From Joe:

The 3G and all other iPhones currently cannot sync properly with Microsoft Outlook Calendar. The release of the new phone with the release of iTunes 7.7 along with iPhone 2.0 has caused a slew of critical issues. Until Apple releases some fixes to address these issues, the iPhone (any generation) will NOT be a good choice for most users, business or personal.  Currently, I have to make all of my appointments reccurring  in order to get them to sync between Outlook and my 2G iPhone…a real pain. Many users can’t even sync their calendar at all. Check out this link.

Perhaps you can find out if Apple plans on releasing an update soon to address the Outlook issues.

Gadget Guru Answer:

Thanks for the clarification. I have heard similar complaints from other iPhone users (along with the now well-documented issues with Apple’s new MobileMe service)

In fact MobileMe, which costs $100 a year and, among other things, is designed to synch the iPhone with both Mac and Windows-based PCs, could be the solution when Apple has sorted out the service’s teething problems.

For the moment at least, Apple is simply blaming Outlook’s peculiarities. An unacceptable response I suspect to many iPhone (and Mobile Me) users.  

From Derek:

1) ALL current 3G smartphone devices have the same battery life as the iPhone 3G or worse.  BlackBerries are not 3G devices and do not browse the web or play videos with the same ease as the iPhone 3G.  A comparison of a 2G BlackBerry and a 3G iPhone is misleading.  I think your complaint should be towards the companies making the power-hungry 3G radio chips.  Battery life will improve, but this is hardly an iPhone 3G exclusive.  Also, compare the matching services (email for example, web browsing, application support, etc).

2) Physical Qwerty keyboards are a space consuming mental crutch, in my opinion.  What you lose in a physical keyboard is a gain in screen real estate, which is key to killer applications.  A fair criticism is the lack of physical feedback when using the virtual keyboard.  I suppose Apple will add a vibrate-on-tap feature that the current Moto RAZR2 V9 sports.  I challenge you to take a long term test drive with the iPhone.  The virtual keyboard skills you develop will surprise you.

3) I think it’s unwise to try and stereotype iPhone users as consumer-only.  Quite frankly, it’s elitist.  The iPhone is a true mobile computer, and as more business apps appear on this highly flexible platform, there will be an inevitable switch away from RIM.  Oracle, one of the most respected companies in the world, has already written an application for the iPhone. Sure, I also see businesses being cautious about this device, but it seems you are happy to discourage moving to iPhone without much more than the “it’s not a serious business tool” argument. I think you NEED to FEEL that by using a RIM device you are a more serious/important businessman.  This is silly and shortsighted.  Embrace the future – embrace change – don’t fear it! Maybe your next article should be “BlackBerry fails the Apple Test.” 

Gadget Guru Answer:

I’m afraid you are not correct about all 3G smartphone devices having the same battery life, though it is certainly true that all 3G devices generally have shorter battery lives than 2.5G devices. However 3G battery performance depends on a wide range of factors (including battery size, actual usage, proximity to cell towers etc) so it is certainly not the case that all 3G devices have the same battery life.

While it is true that no currently shipping BlackBerrys have 3G radios, the BlackBerry Bold (which has been announced but is not in the shops yet) is a 3G device and, based on both my albeit relatively short usage, and RIM’s own data, has a significantly longer battery life than the 3G iPod.

Interestingly, although the Bold is not a touch-screen device, its screen quality is very similar to the iPhone and the applications that it supports, including video and other multimedia applications, are comparable.

That said, I actually prefer the iPhone for consumer applications – I am just much less convinced that it has the attributes that most business users want, or the features that IT managers look for before supporting any new device.

As I pointed out in the review, the main reason I do not think the iPhone is the best device for email-intensive business users is the virtual keyboard. Although I was a long time user of the original iPhone and continue to use the new 3G iPhone, I simply do not find the virtual keyboard as easy to use or fast as a physical mini Qwerty keyboard.

I acknowledge however that this is a personal preference and maybe some people will actually prefer the virtual keyboard – actually I have the same issues with reduced-key mini keyboards like those found on the Blackberry Pearl.

As you say, for the moment it is a trade off – either physical keyboard or larger screen size, though of course some smartphone makers like HTC have tried to bridge the divide with ‘slider’ designs that combine a slide-out Qwerty keyboard with a large screen though this adds somewhat to bulk.

As far as stereotyping iPhone users as consumers only and your suggestion that this is in someway elitist, I must strongly disagree. I think there will be some business users, particularly those who are not heavy mobile email users, who will love the iPhone.

The main audience for the Financial Times is certainly a business audience, but business people are consumers too. I am not suggesting that business users are more sophisticated or in some way ‘better’ – simply that many of them have different requirements than the mass (consumer) market.

The BlackBerry family of devices (and others like Nokia’s ‘E’ series) have come to dominate the business smartphone market because they have focused on those features that are most important and useful to business users.

But that doesn’t preclude them. Or any other device makers, frm targeting consumers as well with specific devices – for example RIM has tried, and to a large extent, broken out of what might be perceived as its business-orientated straitjacket with the Pearl which, as you know, has done quite well in the mass market.

As you suggest I am sure that there are a few BlackBerry owners who bought the device for status reasons, but in my experience, the vast majority are extremely enthusiastic users who view smartphones in general, and often BlackBerrys in particular, as key productivity tools.

Rather than being stuck in any rut, many of these people continue to push technological boundaries demanding more features and greater access to all forms of content on their handsets.

Despite what some people apparently believe, I certainly do not think owning an iPhone makes the owner any ‘cooler’ or  more forward looking. In fact, if anything, that suggestion is elitist.

More generally however, it will be very interesting to see how the smartphone market develops as it continues to expand. I suspect that as in other IT/Telecom sub-sectors there will be a market for do-it-all devices as well as devices that target specific user groups, for example music lovers, photographers or those who primarily want an internet connected mobile device for browsing. Dare I suggest, there may also be a market for smartphone devices tailored to those who have come to rely on wireless email and messaging.

From Damian O’Brien: 

Fully agree re the BlackBerry. The iPhone is unlikely to be a widespread business tool other than for trendy execs due to the points you made i.e. battery life rubbish, lack of Qwerty keyboard, lack of back-end server software and let’s not forget cost. You’re lucky you got a day out of yours, My test one lasted 4 and a half hours.

Gadget Guru Answer:

Well, I notice that several manufactuers are coming out with add-on battery packs for the 3G iPhone.

From Tom Evans:

Thank you for a great review of the iPhone versus the Blackberry. It was immensely helpful to me as I mulled the two competing technologies. One other issue that certainly applies in the United States: AT&T’s 3G network does not extend much beyond major metropolitan areas. In fact, 10 states have no 3G coverage whatsoever on AT&T’s network, according to the New York Times. So if you are looking for a truly national 3G capable phone then another carrier might be a far better choice than AT&T. 

From Gadget Guru:

Unfortunately you are right. AT&T’s 3G service, like other carriers, is patchy although this should get better over time, at least in urban areas and along major highways, as AT&T continues to roll out its 3G network.

In theory, the iPhone like other cellphones, should ‘drop back’ to an Edge or even GPRS signal if the 3G signal in a particular location is weak, though obviously this doesn’t help where there is no AT&T signal at all.

Some 3G iPhone users in the US and elsewhere are also complaining about weaker than expected 3G signals on their new iPhones (compared with other 3G handsets) though Apple has said it is not aware of any specific 3G iPhone issues.