Well we don’t even know for sure what Apple will announce at WWDC, but Matt Warman over at Telegraph.co.uk has put together this list. While I agree with some points, others I’m not to sure about. I’ll voice my opinion below each one.
1) It’s expensive: Buy the top-of-the-range Blackberry or Android handset and you will still pay a lot less than the extortionate prices Apple charge. If the iPhone weren’t made by Apple, networks would have had to start giving it away on £30 a month tariffs years ago.
What does a “brand new” iPhone cost at launch? $299? $399? The HTC EVO 4G goes for $299 before a mail in rebate (unless you read TalkAndroid and know how to avoid that) So while the expensive argument may hold true for Apple in the home computer market, I’m not sure there is much of an “Apple Tax” in the mobile market.
2) It’s anti-technology: When the iPhone launched it was cutting edge – now as other manufacturers announce, for instance, that you can use their phones as shareable wifi hot spots, Apple says no. Not because of some spurious “user experience” argument, but because of economics. When will they learn that it’s customers – supply and demand – that should dictate feature availability?
I agree with this 100%. Apple could’ve put most of the 3G S features into the iPhone 2G, but didn’t. Why? Because then every year, they can add a tiny feature and say “Look how awesome we are & look how much we are giving you.”
3) No Flash: The iPhone, the phone that promised to put the web into everybody’s pockets, can’t even show you most of it, because it can’t handle Flash graphics. Google Android can, in the latest version (OS 2.2), and it’s going to be available free on a lot of budget tariffs.
Well at least this isn’t a dead horse (sarcasm). The flash debate has been going on for a few months, and it’s even sparked some heated quotes from Apple and Adobe CEOs. Regardless, most sites will in fact display fine on the iPhone. You’re mainly going to run into problems when you want to start watching videos. Sure some sites are moving to HTML5 (which Apple advocates) but others like NBC and Time Warner have said they’re sticking with flash.
4) No multitasking: Tried instant messaging on an iPhone? Oh yes, you have to open the app to see if you’ve got a message. Genius. If Apple announces multitasking next it will be an improvement – but there’ll be no apology for the way it’s treated customers in the past, and no guarantee it won’t behave similarly shoddily in the future.
Also agree. On my PC I utilize a dual monitor setup, it makes my work as efficient as possible. As it stands with the current iPhone OS, multitasking is impossible. Palm knew this and it was one of the hyped features on webOS. Android pulls it off without a hitch. It’ll be interesting to see if and how it’s implemented in iPhone OS4
5) Its battery life is terrible: This isn’t a problem unique to Apple, but look at phones by companies such as HTC – multitasking, better cameras, better screens, all draining their batteries far more – and yet the iPhone, with its undemanding technology, still only offers equal performance.
Draw. While certain phones may have more features, it still comes down to the user. An iPhone user who browses the internet for a few hours a day is going to drain their battery a lot quicker than the HTC user who makes a few calls, sends a few emails, and checks his stocks online.
6) Developing apps for it is costing you money: The special version of the BBC iPlayer, of Natwest Phone Banking, of Eon’s meter reader – developing all of these came out of money that could have been channelled away from a self-important minority and towards more generally useful ideas.
Hate Apple’s business model as much as you want, unfortunately it works great. (Great in that a successful business model generates profit, and Apple has no shortage of that)
7) It comes with offensively bad headphones: Sit next to somebody using the original iPhone or iPod headphones and you can hear everything they can. It’s another example of Apple charging premium prices, but delivering a dressed up, budget product.
Agree… kind of. One one hand, as somebody who appreciates good audio, the buds that come with the iPhone are terrible, yes. But for the majority of people who have their entire mp3 collection ripped at 128kbps, you think they know or can tell the difference? Hell no. Their happy as a pig in mud with their iPhone and their sweet white headphones. (Which by the way, is a fantastic way to advertise to criminals that you’re carrying an expensive iDevice)
8 ) It’s not very well designed: Use the iPhone as a phone and it’s not got great reception, nor is it particularly comfortable to use for long periods. It’s a computer that happens to have a phone bolted on – jack of two trades, but master of neither.
I can’t really comment as I’ve never used an iPhone as a phone for extended periods of time. As a time waster playing games? Yes. As a phone? No.
9) It charges for satnav: In an age when Nokia and Google Android provide completely free mapping and satnav facilities, the cheapest way you can turn your overpriced iPhone into a satnav is with a £19.99 app. Bargain.
No argument here. Can’t get any cheaper or better than free.
10) Those iPod docks are holding back better technologies: As every hotel increasingly thinks it should provide iPod docks, the momentum behind this technology is only growing. But if it wasn’t for the iPod and iPhone’s ubiquity, there’d be more wifi radios, more new technologies and a range of different options, competing and driving innovation.
Agree here as well. However, this goes back to that pesky business model of theirs. Why should we (Apple) use a standard mini or micro USB cable, when we can use or own connector, and then charge you out the wazoo for a new one? It’s sad, but true.
What do you think of this list? Do you agree with the topics? Disagree? Let us know in the comments or our forums.
[via Telegraph.co.uk]