Actually, I seem to remember that there IS a way to rate your media from a Steve Jobs Keynote.

I am sure as usual Apple has planned this lack of features carefully, one of the great things about Apple is that they always leave features out so that 3 party developers or gadget makers can fill the gap , this is smart on their part even though it might look bad in the beginning it develops a microcosm of products and obviously this just adds to the iconic status of the product.. yup like it of not Apple has done it again this is the next ipod but it's going to be bigger I am just wondering what's next.. this is an exciting company

Yep, I missed it; Chris found it. The entry has been updated.

Yep, I missed it; Chris found it. The entry has been updated.

Hey Dan, you can both view and set ratings. Here's how:

While playing a song, tap the the album track listing in the top right corner. See the five dots? Those are your rating stars. Click on a dot to set the rating. Voila!

Moren, you're so behind. I updated the entry, um, minutes ago ;-)

One missing feature is in the Notes application. As far as I can see there is no way to categorize notes.

With my iQue, and previously my Handspring, I made a ton of notes all categorized. This allowed me to have almost a database of reference materials for everything from a list of password hints, to a list of books/movies I'd like to see, to just about anything I wanted to remember.

In addition, it doesnt appear that the Notes app syncs with an application on the Mac. Not sure if I've missed it yet or not.

It looks like I might have to create a web app to handle this now.

One other really obvious feature missing: Select text, copy/cut & paste. In a device where you can surf through so much information with web, email, notes, appointmens & contacts - copying & pasting is a basic, important time-saving feature.

Disk mode is missing as well. AKA you can't use it to transport files like you can with an iPod.

Rob:

I agree; I mentioned that one in a different post.

Well there is a way to rate your music. Tap on the Album cover once and it will flip to song list and you can rate it all the way up.

One thing apple need to do fix would be the browser. I already see some flops. It doesn't work well with some websites, for some it doesn't even work at all.
Well I can only tell so far from what I have observed from the iPhones on the apple store as I went to test drive a couple of them at my local apple store last night.
For younger crowd, and heck for anyone really, myspace is a big place to be. Just like youtube, people would have loved to see a little button there or at least made web browsing myspace easier. I was on one of the iPhones and I went on safari and tried the myspace url, 5 mins later it was still loading. So I left that iphone on dock and went and tried the other iphones around me and it was the same deal, I went back to the first iphone I was playing with to see if it had come through, well 30 mins later, still was "loading." I even did a search on google for myspace and it did find myspace stuff and I clicked on the official website and it was again "loading" so I gave up.
Either the internet was really slow, although for the other websites it had no problems going through, or the iphones safari just can't/wont load myspace at this point.

One other thing I would have loved is being able to customize my buttons on the home screen.
Lets say I wanted to move my SMS app on the end of my apps, I can't do that, well my blackberry has that feature to move things around so that the things that I need would be on the top and the things that I want can be prioritized somewhere else.

Wallpaper. Why can't I change my background all together??
I was expecting there would be a setting for it but there wasn't. The plain background at the home screen is all you can have.

8gb. Are you kidding me? [well apparently not] So my thousands of songs will be staying on my computer it seems like.
I know that apple went really far to try to put out a phone thats thinner than any other phone out there but why thing is..
couldn't it have been both revolutionary, pretty, and functional. I'm not saying its not functional but I think it wouldnt have hurt apple to add a little space to be able to add more memory than just 8gb... 600 for all the missing pieces?
I remember being so excited when ipod went colored..and even then I dont remember the ipods costing 600 and when I went home with one I was so satisfied. When ipod video came out I was so excited that when I went to the store i just had to get it, I didn't have the same feeling when I went to the apple store to test drive it this morning. :-(

Well I hope APPLE with put out an update to all the mess coz people are gonna get really bored with the iPhone really soon. I mean I haven't even received mine yet in the mail yet and I feel like returning it already.

The iphone is beautiful but I'm really beginning to think if its worth the 650 and the 100 bucks and more that I'll be paying at&t monthly.

For everyone with the iphones already keep me updated. Thanks Macworld!

