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3G AddOn for 1st iPhone? Possible?

ShiggyMiyamoto

ShiggyMiyamoto

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Mar 29, 2004
620
31
Just outside Boston, MA.
Would it possible for a 3G add-on to be manufactured for the 1st iPhone? I mean, the OS knows to look for the 3G chipset, so how hard would it be to make a dock-connector 3G accessory? Battery could be saved by not having the device attached.

I think it could work. What do you all think?
 
ShiggyMiyamoto said:
Would it possible for a 3G add-on to be manufactured for the 1st iPhone? I mean, the OS knows to look for the 3G chipset, so how hard would it be to make a dock-connector 3G accessory? Battery could be saved by not having the device attached.

I think it could work. What do you all think?
Click to expand...

Edit: I don't think think so... It would probably be very complicated!
 
I think that it would be, realistically, impossible. Whilst the iPhone 3G firmware knows how to work with one specific 3G chipset it expects it to be connected in a very particular way. It will not look for it on the Dock connector. So custom drivers would be required which are not permitted under the SDK agreement.

Coupled with the limited market I don't see anyone even trying.
 
stevin said:
I think you just asked a very stupid question. While I don't know the answer I'd assume that its a big fat NO!
Click to expand...

That wasn't the initial answer I was expecting, but ok. It was a legitimate question/thought. Your attitude with the post isn't appreciated. No question is stupid. You ask questions to learn, right?

robbieduncan said:
I think that it would be, realistically, impossible. Whilst the iPhone 3G firmware knows how to work with one specific 3G chipset it expects it to be connected in a very particular way. It will not look for it on the Dock connector. So custom drivers would be required which are not permitted under the SDK agreement.

Coupled with the limited market I don't see anyone even trying.
Click to expand...

Okay, well what if Apple endorses it somehow?
 
It would be so difficult to do, that it would probably be nearly impossible to do, if it were possible to be made. And on top of that, it would just be cheaper in means of development and work just for people to buy the iPhone 3G.

stevin said:
I think you just asked a very stupid question...
Click to expand...
There is no need to be rude like that, the original poster already stated that they did not have all that much knowledge on the subject, and this is still something that may be possible, even though not practical.
 
ShiggyMiyamoto said:
That wasn't the initial answer I was expecting, but ok. It was a legitimate question/thought. Your attitude with the post isn't appreciate. No question is stupid. You ask questions to learn, right?
Click to expand...

ya, disregard that guy.

The only way it could happen would be as a separate item. It's not going to be built in.

As a separate item, you could theoretically have a device that is a 3G connection and shares to Wifi. The iPhone could then hop on that wifi.

Something like this
http://www.evdoinfo.com/content/view/2124/63/

but, you might as well just get a new iPhone

arn
 
JML42691 said:
It would be so difficult to do, that it would probably be nearly impossible to do, if it were possible to be made. And on top of that, it would just be cheaper in means of development and work just for people to buy the iPhone 3G.
Click to expand...

Hmmm Okay. I thought it'd be interesting if Apple/AT&T as well could gain customers to 3G on the iPhone with a simple accessory as mentioned theoretically in my thread here. I'd be willing to pay the additional $30 for the higher data plan charges...

arn said:
ya, disregard that guy.

The only way it could happen would be as a separate item. It's not going to be built in.

As a separate item, you could theoretically have a device that is a 3G connection and shares to Wifi. The iPhone could then hop on that wifi.

Something like this
http://www.evdoinfo.com/content/view/2124/63/

but, you might as well just get a new iPhone

arn
Click to expand...

Arn, I got the email notification that you posted after I posted. Yeah that idea you posted is interesting, but sorta bulky. I'd gladly get a new 3G iPhone, but I have no job. Sooo.. hence my thread.
 
ShiggyMiyamoto said:
Hmmm Okay. I thought it'd be interesting if Apple/AT&T as well could gain customers to 3G on the iPhone with a simple accessory as mentioned theoretically in my thread here. I'd be willing to pay the additional $30 for the higher data plan charges...
Click to expand...
I think that Apple and AT&T would probably want people to just get the iPhone 3G, main reasons being that it is another sale, a renewed contract, and from Apple's perspective, it would be much simpler (which is Apple's way of doing things) as an all-in-one device rather than having multiple pieces.

EDIT: Could you please fix your signature, it is longer than the allowed 5 lines and it is suggested that when giving the specs of a device to list them all on one line (separated by commas) rather than giving each spec it's own line.
 
JML42691 said:
I think that Apple and AT&T would probably want people to just get the iPhone 3G, main reasons being that it is another sale, a renewed contract, and from Apple's perspective, it would be much simpler (which is Apple's way of doing things) as an all-in-one device rather than having multiple pieces.
Click to expand...

JML, another awesome point. The purpose of this thread was just me being bored and curious. I just started to play with SimplifyMedia and I was hoping there was a simple way of adding on 3G to my 1st gen iPhone (and only have to pay the $10 hike for the 3G data plan).

Edit: Arn doesn't seem to have a problem with my sig...
 
ShiggyMiyamoto said:
Okay, well what if Apple endorses it somehow?
Click to expand...

Then it my be possible, but very unlikely still. It would probably require the drivers to be built into the firmware (not really a problem if Apple are endorsing, or more likely making it). But the real problem I see would be size. It would probably require it's own battery as I'm not convinced it could draw enough power over the Dock connector. It would definitely require it's own antenna: 3G requires different ones to 2G. So the device would be quite large and probably quite expensive.

The other option is one like Arn posted: even bigger with it's own SIM (so it's own contract)...
 
Boriscell, a company in Russia, has already released a 3G add on for the 1st gen iPhone. It's called 3Gipyat.
 

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ShiggyMiyamoto said:
That wasn't the initial answer I was expecting, but ok. It was a legitimate question/thought. Your attitude with the post isn't appreciated. No question is stupid. You ask questions to learn, right?



Okay, well what if Apple endorses it somehow?
Click to expand...

Hey sorry.. I guess I used way to harsh a word... As I walked away from my computer I decided I should have used the word silly instead.. It was a legitimate question, and I should have taken the list why I thought it wouldn't be a possibility.

Again, sorry!
 
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