Apple Announces The iPhone

[badboibillie]

The blackberry is not even in the same league. Please:D

you mean the iphone is better right? if that's what you're saying though - for business users (like myself), to take away my smartphone you're going to have to give me a way to check emails easily and respond to them easily, and without a keypad it might be hard (in terms of typing it)

[Mr. Pippin]

http://images.apple.com/iphone/images/indexhero20070109.jpg

Voila - 2nd app.

Just imagine the possibilities of using OS X on this phone - imagine the games you can play too!

Doh! Good point. Now just curious about GPS capabilities, if any.

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

you mean the iphone is better right? if that's what you're saying though - for business users (like myself), to take away my smartphone you're going to have to give me a way to check emails easily and respond to them easily, and without a keypad it might be hard (in terms of typing it)Huh...?

http://www.apple.com/iphone/internet/?feature=feature02

[Cinch]

you mean the iphone is better right? if that's what you're saying though - for business users (like myself), to take away my smartphone you're going to have to give me a way to check emails easily and respond to them easily, and without a keypad it might be hard (in terms of typing it)

Yes, and sure the iPhone has it limitation i.e. not being able to compose fast email, but lets wait a few months before it is release

Cinch

[bighairydoofus]

A G4 1Mhz?

There have been a dozen good reasons to replace this box for the past two years or more, at least.

Not really, at least not for me, anyway. I think the new iMacs are incredibly ugly, and I gave up on the mini when they put integrated graphics into it.

A Mac Pro may be in my future, but I'm not buying anything until Panther comes out. Heck, I couldn't even get a new iPod because it needs Tiger and I'm still running Leopard. I find it ironic that in order to get a new iPod I have to buy the newest version of OS X and Peecee users don't. :confused:

But hey, it seems that Apple isn't all that interested in computers anymore anyway. Heck, they even took the word out of their name. :rolleyes:

But really, I do like the phone. I just can't get all worked up over something that's not even going to see daylight for six months, that's all.

[Stella]

One word. Dashcode (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dashcode).

B

Does the iPhone support it?

Unknown.

However, if it did then iPhone will be the easiest phone platform to develop for. That would be a major coup.

Nokia E series has a dashboard clone available for it - since it has a webkit based browser - so Apple - don't claim that one!!!


Apple have their strategy messed up - it should be released in Europe and Asia first, the u.s lastly - since Apple will sell much more in E and A.

Oh, Canada before the states too :-)

iPhone runs OSX - well, probably a mobile OSX - not quite the same.

[RodThePlod]

I don't know about this product.
if this was 6th gen iPod, i'd be thrilled.

The thing about it is that this is *not* the 6th generation iPod! It's an iPhone!!!

Apple have pre-announced this to get the necessary regulatory approvals as Steve mentioned in the keynote. When the iPhone ships in June, I'm guessing we will be treated to another media event which will announce shipping of the iPhone but also simultaenous shipping of the 6th gen iPod.

The 6th gen iPod will be the iPhone product without the phone (!). Safari, Mail and the other apps will still be there. This 6th gen iPod will have either 80 or 100GB drives and it will probably look physically identical to the iPhone we saw today.

The iPhone will *not* get bumped from 4 or 8GB - it's a phone after all!!! However, I wouldn't be surprised if Apple didn't make an option available to upgrade a 6th gen iPod to have a phone capability.

The 6th gen will inherit the new UI and do away with the click wheel. The click wheel would then be reserved for the non-multi-touch iPod devices such as the nano.

All in all, I think the line up of shuffle, nano, 6th gen iPod and iPhone will be totally awesome!!

[gloss]

Doh! Good point. Now just curious about GPS capabilities, if any.

I seem to recall reading that it is GPS enabled, but I don't remember it from the keynote. Something like 'The phone knows where you are!'

Which is really sort of creepy.

[mykoleary]

What do people think about it being a 'blackberry killer' or replacing sidekicks? I honestly use my Treo alot for text messaging and even though i love the chat-like sms (similar to treo in a way), i dont know about texting alot using the on-screen keyboard. Also, for the same reason, what about people replacing their other smartphone/pdas?

What I lose in IM I gain in everything else I want. My Sidekick 3 will be on eBay in June...

[joco]

http://images.apple.com/iphone/images/indexhero20070109.jpg

Voila - 2nd app.

Just imagine the possibilities of using OS X on this phone - imagine the games you can play too!

So what... it says calendar.. there is no way to know what kind of functionality it has... is it like the iPod and you can SEE your calendar? What about entering appointments? SJ called this thing a phone... not a PDA, right? Hey I really hope it has Treo type functionality cuz w/o it I am sticking with my Treo.

[balamw]

Does the iPhone support it?

Unknown.

However, if it did then iPhone will be the easiest phone platform to develop for. That would be a major coup.

Nokia E series has a dashboard clone available for it - since it has a webkit based browser - so Apple - don't claim that one!!!
:)

I agree, unknown, but the pieces fit all too well. If iPhone doesn't support Dashcode, why keep it under wraps for so long. Tiger's been out for a while now...

B

[jesteraver]

I seem to recall reading that it is GPS enabled, but I don't remember it from the keynote. Something like 'The phone knows where you are!'

Which is really sort of creepy.

Sweet. One step closer to getting it muhahahah :)

[Americanloti]

I haven't read all the posts here, they are too many!! But I get the sense (especially from the ratings) that al lot of people are not that happy with the iPhone. I'm watching the Keynote right now and the only thing I can say is WOOOW!!! I want this thing! I can't wait until June. It's an incredible device. They really reivented the phone in a way that only Apple can. I'm thinking about the rumor of the other day about Steve's excitement about this new device. Look at him when he's showing the iPhone's features. I've never seen him that excited. He's like a kid showing his new cool toy to his friends.

I'm thinking and the endless possibilities that will come with the iPhone. Think about developers and 3rd party partners. They will create awesome software for the phone because it's OS X, it's Cocoa, it's Core Animation!!
I also love the UI the and the multi-touch is simply amazing. Now with this new technologies think about where apple can go. As an Audio Engineer I'd love to use this touchscreen technology with Pro Tools. Moving the faders like on a real console, It would be incredible.

The only thing the was weird about this keynote is no iLife, no iWork, but the iPhone for me deserved all the attention today, it will be just like the mac back in 84 and the iPod in 01. Nokia and Motorola now seems really old technology to me!

[dante@sisna.com]

Not really, at least not for me, anyway. I think the new iMacs are incredibly ugly, and I gave up on the mini when they put integrated graphics into it.

A Mac Pro may be in my future, but I'm not buying anything until Panther comes out. Heck, I couldn't even get a new iPod because it needs Tiger and I'm still running Leopard. I find it ironic that in order to get a new iPod I have to buy the newest version of OS X and Peecee users don't. :confused:

But hey, it seems that Apple isn't all that interested in computers anymore anyway. Heck, they even took the word out of their name. :rolleyes:

But really, I do like the phone. I just can't get all worked up over something that's not even going to see daylight for six months, that's all.

It sounds like you REALLY do not want to upgrade your box.

I mean seriously, I own, right now, 15 macs here in my studio. And this is not personal, but, any Mac in the previous two years -- even a Mini with integrated video would CRUSH your 1Ghz G4 -- and if you really want Tiger, you can get it for $110 -- it is worth every penny and will run great on your CURRENT computer -- then you can get your iPod.

By the way, Panther came out two and a half years ago -- I think (hope) you mean Leopard.

[FF_productions]

Cingular?!!

Aw man, I really wish it was available for all of them..

I could care less for the price tag, it is an incredible device. This iPhone is over and beyond the expectations I had laid out for it.

[dante@sisna.com]

So what... it says calendar.. there is no way to know what kind of functionality it has... is it like the iPod and you can SEE your calendar? What about entering appointments? SJ called this thing a phone... not a PDA, right? Hey I really hope it has Treo type functionality cuz w/o it I am sticking with my Treo.

My Treo is going in the trash, where I feel it belongs in favor of this phone.

There is no comparison.

[BillyShears]

This interface looks a lot like what "Illuminous" was described as.

I wonder if Leopard will take on this look, or if that rumour was just misguided and the UI they were developing was for iPhone.

Watching the videos again, I see the top bar (with clock, signal, etc.) changes from black to white at different times. That's peculiar.

[parrothead]

I wonder what the chances are of getting the phone without the contract and then getting the unlock code so I can use it with T-Mobile.

[asphalt-proof]

So what... it says calendar.. there is no way to know what kind of functionality it has... is it like the iPod and you can SEE your calendar? What about entering appointments? SJ called this thing a phone... not a PDA, right? Hey I really hope it has Treo type functionality cuz w/o it I am sticking with my Treo.

Hmmm, let's see, you can enter text and email, and has a virtual keyboard so, yeah, I bet you can enter data into calender cells.

[dunkbull]

Dont worry about who is the service providor. Just look at the Zune sites and wonder that they are discussing old motorbikes rather than face the iPhone full force.


http://www.zunescene.com/forums/index.php?topic=8390.0

cheers

Dunk

[jjmaximum]

I had Sprint for a few years and it worked OK, but I had to go outside my house to make calls since I only got 1 bar. I borrowed a friend's Cingular phone and actually got no service at all in my house. Borrowed a Verizon phone and got 5 bars.

Bottom line is even if this phone was free, there is NO WAY I could or would switch from Verizon...it has worked everywhere I've been, including the mountains of Wyoming, in the woods, in my house in Florida, etc.

A friend of mine is actually an engineer with Cingular and even he admits the problems. And Cingular service is about $20 more per month than either Sprint or Verizon.

I guess I will have to wait until this gets sorted out, which sucks.

[jerrycup]

I must admit.. I was not excited to see an 'iPhone' when all the rumors kept on coming over the past year. For some reason I didn't think Apple could hit the phone market with a 'bang' like they did. I think this will make Nokia, Motorola, etc... really nervous. I just wonder what the deal will be for me since I have only had my Treo at that point for a year and a half.. I hope they will let me upgrade (I am a cingular customer and have been for over 10 years).

Heres to the future!

I have several gripes with this.

1) an announcement of a product that won't be available for five months is vaporware. Steve could have had one Tricorder built to show on stage. It's TOO FAR OUT, and every product requires FCC approval, his excuse is lame, and I suspect that they are way, way, late in development. For pure marketing strategy (and in opposition to all previous policy) they decided to put out the idea at what they thought was an opportune time, and I cannot be too excited about any vaporware, even if Steve hypes it. He has reduced his personal credibility in my view.

2) they better have more data capability with the Cingular network than I am getting with my Treo 650 in Dallas (like about dialup rate) or web browsing will not impress anyone.

[fastdrive]

I don't think the 1st gen. will have 3g as surprise update as that would need FCC approval.

I wonder however why they did not put 801.11n into the iphone. Then when at home or work you could wirelessly stream Video/music. Then the 8GB flash memory would only be for when you travel and away from your computer.

Imagine the possibilities of places like starbucks/malls setting up 801.11n airport express and streaming free music/videos with the inclusion of ads to pay for them and provide hotspots. This would truly be the killer app as the .n spec can handle the bandwidth/users.

I can't wait to get it even though cingular service is not as good as verizon here.

I am not getting the AppleTV however unless there is a very easy way to stream dvix or .ts files. It's worthless to me otherwise.

[joco]

Hmmm, let's see, you can enter text and email, and has a virtual keyboard so, yeah, I bet you can enter data into calender cells.

It funny that they didnt event mention that, tho... You would think they would be all over this thing as a PDA killer... Its just too soon to say what this thing will have... BTW.. what about tasks? What about tasks as introduced by SJ at WWDC which is coming in email as part of Leopard....

[Mac Boy-Canada]

This phone looks phenomenal, but I have some questions:

1) Where does the SIM Card go and how do you get to it?
2) Is the battery user-replaceable or even replaceable, for that matter?
3) Is the $499 price with a two year contract, and are you subject to data fees?
4) How does data entry work?

[Erasmus]

OK, I was like... Whoa...

Then later I was like... No!!!

That pretty much sums it up.
Price is good, but not for a phone on a 2 year plan, and certainly not when I have to wait a whole year to get the damn thing!

APPLE, RELEASE THEM NOW IN AUSTRALIA AS WELL AS THE REST OF THE WORLD UNLOCKED!

Sorry about the caps, but I'm sure you'll agree that a decent amount of angry yelling is more than just appropriate, but deserved.

I voted negative, not because the iPhone sucks, because it's the ultimate of awesome, but because I have to wait at least a year to get one, and I might have to change to another mobile carrier. And it only has 4/8 Gb storage. A full screen Video iPod deserves much more. Like 100 Gb. It doesn't take many Apple Lossless tunes to fill up 4 Gb, and let's ignore feature length movies!

Sorry Apple Inc. but it's awesome, but still crap.

[p0intblank]

I have to be honest... the iPhone never really interested me much before today's keynote, but now? Wow! :eek: Apple did a great job with this device and it literally made my jaw drop. Everything about it is so beautiful and Steve Jobs did an excellent job demonstrating it to the public.

My only con? I really wish Apple would release a standalone widescreen touchscreen iPod. I see it happening eventually.

And today's keynote... no new Macs?! Ah, that's okay. The iPhone stole the show. :)

But I do have to ask: where is iLife '07?! I look forward to it every year.

[Ugg]

I was hoping that this MACworld was going to be something special. Not talk about 2 products and then walk out. The iPhone could have easily been parred down to 30 minutes and then the Appletv+APEXT could have been another 30 minutes. That would have left the last hour for "One More Thing..." MAC-related.


You don't get it, do you. Apple Computer Inc. just became Apple Inc. To me, that means the computer will be just one part of their product line up. The unimaginable success of the iPod has shown that Apple has the ability to not only break into consumer electronics but set the standard as well.

The Apple TV, Airport Extreme and the iPhone are all converging technologies. Anyone who is so wildly disappointed by what Steve brought out obviously hasn't been listening to him over the past couple of years. He's really, really big on convergence and the name shift makes it totally obvious. Get off your high horse and listen to what's being said.

[bighairydoofus]

It sounds like you REALLY do not want to upgrade your box.

I mean seriously, I own, right now, 15 macs here in my studio. And this is not personal, but, any Mac in the previous two years -- even a Mini with integrated video would CRUSH your 1Ghz G4 -- and if you really want Tiger, you can get it for $110 -- it is worth every penny and will run great on your CURRENT computer -- then you can get your iPod.

By the way, Panther came out two and a half years ago -- I think (hope) you mean Leopard.

Yes, too many cats. :o

I do like the aesthetics of my G4 iMac, but it is getting a bit long in the tooth...

I'm not spending 110 bucks on an OS when a new one is right around the corner and I'm going to buy a new 'puter. That'd just be stupid. I AM going to buy a computer, it's just which one that's all. I may break down and buy the 24" iMac, but again, not until LEOPARD comes out.

Did I get it right? :D

And since widescreen iPods are also obviously around the corner, all the more reason to wait. I waited for four months after buying my iMac before buying a 3G iPod when they first came out, and I was glad I did. I've never understood the way some people just HAVE to buy anything new that Apple puts out. For example, I like the HiFi, but didn't buy one because I already have a great stereo. I like most of Apple's products, but I only spend my hard earned cash when it's really worth it. Whatever computer I buy will also be right after they upgrade the specs. Delayed gratification is good... Plus I'll be able to pay cash and not put myself in debt.

A mindless spending fanboi I am not. ;)

[clevin]

not sure if this has been asked before, but when the 2 year contract expire, can you still use iPhone's non-cellphone related functions? or can u switch to another network with same phone?

[Philip Roy]

The US site for CNN needs to check what they are writing....
http://us.cnn.com/

"Apple unveils iPhone ... with rotary dial" !!??

Phil

[silence]

Looks awesome, but missing one thing.... A ********** KEYPAD!!!!!! :eek:

When i'm in a rush and need to call/sms/email someone, i highly doubt fidgiting around with the "touch screen" system will be of any use.

What's the point of having Desktop/Office applications if you have to type with ONE FINGER at a time!!!?!? :mad:

Arggghhh... what a waste

[colinmack]

Nice phone, but they should have worked out the timing better. Being in Canada and having to wait a year for something is annoying (not to mention that it will still end up being locked to a Canadian carrier/plan, likely Rogers)...

