    • iceman47777, on 06/21/2008, -2/+4lots of apple evangelicals in digg =)
    • HolyChimp, on 06/21/2008, -0/+4Plenty of WM devices that can copy/paste. If Microsoft can figure it out I'm sure Apple can...
      • Trat, on 06/21/2008, -4/+1Yeah, I also like the virusses on WM devices and the fact that I have to reboot the device 3 times a day (manually (or automatic = crash).... Ow, did I mention the registry, missing .dll's and the wonderfull apps on WM devices (I mean offcourse, their absence)...

        *sighs...*
        • locojones, on 06/21/2008, -2/+4Wow, you're quite the shill aren't you?

          What Windows Mobile virus epidemic are you referring to anyway? Oh that's right, there isn't one.

          Rebooting the device? Crashing? That's most likely due to user error. My latest WM6 device has been running for 2 weeks now since the last time I turned it off and it has every ounce of memory it has upon a fresh boot. And in my entire history of using WM enabled phones, I've never once had a crash, had to tweak the registry, or had any errors about missing files. So next time you complain about WM, perhaps you should look in the mirror first.

          As for those wonderful apps, I think the last tally was something like 20,000 available applications for WM5/6. It's all about extensibility and control, something you Apple users willingly forgo in lieu of whatever Steve Jobs tells you that you need. I, for one, like my phone to do what I want it to, when I want it to, and I love the freedom to choose.

          MMS? A fundamental feature on every phone in the industry. Omitting that is a grave error in judgment that discounts the fact that the vast majority of cell phone users have text packages and not data packages. And even if they did, it's still vastly more easy to type in a phone number to send a picture than to have to track down every different e-mail for every different cell phone provider and hope that the phone to which you're sending it has e-mail. It's just dumb.

          Removable battery - How again would making the battery removable add bulk, cost and weight? It's the same battery, all Apple has to do is add a door. Wow, it's such an insurmountable engineering nightmare that only every other phone in existence has managed to do it.

          And copy and paste on a touch interface? Are you serious? How about this....tap and slide to highlight the portion you want to copy. Click a soft key on the interface, bring up menu, select Copy. And then tap in the program you want to paste, click the soft key on the interface, bring up menu, and Paste. Wow, that was hard wasn't it? But I guess that would require you Apple people to be smart enough to handle menus....
  • rhkenji, on 06/21/2008, -5/+118. Fanboys?
  • koft, on 06/21/2008, -0/+2dugg for "niggling".
    • obsolite, on 06/26/2008, -0/+0This is the only reason I came here. Thank you for taking care of this for me.
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