iPhone 5 may be already obsolete

I am currently selling about 20 iPhones for every Android/BlackBerry these days. Amazingly, everyone seems to be ecstatic with the iPhone 4S, regardless of carrier. Had I not moved from an HTC EVO 4G WiMax to a 3G iPhone 4S, I might be more excited with my 4S. The only reason I got one was to learn iOS 5 so I could better support our clients that have iPhones.

Here’s the problem…Apple makes wonderful products. Unfortunately, they are about 1 year behind Google’s Android platform in terms of innovation and technology.  To make matters worse, they seem to release newer, more feature packed models about every six months. While this is great for Apple’s shareholders, it’s terrible for carriers. That’s because, many iPhone users don’t want to wait two years before upgrading. Recently, the carriers have adjusted their upgrade and termination fee policies to address this. This is just starting to trickle down to end users and they are not going to be happy. The carriers are giving up an estimated cost of $377 per device in return for a two year contract. They don’t want to make a habit of this. They cannot recoup on the backend through music, ringtones and Applications because Apple cornered that market with their iTunes.

Apple also didn’t help anyone but themselves by blurring the distinction between 3G and 4G. When you offer an Apple iPhone 2g that supports 2g networks, then offer an Apple 3s model that supports 3G networks, it’s only logical for the public to assume that their next two models, the Apple iPhone 4, and it’s successor, the iPhone 4S, would both support 4G. Neither does!

I bought my HTC EVO 4G WiMax Smartphone in June 2010, nearly 23 months ago. It had 4G then before Sprint’s network was even finished. Apple still does not have an iPhone with 4G.  If Apple thinks they can just add 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology and throw a liquid metal case around it and call it an iPhone 5, they will be in for a rude awakening.

I sacrificed much faster data speeds, Adobe Flash Video Playback and Screen Wrapping to get an iPhone.
Yeah, SIRI and the iCLOUD are pretty amazing. Other than that, along with great battery life, I miss my ‘Droid. Yesterday, I played with a protoype HTC One X. This morning, Samsung just unveiled their newest Galaxy S III. Both of these devices are thinner than an iPhone. Their screens are also twice as large. Ironically Samsung makes the 800GHz dual core processor for Apple’s iPhones. They are using a quad core 1.4GHz turbo-charged processor in their new Galaxy S III. S-Voice is Samsung’s SIRI and allows users to dictate, e-mails, text messages and issue voice commands to the device. Apple’s iCloud offering of 5GB is dwarfed by Samsung’s DropBox offering of 50GB per month of Cloud storage. Add Near Field Communications (NFC) and you can use your SmartPhone like a credit card to scan barcodes and make payments at participating vendors. Did I mention that both of these devices have Google’s latest IceCream Sandwich 4.0 OS. They also both allow you to stream Youtube videos and Netflix on your home flat screen TV.

Apple, can you here me now?

Dr Wireless Battery Conservation Tips

Face it, the biggest problem with today’s smartphones is weak battery life. While RIM’s BlackBerry devices have always been pretty battery efficient, that has not been the case with Androids and iPhones.  The problem is that these devices have multiple radios which are necessary to support GPS, Wifi, BlueTooth, and 3G/4G etc. Add dual core 1.2Ghz processing and giant touchscreen displays and you begin to see the problems. When running applications like streaming video and/or GPS you better have a charger or extra battery available.

I used an HTC EVO for nearly 2 years.I am now using an iPhone 4S.  I discovered a few tricks that worked wonders for improving battery life on both devices. First, it is important to understand what kills the battery the fastest. When I streamed Pandora, TV, or Video, I noticed the quickest battery drain. Video chatting also chewed through my battery pretty rapidly. The good news is the manufacturers are making great progress in building more efficient batteries. Below are some of the Dr’s tricks to extend battery life.

1) Turn off auto-wifi network scan. I highly recommend using wifi when possible from your Smartphone. Apple iPhones though, have the Wifi Network Scan set to “On” by default.  This is stupid as your iPhone will continuously scan for a wifi network even when you don’t want it to. Change it to OFF. You can manually launch a scan when you need to find a new network. All networks you previously saved will be available regardless.

2) Turn down the screen brightness on your device. It will make a huge difference.