I would have *far* preferred to cut 6 months off the wait, pay an extra few hundred dollars, and get an unlocked phone I could stick a SIM card into.

[savanahrose]

Well you could always just invest $100 every month in apple and maybe you'll make some good extra cash in 6 months off their stock to pay for it!


some people don't have that kind of money. Where do you go to just buy one at a time other than oneshare.com that charges you hefty fees?

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

What's the point of having Desktop/Office applications if you have to type with ONE FINGER at a time!!!?!? :mad:
Who says you have to use one finger...?

[Stella]

not sure if this has been asked before, but when the 2 year contract expire, can you still use iPhone's non-cellphone related functions? or can u switch to another network with same phone?

If the phone is SIM unlocked, then yes, switch the SIM card and away you go.

Some ( smart ) phones, if there is no SIM card present refuse to work - not allowing you to use the phone at all. Others, will let you use the non cell phone part. Its down to each individual phone.

--
Originally Posted by silence
What's the point of having Desktop/Office applications if you have to type with ONE FINGER at a time!!!?!?
--
Sure you can use more than on finger - don't know where you get that idea from.
Judging by the device and comparing against similar - use both your thumbs to type - so you'd craddle it.

[age234]

Looks awesome, but missing one thing.... A ********** KEYPAD!!!!!! :eek:

When i'm in a rush and need to call/sms/email someone, i highly doubt fidgiting around with the "touch screen" system will be of any use.

What's the point of having Desktop/Office applications if you have to type with ONE FINGER at a time!!!?!? :mad:

Arggghhh... what a waste

You hit one button and the keyboard pops up, and you can type with both thumbs, or as many fingers you want, I assume. It's called "MultiTouch" after all.

Watch the videos of data entry on apple.com/iphone.

[age234]

As for replaceable SIM cards and batteries, it looks like there's a black section at the bottom of the back side (judging from various photos I've seen), maybe that's a cover for a battery/SIM card compartment?

[carlgo]

Any idea of what they are made of? That big screen could take a beating in people's pockets unless it is made of something special. Zirconium?

I asked earlier about the GPS and that seems to not be there.

[Nym]

APPLE BLEW MY ****** MIND! :D

iPhone... :eek: just brutal...

[gedto]

Hehehehe...

http://doc.noticias24.com/0701/0110applestock.gif

It's so cool. It really is so cool.

Better than any smartphone.
Prettier than any smartphone.
Plus, widescreen iPod Video functionality.
Plus, revolutionary user interface.

Count me in, Steve.

[digitalbiker]

You hit one button and the keyboard pops up, and you can type with both thumbs, or as many fingers you want, I assume. It's called "MultiTouch" after all.

Watch the videos of data entry on apple.com/iphone.

I think he means a full size portable keyboard that would connect to the phone somehow. That way you wouldn't have to travel with a laptop.

You could use a docking station on a folding keyboard and speed type email messages. Otherwise you are going to have a hard time typing on a small touch screen with US male sized hands and fingers.

I would imagine that this phone will have a full suite of peripherals by the time it comes out or shortly there after.

[Neb154]

I think the point of the iPhone's small storage is that it is not supposed to be a replacement for the iPod or any music player. Rather, that will come later. There were always the complaints, "If I wanted a music player I would buy an iPod not [insert rokr etc.]." This technology will undoubtedly make its way into the iPod

[Bonte]

I HIGHLY doubt this is the case. You have to sign a 2 year contract with Cingular to get the phone for this price. While I am not happy with Cingular, I cannot wait to sign their contract to get this PDA/iPOD/iPhone/Computer.

They both said it wasn't a normal bundling, its something special so we'll have to wait and see but i'm indeed unfamiliar with the U.S. situation. Here in Europe we buy the phone at full price, put a SIM in it and pay for the actual calls or a data-plan.

No 3G is a good move, its cheaper (in hardware and contract) and we have usable wifi as a good replacement. Buy it with the cheapest plan, resell it and use another carrier?

[technocoy]

There have been people saying that iLife was being delayed do to some dev snags...

Isn't WWDC in June?

I'm betting this thing can be very integrated with Leopard, iLife, iWork and .mac.

They glossed over the features they did show and they didn't even touch on some, like the calendar and the development opportunities.

I bet money that they are holding off for a lot for the impending software releases...

They need to show document viewing (pdf, text docs, etc), Calendar functions, etc. and I bet we see that closer to june.

Plus, it's so close to perfect, thats it's almost like they left some things out just to allow for an upgrade path!

Next version: 3G, iChat/Skype functionality, and they incorporate the camera/pixel screen display technology for the isight.

either way, it's already leaps ahead of the competition in user interface. If the interface truly runs that smooth it's also a huge leap, since symbian and Windows Mobile both seem sluggish to me.

For all those who don't like it, thats cool. Just more for those of us who do at launch. I personally can't wait.

It'll be interesting to look back at this thread in a few years.

[n8236]

Man, most of you ppl need to give Apple a lotta props for this phone, the ***** is impressive! What's w/ all the bitchin' and whinin' about the iPhone missing this and that. So there's no 3G and it's a Cingular exclusive, but who the **** cares! Its got multi-point touchscreen & OSX, z0mg! The 3.5" screen is just freakin' nice. It's not gonna satisfy everyone, nothing ever does.

If anyone is bitchin' about price, u better give me a damn good reason why because the iPhone is essentially the best ****in' phone on Earth atm + video iPod not including the fact that it's touchscreen and the all tech stuff. A regular new phone (ie. Razr, etc) alone goes for $300-$400 when it was first introduced. And the iPod player is 250 alone.

But my concerns are some of the same, scalability & real world battery life.

I'm getting one!!!!

[sishaw]

The US site for CNN needs to check what they are writing....
http://us.cnn.com/

"Apple unveils iPhone ... with rotary dial" !!??

Phil

That's just a teaser to get people to read the article. it was a joke during the keynote.

[unregbaron]

Anyone else notice how stock crashed briefly when Steve mentioned at 09.18 "we're only talking about the mac today" (12.18 EST on graph below). Analysts must have freaked there wasn't going to be a new phone!

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o264/london888/aapl_stock_iphone_launchday.png

[technocoy]

I will say that I was a little bummed not to see some Leopard goodness, but I'm thinking at this point they can't show more without giving away their "big secret" features.

And I still want some ACDs (current form factor) with a range of inputs so I can play my friggin HD peripherals and videogame systems in my office.

[_bnkr612]

I have to be honest... the iPhone never really interested me much before today's keynote, but now? Wow! :eek: Apple did a great job with this device and it literally made my jaw drop. Everything about it is so beautiful and Steve Jobs did an excellent job demonstrating it to the public.

My only con? I really wish Apple would release a standalone widescreen touchscreen iPod. I see it happening eventually.

And today's keynote... no new Macs?! Ah, that's okay. The iPhone stole the show. :)

But I do have to ask: where is iLife '07?! I look forward to it every year.

It will come, not everyone uses a phone.

[digitalbiker]

Any idea of what they are made of? That big screen could take a beating in people's pockets unless it is made of something special. Zirconium?

I asked earlier about the GPS and that seems to not be there.

This is probably one of the biggest downsides to this type of interface.

Without a flip cover or something the screen will get beat to death. Also face oil and fingerprints always make touchscreen devices nasty looking with use. Constantly wiping off the phone leads to more scratches on the screen.

There is also no real tactile feedback and sometimes it makes it difficult to confirm if you touched or didn't touch. But until we actually see this vaporware in our hot little hands who knows how it will actually respond.

[Stella]

Yes, correct - some software was missing / not demoed. Looking at the pictures there are plenty of space to place more apps.

If this phone isn't going to be released until June Apple still more more development time for the software side.

iPhone will turn heads and make Symbian rethink their UIs - well, really, Series xx ( Nokia ) and UIQ - the GUI parts.

Even if the iPhone doesn't suceeded, hopefully this will result in better GUIs in phones generally.

There have been people saying that iLife was being delayed do to some dev snags...

Isn't WWDC in June?

I'm betting this thing can be very integrated with Leopard, iLife, iWork and .mac.

They glossed over the features they did show and they didn't even touch on some, like the calendar and the development opportunities.

I bet money that they are holding off for a lot for the impending software releases...

They need to show document viewing (pdf, text docs, etc), Calendar functions, etc. and I bet we see that closer to june.

Plus, it's so close to perfect, thats it's almost like they left some things out just to allow for an upgrade path!

Next version: 3G, iChat/Skype functionality, and they incorporate the camera/pixel screen display technology for the isight.

either way, it's already leaps ahead of the competition in user interface. If the interface truly runs that smooth it's also a huge leap, since symbian and Windows Mobile both seem sluggish to me.

For all those who don't like it, thats cool. Just more for those of us who do at launch. I personally can't wait.

It'll be interesting to look back at this thread in a few years.

[bighairydoofus]

I would imagine that this phone will have a full suite of peripherals by the time it comes out or shortly there after.

Oh, there are going to be more accessories and toys for this thing than you can imagine, especially since they have six months to come up with them. Apple's going to sell a LOT of these phones, you'll see. It doesn't compete with any of their other products, and there's nothing else like it. Sound familiar?

People that are griping about this haven't a clue. Nothing is perfect, but this little sucker is the right product at the right time and it's design is impeccable. I can't wait to see one in the flesh.

[twoodcc]

The iPhone looks awesome, but it's just too expensive for most people.

yeah it looks awesome.....i can't wait for it.....i guess i'd better start saving up now.....

[mac jones]

um, I wonder what the odds are that it will be released earlier that 5 months?

I'm afraid it is Apple vapor folks. Hate to say it.

[ki-goi]

The question is can we add/edit contact or calendar information on it. Only then it could really compete with PDAs...

that one sounds easy. super shocking if you can't.

other people mentioned the video camera. there was a rumor running around that this magic see-show screen would be able to be a camera, too. nothing like that in the demo so i'm guessing the limits-of-physics "how would in the world would that be able to focus on something" issue was truly insurmountable.

what i want it to do:

1. run a smarter mobile version of filemaker. and from filemaker, i now want a widget builder.

2. bar-code scanning software that can use the camera. (i assume every app will have the right to use the camera.)

3. sync with many apps, through an extensible system like palm's.

4. sync data with my home computer from anywhere, having located the home computer using AIM or something. that screen-sharing gizmo in leopard implies cool things for the phone.

5. replaceable batteries. for a mobile phone this is crucial, if they went the ipod direction, they're joking. "sorry, my battery's running low. can i call you back in 2 hours after i find a place to plug this in and recharge?"

6a. i'm guessing there's no stylus because the sensor resolution is not so hot compared to touch membranes. if that's so, drawing apps and other graphical notations and visualizations are out, as well as many of the cross-referencing features that would make this a newton-child. we'll have to see what some of the third-party geniuses uncover in terms of the cool ways to finger-paint. i guess draw-and-photograph works okay....

6b. if there's a resolution limit on input, a tablet using this technology would need a second input device to allow precise cursor control. haven't seen the keynote video yet -- did he demo text selection or other precise action?

7. in-phone photo editing so i can post cropped image to a blog or web page, from anywhere.

8. GPS. for this much moola, you should know where you are even if you're outside network range.

9. the ability to send people text messages through their nike+ipod gadget. i don't need this, it would just be funny. actually with the accelerometer and network link this thing probably wouldn't need a shoe gadget, except to measure stride.

10. listen to music together by tuning in a stream from your neighbor on the bus, or by grabbing a playlist of songs in a burst then syncing the playback. similarly tv audio could be streamed so teeny-tiny tv (3tv) could be watched together without a headphone splitter. "[share audio]" would be a nice button.

11. dictionary and thesaurus lookup in every app is important to me. i'd like to have a gesture that feeds current selection to another widget-app-thing for processing. contextual menus would be fine. i really like using coverflow to move data screens around, that'd work for this, too, i think.

12a. again, i would love to be able to email somebody a file that was on my home computer, if it's not shut down. if i'm not mistaken, to do this securely without much fuss, encryption keys could be exchanged by phone and computer during sync. when i needed to send or receive something, the phone and computer could decide whether the best option was to have the computer send it directly or to transfer it via the phone.

12b. "there is not enough space on this iphone for the [photo you just took/file you want to download]. send it to idisk instead?"

[motulist]

Most people are super blown away by this product, but I'm really surprised by the number of short sighted haters here who are being really vocal complainers over what seem like trivial matters. It seems to me that there are only 2 legitimate gripes that people can have at the moment.

Out of all the complainers I've heard so far, here are the complaints that I see as legitimate, and not just being a whiner.

1) Price. Yes it is more expensive than an iPod or a smart phone separately.

A) But you get so much more in the iPhone than in any other device that of course you're going to pay more. If it were cheap to do the r & d for a product like this then everyone would be doing it. This is a state of the art device in terms of refinement and integration of mobile technologies, of course you're gonna pay more for it. If you want cheap stuff then feel free to buy any of the millions of cheap knock offs of the same old tired crap that's been done in mobiles for years and years.

B) This is the first generation of a new breed of evolved mobile devices, like any other technology, it'll get cheaper as soon as it's not bleeding edge any more.

2) Cingular only.

A) Yup, that sucks, but for a new product they could only choose 1 type of cell technology to develop for if they ever wanted to get it out the door. They probably chose cingular because they uses the same standard technology that the rest of the world uses, where as verizon and sprint don't.

All the other complaints I've hear seem like knit picking.

[benthewraith]

It funny that they didnt event mention that, tho... You would think they would be all over this thing as a PDA killer... Its just too soon to say what this thing will have... BTW.. what about tasks? What about tasks as introduced by SJ at WWDC which is coming in email as part of Leopard....

Did he talk about Leopard? ;)

[poppe]

I'll get it... but not until I feel like cingular will be worth it... Hey cingular do you have unlimited text messaging for cheap yet? Sprint and T-Mobile does.

[thedude110]

Huh? How are they missing the point? It's not as if the device is available without a Cingular contract, not even in phoneless form. And if it was, there wouldn't be these complaints.

That's only in the very short term.

Cingular might have exclusive rights to the "phone" for the next three years, but I'd be shocked if you couldn't purchase one through Apple before 2009. ;)

[sishaw]

The iPhone moves the smartphone concept a huge, huge step forward--finally, we have the real convergence device (media, computer, communication) that everyone's been talking about but no one, until now, could seem to make.

I could see all kinds of variations on the iPhone--a no phone, hard drive version for those who just want to store and watch a lot of video on the wide screen; a Bluetooth & wi-fi, but no phone version for those whose main interest is using the iPod and computing functions, and getting on-line at home or neighborhood wireless hot spots; and lots of things I can't even think of. It changes the playing field, make no mistake.

One thing I find fascinating--I've been following these boards ever since I got my first-gen iPod. I clearly remember a few months ago that people were SO excited about the multi-touch screen. The idea of being able to flick your finger, or "pinch" a photo, and make things happen, or have the screen change based on the use needed or the orientation of the device, seemed so novel and exciting, like something out of science fiction -- AND IT WAS ONLY PATENT DRAWINGS!!

Now that this screen is really real, hardly anyone has mentioned it. Now THAT'S irony.

[clevin]

That's only in the very short term.

Cingular might have exclusive rights to the "phone" for the next three years, but I'd be shocked if you couldn't purchase one through Apple before 2009. ;)

I think u can only buy directly from apple, altho the service is bundled with cingular?

[iMikeT]

Why so many negatives for this?

I'm definitely going to be getting an iPhone. What's even better is that I don't have to switch providers!:D

This makes me wonder when the stand-alone true wide screen video iPod will come out. Maybe the 2007 holiday season?

[clevin]

I could see all kinds of variations on the iPhone--a no phone, hard drive version for those who just want to store and watch a lot of video on the wide screen; a Bluetooth & wi-fi, but no phone version for those whose main interest is using the iPod and computing functions, and getting on-line at home or neighborhood wireless hot spots; and lots of things I can't even think of. It changes the playing field, make no mistake.


u are basically describing a PDA.

