Apple's iPhone 3G: Great, But Needs Work
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152-Page Manual
Interestingly, Apple isn't too worried about these shortcomings, figuring that third-party developers will soon fill in the gaps. But that hasn't happened yet. Mobile News Network, a free third-party application that should have automatically retrieved my local headlines based on my current location, has failed to find my location either via the device's Wi-Fi or AT&T's network. Indeed, many of the 800 or so applications currently available through Apple's App Store
still have glitches (BusinessWeek.com, 7/14/08).
Many other features and applications were delightful, but I had to read a 152-page manual to figure out how to use them. I spent way more time learning to use the iPhone 3G than I'd spent mastering any other phone. Part of it is that the phone is jam-packed with cool features. Plus, Apple decided to get creative with the programs: To delete an application from the device, for example, you need to put your finger on the icon on the screen and hold it there until the icon starts to "wiggle"—a shaking motion that's funny and cute. Then, you need to press a little cross that magically appears on the corner of the icon to delete the application. There is no way you can figure this out without instructions.
Some applications are simply not that intuitive. Only by flipping through the manual did I learn how to get the Yahoo weather application to report on conditions of my particular city. Turns out, you need to press a tiny "i" icon at the bottom right of the screen, then a "+" sign to enter your city. There was also some inconsistency in the controls used in major applications: You can use a click button on your headset to pause a podcast but not a YouTube video, for instance.
Free iPhone Classes
Since most of us aren't predisposed to read instructions before using a phone, my bet is that many consumers will not take the time needed to peruse the manual—and will end up being frustrated by the device as a result. (One good solution: Apple offers free iPhone classes in its stores.)
You may have trouble connecting your iPhone 3G to corporate Microsoft (
MSFT) Exchange servers. My IT department told me it does not support the iPhone, only the BlackBerry, so I couldn't check my work e-mail.
Finally, there are a couple of personal considerations that may keep me from buying the iPhone a while longer: Verizon Wireless has fewer dead spots in my area than exclusive U.S. iPhone reseller AT&T. Plus, I still can't get used to typing on the iPhone's touch-screen keyboard. It's fairly narrow, and though I don't have stubs for fingers, I keep hitting "p" instead of "o." Strangely, you can type only in landscape mode in the Safari browser, calculator, photo and video apps—but not in e-mail applications, which I use the most