Perhaps the most noticeable features of the iPhone is the internet browsing feature. Although a number of smart phones have been around for years, many of them have had their share of limitations. This is no different when it comes to the Apple iPhone. However, two things set the iPhone apart from its competition when it comes to browsing the web.
1) Screen size and clarity - In a word, the screen size and clarity of the iPhone is superb. At 3.5 inches with 160 pixels per inch, the screen is of ample size for a hand held device.
2) The touchscreen - Although touch screens have been used before by other manufacturers, Apple does a nice job with theirs. To scroll on a web page drag your finger on the screen in the direction you want to scroll in. You can also change the size of a selected area by drawing your fingers together or apart.
In addition to offering clarity and crispness in the intuitive touchscreen, the iPhone uses the Safari web browser made by Apple. It offers full function web browsing with the exception of Flash graphics. The Safari browser offers the kind of features Internet Explorer users and FireFox users have come to expect. Not only does it have a built in pop-up blocker and tabbed browsing, but it also offers integrated RSS. Plus, it has a few extras like the ability to quickly re-size text fields, private browsing and a SnapBack feature that takes you back to the top level of your searches. Very handy indeed.
A number of reviewers complained that connection speed is sometimes a bit slow. However, Wi-Fi hoptspots do increase speed - although these are not available everywhere. Nonetheless, it can take a few minutes to download pages. Once downloaded, however, the details are quite good and they play well.
An improvement over other cell phones is that the iPhone supports rich text email. With the iPhone's touchscreen, viewing and deleting messages is easy but the keyboard can take getting used to. To overcome this, you have to magnify a selection to edit text. Furthermore, there is no cut and paste functionality. Noticeably absent is instant messaging, although SMS is there.
Overall, The iPhone is still a good choice for those who want or need to access the internet on the go. The benefits definitely outweigh the limitations. And my guess is, there's a good chance many of these will be fixed in the next generation of the iPhone.