3) If you don’t need GPS location services, turn it off. Your device’s GPS radio will constantly be working to keep you linked to a satellite.

4) This one applies to Sprint and Verizon CDMA devices. When underground or in areas of no service, turn the device off. If there is no service, your device is useless anyway. Most carriers offer a feature called No Answer call forwarding. This is great for when you are in areas for long periods of time with no cellphone service.

5) Don’t leave applications running in the background. This is very easy to do and will chew through batteries as well as slow down performance. Regularly turn off your device if it is an iPhone. For Androids and BlackBerry devices, take the back off and then remove the battery while the device is still on. Do not poewer it down frst. This is guaranteed to shut down all applications and processes. Once the device wakes back up, problems solved.

There are many application killers available but to me, disabling functionality is like taking a shower with a raincoat on. It doesn’t make a lot of sense. Please let me know if any of these tips help.

Google and Carriers Plotting to Take a Bite Out of Apple?

Things are about to get very interesting. The DOJ just approved Google’s $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility. So did Antitrust regulators in Europe. Now, if Taiwan, China and Israel hop on board, it’s game on. For the first time in the history of the wireless industry, consumers are driving the bus, not the carriers.  Apple shattered the traditional carrier/manufacturer/subcriber business model when their customers bought devices directly from Apple in droves without any carrier incentives. Today, carriers are forced by to give up 10-15% of their profits as evidenced by Apple’s stock recently surpassing $500 per share.   

Anyone who watches the carrier advertisements has probably noticed that they are promoting their 4G network and devices very hard. With the exception of Sprint, most carriers are not even talking about iPhones, just Androids and BlackBerry devices. That’s because they are giving up $400 per iPhone sale compared to the normal $150-$200 subsidy normally offered.  Believe me, they would rather offer anything but iPhones. Up until now, that has not been possible as few Androids could compete with the iPhone.

Unlike the AT&T/T-Mobile deal that was a stinker for consumers, this one maybe the best thing that ever happened. That’s because today, you can already get a high-end 3G Android for FREE with new contract with most carriers. I predict we will be seeing Top-of-Line 4G Motorola DROID RAZR type models and Motorola Photon-like models for FREE very soon.  With today’s best ‘droids in the $200-$300 range,  Dr Wireless is currently selling about 20 iPhones to every Android.

Motorola’s latest $300 Droid RAZR MAXX is looking very iPhone-like. It even has a Kevlar back case, Corning Gorilla Glass screen and the circuit board has been scotchguarded (waterproofed). Like Apple, to achieve the slimness, they had to offer a sealed in non-user replaceable battery. Unlike the iPhone, this device supports 4G LTE networks and has much greater battery life.

Knowing Google, they will declare war on Apple by partnering with all of the carriers and giving away top-of-the-line Androids. The Android devices have always been far superior to the iPhones in terms of features offered. Sure, Apple has some cool proprietary features. They don’t have 4G or Adobe Flash playback capabilities or Corning’s Gorilla Glass. I am personally a bit ticked off as I believed Steve Jobs when he said the iPhone 4S offered a scratch-resistance glass display. I had babied my 4S/16GB iPhone for the last three weeks in a Mophie case. I have never dropped it, but still have a scratch.

It might be a good time to sell Apple and buy Google. I am not talking about devices but stock. I almost wish I had never bought any of the iMacs, iPods, iPhones, PowerBooks and MacBooks over the last 5 years. Had I taken that same dollar amount and bought Apple Stock back then, I could have bought some very good virus protection for my Windows machines and been miles ahead financially. History may be repeating itself with Google. Whether you buy an iPhone or Android, I would buy Google stock! The only problem is Google may eventually regret entering the handset business. I’m sure LG, HTC, Samsung and the smaller players will not appreciate having to compete against Google’s Motorola Mobility brand. Talk about having to walk on egg shells, this could get pretty interesting. We all know the carriers resent what Apple is doing to them. My guess is they will all  push the 4G Android models when possible until Google becomes the monster that Apple is today. Then, they will likely embrace Windows 8 Mango…

Choosing The Right SmartPhone

The choice of devices are virtually the same between carriers with very few exceptions. One would be T-Mobile not officially having the Apple iPhone. I wish I had a dollar though for every unlocked AT&T iPhone  now operating on the T-Mobile network . Now that Verizon and Sprint have the iPhone, consumers can actually choose their carrier as well as device.

