Mossberg: New iPhone Keeps Apple Top of Class

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704853404575322951290405346.html?mod=WSJ_hps_LEADNewsCollection

by inmygarage • 16 years ago

68 86 16 years ago

online.wsj.com

fjabre• 16 years ago

In short: Awesome new iPhone Apple.

AT&T, you still suck.

boredguy8• 16 years ago

We expected something different from Mossberg?

abstractbill• 16 years ago

AT&T's suckage continues to amaze me.

I carry both an iPhone 3gs and a Blackberry around most of the time (I'm currently justin.tv's iPhone developer). I find the iPhone pretty much useless around San Francisco because of AT&T's abysmal network coverage - I tend to just not bother and use the Blackberry instead, even though it has a worse web browsing experience (at least it always works! I haven't found a place yet that doesn't have good Sprint coverage).

dhimes• 16 years ago

I have no problems with ATT. I started with Sprint in the DC area (they started there, and tried to corner Baltimore & DC when they first went mobile). They sucked bad. Moved to North Shore (Boston), still sucked. Switched to ATT and never looked back.

Having said that, we have three generations of iPhones in our family, and when we go to remote regions everybody has to use my Motorola. I think that if Apple switched to Verizon, everybody would realize it's the phone and not the network.

Having said that, every iPhone has gotten closer and I'm hoping the 4th is a ringer, 'cuz I'd like to get one.

I've always been impressed with RIM's phones, though; they have impressive transceivers (I say that anecdotally; I don't know any specs).

flatline• 16 years ago

The iPhone is the only reason I've stuck with AT&T. Reception is bad at my home (in MD), I have few conversations that don't drop at least once during any given 10-15 minute call. Worse though, I take classes part time, and the phone shows full signal on campus but calls typically go straight to voicemail and the 3g connection is completely non-functional. Attempting to call out just gives me a network error 95% of the time.

spamizbad2• 16 years ago

AT&T's awful network is the reason I ended up switching to an HTC Evo 4G on Sprint. I knew the iPhone 4 was going to be great, but the fact that AT&T is awful in my city meant it wasn't an option. If I was the sort of person who used a BB for business and a separate phone for personal, the iPhone 4 on ATT would be tolerable, but that isn't me.

After years of ATT's awful network, my first few minutes on Sprint gave me nerd chills: the same nerd chills I got when I was 15 and surfed the internet with broadband for the first time.

tlrobinson2• 16 years ago

I can't decide which is worse, AT&T's network, or HTC Evo 4G's battery life...

catch232• 16 years ago

Are we (USA) the last country stuck with a single carrier iPhone?

codeflo• 16 years ago

No, you aren't. There may be other examples, but at least in Germany the iPhone is exclusive to T-Mobile. The bad news about that is that T-Mobile charges outrageous prices compared to the other carriers. The good news is that their network works really, really well.

jsz02• 16 years ago

Can't say I've had any serious problems with AT&T. I can't even remember the last time I didn't have 3G coverage or good signal. I'm quite sure some people do have problems but considering AT&T is still adding subscribers at a brisk pace, and keeping their old subscribers, makes me think the issues are hugely overstated. All 70 million AT&T customers can't be having these types of problems.

samratjp• 16 years ago

Classic Mossberg review - thumbs up of course! I really wonder why Apple wants to hide specs for another 40 some days. I really hope there's a ATT alternative states-side. And 3g is old news, when do we get to use Clear 4g or something along those lines?

commandar• 16 years ago

I wouldn't be so fast to dismiss 3G. T-mo is in the process of rolling out HSPA+ updates to their 3G network that have higher theoretical speeds than current 4G networks. The first round of markets went live within the past few weeks; something like 15 major markets (ATL is the only one I remember for sure).

marze2• 16 years ago

Perhaps Apple wants to hide the spec for 45 days because it would reveal a CDMA radio?

