Andy Ihnatko: Hands on with iPhone

[Maccus Aurelius]

If not for my affinity for bare bones cell phones that I can knock about without worry, I'd get this in a second.

[Hunabku]

Originally Posted by Peace

Jeff Han is one of the ones credited with the multi-touch technology behind the iPhone.

So then he is in the patents? - i assume that apple purchased all the rights from Jeff?

Well i saw this video a while back via a link provided here on macrumors. Truly impressive! I think we are now seeing the shape of apples killer new device for 2008. Not as big as the one Jeff is using for sure. Small at first but with multi-touch and the new class of "non-interface" apps to go with it we have something that new machines of many sizes can eventually be built around.

Did you see the interface along the top - it was the os x dock. Finally the tablet realized. Starting to actually feel like 2007.

[Rychiar]

if its OS resembles leopard than is there any chance leopard will have a slick glossy black interface? I am sooooo sick of light gray everything. Black would be so sleek and much easier on the eyes... and i don't mean vista black. I mean jet black with a shine to it I guess I can dream

[j_maddison]

Originally Posted by dllavaneras

I'm glad the keyboard is easy to use. Too bad you can't write with your eyes closed like I can on my cell phone. But that in no way diminishes the awe factor of the iPhone for me

I love the iPhone, but I seriously doubt that a qwerty keyboard can ever be as quick as predictive texting on a keypad. A keypad with predictive text will always take less strokes than a qwerty one. I'm dog slow on a blackberry, or any keyboard that requires me to look at the keys. I can type between 80wpm when I'm touch typing though.

I just wish Apple would give a second option of being able to use some form of predictive text that didnt use a qwerty keyboard.

jay

[Mgkwho]

Does anyone think Apple can take existing MBs and MBPs and add a similar way of using touchpads in Leopard? They added two finger scrolling and right clicking to shipping versions AND as firmware upgrades (or maybe it was software?), so would there be a reason as to why this is not possible?

-=|Mgkwho

[mojohanna]

If the iPhone OS is truly based on leopard, i think that (along with the scaling of production) is the root cause behind the release being 6 months out. They can't release a phone that is running leopard and have people try to sync it up with tiger (well they could but then they would run into poetential problems). This means that leopard will be out certainly before the release of the phone and the two will talk with each other flawlessly.

[puckhead193]

i only have to complaints, its not 3g and as of now no ichat/AIM software, other then that, i think this is going to be birthday present!

[Peace]

Originally Posted by puckhead193

i only have to complaints, its not 3g and as of now no ichat/AIM software, other then that, i think this is going to be birthday present!

I truly believe the iChat function will come out.Maybe rev.B.

[Bubbasteve]

Originally Posted by Peace

I truly believe the iChat function will come out.Maybe rev.B.

I am holding out for that...I was really hoping that would be part of the package when Jobs said this is a breakthrough mobile internet communicator (or whatever he said)...I love the Safari feature, but I would like iChat mobile more

[jhedges3]

Originally Posted by Peace

I truly believe the iChat function will come out.Maybe rev.B.

Yeah. It seems like included in the list of things it doesn’t have are iChat and 3g, as has been discussed at length on MR and elsewhere. And it seems obvious enough to predict that they’ll be there either by June or with early subsequent revisions. But, beyond a general notion that the things that people want will eventually be included, what makes one think that ‘rev.B’ will have it? What is the evidence for that?

Another question is why, given what we know now, won’t the June version have either of those, iChat or 3g?

From what I can remember, neither Pogue nor Ihnatko have commonted on the speed of Internet browsing, sending files, getting mail, etc. either by Wifi or by Edge. Any predictions on that? My guess would be that those things would have to be fast enough to make their functionality worth buying. In other words, why would they go to this length to include better mail and browsing capabilities if they knew that without 3g it will be slow enough to not make those things worth doing?

[blipper]

Originally Posted by BRLawyer

So, anyone out there still willing to bash the iPhone, or say that it will be a complete flop? Thanks...

Not a complete flop, but not worth my spending my hard earned dollars on.

The Cingular(now ATT) 2 year contract is a dealbreaker. Today's Baltimore Sun confirmed my intuition, tech columnist Mike Himowitz reporting "In Consumer Reports' most recent satisfaction survey of more than 50,000 cell phone customers nationwide, Cingular's service ranked last or next-to-last in every metropolitan area."

Ihnatko has never struck me as a particularly useful reporter about anything Apple related. I'm needing to get another phone soon. I think I'll stay with Verizon and whatever lesser phone they offer. (currently, I'm using a Treo 600).

[kironin]

Originally Posted by j_maddison

I just wish Apple would give a second option of being able to use some form of predictive text that didnt use a qwerty keyboard.
jay

I am hoping that it's possible to set up alternatives.

I use the excellent Colemak keyboard layout now on my Macbook.
Why should I have to regress now on a virtual keyboard ?

http://colemak.com/

[arn]

Originally Posted by jhedges3

From what I can remember, neither Pogue nor Ihnatko have commonted on the speed of Internet browsing, sending files, getting mail, etc. either by Wifi or by Edge. Any predictions on that?

iLounge said wifi browsing was fast.

Speed of Access: The iPhone was being demonstrated in Wi-fi mode as opposed to live cellular/EDGE mode, which is why the Google Maps and web content loaded so fast.

http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/ipo...hone-hands-on/

[jonharris200]

Originally Posted by Macrumors

"After 30 seconds, I was already typing faster with the iPhone than I ever have with any other phone."

Ah, but what Mr Ihnatko fails to tell us is how fast he types on all those other phones.

