iPhoney

Count me among the people that are underimpressed by the iPhone. For those of us that have been using smartphones already, the iPhone is a bit of a let down. Sure, it’s got that sleek, spiffy look that Apple has become synonomous with, and I can honestly say it’s probably one of the best looking phones [almost] out there, but it has some major letdowns. Non-expandable memory, non-replaceable battery, no third party software… these are all key features of any modern smartphone. I’d say that it’s excusable based on price, but early indications are that the iPhone is going to cost $500-600!

It’s clear that Apple is shooting for the trendy, free cash to burn, young hipster type. The iPhone simply isn’t capable of competing in the already established corporate market, where synchronization to various enterprise messaging systems and third party or custom written software is the norm. Not to mention, for serious business travelers a spare battery is a must.

I also have serious doubts about the usability of a touch screen only QWERTY keypad. Unless Apple has made huge improvements in touch screen design, trying to tap small squares on a touch screen is difficult with a stylus, much less fingers. A physical button keyboard alleviates this shortcoming by allowing fat fingers to focus pressure on a tactile object.

With these things in mind, the iPhone boils down to a cell phone with an integrated iPod in a flashy new package. With the exception of a fully capable, non-mobile web browser, my Treo can do everything it can, and quite a bit more. So I got a good laugh today when a Treo developer released… the iPhoney. For the Treo user who just loves that sleek iPhone like interface, but doesn’t want to give up a device with real power behind it. Yes, the interface is completely functional, and all those soft buttons link to the Treo’s comperable functions. I had to download and install it. My friends are going to be like sooooo jealous that I have an iPhoney before they do.