A few days ago I got slaughtered for my article: “Not So Fast Mr. Jobs: The REAL iPhone Feature Comparison Chart.”
While I knew perfectly well that the article might cause some tension (after all I was pointing out a few shortcoming in the iPhone compared to other smartphones) I didn’t expect to get that much heat for the modem comparison below.
As you can see, all the smartphones that Apple compares its iPhone with currently feature an integrated modem option. I always believed that this extra functionality is something that everybody would want to use; but oh boy, was I wrong…
Here’s just a few of the comments I got for my article:
- “A modem? Who wants such a slow way of getting mail, surfing the Web, etc…”
- “Why on earth would you need to take up space inside with a modem?”
- “Go cry in a corner as the iPhone outsells all those shit on a sticks combined.”
That got me thinking: Why don’t people want to use their cell phone as a modem when it’s such a no-brainer for me?
So, let me tell you why I want a modem in MY iPhone:
The REAL Internet
Look. I’m very excited about the Internet on my iPhone. It’s going to be great. However, sometimes I need to multi-task: Talk to three different people on Adium, while uploading a few small files onto my server, and reading up on the latest news, all at the same time.
While the iPhone is great, I won’t be able to multi-task like that. I will need to continue to use my MacBook Pro for certain tasks. Even when there’s no WiFi hotspot around.
Sure, I could buy a PCMCIA data card and pay for an additional SIM card every month, but why should I? I already pay for an Internet data plan with my iPhone.
Cable/DSL Outage
It’s happened to me three times so far: Just when I wanted to post an article at night, my cable connection is down for an hour or so. Server Upgrades. How fantastic would it be to to use your iPhone as a backup for those dreadful moments?
Sure, it’s only “Edge” but that’s still faster than dial-up my friends.
Fax
Yes, I know. Who uses a fax nowadays? But be honest: Aren’t there still those moments, when some company requires you to fax something? It happens to me every so often and it’s always a major pain in my —.
So, now, wouldn’t it be nice if you could simply send a fax from your Laptop, via your iPhone, from anywhere in the world instead of running to your next Kinkos? I’ve done it and I love it.
So Why Not?
Yes, I agree: A modem sounds very outdated nowadays, but wouldn’t you agree that there’s at least some convenience in it? At least a little tiny bit?
Why did people react so strongly to my recommendation? Would a modem truly take up too much space inside the iPhone as one of my commentators pointed out on Digg?
Barely. It’s not that there’s this big clunky modem residing inside your cell phone. The iPhone already supports Internet access, and all the modem “protocol” has to do, is re-route that connection from your iPhone to your Laptop. Simple as that.
How Would It Do that?
It works almost like Internet-Sharing does on all of your Mac’s: Plug an ethernet cable into any Mac, create a wireless network, enable Internet sharing, and all other wireless-enabled computers (Mac or PC) can access the same Internet connection through your Mac as a host.
In case of the iPhone EDGE would act as your Ethernet cable, providing the Internet connection. The iPhone would then re-route that connection to your laptop via bluetooth, or cable. (Heck, it could even do it over your iPhone’s WiFi connection if necessary.)
Is it slow? Well yes, it’s as slow as EDGE will allow you to go, however, you’re already okay with that since you chose not to buy a 3G enabled phone, correct?
The only reason I could possibly imagine why people wouldn’t want to use this feature is that it has been very complicated to use on a Mac.
For example: I never had any trouble connecting to the Internet through my three-year old Sony Ericsson from my Windows machine, however, once I switched over to the Mac, I never got it to work again. There simply wasn’t any support from Sony Ericsson for OS X.
That surely wouldn’t happen with the iPhone, though. Apple will support all of the iPhone’s functions on the PC and the Mac.
So, I ask you again, dear readers, would you appreciate modem capabilities or not?
Please say yes!
About Philipp
I have to connect to my MBPro to the internet when traveling and am currently using the Treo 750 to do so.
I have two criteria that the iPhone has to meet before I can buy one. It has to be able to connect and download my Exchange email and it has to connect my MBPro to the internet via bluetooth.
