Whenever Apple has new announcements, I try to hold off from making up my mind about things until I've had a chance to watch the entire presentation, any supporting videos, read all of the web materials, and then slept on it. I have finally "completed the gauntlet", so to speak, and while I might still be digesting some of the news, I think my mind is mostly made up.
In short, the new iPhone 4 hardware looks impressive:
The iPhone 4. Image credit: Apple
Best phone in the whole world impressive, and my guess is that it will remain that way through Christmas. The "open" nature of the Android camp means that they're release far more phones, far more often, so my guess is that sometime in the first quarter of 2011, they'll start to catch up to the iPhone 4, at least in terms of hardware. Apple has seemingly improved every aspect of the device, but the features that are most interesting to me are the A4 CPU (if it runs at the same speed as in the iPad, then this new iPhone is going to be a monster), the Retina Display, and the vastly improved camera. They say that the best camera you own is the one that you have with you — so I'm pleased that the quality of iPhone camera is so improved.
And the latest version of iPhone OS (new called "iOS"), also looks like it makes some nice, incremental improvements. Nothing really earth shattering, but the improved Mail application, multitasking, and folders will just make the iPhone experience better on a daily basis.
But, in my mind, Apple hasn't addressed two of my long-standing complains with the iPhone:
- The iPhone is still locked on AT&T's network in the US, and
- The App Store is still closed, and if anything, has gotten worse (cf. section 3.3.1)
When I buy something, I like to feel that I own it. And the locked down nature of the iPhone, both in terms of network choice and application choice, really bothers me. And I supposed it's somewhat irrational — even if I had an iPhone which was totally open, it's not clear that I would install any different applications than what I have now, nor would I necessarily jump to a different cellular provider.
But I like to vote with my wallet. And normally, when a product rubs me the wrong way, I simply don't buy it, and buy something else. And that largely explains why I have stuck with my original iPhone, bypassing both the iPhone 3G and the iPhone 3GS. And since Apple hasn't fixed my two biggest complaints, inertia says that I shouldn't buy the iPhone 4.
However, there aren't really any good competitors to the iPhone in the market right now. We all know what I think of Android phones, and now that HP has bought Palm, it's not clear what the future holds for them. And don't even get me started on Blackberry, Nokia, or Windows phones.
And unfortunately, my current phone will be 3 years old in early July, and it is really starting to show its age. I think I need to buy a new phone, and I think I'm going to end up buying an iPhone 4, sortof by default. I can vote with my wallet by not purchasing an iPad, but maintaining a phone that works well is a necessity, so it's looking like I'm going to crack.
As for my other predictions, Safari 5 was in fact released (and it is pretty cool), but nothing else came true. The lack of a new Mac Pro is the most disappointing, because above all, what I really need is a new computer. I have some hope that something will happen by the end of June, but I'm not going to hold my breath.
-Andy.