iPhone sales training materials leaked
If you want to know how the AT&T sales folk will respond when you object to the iPhone's lack of GPS or 8GB storage cap, well, wonder no longer. MacRumors has posted scans of the entire iPhone Sales Training workbook that AT&T is using to bring the cell salesforce up to speed. Plenty of interesting tidbits, including some answers on a few items:- No IM on the iPhone at launch, SMS only for text messaging
- Simultaneous voice use and email/Web connections requires WiFi
- Bookmarks in iPhone Safari will sync back to your computer
- Weather & Stocks are the only Widgets mentioned in the training materials
[via digg]
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Gene Cowan said 1:35PM on 6-09-2007
A pretty sparse sales document, but then again Apple is the king of simplicity.
I note the following, a few questions answered and a few "huhs?":
-- There IS a vibrate mode
-- MMS (sending pics & video by SMS) is NOT available
-- Once and for all, there is NO GPS.
-- Can only do internet functions + phone call when using wifi, not the cellular network
-- Looks like Weather widget icon will show time and weather on the main menu
-- Can't download ringtones, etc. via AT&T's network
-- No MobiTV or other AT&T services will work. Everything is iTunes only.
-- I suspect that the internet features of the phone won't require a data plan if you use Wifi only. For instance, there is a disclaimer for Yahoo push mail saying 'requires data plan,' but this doesn't appear with other internet features.
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Marco Senf said 1:37PM on 6-09-2007
Well, not many more informations. I guess we just have to wait. I hope there is some simple word processor build in.
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James Looker said 1:47PM on 6-09-2007
No MMS - stupid and will hurt sales, especially when we see a Europe version. Hope they add it as it is a big mistake to miss it out.
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Gene Cowan said 1:48PM on 6-09-2007
One more:
-- No "one-touch" dialing. (The sales materials stress that you can call in only two taps.)
There are plenty of pages missing from the sales manual, including any mention of the "Notes" app which one would assume is the "simple word processor" Marco speaks of. I wonder how this app works, and what it syncs to on the computer? No mention of calendar, camera, or settings.
The upshot of this document is that iPhone doesn't corner the market on functions, in fact, it has far fewer than many other mobile phones -- but it does have advanced iPod and internet functions. The omissions are somewhat puzzling since such items as MMS are standard on just about every phone; although Apple has dumped seldom-used functions before from their computers. (I've used MMS only once or twice in the last year, so I may not be the one to offer an opinion.)
More grist for the debate, I'm afraid.
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Leemo said 1:53PM on 6-09-2007
I think it's fair to say this is far from the final feature set - and it does state on the first page that more features could be announced before launch.
I agree that missing MMS out is a bizarre choice, especially when it comes to Europe - but I can imagine this possibly being one of the features that'll be talked about more before it's released properly (or even a new feature that's added down the line).
I think we'll know more after Monday.
-Leemo
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Erick Erickson said 3:10PM on 6-09-2007
My concern and hope is that there is a voice control function like on my wife's Sony Ericson Z720a phone. Sometimes you *do* have to make a phone call on the road and with no tactile buttons, voice would be handy. It is built into OS X.
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fraserdrew said 3:42PM on 6-09-2007
The good thing...assuming Micheal Rose is quoting... is that it says no IM at launch. We all know that apple will add things to the iPhone, and the fact it (may) say that, good omen?
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RichE said 3:52PM on 6-09-2007
The first scan has this in it:
"...Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR, which links to Apple's new, remarkably compact Bluetooth headset."
I've never seen this rumored before.
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Patrick Carmichael said 4:02PM on 6-09-2007
The bluetooth headset was announced the same time the iPhone was.
Picture: http://www.mobilewhack.com/bluea-thumb.jpg
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George said 4:05PM on 6-09-2007
"Bluetooth headset. I've never seen this rumored before."
It's not even a rumor. Rewatch Steve's intro Keynote and there's a slide of the headset.
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RichE said 4:22PM on 6-09-2007
Re Bluetooth headset. Thanks guys. It must have passed me by, or escaped my memory. The focus has clearly, and with good reason, been on the phone itself.
Re vibrate function. There have been some major phones, like the Nokia Communicators, that haven't had it.
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Mystic said 5:38PM on 6-09-2007
What I don't like is not being able to use voice and data at the same time! I've been with Sprint (CDMA) for years now, and that's the main thing I havn't liked. Every time I would be using data, I would be unable to receive voice calls, and vice versa. So, I was excited about going to GSM since I know that's is usually possible (ie, Sidekick).
Now, if we're on the web using EDGE (actively downloading), are calls going to go straight to voicemail? I hope not!
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Michel said 5:55PM on 6-09-2007
the iphone is the new ipod : it will have fewer feature, they'll even remove "features" people thinks everybody wants (for example MMS)
but who use MMS? only geeks and road-warrior mobiles users.. a TINY sub-percent of users, they don't want an iphone, theses peoples.
and apple will do as they did with the ipod : massive reduction and simplification of features and hugely communicate in this : it got all the features people really want and simply.