If the iPhone will both, I’ll trade up from the Treo to the iPhone in a second.
i’m with you 100% — it is just ridiculous not to include this feature. not having something this “common sense” would be like not having 3G… oh … wait…
Maybe it’s a pre-emptive move. Think about it… using the iPhone as an iPhone will involve exchanging a modest amount of data. Just emails, SMS, and some light internet browsing, mostly on the road. Using it as a modem for your notebook is one of two things – an act of desperation borne out of lack of any other connection, or if you are too cheap to get broadband. Either way, you’ll be pushing a lot more data than you did on the iPhone alone. Now if the iPhone had 3G (as future versions surely will) you’ll be using it for full-fledged broadband use, even a replacement for cable or DSL if you can use it as a modem for your machine. Without a modem, your iPhone-internet usage will increase only slightly, to account for the slightly faster speed at which you browse and perhaps YouTube usage etc. Suddenly, AT&T is no longer printing money with their data plans. Can’t have that!
Point is, the prices are fine tuned for extracting the most money for the least service. Keeping the iPhone’s usage modest is certainly part of the plan at this stage. This explains both the lack of 3G and Modem. (It doesn’t explain the lack of location-aware services/GPS though!)
A secondary theory for 3G is that it reduces battery life by half, which is a matter the Apple absolutely cannot ignore. Take a look at any given modern mobile – those that use advanced data services have relatively lousy battery lives, because they communicate much more aggressively with the towers. I discovered this in-store with Verizon when I went to upgrade my phone after 2yrs, and held off because every one of their new phones had this problem (not incidentally, every one also had the useless expensive video services available). Frankly, the iPhone’s battery life looks pretty damn good to me, relatively speaking.
This is the one feature keeping me from purchasing the iPhone. When we are on vacation and rent homes most of them do not have internet access. Transfer speeds on dial up (and you would have to sign up for a plan) are just too slow and most pages will not even open. While the internet on the iPhone is a great feature I still need to download, review and print pages
and its just a lot nicer to have a FULL SIZE screen for this!!!
I go everywhere with my Apple Powerbook, even though its 17″. I take it on holiday too because the programs I use are not available in many Internet Cafe’s (Dreamweaver, Photoshop, VNC, etc) and I never know when I will need to do some last minute work. The chances of finding a suitable equipped Applemac that is plugged into the internet at a hotel is zilche! Instead I connect to the internet via Blue Tooth using my Pay as You Go mobile on my powerbook. It costs me £8 ($16) per MB!
YES! Thats expensive, but I never use the mobile phone for outgoing calls, its just for very ocassional internet access when I most need it.
If I am going to buy an iPhone which is not Pay As You Go, and includes unlimited data usage for a monthly fee I would be mad to keep using my Pay As You Go mobile for Internet access. Therefore an integrated modem IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST. I can’t believe it does not have one??? I really want to shout this to the world Philipp so something is done before the iPhone comes here to Europe (not til the end of the year, probably).
I’m with you. No modem, no purchase. By the looks of the lines at the stores, they’re not going to be missing my 1/2k anyway.
Also: No voice dialing, no purchase. Almost half my calls are made on the road through voice dialing.
Oh yes: no iphone, yes $500 still in my bank account — at least till they (or some hacks) add a modem and voice dialing.
I see that this post was made before Apple released details about the at&t plans for iPhone.
Now that they are released, we know that they come with free unlimited data transfer (another first in the industry) which is probably why you can’t use it as a modem for a computer. Apple wants you to surf on your iPhone as much as you wish but they also don’t want you to use the plan as a free ISP.
Therefore an additional PC Card for the laptop with a data plan may not be an extra expense.
I fully agree. It’s the biggest question I’ve had about the iPhone. If I really have to surf when I’m out of WiFi it might as well be on the big screen, whatever the speed. And occasionally I’ll need to upload files or ssh in somewhere. All the technology seems to be there; Will there be a firmware hack or something to make it possible?
Being able to run the net on a laptop is mandatory. It’s the reason we’ve not bought one yet and only can sit here and hope this is fixed.
