Sunday, January 27, 2008

My Penance: Writing an iPhone Review That Someone Will Hate





In a previous post here--"My Sin: I Bought an iPhone"--I dramatized, just a bit, the experience of buying a mobile device that's been the "talk of the town" for over a year. I've intensely tested the iPhone for a few days now. This post is my penance.

It's interesting to observe how cell phone/mobile phone users write and react to consumer electronic reviews. Reading Engaget, one would think mobile warfare is imminent. Phonescoop reviewers seem more sedate, but you still read "the best phone I've ever bought" right next to "the worst phone created by God." The reviews are interesting to read if you realize how personal mobile devices have become to a lot of people. What pleases one person causes fury in another. I covered this human behavior in an eBay post called: "Choosing a Smartphone." Six of nine people liked it. This confirms the SW/SW/SW principle: "Some will, some won't, so what?"

Now that the iPhone is in the hands of a few million people--and Apple has released a few software updates to fix some bugs--it's now safe to step back and take a look at this evolutionary device. (My iPhone is resting comfortably next to my laptop as I write this; so unless Steve Jobs has inserted some C4, I think it's safe to write this review.)

I still believe my eBay blog post over a year ago about personal icons is valid. I wrote: "The icons became a statement of me. Whether it's the Apple iPhone or an expensive audio device or a WIFI mobile telephone--it doesn't matter. Consumers worldwide now lust after an increasing array of iconic symbols, symbols that give meaning and definition to one's self, symbols that rapidly change as we acquire more of them. Just as the Internet has rocketed information access to the masses, new objects, new icons appear on the market with increasing rapidity and variety. It's as if the cosmetics industry has taken over the definition of oneself. The icons spread, we buy them, and we let them define who we are. So...as you lust after the Apple iPhone and consider paying $1,500+ for a shimmering sliver of light, remember that you are buying the latest icon--something that defines you as a person and next year at MacWorld, Jobs will have something else for you, a new object you think you need....but only for the moment."

I'm going to try avoiding features of the iPhone--"Cover Flow," screen resolution and size and the "two finger squeeze"--that others have written about ad nauseam. Rather, I'm going to comment in bullet format what I like and don't like about the device--features and functions of value. If I skip your favorite "cool and awesome" iPhone feature, consider it a sin of omission.

Here we go...duck for cover:

