Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Apple's Phone Revealed?

Carriers...

cuestakid said:
I think people need to remember that not every cell phone is avaliable on every carrier-meaning that if this phone is only on a couple of carriers, someone who's carrier isnt avaliable is gonna be whinning and complaining
Click to expand...

Frankly, if the iPhone is locked to any one carrier, it will fail.

As a shareholder, longtime Apple customer, and long time salivator for an iPhone.. I have to say that it damn well better be a UNLOCKED Quad-Band GSM phone.

I want to walk into the Apple Store, buy my new iCrackberry, pop my SIM card in, and GO.

I don't need an iPhone to cost $99.99.

I need a decent phone.. It needs to first and foremost, work as a PHONE.. Pull in a weak sig when I'm out in the boonies... Decent voice dialing w/ handsfree headset, for when I'm driving in the boonies... I want Apple to make a phone that "just works". iPod/iTunes on the phone = meh.. MacOS X, Mail, Safari, AddressBook, Salling Clicker intregration = WOOHOO!

Extra points if Apple can make it the next Crackberry, either via partnership with RIM, or by resurecting the NewtonOS in some way. *Actually, a partnership with RIM may be the only way to get a major carrier like T-Mo to play along with this type of thing...

An iPhone, like I've described, could sell for the same price unlocked as my Moto V635 did, $399 or less. If a carrier offered it, in addition to being available from Apple direct, I'd expect we could see a T-Mo or Cingular offer it for as little as $299.


Just my $0.02US


jwd
 
jwdsail said:
Frankly, if the iPhone is locked to any one carrier, it will fail.
Click to expand...

I'd like to agree... however if Apple wants the phone to have iTS connectivity for mobile d/ls and whatnot, there will be a HUGE fiasco over providers and being able to d/l content at Apple's prices.

That's why I think the only way Apple has a shot at making this thing BIG is to provide its own service. It'll (likely) make it harder for early adoption but at least Apple will control everything about how it works and how it is priced... and seeing as how well iTunes, iTS & iPod are doing with that scheme, I think we can trust Apple to do a good job with the iPhone's prices.

-Clive
 
Littleodie914 said:
Hmm... Does this really count as front page news? :confused:

Not to say it isn't cool, but we're still talking about an artist rendition based on a reliable source... Not the iPhone "revealed".

Just my 2 pennies. ;)
Click to expand...

Yes, this used to be a Mac Rumors site. So rumors should go on the front page.
 
~Shard~ said:
It's all good. ;) :)

So does anyone think Apple would go retro and offer a "digital rotary dial" option using the clickwheel for dialing digits? I think it would be kind of cool, but then again, I love the old rotary phones. :D

After further thought, I suppose it might be a novelty that wears off fast... :eek: ;)
Click to expand...

I thought text messaging would be too clumsy for anything but a fad but then I got good at it, and now I do it all the time.

But you know, they if they can embed 5 buttons underneath the clickwheel, what's to stop them from embedding 12? (1-9, *, 0, #). So you can have your iPod click wheel and numeric keypad in with the same real estate.
 
The biggest question to me is not the design, it is the carrier side... My guess is this will be US only (at first), and most probably CDMA.

I think the 'virtual carrier' thing makes the most sense, since they don't want to share the user experience with existing carrier setups (Has this been done on BREW?). Maybe a deal with Verizon? (great data network, no SIM cards on BREW etc.).
 
OMG, IMHO, it's going to be, it has to have, you just don't understand, I like this better, GSM, CDMA, Cingular, Verizon, T-Mobile, Apple Wireless, Contract Buy-Out, how do you answer, how do you dial, I'm going to get it, I'm not, it's going to have problems, quality control, come on already, in oct, in jan, in march, I need one this week, you think they will announce it yet, I need a phone bad, there's no way it will be any good, it will have iChat mobile, no it won't and on and on and on and on. I can only enjoy the products I already have.:cool:
 
Dr.Gargoyle said:
Exactly! Just how hard can that be??? All the technology has been available for years. I just dont get what is holding back Apple.
Click to expand...

Oh, you're right. It's sooo simple. Why do almost all phoned currently on the market suck so bad if it's so simple and all the stuff needed has been available for years? Why do other mp3 players stink when Apple can make one right? Why do PC's not work as well as Macs when Macs have been around forever? Maybe it's because Apple doesn't just take a bunch of tech and throw it together in a second and then ship it out. They take their time and do their homework and don't sell it until it is perfect. Their final product is greater than the sum of it's parts. That's what is taking so long.
 
jholzner said:
Oh, you're right. It's sooo simple. Why do almost all phoned currently on the market suck so bad if it's so simple and all the stuff needed has been available for years? Why do other mp3 players stink when Apple can make one right? Why do PC's not work as well as Macs when Macs have been around forever? Maybe it's because Apple doesn't just take a bunch of tech and throw it together in a second and then ship it out. They take their time and do their homework and don't sell it until it is perfect. Their final product is greater than the sum of it's parts. That's what is taking so long.
Click to expand...

Bravo... Well put.

I wish I could speak eloquently as such... instead of blurting out something like, "You're a complete idiot. Why don't you gratuate high school before you make comments on this forum?"

-Clive
 
Unspeaked said:
I see you use the term "major carrier" loosely...
Click to expand...

lol

Yeah.. Here in the US, unfortunatly they arn't half the player they should be... I include them in "major" due to the simple fact that unlike other US cariers I've delt with, things work.

