Comments on: iPhone 3G: What we didn't get

The iPhone 3G brought many new promises, but it didn't give us a lot of things we expected.

[IWantItNowPleaze]

I'm really mad Apple did not include a 10MP camera in the iPhone. I now still have to carry a good camera AND a phone when I want to snap pictures. Just kidding!

I hang with a multitude of 20, 30 and 40-somethings all day, everyday in a highly technical environment that is heavily reliant on reliable communication. Nobody I know uses MMS. Apparently, MMS is a regional thing dependent on carrier pricing or outside of my workplace demographic.

[drock8907]

32gb of storage is all i ask for apple!

[Pathogens]

WEAK!!!! BURN!!!! What a waste. No MMS. You have got to be kidding me!!!

How can you even call it a cell phone???????

Wasnt really looking into the iphone, but hell, I like new gadgets.

Not even gonna take a second look seeing that it doesnt have MMS.

WEAK!!!!!!!!!!!!

[khimari05]

Weak!!! Say it louder!! WEAK!!!!

[naginata360]

Wow, it never ceases to amaze me how anti-Apple most CNet writers (and most CNet readers) are, and this is coming from a person that doesn't even own an Apple product (but will get the iPhone & has owned iPods).

Let's see: 2.5 times faster internet (with the best mobile internet experience), true GPS, 3rd party apps, push email, thinner, better battery life AND HALF the original price (though I do see how they'll make it up with the data plan). And AT LEAST 75% of the people posting are "disappointed". Gimme a break; this device had to be trancendant to please most of you.

Most of the phones you are citing have the features you're whining about, but are missing features that the iphone has. And most of them COPIED the iphone's end-user interface, and DOESN'T do it as well.

And some of those features are trivial at best. MMS is something that Apple can update with software, and it does seem like a simple thing to address. But seriously, I don't know anyone over 21 that uses MMS. Hell, facebook will take care of nearly all of a twenty-somethings' photo sharing needs. Copy and Paste? Seriously??

The one omission that I cosign as being a show-stopper for people who want them is video recording. If you don't care about that, and you still have an issues with the phone, you probably didn't want it anyway. There are plenty of fine smartphones for you out there from Blackberry, LG, Palm, Samsung, Nokia, etc.

[seanh1231]

Yes, 3G is an amazing addition... if it's available where you live. If not, well then all you get is an original iPhone with GPS, which it should have had to begin with.

[seanh1231]

By the way, I love Apple, but I'm just not impressed with this so-called "effort".

[khimari05]

@naginata
I own a ipod touch. I love it to death. I turned down a iphone to get it. The iphone disappointed me initially due to space and that 2 year contract. I don't like at&t. Now to speak for myself, I am not anti apple. I think they have the potential to become the greatest computer/mp3/phone etc...company ever. However, what holds them back, and this why you see so many "i'm disappointed" comments, is because they don't listen to the consumers. Hell, they don't even ask. Let me put it this way, if apple decided to make a car, and they made there's with no radio or no brakes, but gave you tv's in the headrest and 22" rims...and people complained about it...because every other car has it right....would we still be anti-apple?

[superswiss]

Whether you use MMS or not isn't really the point. The big disappointed is that even after round 2. This supposedly revolutionizing cell phone still falls short in the features department. Did you listen to Steve Jobs when he said "we learned soooo much from the first iPhone. We included everything we learned and more....". Ahem... where's the more? Yes, the UI is class leader. I'm not gonna dispute that. But, unfortunately, that's it. People are complaining about Windows Mobile, but at least WM doesn't restrict features. My Treo 750 supports Bluetooth profiles, not just headset/handsfree. It has copy paste and supports all network features like MMS. I can tell you that Windows Mobile based phones are coming with the same UI features as the iPhone, same with Android and others. Unless Apple keeps up in the feature department they will join the ranks of Tivo and others who invented a technology just to be surpassed by the superior implementation of the same technology by their competitors.

[khimari05]

amen!!

