The iPhone 4G Regains Parity with Android Devices
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The enterprise-related improvements along with multitasking
help Apple move beyond being a target for the makers of Android devices that
have been taking shots at the iPhone since Android 2.1 came out. They do not,
however, appear to move the iPhone Gen 4 past the Android world in ways that
matter significantly to enterprise users.
What are more likely to matter are more reliable
communications and a better screen. The new antenna system on the iPhone
actually consists of the metal edge surrounding the perimeter of the device.
This perimeter is divided into two physical antennas, one for WiFi,
Bluetooth and GPS and the other for GSM
and UMTS (3G). This new design may have been dictated by AT&T's spotty 3G
service. The new screen will make the device easier to read and make for more
useful images.
The iPhone's new camera is a 5-megapixel unit that will also
shoot full-motion HD video. There's also a new version of iMovie coming out
that will let you create videos on the device itself. This could be potentially
useful for some enterprises.
The dozens of other new features of the new iPhone are
more consumer-oriented. The device supports Microsoft's Bing. It has a six axis
physical location sensors (including a gyro) for gamers, and it supports
Apple's bookstore. There is a PDF reader available that will help with document
viewing.
A potential downside, depending on how it's used, is the
advent of iAds. Applications can now be advertising supported, which may or may
not sit well in the corporate environment. The device also includes a
front-mounted camera and two microphones, which can support video conferencing.
It remains to be seen just how well video conferencing works in a handheld
environment and whether the 3G network will support it adequately.
There's no question that the new iPhone will sell a lot
of units. Whether it will work better for your business than the recently
released Droid Incredible from Verizon or last week's Sprint Evo depends more
on your specific needs than anything else.
The new iPhone is sure to set off a new series of
innovations in handheld device design, but that new series was already rolling.
What will probably matter most to your company is whether you're already using
apps for the iPhone or for Android devices; whether you need to develop custom
apps for your devices (which could eliminate the iPhone); and whether you're
already under contract to another carrier.
What the new iPhone does do is bring Apple into the same
league as the latest Android devices. It's also priced similarly, with an 16GB
model selling for $199 with a two-year contract and a 32GB model going for
$299. AT&T is offering upgrades up to six months sooner than they would
otherwise be available as a way to keep customers from moving to Android and
encourage adoption of the new AT&T data rate plan. The new iPhone will be
available on June 24 and comes in two colors-black and white.
Wayne Rash is a Senior Analyst for eWEEK Labs and runs the magazineÃÃÃs Washington Bureau. Prior to joining eWEEK as a Senior Writer on wireless technology, he was a Senior Contributing Editor and previously a Senior Analyst in the InfoWorld Test Center. He was also a reviewer for Federal Computer Week and Information Security Magazine. Previously, he ran the reviews and events departments at CMP's InternetWeek.He is a retired naval officer, a former principal at American Management Systems and a long-time columnist for Byte Magazine. He is a regular contributor to Plane & Pilot Magazine and The Washington Post.
