Walt interviews Jobs on iPhone

[bruckwine]

Hmm seems to me the gen 2 will be here sooner than we think!

http://mossblog.allthingsd.com/20070626/jobs-qa/

Steve Jobs Answers Walt?s iPhone Questions

Posted at 03:06 PM on June 26, 2007

In conjunction with the review of the iPhone in The Mossberg Solution, Walt Mossberg asked Apple CEO Steve Jobs some iPhone questions via email. Below are Jobs?s 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.

 

[Malatesta]

First Rule of Apple:

We don't talk about future products.

Second Rule of Apple:

We don't talk about future products.

You see where this is going. Man, not to say I adore other CEO's but damn if Job's doesn't come off as a .

"Wifi is faster than 3g".

Ugh.

And I love the talking up of AT&T. It has more to do with the fact they said "yes" to everything Apple asked than to do with their "awesome" network. Would they be saying the same about Verizon had they accepted their offer? Talk about spin.

 

[oalvarez]

and Palm's future products are?

-the Foleo

ok, that's a start (and perhaps another end).

 

[Malatesta]

and Palm's future products are?

-the Foleo

ok, that's a start (and perhaps another end).

Just out of curiosity, what does your post have to do with this thread?

 

[Kupe#WP]

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.

Since HSDPA falls back to EDGE when there's a gap in coverage, this is a red herring argument for not having 3G. Additionally, the wi-fi is not a mobile (as in "while moving") capability - it's for stationary use only...often at significant additional cost. Further, wi-fi radios are a significantly bigger power draw than GSM radios so the "8 hours of talk time" will take a hot as well. Besides, most public places you pull down wi-fi from are DSL or low-end cable services which net you a speed pretty much in the HSDPA range.

In short, Steve can put all the positive spin he wants to on the decision to use EDGE, but they don't hold water. I wonder what the real reason is? Does the HSDPA chip set cost significantly more per unit? Is it "thicker" (which might impact overall design physical - one of iPhone's truly impressive specs)?

 

[surur]

Is it "thicker" (which might impact overall design physical - one of iPhone's truly impressive specs)?

The blackjack, 0.2 mm (0.008 inches) thicker, has HSDPA.

Surur

 

[mikec#IM]

ha

Spin baby spin...

"We sandwich something faster on top and lower on the bottom".

Riiiiight. Except 90 percent of the time, you will be using the lower end.

And notice how EDGE is "plenty fast" for email, stock and weather, but no mention of Web browsing. (you know, all the google mapping and NYT reading you do on-the-go"

And saying "minus $200 for the iPod"...I would gladly pay $200 for an iPhod (an iPhone minus the phone). That seems like a deal. Opps...not going to do that now, are ya Steve?

As far as pervasive network, I laugh, because in 95 percent of metro areas, the coverage is more or less the same.

 

[Antoine of MMM#IM]

As far as pervasive network, I laugh, because in 95 percent of metro areas, the coverage is more or less the same.

You do understand that while US Metro areas compromise somewhere around 3/4 of the population, they are barely 1/4 of the physical area (and mostly on the east coast -- Boston to Atlanta). Most carriers are the same in metro areas, go rural then the challenges come.

After the buzz of the iPhone wears off for its users, basic uses will happen, music and voice telephony. For now, that is what Apple is banking on. When their next model comes, it will build just enough on those core usages to get people thinking (again) about what is in their pocket.

 

[dstrauss#IM]

Let's see...Stevie answered 5 of 8 questions (I guess that would be an impressive batting average in the majors but in financial times?) and his biggest statement was he's sandwiched HSDPA with a device that will be running 90%+ of the time on the soggy bottom of the bread. And in my experience (actual use of a Blackjack) EDGE rarely equals 1/4 the speed of HSDPA. My bet is that being new to the converged device radio game, Apple found developing an auto-switching OS stack for GSM/HSDPA/WiFi a little daunting. Besides, this thing had to be in development for at least 2-3 years, and Cingular's HSDPA footprint was minimal to non-existent back then.

BUT THAT ALL IGNORES THE REAL REASON - HSDPA eats bateries like nobodies business. Before my "free" upgrade from CIngualr to the extended battey, when I had to travel to an HSDPA area I would disable 3G except when web surfing because the Blackjack couldn't make it a day without it. My hunch is that WiFi on the iPhone powers down automatically unless being used for browsing or the like, while HSDPA is just active all the time as part of the GSM processes. Could be wrong there, but that's what it seems like on the Blackjack. Limit it to GSM/EDGE only in the big cities and it would run all day just fine on the slim battery.

So, we all just have to show restrain and wait for iPhone II with the HSDPA/Docs to Go/Exchange Activesync/stronger battery we all know and crave (and of course a full VGA screen - wonder why they skipped that on this one).