[tekwiz4u]

Maybe they didn't include MMS because the majority of users DONT use it. So its round 2, but people have to remember its JUST a phone, not a full fledged computer. Given that iPhone is tuned to trends, maybe they saw MMS as a fading feature replaced with push technology.

[wantzep]

No one has ever won on features. I would rather have less features that work than the crap that Microsoft and it's minions put out.

[khimari05]

I all steve jobs learned from the first phone is that people couldn't afford it!! lol!!! He couldn't pull that trick again anyway..we're in a recession. ed mcmahon is about to lose his house. he wouldn't dare try to shove that expensive crap down our throat again.

[naginata360]

"Let me put it this way, if apple decided to make a car, and they made there's with no radio or no brakes, but gave you tv's in the headrest and 22" rims" that's not an applicable example at all. if I used your example as a basis, the 3G iphone is like a car with a fantastic engine, great looks, great vehicle dynamics, and a comfortable interior; but it's missing a telescoping wheel, leather, cigarette lighters, cupholders. The first two "should" be in a "vehicle" in the price range, but does that REALLY detract that much from the fantastic pros. And the last two, well, EVERYBODY has them (even cheaper cars), but when the car is great who really gives a *bleep*, unless you care more about destroying your lungs or sipping a latte than driving that great car. Really, are you going to NOT look into a car that is among the best in it's class, the BEST in class at what it does best, because it doesn't have cupholders?

[seanh1231]

For the record, there is no way in hell I would by a car that didn't have cupholders. Come on, there is absolutely no excuse for excluding something like that. In the same sense, there is absolutely no excuse for excluding MMS. At this point, MMS can't really be considered a feature of a phone because every phone has it. It's more of a standard function, just like cupholders being a standard part of a car.

[tekwiz4u]

Maybe they didn't include MMS because the majority of users DONT use it. So its round 2, but people have to remember its JUST a phone, not a full fledged computer. Given that iPhone is tuned to trends, maybe they saw MMS as a fading feature replaced with push technology.

[seanh1231]

No matter what you say, sending and viewing a picture via MMS will ALWAYS be faster than sending and viewing an email. Give it up, your arguments are futile.

[daleberger]

In California we HAVE to have voice dialing come July 1. I can't believe Jobs was that short-sighted. Bought one of the original iPhones and took it back because it did not have it, and will not purchase one until they have its own voice recognition.

[TigerWoodsIV]

wait, windows mobile, thats a joke right? its funny cause yeah itd be nice to have these features, but its still by far the best product out there. it is so advanced and obviously no other phone compares...you can obviously tell this by the ridiculous amount of hype and rumors circulating when no one really cares about crappy windows mobile phones or the "iphone killer" samsung instinct or voyager. ive used the voyager and its laughable that its compared to the iphone

[khimari05]

No No No!! The car analogy was to say that it was the same as every other car..say a toyota camry right..no fancy stuff..they just left out brakes and a radio. ok? in the place of those two things that you find in any other car, they add all this useless fancy crap. so to please you, they add this fantastic engine, great vehicle dynamics,blah blah blah. now yes the car would be great. It would look great. key word being "look". if youre gunning for the best...in this case blackberry is the LEADING smartphone..why would you leave anything out? why wouldnt you go for broke? The iphone is not the best because it "lacks"..i can't say it enough..the iphone is weak,weak,weak!! if it wasn't for jailbreaking, I wouldnt even waste my time typing on this blog. I am a critic, yes I am, I expect quality..look at this iphone..this is quality? yes it looks nice. yes it has other phone companies shaking in their boots. But how long can you lack, before you get surpassed...and forgotten. and the bottom line is if me or you or anyone else on this blog were to make a phone as powerful and supposedly "revolutionizing".....then it would be just that. you know why..because we would listen to the people, we would read these blogs..we wouldnt get "im disappointed" messages.....think about it?

[Angarvin517]

my biggest beef with this phone is the no video capturing and lack of video capture. such a sophisticated phone should have these abilities! What are you not getting APPLE. PLEASE GIVE IT TO ME!!!!!!!!!!!