[Stella]

Actually, on my ( Symbian ) smartphone I can do everything you list
- watch ( wide screen-ish ) movies ( DivX )
- photos
- wifi
- sync
- calendar
- email, messaging ( including blackberry - with qwerty keyboard )
- 3G ( well, if it was available ;-) - which the iPhone can't )
- horizontal / vertical screen
- use as storage space

The iPhone is the interface - easier to use. The iPhone software is probably better, granted, but IMO, its the UI that makes the iPhone.

The iPhone moves the smartphone concept a huge, huge step forward--finally, we have the real convergence device (media, computer, communication) that everyone's been talking about but no one, until now, could seem to make.

I could see all kinds of variations on the iPhone--a no phone, hard drive version for those who just want to store and watch a lot of video on the wide screen; a Bluetooth & wi-fi, but no phone version for those whose main interest is using the iPod and computing functions, and getting on-line at home or neighborhood wireless hot spots; and lots of things I can't even think of. It changes the playing field, make no mistake.

One thing I find fascinating--I've been following these boards ever since I got my first-gen iPod. I clearly remember a few months ago that people were SO excited about the multi-touch screen. The idea of being able to flick your finger, or "pinch" a photo, and make things happen, or have the screen change based on the use needed or the orientation of the device, seemed so novel and exciting, like something out of science fiction -- AND IT WAS ONLY PATENT DRAWINGS!!

Now that this screen is really real, hardly anyone has mentioned it. Now THAT'S irony.

[clevin]

Why so many negatives for this?

I'm definitely going to be getting an iPhone. What's even better is that I don't have to switch providers!:D

This makes me wonder when the stand-alone true wide screen video iPod will come out. Maybe the 2007 holiday season?

its a delicate decision, eventually it will be out, but not before iPhone get some market, apple wouldn't want a new iPod crush the iPhone market for it.

[sishaw]

u are basically describing a PDA.

Oh yes, all PDAs run OS X, have multi-touch screens (just been invented and patented by Apple), run OS X widgets and who knows what other Apple software, sync seamlessly with iTunes, and have 80 gigabyte hard drives. Yeah, right. Next.

[clevin]

Oh yes, all PDAs run OS X, have multi-touch screens (just been invented and patented by Apple), run OS X widgets and who knows what other Apple software, sync seamlessly with iTunes, and have 80 gigabyte hard drives. Yeah, right. Next.

lol,
1. u didn't mention these in above post, and i agree these are the good, unique part. but not the stuff u described above
2. yeah what? iphone has 4G/8G, not 80G, what are you talking about?

[sishaw]

Actually, on my ( Symbian ) smartphone I can do everything you list
- watch ( wide screen-ish ) movies ( DivX )
- photos
- wifi
- sync
- calendar
- email, messaging ( including blackberry - with qwerty keyboard )
- 3G ( well, if it was available ;-) - which the iPhone can't )
- horizontal / vertical screen
- use as storage space

The iPhone is the interface - easier to use. The iPhone software is probably better, granted, but IMO, its the UI that makes the iPhone.

Yes, I could do a lot of those things on my Treo (except it sucked for music--it was no iPod, and I suspect neither is yours). But if you try to tell me that the screen function is the same, the elegance and integration of the design is the same, and the software is the same, well, that's a tough sell.

[imacdaddy]

Also from CNN

"Despite all these bells and whistles, Jobs said the "killer app is making calls." The iPhone will operate on the GSM protocol, but won't have third-generation broadband initially. Jobs said that 3G capability is coming. It will also sync with the Mac's Address Book application."

3G is coming!

Now this may explain why Asia will be seeing it in 2008. But it's still a long time to wait!

The phone is absolutely amazing and will get better over time. I think people need to realise this phone will be "always" connected. The prices introduced does include the service plan people and that service plan should be unlimited voice and data access? This is the only way I see Cingular taking advantage of the carrier exclusiveness for the first 6 months.

[motulist]

Oh yes, all PDAs run OS X, have multi-touch screens (just been invented and patented by Apple), run OS X widgets and who knows what other Apple software, sync seamlessly with iTunes, and have 80 gigabyte hard drives. Yeah, right. Next.

... and rotate from landscape to portrait automatically, and have proximity sensors to turn off the screen and data input so you don't accidentally hit a but with your face, and have cover scroll for browsing through your albums, and have maps tightly integrated into the system at the top level, and are about the size of an ipod, and have this high a resolution screen, and don't require a stylus for reasonable input, and, and, and, etc...

[clevin]

Now this may explain why Asia will be seeing it in 2008. But it's still a long time to wait!

The phone is absolutely amazing and will get better over time. I think people need to realise this phone will be "always" connected. The prices introduced does include the service plan people and that service plan should be unlimited voice and data access? This is the only way I see Cingular taking advantage of the carrier exclusiveness for the first 6 months.

does your question mark mean u were asking a question?

are u saying cingular's exclusive partnership with iPhone is only for 6 months?

[sishaw]

... and rotate from landscape to portrait automatically, and have proximity sensors to turn off the screen and data input so you don't accidentally hit a but with your face, and have cover scroll for browsing through your albums, and have maps tightly integrated into the system at the top level, and are about the size of an ipod, and have this high a resolution screen, and don't require a stylus for reasonable input, and, and, and, etc...

Well added!

[Heilige]

For those that kept asking about GPS, FYI ALL modern cell phones have a GPS chip (required by law) that can be used to track position whether the phone is on or off (soft power) either by the software and/or the cell phone company.

As for all this talk about the iPhone and NOTHING about MAC OS 10.5, it is leaving me a little uneasy. Also whats with the removal of the word MAC from OSX on the iPhone, saying it's OS is "OS X" not "Mac OS X" if the iPhone as some of you say IS a Mac???

[ART5000]

Does this dam thing which i can't wait to get my sweaty hands on
SUPPORT VOIP or not?

If it does than BYE BYE NOKIA:cool:

[clevin]

Does this dam thing which i can't wait to get my sweaty hands on
SUPPORT VOIP or not?

If it does than BYE BYE NOKIA:cool:

i doubt it, maybe at ur home, connect to internet, and install an VoIP software (if it will allow u).

[ART5000]

i doubt it, maybe at ur home, connect to internet, and install an VoIP software.

Is this your opinion or fact? not really talking about voip software but about the phone having voip integrated within root, like plug in STUN numbers etc etc etc.

From what i heard last year, ichat will support VOIP. NOt sure why this thread isn't talking about VOIP; BUt this technology could by pass CINGULAR rates internationally. no joke.:cool:

[Donz0r]

It will come, not everyone uses a phone.


...seriously?

[failsafe1]

Anyone have any crow I can munch on? I did not think this was going to show up today. But man do I want one!!:D

[SpaceJello]

...As for all this talk about the iPhone and NOTHING about MAC OS 10.5, it is leaving me a little uneasy. Also whats with the removal of the word MAC from OSX on the iPhone, saying it's OS is "OS X" not "Mac OS X" if the iPhone as some of you say IS a Mac???

Mac OS X is associated with the Mac (desktops, and laptops). Could excluding the word "Mac" be really a marketing ploy to avoid associating the iPhone to a computer?

Clearly Apple is trying NOT to brand the iPhone as a "computing device". That image is best left for UMPCs, blackberries and Palm. With iPhone, it is definitely targeting the everyday consumer, ones that don't require crazy documents editing and all the other silly add-ons. It's an everyday device, not a decked out elite computing gadget.

Personally, I have no worries about Mac OS X. Apple is branching out to different divisions.

[imacdaddy]

does your question mark mean u were asking a question?
Yes, I was asking a question whether the prices includes unlimited voice and data. If Apple can revolutionalise digital music with a $0.99 price per song, I'm sure there was pressure against Cingular and future "partnered" carriers to come up with a price plan that is different than the current market.

I mean, part of the reason why phones are crippled is because carriers charge extra or differently for data usages, text messages, voice calls at certain time of day and day of week. With these archaic prices, people will limit their usage, thus using only a certain percentage of the phone's functionality. I for example, haven't used video call on my 3G phone because my carrier charges extra for it. For this reason, I see Apple flexing their muscles to revolutionalise mobile price plans to be unlimited voice/data. The iPhone need to be "always" connected to 100% utilise the phone and communicator functions. I don't think Apple will partner with any carriers that will not offer unlimited everything. It's all coming clear now! :cool:


are u saying cingular's exclusive partnership with iPhone is only for 6 months? According to what I'm reading on the net. Here's one from thinksecret http://www.thinksecret.com/news/0609cingulariphone.html

[j05h]

I'm sure that everyone complaining about the iPhone not being unlocked would have complained even louder if Apple had released an unlocked version for a nice price of $999.95.

Every other GSM phone can be unlocked. I think it costs $200 to get out of your Cingular contract. So you could sign up for the contract, get a phone for $600, pay $200 to get out of the contract, unlock the phone, pop in a T-mobile or other GSM carrier SIM card. If it is easily unlocked.

[Romanesq]

To be honest, most people i know (and they're all geeks) don't really care that much about 3G. It hasn't really taken off, its just a driver for Vodafone or O2 to deliver "value added content" such as mp3 or football highlights.

What will bother them and me is a device that impedes the user's ability to text. On average i'll send about 20 to 30 texts a day, and thats considered very light usage.
It is the primary form of communication (non business of course) amongst nearly everybody. Texting on a touch screen seems like a chore to be honest and a deal-breaker for me.

Let me put it this way, when a girl texted me, I called her back and said, "What are you twelve?"

Twelve year olds don't drive sales on a $500 integrated device. :p

[digitalbiker]

Is this your opinion or fact? not really talking about voip software but about the phone having voip integrated within root, like plug in STUN numbers etc etc etc.

From what i heard last year, ichat will support VOIP. NOt sure why this thread isn't talking about VOIP; BUt this technology could by pass CINGULAR rates internationally. no joke.:cool:

VOIP is not mentioned as a feature. Most likely the iphone will not support this now. However, you know this is going to be an evolving product. It is afterall still vaporware and anything can happen.

[lostngone]

I live in Alaska and guess what, we don't have Cingular or AT&T service here.
So, I get lie about where I live buy the phone/contract then somehow get out of paying the $200 cancellation fee and then just hope someone releases an unlock crack/hack so it will work on another GSM network and not brick the phone in the process.

My only hope is Apple will sell a unlocked world traveler version like Palm does for the Treo.



Absolutely fantastic this phone!


booooooooo@ all you complainers ,whiners and pissy pants:rolleyes:

[bighairydoofus]

Scott Kurtz writes a gaming oriented webcomic called PVP. A while back he switched to Mac and took no end of crap from the gaming crowd, but stands firm that switching to Mac was one the best things he's ever done. Today's comic about the iPhone is great:

http://www.pvponline.com/

:p

[MrCrowbar]

5. replaceable batteries. for a mobile phone this is crucial, if they went the ipod direction, they're joking. "sorry, my battery's running low. can i call you back in 2 hours after i find a place to plug this in and recharge?"


Not gonna be an issue I think. Smartphones are for tech geeks, and those people usually have a USB connector somewhere. Besides, it does not seem you are supposed to sync it via Bluetooth or wireless, so every time you sync it, you might as well leave it in the dock until you're going out again. Do you know anyone who carries a spare battery for the cell phone all the time? I always get those e-mails at work, where people ask "does any one have a Nokia charger I can borrow for 20 minutes?". Now all you need is a iPod-cable and the Apple iPod AC-Adapter or any USB port. Those AC Adapters are GREAT by the way. Super small, you can fold the pins on the US version so it's even smaller (like the power brick on the laptops) and you're all set. Seriously, I wish I could also charge my current phone and camera via USB, would make my life a lot easier.

By the way, I do carry both batteries for my camera sometimes, because you can hardly fill half of the 1GB memory card with one battery. It's a canon Powershot SD630.

[sishaw]

For those that kept asking about GPS, FYI ALL modern cell phones have a GPS chip (required by law) that can be used to track position whether the phone is on or off (soft power) either by the software and/or the cell phone company.

As for all this talk about the iPhone and NOTHING about MAC OS 10.5, it is leaving me a little uneasy. Also whats with the removal of the word MAC from OSX on the iPhone, saying it's OS is "OS X" not "Mac OS X" if the iPhone as some of you say IS a Mac???

I think it's a scaled version of OS X. Maybe kind of like D*mn Small Linux is a scaled, but quite functional, version of Linux, for instance, to be used when limited space is available.

[brad.c]

Let me be the first to say: I wish the hard drive was bigger.

[bousozoku]

Is this your opinion or fact? not really talking about voip software but about the phone having voip integrated within root, like plug in STUN numbers etc etc etc.

From what i heard last year, ichat will support VOIP. NOt sure why this thread isn't talking about VOIP; BUt this technology could by pass CINGULAR rates internationally. no joke.:cool:

Considering that the phone supports WiFi access, it should support VoIP when the application is available. By June, Skype could have a version of the Mac OS X client running on it.

[digitalbiker]

Yes, I was asking a question whether the prices includes unlimited voice and data. If Apple can revolutionalise digital music with a $0.99 price per song, I'm sure there was pressure against Cingular and future "partnered" carriers to come up with a price plan that is different than the current market.

I mean, part of the reason why phones are crippled is because carriers charge extra or differently for data usages, text messages, voice calls at certain time of day and day of week. With these archaic prices, people will limit their usage, thus using only a certain percentage of the phone's functionality. I for example, haven't used video call on my 3G phone because my carrier charges extra for it. For this reason, I see Apple flexing their muscles to revolutionalise mobile price plans to be unlimited voice/data. The iPhone need to be "always" connected to 100% utilise the phone and communicator functions. I don't think Apple will partner with any carriers that will not offer unlimited everything. It's all coming clear now! :cool:

According to what I'm reading on the net. Here's one from thinksecret http://www.thinksecret.com/news/0609cingulariphone.html

Sorry your info is all wrong. The ThinkSecret link is from september of 2006.

Watch the keynote and read the information on Apple's site. No need to llok at old eroneous rumors.

The iPhone will be released in June and initially only available in the US through Cingular and Apple with a 2 year Cingular contract. The price that Apple quoted is the phone price only. The 2 year contract with Cingular will be priced based on the normal plan rates. There are so many options that I can't go into it now but Cingular is not cheap especially for text and data.

[ART5000]

ONe just has to be with cingular for three months and they WILL give you the unlock codes. I've done it with many phones since i started with cingualr 3 years ago. I called today and the rep said "sure when you get the iphone we'll give you the unlock codes with 14 days after requesing it"

oh yeah baby:D

[Prom1]

OK .... I confess.

I'm a "NAY-SAYER". I thought all the rumors were false and thought TOO MUCH HYPE was impossible to believe. For Shame I should've known better. This isn't Microsoft we're talking, dreaming, hoping, drooling about. This isnt a lack luster company like DELL that cheap corporations purchase from. This is rumors about a product CONCEIVED BY, LOVED BY, DEVELOPED BY, and TESTED BY those unique thinkers that love their lives, their loved ones, working with their colleagues. This is by ppl that enjoy working with their computers and have full control over them NOT the other way around like I do TS for with Windows.

This is APPLE!
This is from a company that was built on the promise to make using computing & our digital life powerful yet simple! Allowing us to enjoy our lives not be a slave to life.

I repent my foolish remarks regarding the iPHONE!
I wont doubt Apple's abilities ever again no matter HOW tough times get.

[digitalbiker]

I live in Alaska and guess what, we don't have Cingular or AT&T service here.
So, I get lie about where I live buy the phone/contract then somehow get out of paying the $200 cancellation fee and then just hope someone releases an unlock crack/hack so it will work on another GSM network and not brick the phone in the process.

My only hope is Apple will sell a unlocked world traveler version like Palm does for the Treo.

It sounds like they will sell unlocked world versions but not until late 2007 or early 2008.

[motulist]

Let me be the first to say: I wish the hard drive was bigger.

It's not a hard drive, it's a flash drive, which are smaller capacity but give the iPhone 2 important advantages that the iPhone needs to be the resounding home run that it is. Firstly, flash is much more rugged than a hard drive, and secondly, it is much smaller than even the smallest hard drive. Apple made the right call in going with a smaller capacity flash drive instead of a larger hard drive.

