Topic: iPhone Killers From CTIA 2007

[MaryJane]

Cnet has coverage of the CTIA (think E3 of cell phones) and their are some cool phones in the works.

This is exactly what I was looking for once the iPhone was announced how other companies were going to respond and let me say they have outdone themselves. The new Pocket PC (called Advantage) (although for some reason called smartphone by Cnet, the difference is really the functionality from what I understand) from HTC (I currently have the 8125 ) is so nice, especially since it looks like a laptop in what I can only call landscape mode, if you look at the picture you will see what I mean.

HTC also has the Shift which is more of Cell Phone/Tablet PC/Laptop hybrid. It has the same "landscape mode" as the Advantage, 7inch touchscreen, runs Vista (which I like), and a 30GB HD.

The Advantage is slated for summer release (which means heads up against the iPhone which will be interesting since Cingular is close with HTC as HTC products in the U.S are branded as Cingular).

This should be very.... Interesting!

[nitsu niflheim]

I hate phones, my cellphone is turned off and in my messenger bag, somewhere at the bottom probably.  I haven't touched it since sometime last year.  

[Shecky]

How do people carry these big phones everywhere?

[18 Days]

Nah iPhone thrashes the crap out of all of these. Apple spent 3 years ont he iPhone, wht were seeing now are desperate rush jobs to try and take away it's thunder.

It's not gunna happen though. Once people use the iPhone touchscreen for theselves, I dont think anyone will go back.

[Athrun Zala]

I'm still happy with my Motorola C115, thank you very much

[Shift Key]

Quote
Originally posted by: 18 Days
Once people use the iPhone touchscreen for theselves, I dont think anyone will go back.

I'm not sold on the touchscreen until I can actually go hands-on with it. Touch interaction is something that can be tedious and annoying if it isn't implemented well.

For example, the keyboard. How quickly can someone type with it?

On my current phone I can do it without looking at the screen because I can find the right key by feel and then by pressing it I know that it has been entered. Sure, I check what I type before I send it but it makes things so much easier.
On this iPhone I can see myself always looking at the keyboard, pressing my finger over the area where the key is positioned on screen, and then checking that it was pressed. There is no feedback because the unit depends on you viewing everything. Its not a real keyboard, its just a flat surface.

And why does the keyboard only use up half the screen - why waste the other half of the screen with rubbish like message history? Its SMS, why encourage people to send messages back and forth all the time when the logical (and cheaper) thing to do would be to make a call instead.

Your move, Belford.

[KDR_11k]

The iPhone is the iPhone killer, kinda like the PS3 is the PS3 killer.

[Ceric]

The iPhone doesn't need killed.  Apple did it themselves.  For mainly 2 reasons.

1) The total soft button phone, remote, PDA has been done.  Their is a reason why it's not preferred. (I know through experience on this one.)
2) Apple has stated that they will NOT allow other people to develope programs for the iPhone. Ok...

I said it once and I'll say it again.  I think the iPhone would make for a cool PDA. (They could have just called it the iNewton and called it a day.)  As a phone I think it will be lacking.

[couchmonkey]

I'm under the impression that Iphone looks like a toy next to the tech in Japan...but seeing as I don't even OWN a cell phone, that doesn't really matter to me.

[MaryJane]

The thing I hate about the iPhone and really all things apple, is that they do the same thing other people have already established, add one new feature (double finger scrolling on a touchpad, and the scroll wheel on ipods) and it's suddenly revolutionary.

My current phone can do everything the iPhone can do, it likely isn't as fast though since I'm going to assume the iPhone would have a processor faster than 144Mhz. The iPhone isn't even a 3G Phone. The accelerometers in the iPhone, are a fairl cool feature, but if it featured a full QWERTY slide out keyboard, the landscape mode could be activated when the keyboard comes out, which makes them fairly unneccessary. I prefer as someone mentioned an actual keyboard as opposed to an on-screen one, touch screens are tricky, you wouldn't be able to type as quickly while making sure that you hit every key you meant to.

I didn't hear about any revolutionary new technology to create their touch screen, which means it's going to operate in the same manner that every touch screen made today does. There isn't anything too special about this phone at all. It's just an attempt to by apple bring PPC's into the mainstream, much how they brought MP3's players to the mass market, even though both attempts lack any significant improvements over their already established competitors models.

[Ceric]

To be fair a closed system for music is great for most people.  A lot less hassle.  Phones... whatcha gonna innovate?  The best thing the iPhone is bringing us in my opinion is Visual Voice Mail.  That should have been around years ago.

[MaryJane]

Just FYI the iPhone isn't the only device capable of visual voicemail, many other phones will have the same feature.

Apple is taking credit it for it, but from what I understand Cingular was developing it, Apple threw them some money, Cingular finished it, and made it first available on the iPhone.

[18 Days]

MaryJane, what was the first hard drive based mp3 player? I'm pretty sure it was the iPod and that's why it was the global phenonemon it is, not the scroll wheel. The iPod was the first mp3 player that actually allowed you to play more than an mp3cd's worth of music on it.

Lack of 3G? 3G is a dead end technology if there ever was one. We're talkinga bout a phone that can access the internet and all it's contents here. Why should we be concerned as to wethor we can watch an extremely limited run of television shows on it?

Ceric: could you perhaps link me tow here Apple said that otehr companies are not permitted to program for the iPhone? It runs OSX, I'm pretty sure there is software out there that will run natively on it anyway.

Shifty: Yes, fair enough taht you are worried about the feela nd lack of feedback on the keyboard. But this is Apple and I'm prettys ure they can deliver. years ago when Apple were the first to put touchpads on keyboards, people laughed and insisted taht it wouldn't provide teh feedback or accuracy of scroll balls.
Do any laptops even come with scroll balls anymore?

Same goes for my mightymouse. I was pretty sure it wasn't going tow rok at first, having 3 different buttons on the one click. But it's great.

[UltimatePartyBear]

Oh, please.  Compaq developed the Personal Jukebox two years before Apple entered the market.  Apple's success was all due to ease of use and marketing.

[Ceric]

Quote
Originally posted by: MaryJane
Just FYI the iPhone isn't the only device capable of visual voicemail, many other phones will have the same feature.

Apple is taking credit it for it, but from what I understand Cingular was developing it, Apple threw them some money, Cingular finished it, and made it first available on the iPhone.

I know.  Thats why its one of the best thing that the iPhone is bringing and has been a long time coming.  It still be in development of Apple hadn't thrown Cingular money to get it done by launch.

Edit:

18Days:  I'll ask my friend for the link again.  (Who are semi-serious Apple Developers.)  Also my friend who worships all things Apple, Apple announces he buys pretty much, got a Mighty Mouse.  It was initially great but then his scroll ball got used and therefore dirty and stopped moving well.  At that point he tried to clean it but had to take it apart to do so.  He now is using a Bluetooth PC Mouse.

Found the Macworld Article.
The Comments on this one is sort of interesting

[MaryJane]

This was my very first MP3 player and I loved it. It had no features besides playing music, it had 6GB HD, was big and ugly, but it still turned heads back when I bought it in '00, AND I got it for $200.

The iPod on the other hand was released Nov. 21, 2001,  AND it cost $400. The article says that the 5GB model cost $400, but I could swear that the 1GB model cost $400, then they had all that trouble with (I forget who regulates these sort of things was it the FCC?) whomever and they had to lower the price of the iPod because of they were selling it for so much more than they were making it for.

Just so you know. Don't be fooled by the hype, the iPod has grown to be a solid player, but anyone who owns will tell you that the battery life blows (before the video iPod came out anyway), and they have a tendency of crapping out on people.