Until June 29, it’s hard to tell too much about the iPhone, but I can tell you with near-certainty one thing: the product was almost certainly rushed to market before Apple’s engineers would have liked.
At MacWorld, Jobs said: “We’re shipping them in June”. Had the phone release date been set in July or August, the entire tech world’s collective red flag would have swung. So they set the release date as June 29 — a Friday, and the last weekday of the month. This, coupled with the fact that Apple has never, in recent memory, released a product on a Friday, should make everybody say “Hmmmm,” and suggests they took a calculated risk of releasing a product that might be a little buggy (probably about as bad as the first run of screen-flickering, case-cracking, motherboard-busted MacBooks), rather than suffer the embarrassment of not keeping their word.
Which means that when the iPhone comes, Digg will likely be full of horror stories from the poor saps who camped out at their local AT&T store, only to find their purchase was buggier than a camp cabin.
Here’s what we’re predicting will go wrong with the iPhone, and a little about what may go right.
CRACKED SCREENS
The iPhone is thin — just 11.6mm — and nearly the entire front is made up of the much-heralded touchscreen. That means glass. And, as anybody who has ever tossed a Wiimote knows, glass breaks. So when Mr. Customer gets a shiny new iPhone and sticks it in his back pocket (after all, that’s where he’s kept EVERY phone since the StarTAC), don’t be surprised if he finds that glass screen can’t sustain all 200 pounds of him. Cracked screens will be to the iPhone what scratched backs were to the Nano.
THAT “KEYBOARD”
That virtual keyboard will be about as useful for tapping out emails and text messages as a rotary phone. Don’t be surprised if a sizable contingent of iPhone buyers express some remorse at ditching their BlackBerry when they spend an extra hour each day pumping out emails on the road.
TAKE THAT RAZR!
Thank goodness for 3.5mm headphone jacks. If Apple had been stupid enough to include an undersized socket, that alone would be reason enough for many of us to pack a separate music player (which sort of defeats the purpose of having an iPhone, now doesn’t it?)
SLURP AWAY
And about that WiFi. Chances are it won’t be smiled upon, but the smart money says that you guys find a way to slurp (SHARE) songs with other iPhone users, and chances are they’ll be a lot easier to find than one of those “one million” Zunes in the wild (and certainly won’t be bogged down by songs that expire after a few listens.)
WORST SOFTWARE IDEA EVER
Expect there to be absolutely zero demand for a “Bootcamp Mobile,” which would let insane iPhone users load up Windows Mobile on their iPhone. Please don’t do it, Apple.
A PHONE-LESS iPHONE
What kind of gray market will pop up for contract-less phones? Since AT&T is REQUIRING iPhone purchasers to sign up for 2-year contracts (any lawyers out there know if this is legal?), it isn’t difficult to imagine folks who have no real need for the phone aspect looking for a nice web-browsing widescreen iPod. But boy will they be expensive (probably about $750 new.)
BLANK SCREENS
And now for the number one prediction about problems that will plague the first run of iPhones off the assembly line: battery life. Try watching a movie for more than an hour on a 5G iPod and you’ll know what I’m talking about. Then throw in the battery-sucking demands of WiFi, phone calls, browsing the Web, and backlighting a larger screen than any iPod has ever had.
Here’s hoping my dire predictions come to naught.
Seth Porges writes on future technology and its role in personal electronics for his column, The Futurist. It appears every Thursday and an archive of past columns is available here.
You have some pretty valid points here. Cracked screens have been an issue on the first zune’s and battery life will definately be a deal breaker.
But as for the emailing on the road and non Windows Mobile OS it wont really matter. The iPhone is a TOY! Any professional who buys an iphone to use for their business deserves to be shot… and should not bother the IT department when they cannot sync to their exchange server.
Have fun with your expensive new TOY fanboys
“However, I’m not sure about “a lot” since even the so-called “free” cell phones cost 300 dollars which you’ll discover if you lose yours and have to buy a new one. The iPhone is only 200 more than that. The main point is that it’s not sold with any hardware subsidy.”
Cingular lets you add 2 years onto your contract and get a new phone early up to having 4 years worth of a contract with them, from what they told me at the store when I lost my phone. I extended my contract 2 more years I had a half year left so I ended up with a contract for 2.5 years, and let me add my battery was dead on my old phone regardless.
This iPhone basically is subsidized, and the price after the subsidation is $500, whereas on the other phone, its completely free. I don’t see Apple being able to compete on the price point alone. With the iPod, while there might be some cheaper players out there, its never that big if a difference. I bet you if the high end Zune was selling for $50 with the equivalent iPod at its current price, iPod sales would shoot straight down to Apple fanboys only. Apple’s phone is actually priced that way compared to the rest of the market now.