Apple could solve the speed dial in two 'presses.' Add an "application" to the home screen called "Speed Dial." Pressing on "Speed Dial" brings up a numerical keypad where you can press to dial your speed dial contacts.

I didn't realize how much I used it until I tried to use my iPhone while driving. Very difficult to keep car on road and fingertap the correct number of a contact.....

So Dan, what do you think of the possibility of full GPS just being a future software update? Don't all cellphones these day have GPS in them so 911 can locate callers?

If so, how likely would this feature be to come about as a "software update" versus a physical "hardware upgrade?"

Does anyone know the engineering of such a feat? Honestly, not knowing the answer to this question is the biggest thing keeping me from plunking that much money down on the first version.

I know, I'll probably just have to wait and see, but I'd be very curious if someone more knowledgable in these things could possibly shed some light.

Christi

Christi:

I've long held the position that standalone GPS units are going to be "yesterday's technology" before long. GPS circuitry is getting smaller and smaller and it just makes too much sense to include it in a phone. I predict that it won't be long before GPS functionality is built into most phones.

That said, such a feature does require GPS hardware, and as far as we know, that hardware isn't included in the iPhone. So you're probably looking at a future version of the iPhone itself.

Thanks for your reply. I sort of suspected it would most likely be a hardward update to get GPS. I was incorrect in my assumption that most cell phones these days have GPS in them for 911 calls. 911 dispatchers still use triangulization (sp?) to locate emergency calls. But hey, more and more cell phones are coming out with full GPS so as you say, it is just a matter of time. I can't imagine Apple wanting to miss that boat! I mean, if they can eventually replace PDAs AND Navigation systems and shake those markets up, why wouldn't they, right?

On another note, since you have an iPhone yourself and could possibly try this out. If you have a Gmail account, you also have access to Google Documents. Last night at the Apple store I login to my iGoogle home page and attempted to access the Documents via the More pull down menu at the top of the iGoogle page. It would not work. As you probably know, Google Documents lets one create and edit Word and Excel like files. When I got home, I checked it out online and sure enough Google is working on a Safari browser solution as we write.

What do you think of the possibility of this being Apple's solution to being able to edit the Word documents that someone sends you via email. How difficult would it be to click on that attachment and tell your phone to send it to your Google Documents account and then open up the document there? I don't know. Perhaps what looks and sounds like a simple solution to me would take a months and months of programming. What do you think?

Christi

This is exactly why Apple sucks as badly as they do. Myopic Apple fans: get a life! Worshipping at the garbage heap that is Apple is not a fruitful venture. I find it absolutely hilarious that that every Apple junkie and their mother just went and spent at least $500 on a phone w/ a functionality from 1999. Congratulations! Way to employ logic!

Voice Dialing? Take it a step further: "Play Lilly Allen 'LDN'" I don't want to be managing my iPhone in the car. If I can control playing tracks by voice, HUZZAH!

Jeff, you're making it sound like the iPhone has no compelling features of its own. The only place I saw phones with anything close to this functionality in 1999 was in movies ;-)

Despite missing the features I mentioned here -- many of which I think will be added via software updates, as I mentioned -- the iPhone is still head and shoulders above any other phone I've used when it comes to interface and usability. I have quibbles with it, but it sure is a lot of fun to use. Don't knock it until you actually try it.

A big missing interactivity piece: Not only can't you copy, cut, or paste, but you can't even select a text range and delete portions of it.

Also, I found that when I mistyped a homepage.mac.com URL, I couldn't get it mostly prefilled to retype. It showed me the error in typing, but there was no way to select that.

There's also no way to re-order items in lists, as far as I can tell. Check out the Weather widget or other places in which you create items in lists, and while sort options sometimes exist, you cannot drag and drop to re-arrange items.

Glenn:

I covered the select/copy/paste omission in another post.

As for re-ordering, it depends on the app, apparently. For example, you can re-order Favorites in the phone contact list; if a list is re-orderable, you'll see an icon, on the right in Edit mode, that looks like three items in a list.

