Apple's Phone Revealed?

[Avicdar]

I just do not think Apple is going to introduce a cellular phone. The ideas sound great around here, but I don't see any good busness model for such a device. What is Apple going to make money on selling such a product?

With all of this noise about 'I wont buy it if it isn't a blackberry killer', etc its no wonder people are having trouble seeing the forest through all the trees.

Apple = simplicity in form and function.

The number ONE feature of this device is that it eliminates the need to carry both a phone AND an iPod. Thats it - simple. You have dropped the need to carry around an iPod and a phone without losing either.

The click wheel is going to make finding people in your list and calling them a breeze.

My only hope is that they throw away address book and give us something nicer to keep track of our contact lists. I hate address book, it really bites.

 

[iMacZealot]

Sure it's a nice phone. My dad had it for about a week. He ended up returning it beacuse of the really bad battery life. It lasted not even a day. He's on his phone a large portion of the day because he owns a business. He returned it and ended up getting some other nokia can't remmebr the number.

I like the 8801, but I definitely think it's overpriced at $399. You could get a Sidekick 3 prepaid for that price.

 

[mashinhead]

Holy Guacamole!

That is Sick!

They need to come out with that right now!

really i think it looks horrible. I mean everything in the world doesn't have to look like an ipod. It's not an ipod, its a phone, make something new. They're forcing it. It looks really bad.

 

[chuckles1337]

silly silly posting

"One reliable MacRumors.com source has provided a more detailed description of one of the prototypes for the upcoming Apple Phone. The description has yielded this artist's rendition of the phone. (Click image for larger view). The phone offers a familiar look to iPod owners, with the preservation of the iPod click-wheel.

The click-wheel is closer to the bottom of the device with the screen taking a vertical orientation. The click-wheel portion of the device reportedly slides down to reveal a traditional numeric dial-pad underneath. The front is black, while the back is chrome like the current iPod."


Basically someone said "it will look like nano but with a bigger screen, and the scroll wheel slides down for the keyboard," then macrumors had some one do a mock up of it. (A poor one at that, shouldn't there be a discernable gap between the part that slides down, and the part that doesn’t)

Is it just me or does the scroll wheel sliding down seem backwards? The revealed keypad would be recessed and in the middle of the phone, sounds awkward, and unattractive. Also would we not consistently hit buttons/scrolling on the scroll wheel while dialing a number?

 

[Bibulous]

gahhhhh.....these iphone rumors are driving me crazy....with anticipation. When is this gonna finally happen? Hopefully before the end of the year.

I think it will be here for Christmas, if not then not till next summer

 

[Jimmieboy]

I like the 8801, but I definitely think it's overpriced at $399. You could get a Sidekick 3 prepaid for that price.

Sure is overpriced! Over in Australia it's around $1200. The one good thing I liked was the diamond coated dsiplay. It was scratch proof. Maybe apple should diamond coat their iphone!

EDIT: Actually I just did a bit of research. I think my claim that they diamond coated their displays is false. No one take my word on it.

 

[woodman]

Instead of having a slide-down clickwheel that reveals buttons, why not just have the clickwheel behave like those old roatary phones. You can just scroll around a circle of numbers on the screen and click to select it. That'd be cleaner. Of course text messages are a different thing

While I'm here, I'd just like to reiterate my belief that Apple will have it's own network and not offer its phone to other carriers (they don't want it anyway). They will lease lines like Boost or ESPN does.

Although I've been shot down on this before, I still believe it and I've even heard media mention the same thing, so I'd be willing to bet. (In fact my Jan-07 call options are a bet!).

 

[jmeyoung]

Looks neat however if it doesn't have a good calendar and sync w/ iCal it will be useless for me.

I would love to get rid of this Treo I got, but I can't stand putting in any kind of text (calendar appointment, text message, or according to rumors an iChat conversation) with a scroll wheel or a basic numberpad w/ 3-4 letters crammed on each key. Knowing apple though, I will be surprised if they release anything with a full keyboard like the Treo and Blackberrys have.

Still interested to see this thing see the light of day, even though I doubt I will be getting one.

 

[mohaukachi]

so who else thinks this looks just like the chocolate?

http://www.dagadgets.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/03/lg_kg800.jpg

 

[sjw]

Out of all the iPhone renditions I have seen this one is by far the best looking (certainly doesn't stray from familiar territory) and the ONLY one I could actually picture on the shelf at the Apple store.

Just not too hot on the Noka-style slide out keypad, I would prefer if it slid out from the back or swivelled down. And if they brought out a clamshell as well I would be a very happy chappy.

If Apple gets it right this will be the *ultimate* music phone.

