Commentary

Love The IPhone, But...

by dave.b , Max Kalehoff , September 25, 2009

Can you hear me now? Can you hear me now?... Good! Good!

I like Apple. It's the best consumer computer manufacturer, no question. My primary laptop is a MacBook Pro, and we have several iPods in my house.

I also love the iPhone. It's a game-changer in mobile computing. It's well-designed -- beautiful, actually. Its user experience is brilliant. The iPhone also has rallied a huge third-party application-developer community, which has advanced the device's entertainment, utility and overall value, exponentially.

But a great phone? That's one thing the iPhone is not. I don't care about its compatibility with the network it runs on. The fact is that calls with iPhone users are more difficult to carry out. Even when reception is good, iPhone call quality seems to be relatively weak.

Case in point: Among four calls I received one morning last week from iPhone users, three of them dropped and one had poor reception that required a voluntary hangup and callback.

So if you need to speak with me and own an iPhone, please do me a favor: just call me from a landline.

As for my phone preference, I'd like to migrate to a new smartphone with a sexy interface, awesome apps and a thriving developer community. But it must first work as a phone. And that's why, for now, I'm sticking with my trusted BlackBerry Curve.

commentary

20 comments about "Love The IPhone, But...".

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Dennis Ryan from Element 79, September 25, 2009 at 11:13 a.m.
Yes, yes, a thousand times yes Max: the iPhone is a great device but a lousy phone. It's grasp of 3G is tenuous at best and it drops calls with remarkable regularity. Plus the Blackberry's camera has la built-in flash--kinda nice for sharper photos.
Love the apps, but the AT&T stranglehold? Deal killer. I'm gonna switch back. Bummer.
Reply

Mike Patterson from WIP, Inc., September 25, 2009 at 11:16 a.m.

BOLD, very bold...but true!

Jeffrey Sass from .CLUB Domains, LLC, September 25, 2009 at 11:19 a.m.

Max, I have two words for you: Palm Pre. ;-)

In my humble opinion it meets your requirements. Sexy interface (WebOS has some neat features, not the least of which is real multitasking, and nice integration with your online life...). Very active developer community (with support of both an official App Catalog and a thriving "Home Brew" community that acts almost like a farm league for up and coming apps... There are not 75,000 apps yet, so for a lot of things perhaps "there ISN'T an app for that..." yet. That said, the floodgates for more WebOS apps are soon to be opened. Most importantly, as a PHONE the Pre is great, and has a full qwerty keyboard that rivals your Curve's... Check it out if you haven't had the chance. I am very happy with mine. It is not perfect, but it is my best Smartphone yet, overall.

-Jeff

Steve Ellwanger from Marketing Daily, September 25, 2009 at 11:20 a.m.

Love my iPod Touch but wouldn't part with my BB Curve. Accidentally dropped it in the toilet a month ago. Took the battery out, dried it overnight and works good as new. How's that for a "dropped call"?

Tim Stejskal from Wall Street Journal, September 25, 2009 at 11:23 a.m.

It's not the phone - it's the network. I have both a blackberry that I use for work and an iPhone i use for goofing. I wouldn't give up either nor would i compare the two. It's like comparing a Hospital to a Health Spa.

Ken Elmore from AR&D, September 25, 2009 at 11:28 a.m.

Dito.. Dito.. Dito..
The Iphone is a beautiful mobile device, but the goal of all in one - phone, email, computer, personal aps is hampered by the less than adequate phone performance.

Certainly Apple, a company that has built itself on consumer confidence recognizes this issue.

It is quickly turning into a deal killer for many that I associate with.

Mark Egan, September 25, 2009 at 11:29 a.m.

I agree with you Max. I HATE my iphone because it has such great potential to be nearly the perfect phone, but is instead a tease for the reasons you mention. I have to reset mine just to get calls to go through half the time!!

Guy Powell from ProRelevant Marketing Solutions, September 25, 2009 at 11:30 a.m.

I couldn't agree more. But what I understand is that the popularity of teh iPhone has overwhelmed the AT&T network.

this says a lot about how smart devices are going to drive the connectivity anywhere push.

What an opportunity for marketers.

Ari Rosenberg from Performance Pricing Holdings, LLC, September 25, 2009 at 11:31 a.m.

When are they going to come up with an App to make the phone work?

