IPhone falls short on functionality

September 23, 2007 at 2:00a.m.

Here’s the question every non-iPhone owner always asks: Is it worth it?

I’ve struggled for an answer since the day Apple Inc. put the iPhone on the market. Now, thanks to a $200 price cut, I have one: Yes. But it’s not for everyone.

Even at $400, this phone has limitations. The iPhone is better suited for personal use or if you work for a small company where image matters and the tech staff doesn’t exist. If you’re a road warrior for a big firm, stick with the BlackBerry.

Here’s why I would recommend the phone ... followed by why you may want to stay away.

What’s good about it

10 things I love:

1. The “Notes” function. I used it to write this list, then e-mailed it to the office with the flick of a finger.

2. The keyboard. Typing is easy to learn, and the keyboard seemingly gets smarter about a user’s habits — or frequent misspelling — as time goes on.

3. Wi-Fi. It’s great for Web browsing and speeds up key functions significantly. I’ve used Wi-Fi from home, a hospital waiting room and numerous free hot spots. Thankfully, this feature will be available on more smart phones soon.

4. The big screen. Great for video, photos, album art and even this next item ...

5. Text messaging. Your messages and those from the other party are saved in a text balloon — similar to a comic book — so you can easily reference a string of past conversations.

6. E-mailing photos is super easy. Just open a photo and tap on an icon to e-mail the photo, use it as the iPhone’s wallpaper or assign it to a contact. Hit e-mail and that application opens. Type in a name and send.

7. The iPod. It’s so good that Apple is introducing a new line, the iPod Touch, based on the innovations here.

8. If you use an Apple computer, the iPhone is a mirror of your computing life. It’s simply the best smart phone to pair with a Mac.

9. It will force other phonemakers, from Motorola to Nokia, to seriously rethink their products. Ultimately, we will see better music phones, better e-mailing devices, more Wi-Fi and more innovation in future products.

10. Showing it off. I have not met a single person who wasn’t interested in touching the phone.

Not so good

10 things I hate:

1. It froze twice during the first week and several times since. It can be quickly unfrozen, but it’s still annoying.

2. The touch screen can be too sensitive. Accidental finger swipes are common when surfing the Web.

3. From my wife: “Doesn’t Apple realize there are two genders?” Fingernails do not work on the touch screen; only fingertips. She’s keeping her BlackBerry.

4. I can’t use the iPhone to listen to music in my car, where the stereo has an iPod connector. Likewise, the iPhone won’t work as an iPod in the majority of third-party listening devices. Work-arounds are being developed.

5. An adapter is needed for third-party headphones in the reconfigured headphone slot. This is especially frustrating if you own nice headphones for your digital music player.

6. I want more storage. Eight gigabytes is not enough. A movie takes roughly 2 gb of space, for instance.

7. Where are the games? If the iPod has fun games, why doesn’t my iPhone? (Yes, I know third parties are making some.)

8. The camera is average and you can’t shoot video — a feature that’s becoming standard even on free camera phones.

9. The Edge network is painfully slow for the iPhone’s fun features, such as the dedicated YouTube channel. Unless you’re using the iPhone in a Wi-Fi zone, much of the Web experience is frustrating. Hence, mobile Web use on smart phones that utilize faster 3G networks is superior to the iPhone.

10. For a phone with a great music player, why can’t I use stereo-enabled Bluetooth headphones? Because Apple didn’t include a stereo profile for Bluetooth, a big oversight. (There’s a Bluetooth profile for an earpiece and it does work well.)

XEric Benderoff writes about technology for the Chicago Tribune. Contact him at ebenderofftribune.com.