Is the iPhone right for you?

In the second edition of a two-part series, IT expert, Stu Lees, compares the two hottest phones on the market and how you can use them in your business.

The Blackberry

Last month I mentioned that the Blackberry was the ‘phone that changed my life’ and it was true (see article). To recap, the Blackberry Pearl carries all of the features that a small business owner should really need. I was lucky enough to be able to play with an iPhone and get some detailed information from our good friends at First Mobile Takapuna.

 

The iPhone

If you’ve missed the launch of Apple’s latest must have gadget then you must have been hiding under a rock somewhere. The hype surrounding the iPhone has been incredible and creating demand is what Apple does better than anyone. For the sake of the techies reading this, we are focusing our attention on the iPhone 3G model.

 

The marketing for the iPhone promises three products in one - a revolutionary phone, a widescreen iPod, and a breakthrough Internet device.

Does it Deliver?

The technology squeezed inside the iPhone is certainly impressive.  The device is more of a computer than a phone and it delivers the great Apple user interface and usability that Mac users have grown to love. When you operate the iPhone everything is run through it’s touch-screen interface. Being pretty fond of keypads, I was initially a bit out of my comfort-zone  but you soon get the hang of it. The touch-screen also offers the ability to move around the various applications on the phone very quickly.

To be honest, the iPhone is so packed full of features that there is no-where near enough room in this column to include them all. As a phone, it operates very well. As a music player it is fantastic with all of the iPod features and a great interface for deciding on what music to play. Email is quick to install and setup and checking and replying to messages is a breeze once you’ve gotten used to the touch-screen.

As a web browser, this phone is second to none. The 3G performance allows you to download ‘real’ web pages and the large screen in landscape mode lets you see just about everything. You can download all manner of gadgets and games but for you business people, the most useful tools include wireless access to your home internet connection, Google Maps, Gmail and being able to use Google while on the road.

Tricks for Young Players

My advice, after talking to many iPhone owners, our contacts at First Mobile and reading the many local blogs and articles, is to be very careful about your selection of data plan. In NZ, the cellular data market is quite confusing and there are many different plans available for the iPhone. There also seem to be a lot of misconceptions related to which data plan you must be on. Just like the Blackberry, if you want to use it for business purposes, you need to make sure that your IT support can get the thing working on your email system.

The Verdict? How does it stack up?

This is one of the hardest tech comparisons that I’ve made. Ultimately I’ve come to the conclusion that the Blackberry and iPhone devices are distinctly different tools aimed at different people. If you just want a business tool and a great phone, then I’d recommend the Blackberry. If you want a business tool but also enjoy having fast access to the web, music and want to play games as well – then you should definitely consider the iPhone.