Choosing a carrier is far easier than choosing the most appropriate SmartPhone. That’s because, once you get beyond coverage, costs and the fine print, that’s it. When chosing a SmartPhone, one must put their priorities in order before being able to intelligently make a good choice. Today’s SmartPhone Operating systems by popularity are… 

Google’s Android Platform (Supported by equipment makers HTC, LG, Samsung, Kyocera, Pantech, Sanyo & Motorola)

Pros: Open Source Linux based platform makes this the choice of most APP developers . The Android platform boasts the largest screens, 4G Support, user replaceable battery, user replaceable MicroSD memory card and full Adobe Flash 10.1 Support. Google even pushes OS upgrades out over-the air along with major Applications. I actually went from Google Android 2.1 OS to 2.2 Froyo OS and was finally upgraded to 2.33 Gingerbread.  All by just pressing ok on my phone when notified of a new upgrade being available. It doesn’t get any easier and it’s nice not getting stuck with an old OS that cannot be easily upgraded. In summary, you get more bang for the buck with Androids. If you are looking to replace a Laptop with a Tablet or Smartphone, I believe the Android platform comes closest to emulating a desktop or laptop computer.

Cons: Battery life is the Achille’s heal for all manufacturers of Androids, as the screens are the largest and these devices have multiple radios (3G, 4G, Wifi, BlueTooth, GPS, FM and  Mobile). Obviously having a full version of Adobe Flash built-in (unlike iPhones) means using more video, which means using more battery. Since there are multiple device manufacturers, features can differ a bit from model to model making it trickier to move from one brand to another. That’s because, the equipment manufacturers usually incorporate their own interface. HTC Sense, Motorola’s MotoBlur etc…

Apple’s iPhone 5 iOS made exclusively by Apple
Pros:  Apple’s iPhone with proprietary iOS was a gamechanger. Their devices are the “Ferrari’s” of SmartPhones in terms of looks, feel, and moving between applications. One of the great things about Apple is everytime they introduce a new product, they ensure that it will seamlessly integrate with all other Apple products. The 4S model overcame most of Apple’s shortcomings on the iPhone 4. With a much better battery, bigger, dual core processor, and dual antenna system, this model is far more powerful than it’s predecessors. Add some cool new features like Siri, and the iCloud and you begin to understand why everyone wants an iPhone. I just moved over from an Android and am enjoying my 4S.

Cons: Very few compared with the iPhone 4. I still cannot believe Apple will not support Adobe Flash. Now that HTML5 is becoming more popular, it may not be as big an issue. Also, with improved battery life and products like the  aftermarket “Mophie Juice Pack” case with built-in backup battery, not having a removable battery is not the end of the world.  Strangely, there are far more negatives for the carriers to sell you an iPhone. That’s because Apple raked them all over the coals. Did you know the carriers are paying $650 for the same device we sell you for $199.99? That means they give up far more ($450) when selling an iPhone than Androids or BlackBerry devices. It gets even worse for them. Apple also gets all the revenue for iTunes music downloads, App downloads, Ringtones etc. These are all areas the carriers typically rely on for revenue. Did I mention that each carrier also has to right an enormous check to Apple? Sprint alone will be paying Apple a whopping 15.5 Billion for the right to sell the iPhone for the next four years.  Now consider that iPhones use more bandwidth than most devices and  each carrier is adding millions of these devices to their networks each month. If you don”t like your carrier, leave them, or buy an iPhone. It’s  going to cost them either way.

BlackBerry Platform (Research in Motion aka RIM)
Pros: This was the industry standard for about ten years. RIM management wrongly viewed the iPhone and Android’s as gimmick devices. As a result, they are now about two years behind on device design. Their latest 9900 series is very impressive though. BlackBerry has always been the choice of IT Managers because of their superior device security and IT permissions. IT managers can take control of a lost or stolen device and wipe it clean remotely. The RIM devices have always been super durable and with incredible battery life. BlackBerry wrote the book on qwerty keyboards and global roaming. For e-mail, there is nothing faster, better, or more secure. These are also the most cost effective devices to use overseas while roaming.

