i***@gmail.com
2009-05-17 21:21:45 UTC
iPhone FAQ rev 3.00
Thank you for the incredible response to the rev 2.00 iPhone FAQ. I
have read all the responses, and I have made many additions and
corrections based on the feedback in these newsgroups, and from the e-
mails I’ve received.
This FAQ addresses the frequently asked questions regarding the Apple
iPhone. If you have any suggestions for new questions and answers,
suggestions on how to make existing answers clearer, or corrections,
please post the corrections to the newsgroup (I read all responses) or
send them to ***@gmail.com (replace DOT with a
period).
This FAQ will be updated and re-posted periodically to
alt.cellular.attws, alt.cellular.t-mobile, alt.cellular.verizon,
alt.cellular.sprintpcs, comp.sys.mac.advocacy,
misc.phone.mobile.iphone, and other relevant groups.
Question List
----------------
-Where can I buy an iPhone in the U.S.?
-When is the third generation iPhone going to be available?
-What will the third generation iPhone have that the second generation
iPhone lacks?
-How do I change the battery on my iPhone?
-How do I enable voice dialing on my iPhone?
-Why can't I stream music from my iPhone to a Bluetooth stereo
headset?
-What is “unlocking?”
-How do I unlock my iPhone?
-What is “Jail Breaking?”
-Can I use my iPhone with a prepaid plan?
-Can I purchase or obtain applications for the iPhone from places
other than the Apple applications store?
-What kinds of applications are available on a jail-broken iPhone that
are not available from the Apple apps store?
-Can I go to prison if I get caught “Jail-Breaking” my iPhone?
-How do I connect my notebook computer to the iPhone to use my
carrier's 3G network over Bluetooth or USB or WiFi?
-My friend’s HTC Touch allows him to connect to the internet from his
laptop using Bluetooth for the connection between the laptop and the
phone. Can I do the same thing on my iPhone?
-When I insert a prepaid SIM card when travelling in foreign countries
it doesn't work. What am I doing wrong?
-Can I activate my iPhone on T-Mobile in the U.S.?
-Is there any place that I can purchase an unlocked, carrier-
independent iPhone without having to resort to “Jail-Breaking”?
-Can I install Skype or other VOIP application on my iPhone so I can
make calls over Wi-Fi in areas with no GSM coverage, or just to save
my peak minutes?
-I can’t find a memory card slot on the iPhone. How can I transfer
photos from my digital camera to my iPhone?
-I want to use a Bluetooth keyboard with my iPhone but it doesn’t seem
to connect. What am I doing wrong?
-The camera on my iPhone doesn’t have sufficient wide-angle range. Is
there any after-market device to fix this?
-The camera on my iPhone doesn’t have sufficient telephoto range. Is
there any after-market device to fix this?
-The camera on my iPhone does not have sufficient resolution. Is there
any after-market device to fix this?
-Can I run tasks in the background, such as Internet Radio?
-How do I enable Flash support in the iPhone’s browser?
-I frequently take long international airline flights and the iPhone
battery goes flat during the flight. How can I work around this?
-I want to use my iPhone for work related stuff, but my IT department
doesn’t support it. How can I convince them to add support to the
iPhone for enterprise applications?
-The internal memory on the iPhone is insufficient for storing the
amount of music and videos I would like. I don’t want to carry around
a laptop, but an external hard drive would be okay. Is there any after-
market USB add-on drive to expand the storage to something like the
120GB on the iPod Classic?
-I often have no signal on my iPhone, why is this?
-I would like an iPhone just to use the WiFi and regular phone, but I
don’t want to pay for a data plan. Is this possible?
-I would like to create and edit documents that are compatible with
Microsoft Office. I see that Windows Mobile devices can do this, but
what about the iPhone.
-Which word processor does the iPhone support?
-Which spreadsheet does the iPhone support?
-What is the closest equivalent to Powerpoint for the iPhone?
-Is there a database program for the iPhone?
-Can I create PDFs on the iPhone?
-Can I hook USB devices to the iPhone?
-Can I print pictures taken with the iPhone camera at digital printing
kiosks?
-Can I hook the iPhone directly to my wired Ethernet router?
-Is their a way to listen to the radio on the iPhone?
-I’m living in Japan and I want to receive live TV on my iPhone the
way other Japanese smart phones can do. How do I do this?
-Is there a way to record video on the iPhone?
-Will my iPhone work in Japan?
-Is there an iPhone for Sprint or Verizon or T-Mobile?
-Where are the best places to buy iPhone accessories?
-How do I connect a VGA or DVI monitor or projector to the iPhone?
-I can’t seem to get video-out working except when playing MPEG
movies, what am I doing wrong?
-Why does Apple make highly desirable, and seemingly easy to implement
features, so difficult?
-What’s the bottom line?
Answers
----------
Q. Where can I buy an iPhone in the U.S.?
A. Apple stores, AT&T stores, Wal-Mart, and Best Buy.
Q. When is the third generation iPhone going to be available?
A. Apple has not announced a release date. However all indications are
that it will be released in summer 2009. The new OS version for the
iPhone has several features that are not compatible with the existing
iPhone hardware, so it’s clear that this new OS is designed for the
next generation model. AT&T is trying to clear out its existing
inventory of iPhones, so the new model is believed to be coming very
soon.
Q. What will the third generation iPhone have that the second
generation iPhone lacks?
A. Apple has not announced the specifications of the third generation
iPhone. Speculation on the features is that it will have a much higher
resolution camera (possibly two cameras), video recording, 802.11n
support, better speaker quality, greater storage capacity, voice-
dialing, and earphones like on the new Shuffle. Definitely features
worth waiting for.
Q. How do I change the battery on my iPhone?
A. You must send the phone back to Apple's service depot for battery
replacement. The cost is $86.95. See "http:// tinyurl.com/
iphonebatteryreplacement”. If you don’t mind voiding your warranty (or
your iPhone is already out of warranty), and you are good working with
small electronics, a number of companies sell replacement batteries
for both the 2G and 3G iPhones at far lower prices. In Google shopping
search for “iPhone 3G Battery Replacement.“ The iPhone is easy to
open, i.e. the 3G model has two Phillips 00 screws on the bottom that
hold the phone together. Note that on the original iPhone the battery
is soldered in, so you’ll need to unsolder the original battery and
solder in the new one. It’s not all that hard to do, but if you’ve
never soldered before you might want to practice on some wires first.
Be careful about using after-market batteries of unknown orgin as
lithium based batteries can be dangerous.