  • Screen Clarity. The iPhone has the best screen clarity for text and graphics I've ever seen on a mobile device. It's absolutely striking in all applications from Safari to email to maps. The iPhone should win an award if, for nothing else, Apple engineering on screen brightness, contrast, color and readability in portrait and landscape. Outstanding.
  • Touch Screen Smear. All cell/mobile phone users create smears on their phones' screens--whether a flip or touch screen phone. I found the iPhone smear worse than other touch phones and very difficult to clean. Luckily, the iPhone's crisp display overcomes the smear, but other smartphones with large screens are less prone to dust and smears. (The Sony Ericsson P910 and Palm Treo's come to mind.)
  • Phone Sound Quality--Earpiece and Speaker Phone. Superb with occasional hiss courtesy of AT&T Mobility. Sound distorts on the speaker phone as well when signal strength drops.
  • Calling Features. The ringer off switch on the left side of the phone is too small and difficult to engage, but the large dialing pad is a welcome addition to touch phones. It's also interesting that Apple, the inventor of the iPod and iTunes, didn't include voice control for calling or opening applications. The HTC Touch, my model for an Android-enabled phone
    has both, plus a lot of Samsung and other phones offer voice dialing.
  • Quick and Automatic Switching from AT&T's EDGE Network to Wi-Fi. I entered my home network information once, and the iPhone switched back-and-forth swiftly. (My home network is powered by a dedicated Speakeasy DSL line (1.3Mbps) connected to Apple's latest Airport Base Station. When away from my home network, the iPhone automatically alerted me to other Wi-Fi networks within range. While connected to Wi-Fi, I easily used one finger to navigate each screen quickly. The iPhone UI is best-of-breed touch screen technology that sets a new standard for competitors.
  • GPS, after a few attempts, clearly showed roads, highways and traffic patterns with quick screen re-draw as I moved my finger in all directions. Since I have GPS in my Toyota Prius, I'd never use the feature while driving but might use it when lost in a big city. Unfortunately, downloading megabytes of data from AT&T's EDGE network would be frustrating. (Good news: Gizmodo just announced AT&T is working on "Fine Edge" to increase data download speeds.)
  • Safari Browser. As Mac users know, Safari is light years ahead of any competing browser. The iPhone can hold 8 mini-screens in memory and they open and close rapidly with stunning resolution, far better than screen rendering on Nokia's N80. When returning to some of the minimized Safari browser windows, the mini-screens were blank with the webpage title at the top; however, as soon as I touched the screen, the correct page maximized correctly. Zooming in with Safari at first delivers slightly blurred text. A second or two later, it's crystal clear. (Again, I'm using my home network--not AT&T's.)
  • Automatic Landscape Viewing Brilliant. I was able to view a readable Wall Street Journal page in Landscape with little text size adjustment.
  • Lack of Flash Support. This issue was reported seven months ago. I was unable to retrieve my voice messages on GrandCentral because the website requires Flash. (Skyfire, a start-up company in Mountain View, California, just announced a free browser that automatically adjusts page formatting with video support for high-end smartphones. Availability is mid-2008.)
  • Re-Arranging Icons and Creating Multiple Home Screens. Great time saver.
  • (Data Plan Cost and EDGE Comment). I believe that Apple obtained an agreement with AT&T on the $20 unlimited data plan and 200 text messages because both knew most iPhone users would surf the web using Wi-Fi rather than EDGE. (The status screen on my iPhone shows only 3MB of EDGE data downloading, while my Wi-Fi downloading during the three days test must be several hundred megabytes.) AT&T's other data plans for BlackBerry's and Smartphone/PDA's cost $30 to $50 using either EDGE or 3G.
  • Suggestion for Apple and AT&T. In Safari preferences, allow users to turn off picture and graphics downloading. HTC already does this on their Touch device, and Microsoft Office 2007 automatically blocks picture downloads in email for security reasons. Downloading text only on AT&T's EDGE network would significantly improve performance. (Taking this step would also address the industry's increasing concern about mobile viruses and spyware.)
  • Text Data Entry. While the iPhone's QWERTY keypad is the largest I've seen, using one finger to enter text takes time to learn despite help from the confirming larger alpha-numeric circles that appear when pressing a letter or number. Frequently, three or four letters with accent marks appeared while pressing a button. Moving my finger to the proper button didn't change to the correct letter.
  • Fonts Change Size. When switching from portrait to landscape, Safari increased font size. Upon returning to portrait, the original font size displayed.
  • Word Completion Needs improvement. After typing "N," then "O," the iPhone suggested "NOI" rather than "NOW," which I intended. Other manufacturers, especially Sony Ericsson, deliver greater accuracy when using T9 text entry.
  • Pressing Space Bar Twice for Period. Good feature, used by BlackBerry users for years.
  • Large Positioning Circle for Editing. Excellent idea and reduces eye strain and errors.
  • Using Two Thumbs to Enter Text. No way. This works on a BlackBerry due to the full QWERTY keypad with the BB's weight shifted to its top. The iPhone's weight is evenly distributed, lacks a rubberized back like other smartphones--making it easier to hold the phone--and switches to other screens and applications on its own. Will cover that in a second.
  • "M" key is to the left of the back key. Several times, I erased entire words when my finger was too close.
  • iPhone Movement Causes Problems. The phone's movement sensitivity is set too high. In multiple cases, moving the phone slightly or laying it down on a table caused other applications to open. For example, when I laid the phone down, Safari or the Favorites screen opened. Several Web pages minimized on their own.
  • Finger Slide AND Home Button? One thing mobile manufacturers attempt doing is eliminating excessive steps in menus and such. Why does the iPhone require a finger slide from left to right plus pressing the home button to awaken? The home button is recessed so swiping one's finger across the base of the phone is not going to cause problems. "Simple strokes for simple folks."
  • Construction. The iPhone's exterior metal casing is too smooth, causing the iPhone to shift in your hand and possible drop it. HTC, Nokia, Sony Ericsson and other manufacturers provide a better grip. Plus the bottom black base beneath the connection port easily scratches. Change the color, Apple, or make it rubber for easier handling and stability.
  • Camera Quality O.K. No zoom and no streaming video, but the indoor pics are better than I expected without camera controls. The plant above and eagle to the right are untouched iPhone shots.
  • Multiple Email Account Navigation. While scrolling through and viewing emails in full HTML is fantastic, unlike a BlackBerry, you have to press multiple buttons to access the inbox of each email account--a hassle that also plagues Sony Ericsson and Nokia phones. Like a BlackBerry or, for that matter, Apple Mail or Outlook, there should be ONE inbox showing all your emails. Kudos to Apple for allowing one or more preview lines in email settings.
  • Email Download Size Limit and No Push. Perhaps AT&T got in the way on this one. Standard setting options are auto-check, Show (number of most recent messages), Preview, Minimum Font Size, Show To/Cc Label, Ask Before Deleting, Always Bcc Myself, Signature and Default Account. Not bad. Let's add, as with other email clients, "download headers only," "download entire message" or "only download XX kb." And, since Yahoo has now teamed with Apple on push email (it works), why not POP3 and Imap accounts as well. And, if Apple wants to get the business market--Microsoft ActiveSync on Exchange servers.
  • MMS Messages to AT&T Website? I ran a few MMS messages from T-Mobile to the iPhone and received an email to retrieve the message on an AT&T website. No, Apple, let's do it the normal way.
  • No Calendar Weekly View. There's monthly, daily and list views but not weekly. Almost every phone on Earth offers a weekly calendar view. Let's get it on the product spec sheet, Apple programmers.
  • Limited Bluetooth Profiles. I gather Apple feels, like Verizon for many years, that crippled bluetooth is kosher. Sorry, hands-free is not enough and running all synchronization of pictures, songs and such through iTunes creates a "sync monopoly." My two Macs with bluetooth can't directly exchange pictures with the iPhone. Back to the drawing boards.
  • Quit Using the Word "Easy." My last request. Tell your marcom people that their salaries get docked $10 every time they write "easy" in a user guide. Read my post about the Apple website.
Well, folks, that's it. All in all, Apple set the bar significantly higher for the mobile phone industry. Let's hope the industry, including Apple, responds with easy-to-use (oops), sophisticated communication devices and applications. The U.K., Europe and especially Asia already dominate mobile technology. I believe there's hope for the United States as well.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