[~Shard~]

Let me be the first to say: I wish the hard drive was bigger.

Yeah, but then what trade-off would you be willing to accept for more storage? A larger, heavier unit due to the HDD which would then be required, or a much higher price tag due to the cost of larger capacity flash chips? :cool:

[dmelgar]

Looks like a great phone and iPod. Two issues for me:
1. Too expensive, ie too high end. No way they're going to sell 10million phones at this price. I hope they have a lower end phone in the works. I'd be interested in the rumor chocolate like phone, basic phone with iPod for lots less $$. I'd even consider bailing from my Sprint contract to Cingular, for a lower priced phone.
2. EDGE is the supported network protocol. That too slow to reasonably do many of the things he's demoing, web browsing with lots of images becomes painfully slow. If you had higher speed, you could consider doing iChat, but not with EDGE.

[phelix_da_kat]

I mean.. one of the reasons the regular iPods work so well is because of the tie in with iTunes. The fact that not just music is stored, you have audiobooks, podcasts, contacts/calender (entourage, iCal, address book etc) and photos.. these all sync to your (albeit, latest) iPod! As Apple control the device and the software to run/sync it should provide the simplicity people are looking for.

Adding a phone component was a matter of a good interface, electronics and getting some phone carrier to subsidise the price to get it out in the market.

It's a fluid extension of iTunes/your computer - the next stage in the iPods evolution.

[yadmonkey]

Looks terrific, but with one major flaw - it's tied to Cingular. That's a deal-breaker for me. Hopefully it's exclusivity is limited like the Razr was.

[quigleybc]

I now know what I was born to do.....

I was born to own this phone...

I can't even take it, the keynote has me so fired up.....I could care less how much it costs right now....I'm saving starting today

:eek:

[DiBlythe]

Hello, I saw the iPhone announcement, so I came to look.
I would buy the device ONLY if it did not come in the phone version, since I don't really need the phone functionality. I would replace my Compaq iPaq with it, and I am always connected to my office intranet via wlan. 15 hours of battery life is really good. Most Pocket PCs can barely meet that. My iPaq was advertised to do 15 hours, but with the backlight switched off. This new device runs OS X (A version of BSD), so it shouldn't be a problem porting any existing Mac applications to it and it should be more stable. I have had plenty of problems with my iPaq the way it is since it runs Windows and is, unfortunately, VERY buggy. It looks like a nice device. I hope they make a none phone version, then I can get rid of my iPaq for good. My iPaq is only used when I do not want my Powerbook on my desk. It has a fairly buggy email client which is a simpler, but more buggy version of MS Outlook. It sometimes gets lost with its emails, then when I delete emails, the next time it fetches my emails, it sometimes brings all the deleted messages back into my inbox. Its really annoying, not to mention sore fingers from deleting message after message. The Microsoft IE does not work well either, but I'll not get into that yet. Now, the control panels are fairly limited. Then the wlan card sometimes gets switched off, but the device tells me that the wlan card is still on. Sometimes it crashes too. :( I tried Linux on it (yeah, but I needed LOTS of help to get it loaded), but the Linux port is not very functional at all although it is less buggy, and not everything works well.

Anyway, this new iPhone, if they made a version without the phone in it, would be a Godsend. :)

[clevin]

Is this your opinion or fact? not really talking about voip software but about the phone having voip integrated within root, like plug in STUN numbers etc etc etc.


when i say "i doubt", sure i was saying from my opinion :p

[Sean7512]

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

"The phone supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless technology and can detect location from Global Positioning System satellites. It also can send and display e-mail and text messages. Apple is partnering with Yahoo Inc. on Web-based e-mail and Google Inc. on maps."

Source:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/APPLE_MACWORLD?SITE=PAPIT&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=home.htm


One thing I want to know....DOES IT HAVE VIBRATE??? I watched the keynote, but no mention of it. Just Silent and Ring. I hope there is a vibrate. I am sure there is, but just want to know, haha

[Dagless]

Nice... but...

I'd like a device like that without the phone built in. The next iPod. Suppose it does lay the foundations for new iPods.

Absolutely fantastic. I won't buy one (can't afford and don't like contract services) though.

Thumbs up Apple :)

[BWhaler]

Vibrate is a good point. It would be odd not to have that feature.

The funny thing is during the keynote, the audience was bashing Cingular non-stop.

It didn't help that the CEO gave one of the worst speeches in the history of the event.

You know when you make Roz Ho from Microsoft look like a great public speaker, you've totally bombed.

[jamesarm97]

Two or three things I think it really needs to be usefull or so I would buy it. Does anyone know if some of these are already there or maybe could be added?

1) Notes. To be a usefull 'smart phone' I really need to be able to take short notes.
2) Remote Desktop. I use pcAnywhere mobile and Remote Desktop on my ppc6700. I really still need these.
3) SSH. Would be really handy, Again, I have this on my WM5 PPC6700 and use it when in a bind and need to fix something on a server remotely.

Thanks,
James

[failsafe1]

Glad I stuck with Cingular for the GSM platform. My phone is up for upgrade come June! Bring on the deal.

[MrCrowbar]

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

"The phone supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless technology and can detect location from Global Positioning System satellites. It also can send and display e-mail and text messages. Apple is partnering with Yahoo Inc. on Web-based e-mail and Google Inc. on maps."

Source:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/APPLE_MACWORLD?SITE=PAPIT&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=home.htm


One thing I want to know....DOES IT HAVE VIBRATE??? I watched the keynote, but no mention of it. Just Silent and Ring. I hope there is a vibrate. I am sure there is, but just want to know, haha

I haven't seen the vibrator or GPS from any relaible source. Even in the keynote there's nothing indicating it knows where you are, Moscone Center was bookmarked and appeared as much as the "current" location as did the Eiffel Tower. I highly doubt there's GPS in the iPhone, that would be mentioned somewhere. Location over cell networks works in some areas, but iit's not really precise or reliable. I would love Tomtom to make an accessory tho, GPS antenna with dock connector plus the software and map. The basic all in one Tomtom is around $400, so an iPhone set for $200 would be kinda cool. They already do that for PDAs, so why not? Choose between Tomtom maps or google maps where available. Sweet.

[tribulation]

anyone else think that maybe they're holding off on releasing any leopard deals to kill the MS Vista buzz in a bit? could be some brilliant marketing

[Zigster]

This is the best product Apple has ever made. Are people beating down the doors to buy intel computers? Computers have had no pizazz since 2000. Nope, everyone that deals in image will have to have one of these iphones. And once the early adopters grab em, then later will the rest of you.

I'm sure a lengthy discussion of "Leopard" would have gotten all the networks interested...:rolleyes:

[MrCrowbar]

Two or three things I think it really needs to be usefull or so I would buy it. Does anyone know if some of these are already there or maybe could be added?

1) Notes. To be a usefull 'smart phone' I really need to be able to take short notes.
2) Remote Desktop. I use pcAnywhere mobile and Remote Desktop on my ppc6700. I really still need these.
3) SSH. Would be really handy, Again, I have this on my WM5 PPC6700 and use it when in a bind and need to fix something on a server remotely.

Thanks,
James

1) Bottom left icon in the menu. ;)
http://images.apple.com/iphone/images/indexhero20070109.jpg

2) and 3) are not mainstream consumer stuff. But the phone still has 6 months to go to mature in terms of widgets. And since anyone can make widgets and the iPhone OS seems to be a small version of OSX, I guess the open source community will have some cool stuff coming. I agree most widgets out there are pretty useless, but some of them are quite awesome. I'll say a terminal console for iPhone will pop up shortly after it's released.

[TequilaBoobs]

i love the new iphone, but it would be better if it also included a universal remote, garage opener and higher res camera. cant wait for the 2nd version, then i shall buy.

[MrCrowbar]

anyone else think that maybe they're holding off on releasing any leopard deals to kill the MS Vista buzz in a bit? could be some brilliant marketing

Totally. I'm testing vista here and there at work and it's horrible on every aspect. And that's the release version... Home users will hate it because it's even more complicated to do simple stuff than ever before and people used to XP will have a hard time getting used to it.

There are some "OSX tech talk" events for developers in major US cities in January, the last one being the 24th in New York (I'm attending). There will be in depth demos of Leopard, so I guess Leopard will come out when Vista has the worst news coverage (I mean, a lot of coverage, but the bad kind). People scared by horror stories on TV might opt for a Mac as they have to learn to use a computer again anyway. Perfect marketing. Who ever heard of a bad Virus for Mac?

[failsafe1]

Would this turn into a nice handheld gaming console? Is that what Steve was referring to when he stated game console numbers?

[bighairydoofus]

anyone else think that maybe they're holding off on releasing any leopard deals to kill the MS Vista buzz in a bit? could be some brilliant marketing

Absolutely. Microsoft introduces the laughable zune, only to be completely crushed by the Apple iPhone and (hopefully) forthcoming widescreen iPod.

Next, Microsoft introduces Vista only to have the buzz killed yet again by Apple when they release Leopard.

While I was a little disappointed that there was no info forthcoming about Leopard, I understand that timing is EVERYTHING.

:cool:

[Stridder44]

No. It's got Skynet.


WE CAN FIND SARAH O'CONNER!!!

[Misplaced Mage]

As for replaceable SIM cards and batteries, it looks like there's a black section at the bottom of the back side (judging from various photos I've seen), maybe that's a cover for a battery/SIM card compartment?More likely that's the (plastic? zirconium?) radio-frequency "window" for the various antennas, especially if the rest of the rear housing is metal.

[bketchum]

How they kept the name "iPhone" is impressive in its own right!
I don't think Apple is out of the woods just yet with the iPhone name. This AP story says a little on that:

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070109/apple_macworld_cisco.html?.v=1

It seems Cisco waited until the eleventh hour to come back with an offer. I suspect the license agreement may be steep, forcing Apple to pay a lot for the iPhone name use. Jobs and company may go with another name for their ingenious new cell phone. They've got a few months buffer until June. Perhaps that is partly why they are saying June?

It's all a little odd to me. What company would want to share their trademark name with another company, especially a company they directly compete with, i.e.,wireless phones and TV set top boxes? Might Apple have some legal ground to use the iPhone name and both companies are trying to avoid the legal battle costs? Or perhaps Cisco is simply trying to trip up Apple's momentum?

I don't know... Just a thought spewed senselessly from some backside part of me.

[MrCrowbar]

WE CAN FIND SARAH O'CONNER!!!

Wasn't ist just "Sarah Connor"? :p
At least, you'll be able to look up all Sarah Connors in the Area using your iPhone instead of an old school phone book ;)

[chubad]

For all of you people posting who have not watched the Keynote Steve said that the reason this was announced now is that FCC approval takes months. Since that is public knowledge he did not want the FCC making the announcement and stealing his shining moment.
This is a stunning phone. I want one! Still some questions. Replaceable battery? Every phone I have ever owned has needed on within 2 years. I don't want to have to send my phone in to replace a battery. (I only have a cell phone, no land line.) Second is durability. I have dropped my Razr on hard concrete floors and it survived totally intact. Somehow I don't think the iPhone would do the same. A insurance add on will be a must.

[btfgus]

If that dock port was any bigger I think I would make love to it........

[manosaurus]

If that dock port was any bigger I think I would make love to it........


O.K. that's just creepy man.

Some things are just best kept to ones self.

[Prom1]

For all of you people posting who have not watched the Keynote Steve said that the reason this was announced now is that FCC approval takes months. Since that is public knowledge he did not want the FCC making the announcement and stealing his shining moment.
This is a stunning phone. I want one! Still some questions. Replaceable battery? Every phone I have ever owned has needed on within 2 years. I don't want to have to send my phone in to replace a battery. (I only have a cell phone, no land line.) Second is durability. I have dropped my Razr on hard concrete floors and it survived totally intact. Somehow I don't think the iPhone would do the same. A insurance add on will be a must.

I dont believe your Razr story for 1 second! i watched a friend same height as I am 5'10" drop his razr (NON pouch, case, JUST NAKED RaZR) at hip level and it had a nice chip and the battery was slightly dislodged (almost twisted at its connector hinge). Guess it depends on where it hits the razr first.

With Litium-ION Polymer battery technology batteries should last longer than 3 yrs. I have owned an Ericsson T39m, 2 actually and used the same battery from my first one over 3 yrs before I let it go! However for piece of mind I agree replaceable battery will be an issue. Do I see another non-satisfactory battery lawsuit like Apple had against them in the US with the first 3 gens of iPod?!

[macEfan]

I don't think Apple is out of the woods just yet with the iPhone name. This AP story says a little on that:

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070109/apple_macworld_cisco.html?.v=1

It seems Cisco waited until the eleventh hour to come back with an offer. I suspect the license agreement may be steep, forcing Apple to pay a lot for the iPhone name use. Jobs and company may go with another name for their ingenious new cell phone. They've got a few months buffer until June. Perhaps that is partly why they are saying June?

It's all a little odd to me. What company would want to share their trademark name with another company, especially a company they directly compete with, i.e.,wireless phones and TV set top boxes? Might Apple have some legal ground to use the iPhone name and both companies are trying to avoid the legal battle costs? Or perhaps Cisco is simply trying to trip up Apple's momentum?

I don't know... Just a thought spewed senselessly from some backside part of me.


I'm sure there is some way they can make some type of deal that makes both companies happy... there always is...

interesting article, I sure hope apple doesn't have to end up paying millions of dollars to cisco :p

[bketchum]

WE CAN FIND SARAH O'CONNER!!!

Snort! Thank you, that's the funniest thing I've read in ages.

[Misplaced Mage]

I haven't seen the vibrator or GPS from any relaible source. Even in the keynote there's nothing indicating it knows where you are, Moscone Center was bookmarked and appeared as much as the "current" location as did the Eiffel Tower. I highly doubt there's GPS in the iPhone, that would be mentioned somewhere. Location over cell networks works in some areas, but iit's not really precise or reliable.The lack of any mention of a vibrator is a good point. Maybe Apple flat ran out of room for one! A good chunk of the housing's volume is going to be taken up by the battery and the display/touchscreen, and the phone isn't any bigger than a Blackjack or Q to begin with. It's possible they snuck in a multifunction transducer instead of a standard speaker, which would function as a vibrator or "rumble-pack" at low (~180Hz) frequencies. Last ones I saw were still a bit on the big side, though: not sure one would fit.

Regarding GPS: the FCC basically now requires all cell phones sold to have some sort of location determination (http://www.fcc.gov/911/enhanced/) ability for emergency purposes. Since this phone is GSM, either it has a dedicated GPS receiver chip and antenna (the antenna's the tricky part, since it needs to have a good view of the sky, and the housing doesn't provide much in the way of clues) or relies on cell base station triangulation. Throw in the various maps of WiFi hotspots that can also be used for rough determination of position, and the phone certainly has some way of pinning down its position for Google Maps.

[MrCrowbar]

Throw in the various maps of WiFi hotspots that can also be used for rough determination of position, and the phone certainly has some way of pinning down its position for Google Maps.

Errr... it pinned down Moscone Center just as it pinned down Starbucks and the Eiffel Tower. It's just bookmarked. GSM positioning kinda works, but the precision is +- one house block. That's ok for google maps if you're lost at stand at an intersection, but you can't compare it to GPS.

[bighairydoofus]

Would have been a widescreen aspect ratio CCD on the phone like the one on the Lumix DMC-LX1 and DMC-LX2 cameras. Since the phone's display is already widescreen and all of the monitors that Apple sells are widescreen aspect ratio, it would seem to make sense and would really set the iPhone apart from other phone cameras.

Maybe in the 2nd generation iPhone... :p

[jesteraver]

Only reason I want a GPS (active while using Google Maps) in the phone, if I am stuck in the middle of nowhere in Nunavut, I can see how far I can walk in a certain direction. Thats worst case scenario.

[mweiler]

So how long is it going to take for this technology to filter into the true video ipod? Think it will be before or after the June release of the iPhone? i just lost my 5G ipod but I cant replace it knowing the true video is potentially a couple of months away! Or cross my fingers sooner! So what does everyone think, how much longer for the video ipod?

[0010101]

Pretty neat features with that gadget.. I really liked that 'pinch' feature for resizing images.. reminded me of the video sombody linked to here of the big touch screen.