Q. How do I enable voice dialing on my iPhone?
A. The current iPhone model does not support voice dialing. There are
some after-market voice dialing applications for the iPhone available
in the Apps store, but because the iPhone lacks a button to press for
voice dialing, you still have to use the screen to start the
application which makes the feature somewhat lame. You can also
purchase a Bluetooth device such as the Parrot Minikit Slim Portable
Bluetooth Car Kit for iPhone 3G, iPhone, which will transfer the
phonebook from the iPhone to itself and do voice dialing
externally.The next generation iPhone will likely support voice
dialing natively.
Q. Why can't I stream music from my iPhone to a Bluetooth stereo
headset?
A. Apple did not include the necessary Bluetooth profile, called
Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) in the original OS. This
profile has been added in OS 3.0. Update your iPhone when the new OS
is available and A2DP will work.
Q. What is “unlocking?”
A. Unlocking allows a GSM phone to use SIM cards from any GSM carrier.
Typically a user that travels to another country will want to buy a
local prepaid SIM card for that country because it avoids the very
high international roaming charges.
Q. How do I unlock my iPhone?
A. AT&T will not unlock iPhones, even though they will unlock their
other phones. If you want to unlock your own iPhone, you first must
jail-break it (see below), then download and execute unlocking
software. The alternative is to buy an iPhone in Hong Kong as these
iPhones are unlocked (but not jail-broken).
Note that you can have an unlocked phone that is not jail-broken
because Apple does sell unlocked iPhones in some countries. However
for all intents and purposes, most iPhone owners that have unlocked
phones, first jail-break their phone.
Q. What is “Jail Breaking?”
A. Jail-breaking enables you to download applications from sources
other than the Apple applications store. They call it jail-breaking
because you are “breaking out” of the jail that Apple has created for
iPhone owners. There are hundreds of extremely useful applications
that Apple will not allow into its applications store for various
reasons. Jail-breaking also typically includes unlocking the phone so
that SIM cards from other carriers can be used. Note that there are
non-Jail-Broken iPhones that are able to use SIM cards from other
carriers; unlocked and jail-broken are not the same thing. There are
downsides to jail-breaking because you may no longer be able to take
advantage of OS upgrades. See http://www.quickpwn.com/ for more
details. Be careful.
Q. Can I use an iPhone with a prepaid wireless plan?
A. Yes, you can use AT&T’s prepaid service called GoPhone. But to
actually buy an iPhone you have to sign up for a postpaid plan (there
used to be a loophole to get around this but not any more) or obtain
an iPhone some other way. A big downside to prepaid with the iPhone in
the U.S. is the inability to use the data services of T-Mobile on the
carrier’s prepaid plans (on any phone, not just the iPhone).
AT&T used to let you buy unlimited data for $20/month for both “Pay As
You Go” and “Pick Your Plan” subscribers but apparently it was cutting
into sales of postpaid plans and phones so they dropped it.
If you use your iPhone on AT&T’s GoPhone service the rates for data
are 20¢-$10/MB. Yep, you got that right, $10/MB for data unless you
buy a package ($5 for 1MB (versus 1¢/KB=$10/MB) or 100MB for $20).
Other prepaid services have better data rates but won’t work with the
iPhone because they are not on the GSM network.
Q. Can I purchase or obtain applications for the iPhone from places
other than the Apple applications store?
A. Unless you unlock (“jail-break”) your iPhone, you can only get
applications from the Apple applications store.
Q. What kinds of applications are available on a jail-broken iPhone
that are not available from the Apple apps store?
A. Here is a sampling, http://www.macworld.com/article/137767/jailbrokenapps.html.
Q. Can I go to prison if I get caught “Jail-Breaking” my iPhone?
A. Yes, but only if you do it for “financial gain.” Otherwise you
could be subject to a $2500 fine. Of course this is just what Apple
has argued should be the penalty, and no one has actually been
prosecuted for jail-breaking their iPhone. See http://consumerist.com/5153597/
for more details.
Q. How do I connect my notebook computer to the iPhone to use my
carrier's 3G network over Bluetooth or USB or WiFi?
A. Tethering is not yet supported on the iPhone (jail-broken iPhones
can tether). You will need to sign up for separate 3G data service
from your carrier. Note that when Apple and the carrier do support
tethering it is a virtual certainty that the carrier will charge extra
for it. The good news is that tethering support is built into OS 3.0
and developers have already had it working, see "http://tinyurl.com"/
iphonetethering. It’s just a matter of time before tethering will
work. The problem with tethering is that AT&T that's terrified what
would happen to their 3G network if a lot of iPhone owners started
tethering. They need to figure a way to charge for tethering so iPhone
owners don't use it too much, yet not charge so much that it drives
customers away to other carriers.
Q. My friend’s HTC Touch allows him to connect to the internet from
his laptop using Bluetooth for the connection between the laptop and
the phone. Can I do the same thing on my iPhone?
A. No. This is a form of tethering, and the iPhone does not support
tethering. Even if tethering were supported, the iPhone does not
support the necessary Bluetooth profile. The iPhone is quite primitive
in terms of its Bluetooth support.
Q. When I insert a prepaid SIM card when travelling in foreign
countries it doesn't work. What am I doing wrong?
A. iPhones are subsidy-locked to the carrier. Unless you have your
iPhone unlocked (jail broken) you cannot use a prepaid SIM card. While
AT&T will unlock their other quad band phones, they will not unlock
the iPhone. Be very careful when travelling internationally because
the iPhone can "phone home" running up enormous roaming chargers. Your
best bet is to carry along an unlocked GSM phone and use a prepaid SIM
card in that phone, and use your iPhone only on Wi-Fi networks (and of
course as a music and video player). If you want a factory-unlocked
iPhone then you can purchase one in Hong Kong, but it’s unsubsidized
so the price is very high.
Q. Can I activate my iPhone on T-Mobile in the U.S.?
A. Yes, but you’ll have to get your phone jail-broken and unlocked
first. While this is a relatively simple process (check craigslist.org
for services in your area if you don’t want to do it yourself) you
need be careful about downloading operating system updates from Apple
as these updates will likely re-lock your phone.
Q. Is there any place that I can purchase an unlocked, carrier-
independent iPhone without having to resort to “Jail-Breaking”?
A. Yes. iPhones sold in Hong Kong fit this description, but they are
very expensive because they are unsubsidized. Note that while these
phones are unlocked, they are not Jail-Broken.
Q. Can I install Skype or other VOIP application on my iPhone so I can
make calls over Wi-Fi in areas with no GSM coverage, or just to save
my peak minutes?
A. Apple will not allow Skype be distributed by their applications
store. However check out TruPhone or Fring.
Q. I can’t find a memory card slot on the iPhone. How can I transfer
photos from my digital camera to my iPhone?
A. The iPhone lacks the Micro-SD or Mini-SD card slot present on most
smart phones because these slots add cost to the hardware. You must
use iPhoto (on a Mac) or iTunes to transfer photos.
