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The iPhone sure does look slick, right? It has to be the hottest gadget on the market with the best features, right? Surely, all of that should cover the cost (especially considering that the iPhone has had its price substantially slashed recently), right?

The problem is that although the iPhone DOES look amazing, it actually has a confused identity. It tries to be a lot of things to a lot of people, but lacks critical elements that should be included with PDAs and phones.

Some people might read up until this point and say: "Well, Apple could release updates to include more functionality! This article is unfair!" The problem with this is that although yes, Apple can release updates for certain features, other features are hardware-based, meaning that Apple would have to release a new model with new features. This is a point AGAINST the iPhone however, because Apple has a track record of releasing new models of its products and hurting early adopters (ask anyone who bought an iPhone for $599 or anyone who bought an iPod days before the next generation of that product came out-they've been caught by Apple's classic trick.) So, at best, one should WAIT for a new version of the iPhone to come out, because, if one thinks carefully, Apple has a moderate incentive to release something new before the holiday season to boost sales. You certainly wouldn't want to adopt now if there were even the suspicion that new features would be added in November or December.

What is the iPhone lacking, hardware-wise? Firstly, 3G. 3G is the quickest data network available for phones now...in 3G-enabled areas (which, unfortunately for America, only includes certain major cities,) you essentially have wifi speed all the time. If you tend to stay in wifi hotspots, the iPhone's lack of 3G should not be too much of a problem, but using the iPhone's data intensive services (like its web-browser) could be troublesome on the slower data network.

The iPhone also lacks true GPS. What Apple has substituted for it is a Google Maps service that can list directions but can NOT pinpoint where you are in real time. In other words, if you make a wrong turn, Google Maps does not immediately know this as GPS would.

The iPhone's software lacks are a little bit more manageable, since Apple can potentially release updates to cover these for little or no additional charge. Firstly, the iPhone actually does NOT have flash...this means, for example, no youtube. HOWEVER, Apple reroutes this lack by including its own youtube app that can play converted youtube files. All Youtube videos are not available via this service, however, because Google has not converted all youtube files. In a way, it's not really a lack at all, unless you find that you have to go to any other site that uses flash.

The iPhone also lacks multimedia messaging, which for most might not be a big deal, but for the target audience of the media consumer, it seems a strange lack. Also strangely absent is the ability to use songs already available as ringtones. Apple's current service requires users to buy new ringtones-even for songs they already have full versions for.

Together, the lacks in Apple's latest and greatest products make the iPhone seem like something merely gilded rather than being solid gold: Apple's iPhone seems to suffer an identity crisis of who it wants to please, neither being fully suitable for the business user or for the media consumer, and until this is fixed (which Apple is sure to do eventually,) the iPhone doesn't seem to be the best purchase.

Learn more about this author, Jack Roviere.
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