Apple’s decision not to use 3G in their iPhone has left one question unasked, “Does 3G really improve the user experience dramatically?” Carl Howe asks for SeekingAlpha.
“Bandwidth doesn’t affect the mobile phone experience nearly as much as most people think. And in some cases, high bandwidth Internet is actually worse for the user than a low-bandwidth one,” Howe writes. “How can this be?”
Because:
• People confuse network bandwidth with latency
• High bandwidth radio networks are more error-prone
• Phone processors and software don’t necessarily keep up with fast data transmission
• High bandwidth networks drain batteries
Howe writes, “Carriers, analysts, and consumers alike have an unhealthy obsession with bandwidth to the exclusion of other important factors that affect the user experience with a phone. Just as the computer industry finally figured out that more gigahertz wasn’t necessarily better for users, the phone industry is going to discover the same point (and for the same reasons). And companies that use limited bandwidth in smarter ways to deliver a better user experience — like Apple — are going to have a leg up on their competitors no matter what network they use.”
Much more in the full article, including explanations of the above bullet points, here.
3G isn’t the end all be all. My friend’s Moto Q with 3G doesn’t web surf really any faster than my iPhone. A big part of the reason is because the browser on the Q sucks to holy hell. Web pages literally open maybe a couple of seconds quicker on the Q is all, it’s hardly a noticeable difference. And when on wi-fi of course, the iPhone is 2-3x faster than the Q on 3G is at rendering pages.
Maybe if iPhone supported flash it would make more sense to upgrade.
I have a Vodafone data modem for my MBP, and in a year’s operation I have only seen 3G a handful of times.
Coverage (in the UK) seems to be VERY sparse, except in metro areas which are not where I need to work.
Sure 3G may be nice to have but I doubt that it’ll make much practical difference to iPhone usage, to me at any rate.
I played with a new Palm Centro yesterday…..I was able to tune into NFL Network in seconds…LIVE TV. Don’t tell me there is not a difference. I am upgrading from a Treo 650….slow internet…just like the iPhone. Centro = $99. Comes with AIM, MSN messenger, and Yahoo messenger out of the box. Only available from Sprint, which is fine with me. I love Sprint, they are the reason I didn’t buy an iPhone. I could write all about why Sprint is the best, but I’ll let you look for yourself.
My brother-in-law in Hong Kong has a 3G phone (HSDPA). It’s basically a single-touch iPhone, but one neat feature is that it has built-in GPS functionality. It was pretty cool hearing the phone call out directions as he was driving. 3G may not be the end all or be all, but there are definite benefits.
booo!
I don’t think GPS capability has anything to do with 3G.
I am still wondering if web developers will ever get over their obsession with clutter on the web pages they produce.
It is as though they try to put the entire internet onto every website.
I call bullshit on this article. There is no such thing as a network that’s too fast. It’s true, factors like UI, battery life and error correction are all very important, but if you have all three of those and a slow network, forget it.
@Joe – like this one? This is the slowest-loading page I know of.
This is like the folks arguing that cooperative multitasking is better than preemptive. The tech is behind for good reasons, but it’s behind… and it’ll stay that way until Jobs and Co. find a chipset that meet their specs. Period.
Nick Holla,
You’re missing the point. No one is saying there isn’t speed increases with 3G. What’s being said is that sometimes that speed increase carries problems that outweigh the benefit of the speed.
Hisssssssss
With 3G and the camera on the front-side, when I am connected to my friend, he can see me ad I can see him. How could my friend see me when the camera is on the back side of the iPhone? Seeing my friend on my iPhone screen is what communication about rather than only hear his/her voice !!
3G is mandatory.
In many cases while on EDGE iPhone cannot receive phone calls (they go direct to voicemail)
This IMO is the reason there is no iPhone SDK or iChat on the iPhone. anything that keeps the EDGE active is going to expose this issue more and more.
3G is mandatory
Wow, you all are stoopid.
EDGE — Checking email? Missed Call
EDGE– Surfing the ‘Nettt? Missed Call
EDGE– Checking Weather? Missed Call
3G — No missed calls.
Whenever that Broadcom 3G chip comes out in 6 months, iPhone will offer 3G. The rest is simply excuses.
Fruity Oaty Bar . . .
Makes a man out of a mouse
Make you bust out of your blouse
That’s a dumbest thing I have ever heard…
Of course we need 3G on the iPhone, if the iPhoen had a video conference ability, though!
I’m sorry, but just because America is slow to take off on 3G doesn’t mean that the rest of the world should not have 3G video conference iPhones…
Get the fuck out of here.
The next iPhone better have 3G with some MUCH improved data coverage on AT&T;’s behalf to back it up.
isn’t wi-fi waaay better than 3g anyway? and right now aren’t the wi-fi and 3g networks pretty much the same? so until the 3g network starts extending out further than the metropolitan areas (where wi-fi is abundant), is there really any real reason for a need for 3g? correct me if i’m wrong. I mean, i’d rather use wi-fi than 3g any day and if i’m in a 3g network, i’m most likely in a wi-fi network and if i’m not in 3g, i’m most likely not in wi-fi and would have to use EDGE anyway. so again, what’s the point right at the moment? someone please let me know if i’m wrong in anyway on this.
What a stupid article. Purely theoretical. Show me proof with head to head comparisons.
Side-by-side 3G rocks over Edge hands down. If the author, Howe, of the aritcle thinks bandwith is not important then why have WiFi? The processors seem to handle it fine.
I have an iPhone and love it. I wish it had 3G. My peers smart phones with 3G stream video without glitch. If an iPhone could do that with its display there would be no competition! Slingmedia.com please make an interface for the iPhone.
Captianshawn. I second that… SlingPlayer, please make something for the iPhone… I miss my TV… LOL
WTF?!?!?!? Carl Howe is an idiot!
He probably promotes 56k modems over DSL.
This is exactly the kind of B.S. the anti-Mac cultist guy was talking about. Cultist take…because my iPhone is under featured it must be good because our Lord Jobs says so.
Sorry HOWE, Apple made a short term decision not to include 3G because of design consideration. Looking at Qualcomm’s new I.C., the next gen iPhone willl have 3G. Now Mr. Howe when your iPhone is the version w/o 3G, I do not want to hear you whine like the iShow-offs that couldn’t handle the iPhone’s price drop.
Just my $0.02
OK, my complaint about lack of 3G has nothing to do with speed or browsing. I have noticed that when my iPhone has no signal, I can look at my corporate Samsung, which will have a “G” and some bars. I admit I may need to go back to one of those places and reboot my iPhone, because I have found that can help also.
And McFly, I have recieved calls during all of those actions. You may have another problem causing that.
My boss has a Windows Mobile 3G phone. This makes me want to have a contest with him, with cleared history and cache.
I have been at times impressed with Edge and others ready to chunk the thing, but I never considered that it may be almost as fast as 3G. I am also impressed by all the free Wi-Fi….including from my girlfriends’ neighbors!
Is this article anything like that MHz Myth that we were told a few years back?