How will Web apps work over such a slow connection?

The_Chupacabra

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Apple inexplicably chose to not spec a 3G radio for the iPhone, but at the same time refused to create an open platform for developers. If the only way to use non-Apple apps is through Web applications then it seems likely that the slow-as-molasses-in-January AT&T data network is going to make for a HORRIBLE experience.

- Lack of 3G
- Closed platform
- Lack of SD memory slot
- Phone locked to AT&T
- Limited Bluetooth
- Non-replaceable (by user) battery
- etc...

I guess Apple had to hold a few "features" back for "iPhone 2"
 

AnteL0pe

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Jul 21, 2005
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I have to wonder where you are when you're getting such a slow connection? Even when i'm without WiFi my network connection is pretty snappy. speed test shows im getting about 110 kbps or around 14 KBps which is fine for web browsing. Having moved from a Treo 650 on the same network I have to say that the iPhone seems much faster in displaying web pages.
 

Chris Kingree

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I have to wonder where you are when you're getting such a slow connection? Even when i'm without WiFi my network connection is pretty snappy. speed test shows im getting about 110 kbps or around 14 KBps which is fine for web browsing. Having moved from a Treo 650 on the same network I have to say that the iPhone seems much faster in displaying web pages.

Definitely agree there. I was pleasantly surprised that youtube was quite fast in loading videos and browsing as well.
 

Pearl_Diva

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From what I understand YouTube has some kind of plug-in for the iPhone. Or maybe it's the other way around. So it's been optimized.

There have been many reports of slow EDGE on the iPhone. But maybe that depends on the area you're in?
 

AnteL0pe

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From what I understand YouTube has some kind of plug-in for the iPhone. Or maybe it's the other way around. So it's been optimized.
Thats a special widget developed by apple and youtube. The videos have been re-encoded by youtube into h.264.

There have been many reports of slow EDGE on the iPhone. But maybe that depends on the area you're in?
It must.... I can understand how the data network would feel pokey to someone who a) had never used a data network on their phone before, or b) has gotten used to 3g, but this EDGE access is faster than it ever was on my Treo. Not only is it faster, but i'm not loading full pages and the iPhone still seems to load pages faster than my Treo ever did.
 

bruckwine

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The "faster" EDGE on the iPhone is due to the recnt updates by AT&T for that purpose..soon any AT&T EDGE should experience the same...plenty say it's still slow..but at least it's not GPRS!

P.S. Youtube video has been recoded to smaller birates for EDGE dloads (and isn't good by all accounts - wifi is though they say)- anybody has examples to upload cuz i can't imagine how that looks when on yt site they already look poor wrt quality
 

oxoxtro600

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AT&T Data Transmission rates - Boston

I have measured the EDGE rates at 45-55 kbps on my iphone in Wellesley - west of Boston. I don't know whether or not ATT upgraded EDGE around here. It doesn't seem like it.
 

burnsaa

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When checking the Iphone out in the mac store in the seattle area (Redmond to be exact) I showed speeds of 175kbs which is exactly what my treo 750 got when I switched it to Edge so it seems that they have done something because I wasnt able to get more than 90k before the Iphone came out. Thanks Apple and at&t now I can keep my 750 on the edge network and save some battery life on my 750 while I wait to save up some money for an Iphone;)
 

dgoodisi

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Sorry, Edge is slow. That it appears to be "fast enough" does not change the fact that it is slow.

From this thread Edge maxed out at 175kbps. I'm getting 600-800kbps with EVDO in San Diego.

Regarding the faster page rendering on the iPhone vs the Edge based Treo's; this is an indicator of the CPU (iPhone better than Treo), not the bandwidth (iPhone=Treo). Treo CPUs are not very fast.
 

AnteL0pe

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Sorry, Edge is slow. That it appears to be "fast enough" does not change the fact that it is slow.

From this thread Edge maxed out at 175kbps. I'm getting 600-800kbps with EVDO in San Diego.
There are faster technologies out there and faster is always better, but since i'm going from a Treo which renders slowly and wasnt used on the new faster EDGE to an iPhone which renders faster/better and is on the faster EDGE i'm happy.
 

whmurray

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I have to wonder where you are when you're getting such a slow connection? Even when i'm without WiFi my network connection is pretty snappy. speed test shows im getting about 110 kbps or around 14 KBps which is fine for web browsing. Having moved from a Treo 650 on the same network I have to say that the iPhone seems much faster in displaying web pages.
I agree. Part of that is clearly the superiority of Safari over Blazer.
 

whmurray

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Apple inexplicably chose to not spec a 3G radio for the iPhone, but at the same time refused to create an open platform for developers. If the only way to use non-Apple apps is through Web applications then it seems likely that the slow-as-molasses-in-January AT&T data network is going to make for a HORRIBLE experience.

- Lack of 3G
- Closed platform
- Lack of SD memory slot
- Phone locked to AT&T
- Limited Bluetooth
- Non-replaceable (by user) battery
- etc...

I guess Apple had to hold a few "features" back for "iPhone 2"

First, I question the premise, "inexplicable." It seems to me that Apple did explain why no 3G. AT&T. It is ironic that this week AT&T promised to more than double the number of markets with 3G. Of course, the truth is that they have hardly covered any new markets since the merger. Unlike those large cities covered before the merger, those since have been small. They raise the market count for a minimum of investment.

This week screen shots of the controls for the 3G iPhone leaked. They suggest that users will be offered a choice between persistent 3G and battery life. Design is difficult and involves hard choices.

(For purposes of continuity, I will come back to the next two questions.) That begs the question of why AT&T. The answer is that the US is a pilot market. I think Apple chose GSM because CDMA is both closed and US only. Having chosen the world, in the pilot market, they chose the arguably best US carrier.

If Apple chose GSM because it is open, then why lock to carriers in general and AT$T in particular? As it did with iTunes, Apple is changing the business model for cell-phones. It wants both unlimited data and a participation in the carrier revenues. Carrier specificity seems a small price to pay.

That leaves SD, Bluetooth, user-replaceable battery, etc. (which includes GPS). Well, as I said, design is difficult. I decline the bread and butter; one has to draw the line somewhere.

In spite of all the (hard) choices that Apple made, where many of us might have chosen differently, the iPhone has changed the game. It is not only successful, it is iconic. It was the Treo killer and has forced changes to the Blackberry. (RIMM responded well and the Blackberry is a stronger product for it. Palm did not respond well and the Treo is dead.)

In the next six weeks, we can expect Apple to respond to many of your suggestions. While I will happily plunk down half a grand for a 16G/3G iPhone, I also expect to spend a lot for software (I prefer easy to "free"). I bet that Apple will also have a pleasant surprise or two for us.
 

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