well, the first (actual) reviews are out. To make it short:

- "keyboard" sucks, as expected.
- screen smudges easily
- no MMS
- no video
- camera is sub-par
- no 3rd party apps other than some mini web-apps
- no JAVA
- no flash

that said - they still think it's revolutionary. Will I buy one? probably not. I need a good keyboard.

Will it sell in Europe? Probably not. No European carrier will offer unlimited web access and apart from web browsing, the phone doesn't really do anything well.


Here are some links to reviews:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/27/te...fw&oref=slogin

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19444948...wsweek/page/0/

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columni...e-review_N.htm

Hi,

the New York times review also contains this quote:

"Making a call, though, can take as many as six steps: wake the phone, unlock its buttons, summon the Home screen, open the Phone program, view the Recent Calls or speed-dial list, and select a name. Call quality is only average, and depends on the strength of your AT&T signal."

It seems the device is as expected weakest function is being a phone. But as you said they still rate it as revolutionary but I have feeling that is more because of the size and design of the device rather than as a phone.

Have fun

Martin

Well, that's the drawback to using GSM in the USA. The coverage isn't as good as it is here. Additionally, most of the coverage is in the 1900 Mhz bandwidth, so you don't have the signal penetrating the buildings very well. There is a bit of 850 coverage out there, but it's still pretty rare.

I'm sure you've noticed that your GSM coverage isn't so great when you're in the US. Have you ever tried one of the Verizon CDMA/Analog phones when you've been out there? The call quality is pretty good, on par with the quality I get here from Swisscom.

The iPhone should have much better call quality here in Europe when/if it gets released here.

So just like my SonyEricsson on the Swisscom network then..... :-)

Pat

I want an iPhone because... er ... I want one. I have two Apple computers that have outlived a host of work PC's. I still have my 1st gen iPod - it still works but at 5gb didn't hold enough. My new iPod video is stunning.

If the iPhone does half of what's claimed I'll be happy. The iPaq phone my work forced upon me needed a power supply permanently attached or else I had to send it back to IT to reconfigure because it lost all the server settings if the battery went flat. The other smartphones just don't come close yet.

And those of you leaving greasy marks on the screen, just wipe them off.

G

Not that I am an Apple fan boy, but these are hardly reasons to diss the phone. Hype, cost, snobbery etc: Yes.

Let's see:
- It handles phone calls
- It handles SMS (test messaging)

Ah ha. My full requirements from a phone. Oh and my Samsung smudges...

This is a fun and balanced look at the iPhone, by a guy from the New York Times who was asked to review one.

I'm not saying it's not usable. The pivotal point here is the price of the phone. If you only need your phone to make calls and send SMS, you won't be shedding 1000+ Fr. for a handset, would you?

The iPhone is a smartphone. A smartphone is expected to do e-mail and it sure as heck is expected to have basic functionality like MMS. Also, all other competitors offering phones in that price-range include UMTS.

The whole thing is just kinda schizo, if you ask me. The phone is advertised as being fully internet ready, yet it lacks a useful keyboard, fast data capability, flash and JAVA. The lack of Flash and JAVA will prevent the browser from correctly displaying 30%+ of the more popular websites.

I've been using Apple products for years, have two Macs at home and one at work, have two iPods and two Airport Express base-stations. So I'm definitely not dissing Apple here. I just think that the iPhone isn't living up to the hype and it probably isn't suited very well for the European market.

I'm not discouraging anyone from buying the phone - I'm just saying it's not delivering what I expect in an expensive handset.

As for the quality of Apple computers - lucky you! I had to exchange my Macbook Pro 3 times until I got one that worked. And the 4th one I got broke twice already. My wife's on her 2nd Macbook, the first one didn't even start when it arrived. My last (video) iPod broke after 6 months, the model before that broke after 11 months (luckily, I had bought that one at Best Buy, together with a 2-year exchange warranty).
All 4 Macbook Pros had minor flaws (in addition to the problems that made me return the laptop) - 3 out of 4 had stuck pixels, the one I have right now also has a miss-aligned shell and an arched keyboard.

Why am I still using Apple hardware? Because I love OS X and because other manufacturers don't do much better quality-wise.

hello, im thinking about getting an iphone, does anyone know if it will be able to have msn messenger?

thanks for your help holly

Run Microsoft software on an Apple iPhone?

i was just wondering because most pdas/smart phones support the msn messenger software.

thanks holly

so i guess thats a no then.....

holly

It is probably a No. Windows Live Messenger isn't perhaps the killer application you thought it was

Unless some creates a "Chat" to webpage interface (the only way to make 3rd party apps on the iPhone currently) then the answer is no.

Maybe in the future... but why would you want to "live" chat on a phone anyway? phoning a person would cheaper compared to the cost of the Data transfer

Pat

thanks for your info

i see what your saying, but i mean when you connect to the wireless internet connection ( e.g at home ), then msn instant messenger dosnt cost anything its a free application, so i was wondering if that was possible on the iphone.

thanks again holly

I'm (as usual) a bit confused about what exactly the safari browser can do on the iPhone. I know it doesnt support Java, but it does allow 3rd party developers to create "apps" using Ajax? If this is the case, then you'll be able to use msn messenger or any of the other main internet chat tools using meebo surely? http://www.meebo.com

This isnt that useful if you're paying for data transfer as pat said in an earlier post, but if you're using wifi then it's pretty convenient. Its amazing in Zurich how many unprotected wifi networks you can find...

There will be no IMing available on the iPhone. Not even iChat has been incorporated.

You are right, there will be no cost going online or sending emails, as this is included in the monthly payments. At least that is how it will work in the US.

There is likely to be an IM client for the iPhone at some point. What point and which client is unknown AFAIK.

Messenger Live can be used via the web too, you know.

Ok, I also see that. my question was still why chat (AIM or MSN or ....) on a phone, even when at home, when a computer has a keyboard and would be a better tool for the job? or am I just getting to old?

(BTW - even if / when chat arrives there is a higher change it being AIM (the same as iChat) or Google )

Pat