Matt Lowden from Mediasmith, Inc., September 25, 2009 at 11:43 a.m.

I agree with Tim. I live in SF and have no problems with calls. It's random spots in the city where all of a sudden I just lose signal or 3G disappears. Particularly around Steiner and Hayes - black hole! (for those of you familiar with the city...).

Paula Lynn from Who Else Unlimited, September 25, 2009 at 11:44 a.m.

Outside of the advertising/marketing/sales of anything, there is a very high number of people who cannot afford, let alone write off, 2 cell phone bills. It's either AT&T or another company. Got the exclusivity thingy in the beginning of the iphone clammer and why the phone is unique, iconic and reasons to love Apple. Now, the economics especially because of poor service which has not and will not improve in the immediate future, to keep a one outlet system is beyond my meager understandings.

Chuck Dorris from eDining, llc, September 25, 2009 at 11:46 a.m.

guilty as charged, and the ratio of dropped calls is comparable to my own, but DAMN, its a cool thing... phone or not, it coolness and alien beauty turns blackberries into stones!

Eric Bouris from Yahoo!, September 25, 2009 at 12:16 p.m.

I own an iPhone...I agree 100% with the phone, but I also have issues with the apps on the iphone. Sometimes they do not open. More than one I have had to re-add my applications and worry if I am being charged twice. Also, my wife has an iphone. Similar to the Ipod, Apple still hasnt figured out how to separate two devices using the same computer. I now have to enter my wife's iTunes password to download apps on my iphone, and my wife's music merges into my device from time to time. Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of top 40 from time to time, but I prefer my alternative and classic rock playlists.

Matt Kelly from State Farm Mutual Ins. Co., September 25, 2009 at 12:39 p.m.

Switch to the MyPhone (Android "G2") from T-Mobile. You have more comprehensive 3G coverage paired with top-notch customer service. I just bought one and it trumps the iPhone's browser and call quality.

Ruth Barrett from EarthSayers.tv, September 25, 2009 at 12:43 p.m.

As one who has not been able to get iPhone connections in my home office in San Francisco (new building centrally located) nor out here in my vacation spot (Grants Pass Oregon) I am barely able to use 150 minutes/mo, paying for 900, and if I downgrade to 450 I am not allowed to carry over anymore than 450 of the nearly 2,000 minutes I have built up over the last couple of months. It's AT&T that cannot support the iPhone adequately. Pray Apple does not renew the contract.

Stephen Shearin from ionBurst Media, September 25, 2009 at 1:29 p.m.

I am envious of every iPhone user I see, as they take photos and do nifty things. And then they go to make a call and voila, the curtain parts and there stands the wizard.

Heinrich Hofmann, September 25, 2009 at 3:23 p.m.

To respond to Guy Powell's comment: "But what I understand is that the popularity of teh iPhone has overwhelmed the AT&T network." AT&T has had a problem with phone service for 8 years before iPhone was a thought in Apple/Steve Jobs head. The 1st cell phone I had back in 1998 was from AT&T. Their coverage sucked so bad in the Northern VA, Washington DC market that after 2 weeks I returned the phone told them I was not able to use the phone and did not want to pay for something I can't use. The CSR told me that they are upgrading the system and network all the time. Told them if I can have free service until it's better, I will keep the phone. They said no. Switched to Verizon and can even make and receive calls at my parents house out in Fauquier Cty. With the exception of Verizon "dumbing" phones down they have been good to me. Rumor has it that both Verizon and Sprint approached Apple for their own version for 2010 or 2011.

John Bruce, September 25, 2009 at 3:29 p.m.

I only thing keeping me from getting an iPhone is the network. So, for now, my Storm works great.

Lorri Carter from Kerusso, September 25, 2009 at 5:56 p.m.

I have owned all three versions of the iPhone and have never had the dropped call issue. I live in northwest Arkansas and the only options we have are Verizon/Alltel or AT&T. When I travel I have better reception that my Verizon equipped coworkers in most metro areas. I call and text while camping in hollows and low areas. The iPhone is the first cell phone I've every had that I could count on in this area.

Matt Ellsworth from FLMSC Inc., September 26, 2009 at 1:39 a.m.

for me it comes down to the network. ATT around here is terrible, and Verizon is great. so its really about that simple. I'd rather have a regular dumb phone than have something that worked very slow...