The HTC Touch: A Closer Look

Want to learn more about the HTC Touch? When I identified it as a model for the ideal Android phone in MarketingBeyond and here at MTI, I didn't fully write about the two key issues impacting touch screen mobile devices. Read my latest eBay review for details. Oh...it's day two with my iPhone and I'm still checking it out. Will comment shortly.

My Sin: I Bought an iPhone





I committed the ultimate sin yesterday. I walked into an AT&T store and bought an iPhone. Yes, after blasting Apple, Steve Jobs and the iPhone for over a year, I succumbed to the temptation. I couldn't stand the hype and glitz any longer. With my knees shaking--and my declared perfect Android phone with me--I did it.

As I opened the package, my trembling hands picked it up, gazed at its glimmer, clutched it carefully as I inserted the USB connector to the phone and my MacBook Pro. Agonizing pains shot through my fingers as I started activating the device by agreeing to all of the legalese created by Apple's and AT&T's lawyers.

Stressed out with trepidation, I entered my credit card number and other information. Pausing just a moment, I clicked on "activate." Ah, the sin was nearly complete.

Apple's iTunes and AT&T's verification servers went into action, telling me on the screen what was happening and the emails I'd soon get.

The emails arrived one-by-one, each giving me just a bit more information on my sinful decision. I wondered: Is this a venial or mortal sin? Which had I committed? When moving on to Heaven or Hell, would Steve Jobs be there to greet me?

The final email arrived. ACTIVATION! The phone was now ready to use. Just as I wrote about Vista and "Windows It's Alive," the iPhone sprung to life with the latest software update. Strange icons beckoned me to push them, my home network discovered in an instant. The iPhone was now a MePhone.

It enveloped my senses as I started pushing buttons. Then the ultimate cool and awesome experience--synching with iTunes. Apple now knew about my sin. They had acquired a new victim (I mean customer).

I was late for choir practice. So I left the shimmering piece of glass in its cradle, firmly attached to my Mac. But I knew when I got home, IT would be there...

