“We have been testing the iPhone for two weeks, in multiple usage scenarios, in cities across the country. Our verdict is that, despite some flaws and feature omissions, the iPhone is, on balance, a beautiful and breakthrough handheld computer. Its software, especially, sets a new bar for the smart-phone industry, and its clever finger-touch interface, which dispenses with a stylus and most buttons, works well, though it sometimes adds steps to common functions,” Walter S. Mossberg and Katherine Boehret report for The Wall Street Journal.
“It has the largest and highest-resolution screen of any smart phone we’ve seen, and the most internal memory by far. Yet it is one of the thinnest smart phones available and offers impressive battery life, better than its key competitors claim,” Mossberg and Boehret report. “It feels solid and comfortable in the hand and the way it displays photos, videos and Web pages on its gorgeous screen makes other smart phones look primitive.”
Mossberg and Boehret report, “The iPhone’s most controversial feature, the omission of a physical keyboard in favor of a virtual keyboard on the screen, turned out in our tests to be a nonissue, despite our deep initial skepticism. After five days of use, Walt — who did most of the testing for this review — was able to type on it as quickly and accurately as he could on the Palm Treo he has used for years. This was partly because of smart software that corrects typing errors on the fly.”
“The display is made of a sturdy glass, not plastic, and while it did pick up smudges, it didn’t acquire a single scratch, even though it was tossed into Walt’s pocket or briefcase, or Katie’s purse, without any protective case or holster. No scratches appeared on the rest of the body either,” Mossberg and Boehret report.
Walt Mossberg – Apple iPhone is Breakthrough Handheld Computer:
Full review with much more here.
Also, Apple CEO Steve Jobs answers Walt Mossberg’s iPhone questions here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “ChrissyOne” for the heads up.]
This is arguably the most important review the iPhone will ever receive and, as it’s basically a rave review from Mossberg, it means even more money in the bank for Apple.
Folks, we have a winner (as if we didn’t already know). Can’t wait to see this story get picked up by other media outlets.
is anyone surprised at Mossy’s conclusions?
The liberal media will ignore this one and focus on the negatives. Just wait.
Goatburger got the message from Cupertino headquarters. maaa maaa maaa.
In Walt I trust….
it’s curtains for everyone else.
game over.
MW – peace – Peace out, competition!
What’s truly funny?
Apple has MANY more new product releases coming.
Enjoy the ride if you can handle it.
Liberal media? Liberals love Apple. Welcome to earth. You must have been away for a long time.
a la Dvorak…now shut up about the keyboard!!
Negative comments = I didn’t get an iphone in the first issue.
Positive comments = I got an iphone in the first issue and boy do am I looking cool!
Eat your cows heart out Balmy one! Oh! you have?, in that McBurger? did you break any of their chairs while you were at it?
Also, I’m willing to bet there are a few more surprise iPhone announcements this week.
This is Jobs’ baby and he’s loving every minute.
Umm, no….the liberals (i.e. Greenpeace, ActForChange, etc.) have been hammering Apple as of late. You’re the one that must have been away…
“Also, I’m willing to bet there are a few more surprise iPhone announcements this week.”
Already had one in this very review….full MS Exchange support.
Oh dear, Sorry I shouldn’t have said that…after all the poor man is only fighting his companies corner…..
Sorry Balmy one!!!!!!
See if you can turn your employers ethos around please.
Yes !!! Buy AAPL.
I was getting a little concerned over the past few days as the Apple haters have been in attack mode. Walt’s review should help a lot.
Cheers !
“Already had one in this very review….full MS Exchange support.”
And I mentioned that two MDN stories ago!
(In other iPhone “news”, ZDNet is reporting “Apple will announce this week — possibly as soon as June 27 — that it has licensed the (Microsoft) Exchange ActiveSync licensing protocol.”)
Mossberg was honest with his review; if Apple would answer to all or most of mentioned drawbacks, then it would be outstanding.
“There’s also no way to cut, copy, or paste text.”
What the fcuk? I’m all about the iPhone…I’ve been driving everyone I know crazy about it but that has to be one major oversite – or did Walt miss a function?
“You also cannot just start typing a name or number, but must scroll through a list of favorites, through your recent call list, or your entire contact list. You can also use a virtual keypad.”
If Dvorak is paid off by the Microsoft camp, so is Walt Mossberg to Apple. His opinion is biased, and worthless. As if he was going to come out and trash the iPhone! Steve had him bought years ago. After all, don’t write a good review, and you won’t get any more keynote publicity and free stuff (he is quoted in almost all S.J. Keynote addresses). Didn’t he also favour the Apple Cube too. Wow, now that’s a real endorsement!
Just shows you how even though conservatives support their own, Liberals also support their own too. Perhaps as it should be, but at least call it as it is.
<i>”Also, I’m willing to bet there are a few more surprise iPhone announcements this week.”
Already had one in this very review….full MS Exchange support.<>
No. It works with Exchange if you enable IMAPmail on the Exchange server, apparently.
“There’s also no way to cut, copy, or paste text.”
Shit, that’s one of those little features nobody mentions but I was looking forward to.
There are some very simple things I can’t believe Apple missed such as the ability to jump right to a contact by typing its name in the search field.
“and you have to switch to a different keyboard view to insert a period or comma, which is annoying.”
I mean this is some simple shit right here that will have to be corrected later on. I don’t want to have to enter a different view for special characters like on a Razr, it should be right there.
Andrew: A simple request. Prove it, with links.
Daddy says no buttons no buy.
“The liberal media will ignore this one and focus on the negatives. Just wait.”
I doubt you really even have a clue what ‘liberal’ means, especially as it relates to the media, and are just another drone that regurgitates the right wing ‘liberal bias’ talking points.
Here’s your homework. Think for yourself.
“Voice call quality was good, but not great. In some places, especially in weak coverage areas, there was some muffling or garbling.”
Pogue’s review said the same. Sounds like the earpiece quality is garbage, a very basic thing that Apple should’ve gotten right.