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5 reasons why the iPhone isn’t ready for social networking… yet

Posted July 29, 2008 2:41 PM by Cedric Bosch
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The iPhone’s success is largely due to its great user interface, powerful media capabilities, and mobile connectivity. It’s also thanks to popular applications such as Facebook’s iPhone app, which recently reached 1 million users. Unfortunately, it isn’t ready to become the ubiquitous social networking tool some thought it might be. Gregory Ng of GetContagio.us has some interesting theories as to why the iPhone’s hasn’t reached its social potential, and what Apple can do to improve its functionality.

Our biggest gripe? The touchscreen keyboard. Social networking is all about letting other people know what you’re doing, and the lack of a tactile keyboard severely reduces the amount of time we want to spent Twittering, Facebooking, or for that matter, texting our friends.

Link- GetContagio.us

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Comments

  1. I think that the main reason the iPhone has not become the default social networking tool is that the 3G was just released.

    I work for a professional networking website, konnects.com, and mobile access for social networks is going to go through the roof in the next two years. There are going to be more and more phones like the iPhone that increase the easy of accessing social websites. Just give it a little time and it will happen.

    Brian
    http://www.konnects.com

    Posted by Brian on July 29, 2008 4:12 PM

  2. gimme a break...iphone users have gotten rather used to typing via the on-screen keyboard. no one i’ve spoken to whose had their phone for more than a month or so complains about the lack of a dedicated keyboard. try again. in time, the device will become the social networking tool others only dream about.

    Posted by JNez on July 29, 2008 6:36 PM

  3. The touch keypad on the iPhone is *much* nicer than the tiny-buttoned “keyboards” on any other phone I’ve used, including the Tilt and Blackjack—two of the nicer mobile keyboards.  I type much faster and make fewer mistakes on the iPhone.

    Posted by Thomas Aylesworth on July 29, 2008 6:50 PM

  4. Warning: Paid Mac/iPhone hating Microsoft professional liars at. work. (The article, not the comments)

    Posted by zato on July 29, 2008 6:53 PM

  5. I could not disagree more. My use of social networking has skyrocketed since I got my iPhone. I use twitter, brightkite, and facebook so much more exactly because I can do it so easily now on the go.

    It seems that you main complaint is with the virtual keyboard. Maybe that’s where I ultimately disagree. Since I got my iPhone on July 11, I’ve gotten very good at using the keyboard. While it isn’t as fast as my desktop keyboard, I’m definitely better on it than on my wife’s Blackberry Curve. And I’m a guy with “chubby finger syndrome”. That was always a problem with the Curve because I couldn’t but hit 2 keys at once. Because the iPhone doesn’t recognize 2 keys at once, that never happens anymore. Long live the non-tactile keyboard!!

    Posted by Jason on July 29, 2008 7:53 PM

  6. I am tired of hearing about the keyboard.  It is a touchscreen phone.  Everybody loves it for that and it’s slim design.  Either accept it or don’t buy it.  I find the keyboard just fine as does my wife with hers.  Those with bad fine motor skills are the only ones complaining.  As for social networking.  I feel the only thing holding it back (though mine has really increased a bit but still not what I want) is that there is no background processing.  Which I am fine with as I know they are going to work on getting Push for apps.  Once that hits, then you and your friends can really have apps that keep each other up to date or to find people near you.  Right now all the apps like that are pointless unless each person really has the same app open and keeps updating.  Once me and friends can have a real app that can get updates when not in the App (via Push) then you will see a lot of great tools that people will really use.

    Posted by cs on July 30, 2008 9:10 AM

  7. Don’t get me wrong, I love the iPhone’s keyboard and find it far superior to any other device I’ve used. However, it just can’t compete with a full-sized laptop keyboard when you’re flying through profiles, leaving comments, twittering, copying and pasting URL’s, uploading photos, etc. Power users will always find a way to make their devices work for them, but the general public isn’t going to go through the hassle of viewing web content on a small screen and inputting text through a keyboard that measures less than three inches across.

    Posted by Cedric Bosch on July 30, 2008 12:17 PM

  8. I just love how any one who criticizes the “holy Apple” is labeled a “Paid Mac/iPhone hating Microsoft professional liars”.

    Check out Gregory Ng’s profile, i’m pretty sure he used to be the Editor in chief of this very website and I know I have read articles from him on other Mac sites.

    The ihone is the best device ever made by Apple. But it isnt ready for primetime with power social networkers. This article is spot on.

    Posted by PhoenixSD on July 30, 2008 1:56 PM

  9. Gregory Ng? A MICROSOFT EMPLOYEE?!?! LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

    I can barely get the guy to touch an XBOX360 let alone set foot in Redmond, WA.

    Posted by the Michael Schneider on July 30, 2008 2:08 PM

  10. I didn’t use twitter or myspace at all before I got my iPhone.

    Posted by lonnie247 on August 4, 2008 10:19 PM

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