[mrrory]

Originally Posted by rdrr

I am more concerned with the Cingular phone/data plans they intend to offer. I want to buy the phone, but if I am locked in for two years into some ultra expensive plan, it will be a deal breaker. I am also hoping they offer this with family plans.

Yes, yes, and yes!

[Apple Corps]

jhedges3 - Another question is why, given what we know now, won’t the June version have either of those, iChat or 3g?

The 3G decision has to do with lack of near term network coverage - something clearly out of Apple's hands.

[j_maddison]

Originally Posted by kironin

I am hoping that it's possible to set up alternatives.

I use the excellent Colemak keyboard layout now on my Macbook.
Why should I have to regress now on a virtual keyboard ?

http://colemak.com/

I've downloaded colemark and will give it a try. My main problem with Dvorak was that it changed some of the other keys layout and slowed me down, I also read that once you were proficient at touch typing Dvorak had no real benefit in terms of speed, so it will be interesting to see if this offers a greater benefit.

thanks

Jason

Originally Posted by jonharris200

Ah, but what Mr Ihnatko fails to tell us is how fast he types on all those other phones.

Exactly, give me a spotty teenager who is addicted to texting and we'll get a proper review then

[zelmo]

Originally Posted by crees!

50% of equipment and 25% off the monthly bill. I just LOVE company discounts!

I read somewhere that Cingular/ATT had already agreed to Apple's edict of no discounts on iPhone for business customers or anyone else. Sorry.

[Rocketman]

Originally Posted by puckhead193

i only have to complaints, its not 3g and as of now no ichat/AIM software, other then that, i think this is going to be birthday present!

Has anyone seen a Cingular or AT&T wireless roadmap for cellular upgrades? I believe public filings (Federal Register) preceed and disclose them.

Rocketman

[EagerDragon]

Send my thanks to the Man. He got all of 45 minutes when others only got 10.

This is good news and a great report. But I will wait until my crontract runs out or Apple drops the price by $100 to cover some of the cost of switching.

Love to have one, sorry as hell I will have to wait longer than 6 months.

[harmless]

Originally Posted by kironin

I use the excellent Colemak keyboard layout now on my Macbook.
Why should I have to regress now on a virtual keyboard ?

Because there is no 3rd party software support for the iPhone.
So you will have to do with the software Apple puts on the device.

[EagerDragon]

Originally Posted by MrMacMan

Wasn't it stated for a fact flat out that the iPhone was NOT going to use a version of Mac Os X as its operating system?

-- MrMacMan

It uses OSX not the Mac specific code like the GUI and stuff. More like a strip down version that keeps what it needs and gets rid of anything that the hardware does not need.

Originally Posted by Rocketman

Balmer of Microsoft was interviewed on CNBC where he directly criticized the iPhone (ATN) keyboard. Now the hands-on user and reviewer for the Sun-Times directly refutes those claims of inadequacy:

"2. I think the iPhone's virtual keyboard is a huge improvement over the mechanical thumbpads found on the Treo and any other smart phones of its size.

The buttons are significantly larger, you don't have to hit them dead-center, you lightly tap them instead of punching them down, and the software is smart enough to know that you meant to type "Tuesday" instead of "Tudsday."

After 30 seconds, I was already typing faster with the iPhone than I ever have with any other phone. I suspect that true e-mail demons will need to adapt to the lack of tactile feedback, though."

Rocketman

I would not even consider the possibility that anything Microsoft says about an Apple product is true. Apple is not perfect, but I rather listen to someone that is less intend on having Apple fail at anything.

[jhedges3]

Originally Posted by Apple Corps

jhedges3 - Another question is why, given what we know now, won’t the June version have either of those, iChat or 3g?

The 3G decision has to do with lack of near term network coverage - something clearly out of Apple's hands.

Right. The Wikipedia page for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) supports your claim:

Under a previous agreement with NTT DoCoMo, US provider AT&T Wireless (now Cingular) was required to build and market UMTS networks in four major United States cities by the end of 2004. At CTIA 2004, Cingular announced that their 3G network would be a 1900 MHz only implementation of UMTS and would launch by the end of that year as planned. However, since then they have chosen to deploy on 850 MHz and did not release any 1900 MHz-only devices. As of August 2006, Cingular has deployed UMTS/HSDPA networks in 17 U.S. markets covering 52 cities. Markets include New York (NY), Austin (TX), Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Portland (OR), Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose (CA), Seattle, Tacoma and Washington, D.C.

Roll-out in the US has been limited by a lack of suitable spectrum until recently. The FCC auctioned spectrum in the 1750 and 2150 bands [1], and at least one winner, T-Mobile, has announced a roll-out of a national UMTS network on these frequencies starting from next year[2].

Previous US roll-outs have suffered due to lack of spectrum, requiring the sharing the 850MHz and 1900MHz bands allocated for cellular communication in the US with existing 1G and 2G networks. The UMTS requirement for 5 MHz frequency slots, much larger than that required for existing networks, can create difficulty for US operators as many are only licensed for 5MHz in each direction in certain areas, and as such cannot run both their existing system and UMTS in the areas affected.

It seems like the list of areas with 3G coverage is not as up to date as the one on the Cingular’s website. Which, for example, includes Los Angeles and others.

[Warbrain]

Originally Posted by zelmo

I read somewhere that Cingular/ATT had already agreed to Apple's edict of no discounts on iPhone for business customers or anyone else. Sorry.

Yep, no business discounts on the iPhone but probably on the plans.

Andy got the 45 minutes because he is the best Apple tech reported out there. I trust no one but him when it comes to details like this.

[grafikat]

As someone who's been braving sub freezing temperatures all winter, I was bummed to read I can't wear gloves and use the touch pad. I hate having to take my gloves off when it's so cold.