I agree with most of the stuff you said. But I must say that regarding the lyrics topic, it is pretty simple to just get online while your song is playing and load up a lyrics domain. I did this earlier and it seemed to work fine. And I think that someone will have an app that you can use for im/chat pretty soon. I mean there is already one that some guy is running off his own server. It doesnt work very well yet but it gets the job done. My only question is could an app be made to allow the creation of ringtones if Apple decides not to add that feature on itunes.

Christi:

Dan Moren answered your question, with a little tip at the end from me, over here.

I've love to simple stream music to my airport express. I like better quality headphones than what bluetooth headphones are out right now.

I find it hard to believe that a person who is telling us to get over Apple's iPhone because it only has 1999 technology (Jeff) is surfing MacWorld's iPhone Central.

What no one else has mentioned anywhere is the calculator. It is extremly basic. Just adding % and memory keys would make it more useful.

What about the ability to download songs over the air? I decide that I want to get a new song with my current ($29) phone , and no matter where I am, I can have it in my phone within about 30 seconds. The iPhone cannot do that? I have to go home to my computer, find the song, and then sync it.

Phones have been able to play Mp3's and surf the internet since before 2001. I guess that I'm just not getting the breakthrough?

What about an iPhone .Mac client? Why should .Mac users have to dock to sync their info when this service is already available? An obvious omission and a missed opportunity to add some value to Apple's weakest (and most overpriced) product.

What about an iPhone .Mac client? Why should .Mac users have to dock to sync their info when this service is already available? An obvious omission and a missed opportunity to add some value to Apple's weakest (and most overpriced) product.

Steven: The Calculator app actually does have memory buttons: m+, m-, and mr/mc.

Steven: The Calculator app actually does have memory buttons: m+, m-, and mr/mc.

has anybody else tried to get their iPhone to work with a Bose SoundDock? (it appears to charge the phone but not play through the bose speakers)

Nick Z,

I seem to recall hearing that some Apple stores blocked MySpace on their in-store internet since too many kids were walking in and spending all their time updating their MySpace pages all day. Maybe that's why none of the iPhones could access them.

I had a chance to go to a local Apple Store and had some time to gain first hand experience with iPhone. The little marvel really works great. But one does soon run into a few walls. I am visiting the States as a postdoctoral fellow. Even though I am fluent in English, I do often write in my native language either notes or email. Doing that on iPhone is not easy. First, the keyboard only includes English letters. Second, when writing words in another language, the predictive keyboard (which works great for English) becomes a pain to use. Even when you take care to spell the letters properly, you have to take care to cancel the suggested english replacement before pressing space. If you forget to do that, you have to delete the whole word and start over. To translate that into missing features:

1/ The ability to set keyboards for other languages and countries.
2/ The ability to turn off predictive input.

I know that at the moment iPhone is meant for US market only. But even in the States, there are lots of well off, educated and technically savvy people that do not use English exclusively or might not even be native English speakers. Apple will surely address those issues when moving on to other markets, but at least an option to turn predictive input off would be a welcome one.

Both issues would be so easy for any advanced user to fix. But iPhone is no Mac. With it being completely closed off, there is no way one could tinker a bit with a keyboard definition file and set it to whatever works best.

Otherwise, the device is a dream. When stepping from iPhone to a Mac one sorely misses the ability to multi-touch the screen.

No IM is a real killer for me. Not sure how to blame this on ATT since my current ATT phones have IM. Is it possible to use AIM Express in Safari until they make a dedicated IM app available?

iCurious

Actually, I think the best way for Apple to solve the speed dial issue is just to have your list of favorites come up after touching the menu button TWICE. The menu button would serve more than one function then and would make a lot of people happy. In fact, if you held it down it could maybe call the last number dialed or something. What do you guys think about that?

Two obvious features that weren't included:

Why on earth didn't they put voice recognition software into it, so that you could compose email by dictation? That would be a huge improvement over using the keypad, and technically feasible.

You should also be able to take the phone to Europe and use it there.