If you lose an Apple iPhone, you will need to add 2 years onto your contract AND pay another $500, compared to that free phone, where you just need to pay $300 OR add 2 years onto your contract.
Another big issue that I’m sure will eventually come out is the battery. From what I have seen, phone batteries drastically lose massive amounts of life after about a year and definetly before the 2 year lifetime. The fact that the battery is not replacable on this is going to be more of an issue for the iPod, which people seem to replace it more often then every 2 years, because this comes with a 2 year contract and really needs to have decent battery life throughout it.
I realize making the battery non-changable makes the device look a lot better and thats why Apple does it, but I believe in functionality over looks, which the iPhone doesn’t have in numerous areas.
The iPhone was originally scheduled for launch on June 15. And, yes, I do know what I am writing, I work for ATT. It was pushed off a bit to make sure that it is ready to go and available in quantity.
I just want to get up early enough one day to beat Steve Jobs at creating insanely great tech. yeah. like that’s ever going to happen.
If you don’t want an iPhone__for whatever reason__don’t buy one. Everyone has different needs and wants. But hoping that something will fail that has the potential to improve how/where we interact with tech is lame-o. As for me, I won’t wait in line for one, but it’s definitedly on my wishlist.
If you believe that you will enjoy the same experience that has been touted in the Apple ads, then you deserve to be fleeced. iPhone is Steve’s Newton.
The Newton was a John Sculley product.
Hey, what’s the deal with this “iphone” thing I keep hearing about?
100% agree with Seth.
First Model of Everything Apple sucks. I think the whole iPhone is an awesome idea, but there is no way in hell I would purchase this thing straight off the blocks.
Wait for Series 2 before I would buy it and let all the Apple tossers above iron out the bugs.
Oh and for the record, a phone is built to last through everything. So JUST BECAUSE you dont carry in your back pocket, doesnt mean it shouldnt be built for people who do.
The Razor is such a popular phone because of its aluminum shell – Ive got mine for 30 months, the battery is starting to shit itself but Ive dropped it 100s of times when Ive been pissed, sat on it – its hit tiles, concrete and all the rest.
If the iPhone cant do that ………….. then its a waste of money. Period. :)
No Way. Try carrying a movie player, photo book, calendar, phone, and Internet in your pocket. Try carrying a phone and iPod to the gym. It’s definitely a niche toy, any the best looking phone on the market. I’ll wait until someone unlocks this phone, so I can change sim cards overseas. No doubt when the widgets come out, Skype will be one.
I don’t understand how the screen would break in your pocket? If it’s dropped, maybe.
I firmly believe the iPhone will NOT bomb.
1. The iPhone is revolutionary, and will change the market.
2. It will not sell in the gajillions. It will do extremely well, though. The combination of features, functionality and accessibility are irresistible, and there is plenty of “cachet” now about Apple products, which tend to be of good quality, high end design and functional appeal.
3. Much of its success will depend on support from AT&T, which is a big question mark right now. The lack of 3G support will have to be dealt with further down the road.
4. The iPhone will not live up to the hype. Of course, by definition, hype is never lived up to. I really can’t believe it can satisfy the built-up expectations of the media, bloggers, etc. right now. I also believe that the negative comments in this article, these responses and elsewhere in the media are actually a reaction to this hype, not to the actual production and sale of a communications/information device.
Those are MY predictions. Any comments?
Skype, Sling Media please. The thinest media phone. I want one.
I feel that the iPhone is mostly hype.
It will go through more revisions than the iPod ever did. The more complex something is the more chances for it to break (physicaly or digitally).
It is suppose to be a mobile office platform (with the occasional recreational use every now and then).
Apple’s unwillingness to open the iPhone for 3rd party developers is troubling though. This will make any real app support difficult.
Suggestions – make the outer case out of Aluminum/Titanium, add an anti-glare/hydrophobic/oleophobic coating to the plastic screen to minimize/prevent fingerprint marks and make the screen slick to the touch (easier to slide your finger across the face and harder to scratch), and add 3G support.
your panty is stink thats why u are such a pansy about this!!!
I don’t think it’ll bomb, I just think that in a few months we’ll have a bunch of people wanting to get out of their two year contracts to get a new iPhone that fixes all the obvious mistakes that this one’s making. 3G and GPS are just round the corner for mobiles, I’m not getting an iPhone until it has both.
“The iPhone will start a revolution: a new generation of cellphone devices that soon will have advanced computer-like features.”