Q. I want to use a Bluetooth keyboard with my iPhone but it doesn’t
seem to connect. What am I doing wrong?
A. The iPhone does not support the proper Bluetooth profile. You can
use a Bluetooth keyboard only on jailbroken iPhones.
Q. The camera on my iPhone doesn’t have sufficient wide-angle range.
Is there any after-market device to fix this?
A. Yes. See "http://usbfever.com/index_eproduct_view.php?
products_id=789".
Q. The camera on my iPhone doesn’t have sufficient telephoto range. Is
there any after-market device to fix this?
A. Yes. See "http://mobile.brando.com.hk/prod_detail.php?
prod_id=03534".
Q. The camera on my iPhone does not have sufficient resolution. Is
there any after-market device to fix this?
A. No. The 2 megapixel camera is a major complaint of most iPhone
owners since most smart phones have much better cameras. Apple is
aware of the user dissatisfaction with the iPhone camera, and is
apparently planning a major improvement in the camera on the next
iPhone model (according to published reports they are buying higher
resolution camera sensors, and the belief is that these are for the
upcoming iPhone refresh). The bottom line is that if you can wait a
few months for the new iPhone models (expected in summer 2009) then
you’ll likely get a better camera.
Q. Can I run tasks in the background, such as Internet Radio?
Apple does not allow true background tasks, so you cannot have
Internet Radio running and at the same time run any other task. If you
want this capability then you have to purchase a more advanced smart
phone such as one of the Windows Mobile phones, the Android G1, or the
new Palm Pre. One of the reasons Apple does not permit background
tasks is that these tasks greatly affect battery life, though you’d
think that users could decide how to balance battery life against
multi-tasking.
Q. How do I enable Flash support in the iPhone’s browser?
A. The iPhone’s browser does not support Flash at this time. For a
smart phone that supports Flash, you can purchase a Windows Mobile
handset and use the upcoming revision of the Opera browser, or a G1
Android and use the upcoming revision of the G1 browser. Apple hasn’t
said when and if they’ll offer Flash support for the iPhone browser.
Q. I frequently take long international airline flights and the iPhone
battery goes flat during the flight. How can I work around this?
A. Since the iPhone battery is not user-replaceable, a number of
companies have produced work-around products. In Google shopping
search for “iPhone battery external.” Also, look into whether or not
your airline (and the plane used on your particular flight) has any
sort of power jacks at the seat. Some airlines have power jacks even
in coach. Be sure to bring the proper adapters for the type of system
used by your airline (i.e. 120VAC to 5VDC USB adapter, 12VDC to 5VDC
USB adapter, or EmPower to 5VDC USB adapter).
Q. I want to use my iPhone for work related stuff, but my IT
department doesn’t support it. How can I convince them to add support
to the iPhone for enterprise applications?
A. The main problem with the iPhone in terms of enterprise support is
the inablility to push applications to the iPhone. Enterprises don’t
want to have to use iTunes, with the phone wired to a desktop, to push
applications. The other problem with the iPhone is that enterprises
don’t want to be locked to AT&T as a carrier, though for personally
owned iPhones this should not be an issue. On the plus side,
enterprises like the low cost of the iPhone. Once the exclusivity
arrangement with AT&T is over, if there is a version of the iPhone for
Verizon, then IT departments will offer more support for the iPhone.
In the meantime, you’ll have to go with Blackberry or Windows Mobile
if you want full IT support on a smart phone.
Q. The internal memory on the iPhone is insufficient for storing the
amount of music and videos I would like. I don’t want to carry around
a laptop, but an external hard drive would be okay. Is there any after-
market USB add-on drive to expand the storage to something like the
120GB on the iPod Classic?
A. There is no way to connect a USB drive to the USB port of the
iPhone. Your best bet is to carry around a netbook, and transfer music
and videos back and forth between the netbook and the iPhone. It is
not clear if the SIMA Hitch will work with the iPhone (it works with
FAT32 formatted iPods). It’s likely that as Apple expands the iPhone
line there will be different models available and at least one model
will have disk based storage (like the iPod Classic).
Q. I often have no signal on my iPhone, why is this?
A. While the iPhone is a very advanced device, it’s only as good as
the network that it operates on. in the U.S., the smaller AT&T
Wireless network significantly lags the larger Verizon Wireless
network in terms of coverage, especially outside of urban areas. Since
Verizon operates a CDMA network, the GSM iPhone cannot roam onto
Verizon.You have several options regarding phone calls outside of the
GSM network coverage area. If you have a laptop, you can sign up with
a VOIP provider such as Skype, and make calls over the Internet (i.e.
at hotels with free wireless)., or use a VOIP application on your
iPhone (but not Skype). You can carry along a prepaid CDMA phone that
works on Verizon. You can use pay phones. Of course if you never
venture out of GSM coverage areas, this is unnecessary, but most
iPhone users in the U.S. often find themselves in areas without any
GSM coverage.
Q. I would like an iPhone just to use the WiFi and regular phone, but
I don’t want to pay for a data plan. Is this possible?
A. Not on AT&T or on most iPhone carriers in the world. You can buy an
iPhone and have it unlocked so you can stick any SIM card into it, but
buying an unsubsidized iPhone is very expensive. You can buy the
iPhone in Hong Kong and it will be already unlocked (but not jail-
broken). The original iPhone (Edge) was sold unsubsidized and millions
of users bought them and used them on networks for which they were not
intended depriving Apple of revenue. By the time you buy an
unsubsidized iPhone you’ve spent enough that you could buy a far more
capable device like the HTC Tytn II unlocked (around $575).
Q. I would like to create and edit documents that are compatible with
Microsoft Office. I see that Windows Mobile devices can do this, but
what about the iPhone.
A. The iPhone does not have such applications available.
Q. Which word processor does the iPhone support?
A. gOffice Web Word Wizard, but only on the web, not standalone. You
can do basic text editing with the included application.
Q. Which spreadsheet does the iPhone support?
The best ones are MarinerCalc ($10) and Quicksheet ($13).
Q. What is the closest equivalent to Powerpoint for the iPhone?
A. Note that you can convert Powerpoint presentations to MPEG4 videos
using Wondershare PPT to iPhone. You can also use Glider Presenter to
synch and present Powerpoint presentations from your desktop. There is
no offline presentation editor available at this time.
Q. Is there a database program for the iPhone?
A. Check out STOREIT.
Q. Can I create PDFs on the iPhone?
A. Yes, but not offline. See “http://ractor.org/ipdf/ipdf.php”
Q. Can I hook USB devices to the iPhone?
A. No. The iPhone does not support USB host mode. A few SmartPhones
running Windows Mobile support USB host mode.
Q. I print pictures taken with the iPhone camera at digital printing
kiosks?
