The iPhone 3G and what it lacks for SMS/Text messaging:
- No Copy/Paste feature
- No SMS/Text Forwarding facility
- No facility to SMS/Text multiple recipients
- No Character count
- SMS Preview a privacy concern (can be turned off but a bit cumbersome to do so)
For the good parts, the iPhone 3G does have some pretty useful applications available. I have been using the Map application and Twitterific extensively. Also, the WiFi allows me to check emails, use Twitter, Facebook, download podcasts directly to my iPhone, all using my internet connection at home. This way I save on the data usage allocated by my service provider and can use it on the road the next time I’m lost again 
Inspite of the groovy look, useful applications, the iPhone does lack many standard and “usable” features. In fact most of these are not “features” but basic facilities that make the experience a tad bit better.
For one, the iPhone 3G lacks the basic copy/paste functionality. I wanted to insert a contact into the text message and just could not do it. Had to memories the number and insert it.
Next, the “Forward” feature is absent on the iPhone. Which means you really can not forward text messages to your friends. Add to it you cannot send text messages to multiple recipients. Nor does it have the familiar “Sent messages”. The iPhone 3G lists text messages as conversations so I guess this could be one reason for Apple to leave out “Sent Messages”, which I think is fair enough. Though at times I would love to delete just certain bits of conversation rather than the entire conversation.
The iPhone 3G also lacks the character count feature. So when you type your text message you really don’t know if you have reached the message limit. Recently, in my enthusiasm, I sent a number of messages to my mates, which they received in two parts. Since there is no character count on the iPhone I merrily sent messages without realising I was over the standard limit.
One annoying feature, and one that I think is a privacy concern is the SMS preview feature on the iPhone 3G. Imagine you are showing some one a cool app or your iPhone when a private, personal text message is displayed. Now that could be embarrassing. But the iPhone does precisely that. It displays part of the text message when you receive one. The only way to turn off SMS preview on the iPhone is to enable the Passcode Lock. I discovered this only by accident. Most of the feature on the iPhone is an “accidental discovery” path to efficient use . Coming back to the privacy issue, enabling the Passcode Lock means entering a password every time you want to use your iPhone. So the work around is really cumbersome. Turning off SMS preview on the iPhone now displays incoming text messages with the senders name and “Text Message” written below it.
Some would argue that you could do all of the above via email on the iPhone. But, not everyone on my contact list has email access on their phones. And I certainly don’t want to use email to inform my mates to meet me two blocks away for beer. I’d rather forward them a text message.
So yes, the iPhone does look all nice and sexy on the surface, but it does lack these small features that make life a lot more easier. I hope, in the next upgrade they do consider these basic standard features thats available on even the most basic phones.
Ah! My Motorola L6, I do miss you.
