However, the degree to which the iPhone 2.0 software will function with systems like Microsoft Live Communicator and Sharepoint, functionality that Tim Davis, CIO of Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits, told us that he wants, is still unknown.
Bottom Line: You've got to give credit where credit's due, and Apple deserves some here. But the details of how exactly the iPhone mail client will integrate with various Web services remain to be seen.
Stronger iPhone Warranty, Insurance Policy
Albert C. Lee, IT director of New York Media, publisher of New York Magazine and NYMag.com, told me that he thinks the current one-year iPhone warranty offered by Apple/AT&T stinks. More specifically, the existing iPhone warranty covers a very limited set of repairs, and whatever fixes it does cover must be setup through Apple and not AT&T. AT&T also doesn't currently offer an iPhone insurance plan, though it does offer supplemental insurance for other handsets.
As far as I can tell, that hasn't changed with the unveiling of iPhone 3G-neither device warranty or insurance were mentioned in Steve Jobs's keynote and the related literature on Apple's site hasn't been modified.
Bottom Line: Apple and AT&T need to offer a better iPhone warranty and some form of insurance. Period.
Removable/Replaceable Battery
One common complaint about the iPhone is that it lacks a removable battery. This issue was raised by a couple of the IT executives, and though it may seem like a minor feature, the fact that the iPhone's battery is built in is a deal breaker for many business users-myself included. I carry a spare battery for my BlackBerry in my laptop bag whenever I'm travelling and it has come in handy-to same the least-on numerous occasions.
Such a change would be a major hardware modification, and Apple would most likely have announced the tweak if it were going to be a reality. The company did not mention the change, and I think it's safe to say iPhone 3G will continue to lack a removable or replaceable battery.
Bottom Line: If Apple wants to become a serious contender in the enterprise smartphone space, is should seriously consider the needs of business travelers and release an iPhone that functions with a backup power supply.
More Robust Phone Feature Set
Perhaps the most notable phone/messaging feature missing from the first-generation iPhone is a cut-and-paste function. Hugh Scott, VP of IS for the wholesale business unit of Direct Energy, pointed out the iPhone's lack of cut-and-paste in a review he performed for CIO.com.
The addition of such a feature would be big news to iPhone users, and I have to believe Apple would've mentioned if cut-and-paste was going to find its way into iPhone 3G. Frankly, I can't believe the company would leave this feature out AGAIN, as it has been one of the leading complaints about the iPhone's feature set from the start. But it looks as though Apple doesn't think cut-and-paste is so important, because iPhone 3G does not appear to have gained the functionality.
The lack of a video recorder has also been another longstanding complaint from iPhone users, including Scott, and surprisingly, Apple did not announce the addition of this functionality in the next-generation smartphone either. In fact, Apple didn't even upgrade to the 2.0MP camera on the phone.
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