I don't have a 'land line' phone.. my wife and I just have cell phones.. they cost us a flat $19.95 a month for unlimited free minutes, night or day.. voice mail, call waiting, caller ID, etc. The only time there is additional airtime charges is if we call a number outside our area code, then it's something like .10 cents a minute.

But we rarely if ever call anybody outside our area code.

No contract, we bought our phones 2 years ago when we signed up for like $100 each.

I sure think the iPhone is cool.. but no way would I switch cellular carriers, pay more a month, have to sign a year or longer contract, AND pay $499 for it.

No way in hell.

It's a cool gadget.. but i'm not convinced putting a actual phone in it was the way to go. They should have just released it on a 'pay as you go' kind of plan, and sold airtime cards.. that way folks could use it to download music, check eMail, text message, etc if they wanted.. some folks would opt to use it as a full time phone, but most would just use their 'regular' cell phone for standard calls.. and it would be just a wireless iPod w/ video and eMail & internet connectivity.

The iPod sells great because when you buy it, you're not committing yourself to a contract and a monthly bill.. and you're not required to use a specific carrier or service.

The iPhone is a pretty nifty gadget without a doubt, but if it costs $499 PLUS a two year contract, (and your forced to use a specific carrier) I don't see it being the big commercial success that the iPod has been.

[Dr_Maybe]

Cons:

Not available in brown


Haha do you think it's a zune? ;)

[tribulation]

not to rain on the sunshine but seriously, what is the point of iTV? Does anyone really have anything useful on their mac that would be *useful* to have connected to their TV all the time? Maybe a couple funny videos here or there, but as a set top box? Also, I don't want my mac on 24 hours a day just to serve videos. The hard drive on it may hold some stuff, but to use it for what it's made for, it seems that I'd need my mac on.

I just really don't see the excitement for it. Purchasing a ton of TV shows every day/week is obviously out of the question, so without a DVR/tivo feature it just seems quite irrelevant. On the other hand if it did have a DVR in it, then I'd get one in a heartbeat.

Is there something here that I'm missing that really makes it awesome?

[bighairydoofus]

So how long is it going to take for this technology to filter into the true video ipod? Think it will be before or after the June release of the iPhone? i just lost my 5G ipod but I cant replace it knowing the true video is potentially a couple of months away! Or cross my fingers sooner! So what does everyone think, how much longer for the video ipod?

Ouch, lost your 5G? That sucks, sorry to hear that. :(

I think there won't be a true widescreen video iPod until after the phone becomes available. I wouldn't think they'd want to steal any of the iPhone's thunder. But hey, I'm only guessing... :rolleyes:

[ccrandall77]

Widescreen iPod. Awesome! Internet Communicator. ****in' A! Cingular GSM-EDGE phone. Lost all interest.

I would've gladly paid $600 for this as a standalone PDA, but if I have to sell my soul to Cingular, forget it. Been there and they were/are by far the worst cell company I've ever dealt with. Beside, I'm ditching my Treo for a slimmer flip phone... not really interested in a Smartphone if it's going to be that size.

I will say that the whole Cingular ******** aside, as a PDA this is pretty sweet, but as an iPod with video the storage is a little lean. I'm hoping we'll see a non-phone version of this with the same features and a 30-100GB sized HDD or even 32GB+ of flash.

I also wasn't too impressed with the Apple TV. Doesn't look like it'll stream a DVD from another Mac, nor will it act like an ABS like the Airport Express does. I was really hoping this would replace the MacMini in my entertainment center, but it won't. But that's just me... I'm sure for others this'll be an awesome device.

I wonder why they didn't even mention the new ABS? That's the only product I'm really excited about.

Does anyone else think it's lame that so far only 3 products have been announced, 2 in Feb and 1 in June?

[thejadedmonkey]

With Litium-ION Polymer battery technology batteries should last longer than 3 yrs. I have owned an Ericsson T39m, 2 actually and used the same battery from my first one over 3 yrs before I let it go! However for piece of mind I agree replaceable battery will be an issue. Do I see another non-satisfactory battery lawsuit like Apple had against them in the US with the first 3 gens of iPod?!

a phone is something which people depend on. After a while, the battery will wear down to the point where it won't hold a change at all- I know, it happened to my laptop, and now it's just a super-portable desktop.:(

My point is, if that happens and there's no way to replace the battery, and something happens, I'm sure someone could try to hold apple responsible for damages, or if it's the person's only phone they can't send it in...

The iPod was an accessory, where as a phone is a necessity, and they may find they have some big issues...

[kresh]

This thread is too big :)

already been said

[mweiler]

Ouch, lost your 5G? That sucks, sorry to hear that. :(

I think there won't be a true widescreen video iPod until after the phone becomes available. I wouldn't think they'd want to steal any of the iPhone's thunder. But hey, I'm only guessing... :rolleyes:

Lost/stolen...Lost helps me believe people are still honest these days...
Huge bummer though that the true video wasnt launched today I was going to go to the apple store tmrw...

[cheunghy]

Steve calls the operating system of iPhone OSX, so I think the look and feel will give us some hints about the new UI that may be replacing Aqua in Leopard.

(Personally, the black semi-transparent feel reminds me about Vista...)

[dapetrun]

OK, I've read quite a few responses to Steve's keynote earlier today and I guess my reaction is similar to most everyone elses. I, too, am a little disappointed that there were no mention of obvious things in the pipeline like Leopard release and maybe 12" super thin MBP. However, these things have a way of popping up when you least expect them to. I truly think Leopard is ready and waiting in the wings and Jobs is only waiting on Vista so as to take the wind from MS's sails (or should I spell it sales, excuse the pun).

My impression of the iPhone is that it looks like it was designed by aliens from another world! Think about it, it truly is revolutionary in every respect and I am quite pleased with the simplicity of how it (appears to) operate and the intuitive functionality. That being said, I think that 4 & 8 GB's is far too small flash memory to make it worthy of a "video" iPod but they DID call it iPhone and NOT video iPod. I can't wait for the next generation full size iPod w/80 GB to appear. The true video iPod was what I was hoping for and I hope it will have the same finger touch-screen interphase that the iPhone has.

The iPhone price will come down (eventually) and the memory will grow larger and hopefully they will make the phone available to other carriers. You think the price is too high? Well, lets just say that with the money I made today alone on my AAPL stock, I'm not gonna buy just 1 iPhone but 3 of them and a new Sony 52XBR3 flat panel TV for the AppleTV to stream content to, as well.:D Sorry, don't mean to brag but life is good! Thank you, Steve...;)

[Misplaced Mage]

Errr... it pinned down Moscone Center just as it pinned down Starbucks and the Eiffel Tower. It's just bookmarked. GSM positioning kinda works, but the precision is +- one house block. That's ok for google maps if you're lost at stand at an intersection, but you can't compare it to GPS.True, any location-based service in the phone is riding on whether or not it has a dedicated GPS receiver. I'd personally lean towards "not" for the same reason I think Apple shied away from UMTS/HSPDA for their first generation phone: designing cell phones is hard! The antenna design alone is still a bit of a black art, especially with internal antennas. Much better to get one's feet wet with an older, well-understood modulation architecture with highly integrated chipsets like GSM that has looser timing and control tolerances than jumping straight to HSPDA or EV-DO (rev. A).

[McScooby]

I'm gonna git me one of these as soon as! Makes me glad I pulled the trigger on a 5.5g pod before xmas, have to make do with an ancient craptastic nokia until.

Sorry if mentioned before, but Pogue speaks giving a constructive critical evaluation;

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/01/09/some-hands-on-time-with-the-iphone/

[pengu]

not to rain on the sunshine but seriously, what is the point of iTV? Does anyone really have anything useful on their mac that would be *useful* to have connected to their TV all the time? Maybe a couple funny videos here or there, but as a set top box? Also, I don't want my mac on 24 hours a day just to serve videos. The hard drive on it may hold some stuff, but to use it for what it's made for, it seems that I'd need my mac on.

I just really don't see the excitement for it. Purchasing a ton of TV shows every day/week is obviously out of the question, so without a DVR/tivo feature it just seems quite irrelevant. On the other hand if it did have a DVR in it, then I'd get one in a heartbeat.

Is there something here that I'm missing that really makes it awesome?

i have hundreds of gigs of movies and tv shows on my g5. i watch stuff on my plasma all the time. i dont want to hunt through a hundred dvd's to find that one episode of family guy. i want to click a few buttons on an apple remote and have it stream the h.264 movie from my g5.

as for leaving it on all the time. it has a 40gb hard drive built in, so sync it to ur itunes library and then shutdown/sleep your mac. simple.

[Misplaced Mage]

a phone is something which people depend on. After a while, the battery will wear down to the point where it won't hold a change at all- I know, it happened to my laptop, and now it's just a super-portable desktop.:(

My point is, if that happens and there's no way to replace the battery, and something happens, I'm sure someone could try to hold apple responsible for damages, or if it's the person's only phone they can't send it in...

The iPod was an accessory, where as a phone is a necessity, and they may find they have some big issues...Any battery can be replaced, it's just a question of (1) how hard it is to get to, and (2) how hard it is to remove. Apple wouldn't be the first manufacturer (http://www.imobile.com.au/phonereviews/default.asp?ID=reviewsnov0232) to build a cell phone with a "permanent" internal battery. And all lithium ion batteries, regardless of the application they are used in or the manufacturer, age (http://www.batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm) and lose capacity. It's just the way the chemistry of the battery works. Progress is being made with lithium polymer batteries (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_ion_polymer_battery), but we don't yet know if Apple's using one.

Now if the housing is metal and friction-stir welded together, and the battery is glued down with terminals soldered directly to the motherboard, then it starts getting a bit tricky... :D

As for power management, to maximize battery life? That's largely a function of correctly tweaking the software that controls the supply regulators in the device these days, i.e., shut it off when it's not in use. So if the power management software is buggy, battery life can go down the toilet, just like it can with a laptop.

[PODshady]

I am buying the 8GB model.... i have my $600 ready.... I just hope Cingular will let me use one of my upgrades for this phone.... I am more than willing to pay FULL price if I have to

[noel4r]

I'll get the 4 GB Model, nuff said.

[craigiest]

Apple linked with Cingular (soon to be AT&T, again) is just a plain, i dont know, stupid, move?

There are more carriers than Cingular, which I argue isnt the largest carrier anyway.

What's unique about this smartphone is that it has wifi. Until now you could have wifi in a pda, or a smartphone with through-the-nose expensive data service. The only way Apple was going to get a deal with ANYBODY to destroy their data customer base (and ringtone downloads and music downloads...) was to make it exclusive. Cingular recognized that this device was so good that it would be worth the loss is other potential markets to entice people with the iPhone. That's why this turns the mobile market upside down.

[RBilRamZ]

How are you going to tell me that I dont think the phone is hot.

I dont care if Apple is making products for you. I am young, mobile, and have disposable income...this product is for ME.

:rolleyes:

I think the phone is fantastic, and I personally dont care if its useful for you.

LOL. I bet you drive a Mercedes and call it your "BENZ"

[RBilRamZ]

The US is quite a bit larger than any country in Europe. It's not easy for these companies to have coverage everywhere here.

You just got it right on. Not only is the US a lot larger, but there is a TON more open space. GSM networks (CIngular, all of Europe and Japan) work INCREDIBLY better in city and urban neighboorhoods, while Verizon's technology is more reliable in mountainous and rugged areas. Look at where all the "bad cingular" arguments are coming from. Nobody in California or New York is complaining.
Now, I know all you living outside of urban areas are saying "Am I less important? Cingular sucks." But here's the deal, urban areas are more densely populated AND its communiy is much more likey to use an expensive PDA cell phone. Not very many people in middle America can afford a 600 phone. Now living here in Orange County, CA I probably know 20 people that will buy it in June.

[stevenz]

OMG. I need this thing! :) It looks fantastic, but dear god, it's gonna be expensive without a contract if/when if ever shows up over here in New Zealand or someone works out how to unlock it and I can lay my hands on one somehow.

It is very expensive, but bear in mind it has actual iPod functionality (versus the half-assed jukebox functionality in my current SonyEricsson), 4Gb of memory built in (or 8Gb), and some of the most advanced smartphone functionality ever seen. There's a little bit of a premium for the fact it's an Apple product (as always) but Steve isn't kidding when he says this is the most advanced phone out there. I just know I'm going to end up buying one of these things, almost regardless of how much it ends up being... I'll start saving now I think :)

Errr... it pinned down Moscone Center just as it pinned down Starbucks and the Eiffel Tower. It's just bookmarked. GSM positioning kinda works, but the precision is +- one house block. That's ok for google maps if you're lost at stand at an intersection, but you can't compare it to GPS.

The phone doesn't have FCC certification at this stage, they're probably _very_ limited in how much they're allowed to do with it. Give it a while and we shall see.

[craigiest]

So how long is it going to take for this technology to filter into the true video ipod?

Apple isn't going to go backwards and take features out of this product to make a "true video ipod".

[craigiest]

The iPhone is a pretty nifty gadget without a doubt, but if it costs $499 PLUS a two year contract.

I don't understand what's so awful about contracts. I don't love the idea on principal. But do all you people really want to switch phone companies every 6 months? Or are you thinking you might give up having a cell phone sometime in the next two years? If a phoneco is going to subsidize $100 or more of the cost of my phone to coerce me into doing something I'd probably do anyway, I'm not gonna complain.

[n8236]

I'd just wish it accepted memory sticks because 4 or 8gbs is really on the short end on storage for a device that could triple as a mp3 and music player. I would want to put at least a couple gbs of music which leaves hardly any room for movies :( Seriously, 4 or 8 gbs, and u're stuck w/ that for 2 whole years.......

16 or 32 gbs would of really sweetened up the deal.

[steelfist]

with 4 or 8 gigabytes, nobody can enjoy watching movies on this thing. it's not made to do that. but i think there's going be a normal widescreen ipod coming out soon.

[j763]

iPhone Shortcomings:
- US Model will likely have a Network Lock on it. :mad: (Read: I'll wait to buy one from Europe and ship it over, which will be cheaper and will allow me to use my T-Mobile SIM card with it which has much better reception than Cingular where I live)
- Apparent lack of AIM Client (we'll have to see how serious Apple is about this "It runs OS X" claim)
- 4GB, 8GB is O.K. for most users, but clearly many want more
- It doesn't support 3G! :mad: EDGE is O.K., but why wouldn't Apple at least future-proof for 3G.:confused: It'll be interesting to see whether the European, the Aus/NZ (most likely to have it IMO) or the Asian model has 3G support...

I'll wait for the International RevA version, thanks Steve.

[AvSRoCkCO1067]

iPhone Shortcomings:
- US Model will likely have a Network Lock on it. :mad: (Read: I'll wait to buy one from Europe and ship it over, which will be cheaper and will allow me to use my T-Mobile SIM card with it which has much better reception than Cingular where I live)
- Apparent lack of AIM Client (we'll have to see how serious Apple is about this "It runs OS X" claim)
- 4GB, 8GB is O.K. for most users, but clearly many want more
- It doesn't support 3G! :mad: EDGE is O.K., but why wouldn't Apple at least future-proof for 3G.:confused: It'll be interesting to see whether the European, the Aus/NZ (most likely to have it IMO) or the Asian model has 3G support...

I'll wait for the International RevA version, thanks Steve.

According to Steve, 3G is coming soon - who knows when that is (late 2008???)

[kerisimasi]

What about 3rd party software, ie medical programs (pharmacy shtuff), etc.

[Quboid]

The phone sucked enough of apple's time adn resources. Lets get back to making computer breakthroughs please.

[kroko]

http://www.pvponline.com/images/2980.gif

[balamw]

The phone sucked enough of apple's time adn resources. Lets get back to making computer breakthroughs please.

Why can't people see that devices like the iPhone are the future of personal computing. If the technology had been available in 1977, this is exactly the kind of thing Woz and gang would have been working on.

The original Mac was received with similar lack of vision by many who thought that all personal computers had to look like the Apple ][ or IBM PC.

B

[neutron]

I might just add a few thoughts, sorry if they were already mentioned, but i will not read the whole threat.

