iExam: Putting Apple's iPhone to the test

I must admit I was quite surprised when I brought my Apple Wi-Fi-enabled iPhone smartphone home last week. I had expected my fashion conscious and techno-savvy children to be most excited about the new edition to the Taylor household gadget portfolio.

Instead it was my usually technophobic wife who became most animated. "My friend's husband just bought her one and she says it is the easiest phone she has ever used," she explained. Her enthusiasm was only slightly dampened when I told her that, in addition to the $600 price tag on the 8Gb version of the iPhone, purchasers also have to sign up to a two year contract with AT&T, the carrier with exclusive rights to sell the device in the US, which will cost a minimum of just under $1,500.

For the moment the iPhone is only available in the US, though Apple plan to launch the device in Europe later this year- probably in November - and in Asia in early 2008.

Cost aside, it turned out that my wife's friend had immediately fallen in love with the iPhone's much ballyhooed touch-screen interface and the smooth way in which Apple has enabled users to switch from one application to another.

For her, and I suspect many of the nearly 1m Americans who have purchased the iPhone since it went on sale at the end of last month, the iPhone's limitations, especially its lack of 3G data capabilities or a BlackBerry-style mini-keyboard, are not major considerations.

I doubt where the iphone, at least in its current incarnation, will pose any real threat to business-orientated smartphones like the BlackBerry family of devices, Palm's Treo or Motorola's Q smartphones.

But despite my initial reservations, the iPhone does excel in some areas. As you would expect from the maker of the nearly ubiquitous iPod, the iPhone is an excellent digital music and video player. Viewing YouTube or other video clips on the iPhone's big screen which automatically rotates to widescreen 'landscape' format is a pleasure.

Sound quality is also good - even though Apple's unfortunate decision to recess the headphone socket forces owners to use the barely adequate earbuds supplied with the device - at least until they purchase an adapter or third party specialist iPhone headsets that are beginning to appear from companies like Shure. Loading music and other digital media content onto the iPhone using Apple's iTunes software running on a PC or Mac is reliable and very straightforward.

Predictably perhaps, browsing the internet using the iPhone's built in Safari web browser is a disappointment if you have to rely upon AT&T's 2.5G Edge network rather than a Wi-Fi connection. In fact, browsing the web over Wi-Fi simply serves to highlight the Edge network's limitations.

But perhaps the biggest surprise for me has been how good the iPhone is as a mobile phone. The iPhone's built in contact book and phone functions work well together, the phone features are easy to use and the device itself is thin and narrow enough to be easy to hold and operate.

Despite the claims of Apple enthusiasts, I found the onscreen 'virtual' keyboard virtually impossible to use for text messaging, mobile email or entering contact details (of course this isn't a problem if you enter contact details on a PC and then 'synch' them over to the iPhone). But if you want a smartphone device mainly for text-heavy applications, my advice is to look elsewhere.

Nevertheless, Apple's iPhone is a beautifully designed device with lots of positive attributes that will appeal in particular to those buyers looking for multimedia phone with lots of that elusive quality - the 'wow' factor.

iPhone Q&A

Q. Is the iPhone physical design as good as was hyped? How about the software design/user interface?

A. Yes, with the exception perhaps of the recessed headphone socket, the design and build is excellent and the user interface is sophisticated but very easy to use.

Q. What doesn't it do that it really should?

A. The lack of a physical keyboard makes text entry frustratingly difficult and the iPhone camera does not support video. It also lacks built-in satellite navigation features.

Q. Why can't I use it with a different SIM card? Can I use it when I'm travelling abroad? If so, how about cost, data access etc?

A. Although the US iPhone is a GSM device, it is 'locked' to AT&T. You can use it while travelling overseas, but you will be liable for AT&T's international roaming fees.

Q. How quick/slow is the internet access?

A. Internet access is rather slow while using AT&T's 2.5G cellular network but fast when the iPhone is connected to a Wi-Fi network.

Q. Can the iPhone 'hand off' calls between Wi-Fi and cellular networks?

A. No, not at the moment.

Q. Why did Apple not choose a faster cellular technology for its phone?

A. Apple claims including a 3G chipset would have drastically reduced the iPhone's battery life. However, unless Apple changes track, the lack of 3G technology could hinder sales in Europe and Asia.

Q. Some of the features are very basic - such as the camera, which has no zoom or movie feature - how do you think Apple will go about upgrading the iPhone?

A. Future iPhone hardware upgrades could include GPS technology, improved camera resolutions and video capabilities and faster 3G cellular technology. In addition, Apple could encourage third party developers to build new software applications and 'widgets.'

Q. What about fingerprints? Do you have to constantly clean the screen?

A. The glass screen is scratch resistant but does show fingerprints quite easily - Apple supplies a spectacles-style cleaning cloth with the iPhone.

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