I enjoyed this line: "it manages to make the 3GS appear bulbous by comparison"

evgen• 16 years ago

A 4G option will probably appear when 4G networks and chipsets do not drain battery power faster than a mortgage broker hoovering blow off a prostitutes ass.

jsz02• 16 years ago

The existing 4G deployments would probably collapse under the load of the millions of iPhones that will be sold in the next 60-90 days. I doubt new deployments could possibly keep up either. Personally I'm a little skeptical about 4G in the short term. Reminds me of Verizon's FTTH project. No one doubts its technical merits but if they don't actually deploy it in your area it's less impressive than a can on a string. If the same happens with 4G in the US I'll be happy with fast 3G for the next couple of years.

spicyj4• 16 years ago

Engadget agrees:

We're not going to beat around the bush -- in our approximation, the iPhone 4 is the best smartphone on the market right now. The combination of gorgeous new hardware, that amazing display, upgraded cameras, and major improvements to the operating system make this an extremely formidable package.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/22/iphone-4-review/

ugh• 16 years ago

Ed Baig (USA Today): “Cutting through the hype, Apple has given longtime diehards, and first-time iPhone owners, plenty to cheer about.” [1]

Pogue (New York Times) doesn’t even seem to try: “Apple releases only one new model a year, so the new iPhone had better be pretty amazing to compete. — It is.” [2]

Any other reviews out yet? (Better collect them here so the front page doesn’t get clogged.)

[1] http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/edwardbaig/2010-06-22...

[2] http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/23/technology/personaltech/23...

spicyj4• 16 years ago

Just found one from Boing Boing:

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/06/22/apple-iphone-4-hands.ht...

dejb6• 16 years ago

> the iPhone 4 is the best smartphone on the market right now

If they are only releasing one phone per year it certainly needs to be. I'm guessing it still will be by the time people can actually buy them but for how much longer after that?

ZeroGravitas2• 16 years ago

They're still selling the iPhone 3GS too. It would be interesting to see a comparative review with the equivalent mid-range Android (and/or nokia, blackberry, bada etc.) phones now that it's been updated to iOS 4.

I think the 3G was a worthy contender when it was in this position last year. I'm not so sure how it would turn out now.

ergo984• 16 years ago

The reviews of the iPhone 4 have to leave Apple a bit concerned. The iPhone 4 is Apple's big yearly extravaganza, and they simply can't react to an endless stream of competitive phones.

In prior years the entrant has been held as head and shoulders above the competition (really what could seriously be considered competition for the 3GS? The Hero? Not really. How about the 3G? The G1? Somehow the competition hung on when their entrants really were trash comparable). This year it is dramatically more tempered and disclaimed, and the truth is that on a purely objective basis individual consumers may prefer a Evo or a Samsung Galaxy S or a Droid X or Droid 2...and that's just the start of the 4's cycle year.

jboydyhacker• 16 years ago

In terms of hype level if you use search volume as a proxy, this is the largest launch ever. I agree at some point, Apple will die down, but not today.

megablast3• 16 years ago

It seems the competition are the ones that are getting confused.

Where do they go? Bigger screens? I am sure that appeals to some people. More megapixels in the camera? Sure, but at reduced quality, on an already bad part.

It seems the one area the competition isn't focusing on is higher quality, and better battery life (except for Blackberries, which have great battery life). This is where Apple is going.

You are right though, they iPhone 4 doesn't have a 5 inch screen, 12 megapixel camera, 2ghz processor, slide-out keyboard, which the next Android phone will no doubt have.

Personally, I would be happy if at some stage, they produced an android phone that focused more on quality and battery life. They don't need to keep getting bigger each time.

kylec• 16 years ago

I ordered a Droid Incredible at the beginning of June and it still hasn't shipped. I think I'll just get the iPhone 4 instead and return the Incredible when it does finally show up (I apparently can't cancel the shipment, I have to return it).

wynand• 16 years ago

(I don't mean this comment to criticize you in particular kylec)

I can understand that some on HN have an Apple preference but Apple almost gets free advertising by the way some talk over here.

Why vote up a comment because someone says they're going Apple?

marze2• 16 years ago

Offering an stunning device like this for $199 and $55 per month will likely result in an extended period of short supplies. Most people are accustomed to paying this for much lesser phones.

Apple is fighting with both hands tied behind their back by limiting availability to one carrier in the US, though.

jimbokun2• 16 years ago

"Apple is fighting with both hands tied behind their back by limiting availability to one carrier in the US, though."