Cons: Web browsing has been the biggest drawback until RIM introduced their latest OS 7 software.  Their first few touch screen attempts were disasters. The Torch 9850 is the first decent Touch model they have made.  With the exception of their latest 9900 series, the devices are clunky and no threat to Apple or Google at this point. That is slowly changing and RIM seems to be making a comeback.  

There are other operating system Platforms to be aware of. Microsoft and NOKIA recently teamed up to launch the Windows Mobile 7 “Mango” Platform. NOKIA will be building the devices and the Lumia for T-Mobile is one of the first. I haven’t used this platform yet but my fellow analysts seem to like it. Mango sounds a bit sticky and messy to me. I thing Microsoft could have come up with something better than that. Then again, Google’s Gingerbread and IceCream Sandwich monikers aren’t much better. WebOS, formerly from Palm who was bought buy HP never got legs. Too bad because it was actually pretty good. Symbian is also hanging on by a thread these days.

What’s Hot and What’s Not

I am a firm believer in the fact that history does repeat itself occasionally. If this was a thoroughbred SmartPhone race, it might sound something like…

Arriving at the gate is “Palm Be Gone” in the one position, “iPhone Fever” in the second slot, “BB RIM Shot”  in the third, “Google Droid in the four spot, ” Syanara Symbian” at five with newcomer MS Mango in the six hole. They are in the gate, the flag is up…And therrrrre they go…

It’s Palm Be Gone and BB RIM shot out on the lead against the rail at the quarter pole. In third is Syanara Symbian followed by iPhone Fever, Google Droid and MS Mango. Around the backstretch  It’s iPhone Fever and Google Droid making their move neck and neck ,both blowing by Syanara Symbian and Palm Be Gone, followed by BB RIM Shot and MS Mango. It looks like Palm Be Gone is being pulled up lame by his jockey. He’s done. BB RIM Shot is fading fast and it’s Sayanara for Symbian too.
As they come down the final stretch, it’s iPhone Fever by a neck. Wait here comes Google Droid sneaking through on the inside. It’s Google Droid, iPhone Fever, Google Droid and at the wire…It’s a photo finish and we’ll have to wait for the results. In third place was BB RIM Shot, coming on strong was MS Mango with Syanara Symbian fading fast and Palm Be Gone now deceased.

These days, it’s all about technology patents. Palm is in fact deceased. They were purchased by HP for their patents and WebOS. HP basically gave up on WebOS. Symbian was the number one Smartphone Operating system for years internationally. Nokia and Sony Ericssson were early proponents of this  OS. They are all but done these days.

Interestingly NOKIA and Microsoft, two of the original Smartphone pioneers are making attempting a comeback. NOKIA and Microsoft will jointly be offering Microsoft’s upcoming Mango technology. While RIM stock is taking a beating and everyone is buying iPhones, don’t count them out just yet. RIM still does e-mail and security better than all of them. Their Blackberry products are also the most battery efficient and fastest when moving from application to application. While not for everybody, they still are the best choice for business users that live and die by their e-mail. In fact, as all my clients seem to be abandoning their ‘Berry devices for Androids and iPhones, I will be going the other direction. I will be giving up my Android for a BlackBerry 9900 to do an evaluation.Don’t be too surprised if I end up staying with the BlackBerry.

Around the clubhouse turn

i-Love. A story of Love, Loss and Redemption

Bob Saltzman
Academy Mortgage
813 787-7711

iThoughts…

My only real Apple iPhone experience to date was the three months that I owned an 3G 8GB GSM unlocked model that I used on T-Mobile’s network. At the time, I loved the feel of the device and applications. What I hated was the fact that I could not comfortably use it as a phone while driving, nor could I see the screen in the sunshine. Now that Apple is several generations further along, I thought it time to re-visit whether I should give the iPhone another try.  Especially tempting is the fact that Apple now makes a world CDMA model for Sprint that offers unlimited data plans.

Many of my associates think that I have a bias against Apple. I suppose it is not so much Apple as it is AT&T though. I still have an old iMac in my closest and own two G-4 Power Books and a MacBook Pro I bought for my daughter. My only real regret was I wish I had taken all of the money that I spent on Apple equipment and Apple Care extended contracts and just bought Apple stock instead of product.