A. No. These kiosks require a memory card and the iPhone does not
support memory cards. However many stores (Wal-Mart, Costco,
Walgreen’s, etc.) allow you to upload photos to their web site and
order prints.
Q. Can I hook the iPhone directly to my wired Ethernet router?
A. No. The iPhone does not support this, and since there is no
expansion slot or USB host port, you cannot use an add on device.
Q. Is their a way to listen to the radio on the iPhone?
A. The Apple iPod Radio Remote is incompatible with the iPhone.
However there is an after-market FM radio available. See "http://
www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13773".
Q. I’m living in Japan and I want to receive live TV on my iPhone the
way other Japanese smart phones can do. How do I do this?
A. The iPhone lacks this capability, which, as you note is common in
Japanese smart phones. The lack of this capability (as well as others)
is the reason that the iPhone in Japan has sold poorly, and is
regarded as somewhat of a joke. In fact, the carrier in Japan gives
the 8GB iPhone away free with a two year contract. Amusingly, the work-
around to the live TV issue is an external tuner that sells for an
extra $100. See Loading Image...
for a photo of this
kluge.
Q. Is there a way to record video on the iPhone?
A. While there are several video recording applications for the
iPhone, all require a jail-broken iPhone. There is an apps store
application that let’s you stream live video over a WiFi connection,
but that’s about it. In any case, you’d quickly fill up your flash
memory with video, and since the iPhone doesn’t have a memory card
slot, you’d have to connect to a computer to get the video off the
phone in order to keep recording.
Q. Will my iPhone work in Japan?
A. The original (Edge) iPhone will not work in Japan. The 3G model
will work in Japan. In Japan the iPhone 3G will work on the UMTS 2100
MHz band for both voice and data. This is different than in other
countries where it operates on GSM for voice, and UMTS or HSDPA for
data.
Q. Is there an iPhone for Sprint or Verizon?
A. No. Apple first approached Verizon with the iPhone but Verizon did
not like the Apple proposal for monthly revenue sharing, an
unprecedented idea, even though this was offset by the lack of any
handset subsidy by the carrier. Apple traded exclusivity with AT&T (in
the U.S.), and agreed to not require handset subsidies, in exchange
for a cut of service plan revenue. Ironically, AT&T and Apple soon
dropped the revenue sharing arrangement in favor of a traditional
carrier subsidy on the handset, because Apple felt that the
unsubsidized price of the iPhone was too high, and was the cause of
lower than expected sales.
AT&T has an exclusivity clause in their contract with Apple. When this
exclusivity clause expires in 2010 then you’ll likely see an iPhone
for Verizon, provided that the iPhone hasn’t been upstaged by
something even better. Of course AT&T would like to extend the
exclusivity clause and will no doubt offer Apple a lot of money to
continue the exclusive arrangement.
You can use an unlocked iPhone on T-Mobile.
Q. Where are the best places to buy iPhone accessories?
A. The cost for iPhone accessories purchased from Apple or AT&T is
very high. Check out: "http://www.monoprice.com/products/search.asp?
keyword=iphone" and "http://www.dealextreme.com/search.dx/
search.iphone".
Q. How do I connect a VGA or DVI monitor or projector to the iPhone?
A. There is no easy way to get VGA (RGB) or DVI output from an iPhone.
However Apple does sell both composite and component video cables for
the iPhone. Most projectors can accept composite video or component
video. Officially there is no S-Video support, but people have gotten
S-Video working with the old iPod universal dock. The component video
cable is Apple part number MB128LL. The composite video cable is Apple
part number MB129LL.
If you must have VGA (RGB) then you can buy a component video to VGA
(RGB) converter, but these aren’t cheap.
Q. I can’t seem to get video-out working except when playing MPEG
movies, what am I doing wrong?
A. Video out only works when playing MPEG movies. If you want video
out to be enabled for other applications then you must jail-break your
iPhone. Performance, in terms of frame rate, is not great.
Q. Why does Apple make highly desirable, and seemingly easy to
implement features, so difficult?
A. In some cases the software or drivers necessary to implement these
features have simply not yet been written. The iPhone is a relatively
new platform, and it will take Apple a while to catch up with phones
using other operating systems (Windows Mobile, Palm, RIM, Symbian,
Android).
In some cases Apple wants to protect its revenue stream and does not
want to offer any features that would cause users to purchase fewer
applications or content (i.e. that’s why there is no FM radio built
in). In some cases it’s not entirely Apple, it’s also the carrier. For
example, AT&T would rather get a cut of roaming revenue from foreign
carriers than to have an iPhone user stick in a prepaid SIM card. In
some cases, the hardware was not designed to support the feature. I.e.
there’s no button to press for voice dialing because there are no hard
buttons on the phone at all (though Bluetooth headsets do have the
ability to initiate a call).
In some cases it’s because if they provided the feature, performance
would be sub-standard, either for the feature itself, or affecting the
performance of other features. You can see this with many of the
applications and features that have been enabled in the jail-broken
iPhones—they work, but not all that well. Apple does not want to add
any capability that degrades the performance of the device.
The iPhone was designed and marketed as phone/web browser/media
player. Now it’s transitioning into a Smart Phone, and that transition
isn’t going to be without some problems. Be patient. Future iPhones
will likely solve most of the issues, and iPhone users will someday
have many of the same features already enjoyed by Blackberry Storm and
Windows Mobile users. For the next year or so, if you can't live
without some features, you'll have to choose a different smart phone.
Q. What’s the bottom line?
A. Be careful when making major purchases like this. The iPhone is a
very cool, very compelling device, but features that you may believe
are available, because all other smart phones (and many non-smart
phones) have them, may not be present on the iPhone, and there may not
be applications available that give you those features unless you
resort to jail-breaking or are willing to use web-based applications.
Many of the issues with the iPhone are inter-related. The inability to
run background tasks is not an inherent limitation of the operating
system, it’s because multi-tasking uses a lot of power, and unlike
PDAs or other smart phones, the iPhone battery can’t be swapped out on
the fly so Apple controls things that would dramatically affect
battery life. The lack of video recording to memory is because the
iPhone lacks a memory card slot which would enable the storage of the
large files that video requires, it’s not because it can’t be done
(jail-broken iPhones can record video), so Apple doesn’t allow video
recording applications that store to internal memory.
Few early adopters knew that Apple had done some of the things that
they had done until it was too late. Don’t get carried away listening
to the Apple fanbois trying to rationalize every issue with the
iPhone. The iPhone lacks many capabilities that are present in the
Blackberry and the Windows Mobile devices, but on the other hand the
iPhone has its own set of strengths.