I use my very old Sprint phone as a slow IP modem (
I’m a trucker. With my Cingular/AT&T 8525, I can tether to my laptop on the road to send and receive my load information. I pay for unlimited data on my cell phone, and I can get internet access anywhere I have a phone signal. In major cities, 3G is great, but out in the middle of nowhere, EDGE is better than nothing- which is what the Iphone offers in terms of laptop connectivity.
Manu Sharma:
I can only hope you are kidding. In case you haven’t noticed, there is a $20/month up-charge for the iPhone’s data plan so it is NOT FREE. If you are referring to the unlimited part as the so-called “industry first” you have been living in a cave somewhere. I’ve had an unlimited data plan on my PPC phone from Verizon for several years now that is (a) several times faster than crappy EDGE, (b) Can be used as a (fast) internet connection for my laptop and (c) cost around the same as the iphone plan.
Look, I LIKE most Apple products. Thier design and build are exceptional and their interfaces are second to none in most cases. Unfortunately I think they stepped in it with the iphone. It is a potentially great product that has been hobbled with a bad choice in wireless technologies and not allowing data connectivity via your laptop. Well, and not providing developers with a way to reaaly utilize the platform, but that will not (directly) matter to most people.
I’m with you Philipp!
iPhone as modem for my Mac is a must-have feature!!! Web access is not just reading web pages! it is saving web pages on your computer, it is printing web pages, it is downlading and uploading files, it is using other protocols as http, it is remote desktop, it is downloading your email with POP3, etc etc… this needs to be done on your computer! Also as Skype is not available on the iPhone, I wish I could use it on my Mac via the iPhone.
I am stunned that it might not be there! It’s such a natural expectation that it looks like it weren’t there, it would be because it was purposely removed, or rather locked-out of user’s reach (where’s the hack?)
But what’s the word? Is it 100% certain that this feature does not exist, or is it something that Apple just did not advertise but is somehow accessible?
As for the negative reactions, I can only assume that your article projected images of large and slow POTS modems in the mind of some naive people.
But, by the way, there are two ways I would like to connect my mac to the Internet via the iPhone:
1- Via EDGE (while connecting the iPhone to the Mac with bluetooth or WIFI or the Dock connector
2- (as a last resort backup!) Via plain old telephone service and the 56Kbps modem on the mac (actually the USB external modem from Apple).
My cable Internet ISP, Road Runner, offers me Internet access via phone lines when outside of my home, and I could just use this when really desperate for an Internet link when travelling.
I wonder if I those old “telephone couplers” that worked via the speaker and microphone of a telephone handset could be modifie and used? Connection may be limited to 2400 bps, but it would be funny to see such antique technology used with something as advanced as the iPhone.
Actually, my point #2 raises a question. If I am in a location where my iPhone connects to AT&T voice service, do I necessarily also get EDGE service from this location?
Oops! “Web access is not just reading web pages!”
I meant: “Internet access is not just reading web pages!”
There are 2 reasons I haven’t bought an iPhone.
1. This reason – not being able to tether to my laptop! I was stunned by the reports saying this feature wouldn’t be available. I thought maybe there would be a different plan I would have to get or maybe even it would take from your minutes but to not even have that functionality!?!
2. No GPS…
I can live without #2 as my friend showed me Google Maps is very good and you can use it as a poor man’s GPS… But not being able to use it to tether to my MacBook as a modem??? I’m sorry, but a $500+ phone should be able to do that…
In the same vein as other commenters, there are three things that’ll stop me buying an iPhone when it comes to the UK:
1. No Flash player (reportedly being fixed)
2. No 3G (sure to be fixed in time)
3. No modem
I spend a lot of time on a boat and need Internet access there. I’d love the iPhone to be the answer.
No 3G, no modem, no purchase.
The only reason I’m not getting the iPhone is because I can’t use it as a modem. When I saw the price of the unlimited data plan for the iPhone, it was a no-brainer for me to get one, as I would be paying $30 less per month than I already am for my calling plan and my unlimited data connect plan for my Treo650. Upgrading to the iPhone would have paid for itself in under 2 years. But I use my Treo to connect my MacBook to the internet from anyhere I get cell reception. To me, that’s far more valuable than wi-fi because there are no wi-fi hot spots in my area or the areas where I go and I wouldn’t be all that eager to pay to connect to them even if there were. I had cable before and Comcast service sucks eggs, so I would rather be patient and connect a bit slower than to EVER see them get another dime of my money. And honestly, Comcast’s service is so bad that my Treo650 rarely ever seems that much slower. Everything else about the iPhone is really cool. But it’s useless to me without a modem. The minute it gets one, I’ll buy it.
