Steve Jobs Answers My iPhone Questions
In conjunction with the review of the iPhone in The Mossberg Solution, I asked CEO Steve Jobs some iPhone questions via email. Below are his responses:
Walt: Who is the intended customer for the iPhone? Is it for current “smart phone” users? For iPod fans who want a combined device?
Steve: Almost everyone we’ve talked to hates their phone. The terrible user interfaces keep most users from discovering or using most of the features. We’d like to change that for everyone. Many users want both a phone and an iPod, since most phones are not good music players. When you subtract the $200 cost of an iPod, which is included in the iPhone, the rest of the iPhone costs just $299.
Walt: Why did you decide to omit a physical keyboard? Won’t that turn off people who pay a lot for phones like BlackBerrys because they are heavy email users?
Steve: The iPhone has the best, most advanced keyboard in any mobile device. Like all small keyboards, it takes three or four days to get used to. IPhone users will quickly learn to trust its intelligence to correct their mistakes automatically. So far, everyone who has used it loves it, and reports that they are typing as fast or faster than they did on their Treo or BlackBerry or other smart phone. The iPhone’s keyboard lets us use far more sophisticated software to improve accuracy, customize the keyboard for specific applications, and of course remove the keyboard when it’s not needed, freeing iPhone’s entire large screen for reading email, browsing the Web, looking at maps, enjoying photos and movies, and doing things we haven’t yet invented. We think the iPhone’s keyboard is one of its greatest assets and competitive advantages.
Walt: Why does the iPhone only run on a relatively slow cellphone data network, much slower than those used by some other smart phones?
Steve: The iPhone has built-in Wi-Fi and uses the EDGE high-speed data network. EDGE is pervasive throughout the U.S., and for many applications like email, maps, stocks and weather, it is plenty fast. The iPhone automatically switches to Wi-Fi whenever it senses a known Wi-Fi network, and Wi-Fi delivers data several times faster than 3G networks. So the iPhone sandwiches 3G networks with something a bit slower on the bottom and something far faster on the top.
Walt: When will there be an iPhone that runs on the fastest, so-called “3G” networks?
Steve: Walt, you know we don’t talk about future products. Again, Wi-Fi is far faster than 3G networks.
Walt: Why does the iPhone only work with a single carrier, AT&T? Will there be iPhones for other carriers in the U.S.?
Steve: AT&T is the most popular wireless carrier in the U.S. and they have been investing billions of dollars in the last couple of years to create a great network. They also have the advantage of using GSM technology, which is used by over 80% of the world. The iPhone is a world phone with quad-band GSM technology that works great in the U.S., Europe and most of Asia.
Walt: Will you follow the pattern you set with the iPod and bring out less costly models? If so, when?
Steve: We don’t talk about future products.
Walt: This first model is missing some features some other smart phones have, like video recording, instant messaging, and real-time GPS navigation. Do you plan to upgrade iPhones purchased now so they have these features? If so, when?
Steve: We don’t talk about future products. I will say that the iPhone is the most sophisticated software platform ever created for a mobile device, and that we think software features are where the action will be in the coming years. Stay tuned.
Comments
Congratulations to Apple for bringing this 1st version phone…
However, why isn’t there a USB slot so that you can print out photos or web pages?
The inability to modify Excel and Word attachments is a deal breaker for me personally.
I hope later models of the phone will include the ability to print out photos/emails/etc.
Also, I wishe it included a video recorder.
Posted by gary bryant at June 26th, 2007 at 5:24 pm@gary People are printing web pages? C’mon.
A camcorder option would be nice though. It seems like that might be something they could add on via a software update.
Posted by Chris Ainsworth at June 26th, 2007 at 7:46 pmThe Wi-Fi sounds great!
Posted by Neil Anderson at June 26th, 2007 at 9:24 pm“I hope later models of the phone will include the ability to print out photos/emails/etc.”