OK, so the iPhone is out but will be shipped starting June. It is cheap for what it offers but expensive regarding the actual $. But then again it offers everything. That leaves plenty of room regarding both (reduced) functionality and price.

I believe it is history repeating from last year. The first Intel-machines were not iBooks (as widely speculated) but the high-end Macbook Pros. The cheaper MBs were introduced without much tratra sometimes in spring. Same today: Personal introduction by Steve of the high-end device. That leaves space for a dedicated 6G iPod (399$) and smaller iPhone (nano, anyone?) which will be basically an iPod nano + phone. Again, the current iPod's biggest threat are music-phones not other mp3-player. Of course apple will introduce a cheaper iPhone nano which might actually be available on all mobile carriers as it will be the cash-cow, much like the current consumer iPod nano or the Macbook. These mid-priced devices (still not cheap apparently) give Apple the biggest profit, while the high-end devices - still profitable - also serve as an image-definers. I will buy an i-Phone nano in spring. I do not need the Internet-communicator and of course it will be smaller.

[balamw]

I will buy an i-Phone nano in spring. I do not need the Internet-communicator and of course it will be smaller.
Just avoid the iPhone shuffle, you don't know who it's going to call and when. Annoying when it decides to call your boss at 4 a.m. :p

B

[brikeh]

Steve & Co must think Im an idiot, Im in Europe and a year from now those specs wont be woth ****, theyre not even worth **** now. Look at how big the friggin thing is, 2MP cam?? No 3G or HSDPA? Give me a break. :rolleyes:

According to Steve, 3G is coming soon - who knows when that is (late 2008???)

Crap..I should have read that before commenting. Did he really say 3g was coming?

[Quboid]

Apples biggest task now would be updating perfection.

I see little improvements on the computers currently offered.

Am i seeing things the wrong way?

[Evangelion]

The US is quite a bit larger than any country in Europe. It's not easy for these companies to have coverage everywhere here.

The US also has a bit more resources than any country in Europe. If anything, it's not the size that matters, it's the population-density. Why is it that Finland is capable of getting partically 100% coverage in the entire country, including the frozen wastelands in Lapland?

[0010101]

I don't understand what's so awful about contracts. I don't love the idea on principal. But do all you people really want to switch phone companies every 6 months? Or are you thinking you might give up having a cell phone sometime in the next two years? If a phoneco is going to subsidize $100 or more of the cost of my phone to coerce me into doing something I'd probably do anyway, I'm not gonna complain.

I don't think folks want to switch cell providers every 6 months, but there are certainly instances where a person might not want to be locked into a 2 year contract.

Like when you find out a particular carrier flat out blows, it's nice to be able to jump ship without having to pay a penalty.. or if you move to a different part of the country and that carrier offers either no service, or piss poor service in your new area.. or when another carrier comes out with a much better deal, or some new whiz bang new technology.

That's the flaw with limiting the iPhone to a specific carrier.. let's say you're currently 8 months into a 2 year contract with Verizon or Altel.. are you really prepared to pay the 'penalty' for ending your contract early just to turn around and spend $499 on a new phone and sign another 2 year contract?

Apple making iPhone exclusively for Cingular makes about as much sense as Nokia deciding they're only going to make phones for Verizon.

And what about the people who would really like to buy an iPhone, but Cingular doesn't service their area?

Or folks like myself who are happy with their current cell phone, and only pay $20 a month for service. I'd really like to have one of those iPhones, just for the GPS/Mail/and web capabilities, but not enough to jack my monthly cell phone bill by double, PLUS have to shell out $500 for the thing.

[steelfist]

only cingular? how about other providers outside of the US? if i'm in China, what features am I left out with if i bought the iphone?

[motulist]

I just realized what Apple's marketing guy might be doing!

Apple knew the haters would have to say crap about something regarding the iPhone so they introduced the 4 and 8 gig iPhone for $499 and $599 6 months in advance. They knew that people would set these price points in their minds and say that it's too much for just 4 and 8 gig. Then when the device actually comes out, they'll say "We're happy to announce that we're going to deliver the $499 and $599 iPhones to you with 8 gig and 16 gig!" Then everyone will feel like, "Wow, now we're getting so much more for the same price! Now the iPhone is priced reasonably! I guess I have nothing else stopping me from buying one, so wow, I'm gettin' me an iPhone!"

Pure genius.

[teme]

I think the price is okay - if you need those features iPhone offers, then it's worth it. I'm not even thinking about buying one, because I don't need those features that much, and 8GB storage is not enough. I'm more excited about the future of iPod, because surely the touchscreen features will be included to the iPod too at some point.

[hampy]

I enjoyed the keynote, but I'm sad at the direction Apple is moving in. The Apple TV isn't what we hoped for - a device that would stream anything on your network (torrented TV shows, DVDs, whatever) to your TV -- but instead it's basically a delivery mechanism for videos Steve wants you to buy from Disney. The iPhone, meanwhile, isn't a super-cool uber-PDA, but a corporate plaything that requires you to tie yourself to Cingular (or a local equivalent) for two years. If you're going to charge $500 for a phone, you could at least unlock it and allow people to use their own sim card -- especially if the phone has great wi-fi functionality, which should mean that you only need to use the phone component from time to time. Pay-as-you-go customers would get a lot out of this product, but they're low on the list of priorities since they don't provide a steady stream of income to an Apple 'partner'.

I though the most poignant part of the keynote was when Steve's clicker stopped working, and he ad-libbed that stuff about him and Woz inventing the 'TV jammer' when they were in high school. Can you imagine the Apple visionaries of 1976 doing business with that bizarre Joe Don Baker dude from Cingular, with his stumbling delivery and his cuecards? Or even with "Dr. Eric Schmidt" and his jumbo tie? (I sometimes think that Steve invites these guys onto the stage so that his own 90s Seinfeld chic seems cool.) The high-schoolers who designed the TV Jammer back then would have loved a video streaming device that would send anything to your TV, not just a few preferred formats; and I think they'd have really run with a high-tech phone that used wi-fi/iChat whenever possible, to avoid the need to buy top dollar calling plans from rapacious cellphone companies. Hell, Woz would have been jamming Cingular, not partnering with them.

I don't see a lot of that old spirit in these new products. The design is beautiful, but the soul is missing.

[teme]

I enjoyed the keynote, but I'm sad at the direction Apple is moving in. The Apple TV isn't what we hoped for - a device that would stream anything on your network (torrented TV shows, DVDs, whatever) to your TV -- but instead it's basically a delivery mechanism for videos Steve wants you to buy from Disney.

I agree, the usage of Apple TV is too limited to be useful.

[Philsy]

All that said I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to make a SE T610 las 9 monhs with no joystick (!).


Squirt some WD-40 into the joystick – it worked perfectly for my K750i

[Philsy]

1. Can't believe I am paying for INCOMING calls !?!
.

You're kidding? :eek:

[Moz4]

So when are we going to see the same technology (touchscreen, Wifi, bluetooth, vert/hoz sensing etc) applied to a new iPod. The iPhone without the phone but with a hard drive?

[iW00t]

So when are we going to see the same technology (touchscreen, Wifi, bluetooth, vert/hoz sensing etc) applied to a new iPod. The iPhone without the phone but with a hard drive?

How much you expect that device to cost?

[rajulkabir]

I'll be very interested to see how Apple plays this in Asia.

Around here, most people buy unlocked phones. Contract phones aren't much cheaper - 20% discount at most, reflecting the fact that you can get them unlocked in the shadowy upper levels of any electronics mall, so the only way the carriers can "enforce" the contract is to send you bills and hope.

People are also much more internationally mobile than in the USA; I don't know any middle-class person who hasn't left the country at least once last year, and most of my peers go on at least a half-dozen international trips annually between business and leisure.

In Europe, Vodafone's about as close as you get to a continent-wide network, but it's still far from comprehensive. In Asia there's nothing. Nobody has the market reach of a Verizon or a Cingular. A phone that's locked to one carrier that may or may not have good reciprocal roaming arrangements is a non-starter.

So, if as people are saying, Cingular is subsidising 50% or more of the phone's actual retail price, it just won't work. The number of people who will pay US$1200 for a phone is tiny.

Actually, given the price premium for Apple products over here, it's likely to be more like $1500.

[rajulkabir]

For all of you people posting who have not watched the Keynote Steve said that the reason this was announced now is that FCC approval takes months.
Is it legal for Steve to make calls with it in a public place if it doesn't have FCC approval? I would have thought they'd have to restrict its use to within RF-shielded test facilities.

[ts1973]

I enjoyed the keynote, but I'm sad at the direction Apple is moving in. The Apple TV isn't what we hoped for - a device that would stream anything on your network (torrented TV shows, DVDs, whatever) to your TV -- but instead it's basically a delivery mechanism for videos Steve wants you to buy from Disney. The iPhone, meanwhile, isn't a super-cool uber-PDA, but a corporate plaything that requires you to tie yourself to Cingular (or a local equivalent) for two years. If you're going to charge $500 for a phone, you could at least unlock it and allow people to use their own sim card -- especially if the phone has great wi-fi functionality, which should mean that you only need to use the phone component from time to time. Pay-as-you-go customers would get a lot out of this product, but they're low on the list of priorities since they don't provide a steady stream of income to an Apple 'partner'.

I though the most poignant part of the keynote was when Steve's clicker stopped working, and he ad-libbed that stuff about him and Woz inventing the 'TV jammer' when they were in high school. Can you imagine the Apple visionaries of 1976 doing business with that bizarre Joe Don Baker dude from Cingular, with his stumbling delivery and his cuecards? Or even with "Dr. Eric Schmidt" and his jumbo tie? (I sometimes think that Steve invites these guys onto the stage so that his own 90s Seinfeld chic seems cool.) The high-schoolers who designed the TV Jammer back then would have loved a video streaming device that would send anything to your TV, not just a few preferred formats; and I think they'd have really run with a high-tech phone that used wi-fi/iChat whenever possible, to avoid the need to buy top dollar calling plans from rapacious cellphone companies. Hell, Woz would have been jamming Cingular, not partnering with them.

I don't see a lot of that old spirit in these new products. The design is beautiful, but the soul is missing.


I want to acknowledge this, post, as it is spot on in my opinion. I couln't have put it any clearer :

Apple has lost its soul, right there where it lost part of its name :/

[Philsy]

A couple of thoughts:

Will it sync via Wifi? I hope so, and some sort of .Mac link-up would be nice.

Does it offer predictive texting? I text via my Mac and Address Book when in the office, but do like predictive when on the move (I'm too old for textspeak!).

What about iTunes Store? It would be sensible to be able to buy music direct from the phone. Not that I'd want this, because I prefer CD quality sound, but it would be an extra income source for Apple.

[martg]

I agree with nearly half of the comments above! The iphone is an amazing product (the UI looked astounding), but how it will be in real life is anyones guess. But its now made the older ipods look a little outdated. When can we expect them to see that kind of user experience - even with just the music and video components (i.e. remove the ical, widgets and internet). I would defo spend about £400 for that; depending on the hard drive capacity.

Also again disappointing for the trans atlantic crowd - still nothing on itunes but music! What would be the point in spending 200 (which is actually alot less than i thought it would be) for apple tv when the only thing we could stream is music. And there is no way i am leaving Orange who give me a lot of mins calling time and lots of texts for quite cheap - just so i can have a cool phone that will probably have some features disabled here anyway and send my bills upward of £100 again!

Hope Apple, inc.s new pioneer new vision does not detract from their excellent computers!

[Platform]

I previously said "I like the phone"

OK understatement.......jaw dropping :eek:

[aswitcher]

A couple of thoughts:

Will it sync via Wifi? I hope so, and some sort of .Mac link-up would be nice.



They would be mad not to have it fully sync, via wifi and .Mac.

[needthephone]

Brilliant product, it totally pushes the boundaries on product development.

But it MUST have 3G if it comes to OZ (I don't think you can buy non 3G anymore, all the networks Optus, Telstra, Vodaphone, 3 are 3G. All the news programmes say it will be here next year.

This should not be an issue the crapy 3G Nokia 6280 is smaller that this phone so It should be just a case of using alternate components which will easily fit (not a phone exprt though!)

3G internet is pretty fast, comparable to broadband and geting faster.

Brilliant-

Well done Apple for giving us a break from the Mundane crap products every one has been churning out.

This thing can only get better

[JonasLondon]

The phone is nice but the way it's implemented is a JOKE

As several have pointed out before me, it is amazing how much b* ching around goes on. It makes me wonder how "great", "superior" and generally "mind-blowing" the products and services would have been if all these people complaining the most would have been in charge. It's always sooo easy in hindsight, isn't it. But threads like "all they needed to do to make it perfect for ME, would be to (pick one):
- ( ) add 60 GB Flash memory at any price, I'm a milloinaire!
- ( ) drop the wifi and camera, I've got my own!
- ( ) screw the video, I want a phone that runs three weeks

blah blah blah ... leads nowhere. This is the first version, others will follow and be even better. I want a normal iPod with that iPhone screen too... and guess what, I bet I'll have one in 2007. So all is good. I can watch a few movies normally until then without the world falling apart for me.

I am not 100% happy with everything Apple brings out either, but I believe these new products are all amazing for being version 1!! THERE WILL BE REVISIONS and NEW MODELS coming, alright now.

From what I've seen, I am far more likely to buy the Apple TV and the Apple iPhone then anything else on the market (or coming, as Nokia for example does announce ahead of time what they bring out, and the Nokia E61 btw. was a dreadful b*stard to simply (or not!) upgrade the firmware on).

For a change, it would be nice if people could read the specs properly (the whole Airport Extreme N thread is full of false accusations because people haven't even bothered to read properly), enjoy something once in a while and stop the dreadful whining, it just drives interesting people and opinions away from the forums.

Sorry for the rant. Hugs :)
J.
PS: I think the Apple TV & iPhone are amazing, and the year just started... wohow! More news in February/March (Leopard/Mac Pro w 8-core, yay!)

[Philsy]

They would be mad not to have it fully sync, via wifi and .Mac.

They would but, bizarrely, that's exactly what Microsoft has done with the latest Windoze Mobile - disabled wifi syncing! :confused:

[Philsy]

Brilliant product, it totally pushes the boundaries on product development.

But it MUST have 3G if it comes to OZ (I don't think you can buy non 3G anymore, all the networks Optus, Telstra, Vodaphone, 3 are 3G. All the news programmes say it will be here next year.

This should not be an issue the crapy 3G Nokia 6280 is smaller that this phone so It should be just a case of using alternate components which will easily fit (not a phone exprt though!)

3G internet is pretty fast, comparable to broadband and geting faster.

Brilliant-

Well done Apple for giving us a break from the Mundane crap products every one has been churning out.

This thing can only get better


Agreed, without 3G the web browsing and email (if you want to send photos as demonstrated) is limited to when you within a wifi hotspot

[boer]

16 hour battery life????

That's terrible, and the one thing that will keep me away from it. I want a phone that will last 4-5 days at least. I'm used to about a week with my current one. 16 hours won't do for me.

Even my first mobile (11 years ago) had 24 hours life.

This figure is normal for modern "smartphones". New features and bigger screens have been added at a rate which battery technology do not keep up with.

[farqueue]

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS PIECE OF ****

YOU LET ME DOWN APPLE. YOU REALLY DID. I WAS EXPECTING IT AS LESS OF A SMARTPHONE AND MORE IPOD VIDEO/PHONE TECHNOLOGY!!!

THIIS SUCKS :mad: PRICE SUCKS

[boer]

Also again disappointing for the trans atlantic crowd - still nothing on itunes but music! What would be the point in spending 200 (which is actually alot less than i thought it would be) for apple tv when the only thing we could stream is music.

Same here: don't have to worry about the iPhone in almost a year in Europe, and don't have to worry about the Apple TV with no content available. I will be pleased with my February credit card bill though - that is kind of a nice surprise from this event.

[R.R.Mac]

i dont know what you are all complaining about but i think that the iPhone is great but i am not sure if the contract comes included in the phone.

[VespR]

People do need to stop complaining. Like many people have said before, THIS IS REVISION 1. Look at Rev 1 iPod. Rev 1 Mac computers. This thing has so much potential it is frightening.

