iPhone 3: fit for business?

Posted on 28 Aug 2009 at 17:30

Paul Ockenden checks out what the latest iPhone update offers for business users

The iPhone is undoubtedly a brilliant entertainment device, but the original model had major gaps in its enterprise capabilities. It seems Apple was well aware of these limitations, and in order to grab a bigger slice of the lucrative business phone market it's added many enterprise features to the newly released OS 3. You'll get this new OS version on any iPhone you buy today, and it's a free upgrade for existing iPhone owners (although iPod Touch owners have to pay, which seems a tad unfair). Do these new features cut enough mustard to make the iPhone now a serious contender as a business smartphone?

Let's take a look at some of the more significant new enterprise-related features, starting with the biggest attraction of all - copy and paste! I realise that Apple's detractors will be shouting at the page right now, frothing that every other phone has had copy and paste since Year Dot Minus 10, so that its final appearance on the iPhone really shouldn't be headline news. I have a sneaking sympathy with that opinion, but to anyone responsible for purchasing phones for a large enterprise, copy and paste on the iPhone actually is a big deal, because it at last elevates it to serious contender status.

As you'd expect from Apple, the cut-and-paste interface is easy and elegant: double-tap within some text and the nearest word is highlighted, with a pop-up offering Select and Select All. Choose "Select" and you see two draggable bars that expand the selection to cover the text you want to copy. At that point you can click Cut or Copy in the menu above your selection, although of course Cut only becomes available in an application that allows you to edit content - you wouldn't see it on a web page or a game help screen. Best of all, this cut/copy facility works with images and text.

Once you've cut or copied some content you can go to any other app that accepts input and double-click where you want to paste the text or graphic, at which point a Paste menu will appear. Double-click in an app that isn't looking for input and you won't see the Paste menu, so it's all very straightforward and logical. One tiny fly in the ointment is that the copy function works slightly differently in the Safari web browser - you have to hold your tap for a second or so to get the select menus, rather than double-tapping. It's disturbingly un-Apple-like to tolerate two clashing modes of interaction such as this, even though I understand the reason: double-clicking on a web page could trigger some navigation event that shoots you off to another page.

In the spotlight

Enterprise users will be delighted to learn that the iPhone now has a proper search facility, courtesy of a mobile version of Apple's OS X Spotlight indexing system. Oddly, rather than accessing this from an icon like other iPhone tools, you must swipe the main home screen to get to the search screen, where you'll see Search sitting on the left. It searches across all content on the device, and if you click a returned result it opens that document in the relevant application. Once again, it works exactly how you'd expect (and yes, once again, other phones have had search for donkey's years!)

In addition to this global search function there's also now a search facility available within individual email mailboxes, but its user interface is hidden, which is a rather serious usability howler - you need to first open an individual mail account, go to its inbox, then scroll up above the first mail message where you'll find the search box. In a user interface that's generally so easy and intuitive, this gaffe really irritates. Sorry, Apple, but I think you could have done much better here.

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User comments

Who in their right mind would consider iPhone over Blackberry in corporate environment. Tht company would be a laughing stock.

By dodge1963 on 28 Aug 2009

iPhone 3GS or Blackberry Bold?

Great article! I'm still wondering which device is more effective for business use, multiple email accounts and messaging - the iPhone 3GS or the BlackBerry Bold. I currently have both but I can't decide which one to keep. Any thoughts?

By bartenderonduty on 29 Aug 2009

3GS or Blackberry Bold

Bartender, it will all come down to two simple things, 1: Are the multiple email accounts in exchange? 2: Is the blackberry on BES on Internet Service

From experience of a very awkward client, I would look to go with the blackberry on the internet service for multiple accounts, however if you are connecting to an exchange server, this starts to become a nasty thing to sort out.

Any probs, give us a shout, more then happy to help.

Dave

By onedarkmoment on 29 Aug 2009

bartenderonduty "I currently have both but I can't decide which one to keep. Any thoughts?"

Get a life, you don't "need" either.

By dodge1963 on 29 Aug 2009

Down Boy

dodge1963, you may be right, I know you are but, Naughty Boy, down dodge, back in your basket, no more doggy treats for you !

PS. What's a "life" ? Is it 32 or 64 bit and does it support "Crossfire" ?

By Bikey2 on 10 Sep 2009

Who?

"Who in their right mind would consider iPhone over Blackberry in corporate environment."
Us... Our users don't get on with Blackberry at all. Our director still uses his old Palm Titanium and just uses the BB for making calls. He is thrilled at being able to use the iPhone now.

Paul:
iTunes - you only need it to activate and load updates to the iPhone software. We have a central machine for activating the iPhones and loading profiles (a nice tool), the users don't get iTunes on their work PC.

But they get a set of guidelines on usage (the big ones being apps and music bought on the phone are theirs and if the iPhone is taken back, the investment in apps is their problem - although they can get petty cash for essential business apps) and permission to sync the machine with iTunes at home - which has the added advantage of being able to sync their own personal contacts and calendars on the iPhone.

I use MobileMe and Exchange push services on my iPhone. I sync apps, music and podcasts on my home iMac...

I've used Blackberry and Windows Mobile devices on our server, as well as the iPhone and the iPhone is the most comfortable to use, IMHO.

I was using a WM phone, but ended up with an iPod Touch, syncing it with MobileMe, which synced with my Windows PC and copied all the changes over to my WM phone, because it was quicker and easier to enter it into the iPod.

The iPhone means I only have one device with me now.

A year ago, I went with the htc Touch Pro over an iPhone, it did the "professional" bits better and I didn't need the iPod side of things... What a difference a year makes. I got the iPod Touch when 3.0 was released and immediately stopped using my htc as my PIM tool (as stated above)...

By big_D on 17 Sep 2009

@bartenderonduty

At the end of the day, it is a personal thing.

Our users seem to prefer the iPhone and use it as more than just a mobilephone - a majority of our users never used the email, calendar etc. side of the BB as it was "too complicated"...

A few prefer the BB and will probably stay with it.

Whichever one you find you prefer using, that is the right one to stick with.

Do you prefer the keyboard or the touch screen? Do you find the BB interface easier to use or the iPhone's? Which one fulfills your main requirements better?

My iPhone is running MobileMe push, Exchange pusch and 4 other email accounts on POP or IMAP... It copes just fine.

By big_D on 17 Sep 2009

IMHO - Best Business Mobility tool ever

(But then I am a Small Biz Specialist).
Costs to implement - virtually nil.
No faffing with certificates, accepts self signed certs with two Accepts...
Remote wipe isn't there yet - but you can implement 10 wrong PINs and wiped (be aware people with small children).
Full mailbox / calendar / contacts tied in with an SBS server - Awesome.
As many POP / IMAP etc accounts as you can eat...

Let alone the millions of apps for it. (Some of which have business use, others, less so!!).

I recommend iPhones always unless they are O2 allergic...

Blackberries? Tsh... See ya...
Windows Mobile - At least they have touch screen (but still woeful).

'Nuf said.

Jules

By gingerinc on 28 Sep 2009

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Paul Ockenden

Paul is a contributing editor to PC Pro specialising in smartphones, mobile broadband and all things wireless. He's technical director of a combined IT and marketing company, which works on websites and intranets for several blue-chip clients.