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Oh my God! I cannot search for “iPhone” without being bombarded about how AT&T will be killing Sprint and Verizon with the iPhone? Well, you be the judge. 8GB iPod for $500 – $1000 MSRP. Compared to an 80GB iPod for less than $300. The iPod issue is irrelevant. My 18 year old son already said, “Dad, I have more than that in music and I cannot cut down…” Here are the features Sprint and Verizon will be offering with their service and phones1. The iPhone will not have a media card expansion slot. This is a very important issue. The Treo & Windows Pocket PC devices have this feature already and it is one of the most used features. You say it comes with 8GB of built-in memory? That’s less than 2 DVDs. what if you want to have more? No cigar, you have to remove some before you can put in new ones. At least on the TREO the storage is expandable, and it can hotsync with Outlook. This is a must for the corporate guys. Of course it can also hotsync MP3s.
2. Don’t forget the Network guys! AT&T inherited the antiquated Cingular network which (pardon the french) is crap! Sprint is rolling out yet even a faster wireless network. Something AT&T can not match (much less beat) for some time to come. Verizon’s wireless data network is also better than what Cingular has now.
3. MP3/ video capability alone does not make a phone or carrier successful. Lets not forget the LG Chocolate and the Motorola ROKR. Both have a mediocre phone end. Also the Verizon VCast has been more hype than performance – hardly increasing phone sales, (Did anyone say “Sell the sizzle, not the steak”?). With a phone, it’s nice to have a lot of features, but wireless performance is the key, look at the success of the TREO.
4. TREO & Blackberry are both available from Sprint & Verizon. These are established MOBILE business productivity tools, and are used by the majority of the people that iPhone is targeting, and they will probably shy away from the AT&T network and a data plan of $40 per month. The iPhone may appeal to the iPod crowd, (Hey wait! what will they do with their iPods now?). I doubt that it will make a significant difference in the business world where the real money is.
5. EVDO is King. Most people that use the TREO or the Pocket PC have used the Phone as a wireless modem – the AT&T or Cingular network offers GPRS & EDGE, which are no match for EVDO offered by Sprint & Verizon. The performance difference is undeniable. Which in business might translate that “I” in front of the iPhone into insane as in driving the user insane when waiting for downloads or pages to load. I remember going from TREO650 to the version with EVDO, it was like going from my 33.6 Baud modem to DSL. I almost felt like lighting up a cigarette.
6. You say it has data security? By being a cell phone it gives people a false sense of security with the encryption etc, but with built-in Wi-Fi, it connects to wireless router on your network automatically, how easy will that be to exploit? RIAA will look at the old NAPSTER days as “The good old days”, when you needed a whole computer, an Internet connection, software that converted and a way to transfer to the portable player. Now with an iSteal device, users can share tracks anywhere, anytime.
7. Maps like Google Maps are already accessible on the TREO and Blackberry devices. It looks wider on the iPhone, but don’t forget, it takes longer to display that map.
8. No developer tools. Apple is doing the same mistake they did when they introduced the personal computer. Trying to kill innovation and competition. Guys do you remember in 1985 why the Apple didn’t take off as fast as the IBM PC? In this technology market these types of limitations. Specially nowadays with the age of the Wikipedias, Social Networks and user Mashups etc. You want to use the “Wisdom of the Masses” to make the product better and invent new uses that even the smartest company has not thought of.
9. You’d better buy an extended warranty because once that gyro mechanism goes bad, you might not be able to use it. Oh, I forgot, I don’t know about you but my phone drops at least once a week, (Your mileage may vary). With the fine Czechoslovakian Crystal look, I think I might break it in 2 weeks.
10. Up to $1000 for a cell phone that can be stolen in a heartbeat? Insurance companies will be doing a booming business (that’s before they start paying off that is). I guess after a while it will be “iPhones extra…” Still thinking of switching? Not me, unless they address some of the issues and when Sprint caries it, maybe. I won’t do it just to “Look cool”. I’m past that stage.
This is just my opinion. I welcome yours.
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