SOME IDEAS FOR IPHONE 2.0

- INSTEAD OF 3 PRODUCTS MAKE IT 4 PRODUCTS. Add a air TV signal reciever.
- IPHONE + POWERPOINT VIEWER + VIDEO OUTPUT. This is possible as we saw in the presentation in MacWorld where there was a cable comming out the iPhone to the big screen.
- JAVA SUPPORT. Any phone support Java, give programmers a break.
- VIDEO RECORDER. Not much to said.
- AUDIO RECORDER. Do I have to repeat it?
- FILE MANAGEMENT. I paid $600 for 8Gb, please, let me use them!
- DOWNLOAD PHOTOS FROM SAFARI. I want to change the background right from my iPhone.
- FLASH. Adobe should make the push.
- BASIC PHONE FEATURES. Voice dial, full bluethoot, 3G, etc.....

I agree with most stuff here. Here is my list:

-drop the proprietary iPod plug and use mini-USB or micro-USB and make it recognizable for any computer so that I can move my files and add music without iTunes.

-changeable battery is a must.

-slot for micro-SD or some other memory card is a must.

-sell unlocked models so that I can use any provider anywhere in the world.

If you do this you would have a total winner.

____

P. S.

-For those of you who complain about things you are not sure about: EDGE is 3G.

Here it is:
EDGE can carry data speeds up to 236.8 kbit/s for 4 timeslots (theoretical maximum is 473.6 kbit/s for 8 timeslots) in packet mode and will therefore meet the International Telecommunications Union's requirement for a 3G network, and has been accepted by the ITU as part of the IMT-2000 family of 3G standards.

OK... Am I alone here, or is anyone else dissappointed that this $600 device can't sync wirelessly with ical, etc... My 4 computers are all in sync through .mac. why can't the iphone join the party?

While I like my new iPhone, I was very disappointed today when I got home and tried to plug it into my nice earphones (not the crappy ones that come with the phone) and they didn't fit! While it is a handy feature to be able to answer calls while using your headset, I would rather be able to use a nice par of head sets to listen to my music. I know that there is an adapter (TTY adapter) but not only is it half the size of the iPhone, but it's ugly, I have to lug it around with me if I want to listen to decent quality audio and another $10-$20 to purchase! This seems like a step backwards when it comes to using the iPod feature on the iPhone.

Despite this and the other downsides to the iPhone it is still a revolutionary product with some great new innovations.

Why does every other country have to wait?

to the guy that said that edge is 3g(Jose Laureano). well atnt has a slow edge network, and a high speed 3g network. i dont know if you think you are smart, but the iphone transmits data through the slower edge network.

so when you hear someone complain about the iphones lack of high speed internet(3G). it is justified

how come no one cares that you cant have mp3 as your ringtone, i personally have seperate ringtones for all my friends and and this feature is a must especially at $600.00
i think that i will be waiting a month or 2 to get one.

I wish my iphone had onev technology in it . That would take care of the voice recognition part.

I was wondering if any one eles had a problem with the iPhone mail not sorting/filtering mail like it does on my mac.

also i cant seem to send the same txt msg to multiple people like if i am having a party and want to invite many people via txt i used to do it all the time on my 8125

ok so mabey i should wait till figure all my complaints out... one more, there are no settings that can be adjusted for txt messaging. and i really want to tilt my txt and type with a larger keyboard, ill sacrifice a few lines of my message, i just wanna type really fast hehe, and i want to move the icons on the "home" screen.... but this thing is still way rad

I did not said that EDGE is 3G, iPhone lacks of 3G, so that is why I put it on the list for the next generation of iPhone.

Another nice thing that could be available is a portable keyboard and a very nice word processor in the iPhone.

Overall for the first version of this type of gadget it's ok, remeber that Apple has a marketing strategy of not putting all the features in the first version of any product (example: color on the iPod shuffle after they sold tons of the gray ones, among others)

I love my iPhone... it works great...

I want these menu items...

Chat --------------
obvious... i hate text messaging.. why isnt it free!!!

Sports ------------
so i can flip through simple team pages with the current box score

Theaters ----------
so i can flip through my favorite theaters and get the current showtimes

Games -------------
sounds like an obvious one

anyone else agree.. email me!

