The Apple iPhone - Part 3 - Video Review (Video) - FastSilicon.com

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The Apple iPhone - Part 3 - Video Review (Video)

Saturday, 30 June 2007

Page 3 of 3

Conclusions

There is a lot of functionality built into this portable communications and media device. It is hard to decide where to begin to draw a conclusion about the new Apple iPhone. This is both a complex device, and a complex marketplace to pin down.

Making the "next big thing" will require achieving the right balance in all areas. There are a few tiny "gotcha's" with the iPhone.

The biggest gotcha at present, for users in North America, is that the device is tied to one specific provider, AT&T. Secondly, while not a particularly bad service plan, the current basic service plan with AT&T for the iPhone is, at least for one of our editors, a bit on the weak side as cellular plans go. The primary problem is plan minutes for the price ($60 a month). 450 minutes at that price is grossly inadequate. Though it is an iPhone, it's still a phone. Our Managing Editor burns through five times that allotment per month with similar data service (GPRS and EDGE) and more SMS messages for an additional $10 per month. We are sure someone will determine how to provider unlock iPhones (if they haven't already, it has only been 48 hours). But we are equally certain someone will make a fortune selling unlocked iPhones for double the price on Ebay.

This product will stand on its own merit as a phone and portable media device. Though it is pricey, it's really no more so than many Windows Mobile devices that have far less effective integration. At this stage, it may not be as open or extensible as a Windows Mobile 5 or 6 phone, but the integration of its built in features is flawless.

Every function relates seamlessly to all of the rest. The touch interface is intuitive, responsive, and idiot proof. It has packaged all of the truly useful concepts that can be accomplished with a pocket sized device and made them work the way they should. The intuitive keyboard is highly functional, with the thumb slickness of a blackberry without buttons. Google Maps, an application our managing editor has been using on his Sony Walkman W850i for some time, is far superior with the iPhone. The included browser is miles beyond every other mobile browser we've seen. It was no exaggeration when Steve Jobs said it's the best iPod yet.

Coverflow just plain rocks, and the audio and especially video playback interfaces and capabilities are smooth as glass. 8GB of storage is massive for a phone. Though not as much storage as a high end iPod Video, it's more than enough to carry around with you.

What makes the Apple iPhone a FastSilicon recommended product? Everything!!!!!