These "premium" carriers also use CDMA technology which accounts for a very small percentage of cell users worldwide. If Apple wanted to make any sort of market userbase, it would have to be GSM technology.
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iPhone disappointment
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These "premium" carriers also use CDMA technology which accounts for a very small percentage of cell users worldwide. If Apple wanted to make any sort of market userbase, it would have to be GSM technology.
Ymmv
Everyone is going to disagree on the carrier. In my area, Verizon is the best for coverage and has a lot of reception in some of the rural areas surrounding my community. I would love to have the phone, but wouldn't switch carriers. YMMV in your area of course. Hopefully they will have CDMA version someday.
Everyone is going to disagree on the carrier. In my area, Verizon is the best for coverage and has a lot of reception in some of the rural areas surrounding my community. I would love to have the phone, but wouldn't switch carriers. YMMV in your area of course. Hopefully they will have CDMA version someday.
Depending on the processing power of the thing, a full movie might only use up 500mb or so. Thats a good 12-16 movies on the 8gb which isn't too shabby at all. Do you really need to carry more movies than that?
Most of the UI is a great improvement over existing smartphones. However, I was wondering how well the keyboard will work, by comparison to normal keypads?
Even with "correcting" entry, the size of each letter on a QWERTY keyboard (particularly in portrait orientation) must be really small. I've not exactly got the biggest thumbs and I can imagine it being "fidly" - lack of tactile feedback doesn't help here. This seems pretty crucial for SMS/Email.
Otherwise, this is pretty close to functionality I would ideally have liked in my current smart phone - nokia n70. However, I'm not convinced that this phone is as "revolutionary", as its badged. Many of the phones scheduled for release, over the next year, by Nokia and Sony have similar or better functionality - the only thing they are lacking is the touch interface and ease of use.
Will this, and desirability, be enough to trade-off against high-price and restrictive operator availability? Also, I hope they open up the platform to developers, as the availability of 3rd-party software is a fantastitic feature of symbian etc. They didn't clarify whether it was possible to upload/run normal OS X applications?
J
Even with "correcting" entry, the size of each letter on a QWERTY keyboard (particularly in portrait orientation) must be really small. I've not exactly got the biggest thumbs and I can imagine it being "fidly" - lack of tactile feedback doesn't help here. This seems pretty crucial for SMS/Email.
Otherwise, this is pretty close to functionality I would ideally have liked in my current smart phone - nokia n70. However, I'm not convinced that this phone is as "revolutionary", as its badged. Many of the phones scheduled for release, over the next year, by Nokia and Sony have similar or better functionality - the only thing they are lacking is the touch interface and ease of use.
Will this, and desirability, be enough to trade-off against high-price and restrictive operator availability? Also, I hope they open up the platform to developers, as the availability of 3rd-party software is a fantastitic feature of symbian etc. They didn't clarify whether it was possible to upload/run normal OS X applications?
J
Actually - just found this:
"Cingular will be Apple's sole U.S. partner. It's an exclusive multiyear agreement, which means no other carrier will be able to sell the iPhone through 2009."
We can always hope that once they've tested them out in the colonies that we'll get more memory here.
I don't think a lot of you realize the control these carriers have over the mobile industry. Think of this Cingular deal much similarily as iTunes w/ TV shows. If you recall, in the beginning, iTunes only had 1 network ABC, but as the rest of the TV industry realized that putting their content on iTunes was a GOOD thing you saw the rest of them follow.
The same (I believe) will hold true if things work out right for Apple.
But back on the "control" issue, there's a VERY good reason why Apple did not go with Verizon Wireless, namely VZW is extremely hardlined in putting their own interface and control on every single phone they sell out. Basically (using VZW as an example), Apple and Verizon Wireless would never meet halfway with each other. Honestly, I guarantee that Apple would love to release their iPhone to absolutely everyone, but the wireless industry is so controlling that they won't let anyone do what Apple wants to do in this new phone.
Let's hope the phone sells well, because if it does it more than likely will attract OTHER carriers to try to deal with Apple in bringing Apple's phone(s) to their network.
(I wrote a post earlier about this on the problems that Apple would have w/ the iPhone... turns out I was right.)
w00master
The same (I believe) will hold true if things work out right for Apple.
But back on the "control" issue, there's a VERY good reason why Apple did not go with Verizon Wireless, namely VZW is extremely hardlined in putting their own interface and control on every single phone they sell out. Basically (using VZW as an example), Apple and Verizon Wireless would never meet halfway with each other. Honestly, I guarantee that Apple would love to release their iPhone to absolutely everyone, but the wireless industry is so controlling that they won't let anyone do what Apple wants to do in this new phone.
Let's hope the phone sells well, because if it does it more than likely will attract OTHER carriers to try to deal with Apple in bringing Apple's phone(s) to their network.
(I wrote a post earlier about this on the problems that Apple would have w/ the iPhone... turns out I was right.)
w00master
Is anyone else dissapointed with the iPhone?
Hey everybody,
With the recent release of the iPhone, I can't say that I'm getting one. I was never really part of all of the hype about the device, and I don't see why everyone is so excited. You're getting a smartphone with some extra features, and the name of Apple, for $400-600? no thanks.
And, why waste your money on this thing when you've already got a phone? I'm sure the majority of you already have a phone, and a different service provider.
