Tomorrow night, Research in Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM), the maker of the BlackBerry smartphone is due to report its quarterly earnings. That's two days after Apple Inc. (NADSAQ: AAPL) allowed the iPhone to be reviewed following a two week usage period by several newspaper writers. According to engadget and Cnet, who aggregated the reviews, the reviewers generally agree on the main points saying that the iPhone is indeed great ... but not perfect.
The good: The iPhone is sexy, revolutionary and its high resolution touch screen and user interface received high praise, as did the sturdiness and construction of the device. The Safari web browser, the email, visual voicemail and the enhanced iPod also received high marks. It seems the iPhone will be compatible with Microsoft Exchange Server after all (but not other email servers). Battery life is indeed better than most smartphones.
The bad: The lack of MMS, IM and video recording are failings the techy community seems to have a hard time with. In addition it seems to take a few steps to make a phone call since there is no voice recognition, speed dial or phonebook search. Also, sites can take a long time to load if the user isn't in a WiFi hotspot zone.
The so-so: Call quality seems to be only average (many are blaming the choice of the AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) network). Different reviewers took different amount of time to get used to the keyboard, but eventually did.
Final word: Despite the raving reviews the iPhone generally received regarding its engineering, design and how imaginative it is, consensus seems to be that the iPhone is no BlackBerry-killer. At least not yet.
Read the original reviews from the Wall Street Journal, the New Your Times, Newsweek and USA Today.
Engadget added a more specific list of iPhone facts.
iPhone reviews are in: Revolutionary, but not a BlackBerry killer
Posted Jun 27th 2007 8:45AM by Melly Alazraki
Filed under: Products and services, Consumer experience, Competitive strategy, Apple Inc (AAPL), Marketing and advertising, AT and T (T), Research in Motion (RIMM), iPhone
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-27-2007 @ 10:04AM
August said...
Most everyone reviewing the iPhone seems to be missing the entire point. It's NOT a Blackberry, nor have I heard anyone claim that it is.
It is however... Art for your hand. It is... a New way of doing things. It is... a Respectable photo album. It is... a Real internet browser. It is... a Beautiful contact manager. It is the world's most Popular music player. It is... an Innovative cell phone. And ALL of this so much more than it has to be to sell like hotcakes, which is... the COOLEST looking cell phone in the world.
This IS something entirely different. Open your eyes folks. Can't you tell?
Best Regards,
August
6-27-2007 @ 1:02PM
Sramana Mitra said...
The UI is the biggest question mark in the iPhone's future, and the keyboard, the most key driver of the adoption curve ... http://sramanamitra.com/blog/999
I still cannot imagine typing long blocks of text on this device, but if they have truly got this right ...
Btw, it's not meant to be a blackberry killer. Pls read the positioning analysis in the enclosed link.
6-27-2007 @ 1:27PM
Chau Nguyen said...
I agree with the previous poster regarding the point that iPhone has not claimed to be the Blackberry-replacement. The iPhone targets mostly consumers and adds rudimentary support for corporate users, vis-a-vis Outlook and IMAP email capability. Future software upgrades will surely offer additional functionalities that the device currently lack. Also, I cannot say whether Steve's goal included penetrating corporate market but it can be done via the software platform of the iPhone or establish an alliance with RIM, who already attempt to enter the consumer market with its latest phone.
6-29-2007 @ 1:07PM
kool person said...
I don't ahve to worry... I'm not paying $600 for that anyway! I have a free phone that works wonders!! And I also have an iPod, so I;m really all set! I do have to agree that it's quite cool, though. I'm just surprised that it has ni IM , MMS, or video recording. For &600, it shouls have every single bell and whistle there is oir there!!
6-29-2007 @ 11:12PM
Josh said...
this iphone will destroy the blackberry, everyone with common sense should see that coming, blackberry cant do nearly as much as this new iphone, why even compare the two?
6-30-2007 @ 4:34AM
Ariel said...
The price tag and the need to switch to AT&T service at a more expensive monthly rate will never make an iPhone convert out of me! I pay under $60 per month for wireless phone coverage, the RIM or BlackBerry network add-on, and insurance for the Pearl I purchased for $150. My $99 SanDisk MP3 player is just fine for me, and is half the size with fewer reported problems than the iPod. Unless the iPhone knocks down their handset price considerably and goes inclusive as opposed to exclusive so that other wireless providers can carry it, as BlackBerry has, I don't think there will be a mad rush for iPhones. BlackBerry is more economical. Oh, and it's a camera phone, now, too.
6-30-2007 @ 4:35AM
Ariel said...
The price tag and the need to switch to AT&T service at a more expensive monthly rate will never make an iPhone convert out of me! I pay under $60 per month for wireless phone coverage, the RIM or BlackBerry network add-on, and insurance for the Pearl I purchased for $150. My $99 SanDisk MP3 player is just fine for me, and is half the size with fewer reported problems than the iPod. Unless the iPhone knocks down their handset price considerably and goes inclusive as opposed to exclusive so that other wireless providers can carry it, as BlackBerry has, I don't think there will be a mad rush for iPhones. BlackBerry is more economical. Oh, and it's a camera phone, now, too.
6-30-2007 @ 7:10AM
Peter said...
True internet browser? Not true. No support for Flash and Java. How can you create a media phone without two of the major web media technologies? Shows you how persuasive Apple hype can be. If Stevie says it, it must be so.
6-30-2007 @ 5:17PM
Melly said...
The day the iPhone was announced, both Palm and RIM stocks sank. Ever since that day, investors have been paying special attention and have tied the fortunes of these two companies to the iPhone, regardless of how it was positioned.
The following day, indeed already some thought the business users will stick with the BlackBerry and Palm.
Still, all that was in the realm of speculation as the iPhone wasn't out and many of the features unknown.
When I recommended RIMM on March 1, when it was $141, I also felt that it was possible the iPhone would be targeted more to the young/consumer market, rather than the business one.
Bottom line, Steve Jobs, the genius marketer of the century, managed to position the phone in a way that doesn't directly threaten any one rival, and yet threatens all of them.
We'll just have to wait and see if the business community finds the features of the iPhone more useful ... or too glitzy without additional useful functionality.
7-02-2007 @ 10:36AM
Clarencebev said...
RIMM hit 212 this morning. 7/2/07.
Very recommendation at 141. You know what you are looking at. What do you recommend now?
7-02-2007 @ 10:38AM
Clarencebev said...
Nice Blog.