Last month, I bought my first PC in about 8 years.  It’s a Dell Windows 7 Professional laptop with i5 core proecessor. I paid about a third of what the comparable Apple MacBook Pro would have set me back. With all of the pre-orders coming in for Sprint’s and Verizon’s new iPhone 4s models, I actually have been thinking about giving one a try. My problem is device perspective. If I was coming from a BlackBerry, the beautiful web browsing experience of an iPhone would be awesome. Coming from an HTC EVO Android though, I will be giving up the ability to stream live video. That’s because Apple, unlike Google and Microsoft, will not integrate Adobe Flash into their iPhone and iPad models. Face the facts, to get any kind of deal on a smartphone, you must lock in for two years.  Am  I comfortable making a two year commitment in 3G technology when in fact, it has already been replaced by faster 4G technology? Do I like the idea of having to spend an extra $100-$200 to get more memory? Am I willing to give up being able to pop a fresh battery in when the device shows low battery?

One of my business partners flies me and their other partners all over the country to attend Unified Communication Training seminars. Whether we are in San Diego, Memphis, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Buffalo, Arizona or Orlando, one thing remains constant. All of my colleagues that own iPhones, end up bee-lining up to their hotel rooms by the noon lunch break to put their iPhones on chargers. None of these guys even have their phones on them between noon and 3pm. The Android users like myself either pop a fresh battery in or use a super capacity extended battery that goes all day long.  

Over the past 18 months that I have been using my HTC EVO, many things were upgraded over the air that could never have happened on an Apple iPhone device. It’s called scalability. On June 4th, 2010, I bought this 4G device for $450 as I was not eligible for any kind of upgrade. About a week after purchase, I noticed that the device updated itself from Android 2.1 OS to Google’s latest Froyo Android 2.2 OS. I also noticed that my Adobe Flash “Lite” was updated to a full version of Adobe Flash 10.1. One day in October, I noticed my internet speeds had increased 5 x 10 times. That’s because Sprint released this device with a 4G radio built-in, even though their 4G network wasn’t even operational at the time the EVO was launched. Once they flipped the 4G network on, my HTC EVO took advantage of it instantly.

It’s amazing that today, Apple still does not make an iPhone that supports WiMAX, HSPA+, LTE or any other 4G platform. Should I buy a product that doesn’t support 4G when all of the other manufacturers have products that do?

I really love everything about my HTC EVO except the mediocre battery life and the 8GB memory card that came with the device. When you buy an iPhone, you specify the memory capacity since there is no upgrading it at a later date. Fortunately, with my HTC EVO, I just purchased a 16GB MicroSD card that easily slides in under the battery. Memory problem solved. As far as batteries, for a few months, I just kept a second battery charged and would change batteries in the afternoon. Since, then, I discovered an aftermarket 3500mAH SEIDO brand battery that easily takes me through each day and night.  

It all really boils down to the sexy “Ferrari”  looks and feel of the iPhone versus the superior power, 4G speeds, and flexibility of the Dodge Viper-like Google Android devices. With amazing new 4G models from Samsung, HTC, LG and Motorola, Apple will need to step up to the plate with a little more than a souped up 3g iPhone 4 if they want to sell me a SmartPhone.

iPhone5, 4G Support and Adobe Flash Support?

In a perfect world,  maybe.  This time, Steve Cook, in a Job-less Apple Launch, made another one of their “Major Press Releases”.  He talked about pretty much everything but the iPhone5. Like at the end of a  rock show, the audience waited for the 2nd encore that never came. Everyone was expecting the Peter Falk (Columbo) ” Oh, one last thing I almost forgot to mention…” which never happened.

Here is what we do know. Apple’s investors are pissed, as their shares immediately dropped 3% (over $14 per share) after the 1Phone5′s  non-announcement. Apple did introduce an iPhone 4S new model with some tweaks. Most notably, the CDMA version (Verizon, and hopefully Sprint) is now a world version supporting the GSM overseas carriers. Apple also upgraded the camera from 5mp to 8mp with some other minor improvements. They also recently bought a voice recognition provider, Siri, and have implemented a beta version of their application in their new iPhone 4S. That and a larger processor and you essentially have a souped up iPhone 4.