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PsychBob said 6:09PM on 6-09-2007
If you want the psychology world's view (or at least that of a leading psych-writer)on what's MISSING from the iPhone from an experiential perspective...
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/06/09/the-iphone-throws-away-usability-for-cool-factor/
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Jonathan said 7:00PM on 6-09-2007
I have some important information for all that want the iphone. A guy went to my school to advertize the iphone. The iphone by the the way looks very but very impressive. The screen looks like its made of glass not like any other phone. The features are great too. One thing he did mention was that he himself found 23 glitches as he was using it. He did advised us to buy one 6 months after but he also said they were going to be a limited number. I really dont mind the glitches as long as they update it soon and fix it. I still hope to be one of the first orders online.. But i just needed to give this info out so all of you would know.
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Otsego_Undead said 8:06PM on 6-09-2007
Hey Jonathan, thanks for a name.. or your school, or if the guy was from att or apple..
as far as MMS, i was very suprised actually as well.. seems like a standard feature. Im sure this will get added in at a later date (if not monday). Which i think is something everyone might be forgetting about. If this puppy is running OSX, is it not true that you should be able to purchase new OS version in the future? im pretty sure this is apple's mobile platform, and it will be able to recieve updates, including major ones in a few years (new interface etc). The iPhone is the standard for the new smartphone is it not?
Another thing that should be noted about this "training book" is that it was more than likely put together quite a bit earlier this year. Even the photo of the iPhone is the "original" (ie, safari is still called "web"). There are NUMEROUS pages missing. WTFs up with that? We STILL havent seen calendar, camera, notes and settings. not to mention a few other widgets im sure will be available. I also dont think its too far off to say that the icons will be able to be re-arranged as you want. Im sure there is still a ton we dont know and that couldve been added. not to mention AGAIN, that there is a nifty thing called "updates". Just remember.. UPDATES, UPDATES, UPDATES!
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JeffDM said 10:27PM on 6-09-2007
With respect to vibrate, MMS and so on, one should never assume that because the existing market has established a de-facto standard, that Apple will do it too. It would be trivial for Apple to enable the built-in voice recorder for iPods (and cost nothing, the hardware is built-in, enabled when you buy an add-on), and adding FM to iPods is a trivial and cheap feature, Apple doesn't include them even if everyone else does.
PsychBob; I'm not convinced that the lack of tactile feedback will mean doom for the iPhone. I've seen phones that are just a screen and the user didn't seem to have any problems operating it.
The blog's reference to blind people is a huge red herring. For one, it's not as if blind people are a major market force, and it's not as if there aren't already several dozen phones out there that work fine. Take the iPod, despite it's leading share, there are still plenty of competitors around if the iPod doesn't work for you, and the same would still be true of Apple, and Nokia isn't going to die this year.
I don't understand how a blind person can take advantage of any existing mainstream smart phone design without a specialized add-on.
It's way too early to announce the doom of the product even with a solid argument.
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Trey said 11:53PM on 6-09-2007
@17...that post is the most logic I've read today..
I want everyone complaining to come back Monday when we will actually hear somethings besides a few scanned pages of an employee handbook...
Even if I can't IM someone with my iPhone, so what?
Everyone is complaining about a feature the iPhone doesn't have but they are forgetting all the work put into the OS and it's fuctionability.
Know why the iPhone will become the ultimate "smart phone"? Becasue every other phone runs Windows Mobile and IMHO...it blows..
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Tom Boudreau said 12:53AM on 6-10-2007
2 points:
1. MMS is picture and video mail. You have email for that. Email with a picture or video attachment is superior in every way but it can't be sent to crappy other handsets. However, people would rather view this on their computer later anyways so you can still send people things. Non issue if you ask me.
2. the lack of IM is no biggie either as text messaging or email does the same thing basically. IM is a broad class of communications with lots of compatibility problems when different clients, AIM, gChat, etc. However, email and txt messaging are standard.
Thus in conclusion I think these features were omitted on purpose and that its a good thing. they are minimally used and tough to implement well, when there is arguably better parallel functionality available as well.
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basscadet said 5:23AM on 6-10-2007
MMS and IM are fanaticaly used by teenagers and I think they should have been included in the whole deal (they're software features, not hardware).
Another thing I read is that Apple is afraid of the Motorola Razr syndrome, that is, making a phone whose price drops too fast and in the end it doesn't make the money Motorola invested in it... Clearly, iPhone isn't the phone to flood the markets with (their competitors' countless imitations will gladly do that) but a phone that will make Apple a player in the scene. If it sells enough units so they're not forced into a v.2 too soon, that is.
oh and that claim about a representative going to a school... lol lol LOL
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