While this is not the main reason that I opted to buy something other than an iPhone, it is among the top 5. Instead of an iPhone I have purchased a Sony Ericsson w810i that includes a Bluetooth/AT&T/EDGE modem function. (As well as an FMtuner and games.) It’s modem function has worked great in my initial test and I will sleep soundly now that I know I have a viable backup internet connection for traveling or those occasional times when my hard lines go down. I’m sure the iPhone will eventially offer such options, and when it does, I’ll stand in line for one like everyone else.
The modem feature in my cell phone is a must have for me. I’m still using the the older GPRS system on my first generation Razr with my Palm Pilot and iBook G4 and it’s been very easy to use, and it’s literally saved my butt in more than one occasion. Sure it’s slow, but I can still get my email, view webpages and download and upload files to and from my laptop with it as long as I’ve a cell phone signal. G3 would be nice, but if it isn’t everywhere I need to use it, it’s not doing me much good. And WiFi isn’t everywhere either. This feature as saved me tons of money while I’ve been on the road or on a cruise. I’d happly upgrade to an iPhone with the EDGE network, which is faster and cheaper from what I’ve been using. The saving alone would’ve justified the purchase of an iPhone, if only the iPhone allowed me to use it as a modem. I just went into an Apple Store today to ask about it. A sales gal there told me the iPhone wasn’t currently set up for it, but through software upgrades like those done regularly on a Mac, the iPhone will have the capability to do so in a few months. Until then, I’ll still be using my old Razr with the slower GPRS.
YES! A modem for me is a must have, period. This is the main reason I have not bought an iPhone. I presently own and use a Nokia E62 because I need tether capabilities. No, its not a 3G and I live with that just fine! Should they upgrade the iPhone to have that capability….I’d buy one!
I need internet access when I photograph at locations that are not near cities. I went to an apple store last night to purchase an iPhone, but when I found out I couldn’t get the internet on my new MacBook Pro by using the iPhone as a modem I decided to find out what my other options were; that’s how I ended up at this web site.
100% in agreement. I went out to get an iPhone yesterday ONLY for this purpose, trading up from my iPAQ. I’m already on ATT’s data plan. I didn’t for a moment imagine that I would be unable to connect my MBPro when in retarded hotels and airports… Oh well, guess I’ll wait.
I agree b/c when you are a cheep ass like me, having a modem on the phone really does help out. I am a designer and often get calls to send out files to other collegues. It would be great if I could connect the iPhone to my MacBook Pro to send out those files.
Then again you have to give it up to AT&T for this move. With the iPhone lacking such feature, they make more money from people who end up having to get a Wireless Broadband Card to access the internet from anywhere. What I believe they are going to do is wait until the rush to get this version of the iphone dies down and then come out with an updated version that comes with all the things the cuurent iPone lacks so that everyone will rush to buy that.
Bottom line is they have to think about what is gonna make them the most money in the longrun. While they will eventually give the consumer what they want, In the mean time, they are making a large profit.
I have an unlimited data plan from T-Mobile, and it is only EDGE. I use my phone as a bluetooth modem all the time when I travel. For example, I board the plane asap and get 20-30 minutes of work done getting and sending emails, and maybe looking at a blog or two. More than once while driving I’ve pulled over to do a quick mapquest, and access while driving is really handy during vacations. In hotels, if I just want to do a little bit of work and net access is $10/day I can save the money using my phone. EDGE is actually not too bad if you are not doing anything bandwidth intensive. This functionality is so useful that I will not buy an iPhone until I can use it in the same way. And when the iPhone goes 3G it will be even better. You could share the bluetooth link via WiFi and have a mobile hotspot wherever you go.
Same here… No modem, no purchase.
Voice dialing is also a critical must-have feature on a phone that has no real keyboard.
I don’t want to have to take my eyes off the road to dial.
