Mention the iPhone in a conversation and you'll either get a rolling of the eyes or a near out of body experience in reply. Which would be your reaction is a toss-up. But if you're considering purchasing an iPhone, here's some pros and cons to consider when making your decision.
The NEW iPhone is supposed to come out in early June. So whatever you decide, I might wait until then to purchase an iPhone. The 3.0 machine might answer some of the cons.
* iPhone Pros:
- The interface is REALLY elegant and intuitive. The touchscreen puts you within one or two taps or "swipes" of just about any function. The icons are big and bold so you should rarely make "fat finger" errors.
- The number and variety of applications available in the App store is almost staggering (in a good way). Chances are if there is a function you need, you'll find an app to do it. Often, more than one, with plenty of user reviews to help you make a choice.
- The web browser is a "real" web browser. This won't help you test "mobile websites" per se, but it will give you some insight into how your real site looks on a mobile browser.
- 3G speed is pretty good. Overall, the experience is that sites load pretty quickly. I'm fairly patient in this area, though, so what's fast enough for me might be too slow for others.
- GREAT interface with Microsoft Outlook server so you can get and respond to your business email anywhere anytime.
* iPhone Cons:
- People make fun of ATT coverage. Some friends have had very few dropped calls, but a couple of my colleagues who use the phone complain about this. I think there may be very distinct locations where the ATT signal is weak (the dropped calls my friends have had have been in the same places every time) ... if you are regularly in those areas, you may be frustrated.
- Using the iPhone to it's fullest means buying into the whole iTunes software interface. This is really the most efficient (or in some cases, only) way to browse apps, install ringtones, etc. It rankles some slightly that they have had to join Apple's "cult" to use this phone ... but, oh, it's so pretty.
- Need third party apps to manipulate Microsoft Office documents.
- Battery life is relatively short. You really have to get into the habit of plugging it in whenever you have the chance. Listening to music or watching a video can drain it in a matter of hours.
There you go - some pro and con information to help those considering iPhone make an informed decision.