What I'm anticipating though is when this baby is VoIP. What I mean is, when I come home and leave my phone in my jacket pocket and sit down at my laptop, if someone calls, I want my laptop to tell me someone is calling (think expose). I then want to be able to take the call on my laptop so I don't even need to find my phone! This isn't hard stuff, when you think about it (by Apple's standards). Video conferencing will also be possible. I wouldn't be surprised if you could track your phone via your laptop if you ever lost it/stolen.

Also, similar to the Clicker software. It will be nice when you walk into your home, your phone joins your network, tells your mac which wakes for you and loads itunes/plays music, opens email, runs safari and opens your bookmarks.

Think of the potential people. This will be groundbreaking, and Sony/Noka/Blackberry won't be able to keep up. It will be impossible, with no control over computers, operating systems.

Stop complaining, buy one of these babies and help Apple make it better, like we have done with OS X and every revision of iPod. I just hope buying a rev 1 phone doesn't hinder you when they release rev 2 with software updates (think ipod games not backward compatible with older vpods). That will be a trigger. I don't want a 24 month contract tied to a device Apple is going to continually update every 6 months.

Exciting times!

[needthephone]

The thing about 3G is that all the 3G networks want to make money selling song downloads, just like Apple does with itunes. You can download songs directy into your 3G phone now.

How is this going to work, there will be some serious negotiating going on as they will not want Apple getting all the profit from song downloads, Hows it going to work out as Apple is getting into a new balll game now with lots of big players.

I'm sure it will work out as I NEED THIS PHONE!!!-

[VespR]

Also if anyone checks out Apples job site (Cupertino). They've already posted about 5 jobs directly involved with iPhone. They are not ************ around on this.

[nomad01]

Let me put it this way, when a girl texted me, I called her back and said, "What are you twelve?"


Well maybe that's true for you but in the UK at least everyone I know sends text messages... from kids to 60 year olds! It's often more convenient and people can respond when it's convenient for them. It's invaluable for me to keep in touch with friends during working hours. I can't spend time chatting to them on the phone so I text them.

I have big reservations about text messaging on this device. I don't think it's going to be anywhere near as easy. I also have a few other reservations about it but whatever they may be, I'm gonna buy one and try my hardest to work around the reservations.

This is almost everything I wanted from an Apple phone. The thought of being able to use widgets (if only for weather or dictionary searches!) is fantastic. It looks like a really great device for me and I'm just spitting feathers that I can't get one sooner!

Another thing occurs to me (apologies if this has been covered... a lot of messages to trawl through)... if the halo effect from the iPod was big, I would think the potential halo effect of the iPhone is going to be massive too.

Maybe fewer people will own this phone than an ipod but for some it will be a new experience of OSX and if it impresses them, why wouldn't they want their home computer to look/feel the same.

Only time will tell but if Apple got this right, I'm excited for the future.

[Padraig]

Let me put it this way, when a girl texted me, I called her back and said, "What are you twelve?"

Twelve year olds don't drive sales on a $500 integrated device. :p

I'm 28. The only people who don't use SMS (as their primary form of non-business mobile communication) are my parents generation.*

Edit. *That's in Europe of course.

[jonutarr]

2008 for Australia :eek: :rolleyes:

luv the scroll

Meh to the rest, keep ur ghey phone Steve

[Philsy]

I'm 28. The only people who don't use SMS (as their primary form of non-business mobile communication) are my parents generation.*

Edit. *That's in Europe of course.

My father is 80 and he uses text messages - it's a very useful form of communication.

I assume the iPhone allows MMS messaging?

[Bobajobbob]

Well here is my 2 pence worth on reading but seeing the keynote yet.

iTv I am still struggling to appreciate but maybe because I already have a mini sitting under my HDTV. The tweaked front row interface for the @Tv does look better than front Row but not enough for me to get excited gfiven that you are so format limited with the @tv and the movie management in iTunes still sucks in my opinion. With the mini I can keep my movie files anywhere I want in any format and still access them using front row or directly from the directory etc. I can upgrade codecs etc and have full Mac functionlity for only a small premium over the @tv. I do like the idea of "renting" or buying movies over the internet if the price was right but in the UK this service still isn't available on iTunes and the quality would to be DVD or HD to interest me.

Bittorent and a Mac mini combined with my Sky HD box means the @tv is a no sale for me. I really don't think this product will do that well.

Now onto the iPhone. First impressions are that it looks fantastic. I love the idea of a mobile Mac and I love the idea of a combined iPod/Phone/PDA. The UI looks fantastic but I guess we will have to wait and see how easy it is to get to grips with.

For me there are a few key points which are as yet unclear as I compare the device to my Nokia N80 which as smart phones goes pretty much leads the pack with wifi, 3g, 3mp camera, music, video etc.

The size. It is hard to get an true picture of how big this thing from the photos. It looks thin and wide whereas my N80 is small and fat. I think I prefer thin and wide within reason so + for the iPhone.

Is it a true smart phone allowing you to install new applications or are you limited to the software suite hard coded onto the device and with software update? I'm not sure that it is a dealbreaker however the ability to install custom apps is very welcome. Having said that Apple generally provides all the software that I require by default so perhaps not a biggy.

3G and Wifi. I'm torn on this issue as to whether the omission of 3g is a problem and whether 3g actually has a future. My N80 has both 3G and Wifi and I find myself very rarely using the Wifi because you can't actually currently use it on the n80 for anythign useful like syncing or VOIP. At home i surf on my Powerbook so no need to use the phone + wifi there. I do use the 3G for web surfing very often on the road but only because I don't pay the data bills. I like the idea of video calling but in reality never use it because few people have 3g phones and the quality is terrible. Given that open wifi networks are appearing rapidly at the moment I anticipate a time when 3g becomes almost redundant as it is simply too expensive and innefficient and wifi takes over.

I guess I could live without 3G if a camera was added to the front of the phone to allow video iChatting or Skyping over Wifi. Assuming that 3G could be added without increasing the size of the unit or price then it would be welcome.

Also I hope that by partnering with a network provider Apple isn't forced into compromising the functionality. At least in the UK the networks payed an astromical amount of money for 3G rights for a technology which has failed dismally. They are desperate to recoup these costs and do so with the lamest locked network access and pay per everything. I don't want this. I jsut want to be able to buy and download whatever I want from whereever I want on the WWW and not through some crap portal. This includes the iTunes MS.

I don't see the capacity as being a problem as it will rapidily increase and because video files for this format can be much smalle in size than videos you watch on a big screen. Not having an memory expansion slot would be an omission in my opinion however.

Well there you have my first impressions. If I haven't mentioned something that is because I think it looked fantastic. It really does look like a beautiful and breakthrough device by taking the smart phone to the next level. I for one cannot wait for it to arrive on our shores but at least in the meantime Nokia, Sony and the rest will be forced to compete even harder whcih can't be a bad thing either.

[emotion]

Let me put it this way, when a girl texted me, I called her back and said, "What are you twelve?"


Wow, you'd struggle to get any girl to go out with you in Europe. Pretty much everyone texts here (and in Asia too).

The US can't possibly be this far behind surely? Or are you just an exception?

[mweiler]

Apple isn't going to go backwards and take features out of this product to make a "true video ipod".

I don't know how you can possibly say that. A huge shortcoming of the iPhone is the limited space on it. I mean really at the 8 gig max you will only be able to carry 7-8 movies without any music! I definately think at least some of this technology will filter into the video ipod. Maybe not the widgets or wi-fi, but definately the touch screen and scrolling capabilities. The question is when the technology will be implemented into a high capacity (read: 80-100 gigs) stand-alone video ipod.

[martg]

"Bittorent and a Mac mini combined with my Sky HD box means the @tv is a no sale for me. I really don't think this product will do that well."

Agreed! I wonder if blu-ray DVD players will do better?

It would be great if you could buy and download full copies of movies on to your mac/pc (even from third party movie sites) like you can music (and provided they were high quality). But until then i guess its a bit of a waste! Sure it will get better as other services do though!

[kyristal]

Hello, I'm new here! I posted this on another thread, but just wondered what you thought....?

At the Macworld Expo Steve Jobs announced that the iPhone is scheduled for UK release during late 2007.

According to the Apple website, iPhone is dependent on EDGE technology for many of it's enriched wireless capabilities.

Orange are the only operator of EDGE technologies in the UK and have a significant EDGE infrastructure across the EU. Unless Apple re-engineer core technologies behind the iPhone, it's not unreasonable to predict Orange is the ONLY operator technically capable of a 2007 release of the iPhone in the UK and Europe.

It's my guess Apple and Orange are already collaborating on core software/network technologies to enable the enriched features of iPhone - including 'random access' voicemail, and core music and video download and streaming features.

Integration of iPhone and EDGE is critical for user experience. So is integration of iPhone within home broadband and computer systems. Given this fact, it's no surprise Orange are piloting ways to integrate their services with Apple computers (through an Orange France pilot offering Macbook rental with broadband).

Stan Sigman, CEO of Cingular said their relationship with Apple is a unique relationship that lets "Apple be Apple and Cingular be Cingular."

This sentiment is reflective of why, and how, an Apple and Orange relationship will succeed - Orange delivers pioneering communications and media platforms through EDGE and home broadband, upon which Apple delivers groundbreaking devices capable of enabling enriched communications and multimedia experiences.

I expect an Orange Apple partnership to be announced during Summer 2007 if not before, with a scheduled release date towards the end of 2007.

Article from my blog: http://chrisdane.blogspot.com/

[Philsy]

Hello, I'm new here! I posted this on another thread, but just wondered what you thought....?

At the Macworld Expo Steve Jobs announced that the iPhone is scheduled for UK release during late 2007.

According to the Apple website, iPhone is dependent on EDGE technology for many of it's enriched wireless capabilities.

Orange are the only operator of EDGE technologies in the UK and have a significant EDGE infrastructure across the EU. Unless Apple re-engineer core technologies behind the iPhone, it's not unreasonable to predict Orange is the ONLY operator technically capable of a 2007 release of the iPhone in the UK and Europe.

It's my guess Apple and Orange are already collaborating on core software/network technologies to enable the enriched features of iPhone - including 'random access' voicemail, and core music and video download and streaming features.

Integration of iPhone and EDGE is critical for user experience. So is integration of iPhone within home broadband and computer systems. Given this fact, it's no surprise Orange are piloting ways to integrate their services with Apple computers (through an Orange France pilot offering Macbook rental with broadband).

Stan Sigman, CEO of Cingular said their relationship with Apple is a unique relationship that lets "Apple be Apple and Cingular be Cingular."

This sentiment is reflective of why, and how, an Apple and Orange relationship will succeed - Orange delivers pioneering communications and media platforms through EDGE and home broadband, upon which Apple delivers groundbreaking devices capable of enabling enriched communications and multimedia experiences.

I expect an Orange Apple partnership to be announced during Summer 2007 if not before, with a scheduled release date towards the end of 2007.

Article from my blog: http://chrisdane.blogspot.com/

Imagine the marketing possibilities: 'Apple and Orange - a delicious combination'

Sorry, I'll get my coat... :o

[Trekkie]

[quote]
i was really hoping for an unlocked GSM phone from apple...even when it does make its way to canada i may not buy one if i have to agree to a 2 year contract with rogers (or fido). i will hopefully be in and out of the country over the next year or two and i don't want to pay international roaming fees...i just want be able to swap out my canadian sim card for a local pre-paid one when i'm away. oh well...it's still an amazing mobile device ('phone' doesn't really do it justice).

First off, if there is a market for unlocking the apple phone from the network it's on, there will be someone who learns how to do it.

Second, at least with Cingular, if you have their service for at least six months of the contract you can go in to your local cingular store and ask them to unlock the phone from the network, and they will. Then you can do the pre-paid sim card in other countries.

They've unlocked 3 of my phones now that I've been with them for 20 months. My 2 year end of contract comes up just as this phone is supposed to ship. My, that will be nice.

[failsafe1]

[QUOTE=xDANx;3229488]

First off, if there is a market for unlocking the apple phone from the network it's on, there will be someone who learns how to do it.

Second, at least with Cingular, if you have their service for at least six months of the contract you can go in to your local cingular store and ask them to unlock the phone from the network, and they will. Then you can do the pre-paid sim card in other countries.

They've unlocked 3 of my phones now that I've been with them for 20 months. My 2 year end of contract comes up just as this phone is supposed to ship. My, that will be nice.

I have had several phones "unlocked" over the years. So I could do just what I wanted to with it. Drop a sim from another company or country and be on my way. Unless something drastic happens I see a cottage industry for unlocking this phone as with any other GSM locked phone. It is only a phone and there has to be a way to open it to put the original sim in. So only time will tell but I can hope.

[Trekkie]

Can you buy it at the Apple store? Or do you have to buy it from cingular? :confused:

Yes.

[EstorilM]

Considering a -decent- flip phone with ZERO internal memory, limited file-transfer capabilities, a crapola 176x140 screen or whatever, crappy interface, etc etc goes for $300+ at most phone retailers, to throw in the features of a ~$200 ipod nano basically, only with the addition of an amazing display, you're already at over $500. Not to mention the r&d to work out all the network-side transfer features that cingular doesn't yet have experience with before this phone came along.

I don't know, for so many "firsts" it's impressive that this phone is actually priced right along existing high-end mobile phones - not to mention smart phones, which look rather stupid compared to the iPhone, and fetch even higher price tags.

Do a side-by-side of expensive phones offered by cingular/verizon today and you'll see the light. This is actually very competitive pricing considering there isn't any competition with other carriers or manufacturers, not to mention that the initial demand will probably keep people sold out for quite a while.

[moxielady]

Being a macmac, I of course called Cingular this morning to try to change my plan. They have an office 22 miles from my house. But imagine my horror at being told that my home, and the county where I do most of my business, is not served by Cinglular. Despite their having reciprocity with Unicel, which does serve this area, if Cingular finds me using my phone more than 50% off THEIR network, they will terminate my account.

IOW, no iPhone in this family.

My current carrier is Verizon, who doesn't care where I use my phone, as long as I pay my bill.

I have to wonder why Apple would sign on with a company with such a draconian policy. I'd happily pay roaming charges to get this phone, but it is simply not available at any price.

[whooleytoo]

Imagine the marketing possibilities: 'Apple and Orange - a delicious combination'

Sorry, I'll get my coat... :o

If I'm not mistaken, they already are working together - in France I think - where I think you can lease a MacBook & broadband service together for a reasonable rate.

[emotion]

Considering a -decent- flip phone with ZERO internal memory, limited file-transfer capabilities, a crapola 176x140 screen or whatever, crappy interface, etc etc goes for $300+ at most phone retailers, to throw in the features of a ~$200 ipod nano basically, only with the addition of an amazing display, you're already at over $500. Not to mention the r&d to work out all the network-side transfer features that cingular doesn't yet have experience with before this phone came along.


Wow you Americans have it bad. I can get a SE k800i (look up the specs but it is a fully featured mp3 player, a 4GB card will cost 40 quid) for 'free' if I commit to just 12 months. Pretty much on any network.

[Compile 'em all]

IOW, no iPhone in this family.



AFAIK, you can buy the iPhone from Apple, unlocked. But it will be more expensive of course.

[acrafton]

I don't know how you can possibly say that. A huge shortcoming of the iPhone is the limited space on it. I mean really at the 8 gig max you will only be able to carry 7-8 movies without any music! I definately think at least some of this technology will filter into the video ipod. Maybe not the widgets or wi-fi, but definately the touch screen and scrolling capabilities. The question is when the technology will be implemented into a high capacity (read: 80-100 gigs) stand-alone video ipod.

I am now thinking that Apple will not release a wide/touch screen video IPod anytime soon, despite it being quite easy for them to do it (just remove the phone features from the IPhone, add hard drive and bigger battery). The reason is that this will certainly hurt sales of the IPhone - substantively. If both were available in June I would, without hesitation many of us here (me included) would buy the new IPod, not the IPhone (let the price come down and get the bugs out). For this reason, I think Apple will force us to buy the Iphone to get wide/touch screen.