My old Nokia 6600 has 512MB RAM, voice dialing, modem, and I loaded a few useful applications into it:
- telnet/SSH client
- Instant Messenger (all of them!)
- Movie Player
- And the bluetooth stack is loaded with services (file transfer, etc.)
The iPhone should be able to do much better than that!
Also, my current internet service with T-Mobile is InternetVPN. I get a public IP address instead of a translated IP address (NAT). I wonder what kind of IP address does AT&T provide to their clients.
I’m also surprised it’s not 3G. Apple could use LED backlit panels to save power, and compensate the extra power drain of 3G. They could even make it EDGE/3G switchable, so the user could decide how fast needs to go (and control battery drainage too).
And finally, a GPS: doesn’t the FCC require every cell phone to have a built-in GPS nowadays? All we would need is a way to access the GPS data from our applications.
Or at least a serial port bluetooth service so I could access my Bluetooth GPS receiver!!! Actually, this may be a better solution.
We use our MacBook Pro and the Treo 650 to do credit card charges (PayPal) while doing art shows. We have a credit card reader with the MacBook Pro. We hopped to replace the Treo 650 with the iPhone. But the iPhone doesn’t have an USB port and it can’t run Mac OSX applications. So a modem functionality in the iPhone would be great.
I FULLY agree with you. I am a Mac bigot, use almost every device Apple ever made (including QuickTake, Stylewriter, Laserwriter, Newton, even Duo 280c) but do NOT plan to buy iPhone until and unless I know it can act as a modem.
Yes, iPhone is light years ahead of other not-so-smart phones but to say that no one needs a modem is plain dumb. To this day I find that even the slow Bluetooth to cell phone to GPRS connection is a Godsend as I use my PowerBook on trains, in limos, at airports without WiFi, and even on my boat and on the beach. No iPhone can replace the functionality I need my PowerBook for.
And how stupid would it be for Apple to expect people to spend $79 for unlimited data plans on iPhone AND pay similar amounts for unlimited data plans on their PowerBook/cell phone combination. Doh.
By the way, I am not sure what Sony Ericsson phone you cannot use with the Mac. My all time favorite, the P900 is a charm (with the T-Mobile GPRS data plan of $20) but the newer P990 has an incompatible OS from Sony so it can’t even synch pictures etc. with AddressBook.
I also get beautiful high speeds even with a clunky Windows Mobile 6700 handheld with Verizon feeding the Mac Bluetooth or cable for near broadband speed even at the beach or on the boat.
So, those who want to buy iPhones without the modem capability are welcome to, but to denigrate someone asking for a pretty standard, real world need, feature is dumb and as idiotic as the DOS users’ past claims that a mouse was a feature few people needed.
Thanks.
I couldn’t understand some parts of this article le Press – Why I Want A Modem In My iPhone, but I guess I just need to check some more resources regarding this, because it sounds interesting.
If somehows Steve Jobs or one of his employees is reading this, count me as one more voice…no 3G modem – no purchase
I am always on the road, at meetings and am rarely in the office. So I often do work before the start of a meeting, right after, in between meetings, etc, when I cannot be in the office or the comfort of my home. Free wi-fi does not blanket Los Angeles and I do not feel like paying for use of an internet spot when I have a data plan.
I have a MAC and am able to use my phone via bluetooth as modem. It’s great. Sure, I’m not downloading big files, but for the smaller stuff it’s great. I can take calls, chat online, check my 4 email accounts, surf the net to do research for work, etc, etc. It’s awesome.
I think once you start using your phone as a modem it’s hard to go back. Internet everywhere. It’s not cable, but the speed is faster than dial-up, and works well for regular office work.
UK announcement just made this morning.
I’d get one on launch day if it had a modem. I go on holiday to N Scotland, not many WiFi spots up there! I get 400MB of data especially for the month I’m up there. GPRS. It’s perfectly fast enough, just like being on an old iSDN line.
