H
ey did you hear? Apple came out with a mobile phone. Of course you
heard—the only way you could’ve avoided the iPhone hype machine was
to move to Antarctica, shut yourself in an igloo, and avoid all contact with other
humans. But in case you’ve just crept out of your ice house, the iPhone is
Apple’s new gadget that combines a mobile phone, iPod, and Internet access
into one handy bundle that fits in your pocket.
As a mobile phone, the iPhone is quite capable. Audio is clear and loud
enough not to be drowned out by an arriving subway or boos at a Yankees
game. Visual Voicemail is awesome, letting you pick and choose which voice-
mail messages you want to hear without listening to any tedious instructions.
And after a couple of months, we have yet to experience one dropped call. But
how can a phone this expensive not have voice-activated calling? Custom ring-
tones aren’t available either, unless you decide to use a hack from the Internet.
It’s also Apple’s best iPod yet. There’s no click wheel, but the iPod inter-
face is just as easy to use, if not easier. Cover Flow, which uses album art to
sort songs, is a fun way to sift through your music. The audio is iPod-esque—
good midrange and midtone without bass that doesn’t drop heavy. The stunning
3.5-inch LCD makes it possible to enjoy a full-length movie without squinting.
The iPhone’s abilities as an Internet device may be the deal breaker. The
problem is the EDGE data connectivity—to say EDGE sucks is putting it lightly.
Even Steve Jobs was reported as saying that he prefers the faster 3G technol-
ogy, but 3G is extremely power hungry and not as widely available as EDGE.
Regardless, it’s a treat to see full web pages on a mobile device, instead ofstripped-down WAP versions, despite the fact that you can’t view sites that rely
on the ubiquitous Flash plugin.
The iPhone is far from the savior of mobile phones—third-party develop-
ers are restricted to simple AJAX web apps, firmware hacks are wiped out after
each update, and the fixed battery has sparked litigation. But there’s also the
innovative multitouch touchscreen and sensible interface, the no-nonsense
syncing and activating through iTunes, and the tough-as nails screen and case
(our test iPhone remains scratchless). If you’ve waited this long, you might
as well keep waiting—iPhone 2.0 is bound to be what the iPhone
should’ve been in the first place.
—Roman LoyoLaApple iPhone
It falls short of the hype, but it’s still a technological wonder
T
o the surprise of some, companies continue to make handsets even after the
Jobsian conception of the Jesus Phone, or, as it’s more commonly known to
PC users, the iPhone. Rather than proving itself to be the phone of phones (see
review above), it is clear that we remain in a polytelephonic universe in which
a number of devices, including HTC’s Mogul, show themselves to be worthy
mobile handset options.
With a 2.8-inch screen, speedy EVDO broadband compatibility (upgrade-
able to Rev A), and Windows Mobile 6, the Mogul is a solid choice for those who
need to get work done while away from the office but don’t necessarily always
want to lug around a laptop. The included Office Mobile app and handy inte-
grated keyboard allow users to edit and create Word and Excel files and view
PowerPoint docs, and to stay connected, you can also access Exchange, POP3,
and IMAP email accounts as well as send standard text messages (MMS, how-
ever, is not an option); the full slide-out keyboard is responsive with keys that
are big enough to keep you from making too many typos, though you will have
to use both hands to type. Overall, voice quality was good.
Accessing commonly used apps is easy thanks to the numerous buttons
on the sides and face of the device. The Mogul allows for one-press access
to email, Explorer, the camera, voice dialing, and the Comm Manager. A scroll
wheel on the side and D-pad on the face also let you navigate menus. While the
ease at which you can get to popular apps is a plus, the placement of the scroll
wheel makes it easy to accidentally depress the power button.Although seemingly built as a work device, the Mogul also features a
number of multimedia options, including a 2MP 2x-zoom camera with video
capture, Windows Media Player, and digital media downloads from Sprint’s
music store. While it’s nice to have these features, the Mogul won’t supplant
your camera and MP3 player.
The Mogul presents a good mix of power and portability. If you need
access to Office apps while you’re on the road but still want an array
of multimedia options, it’s a
good, if pricey, choice.
—Tom EdwaRdsHTC Mogul
A CDMA Windows Mobile 6 phone finally hits the street
98 MAXIMUMPC november 2007
reviews Tes Ted. Reviewed. veRdic Tized
The iPhone
sports a few
fantastic features
but lacks some
standard ones.The mogul allows easy access to the apps you’ll use most.8
htc mogul
$550, $300 with service plan,
http://www.sprint.com7
apple iphone
$500 (4GB), http://www.apple.com4.3”2.3”2.4”4.5”