Sneak Peek of the month - Apple iPhone

Published:
An insight on iPhone

The new iPhone is indeed not just a phone,"it is more than a phone". As promised by Steve Jobbs, CEO of Apple, the iPhone provides you with:

>A phone
>An  iPod
>An internet device

THE GOOD

The first noticeable point on the iPhone is an overall  plastic finish. The reason could be because plastic does not interfere with radio reception as metal does. Our iPhone contains somewhere around 10 radio devices inside including EGDE, 3G , Wi-Fi etc.

The latest version of the IPhone is the new 3GS. Lets break down the term 3GS:
3G : 3rd Generation
S: Superfast

So, all it means that the internet speed on a 3GS iPhone is much snappier and improved from the old EDGE network used in old 3G phones. The 3G network delivers web pages twice as faster as the EDGE network. Besides the 3Mega pixel out of focus camera integrates with GPS tracking service and Google Maps to Geotrack your picture and the built in Compass application is your best friend in the middle of an ocean or amidst the woods.

THE BAD

However, if you are the owner of an older iPhone, like the iPhone 2G and 3G models, then by now you must know that your phone has the following limitations:

>absence of a voice dialer
>no video recording feature
>no expandable memory
>no flash and java plugin support for the web browser Safari

Now friends, all these issues are addressed by the new iPhone 3GS. The device  has been made faster over the older version with 32 GB of hard drive space, whooping 600 MHz processor and 256 MB of memory(Source: apple.com). To be fair, the additional features do offer improved gaming performance and 3D rendering specially for gamers.  The video technology can now capture videos in real time that you can edit, share with friends and even post it on YouTube.

The battery life of the iPhone 3GS gives you 12 hours of talk time over the GSM network and 5 hours of talk time over the 3G network which is pretty cool. It also offers you 9 hours of Wi-Fi browsing, 10 hours of Video and 30 hours of Audio playback (stats cross checked from apple.com and tested on my new 3GS iPhone).

So, all set to go for the new 3GS ... Wait, here comes the bitter side of the story.

THE UGLY

I noticed this on the 4th day of my purchase of the iPhone. It was strange, the phone was heating up. Initially i ignored but later I was curious and googled it to find that i was not wrong. People have reported the thermal issue on the iPhones. As confirmed by Apple, IF the interior temperature of iPhone device exceeds the exterior, then it will stop charging, the display will dim, cellular signals become weak, and/or a temperature warning screen appears. I also found that, in certain cases (First reported by French website Nowhereelse.fr), the phone is reported to get discolored due to the heating woes.

Apple advises users to use the phone in a place where the temperature is between -20 degree Celsius and 45 degree Celsius. Apple still has no update as how to bypass this issue in countries like India where the temperature is mostly remains above 40 degree Celsius.

The iPhone 3GS was released in the United States on June 19th, 2009 and will soon be rolled out to 80 different countries world-wide. The only challenge could be the absence of super fast 3G networks in most of the countries, unlike United States where At&T is the only official 3G network provider for iPhones. Sadly, in India you can only get a 2G compatible iPhone as at the time of this review there is no 3G network operating in India. I see this as a downside since the USP of an iPhone is using the super fast 3G network. Overall the new Apple iPhone is indeed a decent gizmo to put your hands on.
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Comments (4)

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Commented:
I always had a mixed feeling of the iPhone, One which I would probably keep & probably not keep. It was always a 50:50 sort of thing. It could be due to its oversiziness or the monopolistic nature of Apple just making things its way.

Anyways I am surprised that you did not write anything about its sucking bluetooth which only provides Stereo Headset services. What about Dial-up-Networking, File Transfers, Object Push, etc, Apple seems to suck here really. They built wi-fi but crippled bluetooth.

But you got my yes vote.

Ravi.

Commented:
Apple did not give everything with the phones right from the beginning, however whatever was given was & is Damn Stable.

Unlike other phones in the market, iPhone is easiest to use & least problems. Of course there are many blogs & sites writing bad about it, but that is their bread & butter.

Overall, if you once use iPhone, there is no going back.

A
CERTIFIED EXPERT

Commented:
Thats why I said monopolistic nature.

Apple never built hardware with other vendors in mind but Microsoft did.

With so little hardware to support, things ought to work well, no big deal.

However, one thing Apple does need to be applauded for - The User Interface is fantastic & highly responsive.

Other than that, nothing else I have to say. As per my earlier comment, I hate the monopolistic nature / marketing habits of any Company, be it Apple or Microsoft.

One more thing, I've used the iPhone & was impressed but I ain't keeping it. Still pretty happy with my Nokia.

Ravi.

Commented:
I agree Apple never built hardware with other vendors in mind & MS did. The result of that is quite obvious, there is no MS phone doing anything in market, but iPhone is ALLOVER, not only that the customer is satisfied too.

This really brings up the point, is it worth making support for vendors? or what is more important, giving a product which is easier for your customer to use without any troubles?

I am sure the no.'s speak for themselves, iPhone market response & customer satisfaction proves that for a consumer this is the best way to go.

A

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