A Message to Apple: What’s So Terrible About the Mobile Web on a Mobile Device?

I’ve been to my local Apple Store about eight times to try the iPhone but I haven’t bought one even though the device really puts a smile on my face. It’s beautiful and sexy. Part of me really wants it. The disadvantages are significant though: AT&T (weak network and weak customer service), EDGE is slow and my Shure headphones don’t work. But those aren’t the only reasons I didn’t buy it. I keep hearing that the iPhone through Safari gives the user the “real Internet.” Well, I don’t see it that way. Let’s say I bring up the New York Times web page on my computer. I can actually read what’s in front of my eyes. With the iPhone I have to zoom in on a small portion of the page. And the pages loaded slowly — even with the WiFi in my local Apple store. This isn’t the real Internet!

I now have a BlackBerry 8830 on Verizon. On that I get mobile web pages using EVDO, which is a lot faster than EDGE but not as fast as WiFi. But mobile web pages generally either have no images or few images. I get the information I want and almost no ads. So I can really read the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal or the International Herald Tribune. I get fewer ads, more speed and more information per page load than I would get if I purchased an iPhone. So given the small screen I feel I am better off with the mobile web compared with cramming a big web page into a small space.

I love Apple products. I love my iPod and listen to it when I exercise (maybe 3 hours a week). It’s okay with me if I miss a call (I don’t get many calls) because I’m listening to something on my iPod. Would I love an iPod with a bigger screen? Yes. Would I love a touch screen iPod? Sure. Do I want a communication device in my music player? Not really, especially since I would need to be on a carrier I don’t really admire.

I guess I will wait for a bigger touch screen iPod and continue to use my BlackBerry for mobile email, mobile browsing and the small bit of telephone talking I do.

But wow what a beautiful device the iPhone is!