iPhone 3G Problems

I have been using new iPhone 3G for some time now. All the great things about this device are true! Its sexy, easy to use, has bright and crisp display, no key pad, great set of Native Applications, functions like zooming, rotating, touch screen, and new enterprise communication functions that make iPhone a very good business mobile phone. In conclusion, its one of the best phones; I have liked it to an extent that I have already dumped my Blackberry.

Since I have noticed that thousands of blogs have been already written to praise and re-praise how great this phone is, I have decided to pick up some of the problems that iPhone 3G has. Even with the iPhone Software 2.0.2, it is an immature smart phone! There are quite a few not-so-easy-to-use features, lack of common-sense features and problems on iPhone. Some of them includes:

• Non-ability to switch between the applications. This problem is acute if one often clicks on the URLs within Emails. Reverting to that Email takes a few wasted taps
• While I have 'mastered' the typing on iPhone, its not easy to type an URL inside the Safari address bar. At least Apple could have pre-filled it with http://www./ Anyway, this meant that, I use the Safari's "Google Search" even to go to BBC News site rather than typing http://news.bbc.co.uk/
• Lack of Copy and Paste - this is really astonishing design decision from Apple. This is a basic feature that even a junior designer would have thought-of but is missing from the iPhone. Apple may have some genuine reasons for not implementing this feature but I am not sure about is the content/applications/license revenues that Apple is attempting protect by stopping its customers from copy-pasting. It's painful - if someone has emailed you a meeting address and you wish to find that location on the map. What's the point of having a smart phone if you have to resolve to pencil-n-paper to achieve the same.
• One more trivial design elements that is missing is the lack of forwarding the SMS. With one of the most expensive phone and the best design, you can not forward a SMS!
• No search! With a disc space of 16GB, iPhone doesn't provide any search capability. You cannot search your email, notes, or your music/video content. I am also surprised by the fact that Google hasn't released the Search for iPhone while the Google Application Pack has many of other tools
• Application icons could have been a bit smarter and dynamic. The Clock and Weather applications' icon could have reflected the actual time and temperature
• iPhone software speed is slow. The Contacts application reacts very slowly if you have over 100 contacts. You cannot start typing-in the name of the contact when you wish to make a call, either on directly the Phone application or the Contacts. You can only do that at the top of the scroll in the Contacts, but that's painful if you start from the bottom of the scroll
• Within the EMail application you cannot attach a photo. You can send a photo from the Photos application though. You cannot save Email attachments other than the photos! Again, Apple's walled-garden approach could be the reason
• Safari can not browse more than 8 pages at the same time. iPhone doesn't bring all of the Internet as you can not watch the Flash applications. I assume, it Apple has allowed Flash plug-in installation, it would have defeated its "App Store" approach and control
• Prior to 2.0.2 update release, I experienced data coverage issues in the city. While that seems to have improved with the 2.0.2 update, but I still notice iPhone continuing with a lower data speed network even if a high data speed network becomes available. e.g. it will continue using 3G even if an authorised Wi-Fi is available
• The biggest of the iPhone 3G problems is its battery life. I have tried various combinations of Edge, 3G, Wi-Fi, manual email refreshes, no iPod use and low brightness; my conclusion is that iPhone has THE worst battery life. It can hardly deliver 10hours without re-charging it. Pathetic!

But, still iPhone 3G is an awesome phone and its a must
have!