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Tired of iPhone and Nokia N95 News? Want a Cell Phone for Talking? The LG LX150/LX160 is It

At times, it seems like everyone on Earth has (wants) an iPhone, Nokia N95 or another expensive mobile phone. Well, guess what? Some people--might be you--just want a well-built cell phone for calling people. (Ah, I can just hear the snobbish Engaget and Wired geeks seething, but I love it.)

If you're looking for a cell phone without a camera, music player or direct connection to Steve Job's office at Apple, the LG LX150 (14 available right now on eBay) might be YOUR phone. (LG's LX160 is an upgraded version of the LX150 for Sprint.)

Here's a review of the LG LX150 posted in my eBay blog.  (Click on the link above for the Phonescoop review.)

In our 3G/EVDO, multi-media smartphone world, we should occasionally remind ourselves that most people buy cell phones to make and receive CALLS--not to surf the web at broadband speeds nor organize their lives with a PDA. 

It's probably heresy to debunk the sophisticated devices that now crowd the market, but LG and Sprint have a winner with the LX150, a basic "smallish" clamshell phone with excellent reception, good sound quality--including an exceptionally clear speakerphone--a colorful and informative internal display and a keypad that's easy to use. In fact, the LX150's center dialing pad (numbers, 2, 5, 8 and 0) are recessed, reducing dialing errors, unlike the Moto RAZR and other phones letting you guess numbers or text characters you've entered. 

Speaking of text, the LX150 even has a TEXT button, helping you navigate quickly to your contact directory for a quick text message. A speaker phone button appears directly opposite the text button, while additional soft keys immediately access the Web, your contacts, missed calls and even your calendar. If you change the center D button's menu to LIST rather than ICON, you're only a few keystrokes away from any function. 

The volume toggle button is on the left outer side of the phone as usual, along with a speaker dependent dial by voice button that you provides voice dialing up to 30 numbers. Although the outside display is monochrome, it's easily readable and just above it is a flashing light reminding you the phone is on. (It flashes red when you have a message or miss a call.) But enough about the buttons. 

Upon placing a call, the internal display shows the number called, and a list of functions available during the call. You can mute the mic, turn the speakerphone on and off, set up a 3 way call, view your contacts and recent calls, write a text message, record the call as a voice memo and enter information in the notepad. 

After reviewing mobile phones for over three years, I've never found it easier during a phone call to navigate to and use all these features. This IS a well conceived phone for a person who wants the basics without a camera or media player. 

Bluetooth is included, by the way. But, look elsewhere if you want a ruggedized Nextel-like phone (you'll crush it the first day) or the best speakerphone (loud with some distortion) or megabytes of MP3 storage (get an Ipod). What you'll get is a phone touting 4 hours of talk time--one hour more than most CDMA phones--terrific sound quality and expertly designed for calling and texting. I highly recommend this phone.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Mobile Phones

I was online with Engaget mobile phone geeks last night and discovered there's a good deal of confusion: where to purchase the latest smartphones, warranty service, SIM cards, etc. So...here's a quickie post to clarify.

