Apple's iPhone--Our Take

We have been thinking about the iPhone for awhile, not wanting to provide a knee-jerk reaction. First, how do we evaluate it? As principally a cell phone? An iPod? An Internet device? It will rate differently depending on how we measure it. Apple portrays the iPhone first and foremost as a phone with the other two principal features as enhancements so we decided to look at it as marketed by Apple.

Views are generally biased somewhat by personal experience so we need to reveal ours in order for our views to make the most sense. We have a cell phone (Moto RAZR), two iPods (30GB with video and a 1G iPod shuffle) and a MacBook Pro C2D. Actually, we have more iPods and 'Books but they have been relegated to backup positions. We always carry our cell phone even though we use it relatively sparingly. We carry our iPod shuffle locally when exercising or going someplace that is likely to involve a long wait. Our iPod with video is used only when traveling. We carry our MacBook Pro when out on business locally or when traveling.

Apple's iPhone can do anything our RAZR does for us and then some. The main benefit of the iPhone as a phone is it's ease of use. The RAZR is cool, as current cell phones go, but it is relatively difficult to use. The menus are difficult to navigate and the keys are difficult to press so we usually use two hands. There are three buttons on the side of the RAZR that do different things depending on whether it is open or closed or on a call. All we really need is a simple way to change the volume when on a call and to switch between silent mode and ring mode. There is no question that the iPhone wins hands down in ease of use as just a phone.

The iPhone at about 4.5"x2.5"x0.5" is larger than our RAZR at 3.8"x2"x0.5" when closed but smaller than the RAZR at 6.6"x2"x0.5" when open. The iPhone's weight is the same as our iPod with video even if it is nearly a half-inch taller. Our iPod with video is clearly heavier than our RAZR but still relatively light. We carry our RAZR in a belt case and would do the same with the iPhone.

Our RAZR has a camera but we almost never use it. The iPhone has a camera, too, and we are unlikely to use it much as well.

The only potential issue we see is battery life. With a new battery and our use pattern, the RAZR easily lasts a couple of days between charges. However, we usually charge it each night anyway. If we can get through a normal day without recharging the iPhone, then we are not concerned. When we use the iPhone as our iPod we will likely have to change our behavior pattern to include periods for charging it. We would also prefer an easily changeable battery to ensure we never lack phone capability.

With 4GB or 8GB of memory the iPhone could easily replace our 512K iPod shuffle completely since we are never without our cell phone when we are using our iPod shuffle. Given the actual use of our iPod with video and a small adjustment to plan what to place on the iPhone, the iPhone could replace it too. All of our music, photos, podcasts and videos on our iPod with video weigh in at 15GB but they are all on our MacBook Pro, too, and we usually carry both together. It's just much more convenient to use the iPod in an airport and on a plane. The iPhone would likely allow us to dispense with both of our iPods, resulting in two less devices for us to carry and maintain. We aren't sure that is what Apple wants hear.

At this point we are pretty much sold on the iPhone but if it can free us from having to carry our MacBook Pro locally, at least occasionally, it's a slam dunk. We carry our MacBook Pro locally mostly for constant email access and electronic document access. We also do an occasional info search of the Web, usually for directions. It appears that all of these functions can be handled reasonably well by the iPhone.

So, our analysis supports our initial gut reaction. We'll be one of the first to order an Apple iPhone when it is possible to do so, assuming the monthly service cost from Cingular is not outrageous.

Still, we are nagged by a couple of deficiencies. First, many cell phones today include a GPS locator. This feature would go great with Google maps and the Apple Maps application. Second, rather than a still camera, we'd much prefer to have an iSight camera for iChat video conferences when within range of a Wi-Fi hotspot. Of course, both of these features would add to the battery drain and we are already mostly concerned about battery time. We'll probably have to wait for a major advance in battery technology before these features could be enabled. [Bill Fox]