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AT&T survey may point to iPhone's next enhancements
Published: 28 October, 2008
Tags >> AT&T | iPhone
Cellular operators are always trying to increase their influence over future handset features, and now AT&T is seeking to stamp its mark on next generation iPhones, and ensure the handset continues to work its magic over US customers.
The carrier has started conducting a major survey of its iPhone base, particularly those who have used the phone for a long period. Some of the results, as revealed by Apple blogs such as AppleInsider, highlight some weaknesses that competitors could exploit, and possible enhancements for next year - if Apple chooses to listen to its carriers, something it is not accustomed to doing.
One question asks users to choose the five features or add-ons they would most like to see in the iPhone in future. Among the choices are features that AT&T has already seen most commonly requested by its customers and by the wider Apple community. These include support for cut and paste, built-in instant messaging, Flash/Java support, direct download of ringtones to the phone, and MMS messaging - most standard features of most other smartphones.
Other requests that have reportedly been commonly made on the AT&T survey include GPS turn-by-turn directions, landscape mode for email, user replaceable batteries, better search for iTunes playlists, editing of documents, video recording, larger screen with more pixels, more storage, and iChat.
Significantly, AT&T specifically asks whether users would like to be able to use the iPhone with other carriers. According to the blogs, AT&T should be concerned by the response - the most common complaints about the iPhone do not concern the device per se, but the coverage and connection quality on the AT&T network; and a large number of respondents want the freedom to take their handset to another operator.