And winning.

enjo• 16 years ago

Not winning in terms of trending. They've opened the door wide-open for Android, and it's making rapid inroads. The new iPhone is a great phone, but it's no longer leaps and bounds ahead the competition. With Froyo I'm not sure that it's even a clear-cut leader in software anymore. The cloud-level integration of Android is already putting some strain on Apples market lead.

I'm not sure it's fair to say that Apple is 'winning' at this point. All of the current trends look like a dog-fight is coming. I continue to believe that Google wins this (by a wide margin) in the end.

billmcneale3• 16 years ago

They're winning in terms of quality of the phones that they release, but they are already losing at the numbers. Nokia is #1, Android is #2 and while the iPhone is currently #3, it's likely that it will have to fight with RIM and Microsoft to maintain this spot.

And in a few years, Android's market share will probably dwarf Apple's, considering the current trend.

Apple just can't fight against dozens of manufacturers and carriers around the world.

sorbus2• 16 years ago

Ah ... I was wondering how much the contract was monthly, mostly so I could figure out how much it actually costs over two years. At $55, the total cost is $1520. Somehow, I don't think that quite as many people would pay that much for it if they had to up-front.

ptomato• 16 years ago

They might if that up-front price also included the service for those two years.

Soljin• 16 years ago

Umm I have to disagree. The lack of a notification bar / system, widgets really detract. I think the over glossed UI is getting stale. I think the new design is worse than the old. It looks like something LG was making a few years ago. People calling it "gorgeous" are fan boys sorely in denial. It's a brick. A shiny brick but still a brick. It feel cold and sharp in your hands just like MBPs (not a compliment).

The screen is not huge revolution it's slightly more res than has been going into pretty much every smart phone for a year. Telling the difference between those resolutions at that scale is nearly impossible.

I just don't see anything to be impressed by blockier design, OS upgrades that still doesn't catch Android in core functionality, and not to mention ATT.

czhiddy• 16 years ago

So you've used the new phone? Most people actually, you know, try a device before reviewing it.

booticon• 16 years ago

I noticed you were downvoted with the quickness, and I think I know one of the reasons why:

  "People calling it 'gorgeous' are fan boys sorely in denial."

A difference in opinion does not a fanboy make. You bring up a good point with the poor notification system, but just about everything else after that is bullshit. (I thought for a moment how to rephrase that in a nicer way, but I couldn't.)

dejb6• 16 years ago

I can't help but think that a similarly phrased argument supporting Apple and denigrating a competitor would not be down voted so rapidly. I mean 'everything else after that is bullshit' seems a little opinionated as well.

> I thought for a moment how to rephrase that in a nicer way, but I couldn't.

Apart from the 'fan boys sorely in denial' I can't see what's so bad about putting your own view forward on the aesthetics of the physical device. Especially if you have actually had the opportunity to see and feel it as the author implies (I don't know if that is true or not). Apple fans are notorious for assuming their aesthetic sensibilities are synonymous with 'good taste' or 'good design' so I don't see what is so bad about a non-fan doing the same. To me the pictures of the device make it look a little 'odd' or 'cold'.

I'm not saying the post is hugely insightful or anything but there does seem to be a bit of a double standard going on.

siglesias3• 16 years ago

Anybody notice that this is the first time in recent memory that Apple has given the phone to bloggers outside of Baig, Pogue and Mossberg, prerelease? Looks like they sent one to Engadget and Boing Boing.

There is a gadget blog, however, that's (not-so) curiously absent from the list...

megablast3• 16 years ago

Not only that, but web-pre orders are actually getting the phone early as well, 2 days early for some people. This hasn't happened before, Apple had usually been very strict on when fedex can deliver the phone.

Possibly Apple is trying to move these as quickly as possible, since it seems this will be the biggest seller yet. There is already talk of delaying the international releases for next month.

siglesias3• 16 years ago

I've heard this is to mitigate risk of registration overloads. I don't think Apple has tried at-home activation since the original launch.

ekanes• 16 years ago

It wouldn't surprise me if they included Engadget to pointedly NOT include Gizmodo.

catch232• 16 years ago

... or send gizmodo an iPhone 4 box with the iphone missing inside.

yellowbkpk2• 16 years ago

Anyone know where I'll be able to get a iPhone 4 without contract in the US?

grinich• 16 years ago

    Can I buy an iPhone without an AT&T contract?