Choose carefully,
Ira
© 2009 Ira J. Schechtman. Ira J. Schechtman is a technology expert
specializing in smart phones. Contact him at
***@gmail.com (replace DOT with a period).
Thank you for the incredible response to the rev 2.00 iPhone FAQ. I
have read all the responses, and I have made many additions and
corrections based on the feedback in these newsgroups, and from the e-
mails I’ve received.
This FAQ addresses the frequently asked questions regarding the Apple
iPhone. If you have any suggestions for new questions and answers,
suggestions on how to make existing answers clearer, or corrections,
please post the corrections to the newsgroup (I read all responses) or
send them to ***@gmail.com (replace DOT with a
period).
This FAQ will be updated and re-posted periodically to
alt.cellular.attws, alt.cellular.t-mobile, alt.cellular.verizon,
alt.cellular.sprintpcs, comp.sys.mac.advocacy,
misc.phone.mobile.iphone, and other relevant groups.
Question List
----------------
-Where can I buy an iPhone in the U.S.?
-When is the third generation iPhone going to be available?
-What will the third generation iPhone have that the second generation
iPhone lacks?
-How do I change the battery on my iPhone?
-How do I enable voice dialing on my iPhone?
-Why can't I stream music from my iPhone to a Bluetooth stereo
headset?
-What is “unlocking?”
-How do I unlock my iPhone?
-What is “Jail Breaking?”
-Can I use my iPhone with a prepaid plan?
-Can I purchase or obtain applications for the iPhone from places
other than the Apple applications store?
-What kinds of applications are available on a jail-broken iPhone that
are not available from the Apple apps store?
-Can I go to prison if I get caught “Jail-Breaking” my iPhone?
-How do I connect my notebook computer to the iPhone to use my
carrier's 3G network over Bluetooth or USB or WiFi?
-My friend’s HTC Touch allows him to connect to the internet from his
laptop using Bluetooth for the connection between the laptop and the
phone. Can I do the same thing on my iPhone?
-When I insert a prepaid SIM card when travelling in foreign countries
it doesn't work. What am I doing wrong?
-Can I activate my iPhone on T-Mobile in the U.S.?
-Is there any place that I can purchase an unlocked, carrier-
independent iPhone without having to resort to “Jail-Breaking”?
-Can I install Skype or other VOIP application on my iPhone so I can
make calls over Wi-Fi in areas with no GSM coverage, or just to save
my peak minutes?
-I can’t find a memory card slot on the iPhone. How can I transfer
photos from my digital camera to my iPhone?
-I want to use a Bluetooth keyboard with my iPhone but it doesn’t seem
to connect. What am I doing wrong?
-The camera on my iPhone doesn’t have sufficient wide-angle range. Is
there any after-market device to fix this?
-The camera on my iPhone doesn’t have sufficient telephoto range. Is
there any after-market device to fix this?
-The camera on my iPhone does not have sufficient resolution. Is there
any after-market device to fix this?
-Can I run tasks in the background, such as Internet Radio?
-How do I enable Flash support in the iPhone’s browser?
-I frequently take long international airline flights and the iPhone
battery goes flat during the flight. How can I work around this?
-I want to use my iPhone for work related stuff, but my IT department
doesn’t support it. How can I convince them to add support to the
iPhone for enterprise applications?
-The internal memory on the iPhone is insufficient for storing the
amount of music and videos I would like. I don’t want to carry around
a laptop, but an external hard drive would be okay. Is there any after-
market USB add-on drive to expand the storage to something like the
120GB on the iPod Classic?
-I often have no signal on my iPhone, why is this?
-I would like an iPhone just to use the WiFi and regular phone, but I
don’t want to pay for a data plan. Is this possible?
-I would like to create and edit documents that are compatible with
Microsoft Office. I see that Windows Mobile devices can do this, but
what about the iPhone.
-Which word processor does the iPhone support?
-Which spreadsheet does the iPhone support?
-What is the closest equivalent to Powerpoint for the iPhone?
-Is there a database program for the iPhone?
-Can I create PDFs on the iPhone?
-Can I hook USB devices to the iPhone?
-Can I print pictures taken with the iPhone camera at digital printing
kiosks?
-Can I hook the iPhone directly to my wired Ethernet router?
-Is their a way to listen to the radio on the iPhone?
-I’m living in Japan and I want to receive live TV on my iPhone the
way other Japanese smart phones can do. How do I do this?
-Is there a way to record video on the iPhone?
-Will my iPhone work in Japan?
-Is there an iPhone for Sprint or Verizon or T-Mobile?
-Where are the best places to buy iPhone accessories?
-How do I connect a VGA or DVI monitor or projector to the iPhone?
-I can’t seem to get video-out working except when playing MPEG
movies, what am I doing wrong?
-Why does Apple make highly desirable, and seemingly easy to implement
features, so difficult?
-What’s the bottom line?
Answers
----------
Q. Where can I buy an iPhone in the U.S.?
A. Apple stores, AT&T stores, Wal-Mart, and Best Buy.
Q. When is the third generation iPhone going to be available?
A. Apple has not announced a release date. However all indications are
that it will be released in summer 2009. The new OS version for the
iPhone has several features that are not compatible with the existing
iPhone hardware, so it’s clear that this new OS is designed for the
next generation model. AT&T is trying to clear out its existing
inventory of iPhones, so the new model is believed to be coming very
soon.
Q. What will the third generation iPhone have that the second
generation iPhone lacks?
A. Apple has not announced the specifications of the third generation
iPhone. Speculation on the features is that it will have a much higher
resolution camera (possibly two cameras), video recording, 802.11n
support, better speaker quality, greater storage capacity, voice-
dialing, and earphones like on the new Shuffle. Definitely features
worth waiting for.
Q. How do I change the battery on my iPhone?
A. You must send the phone back to Apple's service depot for battery
replacement. The cost is $86.95. See "http:// tinyurl.com/
iphonebatteryreplacement”. If you don’t mind voiding your warranty (or
your iPhone is already out of warranty), and you are good working with
small electronics, a number of companies sell replacement batteries
for both the 2G and 3G iPhones at far lower prices. In Google shopping
search for “iPhone 3G Battery Replacement.“ The iPhone is easy to
open, i.e. the 3G model has two Phillips 00 screws on the bottom that
hold the phone together. Note that on the original iPhone the battery
is soldered in, so you’ll need to unsolder the original battery and
solder in the new one. It’s not all that hard to do, but if you’ve
never soldered before you might want to practice on some wires first.
Be careful about using after-market batteries of unknown orgin as
lithium based batteries can be dangerous.
Q. How do I enable voice dialing on my iPhone?
A. The current iPhone model does not support voice dialing. There are
some after-market voice dialing applications for the iPhone available
in the Apps store, but because the iPhone lacks a button to press for
voice dialing, you still have to use the screen to start the
application which makes the feature somewhat lame. You can also
purchase a Bluetooth device such as the Parrot Minikit Slim Portable
Bluetooth Car Kit for iPhone 3G, iPhone, which will transfer the
phonebook from the iPhone to itself and do voice dialing
externally.The next generation iPhone will likely support voice
dialing natively.