How about printing photos, e-mails, and Web pages via Bluetooth?
Posted by Neil Anderson at June 26th, 2007 at 9:33 pm“We don’t talk about future products”
Good one Steve…you have only been talking about the iphone (v1.0) for a mere 6 months.
Posted by Colin Brix at June 26th, 2007 at 11:16 pmNeil Anderson is right. I can’t get the iPhone without being able to print anything… Steve, I know you’re reading this, so how about selling a bluetooth dongle that I can plug into my printer’s USB port so I can print using bluetooth on any printer (the dongle would have to have another female USB port on the other side so i can still connect another computer to the printer through the USB dongle).
I also have another great idea… why don’t you make a touchpad for a MacBook that uses Multitouch, but the touchpad is actually a touchscreen? The possibilities can be endless.
Posted by Joe Smith at June 27th, 2007 at 6:41 amI’m surprised I haven’t seen more commentary on the WI-FI feature. Reviewers seem so hung up on the EDGE thing, and haven’t told us how the WI-FI works, or how that compares to the competition.
I think that in the long run, the features Apple has chosen to implement, with such steep improvements when compared to other high-end phones (email, the keyboard, UI, the web, not to mention a great iPod) - these features added together will blow away anything else on the market, and people won’t be saying to themselves as they’re browsing their voicemails, gee, this EDGE network feels pokey.
Posted by Christopher Brown at June 27th, 2007 at 7:55 amLess is More!
Won’t somebody build me a smart phone that I don’t have to surrender to the security guards because it has a built-in camera?
Also, the current iPhone is a deal IF you want an iPod also. I don’t.
Posted by Robert MacLeay at June 27th, 2007 at 9:00 amGreat! Thanks Steve … with wireless internet I’m ready to go-offgrid.
http://www.go-offgrid.com
Posted by Rod Borghese at June 27th, 2007 at 9:53 amsimplicity is the key for Apple, look at how iPod beat all other mp3 players even though it was late to the game.
As Ford famously said once, “If I’d listened to customers, I’d have given them a faster horse”
Posted by thomashan at June 27th, 2007 at 10:59 amIn view of its several disadvantages (high price, limitation to Cingular/AT&T, limited memory for music and video, etc.) isn’t it obvious that with a microphone and an operating system, the iPhone would have a true KILLER APP were it to include DICTATION software?
Then a user could dictate an outgoing telephone call, dictate an Email, and dictate a text file that could go to a simple word processor, like TEXTEDIT, and thence to a printer
Now THAT would be an extraordinary breakthrough!
Posted by Al Feldzamen at June 27th, 2007 at 11:23 amA lot of people are interested in the implications for IT departments. I posted an article about security, compatibility, push email, and other subjects at roughlydrafted.com:
Using the iPhone in the Enterprise
Posted by daniel eran dilger at June 27th, 2007 at 12:22 pmhttp://www.roughlydrafted.com
My only gripe is that it does not have voice recognition.
This thing is going to be fragile. I read that the iPhone was put thru some serious testing, including dropping it and using it under the rain, but the fact that it has a glass front, dictates that this is a fragile piece of equipment.
By using voice recognition, you can save many instances of handling the phone and thus bringing down the chances of dropping it.
The phone already has a mic, so why not have voice recognition?
Posted by Dorian Mattar at June 27th, 2007 at 3:18 pmJoe Smith and Neil Anderson’s comments about printing are ludicrous. First, who prints emails? Second, where is your printer? Mine is close to my computer. And guess what, you can sync your iPhone to your computer using iTunes. After you sync, you can print until you run out of ink. Why muck up a well engineered device with all kinds of ports. Do you want a serial too so you can use more Windows peripherals? The iPhone isn’t perfect but adding USB is simply stupid.
Posted by Tim Staab at June 27th, 2007 at 5:47 pmClearly Apple needs more than just iPhone 1.0 in order to succeed in Asia.
