Apple Announces The iPhone

[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 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]

One thing that would have been nice...

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...

 

[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]

where is the true video ipod???

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]

purpose of iTV?

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...

 

[ccrandall77]

Worst.mwsf.keynote.ever!

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...

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]

iPhone may have been designed by aliens!

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. 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 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 and lose capacity. It's just the way the chemistry of the battery works. Progress is being made with lithium polymer batteries, 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...

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.



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.