Dare’s short and sweet post on the Apple iPhone summarizes my two comments on Apple’s product announcement from this week:
1) I find it hard to imagine being happy with the entirely software-based touchscreen interface that the iPhone will offer. I tried a Treo 650 once upon a time and using the on-screen dialpad with my fingers was incredibly annoying, in part because the whole screen is recessed. Of course the Treo 650’s touch screen is really just designed for use with a stylus, so it’s not the fairest comparison. But I’m going to give the iPhone a chance on this one. I’m sure Apple’s done something different through a combination of the touch screen technology and the software. But going in, I am skeptical.
2) Will this thing sync with Outlook and Exchange? I don’t care about email so much because I use the mobile version of Gmail, but having my calendar and contacts synced from outlook is important. Nothing I’ve read about the iPhone seems to say whether or not the device will sync with Microsoft’s stack on the PC, even though it has been mentioned (without any details) that the iPhone will sync with a PC. I’m hoping that Apple is will go after corporate users who will want the iPhone to sync with Exchange/Outlook… considering the high price of the device, it seems like this would be a wise strategy.
I’m not concerned about the issues that I’ve heard about other people sound off about… lack of 3G (I don’t really care because I’ve never had a phone with 3G), lack of removable battery (I don’t think I’ve ever bought a replacement battery for a phone, my phones always die before the batteries do), and closed system — ie no 3rd party apps (the fact that the phone has a browser built-in makes this a moot point, IMO).
UPDATE: Kathy Sierra writes about the iPhone user interface. When I said that I’m going to give Apple a chance on the touchscreen and the UI as a whole, this is why.