[#permalink]
03 Jul 2007, 09:52
That was my original point. The lack of a replaceable battery is one factor that makes the iphone a no-go in a business setting. Actually, it's pretty clear that the decisions on the iphone were made to exclude business users - probably because it would generate tons of complaints in that environment.
The first issue is going exclusively with AT&T. That's drawing a lot of fire already, and it will be an exclusive for at least 2 years. I believe the reason is that GSM is known to be very battery-friendly; important if you can't replace the battery easily.
This leads to the second big issue, which is lack of 3G communications. Of course, this has already generated plenty of complaints. Devices smaller than the iphone have 3G, but I believe this decision was made because 3G takes a lot more power. Phones like the Blackjack show 1/2 or less battery life under 3G. A small price to pay for 5-10x faster communications in a business setting, but impossible if you can't replace the battery.
3G also has another feature notably missing from the iphone - the ability to talk and use data communications at the same time - something that reviews are already complaining about as well. So, in a business setting, you can be on your phone, say with a bluetooth headset, and have a conversation about email, or data on the web, or your VPN network. Imagine talking with your secretary/paralegal/banking assistant etc., and telling them "ok forward the document" and having a look at it at while you are on the phone. 3G allows this, the iphone does not.
Of course, these things all lead back to a common issue: if you 1) talk on the phone, 2) using a bluetooth headset (bluetooth is a pretty heavy power burden as well), 3) while receiving logging onto a network or receiving documents all at the same time, 4) via a high speed 3G network, a battery rated for 6 hours will be drained in 2. Throw in some other iphone goodies like listening to music or looking at photos and videos, and the inability to replace the battery seems silly.
Getting back to the original issue, I think the root of all these problems is the choice to have a fixed battery. I believe Apple did this for aesthetic purposes, to lock in profits from replacements, or perhaps to keep people from using 3rd party batteries (a valid concern given that crappy batteries can explode). The decision to use a fixed battery pretty much forced them to abandon 3G. There's no way that battery could sustain simultaneous high-speed communications for the average business user. It has nothing to do with my job, or any of my prior jobs; it's important for anyone that relies on their communications device and doesn't sit at their desk all day. You don't have to take my word for it. Most lawyers and bankers, and I imagine virtually all consultants, with any responsibility, will report that they have had days where they have been on the move for 10, 12, 14 hours, and on the phone most of that time, trying to close a deal or finalize an issue. Carrying around an extra battery is OCD? I don't think so.