Q. Why can't I stream music from my iPhone to a Bluetooth stereo
headset?
A. Apple did not include the necessary Bluetooth profile, called
Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) in the original OS. This
profile has been added in OS 3.0. Update your iPhone when the new OS
is available and A2DP will work.
Q. What is “unlocking?”
A. Unlocking allows a GSM phone to use SIM cards from any GSM carrier.
Typically a user that travels to another country will want to buy a
local prepaid SIM card for that country because it avoids the very
high international roaming charges.
Q. How do I unlock my iPhone?
A. AT&T will not unlock iPhones, even though they will unlock their
other phones. If you want to unlock your own iPhone, you first must
jail-break it (see below), then download and execute unlocking
software. The alternative is to buy an iPhone in Hong Kong as these
iPhones are unlocked (but not jail-broken).
Note that you can have an unlocked phone that is not jail-broken
because Apple does sell unlocked iPhones in some countries. However
for all intents and purposes, most iPhone owners that have unlocked
phones, first jail-break their phone.
Q. What is “Jail Breaking?”
A. Jail-breaking enables you to download applications from sources
other than the Apple applications store. They call it jail-breaking
because you are “breaking out” of the jail that Apple has created for
iPhone owners. There are hundreds of extremely useful applications
that Apple will not allow into its applications store for various
reasons. Jail-breaking also typically includes unlocking the phone so
that SIM cards from other carriers can be used. Note that there are
non-Jail-Broken iPhones that are able to use SIM cards from other
carriers; unlocked and jail-broken are not the same thing. There are
downsides to jail-breaking because you may no longer be able to take
advantage of OS upgrades. See http://www.quickpwn.com/ for more
details. Be careful.
Q. Can I use an iPhone with a prepaid wireless plan?
A. Yes, you can use AT&T’s prepaid service called GoPhone. But to
actually buy an iPhone you have to sign up for a postpaid plan (there
used to be a loophole to get around this but not any more) or obtain
an iPhone some other way. A big downside to prepaid with the iPhone in
the U.S. is the inability to use the data services of T-Mobile on the
carrier’s prepaid plans (on any phone, not just the iPhone).
AT&T used to let you buy unlimited data for $20/month for both “Pay As
You Go” and “Pick Your Plan” subscribers but apparently it was cutting
into sales of postpaid plans and phones so they dropped it.
If you use your iPhone on AT&T’s GoPhone service the rates for data
are 20¢-$10/MB. Yep, you got that right, $10/MB for data unless you
buy a package ($5 for 1MB (versus 1¢/KB=$10/MB) or 100MB for $20).
Other prepaid services have better data rates but won’t work with the
iPhone because they are not on the GSM network.
Q. Can I purchase or obtain applications for the iPhone from places
other than the Apple applications store?
A. Unless you unlock (“jail-break”) your iPhone, you can only get
applications from the Apple applications store.
Q. What kinds of applications are available on a jail-broken iPhone
that are not available from the Apple apps store?
A. Here is a sampling, http://www.macworld.com/article/137767/jailbrokenapps.html.
Q. Can I go to prison if I get caught “Jail-Breaking” my iPhone?
A. Yes, but only if you do it for “financial gain.” Otherwise you
could be subject to a $2500 fine. Of course this is just what Apple
has argued should be the penalty, and no one has actually been
prosecuted for jail-breaking their iPhone. See http://consumerist.com/5153597/
for more details.
Q. How do I connect my notebook computer to the iPhone to use my
carrier's 3G network over Bluetooth or USB or WiFi?
A. Tethering is not yet supported on the iPhone (jail-broken iPhones
can tether). You will need to sign up for separate 3G data service
from your carrier. Note that when Apple and the carrier do support
tethering it is a virtual certainty that the carrier will charge extra
for it. The good news is that tethering support is built into OS 3.0
and developers have already had it working, see "http://tinyurl.com"/
iphonetethering. It’s just a matter of time before tethering will
work. The problem with tethering is that AT&T that's terrified what
would happen to their 3G network if a lot of iPhone owners started
tethering. They need to figure a way to charge for tethering so iPhone
owners don't use it too much, yet not charge so much that it drives
customers away to other carriers.
Q. My friend’s HTC Touch allows him to connect to the internet from
his laptop using Bluetooth for the connection between the laptop and
the phone. Can I do the same thing on my iPhone?
A. No. This is a form of tethering, and the iPhone does not support
tethering. Even if tethering were supported, the iPhone does not
support the necessary Bluetooth profile. The iPhone is quite primitive
in terms of its Bluetooth support.
Q. When I insert a prepaid SIM card when travelling in foreign
countries it doesn't work. What am I doing wrong?
A. iPhones are subsidy-locked to the carrier. Unless you have your
iPhone unlocked (jail broken) you cannot use a prepaid SIM card. While
AT&T will unlock their other quad band phones, they will not unlock
the iPhone. Be very careful when travelling internationally because
the iPhone can "phone home" running up enormous roaming chargers. Your
best bet is to carry along an unlocked GSM phone and use a prepaid SIM
card in that phone, and use your iPhone only on Wi-Fi networks (and of
course as a music and video player). If you want a factory-unlocked
iPhone then you can purchase one in Hong Kong, but it’s unsubsidized
so the price is very high.
Q. Can I activate my iPhone on T-Mobile in the U.S.?
A. Yes, but you’ll have to get your phone jail-broken and unlocked
first. While this is a relatively simple process (check craigslist.org
for services in your area if you don’t want to do it yourself) you
need be careful about downloading operating system updates from Apple
as these updates will likely re-lock your phone.
Q. Is there any place that I can purchase an unlocked, carrier-
independent iPhone without having to resort to “Jail-Breaking”?
A. Yes. iPhones sold in Hong Kong fit this description, but they are
very expensive because they are unsubsidized. Note that while these
phones are unlocked, they are not Jail-Broken.
Q. Can I install Skype or other VOIP application on my iPhone so I can
make calls over Wi-Fi in areas with no GSM coverage, or just to save
my peak minutes?
A. Apple will not allow Skype be distributed by their applications
store. However check out TruPhone or Fring.
Q. I can’t find a memory card slot on the iPhone. How can I transfer
photos from my digital camera to my iPhone?
A. The iPhone lacks the Micro-SD or Mini-SD card slot present on most
smart phones because these slots add cost to the hardware. You must
use iPhoto (on a Mac) or iTunes to transfer photos.