[princealfie]

Does iWork exist on the iPhone at all? :rolleyes:

[princealfie]

Wow you Americans have it bad. I can get a SE k800i (look up the specs but it is a fully featured mp3 player, a 4GB card will cost 40 quid) for 'free' if I commit to just 12 months. Pretty much on any network.

And the screen is very small on the k800i. I have it and you can hardly see movies on it :(

[emotion]

And the screen is very small on the k800i. I have it and you can hardly see movies on it :(

Indeed. I'm not saying it's a totally comparable device just that the original post that I refer to had some odd facts to justify the price.

It's worth noting that a lot of phone buyers just look at the tech specs and the 'price' (after commitment to the network). Apple will find it very difficult to compete with things like the k800i on that level.

Of course I've seen the keynote and I know, roughly, how the thing works and am pretty much won over despite the massive omission of HSDPA.

[Aniej]

Does iWork exist on the iPhone at all? :rolleyes: I don't get why people are asking a million random questions. You saw what is on the development model of the iPhone, just zip it and enjoy this amazing product and watch how it continues to develop. Do you really think that the product is done if it is not due for release until June, but FCC approval typically only runs 2 months.

[emotion]

I don't get why people are asking a million random questions. You saw what is on the development model of the iPhone, just zip it and enjoy this amazing product and watch how it continues to develop. Do you really think that the product is done if it is not due for release until June, but FCC approval typically only runs 2 months.

+1

This is beta hardware right now. We need to wait a while before passing any kind of harsh judgement.

[Trekkie]

The implementation is NOT a joke -- it is smart marketing with America's largest carrier. Only way to get the initial price down and get double marketing.

I do hope it is marketed better than the the ROKR and the Razr iTunes phones were, or weren't depending on your point of view.

[Warbrain]

The more and more I read about the iPhone and droll while looking at the pictures, I want one more and more. I'm definitely saving up the money for the 4 GB version but if I can manage an extra 100 dollars, I'll get the 8 GB.

I have one question though...is OS X on the iPhone installed on the 4/8 GB of space or is it hardwired in somewhere else in the phone?

[Evangelion]

So when are we going to see the same technology (touchscreen, Wifi, bluetooth, vert/hoz sensing etc) applied to a new iPod. The iPhone without the phone but with a hard drive?

IMO 2-3 months at most. Price would be a bit higher than current iPod (about 50 bucks more). Taking aout camera, Wifi and cell-phone does save quite a bit of money :). And they can reuse the software and design of the iPhone.

[emotion]

The more and more I read about the iPhone and droll while looking at the pictures, I want one more and more. I'm definitely saving up the money for the 4 GB version but if I can manage an extra 100 dollars, I'll get the 8 GB.

I have one question though...is OS X on the iPhone installed on the 4/8 GB of space or is it hardwired in somewhere else in the phone?

It's on a ROM, the ipod has an OS too y'know (portal player or the like), that doesn't take up space on the ipod storage does it?

[Trekkie]

What a bunch o' psuedo-entitled, whining b!tches. I've been a member of this Forum for a good long time and never heard so much cryin'.

You must be new to keynotes. This happens everytime. Whether it's the MacBook, MacBook Pro, iPod, Mac Pro, whatever is announced isn't good enough and sucks and wah wah wah. Happens every time. The fun part about the forum is you have to filter through the garbage and find the good stuff.

What's really amusing is reading the people with 'industry friends' or whatever who know what they're doing. So far I've seen 14 dates for when the exclusivity of the Cingular agreement dies with various sources that are 'absolutely right' and then the reasons Cingular sucks and/or is the best, or how expensive it is, or how long it is until release, etc.

[knackroller]

This is basically the same features as a Windows Pocket PC - phone, touchscreen (big screen), media player etc. But where Windows drives me nuts is the lousy interface and buggy OS. I'm hoping the iPhone will do the same but with a reliable and classy OS - will definitely be getting one ...

[knackroller]

...Wait...What, no 3G?

[knackroller]

..Wait ...wait..what, no Wifi? (Sorry guys, I can't help but compare this with my O2 pda phone).

[whooleytoo]

Regarding Wifi syncing - it has been answered in another thread - there is none.

[shecky]

well, i managed to watch the keynote in full last night and i have some more thoughts that may have already been mentioned here:

- steve's RDF (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality_distortion_field) was in full, massive effect. he looked good and energized, making jokes, etc. it was the steve we all know and love... or is it fear?

-watching the phone work was like seeing a scene from any "futuristic" action thriller (think "I, Robot" or "Minority Report") which has a lot of cool looking futuristic UI stuff going on. it was THAT cool.

-i love the size but i am already tense about people putting it in a pocket next to keys, etc. interested to see what cases and whatnot pop up for it

-still not going to get it if it is only on Cingular

-curious about how well the touch screen actually works - the steve makes it look great

-really want to know if it is going to be an open platform for 3rd party developers

-does it work with itunes on windows?

-someone else said that calling it an iPhone is too limiting, and i agree. this is what the UMPC and the OQO want to be. the combination of touch screen + wireless connectivity + flash storage + "open" operating system (hopefully) really does make this the iWalk everyone wants to have. as a platform i think it is going to usher in a whole new slew of devices that really start to deliver on the promises of the tablet/pda/smartphone/UMPC/laptop all in a way that works seamlessly. this thing with an 8" screen, apple remote, 80GB hard drive and a few ports for video out, etc. would be an incredible semi-laptop that a lot of people would cream over for mobile information, web browsing, presentation, media sharing, etc. i think of it less as the "iPhone" and more as the "iPlatform" that can be greatly extended.

-overall i am even more impressed and even more convinced that i will not buy one in June.

[Warbrain]

It's on a ROM, the ipod has an OS too y'know (portal player or the like), that doesn't take up space on the ipod storage does it?

Good point. I just wanted to make sure about that since it is OS X and it's gotta have a good amount of space for it somewhere. I should've thought about that more. Thanks.

[emotion]

Good point. I just wanted to make sure about that since it is OS X and it's gotta have a good amount of space for it somewhere. I should've thought about that more.

:)

[Trekkie]

Hello,

why just GSM/EDGE?

I am very disappointed about this. Here in Germany, only T-Mobile hast EDGE and even they only habe it at few locations.

UMTS in contrast is now widely available and much faster (HSDPA = 1,8 MBit/s!!), all operators here have decided to put the money in UMTS and not EDGE.

That means I would have a super high tech phone, but only a slow GPRS connection. As I also want to use it to connect my notebook wirelessly on the go this does not make sense to me.

I hope they change theyr mind soon. Since I can get (unlocked!) UMTS phones for less than 300 Euros now, a pure GSM (EDGE is nearly useless here!)iPhone is not good enough, not for the price tag it will have.

One could guess that maybe this is why it is avaliable in June '07 in the US and Q4 '07 in the EU.

Because when it hits the EU, it'll be tailored for that market in the form of UMTS support and 3G support since it is more prevalent there.

I'm not singling you out for the rest of this, this is just in general to the rest of the semi anti-US release comments.

For those of you pointing and laughing about how we don't have 3G yet. Please take your tiny little country and superimpose it over the United States. note the rather dramatic difference in geography. that requires a lot more towers, a lot more money, and the population density of those areas isn't near the density it is in your geographical smallness so the risk/reward of putting in a 3G tower to replace a less than 5 year old 2G tower isn't so high, and as a company wanting to make some money you don't necessarily upgrade to 3G right away, especially if your user base isn't clamoring for it.

Now in select larger cities with a huge density of population things are being rolled out to 3G. This is just like when CDMA hit or GSM hit. We saw it pop up in cities, and then roll out slowly over two years or more. Again it's a density of population.

As far as the few 'neener neener you don't use mobile phones in the states mate' type comments, not sure how you decide who uses phones or not but in a small sampling of individuals I'm aware of (around 500 - 700) I do not know of a single one who does not own a mobile phone. So I'm not sure how you measure that unless you're mistaken.

[emotion]

For those of you pointing and laughing about how we don't have 3G yet. Please take your tiny little country and superimpose it over the United States. note the rather dramatic difference in geography.

Europe tiny (wikipedia has it bigger than the USA)? We also have the trouble of it being many different countries. The US is just one.

[radio893fm]

No 3G

8Gb instead of 80gb

Ugly design (non apple)

U$599 + 2 years of contract

No revolutionary at all... you can find a lot of the functions in so many products that probably the only innovation is the auto-portrait thing and it might be even out there...

So no iPhone for me now until probably rev 4... like I said before, Sony P990 is a much better device and it was released without that super secret egotistical presentation of 1 hour and without so much secrecy.

[Trekkie]

I haven't read the entire thread, so if this is a repost, forgive me.

After reading the first two pages I read unlocked waay too many times and in frustration i'm posting without reading the rest of the thread.

Cingular DOES NOT lock its handsets!

Therefore, if you have t-mo, live in Canada (Rogers/Fido)...or even South Africa, you can get this phone and use it on your own network.


Not a repost, just incorrect. They lock their handsets. After six months of service they will unlock them no charge.

[OKComputer]

Does anyone know the NON 2year contract price? I just got Cingular. Jeez.

[emotion]

No 3G

8Gb instead of 80gb

Ugly design (non apple)

U$599 + 2 years of contract

No revolutionary at all... you can find a lot of the functions in so many products that probably the only innovation is the auto-portrait thing and it might be even out there...

So no iPhone for me now until probably rev 4... like I said before, Sony P990 is a much better device and it was released without that super secret egotistical presentation of 1 hour and without so much secrecy.

Do yourself a favour and look at the Keynote. Whilst this device has it's glaringly obvious limitations, the interface alone is enough to earn it the 'revolutionary' tag.

As for the price, well it's a high end luxury good. Not all people can afford Rolexes either :)

[Warbrain]

Does anyone know the NON 2year contract price? I just got Cingular. Jeez.

600-700? I don't know. I don't think that's been released yet.

[Nym]

Blah, this is sad, everyone hates Apple now...

I for one think that the iPhone is a mind-blowing product, for people who spend 3000$ on a Mac Pro or 2500$ on a MacBookPro, saying that the phone is unbelievably expensive is simply forgetting what we all say when PC users claim that Mac's are overpriced: "Quality has a price"
Just like that... 499$ is fair IMO. I'll buy the 4GB version, I have a 2GB first gen Nano and the music that I REALLY need "on the go" fits there with no problem, in fact I always end up with 500MB of music that I really don't listen to anyway, and yes, I have a music library of >20GB on my Mac and 2GB is enough for my daily usage!

That being said, you people have very high standards and are very picky, I still can't believe how so many of you are completely trashing Apple for making this original, brilliant, thought out Phone just because it doesn't have your "name written on it".

FWIW, I congratulate Apple for making such a product, they really are ahead of their time.

[radio893fm]

Do yourself a favour and look at the Keynote. Whilst this device has it's glaringly obvious limitations, the interface alone is enough to earn it the 'revolutionary' tag.

As for the price, well it's a high end luxury good. Not all people can afford Rolexes either :)

Do yourself a favor... stop being a fanboy and get back to reality.

No revolutionary at all... nice but not revolutionary!

[OKComputer]

Here is a feature I'd like to see:

Powerpoint/Keynote playback. This way I don't even have to take my laptop with me to presentations just a minijack to composite adaptor

[SPG]

Wow, 30 pages of hate.

The reality is that in order to have the revolutionary features like random access voice mail, conference, wifi email while on a call, and all that you HAVE TO PARTNER WITH A COMPANY like Cingular. Would it be nicer to get this unlocked without contracts at the same price? Sure, but then how would you get those features? You'd just have a phone/ipod. Maybe a less expensive phonepod will come later without the highend features, but regardless of future speculation the iPhone is by far the most advanced phone out there even if it doesn't cater to every single one of your pet issues.
I wish it was on Tmobile for $20/month, but I know it won't happen so I'll check out the offer in June and if it works for me I'll suck it up and switch over and have the best phone I've ever seen and not have to carry around a laptop just to get emails and check the web.

Read the first thread on the iPod release and see how much hating was going on there and how completely wrong it was in the end.
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=500

[dave999z]

I have only one question -- How is my corporation going to push email to this thing (and sync calendar and contacts)? Via Good, BES, ActiveSync, Intellisync?

Apple hasn't cited a single spec suggesting it will work with any of these protocols. If it doesn't, then it is not going to replace a blackberry or smartphone for the majority of businesspeople.

[emotion]

Do yourself a favor... stop being a fanboy and get back to reality.

No revolutionary at all... nice but not revolutionary!


No fanfoyisms here (read some of my recent posts, I point out a lot of the shortcomings of the device). Honestly though, if you can't see the potential that's cool.

Go and see the Keynote. You have seen it right?

edit: remember thread 500?

[ts1973]

Wow, 30 pages of hate.

The reality is that in order to have the revolutionary features like random access voice mail, conference, wifi email while on a call, and all that you HAVE TO PARTNER WITH A COMPANY like Cingular. Would it be nicer to get this unlocked without contracts at the same price? Sure, but then how would you get those features? You'd just have a phone/ipod.

I don't agree. The only thing Cingular offers more than any other network is the clickable messagebox, and although I think it is a nice feature, I wouldn't want to join any network for it. All the rest is standard stuff on any network.

No, this is only about money : Cingular offered the most cash to Apple, so they got the contract. And Apple needed a contractor to get the price of the thing down to an acceptable level. Clear and simple :)

[ki-goi]

[unchangeable battery won't] be an issue I think. Smartphones are for tech geeks, and those people usually have a USB connector somewhere. Besides, it does not seem you are supposed to sync it via Bluetooth or wireless, so every time you sync it, you might as well leave it in the dock until you're going out again.

all that's true, it's easy enough. the easiest interface though is a spare battery. the iphone takes apple handheld gizmos out of the "oops, battery's low" recreational device into the "oh ****, no battery" area.

the bottom rear looks like a battery or a door for it, unless they're planning a slide-out keyboard, which i'd love. physical button presses and shapes make me happy. i've never liked touchpad tapping, flat-board typing, or clicking the mighty mouse. mechanical mechanisms click in ear and hand and they work better.

Do you know anyone who carries a spare battery for the cell phone all the time? ... Now all you need is a iPod-cable and the Apple iPod AC-Adapter or any USB port. ... I wish I could also charge my current phone and camera via USB, would make my life a lot easier.

i have the apple adapter. it's too heavy to carry around, for what it does, i use it to power the ipod dock connected to the stereo. the solio charger is more useful because it doesn't require a power outlet. charge it before a trip, then recharge with sun if it and the ipod run low. actually the solio comes with cables to charge phones, you should take a look at it.

on a recent trip i took only the USB cable for the ipod, charged it 3 times on 2 other people's computers. this was fine. but on a serious trip where i seriously needed the phone i would never risk the phone not ringing. bring two batteries, be sure they're both charged before leaving.

[nemaslov]

Does it "squirt?":D

[Compile 'em all]

unless they're planning a slide-out keyboard

:rolleyes:

[fiddle245]

Do yourself a favour and look at the Keynote. Whilst this device has it's glaringly obvious limitations, the interface alone is enough to earn it the 'revolutionary' tag.

As for the price, well it's a high end luxury good. Not all people can afford Rolexes either :)

Do you think Tablet PC's are revolutionary? Cuz they've been out
for 10+ years w/ a touch screen interface, and I've yet to meet
someone who has one.

And the whole "High end luxury" tag was why Apple sucked so much until
the past few years in the first place

[Tanglewood]

...Wait...What, no 3G?

Yeah this is what caught my eye. This gives room for improvement on the next update for the iPhone, I guess.

[petvas]

tablet PC's failed because the interface didnt really change. Only the hardware changed!
The Tablet PCs that came to the market werent that good and apart from One Note, you couldnt do anything else...

[fletchbaby]

first of all, i'm quite suprised at how the phone as really split the mac community into factions.

now, i really liked the presentation and the phone is really amazing and i think i would get one except for my one reservation that was not addressed at all during the presentation:

will you be able to turn the phone functionality off to use the ipod/video on a plane. it seems like the only time i'm really using any of the video features or even cary the larger ipod (i used the nano most of the time) is when i'm traveling. if you can't use it on a plane, that would be a very serious shortcoming...