Selecting text and cut and paste are the biggest Missing Feature. I think as a whole the device is years ahead of everything out there out of the box.

However, considering that Apple brought cut and paste to the masses and once responsible for pushing it to the competition, I think this is a huge oversight. I hope this along with some sort of doc creation is high on the list.

The good news is that this thing is completely sw upgradeable.

As far as the GPS goes, it is also my understanding that all new phones have GPS in them for emergency situations. Therefore it only seems logical that this could also be turned into application features via a software update. It seems this might be subject to that "feature upgrade" fee similar to the Wifi N upgrade, but I'd pay $1.99 for that. On the other hand, if you know your current location (address), the map program is excellent, so it is not as crucial. And that is one spiffy ap, especially with the traffic updates.

I'm quite frankly amazed that they dont have a voice dial system. Does it have voice dial when you use a bluetooth adapter?

If not, every iphone purchaser in california just got screwed over. A law in california was signed (I belive it takes effect in exactly 1 year) saying that you can no longer use cell phones while driving unless you use them handsfree or with a headset.

Considering you have to commit to nearly $2000 for the iphone, I'm quite suprised this feature isn't there.

one and only one complaint. Why cant rotate the keyboard in all aplications, like it is right now!

For voice dialing, you can use ATT's VoiceDial service or dial *8. It works well and that's what I use, having had frustrations with built in and added voice recognition on my WinMob 6 units, like Microsoft's VoiceDial...what a POS!

Don't get bummed out by the lack of voice dial on the iPhone. Just use at&t's VoiceDial feature and that'll take care of this feature. It's very reliable and also gives you a variety of other features, which is great. Just dial *8 to sign up to the service. If you're sorry self is on Windows, you can send at&t a backup of your Outlook contacts to the voice dial website and it'll self populate your voice dial feature with all your contacts.

AT&T's add-on feature is nice, but it's an additional for-fee option on your account, and it's still a kludge. Voice-dialing is a basic option available on phones you can get for free nowadays; it's disappointing the iPhone doesn't include it.

SAFARI IS MISSING RSS AND JAVA !!!!

I am surprised sending text messages to more than one recipient didn't make it onto this list. I often find myself texting more than one person, especially for work updates since I am constantly in the field. As it seems, you can currently only send a SMS to one person.

This is a serious flaw in my humble opinion.

Biggest flaw of the iphone (and I have one):

If you are surfing the web via EDGE, any incoming call goes straight to voicemail and the phone does not ring.

This is absolutely crazy for a 500-600 dollar phone. Jobs himself said the killer app of this phone is the ability to make calls...what good is a phone if I don't receive calls when they come in?

I have a question for all you text messengers out there. What are the advantages of text messaging over email and conference calling? It would seem you can say a whole lot more those ways than you can using text messaging.

I just got my iPhone but have not yet activated it. Are you guys saying that I can take pictures with my iPhone but I can't send those pics via text message? (i.e. it only sends SMS and not MMS?)

Deb, that's correct. Although you can send photos via email.

Just got the iphone and i really like it however, here are some misses for me:

1) no im
2) inability to create categories for contacts
3) no to do list.. i need a todo list
4) cannot sync with firefox links or google calendar
5) have to create a playlist to transfer songs... unless i want to try and transfer everything
6) no devkit?... cant we make custom applets?

Phillip, Thats where your wrong... Apple Closed 3rd partys from making software for the iphone...
SUCKS , I KNOW
Jus w8 for the 2g iphone

One-button dialing is impossible but TWO-button dialing is do-able: one button to turn on the iPhone, revealing a list of "favorite" number sliders; slide one of them to connect. Easy.

Dose anyone know if you can shut off the sms text notice that displays the begining of each incoming text on your screen even if your phone is locked a very dangerous thing if the wrong person is next to you.
Thanks

Jens: If you take advantage of the security lock features, one of the options -- in Settings -- is to disable the SMS preview.

The sms function is definitively missing a back up "draft" folder. Nothing worst than spending 10mn typing the perfect sms then have it desapear over a wrong manipulation or over an icoming call.