So-called smartphones have gained popularity in recent years as people become increasingly mobile and increasingly dependent on the Internet, especially web and email services. However, despite increasing in popularity, smartphone users have suffered from inferior user interfaces that are difficult to use.

Last January, Apple grabbed everyone’s attention at its annual Macworld conference in San Francisco when Steve Jobs announced and demonstrated the iPhone. Six months and a lot of excitement later, the iPhone is now available. But does it live up to the hype and offer a complete, easy-to-use device with an elegant user interface for the smartphone market?

In my experience, the answer is a resounding yes. With the beautiful user interface of the iPhone, Apple has made other smartphones look clunky and outdated. There are many detailed iPhone reviews on the web, so I won’t repeat the same format here. Instead, I’ll provide a quick, bulleted list of features, highlights, and shortcomings.

Characteristic:

– 3.5-inch high-resolution multi-touch screen

– Seems to be very durable and scratch resistant.

– Latest generation iPod with CoverFlow; play music and videos

– Quad band phone

– Full-featured Safari web browser and rich HTML email client

– Sync bookmarks, contacts and email accounts from your Mac or PC

– Virtual keyboard

– 2 megapixel camera

– Integrated Google maps

– 4GB or 8GB capacity

– Wi-Fi and EDGE for wireless data

Stand out

– The interface is far ahead of other devices

– Very easy to use

– Full-featured Safari and email client are pretty good

– Navigating the device using “tap” and “pinch” is great

– iPod is better than ever

– The Google Maps integration is very well done and very useful.

– The ability to go from portrait to landscape mode by rotating the phone is amazing and, combined with multi-touch capabilities, greatly expands usability

– The virtual keyboard, which was a big concern for some before release, is actually quite good. I already type faster and more accurately, and with less effort than with my old BlackBerry 8800

– Automatically switch from EDGE to Wi-Fi when available

shortcomings

– AT&T is the only service provider, which means you will have to cancel your previous plan with another provider or pay both service providers

– EDGE network can be quite slow

– Supports Exchange via IMAP, but the experience will not be the same as with a BlackBerry

– Battery life could be better when using the phone’s internet features, particularly over Wi-Fi

– No spam filter in the email client

– No email threads

– Can’t delete multiple messages at once

– Cannot copy/cut/paste from one area to another

– Portrait to landscape rotation sometimes not working properly