Thats why I was looking forward to a full-screen video iPod w/ Wifi, and not a phone. With the iPhone, you are getting a phone plus a crippled iPod with only 8GB of flash memory, for $800. I mean, hey, it looks like a great product with some very promising features, but they need to work on that price. I do like the web browser, and I really like the touch interface. But not the product as a whole; those features could have been better implemented into a 6th Gen iPod.
Does anyone agree?
Hey everybody,
With the recent release of the iPhone, I can't say that I'm getting one. I was never really part of all of the hype about the device, and I don't see why everyone is so excited. You're getting a smartphone with some extra features, and the name of Apple, for $400-600? no thanks.
And, why waste your money on this thing when you've already got a phone? I'm sure the majority of you already have a phone, and a different service provider.
Thats why I was looking forward to a full-screen video iPod w/ Wifi, and not a phone. With the iPhone, you are getting a phone plus a crippled iPod with only 8GB of flash memory, for $800. I mean, hey, it looks like a great product with some very promising features, but they need to work on that price. I do like the web browser, and I really like the touch interface. But not the product as a whole; those features could have been better implemented into a 6th Gen iPod.
Does anyone agree?
I'm sure the phone will work with other carriers, but (a) it won't handle some things, like video messages and maybe lots of the carrier-specific stuff, and (b) you'd still need to buy the 2-year contract, so it'd cost a lot of money to buy it to use elsewhere.
The only ways I'm disappointed with it is that it costs a lot of $$$ and it's not coming out 'til June. Other than that, it looks totally sweet.
i have never seen a product that i want this badly. and i cant frigging use it!
cingular service sucks where i live and most of the surrounding area. Alltel is king in this area as well as other carriers compatible with their towers. i believe they are CDMA.
from what ive heard and read Cingular is a horrible provider..not just here but everywhere. however...to get this phone id even consider changing over to them, but its a technical impossibility for me to do so.
why cant i just combine the wonderfulness of the iPhone and the awesome plans from alltel? why? *sob*
also locking into a GSM network is ok i guess...as much as that sucks for CDMA customers, but locking into one PROVIDER i think is pretty bad. that really limits the audience and throttles their sales rather harshly.
cingular service sucks where i live and most of the surrounding area. Alltel is king in this area as well as other carriers compatible with their towers. i believe they are CDMA.
from what ive heard and read Cingular is a horrible provider..not just here but everywhere. however...to get this phone id even consider changing over to them, but its a technical impossibility for me to do so.
why cant i just combine the wonderfulness of the iPhone and the awesome plans from alltel? why? *sob*
also locking into a GSM network is ok i guess...as much as that sucks for CDMA customers, but locking into one PROVIDER i think is pretty bad. that really limits the audience and throttles their sales rather harshly.
ya the moon is nice and peaceful...but service up here sucks
but seriously...i live in florida and alltel is the numero uno provider around here. they have the most coverage and best overall plans.
i know alot of people that have cingular, sprint, and t-mobile that get very frustrated because they have many more dead spots than people with alltel and other networks compatible with their towers.
but seriously...i live in florida and alltel is the numero uno provider around here. they have the most coverage and best overall plans.
i know alot of people that have cingular, sprint, and t-mobile that get very frustrated because they have many more dead spots than people with alltel and other networks compatible with their towers.
Are you kidding me? Same value? HA! An 80 GB iPod is $350. The iPhone is $600. 1/10 the storage, 2 times the price.
I don't know why people are complaining. Yes, I switched to verizon from Cingular, only because ALL of my friends that I talk to have verizon so I have that P2P crap. Will Apple after 6 months of exclusive cingular thing branch off to verizon, yes they will...its just like the razr. People, be patient. And really, why someone would pay $600 for a phone is beyond me. I'm waiting til the price goes down....drastically. (PS yes i know its revolutionary, but seriously Apple, why can't you have some products geared towards the college student getting minimum wage...just throwin it out there haha)
I'm in the UK, so the iPhone won't be here for a while, but when I first saw it's capabilities, I immediately thought I wanted one......then came the price.....then came the realisation that 8GB was pitiful for movies, music etc.
I'd also have preferred it if they'd made a widescreen ipod, with the same "controls" as the iphone, just without the phone and OS X capabilities, and released an phone, which was a phone, rather than an all in one PDA, both of which I'd probably have been tempted to buy. The 8GB storage isn't enough- I have 32GB of music, and know people with more.
Does anyone think they're still pursuing the widescreen ipod idea? Or will that now be banished due to the release of the iphone.
Also, anyone think that a $499 price point is way too high? When it's out (in UK), it'll probably be about £299, and if they stick with a 2 year contract, that means spending £720 over 24 months plus the phone cost! That's not the way to entice new customers.
I'd also have preferred it if they'd made a widescreen ipod, with the same "controls" as the iphone, just without the phone and OS X capabilities, and released an phone, which was a phone, rather than an all in one PDA, both of which I'd probably have been tempted to buy. The 8GB storage isn't enough- I have 32GB of music, and know people with more.
Does anyone think they're still pursuing the widescreen ipod idea? Or will that now be banished due to the release of the iphone.
Also, anyone think that a $499 price point is way too high? When it's out (in UK), it'll probably be about £299, and if they stick with a 2 year contract, that means spending £720 over 24 months plus the phone cost! That's not the way to entice new customers.
Not one to normally making sweeping generalisations but that is such a typical statement for an American to make.
From what the Cingular boss said it appears that Apple said "do you want our phone on your network", to which he replied "fax the contract over and I'll sign it now".
I think all of the phone networks would done the same, why do they need to see the phone or know anything about it when its being made by Apple????