Giving up on the iPhone but where next?

Thoughts on iPhone firmware 3.0

Cut and paste, MMS, proper bluetooth - hardly groundbreaking! does this really deserve 3.0 status? I don't think so when you remember the jump from 1.0 to 2.0 with the revolutionary App Store.

Some have said that now Apple are allowing devices to be plugged into the iphone and controlled using a dedicated app that this could change everything e.g. medical kit attachments. Maybe, but the iphone is an all in one device as soon as you have add-ons such as a camera you run into a few issues:

- extra bulk and hardly apple minimalism

- forgot the add on I needed!

- why not just get a dedicated device rather than some mad iphone/camera/urine testing monster hybrid.

Obviously the main reason for 3.0 is the new generation of iphones and Apple wanted to hype it up a bit. Talking of which my prediction for the new iphones is as follows:

1. iPhoneHD (to compete with the mouth watering OmniaHD and Idou) - better screen, improved camera, video recording, front cam for video calls via iChat

2. iPhoneNano (to compete with the Tocco - best selling phone in UK) - just like iPhone 3G but smaller possibly aimed at the ladies.

I have to admit the new iphone is going to have to be pretty special to tempt me away from the OmniaHD

Thoughts on Palm Pre

I normally follow the live blogging on Apple key notes because of the reality distortion field that those chaps in Cupertino are so good at creating (Oh wow, you've added face recognition to iPhoto and only want $79 for it!!!)

However I saw alot of buzz around the Palm key note at CES and thought I would follow it on my iPhone. At first I thought that this would be another iPhone wannabe but this soon changed.

The multi tasking is brilliant, if it works as promised, it would really recreate the desktop experience rather than the usual mobile pain of switching applications. The pre is the first real smart phone innovation since the iPhone in my opinion. Using the area below the screen as a touch pad is genius. In fact, I was so taken by the gesture driven UI, I actually checked to see when my contract runs out.

But then I thought: the Pre doesn't seem to have the versatility of the iPhone. Third party apps will be in html and javascript which sounds a bit rubbish. I can't see the same sort of iphone apps on the Pre unless they release an iphone type developers kit. Also synergy is a great idea but I don't have lots of email and im accounts. Lastly I like the convience of the Apple ecosystem.

Still the Pre should be a good kick in the backside for the smart phone market and a warning to Apple that others can innovate too.

Top five iphone apps

I love the iphone app store, I can download a variety of apps ranging from "my goodness, how did I live without this?" to "why would anyone think this is a good idea nevermind invest time in making it?".

So here are my current top five apps.

1. Netnewswire - RSS reader that is FREE and works really well. I can quickly browse the headlines of my favourite sites and then navigate to the full story within the app.

2. tvguide - not free but very good tv guide that gives you a snapshot of whats on in a really nice interface. I have managed to catch some very good programmes thanks to this cheeky little app.

3. removem - FREE and highly addictive little puzzle game. I have lost many hours of my life on this one but as it is similar to some elements of brain training I have kidded my self that the app has made my brain bigger.

4. Pocketguitar - I only use this to rub other non-iphone users face in it. My phone has a guitar! Yours has a spreadsheet application...

5. FS5 Hockey - again FREE! air hockey on a phone. Who would have thought?

So thats my top five

Yet another iPhone 3g review

I didn't get the original iPhone because even though I loved that spiffing new touch screen the specs were rubbish for a high end smart phone costing £269. Instead I went for the beefy super charged but free on contract Nokia N95 with 3G, GPS and a five mega pixel camera which were all absent from the iPhone. The N95 was a phone before its time. Yes it had 3G but the screen and browser meant web browsing was a chore. Yes it had GPS but getting a lock on took forever and it was often easy and faster to buy a map. Yes it had 5 mega pixel totting camera BUT it took so long to start up you would miss that "moment". In fact the N95 made me look forward to the next model when Nokia would get all of these features right. I feel that the N82 is the phone that did get all these elements right and the N96 has gone off in weird new directions (paying a premium for mobile TV that we don't yet have in the UK?). 