[InsomniacInc]

Everything looks great functionally with the iPhone but im curious as to why they went with a plastic backing rather than the beautiful brushed aluminum. Personally I find plastic to be much more a nuisance. Smudges fingerprints probably less durable than metal as well. it may be glossy and gorgeous but it also forces you to buy a case. not that you wouldn't anyway but it seems illogical to create a less durable product that'l have people pitching fits because it got its first scratch or god forbid they drop it and it cracks. otherwise this is a sound product but the casing might make me lean away for another version or so.

[lawgone]

No MMS = No Sale. It's as simple as that. I am so tired of getting pic message notifications on my iPhone but no picture - unless I want to go to some lame website to view the picture, which, by the way, you can almost never access on the phone's browser. MMS is a simple, basic feature to add yet Apple arrogantly refuses to give it to us. Screw you Apple, screw you.

[Real23]

MMS? Are you a 14 year old girl? Push e-mail is the real deal.

[seanh1231]

@Real23: I actually know quite a few people over 40, and a lot more under who use MMS frequently. Just because you don't use it doesn't mean no one else does. E-mailing takes extra steps that MMS just doesn't require.

[khimari05]

Hey guys, btw..the keynote is up on apple's homepage..just a little f.y.i. :)

[YoRockOn]

Another great Windows Mobile "3G" feature I see missing in iPhone is the "Internet Connection Sharing" or essentially use the phone as a high speed data connection when on the road which I find quite useful rather than taking a separate data plan and card.

[emoslayer6224]

Well, that sucks. My treo 650 still beats the iphone. It still has the same pixel density, full blown flash player, document editing, and alternatives to all the apps in ROM. Plus, there's copy & paste, expandable memory, a sim slot that's easily opened, and records video. Let's see an iphone beat that. Oh yeah, and it cost me 60 bucks.

[YoRockOn]

Apart from the form factor, I also like my treo 750.

[Newsdork]

I'm a HUGE apple fan. I have a Macbook that I treat better than some people treat their kids. I would like nothing more than to get rid of my Windows Mobile Treo 750 and get an iPhone, but right now I need three things: video, MMS, and cut and paste. It's simple as that. All these arguments about 'nobody over 12 uses MMS' etc are dumb. Don't substitute the word "nobody" when you really mean "I" don't use... I'm 33 years old. I, along with a great many of my friends, and my 60+ year old parents, most of whom do not use smartphones, send MMS to each other every day. It's great you can email a pic from your iphone, but if the people you're sending it to don't have smartphones, it's useless. Some idiots on here say "you don't NEED MMS" or "you don't NEED cut and paste". Yes I do. And the fact that 90 percent of crappy brick and flip phones have those features should be a starting point for any phone, let alone the world's most advanced smartphone.

Sorry Steve, you had me for two hours, then you lost me. I thought this was the day the iPhone was going to gallop past my buggy, finicky WM Treo, but in the end, it's the Treo by a nose.

[pyropenguin]

....maybe you could send good ole Steve a video and picture of the photo finish...oh, but he probably couldn't get that on his 'amazing' iphone.
You ALMOST had me this week Jobs, but again you've only proven one thing; you just barely give the consumer, the people, what they want. We get mediocrity while you line your pockets to satisfy yourself and the board. Then maybe later we'll get just a little something else. I'm with Newsdork...I'm in the 30 something age category and probably send and receive roughly 50 MMS messages a month. I know A LOT of people from 16 to 42 that use MMS. For a product to be truly good, one would think it would not alienate itself on such basic features of communication. I'll admit the iPhone has some pretty neat advanced technology and features, but still has left out the obvious basics that a majority keeps asking for.
I hate AT&T's network. They say they have the fewest dropped calls? HA! It's because they connect the fewest calls. If Jobs could get the iPhone right I would probably switch carriers though, just for it's(iPhone) abilities. But again, Jobs has only given us just a little of what is possible...love that PLASTIC case too!! Come on Jobs, wake up already!!
W E A K!!!