Globally, tho.. They're the only US carier I'd ever use for my overseas travels. Horible experiances with both ATT and Cingular in the past... T-Mo global roaming.. shrug "Just works".

jwd
 
A.Fairhead said:
I don't think there would be a great need for a numpad if dialling, SMS, etc. can all be done from this wheel?
Click to expand...

This is a concept which has been done before with very mixed reactions. The Nokia 7280 "lipstick" phone has a mechanical wheel similar to the first generation iPods which was used for what you describe. Dialing numbers which weren't already in your phonebook was a real pain for reviewers not to mention SMS. It was an interesting idea but it proved more style over functionality.

http://www.nokiausa.com/phones/7280
 
EricNau said:
Yes, we could just go back 100 years and have one button - 0 for operator. That's efficient. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

No! It's even better! It's a rotary phone, that's why the click wheel makes so much sense on it! It even rings like a Western Electric model 500!
 
Mac Fly (film) said:
Here's the real iPhone!!


241579656_a9c34f6679_o.jpg
Click to expand...

This is the best looking idea so far. If it looked like this, I would get it. But where is the speaker?
 
Whatever (and if they launch a phone)...

1. I hope they get worldwide shipping ready with large quantities, none of this US first and about 6 units to Europe/ROW for three months plus stuff.
2. It is s/w updateable over the air for obvious reasons.
3. They get it right first time as it could otherwise bite their ass.

Oh ..

and 4. They deliver to me first :)

Same with ITV in Europe really !
 
I'm thinking it'll have to be a GSM phone because Apple wouldn't want their hardware branded by Cingular, T-Mobile, etc and in that way they could just sell the phone. Pop your SIM in and your in business. Sigh, that is the way it should be done.

[Rant] Personally I'm sick of all this marketing crap. I mean, why do I need to be reminded of what service I am using? I know! I pay the bill every month! [/End Rant]
 
jholzner said:
Oh, you're right. It's sooo simple. Why do almost all phoned currently on the market suck so bad if it's so simple and all the stuff needed has been available for years? Why do other mp3 players stink when Apple can make one right? Why do PC's not work as well as Macs when Macs have been around forever? Maybe it's because Apple doesn't just take a bunch of tech and throw it together in a second and then ship it out. They take their time and do their homework and don't sell it until it is perfect. Their final product is greater than the sum of it's parts. That's what is taking so long.
Click to expand...
An iPhone as we guess it will look like, will most likely consist of two parts: mp3 and phone.
We can all agree that Apple has the mp3 part down to a science.

The phone (hardware) or the platform is available from different manufacturers (very much like processor for computers). As an example LG is buying platforms from SonyEricsson. I am sure Apple will buy the platform from a established manufacturer instead of trying to make it from scratch. (very much like they buy processors from intel)
That is, the hardware behind the phone or mp3 hardware is not a problem.

On top of the hardware you need software&UI.
There are many software solutions available today like Symbian.
The UI of an iPhone would be benefited by using a similar UI as in the iPod.
The biggest effort from Apple would be in the development of the software, everything else is already there.
I don't say that this could be done in a couple of months. But it is certainly could be possible in a year or two.
 
I'm thinking 2 seperate things about this situation (and my bad if they have been said - too many posts to read thru)

1 - There is all this talk on an iPhone. Why not iPhones? Obviously a ipod/phone would sell to some people. But a cell/ipod/PDA would be too much $$$ for most. Why not have a few different models? Not a ton, like 2 or 3.

2 - Why can't the make the wheel with a touch enabled OLED like that olympus keyboard or whatever it was. The wheel would still be there for iPod stuff, but switch to a rotary dial for the phone.
 
ripfrankwhite said:
This is the best looking idea so far. If it looked like this, I would get it. But where is the speaker?
Click to expand...

Sh#t. I loved the design but never even noticed it`s lacking one of the most important part of a cell phone. Silly me:eek:
 
Karatehero said:
2 - Why can't the make the wheel with a touch enabled OLED like that olympus keyboard or whatever it was. The wheel would still be there for iPod stuff, but switch to a rotary dial for the phone.
Click to expand...

First, OLEDs still are unreliable and don't have a very long life.

Second, ROTARY DIAL?!?! You've got to be freaking kidding, right??!

-Clive
 
Clive At Five said:
First, OLEDs still are unreliable and don't have a very long life.

Second, ROTARY DIAL?!?! You've got to be freaking kidding, right??!

-Clive
Click to expand...

I don't care about the LED technology as long as the image can change.

Rotary? Yes, why not? Devices with multiple sources of input on 1 phone have mostly sucked. I haven't seen a solid one yet. If they want to keep the round touchpad and incorporate a method for entering numbers, what can they do? Hmmmmmm.......
 
jwdsail said:
Frankly, if the iPhone is locked to any one carrier, it will fail.

As a shareholder, longtime Apple customer, and long time salivator for an iPhone.. I have to say that it damn well better be a UNLOCKED Quad-Band GSM phone.

I want to walk into the Apple Store, buy my new iCrackberry, pop my SIM card in, and GO.
Click to expand...
Yes, I think it should be GSM, and be unlocked. So I can use it all over the World, and on any GSM carrier. I could see the phone being an Apple retail exclusive though, to drag people into Apple stores.

But, I also think absolutely Apple MUST be a carrier, and provide additional services that are exclusive, like great sync, file/music transfer, good Net connections at good rates and so on. Regular carriers balk at all kinds of stupid stuff like using tunes for ringtones and transferring files to PC. Apple wouldn't brook that. So they need to be a carrier, this doesn't mean the phone should be locked to Apple, that isn't the Apple way. But the extra features will get plenty of folk to sign up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back