iPhone 3G, The Mobile Computer That Time Forgot

Another Apple WWDC is in the books! Another Stevenote address and yet another iteration of iPhone that almost makes it as a legit 21^st Century Smartphone. There is a lot of talk about the new Apple Smartphone really being a mobile computer. But without basic functions like Flash and copy/cut/paste it's a computer that time forgot.

Apple has a couple of nice surprises in the iPhone 3G but the device remains locked down like Riker’s and bereft of a few of the most common 2008 Smartphone conveniences. 

The biggest surprise during Job’s iPhone 3G presentation was its price. It’ll run for a comparative bargain at $199 for the 8GB and $299 for the 16GB models. Apple had to seriously roll up its sleeves to make it affordable, but there are strings attached - a two-year plan with AT&T. That oughta’ make it hacker-proof. 

The iPhone comes with the built-in Apple caste system that includes a non-user replaceable battery and memory. How else can Apple charge $100 for 8GB of memory? Thankfully the Apple phone will now sync with Exchange and even use push email right out of the box. An explosion of new third party developments at Apple’s new App Store should help patch up the holes in Apple’s development. 

But here is where iPhone 3G fails to live up to the standards of a true 2008 flagship Smartphone. 

• iPhone doesn’t copy/cut/paste and it still can’t. The was popularized by Apple with early renditions of its Mac OS and is now part of any text/messaging Smartphone.
• Still no Multi-media Messaging. You can’t text anyone with an MMS only through your iPhone 3G.
• Still no Flash support for its Safari browser. Most video online is Flash. ‘nuff said. Jobs maintains Mobile Flash is inadequate yet Adobe says iPhone isn’t powerful enough to run full Flash.
• You can’t perform iTunes music downloads via 3G. iTunes Wi-Fi is still… iTunes WiFi.
• iPhone’s unlimited 3G data rate would make a nice 3G modem for your laptop. The feature is called tethering and many cutting-edge Smartphones today stream broadband via Bluetooth (or USB) to your laptop. Another sad oversight for iPhone.
• Sill no Bluetoooth stereo or A2DP Bluetooth profile. Bluetooth is limited to your headset only. 

Apparently Apple stock was as unimpressed with the new iPhone as many in the industry. It actually went down 4% during Steve Job’s keynote.