Anyway Apple brought out iPhone 3G and two of the missing features are now present 3G and GPS. I am still not happy that the camera is a joke. 2 megapixels?! My toaster has more megapixels. However my phone is no longer my main camera as I now have a water proof and shock proof digital camera for snaps so I can live with a rubbish phone camera. Also why no front mounted camera for 3G video calls? A small VGA camera on the facia would have cost Apple a few dollars at most. I liked having the option to make a video call even though I used it twice in a year with the N95. I don't know why the gadget blogs haven't picked up on this. 

Overall though I am very happy with the iPhone 3G despite having a wonky one to begin with.

good points

- best user interface on a phone, ever.

- amazing mobile web browser.

- 3G is fast

- GPS works really well and combined with google maps is very useful 

- best video iPod in your phone

- fantastic apps especially phone saber - the person who thought of turning a iphone into a light sabre needs to be set to work on tackling world poverty and green energy because they are a GENIUS.

- Mail easily accessible and can view office docs, nice

- feels thinner than it actually is

- other companies have had over a year and they still can't produce a touch screen anywhere near the iPhone and we are talking big, rich and clever companies. The touch screen really is a few generations ahead of anything else.

Bad Stuff

- 2 megapixel camera 

- No flash

- No video recording, 

- No video calls, 

- MMS, 

- cut and paste

In short it is brilliant and will make you feel better about wasting time on money on gadgets.

  

Confessions of an iPhone 3G early adopter

On the morning of 11th July I thought I would see what the queues were like for the iPhone 3G. I had secretly hoped that the hype around limited supply would turn out to be marketing hot air and I could be in work on time with a shiny new iPhone 3G and a large grin. Unfortunately, gadget nuts had swarmed around all phone stores murmuring darkly about systems going down and limited stock. I wandered over to the Apple store to see if the story was any better and it was. I was greeted with a short queue and claims of “healthy” stock level by the hyperactive happy clappy staff managed by a bald Steve Jobs look-a-like. Only issue was a “temporary” server problem. Instead of doing the sensible thing and jumping off the nearby balcony I stayed and had free coffee and muffins that were being served to us, the Apple faithful. I should complain about the fact that five hours later I had no iPhone and had to go to work empty handed.

However it wasn’t that bad… The apple store staff were great as they constantly came around with chocolates, water, coffee and witty banter. In addition, my fellow queue buddies who turned out to be Apple fan boys and girls were good fun and an interesting bunch of arty types. Lastly being stuck in an Apple Store is hardly Guantanamo Bay although I was told off for playing Summer Heights High too loudly on an iMac so all the kiddies heard Jonah Takaluah’s barrage of profanity. So next time Apple release an over hyped highly anticipated bit of technological fluff I will book the day off work and head over to the Apple Store with tent, wine cooler and portable barbeque. Who needs Glastonbury?

By the way I did get an iPhone on launch day. On the way home from work I popped into a store that had no queue or activation problems and was out in 5 mins with a new iPhone…

Apple iPhone and iPod Touch SDK

At last, Apple has seen the light and allowed those grubby third party developers to produce apps for the iPhone and Touch. It is amazing that apps have already been available as developers have hacked the device – meanwhile poor Google has been desperately courting developers for its mobile platform Android.

Anyhoo, followed engadget’s live blogging of the event and I have to say that Apple seem to be doing this properly. The idea of accessing an app store via iTunes and directly on the iPhone is really cool. To be honest I am not comfortable with any joker being able to produce an app riddled with malware that could muck up my little iPod Touch. It is nice to know that Apple will keep an eye on things.

The apps displayed looked really good – especially the games such as Spore. It makes me wonder if Apple had this planned along or did they really intend to limit third party apps to those stupid web apps?

Right! List of apps that I want:

- London underground map that is searchable, scalable and shows disruptions when wifi or edge is available.
- Street Fighter III with transparent controls overlay and can connect to other iPod Touchs or iPhones using wifi for multiplayer punch ups.
- Wipe Out HD using the tilt sensor would be very nice
- Doodling app so I doodle when bored and then save these master pieces.