Review of The Apple IPhone

 The Apple iPhone was one of the most heavily promoted and advertised products in history---and it seems to have paid off. Apple has sold over 1.4 million iPhones in the U.S. in slightly over four months.

What exactly does the iPhone do?

      The iPhone is touted by Apple as three devices in one---a cell phone, a wide-screen iPod and a portable Web browser. The iPhone does indeed have all these capabilities and more. The iPhone incorporates a digital camera, photo storage and organization system, text and e-mail capabilities and Safari Web browser. Not to mention Google Maps, visual voicemail and utilities such as calendar, calculator and notepad. In other words, the phone is an incredibly versatile little piece of technology. And it is little—only 4.5x2.4 inches and ½” thick, the iPhone weighs less than 5 ounces.

What do expert reviewers say about the iPhone?

      Most expert reviws are overwhelmingly positive. Cnet’s editor’s gave it a rating of 8/10 and noted “The Apple iPhone sets a new benchmark for an integrated cell phone and MP3 player.”  Mac World called it a “beautiful piece of hardware”. And Time magazine recently listed the iPhone as Invention of the Year for 2007, calling it “a dazzling display of ingenuity”. How can you go wrong with reviews like that?

What do actual iPhone users say about it?

      Again, the majority are very pleased with the iPhone.  Cnet lists over 455 user reviews and the average rating for iPhones is 7.2 of 10. User reviews on Digital Trends give the iPhone an average rating of 7.8 of 10. Customers seem to appreciate the fact that the iPhone is easy to use and its looks and design. Some user comments from Cnet include:

• “Intuitive and easily figured out”
• “Very solid, works as advertised”
• “This phone lives up to the hype”

Of course, nothing is perfect and there are some issues that leave customers less than satisfied. The most commonly mentioned problems are difficulties with the AT&T service plan and voice quality on the phone. Some users note that the phone volume is too low to be usable. Some negative comments from Cnet users include

• “Should have had voice dialing”
• Poor reception and call quality”
• The network is slow—can take up to 2 minutes to load a Web page.”

What are the iPhone’s advantages?

      The iPhone is undeniably a well-designed item. It is sleek and stylish and is a great MP3 player. Steve Jobs, Apple Ceo called the iPhone “the best iPod we’ve ever built”. Users appreciate the fact that they don’t have to carry two or three separate electronic devices—it’s a phone, it’s a camera, it’s a notebook. The multimedia applications and versatility of the iPhone have been a huge hit with millions of people. 

What are the disadvantages of iPhones?

      One of the issues noted frequently is that the AT&T service and quality leave something to be desired. Unfortunately, if you want an iPhone, you have no choice. AT&T is the service provider and you must sign a 2-year contract with them.  Some users have noted concerns with battery life times or slow performance in Web browsing through AT&T’s EDGE network. Other concerns noted by users include items such as no streaming video, Flash or Java, no 3rd party applications and no external memory card.

How much does an iPhone cost?

      The current price is approximately $400. When it was introduced in June 2007 the price was $599 but after only 10 weeks on the market, Apple lowered the price to $399. This does not include the AT&T service plan, which starts at $59 a month and can go as high as $339 per month for a family plan. Even if you choose the basic plan at $60 a month, you are looking at over $700 for the first year, plus the $400 iPhone cost. And, if your battery should fail or need replacing, it could cost an additional $79 for replacement, once the warranty expires.

Do you need an iPhone?

      This is totally up to you, but some experts recommend waiting for version 2.0, which they say will fix many of the flaws users complain about now. One important safety consideration is that the current iPhone does not have voice dialing, so it is not a good idea to try to dial while driving.

However, if you feel you just can’t live without the latest technology, go for it. You can always buy another later version if it is much better.  

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