3G iPhone Arriving in 2nd Quarter 2008?

[lostfan916]

This is good that we got some dates. I'm hoping to get one as graduation gift.

 

[anthonymoody]

Don't forget that el Jobso has to announce the 3G iPhone before it appears in FCC filing documents (which get scoured every day). My guess is EITHER:

-it's announced this thursday for release "later in Q2" i.e. mid-late June right around WWDC

OR

-it's announced at WWDC in June for release "later in Q3" i.e. mid-late September


My .$02.

TM

 

[gloss]

Also, I'd love 16GB/32GB models - I think the 16GB version should be the price of the current 8 and there is no excuse not to have the 32GB version out at the moment, seeing as the Touch has it...:

The touch also has two 16GB chips inside it, while the iPhone only has space internally for one. So you won't see the 32GB iPhone until Samsung's 32GB chips are affordable, and you'll probably see a 64GB touch at the same time.

 

[pondie84]

I don't understand how this story could've been rated negative by 14 members... unless people are upset they aren't skipping 3G and heading off for newer technologies (which won't capture the same market and sales).

 

[Beric]

Don't forget that el Jobso has to announce the 3G iPhone before it appears in FCC filing documents (which get scoured every day). My guess is EITHER:

-it's announced this thursday for release "later in Q2" i.e. mid-late June right around WWDC

OR

-it's announced at WWDC in June for release "later in Q3" i.e. mid-late September


My .$02.

TM

True enough. Don't act like you'll have a new 3G iPhone in a week, because you won't.

 

[7on]

SMS and iChat arent related whatsoever. You cant always IM someone, period. Every phone on the market has an AIM option. But the revolutionary iphone doesnt?! Give me a break.

Yes it is. And every phone released sends IM over SMS (even my WM6 phone OTB). Jobs probably didn't want an SMS chat app when the phone already had unlimited data.

Even on WM your options for free IM is basically fring and Palringo (both terrible as fring is VIOP that so happens to have built-in chatting and Palringo can only have one convo at a time). Both you have to create an new account with.

 

[Beric]

Yes it is. And every phone released sends IM over SMS (even my WM6 phone OTB). Jobs probably didn't want an SMS chat app when the phone already had unlimited data.

Even on WM your options for free IM is basically fring and Palringo (both terrible as fring is VIOP that so happens to have built-in chatting and Palringo can only have one convo at a time). Both you have to create an new account with.

What about Yahoo web-messenger? I use it all the time at public computers? Won't it work on the iPhone? The iPhone contains the web in its entirety.

 

[drb6]

I believe (and actually hope) this is the main reason for the iPhone poor success in Europe (UK excepted), where 3G is the de factor standard in most countries since more than 3 years
(OK, I'm done with the negative stuff )

I was also hoping all the hype around the iPhone would call the attention of regular folks to the abysmal wireless technology in the US compared to almost everywhere else, and hopefully bring forth the momentum to bring the US carriers up to par.

But other than us dorks on places like MR, the populous as usual does not seem to notice. Let the evil reign of the wireless carriers continue. Although I think the iPhone has opened the doors to stand alone cell phones that can one day be attached to any carrier at the consumer's discretion *yay* Hopefully I wont be too old by then

 

[drb6]

I don't understand how this story could've been rated negative by 14 members... unless people are upset they aren't skipping 3G and heading off for newer technologies (which won't capture the same market and sales).

They might be voting on the crediblity of the rumor or voting as they disagree that the next version of the iPhone can be out in Q2

 

[pondie84]

They might be voting on the crediblity of the rumor or voting as they disagree that the next version of the iPhone can be out in Q2

Fair enough, I didn't think of it that way. Although I hardly think an unreliable rumour is a negative. It just adds something to the mix. All rumours are unreliable to an extent, well even solid news can be unreliable.

 

[Rot'nApple]

When it comes to a 3G iPhone, I will wait for Apple to announce it. The rumors around 3G have been horrible and it seems like there are 3 or 4 new ones each day from "an inside source." It will happen, but I am still guessing not til late 2008.

But if late breaking 3G iPhone Rumors by "Financial" Institutions being released shortly before the stock market closes that "bumps" AAPL stock up by $2 - $3 bucks... I'm all for it!

Heck, release a 3G iPhone rumor a day and in a month or two, AAPL will be back to $199.00! - Just dream'n...

 

[jonhaxor]

I believe (and actually hope) this is the main reason for the iPhone poor success in Europe (UK excepted), where 3G is the de factor standard in most countries since more than 3 years; and that is will teach a lesson to our beloved : you can tell us a product is great...but you can't make a technology like Edge revive from the dead, even with marketing and a great interface.

hear, hear! .. bring back AMPS and D-AMPS, and a power-hungry phone the size of my shoe!

 

[TonyHoyle]

Although I think the iPhone has opened the doors to stand alone cell phones that can one day be attached to any carrier at the consumer's discretion *yay* Hopefully I wont be too old by then

Huh? That was the position *before* the iphone. The iPhone is the one that's tied permanently to a single carrier.

To be honest I really hope it hasn't given the Nokia/Motorola any ideas.. the last thing I want is to have to choose a phone based on which carrier I want to be with - they're independent choices dammit!

 

[Rot'nApple]

As the telecommunications guy for my company, I've sampled many phones from my AT&T rep. I've used several 3G smartphones, and the ability to do simultaneous data and voice is priceless for me. The speed is secondary.

However, 3G is not that great. I find the coverage to be very spotty (on several 3G phones I've used, I drop down to EDGE speeds frequently). And the coverage does not reach out all the way to where my office is anyway - we miss it by a few miles. I somehow doubt AT&T is rushing to install 3G out here, even with their promise to bring it to more markets, its the fricken' boonies

But if 3G brings more revenue to AT&T by allowing them to increase their monthly rate plans, then I doubt AT&T will move sluggishly to enhance it's 3G coverage, once Apple releases a 3G iPhone and for all those idolizing a 3G iPhone go and "camp out" to be first to get theirs - it'll be like June 29th all over again - well sort of...