    No. iPhone requires a two-year AT&T wireless service contract.

via http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_iphone/family/iph...

yellowbkpk2• 16 years ago

So... Canada then.

spicyj4• 16 years ago

Although this is what the website claims, it's actually incorrect. You can buy a phone for full price and no AT&T service at all at an Apple retail store.

MaysonL• 16 years ago

Actually, yes: "For those who are not eligible for an early upgrade or who wish to buy iPhone as a gift, the prices are $499 (8GB), $599 (16GB), or $699 (32GB)." from lower on the same page.

vl3• 16 years ago

You can get iPhone without contract for the full price in any Apple store, I did it couple months back for iPhone 3GS. It's still locked to AT&T though (i.e. you don't sign 2-year contract, but it still doesn't accept non-AT&T SIM cards).

But apparently you can get unlocked one (for the full price of course) in Canada. If you live close to border, this could be a very viable option. Canada is probably going to get new iPhone by the end of the summer.

In any case you might need microSIM cutter: http://www.cutmysim.com/ or be very precise when wielding your box cutter.

spicyj4• 16 years ago

I did this too this past October. It's a piece of cake to just walk in, say you want to pay full price, and walk out with a (still sealed in its box, even) brand new iPhone.

philfreo• 16 years ago

eBay in a couple weeks

moultano• 16 years ago

It's amazing that they didn't mention android once in the article. Seems like an important thing to leave out of a review of a product in a competitive space.

protomyth• 16 years ago

Actually, I'm quite happy when a reviewer actually concentrates on what they are reviewing and goes in-depth. Product comparisons are nice, but I would rather they use the space to really tell me about the product. I can make my own comparisons relevant to myself if given enough information by a reviewer.

ergo984• 16 years ago

He actually says "I'd say that Apple has built a beautiful smartphone that works well, adds impressive new features and is still, overall, the best device in its class". The tone just seems different from the submission.

Got a chuckle at this (he's talking about the "retina" display) - "I don't know how it compares with the human retina, but I do know that, just as Apple claims, text on the screen shows no jagged lines, even when expanded to giant size"

Yuk yuk. I picture someone zooming into a fractal, desperately trying to get to the end. Mossberg is hardly the first person who has exploded a vector graphic (in this case fonts) looking for the pixels, as if it demonstrates something about the display.

Gorgias2• 16 years ago

I don't think he was talking about zooming in a vector graphic. I believe he is saying that the physical pixels on the screen are so physically tiny that he can not see the individual pixels.

ergo984• 16 years ago

He said "expanded to giant size" referring to text. If he meant "taking a digital image and expanding", well you barely have to expand it at all before you can see the pixels. He was clearly talking about actually enlarging text.

ary2• 16 years ago

And yet for making phone calls there still isn't "an app for that."

What intrigues me is that there have been zero rumors (from any of the sites I frequent) about Apple investing in or starting its own wireless carrier. Since they're not well known for giving up control over user experience it only makes sense that something along these lines has to have at least been considered.

The telecom space is so ripe for competition in the US. It's a shame that the amount of capital required is so monumental. Can you imagine a wireless carrier that had good coverage, customer service, and billing practices?

risotto• 16 years ago

Background VOIP clients shouldn't be ignored for improving the call situation.

There's no way Apple will ever become a carrier though. And such a shame they're hostile towards Google, Google Voice is our best hope for a new carrier yet...

ary2• 16 years ago

Agreed on the Google Voice point. Apple as a carrier might be far-fetched, but a solution to the problem of customer neglect/hostility by the carriers seems like something they'd be interested in fixing. Investing in one of the current carriers to gain a bit of leverage seems like a great way to alienate the rest (but so does investing in a new one now that I think about it).

In the end it's a lot of wishful thinking on my part, but the opportunity to mop the floor with the current competition still lingers.

jkahn• 16 years ago

I was really looking forward to iPhone 4, but now after upgrading my 3GS to iOS 4.0 I'm not sure why I would upgrade. It's really that good.

Which is great from a longevity point of view, but not from a gadget-lust point of view. I still have over a month to decide anyway, as they don't come out in Australia until late July. Unless they're delayed, like the iPad was.

First world problems...

Tichy• 16 years ago

So how does Colloquy do it? (Staying connected)

Mossberg: New iPhone Keeps Apple Top of Class

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