The Apple iPhone and it's Battery

Source

Carl Howe writes why Apple doesn't want third party applications running on the iPhone just yet....

It's about power.

No, this isn't about some conspiracy within Apple to control all development for the iPhone. It's about power as in, "How do we get decent battery life out of a complex smart phone that's also a music/video player and a Wifi-enabled Internet communicator?" Consumers haven't exactly been forgiving when Apple's batteries don't live up to their expectations. And the iPhone poses a big challenge in this regard.

The problem is that the iPhone is a blend of a phone and a full-fledged Mac OS X computer. Most developers don't give a whit about how much power their software consumes. After all, the processor is running anyway; why not use it? The result: most developers are happy to burn processor cycles to get their jobs done, since they view them as having no cost. You can see that in Dashboard widgets available for the Mac today that poll endlessly for everything from the weather to updates of YouTube and Facebook pages. Yes, they are useful, but they both burn processor cycles and require an open Internet connection to work.

But unlike full-fledged Macs, phones don't really have a sleep mode. As long as they are on, they need to be able to do routine housekeeping matters like beaconing, cell handoffs, and listening for incoming calls. So any software that runs on the iPhone has to do what it needs to as quickly as possible, and then retreat into a low-power-consumption mode. Think of it like the type of cooperative multi-tasking that was done in the Mac OS before version X, and you have the idea. This is made even more important by the inclusion of power-hungry WiFi networking in the iPhone. No matter how clever you are, keeping up a 100 Mbit/sec WiFi link is going to drain a phone battery in hours, not days, unless there's careful management of its use.

Now Apple can enforce this type of behavior easily in its own user-driven programs like Safari and Mail. Cooperative, well-power-managed software should yield an iPhone battery life similar to other smart phones on the market. But without control over what the software does and how it does it, all bets on battery life would be off. With arbitrary software, the iPhone could easily get a reputation as a power-hungry beast that just doesn't have enough battery power to succeed. After all, John Dvorak has already claimed as much in a podcast earlier this month; Apple has too much invested in the iPhone and its success to allow such unintended consequences to spoil the launch of this flagship product.

Do I think this is a permanent state of affairs? No. I bet that we'll see an Apple World-Wide Developer conference track in 2008 that addresses how to develop software for the iPhone to meet its power profile requirements. But the iPhone has to be a consumer success first for developers to succeed in this market. And that means creating a great consumer experience in every dimension including battery life -- even if it means keeping outside developers waiting for their shot at the market Apple is creating.

UPDATE: MacScoop had a story yesterday citing someone who has worked with the iPhone saying that the iPhone battery life may be better than advertised, although they don't have any particular reason. I have a theory though: my belief is that Leopard power management improvements and better power management tweaks in the bundled applications are now making their way into the iPhone builds, thereby improving the battery life results.

Poll finds 17 percent of adults want the iPhone

Source

Another poll (conducted by Harris Interactive Technology Research) which says 17 percent of Adults in the U.S. will buy the iPhone...

According to a Web survey by Harris Interactive Technology Research, nearly one fifth of American adults are planning to buy Apple's first cell phone.

With daily floods of rumors and gossip about the highly anticipated iPhone, it's hard to imagine that a recent Web poll revealed that only 47 percent of American adults have heard of it. The Harris Interactive Technology Research survey also found that 17 percent of those polled would actually buy the handset.

Among the 17 percent interested in purchasing the iPhone, 9 percent said they would buy it at launch, and 8 percent said they would buy it before their current wireless contract was up. However, a 17 percent said they plan on waiting till their contract is over. The survey also revealed that switching to AT&T might cause people to hold off on shelling out for the iPhone as a quarter of those interested in purchasing the phone said they would wait until their current carrier picks it up. Though, based on survey, it seems that price is the biggest deterrent, since 40 percent said that they would wait until the price drops before snatching up the handset.

The Harris Interactive poll also touched on what people felt was the iPhone's hottest feature, and a full 37 percent responded with its large storage capacity, while its quad-band worldphone capabilities and innovative interface came in second and third, with 36 percent and 31 percent respectively.

