With all the hype surrounding the Apple’s iPhone, I thought that everyone I know will buy one. But, after the dust has settled, I asked myself – would I really want an iPhone. Please don’t misunderstand me – I still have a very positive opinion about it, just some things don’t seem to click for me. So, I wrote down my list of reasons against buying the first iPhone. Or better said – why should one keep waiting for the second generation – iPhone 2.0. Let’s start…
1. No 3G
EDGE!? Is that fast enough? Three words – “it is not!”. Especially for Europe, where carriers offer HSDPA, providing users with speeds up to 3.6 Mbps. That’s almost ten times faster than EDGE. And what’s the point of a large screen if web pages are loading damn slow.
2. No Flash
The iPhone’s great wide screen should provide users with real web experience. But, what kind of a web experience excludes Flash!? Adobe released Flash Lite (now in version 2.1) for mobile devices, and I really don’t understand why Apple haven’t supported it in Safari.
3. No Java
Why there is no Java support in iPhone? I do understand that iPhone’s interface and multi-touch display would require some modification of the Java Virtual Machine, but was that a real problem? Apple would get tons of apps instantly, just to re-code parts of JVM.
4. Open for developers
Why, oh why Apple keeps closing their systems? I haven’t understood this for an iPod and now I definitely don’t understand for iPhone. I love Apple and their computers, but it’s really hard to grasp why they don’t allow third-party developers to further extend their own products’ functionality. Truth to be told, there were additional software for iPod, but that’s marginal compared to the overall mobile software market.
5. Multi-touch input
The first time I saw it – I loved it. Then later, I thought – will I be able to use it on an everyday basis. I find it hard to imagine using a keyboard which doesn’t provide me with a feedback. I want to feel it under my fingers and to be sure that I’ve actually pressed a button. So far, I’ve had this “problem” with all touchscreen based devices I’ve used, and imagining a fast typing on a touchscreen seems so far away.
6. Buyers’ remorse
Imagine yourself buying an iPhone in June and the new, better version is announced for European market, just few months later. And I’m not talking only about 3G here. I’m talking about a second camera for video calls and even more features. I remember reading Steve Jobs’ interview where he talks that people should buy a new iPod every year. If that will be the case with an iPhone, I would be a sucker to jump right in among the first few buyers.
7. Bugs
Let’s face it – Apple doesn’t have experience in the mobile phone industry. This is their first such product. You could argue that they didn’t have any experience in media players, yet their iPod is the bestselling MP3 player on the market. But, wait – mobile phones are 10 times more complicated than MP3 players. There’s multitasking, phone stack, a bunch of network/operator’s settings and features, and more. The phone stack is my favorite, as Microsoft finally solved it in Windows Mobile 5.
8. Outlook
I may love Apple with all my heart, and may be one of the potential buyers (from these lines you may think differently), but market can be cruel. Lately, an article in Forbes suggested that Apple may not sell the planned 10 million handsets. Who knows what tomorrow brings? Why not be patient and reap more benefits later. 
9. Wider industry adoption
iPhone is a brand new product which still needs to hit the market. For some strange reason, Apple was not present at 3GSM in Barcelona. At some point, they will have to get more developers for the platform. The industry led by the carriers will require it. They will also require a customization of the iPhone. How will Apple play in this game? I actually don’t care much about it – as an iPhone user I just want to see a bunch of services and apps available for my beloved device. And this requires cooperation with other industry leaders.
10. Price
I just couldn’t miss this. It’s already been said a number of time. iPhone is way too expensive. Hopefully, the competition along with declining prices of the iPhone’s components will drive the price down.
That’s basically it. Again, I’d like to underline that I really like the iPhone, but just want to wait for the second generation. And yes, I don’t want it wrapped with Cingular’s expensive plan. Any thoughts?