  1. Until the U.S. catches up, the most sophisticated and powerful smartphones are available from several reliable sources. Phonesource-USA, which does business on eBay and its own website, is an excellent company and continuously offers the latest unlocked GSM phones from Asia, Europe and the U.K. The company ships quickly from Hong Kong and Nevada and I've purchased smartphones from them for years with excellent results.
  2. Integron Technologies sells an assortment of consumer electronics items, including smartphones. The service and shipping charges are unmatched on eBay.
  3. GSMarena.com has the most comprehensive line-up of smartphones I've ever seen. The website also supplies information on mobile device suppliers. You could spend hours reading about the latest phones from all the major manufacturers: Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, Motorola, to name a few.
  4. Warranties? Aha...now's the time to be careful. When a phone manufacturer releases a new model--say one from Sony Ericsson--it's distributed to different parts of the world, based on mobile carrier networks, language, features and other factors. So one version of a Sony Ericsson phone is intended for sale in Asia, another in Europe and another in the U.K. The usual one year warranty on its phones is only valid in the country or region for which the phone was made. If you purchase the Asian version of the new K770i SE phone, for example, repairs are done in Hong Kong. However, unless you live in Asia and deliver the defective phone to SE in Hong Kong, the warranty is not valid. This is changing dramatically with some manufacturers I'll cover next.
  5. Nokia is rapidly opening retail stores in the United States to sell unlocked GSM phones that you can use on AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile and a few other GSM carriers in the States. Warranties for phones sold in the U.S. are valid. Expect to see Sony Ericsson and other overseas manufacturers distributing increasing numbers of mobile phones here in 2008.
  6. SIMS--those strange looking cards found in GSM phones--contain your account information, number of usage minutes if you've purchased a "pay as you go" SIM and around 200 names and phone numbers that your GSM phone can access. In the U.K., Europe, Asia and elsewhere, mobile phone owners can purchase SIM's to swap in-and-out of their unlocked phones to get the best calling rates in each country--in many cases, much cheaper per minute than a SIM from a U.S. carrier that you use overseas. In Europe, for example, you can walk into a store, purchase a SIM for France or Germany or Norway and also buy a phone. Verizon and Sprint in the U.S. use CDMA technology. No SIMS. Your phone's ESN--a unique code--identifies your phone to the carrier. With CDMA, your carrier programs your phone to work on its network. Which leads us to...
  7. Locked vs. unlocked phones. As you may know, when you purchase a cell phone plan from a U.S. carrier, the phone you receive is "locked" to that carrier's network. The locking is usually done at the manufacturer's factory when the phone is branded for AT&T or T-Mobile. While most GSM phones can be "unlocked" using software codes and/or cables, some can't. And even if you unlock a GSM phone that was previously locked by the manufacturer, the phone may not fully function correctly on a different network. You may have MMS or WAP or even calling problems, like poor voice quality and dropped calls. That's because each carrier uses roaming partners to provide coverage in areas where they're few cell towers and signal strength and your phone may not be programmed to access roaming partners. That leads us to...
  8. Frequencies. They're basically four frequency ranges for world cell phones---850Mhz and 1900Mhz in the U.S. and 900Mhz and 1800Mhz used by carriers outside the U.S. Triband phones usually operate at 900Mhz, 1800Mhz and 1900Mhz; Quadband at 850Mhz, 900Mhz, 1800Mhz and 1900Mhz. That's why quadband phones are usually referred to as "world phones." They'll work on virtually any frequency used by worldwide carriers. New standards in the 1700Mhz and 2100Mhz band are arriving for 3G service, but we'll skip that for now.
Hope that helps. Cellular technology is complex and, until there's a world standard, differences will affect how mobile phones work.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Bluetooth Neuron Disease Spreading Fast at Starbucks

The American Academy of Bluetooth Physicians recently announced a new mobile illness called "Bluetooth Neuron Disease." Symptoms include loss of reality, increased musical abilities and bipolar depression. The disease is spreading rapidly among iPhone users who place Starbuck orders using a paired bluetooth headset. DaVido, a singer obsessed with Starbucks, recently acquired the disease.

In a recent study, the AABP observed cell phone bluetooth users at 50 Starbucks in Silicon Valley. Over 75% of BT users were talking to themselves and staring into blank space as they imbibed latte's, capuccino's and "Grande Big Gulps," 36 ounces of Starbuck's daily coffee blend. 

Suffering from bluetooth neuron disease, medical researchers believe the combination of caffeine and BT headsets results in solitary beings who prefer conversing with people they can't see. When researchers attempted removing the headsets, individuals started screaming "latte, latte" and required medical intervention.

Researchers speculate that wearing BT headsets on the left ear, combined with the caffeine, stimulates the brain's right hemisphere, leading to enhanced musical abilities. Downloading songs from iTunes to an iPhone at Starbucks may worsen the condition.

According to Star Buck, CEO and President of Starbucks in Seattle, "we are thoroughly investigating this serious situation and cooperating with the AABP." To ensure that Wi-Fi, available at most Starbucks, is not contributing to the illness, Starbucks' managers have turned off all wireless routers in the stores.




Friday, January 11, 2008

Like Texting? Maybe During an Earthquake?

We had a moderate earthquake out here in California some months ago. But we adapt--like texting while under two feet of concrete. Yes, indeed...the ultimate experience in the land of sun and surf. Read the story.