1) Localization
They need to catch up with industry leader like Nokia/Motorola who have penetrated the asian market. It took them a good long years to solve even the most basic issue: character input.
Apple’s gorgeus screen and virtual keyboard as well as its multi-touch may be adequate for western users, but not in Asia. The majority of asians don’t speak/type english, and most aren’t even avid computer users, dont expect people to be happy with just intelligent keyboard, they need somethng more sophisticated, handwriting recognition, more localized dictionaries, and voice recognition.
2) 3G, 3.5G, 4G.
3) More goodies & customizability
Surely there’s still enough space for more icons in the home screen, would it be great to see more buttons like Games perhaps? With the kind of sensors iPhone is packed with, it can be a great game control device don’t you think?
Posted by Will Wiriawan at June 28th, 2007 at 3:38 am“However, why isn’t there a USB slot so that you can print out photos or web pages?”
Like all iPods, it comes with a USB cable and has an iPod cradle.
Posted by Tony Martin at June 28th, 2007 at 10:50 amWalt: Just in case you forgot. Steve doesn’t talk about future products:).
Posted by Joseph Paluh at June 28th, 2007 at 5:30 pmIs the first phone to not feature a user replaceable battery?
I guess everyone should keep a spare phone around to activate while you send your iPhone in for a week or ? while waiting for a premium priced battery to be installed. Unbelieveable.
Posted by Marc Brenner at June 28th, 2007 at 11:05 pmTony, the Apple demos that I have seen do not show a USB slot for the IPhone. If anyone has actually purchased the phone, can you please confirm that it has a USB slot or not?
Posted by gary bryant at June 29th, 2007 at 9:35 pmAm I like the only person one earth who is not impressed by the iphone? While i will admit when i used it yesterday it was a nice phone/device, i couldn’t see myself giving up my blackberry 8830 for it. It my just be my love for the blackberry, but I wasn’t feeling it at all. I can’t live without push mail, I i could get over the slow data because in almost always in a place that offers wifi, but i just feel like the blackberry is the best thing since sliced bread. And now that they are adding media features to the blackberry, i can’t find much that the iphone can do that my blackberry can’t.
Posted by Carl Hicks at July 3rd, 2007 at 11:16 pmI enjoyed the iPhone for 13 days (14 day return policy), and had to return it for one reason. My company wouldn’t enable the (less secure) iMap features of Exchange. So, corporate email was only available through Outlook Web Access (OWA) or Outlook Mobile Access (OMA). These performed workably on the iPhone, but it was cumbersome. Each time going in, you had to type in userid and PW, and you had to scroll around on the screen with very tiny text to navigate — trying to hit the “X’ to delete in OWA was tricky. While doable, it just couldn’t do it easily.
I know there are some new companies around who are offering to push your email to the iPhone by downloading from OWA onto their servers, then pushing to the iPhone. This would specifically be grounds for firing in my company, so probably not worth it.
So, while the iPhone was great for pictures (magical interface, really!), music (coverflow is nice), and email (non-Corporate) scrolling is truly revolutionary…the Exchange limitation (for now) was a deal breaker.
By the way, battery life was far superior to any phone I’ve ever used (MotoQ now). As long as it lasts a couple of years, it’ll be great for most people.
A tiny beef was that AT&T charged a restocking fee on not just the iPhone (10%), but each of the accessories purchased at buy-time, even though they were not opened.
Incredible work, Apple/Steve, and as soon as Exchange works natively, I’ll be back immediately.
Posted by Michael Palmer at July 15th, 2007 at 4:57 pmGod, this is ridiculous! I know steve could give some better answers than this. I wonder what it would be like to really talk to him about apple stuff, I mean REALLY talk to him. These just sound like some computer gave the answers. he didn’t even give a serious answer for some questions (i.e. the one about why the iPhone was ATT. The one all of us wanted to hear.) This article makes me depressed.
Posted by woody sims at October 28th, 2007 at 5:32 pm