I use a Sony Erricson W810i. No difficulties at all with my MBPro.
wow, lots of useful information, I find it astonishing that I cannot use my iPhone as a modem with my MacBook pro, living in southeastern Ohio, finding WiFi or DSL is impossible. I didn’t even think of this when I bought my iPhone, I thought it was a no brainer when I saw the word Bluetooth!! I understand that there is the argument that a computer pushes more info, but if you can add a phone and use it unlimitedly on the web for $20 dollars a month, you should be able to add a computer, or something. I mean, I am a die-hard Mac user, between my current purchases, I have contributed 7000$ to the company, I feel under appreciated as a customer, when the sneaky plan to make me spend even more in the long run for this must have feature! I feel completely ignorant with my idea to buy this phone right away!
I was prepared to lay down the lettuce yesterday for an iPhone, ASSUMING that my bluetooth capable powerbook and mac mini would seamlessly connect with the web via the iPhone and the AT&T web access that they quoted me as an extra $20 a month on my pre-existing bill. While it is often not necessary, due to various wi-fi scenarios, it is often essential but, most importantly, if I am paying for the access it should not be restricted to a particular device. It took awhile because the “expert” didn’t even understand what the hell I was talking about, and then I got the condescension… everything else I have to say is essentially unprintable… keep the iPhone…
i use my cingular 8125 to connect my macbook pro via bluetooth to the at&t data plan. I have no other internet connect options besides dialup where i live in a remote corner of Hawaii. I NEED to be able to connect. It is the only thing hlding me back….seriously! I too share the sentiments as stated above, Ive been investing in this company since the ʻ80s! Im sure Ive paid for Steve Jobʻs front door at least, of his mansion! Anyways, I push for bluetooth connectivity to the internet!!!!!!! -M
I’m another would be iPhone owner if it had a modem. I travel and being able to get my laptop on the internet from BFE is important.
The iPhone is internet enabled, and it has bluetooth. There is no hardware required, the only thing lacking is a software interface to allow a bluetooth enabled laptop to tap in. The boys at Apple are sharp enough to connect the dots. This silently makes the suits at AT&T the true limiting factor.
Something tells me Mr. Jobs is secretly worried about AT&T hobbling the iPhones ability to compete going forward. The first competitor to mass market an reasonable iphone knock off with 3G, interoperability on multiple networks, a modem, and built in GPS could easily make the iPhone a memory. Now that apple has given the world the blueprint to make a cool phone some competitor out there is going to leverage it. If Apple is still stuck in AT&Ts web when that happens… Well we all know the story of Microsoft and Apple.
I use my Nokia N70 as a GPRS modem with my Mac *every* *single* *day*. It’s the one thing that holding me back from switching to iPhone. I’ve yet to see an definitive answer on whether it’s supported on iPhone or not.
Mobile internet is so much more than Mobile Safari for me, and a switch to a phone without this basic feature is, frankly, a step back to the stone age – visual voicemail or not.
I have been using a Treo650 plus PDAnet to use my phone as a modem on my (work) PC for nearly three years now – yes slow – but so much better than paying ridiculous per hour or per day prices when in the airport for an hour or so and want to check email – check the web – or as I did just yesterday, check flights and make reservations on another airline when the plane you were about to board is taken out of service for repairs and the next available flight offered is 8 hours later.
The main problem I have with my Treo today is that this morning it decided to leap off my belt and go for a swim in the toilet – so far it has only dried out enough to turn on and off – but not to answer an incoming call or for any of the buttons to do anything at all. the touch screen works but since I have the required button must be pushed to avoid accidentally turning it on – now I cannot turn it in fully.
So – I would like to go get a iPhone to replace it with – but – since I have to take my PC with me when I travel – and a lot of what I do involves running windows apps and sending files via email and getting files from and posting them to our corporate network – some kind of internet connection sharing is very important to me.
(would also be nice if it could do the same with my MacBook Pro – but I rarely take it with me when I travel)
Yes it is somewhat painful to operate at EDGE speeds when you are accustomed to 15 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload at home – but ANY speed is better than none – when on the road and someone wants an updated file – now.
Daa, use my Iphone for a internet link totally, right now. No paying for expensive airport connections. No waiting for network up dates like last night and working my email from my lap top were I can read it and type with all ten fingers.
It is a no brainier…
Chelsea Chelsea
I’m waiting in the wings for:
1. 3G
2. iPhone with modem
3. Voice dialing
I’d like to add to EricaJ’s list…
4. GPS
5. and how about a second, less mega-pixelous camera on the front for video-phoning?