Q. I want to use a Bluetooth keyboard with my iPhone but it doesn’t
seem to connect. What am I doing wrong?
A. The iPhone does not support the proper Bluetooth profile. You can
use a Bluetooth keyboard only on jailbroken iPhones.
Q. The camera on my iPhone doesn’t have sufficient wide-angle range.
Is there any after-market device to fix this?
A. Yes. See "http://usbfever.com/index_eproduct_view.php?
products_id=789".
Q. The camera on my iPhone doesn’t have sufficient telephoto range. Is
there any after-market device to fix this?
A. Yes. See "http://mobile.brando.com.hk/prod_detail.php?
prod_id=03534".
Q. The camera on my iPhone does not have sufficient resolution. Is
there any after-market device to fix this?
A. No. The 2 megapixel camera is a major complaint of most iPhone
owners since most smart phones have much better cameras. Apple is
aware of the user dissatisfaction with the iPhone camera, and is
apparently planning a major improvement in the camera on the next
iPhone model (according to published reports they are buying higher
resolution camera sensors, and the belief is that these are for the
upcoming iPhone refresh). The bottom line is that if you can wait a
few months for the new iPhone models (expected in summer 2009) then
you’ll likely get a better camera.
Q. Can I run tasks in the background, such as Internet Radio?
Apple does not allow true background tasks, so you cannot have
Internet Radio running and at the same time run any other task. If you
want this capability then you have to purchase a more advanced smart
phone such as one of the Windows Mobile phones, the Android G1, or the
new Palm Pre. One of the reasons Apple does not permit background
tasks is that these tasks greatly affect battery life, though you’d
think that users could decide how to balance battery life against
multi-tasking.
Q. How do I enable Flash support in the iPhone’s browser?
A. The iPhone’s browser does not support Flash at this time. For a
smart phone that supports Flash, you can purchase a Windows Mobile
handset and use the upcoming revision of the Opera browser, or a G1
Android and use the upcoming revision of the G1 browser. Apple hasn’t
said when and if they’ll offer Flash support for the iPhone browser.
Q. I frequently take long international airline flights and the iPhone
battery goes flat during the flight. How can I work around this?
A. Since the iPhone battery is not user-replaceable, a number of
companies have produced work-around products. In Google shopping
search for “iPhone battery external.” Also, look into whether or not
your airline (and the plane used on your particular flight) has any
sort of power jacks at the seat. Some airlines have power jacks even
in coach. Be sure to bring the proper adapters for the type of system
used by your airline (i.e. 120VAC to 5VDC USB adapter, 12VDC to 5VDC
USB adapter, or EmPower to 5VDC USB adapter).
Q. I want to use my iPhone for work related stuff, but my IT
department doesn’t support it. How can I convince them to add support
to the iPhone for enterprise applications?
A. The main problem with the iPhone in terms of enterprise support is
the inablility to push applications to the iPhone. Enterprises don’t
want to have to use iTunes, with the phone wired to a desktop, to push
applications. The other problem with the iPhone is that enterprises
don’t want to be locked to AT&T as a carrier, though for personally
owned iPhones this should not be an issue. On the plus side,
enterprises like the low cost of the iPhone. Once the exclusivity
arrangement with AT&T is over, if there is a version of the iPhone for
Verizon, then IT departments will offer more support for the iPhone.
In the meantime, you’ll have to go with Blackberry or Windows Mobile
if you want full IT support on a smart phone.
Q. The internal memory on the iPhone is insufficient for storing the
amount of music and videos I would like. I don’t want to carry around
a laptop, but an external hard drive would be okay. Is there any after-
market USB add-on drive to expand the storage to something like the
120GB on the iPod Classic?
A. There is no way to connect a USB drive to the USB port of the
iPhone. Your best bet is to carry around a netbook, and transfer music
and videos back and forth between the netbook and the iPhone. It is
not clear if the SIMA Hitch will work with the iPhone (it works with
FAT32 formatted iPods). It’s likely that as Apple expands the iPhone
line there will be different models available and at least one model
will have disk based storage (like the iPod Classic).
Q. I often have no signal on my iPhone, why is this?
A. While the iPhone is a very advanced device, it’s only as good as
the network that it operates on. in the U.S., the smaller AT&T
Wireless network significantly lags the larger Verizon Wireless
network in terms of coverage, especially outside of urban areas. Since
Verizon operates a CDMA network, the GSM iPhone cannot roam onto
Verizon.You have several options regarding phone calls outside of the
GSM network coverage area. If you have a laptop, you can sign up with
a VOIP provider such as Skype, and make calls over the Internet (i.e.
at hotels with free wireless)., or use a VOIP application on your
iPhone (but not Skype). You can carry along a prepaid CDMA phone that
works on Verizon. You can use pay phones. Of course if you never
venture out of GSM coverage areas, this is unnecessary, but most
iPhone users in the U.S. often find themselves in areas without any
GSM coverage.
Q. I would like an iPhone just to use the WiFi and regular phone, but
I don’t want to pay for a data plan. Is this possible?
A. Not on AT&T or on most iPhone carriers in the world. You can buy an
iPhone and have it unlocked so you can stick any SIM card into it, but
buying an unsubsidized iPhone is very expensive. You can buy the
iPhone in Hong Kong and it will be already unlocked (but not jail-
broken). The original iPhone (Edge) was sold unsubsidized and millions
of users bought them and used them on networks for which they were not
intended depriving Apple of revenue. By the time you buy an
unsubsidized iPhone you’ve spent enough that you could buy a far more
capable device like the HTC Tytn II unlocked (around $575).
Q. I would like to create and edit documents that are compatible with
Microsoft Office. I see that Windows Mobile devices can do this, but
what about the iPhone.
A. The iPhone does not have such applications available.
Q. Which word processor does the iPhone support?
A. gOffice Web Word Wizard, but only on the web, not standalone. You
can do basic text editing with the included application.
Q. Which spreadsheet does the iPhone support?
The best ones are MarinerCalc ($10) and Quicksheet ($13).
Q. What is the closest equivalent to Powerpoint for the iPhone?
A. Note that you can convert Powerpoint presentations to MPEG4 videos
using Wondershare PPT to iPhone. You can also use Glider Presenter to
synch and present Powerpoint presentations from your desktop. There is
no offline presentation editor available at this time.
Q. Is there a database program for the iPhone?
A. Check out STOREIT.
Q. Can I create PDFs on the iPhone?
A. Yes, but not offline. See “http://ractor.org/ipdf/ipdf.php”
Q. Can I hook USB devices to the iPhone?
A. No. The iPhone does not support USB host mode. A few SmartPhones
running Windows Mobile support USB host mode.
Q. I print pictures taken with the iPhone camera at digital printing
kiosks?