Posts like that annoy me, the iPhone does very little that can’t already be done. In my pocket I have a phone (N93), it can play Doom on it, emulate snes games and it can run software without the approval of the makers (Nokia). All the iPhone does it make it easier to interact using the multi-touch, with your fingers stuff, and make it look nice. As for Google maps on your phone:
http://www.google.co.uk/gmm/index.html
Won’t be as good as the iPhone version but it does the trick.
It won’t bomb, but it won’t be nearly as good as people hope it will be and there’ll be loads of people in six months trying to get out of a contract when a new model comes out featuring the 3G, GPS and removable battery that this one should have.
As for posts like this:
“The iPhone will start a revolution: a new generation of cellphone devices that soon will have advanced computer-like features”
The iPhone really does very little that hasn’t already been done, it just makes it look better. The touch-screen designed for your fingers is good, and so is the multi-touch, but everything else? Google maps on your mobile anyone: http://www.google.co.uk/gmm/index.html
Stupid website, if you want me to write my post out twice before you display it at least tell me.
First is first, no one really knows what will happen. Second, as someone mentioned, this revolutionary step give us mobile users access to better products from the competiton. Third, people who buy this first “units” will pay the high cost not only considering money. Fourth and final, there is no rush to be the first to buy and test, why not waiting others experience before? As days go on after June 29th 2007, the product will be better and better very less expensive.
okay i am only fifteen yettt:
i want an iPhone[&nooo i am not spoiled]
I am reading this&&
some of yall are discouraginggg.
&&some are helpful.
soo im gonna go look at the
iPhone at the store
&maybee ill wait until the
second generation comes out
&&then buy it
butt if i wait till the
second generation will it raise the price?
[since its gonna have 3G&the other good stuff]
what is up with yall
yall are saying mean things when it hasnt even came out yet.
hasnt your mom told you about
dont judge a book by its cover
this is just as similar.
what is up with everbody and there comments
cant talk cause it is so close to its openinggg?
Bigger storage models, thinner and smaller models, models with 3G, models with better battery life, models co-branded … make no mistake there’ll be plenty of newer versions to keep the iPhone bandwagon rolling.
People change their phones more regularly than any other gadget, this ones a cash cow for the capitalist generation.
wow people getting into fights over the computer that is so lamn…
lmao. Probably the worst prediction ever printed in a blog. No I’m serious.
“Duh, bla bla bla, touchscreen = glass, bla bla bla….”. Tell that to my girlfriend with a tablet PC you retard. It has a standard lcd screen just like every other tablet PC I’ve ever seen. I won’t even begin to debunk every other crackpot theory you had because it would simply take too long. Do your homework next time.
In my opinion, spending $500 or more on an iphone is a big waste of money and time. This item is good for some businesses (once it’s features are improved) but it is just not needed by the average person. Except for the phone, reviewers and testers have severely criticized the devise based on their hands on tests. The main criticism is that it’s just too small or too slow (internet) or too uncomfortable. Those who buy it at such an inflated price are big suckers. The bottom line: YOU DON”T NEED IT!!!
yea i dont need it
RiGHT.
whatever
you just cant afford it.
just wait.
nobody hasnt talked since
it open
whats up with thatttt.
:]yall are just some suckas who cant afford
ittt.
“]
just plain old geekkks
People who buy an I watchamucallit piece of useless garbage, should have to live in Mexico with Paris Hilton and all the other idiots.
Well- it’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve had my iPhone and can address some of the key “points” to this opinion piece.
CRACKED SCREENS- screens crack. TV screens, computer screens, cel Phon screens, iPod screens, and probably iPhone screens. Big deal. Will this cause the iPhone to “BOMB”? Doubt it. So far the glass screen has proved pretty durable- hint – go on You tube and watch the bravae ones who put the iPhone screen to the test.
THAT “KEYBOARD”- such disdane for something you haven’t even put your hands on yet (at time of your review). So far the keyboard is a dream. Much better than the cr4p that is out there clunking around. Very cool and everyone that has handled mine now wants one of their own.
TAKE THAT RAZR!- ummmm did you have a point here? How will this make the iPhone “bomb”? Maybe you need to re-title your piece “My ramblings about the iPhone”
SLURP AWAY- are you giving props to the iPhone here or what? Make up your position and your mind!
WORST SOFTWARE IDEA EVER- again- your point is? iPhone works with iTunes of which there have been 2 editions, MAC and Windows for several years now. How will your imaginary idea of “bootcamp mobile” cause the iPhone to bomb? Strawman argument if every there was one.
A PHONE-LESS iPHONE- it’s called a Treo. And mine sucked. Apple does have plans in the works based on the iPod Nano for a smaller / cheaper iPhone.
BLANK SCREENS- hasn’t slowed the market for iPods all these years now has it?
Haha, hindsight…