After a month of using the iPhone, it’s time to reach a proper verdict on the merits of Apple’s handset. People talk about Apple boss Steve Jobs’ ‘reality distortion field’ – in that his charisma means he can get away with statements that seem less impressive when considered in the cold light of day.
The iPhone has a similar quality. It does have flaws, some of which are quite serious. But the experience of using it is so good, that you forget those problems. It’s why people have raved about the iPhone as a new paradigm in mobile handsets, yet then sheepishly admit that yes, the camera is a bit rubbish, web browsing is painfully slow when not hooked up to a Wi-Fi network, and they’re stuck with Apple’s own earphones.
In fact, those are the three basic problems that Apple should address for the second-generation iPhone. Make it 3G, give it a proper camera, and sort the headphone socket out. Then we’d have a handset worth rhapsodising about. Yet that’s not to say it’s not a groundbreaking phone for a variety of other reasons.
The user interface is the biggie. Flicking through photos using your thumb, zooming in on websites by pinching your fingers, and always being able to return to the homescreen by pressing a single button below the screen. These are all simple things, but leagues ahead of every other mobile phone interface. Of course, the other manufacturers will catch up in 2008 and beyond. But for now, the iPhone really does deliver on its promise.
There are other areas where the reality distortion field comes into play. Take Google Maps as an example. You can download the Google Maps app for a variety of phones, but the way it’s implemented on iPhone is a cut above – whether you’re clicking on a Gmap link from Safari, or simply scrolling and zooming around your current area to find a location. I used to rely on Streetmap printouts when heading into London for a meeting. Now I don’t.
Let’s get back to that slow surfing speed on O2’s EDGE network though. It’s plain frustrating. Maps take too long to download, while the smooth experience of using iPhone’s Safari browser is compromised by slow download times when you’re not hooked up to a Wi-Fi network. Hand on heart, if I was giving a recommendation on whether to buy an iPhone now or wait for the 3G version next year, I’d advise the latter.
The lack of openness on the iPhone has been less of a worry than I initially expected, in terms of applications. Seeing what Facebook has done with its iPhone-friendly site, it’s clear that you can do some pretty slick, powerful services without needing a physical installation on the iPhone itself. More native applications, however, will be one of the more exciting developments in 2008.
As a substitute iPod, the iPhone works well - although it could do with being double the capacity if I’m honest. Meanwhile, as an email device, it’s much more impressive than expected - the on-screen keyboard can never be as good as a physical QWERTY keyboard, but it’s fine for tapping out short messages - and the email application is smooth and seamless.
Overall then, the iPhone is a hugely impressive handset, albeit one with flaws that are sure to be rectified in the next version. For anyone pondering a purchase (not to mention that 18-month £35 minimum monthly contract), this is a big issue - and one that’s possibly behind the reportedly underwhelming sales here in the UK.
However, iPhone is still a helluva way for Apple to plant its user-friendly flag in mobile territory. Seeing how rival manufacturers respond, and how Apple takes iPhone on in the future, can only be good for consumers.
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