The survey was conducted by Harris Interactive Technology Research, online during February 13, 2007 through February 19, 2007. About 1,116 American adults over the age of 18 participated in the poll.

Microsoft: iPhone useless for business

Source

Microsoft says the iPhone is useless for Businesses because of it's proprietary software.

The underlying philosophy for the iPhone will make it all but superfluous in the working world, a Microsoft executive told journalists during a press event in Australia. Although initially welcoming the Apple handset as a media device, Asia-Pacific smartphone strategy head Chris Sorenson was quick to rule out the device almost entirely for business, noting that Apple's walled-off approach to software was virtually bound to lock out iPhones from corporate offices and users who want to view files from work while on the go.

"It's a closed device that you cannot install applications on, and there's no support for Office documents," he said. "If you're an enterprise and want to roll out line of business applications, it's just not an option. Even using it as a heavy messaging device will be a challenge."

Sorenson added that the iPhone's interfaced differences might also deter businesses, which he argued would prefer the familiar look of Windows Mobile 6 and the ability to install new software without explicit approval from the handset maker. Version 6 of Microsoft's smartphone suite also frequently includes Office Mobile for editing or viewing common Office files.

Microsoft's comments echo those made about the Mac's ultimate lack of success in the corporate world for much of its lifespan, which was frequently dictated by proprietary hardware and software that would not interoperate with other file formats or corporate networks. Apple CEO Steve Jobs has so far argued that stability is the motivator behind limiting iPhone software support as bugs and crashes could be far more catastrophic on an essential device.

Apple has to date made few open concessions to business use with its Mac OS X-driven device, so far only adding "push" e-mail for Yahoo accounts as well as support for IMAP-based Microsoft Exchange accounts commonly used in the workplace. No talk has surfaced of either a mobile version of Office for Mac or an equivalent, though Jobs upon the iPhone's introduction said he would be willing to add new in-house software in the future for various functions.

Microsoft slams iPhone as 'irrelevant'

Source

By David Braue, ZDNet Australia
19 April 2007 05:17 PM

Apple's soon-to-be-launched iPhone will be irrelevant to business users because it is a "closed device" and does not support Microsoft Office, a senior executive with the software giant said this week.

"It's a great music phone, and I'm sure it will be fantastic and have an interesting user interface," Microsoft's Asia-Pacific head of smartphone strategy Chris Sorenson told press during a recent visit to Australia.

"However, it's a closed device that you cannot install applications on, and there's no support for Office documents. If you're an enterprise and want to roll out line of business applications, it's just not an option. Even using it as a heavy messaging device will be a challenge," the executive added.

One hundred and forty phone models already run Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system, while Apple's new device is not expected to hit the US market until June, and Australia in 2008. The Windows mobile devices have picked up a significant portion of the converged device market, although they are up against the dominance of Nokia and its Symbian OS, Research in Motion and its BlackBerry OS, and decreasingly, Palm.

While the entry of the iPhone (with its cut-down version of Mac OS X) into this market offers new options for consumers, Sorenson believes user familiarity with the Windows Mobile interface -- and the ease with which companies can buy and develop applications for the platform -- will sustain its increasing popularity and help keep the iPhone out of the lucrative corporate market.

Windows Mobile was released in May 2005, but it wasn't until early 2006 that devices based on the operating system had become widely available to Australian buyers. By contrast, devices running the latest version 6 of Windows Mobile (WM6) will be on the Australian market before the end of the month -- beating Microsoft's own projections that the platform would ship in the third calendar quarter.

While the iPhone will focus on integrating phone, Internet browsing and iPod features, WM6 adds enterprise-targeted features such as better synchronisation of data between mobile devices and office servers.

"The market in Australia is demanding the newest and greatest mobile technology."

"With 3G we see Australians wanting more bandwidth on devices than ever before. There's a growing trend towards smarter devices, and with WM6 we've tried to bring more of what you can do on a PC, onto the devices. Manufacturers can innovate heavily in their designs, but keep that consistent [Windows] look and feel," Sorenson said.