And of course I agree with Philipp and everyone else that the modem thing would make a difference. But I guess jmgore75 is quite right in that the carrier(s) will not want to pass that extra cargo for free.
That would be great!! It’s not like it’s going to be your primary connection. It’s for travel access and emergencies. It’s a no brainer for Apple to implement this in the near future.
Fully with you on this!
And it’s not the only missing feature before I’ll be buying….
Lack of modem through routing (without some form of hack),
Lack of 3G,
Lack of GPS,
8GB? Really… why would I buy that over my new 8BG Nano?
I understand the probablt rationalle behind each missing feature and I am a true blue Apple fanatic but I’ll be waiting until at least 3 of those four are addressed!
Enhanced road-checking ability included in iPhone (mail+internet), but low relay ability to other mobiles or Laptops.
It would be useful to relay a note, mail or picture via Bluetooth, WIFI or IR to my Macbook. I can do so with a Palm. Apple should allow information at least outwards.
On the road, I need use like 5 minutes every 5 days; a modem would save my day. It does not make sense, to take a 2nd Mobile for such purpose.
Unoriginal, but I agree. I am a lawyer and I do everything at the last minute. The inability to send documents compiled on my MBPro wherever I am is a drawback. I often send and receive emails on the train which include e.g. MS Word documents. Even if I could ‘push’ documents onto the iPhone, so I could attach them to emails and send using the iPhone would be a bonus.
(Does anyone know if the sync between iPhone and my MBPro includes syncing the outbox or drafts in Mail?) I also look forward to 3G and, but not necessary, a GPS to complement the Google Maps (which are great).
However, Mr. Jobs, I still bought one. Loyalty? Maybe.
I have no doubt that (i) Apple needs another iPod product to succeed, (ii) the mobile networks could prevent iPhone being it, therefore (iii) Apple needs at the moment to keep the mobile network providers sweet.
Oh, one other thing – I’d like to be able to connect to my office and home network printers from iPhone – the connection to the WiFi is great but the functions cold be extended. But it’s not that important.
My old nokia 8800 great phone bluetooth with my Macbook Pro and also my car no problem.
Got new iphone great feature set, love it.
Been a mac user for 20 years ish, how sad that I can’t connect my apple laptop to my apple phone for internet use. It also only just about works with my car.
I use my laptop for various work related tasks when aboard or can’t get wifi access, so an Iphone Modem/Wifi enable connection to my Macbook Pro would be a god send.
Come on Apple sort this out or next time round I won’t be buying an Iphone.
I hate the thought of ever using a phone, as a Modem… But I have had to do it, and will need to be able to do it in the future due to my job.
When there is a database issue and I am somewhere without WiFi. I have 2 options.
Call someone who has no idea what they are doing, tell them what to type and read me the screen out put. (Did that once, it was painful)
Or, plug in my cellphone into my Laptop and dial in, Fire up the VPN and fix it.
(I’ve had to to that in the past, out in the middle of Hwy 64. Even slow, it was better than turning around and driving home.)
Admittedly, I’d be ticked pink with a telnet session through a vpn on an iPhone.
But when I have to fix a database issue, there is a lot of typing.
Inability to use an iPhone as a modem in an emergency is, unfortunately, the primary reason I am still keeping my old cellphone and waiting…
All, I am in total agreement. I live in the UK and have been using my PDA as a modem for over two years now. I do have wireless internet at home, but when I’m out and in need of logging on, I connect the PDA as a modem to my Lap top… This is rather than using the build in browser on the phone itself (which isn’t ideal is it?)
I am a seriously loyal customer to Apple, and have been for many years, but I’m slowly starting to think that Apple are taking the P!SS a bit now. The excuses about battery life and the poor reasons for not having a build modem and 3G capability is absolute rubbish. This is all about money!!
Why would they bring out everything that we want in the first hit… It means that they can’t take advantage of us in the future, because we wouldn’t need to buy the next/latest model!!