 

[Golfhog44]

3G iPhone

Anyone think there is any possibility of a trade-in program or a chip replacement program where we would send our Edge phones in to Apple and have them either set up to use 3G or replaced with a 3G phone at a discounted price?

 

[Eraserhead]

Anyone think there is any possibility of a trade-in program or a chip replacement program where we would send our Edge phones in to Apple and have them either set up to use 3G or replaced with a 3G phone at a discounted price?

Not going to happen.

 

[Noeld]

The touch also has two 16GB chips inside it, while the iPhone only has space internally for one. So you won't see the 32GB iPhone until Samsung's 32GB chips are affordable, and you'll probably see a 64GB touch at the same time.

That's a cunundrum though, because the 32GB chips won't become affordable until there is a market for them. That market is the 32GB iPhone. Apple seems to have been doing a pretty good job of systematically opening flash markets so that they can leverage the resulting price drops with other products. Plus at some point the opening price point for higher capacity drives will drop due to the fact that not as much will need to be done to the production line to accommodate the new product.

My guess is that a 32GB iPhone will come out at a higher price point, which will be dropped once the price of the drives starts to drop. Similar to what happened last year.

If the leaked pics from a few days ago with the multiple antenna covers turns out to be real, then I would guess that this phone may also up the wireless speed to N.

 

[BWhaler]

I just upgraded to the 16gb iphone.

If 3G comes in Q2, I will be there. I doubt they will bump the memory up, but it would be awesome if they did.

My gut is this rumor is wrong. My gut says it is September and it will include v2.0 of the software

v2.0 will have

iChat
Ability to capture video and upload to youtube automagically
Address book
Tasks

 

[corygreenwell]

Anyone think there is any possibility of a trade-in program or a chip replacement program where we would send our Edge phones in to Apple and have them either set up to use 3G or replaced with a 3G phone at a discounted price?

I really hope so. I bought a 16Gb iPhone not terribly long ago, figuring as we hadn't seen anything at the FCC level yet, it'd still be a while.

 

[Beric]

Anyone think there is any possibility of a trade-in program or a chip replacement program where we would send our Edge phones in to Apple and have them either set up to use 3G or replaced with a 3G phone at a discounted price?

Are you serious? Apple would never let you get away with something that simple. Those who want 3G will have to pay, plain and simple. Those who don't want it wouldn't upgrade anyway.

 

[pondie84]

I really hope so. I bought a 16Gb iPhone not terribly long ago, figuring as we hadn't seen anything at the FCC level yet, it'd still be a while.

Unfortunately you bought an EDGE phone and there's no obligation on Apple to provide free upgrades. I recently bought an iPhone too and don't particularly care if its 3G or not. However, if it had made a difference to me I'd never have bought an EDGE phone to start with.

 

[Rot'nApple]

Does anyone know where I could find the list of all these cities that are getting the 3g upgrade? I'm in college at MSU in Springfield, MO. It's the 3rd largest city in MO. They have 3g at home in KC, but I spend most of my time down here. Would it be likely that Springfield would get it soon? Maybe this info is on Howard's forums?

Now if the v2 iPhone had wifi that worked with my school's network, that would be enough for me to upgrade. Lets also not forget more ram so things don't crash as often, and some advanced multi-touch action. Oh, and I don't think anyone has mentioned GPS. I thought that was the killer feature that everyone wanted?

In case no one has responded yet...

http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/popUp_3g.html

 

[LizKat]

Now I can finally give my EDGE phone to the wife and take the 3G phone!

SDK and 3G iPhone in June up and running!!!

All over America, grateful wives gathered to praise Steve Jobs for rolling out 3G iphones so that their husbands could quickly scarf up the new models and pass on the slower EDGE ones to the womenfolk.

Soon after Ms. Clinton received her EDGE, she called up Barack Obama.

"Hey baby, I got my own cellphone now."

"You're kidding," Mr. Obama said. "Who gave you the money?"

"Oh my husband let me have his EDGE iPhone when he got a 3G one."

There was a brief silence while Mr. Obama considered his options.

"Barack?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here. I'm thinking whether to try that routine out on Michelle or she'd have enough sense to realize an EDGE is not as good as a 3G-capable one."

"Good for what?" Ms. Clinton asked. "I turned my EDGE model into cash on eBay and bought a refurb iPod touch, it's like totally way cool."

"So if you have your own cellphone now, where'd that come from?" Obama asked, thoroughly confused by the complexity of the several transactions Ms. Clinton had apparently conducted in a short period of time.

"Oh, that," she responded. "I bought a new 3G iPhone this morning, with the money I saved out of the grocery budget last year plus the change from selling Bill's EDGE and buying the refurb iPod touch."

"You pinched the grocery budget??!! Didn't Bill notice the food wasn't as good as before?"

"I have no idea," Ms. Clinton said. "I'm not usually home when he gets the stuff out of the freezer."

 

[bosxe]

Are you serious? Apple would never let you get away with something that simple. Those who want 3G will have to pay, plain and simple. Those who don't want it wouldn't upgrade anyway.

I'm not so sure.

I believe with enough costumer demand there could be some kind of rebate or store credit option. Much like when they dropped the initial price in October(?) or November.

 

[cameronjpu]

Well thats good... at least we have a date now that is a more confirmed date. We'll see if they are actually true.

And when Apple "misses" this date, what will you do? Because it's not Apple giving a date, it's some analyst. But I bet if Apple doesn't ship it by the end of June, everyone says they missed another deadline.