A. No. These kiosks require a memory card and the iPhone does not
support memory cards. However many stores (Wal-Mart, Costco,
Walgreen’s, etc.) allow you to upload photos to their web site and
order prints.
Q. Can I hook the iPhone directly to my wired Ethernet router?
A. No. The iPhone does not support this, and since there is no
expansion slot or USB host port, you cannot use an add on device.
Q. Is their a way to listen to the radio on the iPhone?
A. The Apple iPod Radio Remote is incompatible with the iPhone.
However there is an after-market FM radio available. See "http://
www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13773".
Q. I’m living in Japan and I want to receive live TV on my iPhone the
way other Japanese smart phones can do. How do I do this?
A. The iPhone lacks this capability, which, as you note is common in
Japanese smart phones. The lack of this capability (as well as others)
is the reason that the iPhone in Japan has sold poorly, and is
regarded as somewhat of a joke. In fact, the carrier in Japan gives
the 8GB iPhone away free with a two year contract. Amusingly, the work-
around to the live TV issue is an external tuner that sells for an
extra $100. See Loading Image...
for a photo of thiskluge.
Q. Is there a way to record video on the iPhone?
A. While there are several video recording applications for the
iPhone, all require a jail-broken iPhone. There is an apps store
application that let’s you stream live video over a WiFi connection,
but that’s about it. In any case, you’d quickly fill up your flash
memory with video, and since the iPhone doesn’t have a memory card
slot, you’d have to connect to a computer to get the video off the
phone in order to keep recording.
Q. Will my iPhone work in Japan?
A. The original (Edge) iPhone will not work in Japan. The 3G model
will work in Japan. In Japan the iPhone 3G will work on the UMTS 2100
MHz band for both voice and data. This is different than in other
countries where it operates on GSM for voice, and UMTS or HSDPA for
data.
Q. Is there an iPhone for Sprint or Verizon?
A. No. Apple first approached Verizon with the iPhone but Verizon did
not like the Apple proposal for monthly revenue sharing, an
unprecedented idea, even though this was offset by the lack of any
handset subsidy by the carrier. Apple traded exclusivity with AT&T (in
the U.S.), and agreed to not require handset subsidies, in exchange
for a cut of service plan revenue. Ironically, AT&T and Apple soon
dropped the revenue sharing arrangement in favor of a traditional
carrier subsidy on the handset, because Apple felt that the
unsubsidized price of the iPhone was too high, and was the cause of
lower than expected sales.
AT&T has an exclusivity clause in their contract with Apple. When this
exclusivity clause expires in 2010 then you’ll likely see an iPhone
for Verizon, provided that the iPhone hasn’t been upstaged by
something even better. Of course AT&T would like to extend the
exclusivity clause and will no doubt offer Apple a lot of money to
continue the exclusive arrangement.
You can use an unlocked iPhone on T-Mobile.
Q. Where are the best places to buy iPhone accessories?
A. The cost for iPhone accessories purchased from Apple or AT&T is
very high. Check out: "http://www.monoprice.com/products/search.asp?
keyword=iphone" and "http://www.dealextreme.com/search.dx/
search.iphone".
Q. How do I connect a VGA or DVI monitor or projector to the iPhone?
A. There is no easy way to get VGA (RGB) or DVI output from an iPhone.
However Apple does sell both composite and component video cables for
the iPhone. Most projectors can accept composite video or component
video. Officially there is no S-Video support, but people have gotten
S-Video working with the old iPod universal dock. The component video
cable is Apple part number MB128LL. The composite video cable is Apple
part number MB129LL.
If you must have VGA (RGB) then you can buy a component video to VGA
(RGB) converter, but these aren’t cheap.
Q. I can’t seem to get video-out working except when playing MPEG
movies, what am I doing wrong?
A. Video out only works when playing MPEG movies. If you want video
out to be enabled for other applications then you must jail-break your
iPhone. Performance, in terms of frame rate, is not great.
Q. Why does Apple make highly desirable, and seemingly easy to
implement features, so difficult?
A. In some cases the software or drivers necessary to implement these
features have simply not yet been written. The iPhone is a relatively
new platform, and it will take Apple a while to catch up with phones
using other operating systems (Windows Mobile, Palm, RIM, Symbian,
Android).
In some cases Apple wants to protect its revenue stream and does not
want to offer any features that would cause users to purchase fewer
applications or content (i.e. that’s why there is no FM radio built
in). In some cases it’s not entirely Apple, it’s also the carrier. For
example, AT&T would rather get a cut of roaming revenue from foreign
carriers than to have an iPhone user stick in a prepaid SIM card. In
some cases, the hardware was not designed to support the feature. I.e.
there’s no button to press for voice dialing because there are no hard
buttons on the phone at all (though Bluetooth headsets do have the
ability to initiate a call).
In some cases it’s because if they provided the feature, performance
would be sub-standard, either for the feature itself, or affecting the
performance of other features. You can see this with many of the
applications and features that have been enabled in the jail-broken
iPhones—they work, but not all that well. Apple does not want to add
any capability that degrades the performance of the device.
The iPhone was designed and marketed as phone/web browser/media
player. Now it’s transitioning into a Smart Phone, and that transition
isn’t going to be without some problems. Be patient. Future iPhones
will likely solve most of the issues, and iPhone users will someday
have many of the same features already enjoyed by Blackberry Storm and
Windows Mobile users. For the next year or so, if you can't live
without some features, you'll have to choose a different smart phone.
Q. What’s the bottom line?
A. Be careful when making major purchases like this. The iPhone is a
very cool, very compelling device, but features that you may believe
are available, because all other smart phones (and many non-smart
phones) have them, may not be present on the iPhone, and there may not
be applications available that give you those features unless you
resort to jail-breaking or are willing to use web-based applications.
Many of the issues with the iPhone are inter-related. The inability to
run background tasks is not an inherent limitation of the operating
system, it’s because multi-tasking uses a lot of power, and unlike
PDAs or other smart phones, the iPhone battery can’t be swapped out on
the fly so Apple controls things that would dramatically affect
battery life. The lack of video recording to memory is because the
iPhone lacks a memory card slot which would enable the storage of the
large files that video requires, it’s not because it can’t be done
(jail-broken iPhones can record video), so Apple doesn’t allow video
recording applications that store to internal memory.
Few early adopters knew that Apple had done some of the things that
they had done until it was too late. Don’t get carried away listening
to the Apple fanbois trying to rationalize every issue with the
iPhone. The iPhone lacks many capabilities that are present in the
Blackberry and the Windows Mobile devices, but on the other hand the
iPhone has its own set of strengths.
Choose carefully,
Ira
© 2009 Ira J. Schechtman. Ira J. Schechtman is a technology expert
specializing in smart phones. Contact him at
***@gmail.com (replace DOT with a period).
