If you’ve never owned or used an iPhone, you’ll probably find the Nexus One to be a very adequate device and will assume that the minor annoyances are just part of owning a smart phone. If you’ve owned an iPhone for any length of time, you’ll likely feel, as I do, that it’s a rather half-baked device with some good ideas but generally weak execution.
Discussing Kevin’s Post on the iPhone
Kevin Rose posted a video about the top five changes he thinks Apple needs to keep the iPhone as the top mobile phone. Here is what he said (abbreviated):
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- Create an expedited app review process
- Allow apps to be hosted and sold on a website
- Allow apps that compete with the default apps
- Multi-tasking (limited)
- Move to Verizon
Everything centers around apps on the phone (software) except for the last one which is carrier preference.
It is interesting that all of these don’t really have anything to do with the next generation of iPhone hardware (except maybe a compatible radio for Verizon’s network) and that all of these features could possibly be backwards compatible with existing iPhones.
I don’t agree with all the points above. First, I don’t believe allowing apps to be hosted anywhere other than the App store is a good idea for developers or users. Why? Because the biggest strength of the App store is a single location to find apps. It isn’t fragmented among thousands of websites. Sure there are downsides but the upside is enormous and outweighs the cons in my opinion.
Second, I don’t think that an expedited approval process will fix the App store problem. That is just a bandaid for the real problem (slow approvals) which Apple has been (slowly) rectifying. Basically, I don’t see how this specifically keeps the iPhone dominant. You could also just generally say, “improve the app approval process” and get the same results.
Third, having apps that compete with the default apps and allowing some multi-tasking is probably an evolution of the software (and hardware) and I’m fairly confident we’ll see these “features” in the future. However, I don’t think they are required right now to keep the iPhone dominant.
Lastly, I don’t see Apple “moving to Verizon”. I see them just expanding their network availability when the contract with AT&T ends. Simple as that. It will happen it is just a matter of when. Personally, I don’t suffer from poor reception where I work/live but I sympathize with those that do.
I’ll post tomorrow about what I think are the top 5 changes that need to be made to keep the iPhone dominating the mobile market.
Concept for a multi-tasking iPhone. Seems like a pretty good start.
The App Store is a key strategic differentiator of the iPhone and iPod Touch experience, and we believe that outstanding software is the key ingredient for a great mobile experience.
On the two year anniversary of the launch of the iPhone I thought I’d look back at the phone I was using two years ago today. I got a big upgrade.
iPhone for everyone
A little bird whispered in my ear that Apple will have an iPhone for everyone come Tuesday.
Developing on the iPhone/iPod Touch
Developers from Cultured Code, Smule, Demiforce, and AOL talk about how developing for the iPhone is fun, quick, and rewarding ($).
Wishlist hits & misses
Yesterday Apple released a beta of their iPhone 3.0 software into the wild. In my previous post I mentioned a few of the features I hoped the 3.0 software would get. Turn-by-turn directions, Background processes/multiple applications, Full Search, Increased keyboard responsiveness, Improved battery life, Event locations, Weekly calendar view, Remote iTunes access, and better app management.
I got most of my wishes. Battery life will probably remain the same for older models and increase for the new model to be released this summer. No mention of any changes to the calendar application except support for subscriptions (.ics) and CalDAV. I hope MobileMe supports CalDAV at some point. Remote iTunes access hasn’t been announced but the have a cool P2P feature using bonjour over bluetooth. App management hasn’t changed much except the addition of Spotlight as a quick launch.
I was actually really pleased with the event. There were a whole slew of useful features and enhancements that will make current and future apps even better. I’m sure over the next few days we’ll see what non-features and bug fixes have been implemented.
