Gus Svendsen

Why the iPhone Is Not as Advertised

Posted by gussvendsen - 10/28/09 at 08:10:49 am

When I got my first iPhone back in June 2007, it was heralded as the coolest Phone/Email/Browser/iPod the world has ever seen. Now near the end of 2009 and 120+ apps later, my iPhone is less Phone/Email/Browser/iPod than ever. Although that may not be how it was packaged in the beginning, I have a feeling it was all part of the master plan.

Less Phone
If you’re like me, you don’t use the phone much anymore, cell or landlines. Conversations are more easily maintained via chat/SMS or through social networking sites like Facebook. Plus, these asynchronous technologies enable me to have multiple discussions going simultaneously. Therefore, I finally did it. I removed the Phone app from my iPhone Dock. Besides, I receive more calls than I place, and I don’t need to give up space on the dock to answer a call.

Less Email
Email has become my archive for stale conversations and forgotten passwords. I prefer the dynamic nature of real-time dialog, and I can get that through Twitter, SMS and Facebook. I took Email off my Dock and replaced it with Echofon, a Twitter app. However and for now, email still gets a position on my home screen.

Less Browser
Another thing I did a while back was remove Safari from the Dock. It now has a spot on my #2 app screen. I rarely use it because the Web apps/sites I frequent most have an iPhone app that offers a more customized user experience than a general browser can provide. Plus, many apps like Echofon, TweetDeck and more offer Web browsing inside their app… which reminds me, why doesn’t the email app work that way, Apple?

Less iPod
I knew, before I waited 6 hours in the blistering South Carolina sun to buy my first-gen iPhone, that I was not in need of a new iPod. It was bonus. Gravy. But more importantly than offering music and videos, Apple was positioning the iPhone as a portable entertainment device. People are always in need of some entertainment, right? Yes! And as it turns out, I do listen to music on it, but more often with Pandora. And I do watch videos on it but that’s because my kids can’t sit still on airplanes or in doctors’ offices. Entertaining as all that is, based on frequency I demoted the iPod app from the dock and ultimately from my Home screen.

More of a “Post-PC Device”
Even before it hit the market, Steve Jobs strategically referred to the iPhone as a “post-pc device.” He knew it would become more than a phone. (Watch the video @4:55/5:40) PCs had reached their practical maturity, and it was time to introduce the next generation of personal computing. But the iPhone did not come on the scene as a new type of gadget (e.g. Helio’s “Don’t call it a phone” campaigns). It deliberately was in the form of something we all knew, and it even came with apps we were used to seeing on a computer. But now, many of the apps I’ve used on a traditional PC environment have gotten booted from my home screen. Here’s what’s left and why.

Maps (on Dock) – one of the most useful apps I use with any predictable consistency. (Standard)
Settings – good to be able to access this when needed. (Standard)
App Store – always looking for new apps or updating my existing ones. (Standard)
Flashlight - If you wonder why I have this so prominently placed, I’ll assume you do not have children who sleep in the dark. (Web | iTunes)
Camera - For life’s special moments. Got to keep that one handy with kids around. (Standard)

Voices Memos – Use this to dictate randomness or capture business meetings. FYI – my longest recorded meeting was over 50 minutes. Imports to iTunes. (Standard)
Calendar - Thanks to iCal and MobileMe, my wife and I can easily share calendars that stay in sync. (Standard)
Shazam - one of my favorites! Technology at its best. If you don’t know this app, get it. Listens to music and tells you the title, artist and more. I use it a lot in the car. (Web | iTunes)
Bookmarks- all my 3000+ Delicious bookmarks are just a tap away. (Web | iTunes)

foursquare - I’m new to this one, but it impressed me right away. It’s got a long way to go to serve Smalltown, USA, but it’ll get there. (Web | iTunes)
Loopt - I am here. You are there. Great app for meeting up with someone, like to watch the Cal Bears beatup on someone. (Web | iTunes)
Minibooks - I do freelance work and use Freshbooks. (Web | iTunes)
Wordpress - I’m actually typing this post with it. Not ideal but works. (Web | iTunes)

ESPN FF - goes back to the entertainment factor. It’ll be gone by February. (Web | iTunes)
Poker 5K – my alternative to insomnia. Also very useful when rocking sleeping babies. (Web | iTunes)

What Did I Learn?
UX Rule: When adoption is key to your success, evolution is better than revolution.

So that’s my home screen. What does your iPhone Dock or Home Screen look like and why?