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Nearly a year after I published my list of 25 things wrong with the iPhone, the post has grown considerably with nearly 100 readers adding comments to it.
By now Apple has addressed some of the problems with the iPhone, and I want to thank them for listening to our feedback, but also encourage them to continue to improve the iPhone, even past version 2.0. First:
10 iPhone problems Apple has corrected
- 3G has been added to the next-generation iPhone
- The 3G iPhone will have real GPS
- iPhone 2.0 will let you mass-edit your email by making it easier to move & delete individual emails or groups of emails
- Apple now lets you add custom ringtones to your iPhone via the iTunes store, albeit for $1
- Apple made it quicker to dial your favorite contacts by letting you double-click the home button
- The next-generation iPhone’s headphone input will not be recessed, so you will be able to use any and all headphones with it. Why did Apple recess the headphone jack in the first place?
- iPhone’s calculator is vastly improved on iPhone 2.0
- Games and third-party applications will be supported through the App Store
- You can now send mass text messages
- iPhone 2.0 will have a search feature for finding contacts quicker.
I’m thankful to Apple for making these changes, but some of iPhone’s problems remain unaddressed. In a year, Apple has responded to only ten of the 25+ complaints discussed in my post — not just by me but by other iPhone owners who left comments.
A lot of iPhone’s problems are due to small, easy-to-add features that are missing even though they mean a lot. Apple can very easily correct these issues, so what are they waiting for?
Here are 25 things still wrong with the iPhone that Apple should consider if it wants to stay competitive in the now-revolutionized mobile phone market:
25 things STILL wrong with the iPhone
Beginning the list are iPhone problems posted in my original list last year.
Note: The iPhone 2.0 software update will not be released until July 11, so some of these things could change. Add your comment to the list at the bottom to increase the likelihood of Apple taking our requests seriously.
1. iPhone still cannot copy & paste text. iPhone lets you email web pages via the Mail application, but what about when you want to copy & paste a paragraph into a form? Or a web address into a text field?
2. iPhone still does not display a time stamp for each individual text message. This is not a big deal for me right now, but some readers commented that they preferred each text individually stamped.
3. Still no Flash or Java on Safari Mobile.
4. Landscape orientation for the keyboard is still limited to Safari. I would love to use the Mail app in landscape, and even the SMS and Notes apps.
5. Still no privacy settings have been mentioned for the iPhone’s privacy-violating SMS Preview feature.
6. No Undo function for when you make a typing error.
7. The YouTube app is still non-interactive — that is, you can’t post or view comments — and iPhone lacks support for social networking in general.
8. You still cannot save documents to a My Documents type of folder. The only improvement is that iPhone 2.0 will let you save photos from emails in your Photos library.
9. Still no mention of whether we can send more than one image per email.
10. No cropping option for photos.
11. Although the Contacts app will now have a search function, there’s still no Find function for finding a word in a web page. This is a feature I use a lot in Firefox (CTRL+F). The thing is, Safari Mobile is not that stable yet, so adding a feature like this might bog it down even more.
12. Still no mention of a To-Do list, a useful feature many readers have told me they’d appreciate.
13. Still no AIM, iChat or instant messenger on the iPhone. Blackberry users have Blackberry Messenger to chat with other Blackberry users, but there’s no such feature on the iPhone.
14. No mention yet of whether the iPhone’s poor camera has improved. How about at least digital zoom, image stabilization and a simple LED flash like that of the Sidekick and the Blackberry Curve?
15. No speed dial feature.
16. No MMS support, although there are workarounds.
17. The iPhone cannot be used as a hard drive storage device.
18. Still no video camera, even though lower-end phones like the MOTORAZR have video cameras.
19. You still can’t disable auto-correct on the keyboard. It’s fine with me, but some people have told me it drives them crazy and they’d rather just turn it off.
20. You can’t delete individual calls from your Recent Calls list.
21. You can’t delete individual text messages.
22. I would like to see a more advanced Notes application, with spell check, styling options and copy/paste (a feature I mentioned above). Notes should also sync to my computer. And why not also integrate the Notes app with online services, like blogging software? That way you could type a post up in Notes, disconnected from the web, and then publish it on WordPress, for example.
Perhaps this is something a WordPress app in the App Store could accomplish.
23. Safari crashes way too much. This has been a problem with every iPhone I’ve owned, and it’s also been a problem for my readers, who shared their comments on my article about Safari crashing.
