What are the advantages of the iPhone?
Since the a few years ago, when Steve Jobs presented the iPhone as the new cool gadget being created by Apple, the technology community has been very excited about the possibilities of this new device. But, what can the iPhone do for you? It is really so exciting that deserves paying the price tag? First we need to get the facts about the iPhone to get a clear picture of this.
The iPhone is an advanced device that has included many of the features needed by high end users. From business people to students of soccer moms, there is something for everyone when it comes to use an iPhone.
And it doesn't stop when you consider the main use of the device. For example, I have used an iPhone for a few years now, and it becomes useful in a lot of occasions that I really didn't expect. For example, when you need to find directions to a particular place you need to visit, nothing better than using the built in navigation features of iPhone 4.
The following are some of the most important features of the iPhone. Check carefully each one and you can decide if this really something of your interest or just one more fad that will not satisfy your needs:
Integrated web browser
The iPhone has a great web browser, which is able to display web pages as they are, and not a reduced version of the web pages you like. This is a great advantage compared to other smartphone, which are able only to display mobile versions of web pages.
Most smart phones come with crippled web browsers. That is true: it is hard to visit any decent web site. This is particularly true for sites that use Javascript, the language used to make web sites much more interactive and easy to use. My experience with other phones is that they are still playing catch up with the support provided by mobile Safari.
Contact and appointment software
With the iPhone, you can say goodbye to your old PDA. The iPhone can be used to store thousands of contacts, appointments, and notes. The iPhone has a nice on-screen keyboard, that let you edit your information anywhere. And if you look in the iTunes store, you will probably find dozens of personal management applications, such as calendars, notes, and related software.
While other gadgets have traditionally included appointment software, most of them are difficult to integrate with you other calendars. For example, such a software must be able to sync with a desktop computer and other web-based scheduling applications. The iPhone, on the other hand, was created from the beginning to be easy to synch with your desktop computers. Using iTunes you can transfer data quickly, and contacts and appointments are transferred without major problems.
Integration with Microsoft Exchange
With the new version of the iPhone, you can integrate directly to your company's email system. The iPhone makes it easier to access email from various sources, such as MS Exchange, web mails, and any other provider that uses IMAP or the POP protocol.
The recent changes in the iPhone have made it even more integrated with Exchange. It is possible to send and receive messages easily, but also check appointments, set up meetings, and do everything you expect from a commercial messaging system.
Software from the iTunes store
The iPhone is not only a cool platform for Apple applications. Since the release of the iPhone 2.0 and the iTunes store, iPhone users can select from among thousands of applications. These cool applications can be used to increase your productivity, store your data, or just for fun.
The library of software available for iTunes is the largest one from any publisher. Just this makes it a big advantage to own an iPhone, since you can have access to any application you might need. It is incredible the amount of work spent by app creators, and this reflects in the quality of the content on the iTunes app store.
Games
If you are truly a road warrior, there are certainly the times when it is not possible to do something useful: you may be waiting in line, or just stopped in your car. For these moments, the iPhone presents the advantage of playing really nice games. Since the release of the iPhone 4 the number of games has increased dramatically. And it will continue to increase, due to the easy of use e the excellent environment for games that is provided by the iPhone platform.
Particularly I am not really into gaming, but it is nice to impress friends with the new and flashy apps that you can find for free on the iTunes app store. Also, it is great to be able to entertain my son for long periods just by handling him my iPhone. Sometimes I really appreciate that they created such an easy to use platform for all kinds of software.
Affordability
Finally, the new iPhone 4 is much cheaper than the first version. Due to contracts with access providers, Apple has been able to reduce the upfront cost of having an iPhone. With this, more people can have the opportunity to buy one of these gadgets at a reasonable price.
Similar phones can put you back several hundred dollars without providing the same level of service. I have been gladly surprised by the affordability of the system, and I have friends using it in both carriers (currently supported by AT&T and Verizon).
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