Apple Phone Show Episode 12
Various Housekeeping, Apple's New Headset, and Leo LaPorte!
Run Time: 25:53

Host:
Scott Bourne: Podcastgearguy.com, OnlineMediaTips.com and iLifeZone.com

Special Guest:
Leo LaPorte: Twit.tv

ZOMG LEO LAPORTE!!111!one! :-) Anyway, welcome, Leo, to the Apple Phone Show. Let's get on with the show. No grass growing under our feet these days!

First off, a special thanks to Joe Cipriano, one of the most famous voices in all the known universe for doing our sounders!

Secondly, don't forget our contest. You can win an iPhone, folks. The details are on the blog, so read up and enter!

Thirdly, we're still working on the forum. It's taking longer than we had hoped, but it is indeed coming. Thanks to everyone who volunteered to be a mod. We'll be contacting you soon!

Now that the housekeeping is out of the way, let's talk Apple's Bluetooth Headset. Apple started shipping them this week, and of course Scott was one of the first to go grab one.

Firstly, the auto pairing is mind blowingly good. Unlike other headsets, to pair it you simply drop it in the included dock with your iPhone and it auto pairs. That's it. No voodoo, pincodes, authorization, pairing, and other mysticism. It just flat out works. It's gorgeous, and you get two chargers with it so you can have one at work and one at home, or whatever.

As far as performance goes, Scott thinks it's more comfortable than the JawBone (From Vinny: I have the Jawbone, and for me it's fine, so like Scott said, it's all a matter of personal preference). In our official Apple Phone Show Labs, we got 7 1/2 hours of shelf life out of the battery, half an hour shy of Apple's rating. Scott did note it has slightly less range than other headsets at around 12-15 feet. On balance, it's a very good headset that's easy to use and works well.

Now, our special guest, Leo LaPorte!

Leo has covered the cellular industry for a long time. Leo started as a computer journalist, and thinks the iPhone is definitely a computer and a reinvention of what the portable computer would be. Scott sees himself using the iPhone more than his laptop almost. Leo likes the interface (and the keyboard somewhat less). He points out that Apple had to solve the problem of how do you make a device small AND usable. Apple did this with a great screen and intuitive input. He thinks Steve Jobs thought having a hardware keyboard was a waste when you don't always use one.

Leo has some little issues with it, but thinks with some fine tuning it'll be great. Scott points out that people don't buy a device because of what it doesn't do, they buy it because of what it does do.

Leo points out that if you grade the iPhone on the curve of other devices, it does fairly well. If you grade it on its own, it might get criticized too much. He points out that every smartphone has similar issues: crashing, etc. On the curve, the iPhone comes out ahead of the class. It crashes, for example, but it does so less frequently. It has better battery life than his N95 had. Leo even tried to go back to the N95 and he found it tough. The N95 had better camera and video, and voice dialing... Ringtones... Etc. In the end, though, the iPhone is a more reliable, robust, and easier to use. The interface is great for dialing numbers and scrolling contacts. On the N95 you can auto dial home with one button. On the iPhone, it may take more ticks, but it is easy.

Leo points out that some people won't buy the iPhone for what it can't do. For example, weak Exchange support and no voice dialing. He says it's clear that the iPhone is a revolutionary device, but it is lacking some features that are dealbreakers for some folks. He points out that it's the first effective commercial use of the pinch interface.

The way to look at the iPhone is to look at what happens with it because it's a platform and a beginning, and Apple has designed a device that really works. He isn't blown away by Visual Voicemail, but Scott, for example loves it. It's all about how you use it and what features you need. Scott points out that there are some folks who have trouble adjusting to the keyboard. He can type twice as fast on the iPhone as he did on his Treo (find out how fast you can go here; I hit 31 and am perfectly happy with that). Andy gets a lot more. Leo points out that the keyboard is pretty good as far as input.

Scott points out that Leo was a bit of a curmudgeon about the iPhone and it seems to have won him over. Leo points out that there is no perfect phone and that's just the way it is. He does point out that there are some flaws and he blames Apple directly for some of them. For example, they can put most of the missing features right into the phone (MMS, To-Do, A2DP). He wishes that Apple had given people a bone like using the empty row of icons for Safari bookmarks. He could then put some of the web apps there that Apple didn't include. Scott notes that the touchscreen is the strength in this case. He also points out that Apple does enhance their products and there's plenty of room to grow here. A fixed keyboard might hamper that.

Leo notes that this is a platform with room for growth later on and it has to be looked at that way. The nice thing is that it all connects through iTunes and it makes it easier to add features to the phone. Leo points out that Apple doesn't just own the hardware, they own the platform, and that's something no other phone maker can claim.

When it comes to the Razr and the N95, do either of those phones have the passion and the punch of the iPhone?

Leo says it's comparing Apples to oranges. Leo points out that if you want a plain-Jane phone, there are better choices out there so it's not really a valid comparison. He points out that that isn't really the market for the iPhone and there are people who love their Treos and Blackberrys as much as the iPhone. Passion is there and in some cases, so is the execution. BlackBerry is better suited to the enterprise, but the iPhone is a different bird. Leo isn't sure that Apple really cares about the enterprise. Apple hasn't had a lot of success in the enterprise in the past and enterprises probably don't have a compelling reason to upgrade. Leo asks "what phone should an IRS agent be carrying," to which Scott replies "One that doesn't work." Amen, Scott. Amen.

Leo points out that the iPhone works well for a certain category of users and that's the bottom line. "Right tool for the right job." He points out that there are a lot of haters out there, and a lot of it comes from the fact that it's not the tool for them; if they're looking for hammers, you won't impress them with a screwdriver.

Leo's favorite feature: The UI. Pinching, scrolling, etc., all work really well. The screen is gorgeous. Bright, crisp, and easy to look at, and the form factor is great.

Leo's wishlist: Third-party apps because it'll allow developers to fill gaps in the platform. He thinks eventually Apple will cave and fix that, along with any other missing features.

Leo points out that the battery life is insane, and it's much better than his N95. It may be a bit wider or clunkier than people might like, but overall the deficiencies are all software-related and may be because Apple erred on the side of caution when releasing the iPhone.

That's all for now... If you have any questions, comments, concerns, tips, etc., let us know at applephoneshow@gmail.com.



Thanks to Apple Phone Show producer Vincent Ferrari for the shownotes!

New Apple Phone Show theme performed and arranged by Scott Bourne.