24. Let us sync to iTunes via Bluetooth. Currently, iPhone Bluetooth support extends to hands-free devices only.
25. Add voice dialing to iPhone. Without tactile feedback on the keyboard, voice dialing is a must-have for drivers.
With the App Store coming in July, it’s possible that third-party developers can build software that solves these problems, but to me, most of the features listed are basic functions an advanced mobile phone like iPhone should have.
What do you think?
I would love to hear your thoughts about what’s missing on the iPhone in the comments. If you want to be updated about my future articles, subscribe to this blog.
40 Comments So Far...
For all these lacking features, do we really have to say iPhone is not good? Possibly not. Sad, the comparison is made with many devices not one and the whole list cannot really be termed as ‘defects’, but ‘wishlist.’ Well if all these things are implemented, I may as well throw away my PC and laptop. In this matter, let Apple take its own time.
Khangrah, you’re right. The iPhone is a great piece of technology. I just want to push Apple to make it better.
I’ve always assumed that the reason for the iPhone’s recessed headphone jack was to prevent the headphone plug from moving around when it’s in your pocket and messing up the headphone jack. This happened to an old iPod shuttle of mine.
Thanks for that info, Doug. I never thought about that.
Whatt about the lack of A2DP support so that we can stream music to our bluetooth headphones? Most smartphones in the past 3 years have this feature as well as all new media phones out there. This is a major issue for a lot of people.
is it true that u can send files via bluetooth to other *iPhones only*??
Well one thing i didn’t know when i bought the phone was that it didn’t have that i used alot of my regular phone was the MMS feature and the messagenger feature.
since i found out how to get around the MMS feature, i really wanted my messagenger…so i went looking around to see is there was a way around this and so i found for the messagenger you can use http://beejive.com/…just go on safari and enter that address and click were the iphones are at and it will direct you to their messenger app. you can use AIM, MSN, Goggle Chat, yahoo,ICQ, Jabber, & Myspace
Zohaib, I don’t think you can send files from iPhone to iPhone via Bluetooth.
does the new iphone 3g has voice recording facility??and when is it likely 2 b released in india
Am in India, i dont have patience to wait. Can i get it from US and unlock it??
i have got problem with my apple iphone day before when its battry off , i connect it with charger & its screen shows like as in dos in windows
message shown as
- singleuser boot — fsck not done
-if u wish to boot system -exit
-if u want make modification to files
/sbin/fsck-fy
/sbin/mount-uw/
apple eMRVL868X:FIRMWARE LOADED
root device is mounted read only
can you tell me please how to exit the singleuser boot error from the iphone. I think i got a virus or something from the wifi. The stupid cell won’t recognise or boot to itunes, only ask for root#.. what can i do besides be pissed.
did u ever figure out the problem to iphone, if so can u help me also,,
Well, the solution for the messanging problem would to simply go to http://www.meebo.com and they have a lot of messangers to choose from.
I understood the reason for the irritating deeper jack was to accomadate the iphone headphones four (versus three) contact jack that has an additional line for the iphone headphone’s microphone . It sure is a pain and I am glad to see it gone.
An additional feature I would like is to be able to directly send and receive photographs taken with the iphone, phone to phone without using the internet.
Now that is a wish list - not something that is wrong. I know it is a fad to whine and bitch about something that is good to get your readership up, but honestly, this is the best that is out there. And call that a wishlist, that is your opinion. Nothing is wrong with iPhone. I love mine.
http://get-dugg.com/iphone-first-look/
Can u pls tell me, does 3G iPhone have BlueTooth Feature? I am asking not about the only BlueTooth HandSet feature but the total BlueTooth feature as we have it in Nokia / Sony phones.
Does the new iphone have a vibrate mode so it can be silenced while in meetings, etc.?
No voice and video recording. Bluetooth limited to earphone to talk.
No password for n sms.
No MMS and Video Conferencing facility.
Camera should be updated to 3.2 mega pixel or upto 5 mega pixel.
No LED Light for better picture for camera in night.
No voice dialling
You cannot delete individual sms and recent call list.
No undo function.
No Messanger for Chatting.
It is not complete 3G iphone.
The iPhone cannot be used as a hard drive storage device.
No voice and speed dialling feature
What about:
1. DIVX support.
2. Drag and drop media using other than windows explorer etc.
3. User replaceable battery.
Also, how about flash memory expansion, or that too simple?
New iPhone can be switched to silent mode with vobrate using the very small switch on top left hand edge of the phone - push towards the backfor silent, pull towards the front for normal operation. The lack of cut and paste is very frustrating! Am I the only person who thinks a blue tooth keyboard connection would be fantastic for typing emails etc?
thanks 4 al ur critics.. i ve learned much abt iphone and changed my idea of buying it. thanks a lot
If you want something with the lot you have to pay for it. At the price these gadgets go for, how can you expect everything you could wish for.
