Why I Hate My iPhone

I've had an iphone for the last coupla weeks and there are some things that drive me crazy about it!

• The battery life is crazy short. I can't make it more than 6 hours on a charge. Good lord!
• Pandora, an app I dearly love, can't run in the background like the ipod app, so I can't do SMS, email, check my calendar, etc. while I'm listening. Are you kidding me?
• There's no tactile feedback on the keyboard, although the auto-correct is amazing ("let go, let iphone!").
• There's no copy-paste. I've never used a smart phone that did, but I soooo want this feature!
• There's no free out-of-the-box app for using my iphone as a laptop modem, which is something I really loved about my T-Mobile Dash.
• I used to be able to use my T-Mobile account to get free wifi at Starbucks. Can I do the same with my AT&T account? I have the unlimited data option.
• There's no turn-by-turn directions on the map app and easy re-routing when I go off route. It's so close; let's go all the way!

And all of that pales in comparison to the single worst deficiency in the app-suite of the iphone for which I've found no good work-arounds; the calendar app is nearly worthless in a business environment:

• There is no snooze, so I can't set an alert for 15 minutes and then 5 minutes before, then at the time, etc. In a meeting driven environment like Microsoft, the lack of snooze means that I'm actually missing meetings.
• There is no way to invite other people to events. Further, if I create an event via Exchange so I can invite someone, I can't edit it on the iPhone.
• I can't do a Reply All to an event to ask a question or let folks know I'm running a little late.
• There is no detection of phone numbers or addresses in event locations or the body, which means I get no integration with the phone or map apps. This means that I'm memorizing phone numbers and addresses stored in events so I can enter them manually. I have a smart phone so I don't have to remember this stuff!
• My appointments don't show on the home screen, so I have to constantly check the calendar app to see what my day is going to look like.

The calendar app is the single thing that makes me miss my Dash. Someone please tell me there's a workaround to these issues! I'll pay!

The reason I list the things I hate about my iphone is because the list of things I love about it would be impossible to enumerate. I had a T-Mobile Dash for years and it went with me everywhere. It was as big a boost in my electronic lifestyle as my first laptop. After having a smart phone for contacts, email, music and surfing the web, I couldn't go back. Plus, I loved the Dash so much that I'd try a new phone every 6 months or so and then bring it back because it just didn't compare.

On the other hand, the iPhone replaced my Dash in 24 hours. I've been twittering iPhone development related apps. I've purchased iphone charing cables for everywhere in my life where I sit for more than 5 minutes. I want to integrate my iphone as closely into my car as possible.

They will pry my iphone out of my cold dead hands.

This is the exact same way I feel about my iPhone, more or less, with possibly a slightly different set of gripes.

Battery life complaints are pretty much universal, I actually now have two charging cables, one for each side of my bedroom. I'm not even kidding.

These things now only bother me because this phone is now such an integral part of my life that I feel almost naked without it, unable to just quickly consult google maps or wikipedia or whatever.

I know what you mean, Andy. I've been that way for years with my smartphones and now my iphone. My friend Tim Ewald calls me an "info bastard" because of it. I think it fits. : )

Exactly the same here.

WebIS has does "Pocket Informant" for Windows Mobile. They really know how to make Calendar Apps. Now they have submitted their first iphone version to Apple. Can't wait.

http://pocketinformant.com/products_info.php?p_id=pocketinformant_iphone

Screenshot of Weekview: http://pocketinformant.com/graphics/iPhone/screenshots/PI/WeekView.png

Your iPhone calendar complaints seem eerily similar to the ones Michi Henning posted a while ago here:
http://zeroc.com/blogs/michi/2008/07/21/the-apple-of-my-i/

6 hours on a charge? I get a couple days. I assume you are checking for new mail frequently? I only check for new mail every hour, which is good enough for me, may not be for you. But that was the same situation with the couple of Windows Mobile phones I had previously.

All iPhones get free wifi at Starbucks. If I remember correctly when you log into Safari you go to a page where you have to enter your phone number to get authorized.

The lack of snooze feature and no background tasks are the two biggest issues I've had in moving to the iPhone. But like you I think there are enough good things that I'm finding work arounds and/or living with them

Chris - You are absolutely right! It is a phone where all of the basic features is missing. My suggestion, check out the HTC Black Diamond!

And btw, thank you for your nicely written (and very pedagogical) technical articles.

You can use att wifi for free (on the phone), but i think there are workarounds to get it on your pc too.

http://lifehacker.com/5070687/att-offers-free-wi+fi-to-iphone-owners-for-real-this-time

Select+Copy+Paste is maybe coming in 3.0, and it maybe works really well in the latest beta. But the iPhone OS 3.0 beta is considered Apple Confidential Information so obviously this is speculation.

Using your iPhone as (or like) a modem did make it into some 3rd party apps, but Apple were quick to pull them (or in many cases just not approve them).

Word on the street was that the carrier partners don't want everyone with an iPhone getting free data to whatever they tether their iPhone to.

Most of your gripes will be addressed in the future I think.

The battery life one is tough. While my 3G iPhone seems to have fine battery life, I am certain it will fade in time.

Background apps has been a big ask but if you think your battery life is bad now... It is disappointing that audio apps like Pandora have not been afforded the same privileges as itunes.

Except for a few full touch virtual keyboard devices with haptic feedback, this is the deal with virtual KBs. It doesn't bother me too much.

Copy/Paste is in 3.0.

There was a 3rd party app for tethering but they pulled it -- presumably because AT&T wants to put out their own official one. It will eventually come but it will cut into their 3g modem biz so they drag their feet.

I read recently that Starbucks is dropping t-mobile for ATT in their stores and that wifi will be free to everyone who chooses to carry one of their pre-paid cards. Sounds promising.

I believe turn by turn directions are in 3.0 as well.