I have an iPhone–one of the 8GB models. And–I hate/love it. I think that is what most people are saying, right? Except, of course, the diehard fans that love anything even remotely Apple-y.
So, what do I need to add that hasn’t been said? Nothing, really, but here is my take: it is the best iPod ever. The widescreen video is great. The battery life is impressive as well. The camera is good, the browsing is really good, as well. There is no comparison (ok, see below for network speed) in browsing webpages on the iPhone and any Windows Mobile device. I have had about 15 of them including the Cingular 8525 which is my favorite WM5 device.
What don’t I like:
Network speed
The iPhone uses the EDGE network and not the 3G network so it is MUCH slower than other 3G phones on the Cingular, er, ATT, network.
Exchange Support
I use Exchange at work and need it on my mobile device. Yes, there is imap support on the iPhone, but it doesn’t work as well as true Exchange support and I had issues setting it up. My issues were due to a certificate issue and troubleshooting is incredibly difficult on this macine. And the calendering…..ugh. We know that Apple can do Exchange support because it works great in Entourage, but we need it on the iPhone now!
GPS
I travel a lot. I am always gettting off a plane, getting my rental car–and then I have to get where I am going. Most of the rental car companies offer GPS in the vehicle–but they frequently aren’t available. You don’t want to carry a huge one because you are traveling light. For a while, I was using my Motorola Q with an external GPS and software–but I hated carrying the extra device and charger (the external GPS module). Then, Verizon came out with their VZ Navigator service. It costs $10/month for unlimited use (there is a new offering as well where you can get unlimited applications for some fee) and works pretty darn well. The only city that it has issues with in my travels (and I am in a different city 1 to 2 times per week) is Chicago. I get where I am going in Chicago, but it sometimes takes an extra turn or two.
This is a very long way to say that, while Google Maps is a great application on the iPhone, there is no GPS so you still need to carry another device.
In the end, I guess that I think the next generation of iPhone is going to be great. I am sure that at least two of my three main gripes will be fixed and then it will be the perfect tool for those of us who want a great PDA and entertainment device all in one.
