It has been far too long since I have written anything, this term at school has been far from laid back, but after noticing John Gruber post a link to a "preview" of why you shouldn't buy an iPhone 4g, I couldn't keep myself from laughing hysterically and sharing this with as many people as possible. Gruber links to an article published today by Matt Warman. In this article, Warman claims to be some sort of expert on why people should not buy an iPhone 4g (which is not officially announced) and why it is apparently a pile of crap. I think it would be in the benefit of everyone to go through these 10 points and find out how valid they are.
1. It’s expensive: Yes, The iPhone is an expensive phone, but I don't know where he is getting his comparisons from. A quick look at a Canadian Teleco, Telus, shows that the newest blackberry and Android phones on par with the iPhone. Maybe in Britain there is some weird price difference that I've never heard of, or maybe he is comparing the price of a 4 year old Blackberry curve 8330 with that of an unannounced iPhone 4g. If that is the case, then Mr. Warman, you sir are an idiot.
Logic - 1, Warman - 0
2. It's anti-technology: Regardless of the fact that it took many other phones a couple of years to catch up to the functionality (and in some cases I would say they have now surpassed it) the iPhone is anti-technology because it doesn't offer a couple of features? Looking at most reviews of the New HTC EVO, everything seems to be great except for 2 things, battery life is awful and 4g isn't worth it. So could it possibly be that Apple didn't want to include a feature that may actually hurt the user experience? I won't say Apple is the best at coming out with new features to phones that will knock your socks off, but to call them anti-technology is just misinformed.
Logic - 2, Warman - 0
3. No Flash: Finally, something based on truth. Yes the iPhone doesn't have flash, but I for one am not opposed to this too much. If flash becomes readily available on all other phones (I'm currently a blackberry user and NOT an iPhone user) I really hope it will be optional so I don't have to see a pile of bad ads. But i do have to give credit where credit is due, Warman did correctly state that the iPhone doesn't have flash.
Logic - 2, Warman - 1
4. No Multi-tasking: I really would like to know how he's considered a "Consumer Technology Editor," unless that means something else across the pond without any knowledge about iPhone OS 4. I provided a link with the hope that maybe he will do a vanity search and come across this small publication and educate himself on what he believes he is writing about.
Logic - 3, Warman - 1
5. Its battery life is terrible: I'm starting to think he's never actually used an iPhone.... I myself do not own one, but many of my friends and family do, and this has not been a complaint since the first generation of iPhone. Another issue with this argument is that he's stating that the battery life is terrible, about a phone that hasn't even made it to market.
Logic - 4, Warman - 1
6. Developing apps for it is costing you money: I really don't understand this one. I would like to know what platform allows you to develop apps entirely for free. Sure the SDK has a price tag of $100 where others may not, but would it really be worth while for a company to spend the time developing apps for android and blackberry instead? Also if you add time into the equation, then all app development for any platform costs money, so we should just stop developing! That's great advice for a CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY EDITOR if they're trying to write themselves out of a job.
Logic - 5, Warman - 1
7. It comes with offensively bad headphones: I'll admit, I don't like the iPhone or iPod headphones, but has he ever tried the headphones that come with blackberries? Clearly he has not. I've never gotten the chance to try an android phone's headphones, but I did used to have an HTC Libra and the headphones on those were 10 times worse than the iPhone earphones. I think everyone can agree that we've come to expect bad earphones from all manufacturers, not just Apple. I'll give Warman a half point for this one though as they are poor headphones (and the premium earphones Apple sells are ridiculously over priced.
Logic - 5, Warman - 1.5
8. It’s not very well designed: If the iPhone is poorly designed, why has its form factor become the starting point for most of the smartphones out today? His argument here that it's a computer with a phone built on is just a simple non-argument. I agree with one of the posters in the comments section that it seems as though he was bitten by an iPhone at a young age. This also comes back to the fact that he has not even used the new iPhone 4g, so how does he know that the reception is bad on it. This sounds more like an article about: "Why you shouldn't buy the 1st Gen iPhone."
Logic - 6, Warman - 1.5
9. It charges for satnav: I'm not even going to waste my time with this one. I downloaded a free GPS for my girlfriend to use while biking this week. Note to Warman: Research is a "true" journalist's friend.
10. Those iPod docks are holding back better technologies: I'll agree that the proprietary iPod dock connector isn't the best solution in the world, but blaming that for the downfall of other technologies is a complete non-sequiter. Wouldn't a Wi-Fi radio benefit an iPhone? Also how can he say that companies like Nokia are much better than Apple when they themselves use proprietary connectors.
Logic - 7, Warman - 1.5
So it looks like Logic is the clear winner here. While I do believe that the iPhone does have many short comings, and that the Android OS looks to be superior for geeks at this point, Warman's reasons are beyond ridiculous, and just plain wrong. I hate to say it, but Matt Warman, you have definitely won my trophy for Idiot of the week. Feel free to tweet me anytime to claim your prize @jonpilon.