 

[dondark]

It's not that it's popular, it's just that we never get around to doing the recent when it comes to mobile phones.

I'm not sure if we'll get video chat. I hardly see any phones that can do that with the exception of the Nokia N80, but still, you can't do that anywhere here anyways.

Most smartphones don't have Wifi in them. I don't think there's been a single Blackberry or Treo with one. There have been a few with Windows Mobile 5.0, but that's pretty much it.

I bought a XDA II PDA phone TWO or Three years ago already have WiFI.

 

[mahonmeister]

This is just torture. If they get it out before christmas then great. Otherwise I'd rather anticipate iTV, C2D Books and mini, and Leopard.

 

[nomad01]

Its an ipod with a longer screen and a slider.....well at least for me I see nothing too interesting in it...just another ipod you can talk to.
Bless

Yep I agree, it's not a revolutionary design but I'm REALLY more interested in what it will do. I'm really excited by an Apple phone operating system. Mobile iCal? Mobile Widgets? Who knows? Could just be an iPod with limited phone functionality.

Bring it on!

 

[dondark]

IF iPhone comes out right after the new iPod, the sale's of the lower-end iPod may be influenced by the iPhone.

 

[dondark]

I hope iPhone will have a good sync with the Mac. If i am only looking for a pretty cell phone, there are a lot in the japanese market.

 

[Donz0r]

I hope iPhone will have a good sync with the Mac. If i am only looking for a pretty cell phone, there are a lot in the japanese market.

WTf man of course it will sink well jesus wtf is this a rehehtetorical quesiton1?!!!??! omfg i hatye stupid posts, but we have the same name coooooll!!!!!! ogjsorry i'm just a little drunk right now 1woohoo colelge partty!

 

[Mal]

I think I just threw up in my mouth a little. Seriously, that thing looks awful. I know it's just an "artists rendition", but that artist deserves to be taken outside and shot. If Apple brings out one of those, I will have lost all my faith in Jonathan Ives and the design team. No, I won't abandon Apple, but I will abandon my dream of owning an Apple phone someday.

jW

 

[iMacZealot]

I bought a XDA II PDA phone TWO or Three years ago already have WiFI.

I should have said anything with Windows that's a phone. But that's my point: basically, the only types of phones that have Wifi in them are some "mobile" windows devices.

Happy Now?

 

[jacg]

Wouldn't the scroll wheel be difficult to use right at the bottom of the device like that?

 

[Veldek]

screen is scaled 16x10 format (don't know if that's right or not) - key shape/layout is unknown.

again, these are renditions, not the product itself. Although, I'd buy one...

I think the buttons would be way too small to use them. But the overall looks would be quite nice.

 

[After G]

I think that the phone interface won't have a click-wheel. Rather, it will be all screen with an on-screen wheel changing to an on-screen keypad. No slider action whatsoever. Maybe a hard switch for on/off, answer, and phonebook, but that's about all I'd put on the phone. It'll save on cost and hardware complexity too, not having to include a wheel.

Interface? Regular phone ... may be a smartphone if they figure out how to do the keyboard. Input is always questionable on small devices because there isn't room. Bluetooth perhaps? That's more $ down the drain for a keyboard

I hope I have the funds to buy one when one of these suckers comes out. Both GSM and CDMA would be better, but if there's only one, it should be GSM. It's easier for people to switch their phones that way, instead of having the cellphone stores cluttered up.

Good thing my sister's RAZR is dying ... maybe I'll tell her to get someone else's phone (on the cheap) when these drop (if she doesn't have enough for an Apple phone).

 

[Marx55]

How to make it a best seller:

Being a true smart phone, capable of booting Mac OS X mobile (to be released) and thus being used as a wireless computerless remote for Keynote and PowerPoint presentations made on Mac or Windows.

Will sell millions on corporate, education and domestic markets.

With a huge halo effect!!!

 

[BWhaler]

This product cannot come soon enough.

Every single phone on the market stinks.

My wife buster her phone today, and called me for a recommendation. All she wants as a Mom is a phone with a long battery life and great reception.

She left the Cingular store with a crappy phone with a million features she will never use.

 

[Dr.Gargoyle]

Just release te phone already. How hard can it be???
I dont care if the design looks like the old Nano. I just want a Nano with phone capabilities.

 

[netdog]

Go away- just go away.

Can we all just agree not to talk about this thing until it is actually out? There is so much BS about this thing, maybe it does not deserve anything until two weeks after it is out... if ever.

Um...this site is called MacRumors. Perhaps you shouldn't read the threads on the iFon if you aren't interested. Just a thought.