What does iPhone have?

The iPhone allows conferencing, call holding (the speaker and receiver are shut off without breaking the connection), call merging (a conference call of three members can be created). The iPhone is compatible with other functions, for example a playing song fades out when the user receives a call but the music automatically fades back in when the call is ended.

Thanks to cooperation with AT&T Mobility, the iPhone has the Visual Voicemail function allowing users to view a list of voicemail messages without having to call into their voicemails, as well as listening to messages in a non-chronological order by choosing any message from a list.

Text messages are presented in chronological order, but unlike most phones, messages are grouped together with replies and displayed in speech bubbles, similar to iChat. There is no traditional inbox and outbox. Text messages are assigned to each contact.

Camera

The iPhone has a built-in 2.0 megapixel camera placed at the back. It is not a state-of-the-art device, but with some effort one can take really nice photos. Still, the camera does not support video recording, which is its main drawback.

Media player

The layout differs from previous iPods in various features e.g. the font size. The iPhone plays video files. However, unlike photos and images, video files are played only in the landscape orientation (horizontal). The image is presented in widescreen (black stripes at the bottom and at the top of each page) or full screen format. The built-in iPod has as the first the function of Cover Flow; it means that while playing or scrolling through the library one can put iPhone in landscape orientation and start Cover Flow.

Internet and communication

The iPhone has a built-in WiFi and a modified version of Safari web browser; it also connects the EDGE network of AT&T, but does not support HSDPA, 3G. Steve Jobs has stated that the support of 3G would be possible in the new version of iPhone. The device also does not support Flash technology, but it has Bluetooth 2.0+EDR and supports e-mails with the function of embedding photos in an e-mail message.

Based on the contract between Apple and Google, a special version of Google Maps adjusted to iPhone has been created. The WiFi network has been given a higher priority - if no hotspot is available - the iPhone will automatically, without the user's consent, access the Internet via EDGE.

The operating system

iPhone runs on the optimized version of the Mac OS X (without unnecessary components). The operating system takes up around 700 MB and will be capable of supporting future programs and applications from Apple. It has also Core Animation - a program responsible for the applications support. This program has never been used in any operating system, but it is said to be used in Mac OS X v10.5. Apple Inc. provides a simple solution for the updates to the operating system, similar to the one used in iPods and Macintoshes. The iPhone has also two widgets that allow weather and stock exchange checking.

Others

The iPhone's battery is not to be replaced by the user. According to Apple, the battery provides up to 24 hours of music, eight hours of talking, seven hours of video, six hours of web browsing, or 250 hours of standby (depending on personal configuration).

The iPhone has been supported with headphones similar to those of iPod, but they also incorporate a microphone. A call can be answered/ ended by a microphone squeeze. A double squeeze while listening to music skips to the next track.

Drawbacks

The iPhone was presented as a groundbreaking device combining lots of important features, yet it has been criticized for the lack of some crucial functions. A built-in camera does not support video recording and there is no zoom. The usage of EDGE technology has also been heavily criticized, since there is no match for the 3G network's solutions such as UMTS, HSDPA. The iPhone lacks also IR (infrared port), GPS and an possibility of recharging the battery. In a subscription version there is no support of MMS messages and the use of MP3 files as ring tones. The unlocked versions support MMS sending and enable the use of MP3 ring tones. The latest version of firmware 1.1.2. enables an easy download of MP3 ring tones.

Copyright (c) 2008 Adam Nowak