I don’t know if I’m along on this, but I’m also not that bothered about using the Iphone as an mp3 player. The Ipod has been out for ages now, and most of the world own one, add this to the fact that actually the average library is bigger than the 16gb offered (including VIdeo content) actually, give me a Modem and 3G capability and I’ll use my Ipod that I paid over £200 for.
Lastly, where do these lot get off, making us sign up for an extended contact periods AND to a ‘special’ Iphone tariff that costs more than another other for value verses talk time????
If anyone from apple reads this, please feed back everyone’s comments, its said that less than 1% of people ever complain or speak there mind. You do the maths and you’ll find that there are thousands of disappointed apple fans out there…. at least tell us you’ll address these issues with the launch of the 2nd Gen Iphone ASAP.
Thanks for listening..
Mcdx1
I will not be buying the iPhone simply because you can’t use it for a laptop modem. When you can buy a cheap phone and use it as a modem? Why not by a nice iPod and a` decent cell phone that can be used a a modem? It makes no sense to me at all. Stupid on Apple’s part, really stupid.
I live in San francisco where hot spots are everywhere, but mostly secured so you can’t use them. I’ve been using BT cell phone on my laptop since Ericson’s release of T68, the first collor display phone. It is a big omision by Apple. I’d like to send Mr Jobs for a days worth of work with no available hot spots!.
Probably the #1 reason I have yet to buy an iPhone. I have used my Sony Ericsson T68i for several years to connect both my Big Al PowerBook and my reliable old Palm T5 to the internet via Bluetooth. I do this virtually every single day of my working life, as a matter of fact, reading my favorite blogs, my gMail, the news, etc. on the T5′s lovely display while commuting into Manhattan on the Metro North. I also use both my T68i and my T5 as remotes for my computers, via Saling’s excellent Clicker app. Until the iPhone can surpass (or even MATCH) the utility that I’ve enjoyed with these devices for literally YEARS, I certainly will not be plunking down 100s of dollahs for one.
Apple continues to try and herd us all like cattle in their own desires for a combined, expensive, addictive phone/Internet data plan so they can make more money and control us all. Remember the original Super Bowl Apple commercial…. the one with the girl throwing the hammer into the screen…. funny how this has all come around and now they are the “dictator.” They took the phone jacks off the laptops, now it the inability to tether your iPhone with your computer, or use a modem in the phone. I’ll bet you anything, they would prevent you from using WiFi if they could. I am so glad there are hackers and geeks (thank you all) working 24/7 to break in their systems and raise hell.
I am proud the code was broken on the iPhone and now you can use it to download for free! Yeaaaaaa!
I for one will continue to find ways around the “system” until they begin to give people what we want and need instead of being force feed just to make more profits. I don’t want anything for free, but I am against the current trends by Apple to corner us.
Leo
Having used my cell phone as modem since the GSM circuit switched modem days – with 9.6 kbps (Ericsson GH 338) all through my current Nokia 6233 (3G). Using this for emergencies, those hotels with no Wifi or fiercefully expensive plans – just makes sense.
So I would suggest somebody starts fixing the Bluetooth stack to offer up DUN. Dial up networking. Over the sync cable or over Bluetooth. Either way should be supported, and this would make it attractive – I am so very surpriced that a feature that was on my cell phone almost 20 years ago does not exist on the iphone.
That is pathetic.
I am sure few people have brought it up to date because everybody who has needed it have gone elsewhere or bought and sold the iphone quickly before the potential buyers have found out about the issue.
I have been using my old vx6700 hundred in my laptop for a long time and it works like a charm. Since bluetooth connection works but it’s kinda slow I use a USB connection and the speeds its great. All I need to surf anywhere in the world is my macbook pro, my cellphone and USB cable. Very simple.
How come that “the best phone” in the market the iphone deprives users of such a great feature???????
thats a non-sense….I’ll just sit and wait till the iphone has a modem to leave my old vx6700
Okay, this was posted a year ago. Now we do have the 3G version which doesn’t have any modem functionality? I’m not gonna buy a cell phone if I need to have another on just to get online while on the road. So, yes. I do want that feature. YES!
I tried to join the apple developer connection about 3 weeks ago and the asked me to FAX my certificate of incorporation.
How I don’t have a fax modem on my iPhone 3GS ????.