Advice to Mr Cook for his next Press Release…

I suggest dummying up until Apple is really ready to introduce the iPhone5.  Maybe add something to it that people actually want, like Adobe Flash Playback capability, and 4G speeds.  Don’t you wonder why Google’s Android format is beating the crap out of  RIM, Microsoft, and Apple combined? When Apple listens to the public as Google apparently does, they will make some changes to their iPhones. While I am at it, how about removable memory storage, user replaceable batteries, and over the air Operating System upgrades. My 2 year old HTC EVO went from 3G technology to 4G technology when Sprint flipped the switch. The  Adobe Flash-Lite Video Playback was upgraded over the air, to the full Adobe Flash 10.1 version. The Android 2.0 was upgraded to the newer Froyo version, also over the air.

Now that would be newsworthy and worthy of a press release!

On your mark, get ready…Spend!

Lately, all the device manufacturers are readying their latest Smartphones to support NFC.  No, not the National Football conference,  NFC is the acronym for Near Field Communication. Google has developed their own version approprietly called “Google Wallet”. Already backed by AT&T, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile USA, their is another major platform.  It’s called Isis and they  just announced that HTC, LG Electronics, Motorola Mobility, Research In Motion, Samsung Electronics and Sony Ericsson have agreed to produce phones using the venture’s near-field communications standard.

One name brand that is auspiciously absent from both camps is Apple. They don’t seem to collaborate well with other companies (re: Adobe Flash) when compared to their competitors, Microsoft and Google. I believe this is one of those features that the carriers hype and embrace because they will be “wetting their beaks” for a piece of the action.

There are some amazing developments regarding the latest SmartPhones. Aside from blazing 4G speeds, these devices have dual core processors up to 1.5Ghz. They have bigger and brighter screens, yet are thinner than today’s models. NFC, is like 3D to me. I could personally care less about either feature. I think losing your phone could have a whole new urgency if it was also your “credit card”. Security will be a big concern with NFC technology.

Remember, bundling actually sounded like a good idea when the carriers first presented  it. Unforunately, it was only a good idea for the carriers.  Rather than take the best individual services that each carrier has to offer. One carrier would offer a teaser rate and bundle Digital Telephone, cable TV, and internet services into one “convenient” payment. This  discouraged users from shopping their individual services with the competition.  Typically, these bundles required a 2 year contract and the first 3 months were “artificially” discounted.

The s**t would really hit the fan when your carrier had a service interruption and not one, but all of your services would go down simultaneously. I have always believed in going with specialists for each service and not “putting all my eggs in one basket”. Let’s see what Apple has in store for us with their Apple iPhone5…

Dr Wireless’ “Worst of the Month”

It seems that I cannot turn on my flat screen TV or open my LA Times without seeing a Verizon SmartPhone advertisement.  All seem to talk about how fast their new LTE speeds are and they all tout NETFLIX. Don’t get me wrong, I love NETFLIX and watch movies on mySprint EVO periodically. While their 4G data speeds are clearly slower than Verizon’s, there is one huge difference which Verizon glosses over…Cost! Sprint is the only carrier that offers Unlimited 3G/4G data plans.

Remember “Bill Shock” in the old cellular days when penalty minutes were the carriers favorite form of revenue. Verizon is trying to re-create that revenue model. Interestingly, Verizon never offered Unlimited 4G data plans and their 3G data plans are now extinct as well. In fact, they used to send “Dear John” letters to their heavy data users telling them there contract has been terminated and service discontinued. Once they drove their large data users to Sprint, they created tiered data plans ranging from $25-2GB up to $80 for 10GB. Compare that to Sprint’s Unlimited 4G plan for $59.99.

Did you know that with Verizon’s $50/5GB monthly plan, your monthly allowance is totally used up after watching  just 7 full length movies? Maybe that is in their fine print but I can’t read anything that small Now it becomes clear why Verizon and NETFLIX are such good buddies all of a sudden. I have a feeling that the FCC and CPUC are going to be getting all kinds of complaints regarding overage data charges.

In my opinion, if you are a power data user, AT&T and Verizon will clean your clock. T-Mobile caps their plans but does not charge overage fees. They just slow you down to 2G speeds which is far preferable to me than penalty charges. Since e-mail works fine in 2G, who cares?

What this all means is this…If you are only lightly browsing the web and viewing e-mail, 2GB per month is fine.  If you are in fact going to watch NETFLIX, Video Conference or do any peer-to-peer gaming go with Sprint or pay the piper.