Highlight/cut, copy and paste is a must (Come on… Please Steve?)
Wish it had java too for a full feature web browsing experience (Hopeful for App)
Wish I could open, save and manage MS Office files (Hopeful for App)
I love the iphone design, but when i read the review i was fedup with the features. There is no
1. USB data cable
2. FM Radio
3. MP3/Video player
4. Storage feature
i should have this basic feature, which is loved by most people.
I you wait another year the price will go down and the features will be better…Wait another year and so on. For now, get it with it’s current features and quit whining. Or you you cannot get one and whine cause you don’t have one.
Calendar has no way of adding events which repeat on dates like “Every 4th Monday”, which is generally how meetings are scheduled.
Why not put the lack of a replaceable battery on the list.
Not beeing able to replace the battery myself is horrible. Come on APPLE!!! This is a mobile unit, and few of us want to carry a powerstation with us at all times.
This means that if you uses the iPhone a lot during the day (depends on which apps you use though) and are not nearby any poweroutlets, then your iPhone experience are likely to be a bad one.
What was the reason not to put a replaceable battery in iPhone anyway?
I am on the cusp of buying the iphone even with these issues. Or, waiting for the Samsung Instinct. Is that any better? Does anyone have any suggestions about what to buy which will be better than an iphone?
Would really like some help before I put down my cold hard cash for one.
Hi guys,
Well its nothing more than a wish list which we refer as PROBLEMS with the iPhone.Guys its human mind it keeps demanding and demanding.
But i guess if we dont demand we wont get anything.
Even i figured out one more thing that the iPhone lacks its the BACK button. When ever we move form our mail app to safari we end up being in safari even after our work is done with safari.It should have a stack for recording application launches so that we can return to the previous application whenever we want.
I mean as iPhone runs a Mac OS we can get this functionality it does not need to be freshly implemented.The OS has the capability.Lets urge apple to drive out as much as it can from the OS and from the iPhone.
But i guess apple is hurrying things.Even the 2.0 is not well versed with the requirements.
Its basically the competition that is driving apple for such unsatisfied releases of its firmwares.I still feel apple should take time because if its about fame and pride it will remain with apple despite of the competition because long held technology is what matters than rapidly developed technology.
There is AIM and all the other messengers available for free in the AppStore, Safari has crashed on me just once, and SSH into the phone to use it as a storage drive.
I can understand why the headphone jack would be protected to prevent breakage - i’ve had a few ipods die from this. Though I’d be bitter if I couldn’t plug in some proper headphones! Besides that, very sad to see so many basic things missing from such a device, as wonderful as it seems. Not being able to copy-paste a URL, or search for terms in Safari is pretty feeble.. Shame. Still by far the best bet in terms of such devices!
To me the benefits outweigh the flaws by far.
Having said that, still:
- the lack of copy-paste is a big issue
- the camera is it’s weakest link, even when you factor in photo-editing-apps.
- battery life is (understandably) frustrating, especially in combination with long term navigation apps
- it freezes way too much for my taste, even allowing for user generated causes
As a graphic designer I cannot help but admire it’s functionality, let alone the esthetic into which it is translated.
[...] GB and Rs 36,100 for the 16GB model the main question is - in India is it worth it ? that when its not that perfect, most of its cool 3g functions will take some time to be useful (as govt is yet to allow it and [...]
in india network operators should reduce internet browsing charges and make these services available at chepaer prices then iphone surely a revolution
Hi,
Well guys the iPhone does not seem to be for india even after its launch in INDIA.
A phone with so much functionality missing and that too priced at 36K seems that iPhone initially lost their market in india.
And on top of that ..i was hoping that once it comes to india the service providers will launch seperate data plans for only iPhone.Well actually they did but they are charging TOO MUCH for what they are giving.Vodafone is going to charge 50Paise for 10KB.How fair does that sound?I mean with a phone which has been in a revoultion in internet usage on mobiles you give such high rates for usage?Many a times even opening a website takes far more that 100KB.Inthis case the person having the service will be paying more data transfer charges than his mobile bill.
Something must be improved.Hope So.
How about calling numbers and extensions from calendar items like a blackberry?
Sorting/Searching email would be a basic, nice feature.. I agree with all you listed as well.
I think the iphone is not for Indian market.It required huge changes in terms of features and price.