When contacted, an Apple Australia spokesperson said: "I am not interested in commenting".

iPhone on target for end of June launch

Source

BOSTON (Reuters) - The iPhone, Apple Inc.'s (AAPL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) first mobile handset, is on schedule to hit the U.S. market at the end of June, a senior executive with AT&T Inc. (T.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Wednesday.

AT&T's wireless unit has an exclusive U.S. deal to sell the highly anticipated new handset.

"Our expectations are good. Our testing has been good," said AT&T Chief Operating Officer Randall Stephenson. "The iPhone is on target to launch in June."

The iPhone has become one of the most highly awaited product debuts since Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs demonstrated a prototype of the device in January.

There had been speculation by some blogs and reports that the iPhone could be delayed due to technical issues.

Stephenson said more than 1 million customers have said that they would like to buy one of the phones when they're available for purchase.

He made the comments while in Boston to speak at a Boston College Chief Executives' Club luncheon.

Stephenson said he was not sure how many iPhones will be available at launch.

"We're sorting through that right now," he said. "We got a million people waiting to buy it so we're hoping we get a million."

iPhone launch not a guaranteed success

Source

Posted Apr 18th 2007 8:30AM by Eric Buscemi
Buy- and sell-side analysts are running around Wall Street's high-tech conferences questioning the impact iPhone's launch could have on the wireless handset market and smartphone devices like Blackberrys and Treos.

The presumption is Apple Inc's (NASDAQ: AAPL) move is an offensive one and a natural extension of the 100 million iPods that have been sold around the world. It is also presumed that iPhone's launch will succeed.

However, remember that linking up wireless devices to wireless networks is hard stuff. The service providers could play hardball with Apple. Supposedly, Palm Inc (NASDAQ: PALM) missed its recent holiday sales target for its Treo products due to AT&T Inc (NYSE: T) wanting to focus market dollars behind its own offering -- Samsung's Blackjack.

Also remember, when the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was passed which allowed new competitors to use the Baby Bells wireline networks, the Baby Bells made it very hard for new competitors to emerge and operate profitably, with virtually every new competitor filing for bankruptcy.

The point is, unlike wireline Internet access where the baby bells and cable companies compete, if you want to use a wireless network the competitive offerings are limited, these network providers have a lot of power and tend not to compete too aggressively on price with new product offerings.

As an avid iPod user who is always on the road, you need to have a lot of music and always want to refresh your selection. Recent advertisements from the big wireless service providers like Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE: VZ), AT&T and Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE: S) to easily download music to wireless handsets are tempting.

Of course there will be a lot of problems with the wireless service providers' offerings -- the quality and software will be substandard.

However, the old Baby Bell mentality will attempt to limit competitors from using their networks, making it hard for iPhone to succeed. This is simply the closed-minded mindset that exists at big bureaucracies. Don't assume iPhone's success is a given. Apple will have to place the wireless network providers in must-act position before they embrace the iPhone in a big way.

Will Battery Life Delay The iPhone?

Source

By Stephen Wellman,
09:57 AM ET, Apr 18, 2007

The iPhone rumors this week are non-stop. As if the ruckus over rebates and subsidies for the iPhone weren't enough, now an online newsletter claims that the iPhone is suffering from poor batter life, echoing an earlier rumor broken by John Dvorak two weeks ago. The poor iPhone just can't catch a break.

Smarthouse News claims that insiders at a Taiwanese phone maker are worried about the designs for the iPhone:

Apple is struggling to deliver a quality iPhone according to insiders at a Taiwanese phone manufacturing Company. Han Hai (aka Foxconn) are concerned that the designs Apple have delivered for manufacturing are not robust enough and that the Apple software functions built into the phone are sucking juice out of the batteries to the extent that talk time is significantly compromised.

In addition to Smarthouse, blogger Jason D. O'Grady has picked up the story. This is the second time the issue with the iPhone's battery life has hit the blogosphere.

What do you think? Is all this talk about the iPhone's battery life just non-sense? Or, as some of my readers have suggested, is Apple actually orchestrating all these rumors to get free publicity and buzz before the iPhone ships?