Contact Search, iPhone Australia, 3G?

[abhibeckert]

This sounds too good to be true to me:

• No contract
• Multiple cariers
• Phone just around the corner

I'll believe that when I see it.

 

[headhammer]

Your statement suggests again there is not formal announcement. People getting told different stories to avoid any solid information going around sounds like someone trying to generate hype.
It may be Apple trying to generate hype, but this is still not a formal announcement and there is not solid information as even you stated.

apple have formally announced to our directors (and the directors of at least 2 other resellers that i know) solid information about its release. there are slightly differing minor points (such as the exact date of release), but the information that's been given is more solid than that of other "hype generating" stories that have appeared on page 1 before.

it is not a formal public announcement, but anything that comes officially through our apple channel is generally regarded as formal announcements, even if said information is not intended to be released to all of our employees (or the public) yet.

that doesn't necessarily always end up happening, however.

 

[BVGuitarPlayer]

so why couldn't i import one and activate it using the australian itunes music store here? i'd end up with the same end product. apple know people are already doing this under the table, they wouldn't want this to keep happening if they could avoid it at all.

You just butchered what I said. I said it will be expensive to buy an unlocked one in Australia. Importing it isn't a problem, $20 shipping... but there is not point because Apple will be happy to sell you an iPhone for $900 unlocked in Australia. I'm saying we actually have an advantage here because the DevTeam, Zibri, Pwnage, or anyone else will just hack it for free for us. We get a better deal. If I lived in Australia, I would import one from the USA and hack it if it would save me hundreds of dollars.

 

[Dimwhit]

I hate AT&T - they are an evil company..... They sell the iPhone but do not allow their own employees to connect to internal AT&T email using one - not supported by their help desk.....

THAT is why AT&T is evil? Because their employees can't connect to internal email with an iPhone?

That's the strangest definition of evil I've ever seen.

 

[L3X]

That doesn't work to well for lots of contacts. Many people I know have ~400 business contacts on their phones. The ones they call often family, best friends etc are all in their favorites but you need a search feature to find Bill at company X.

I believe those people that have hundreds of contacts in their iPhone are in the minority.

Most people prob have 10-25 contacts they call often and the people that have more people they call often need to get a life. 🙄

Seriously, though, most of us have select people we call often and for the other people we don't call often, it's not too difficult to scroll through and find the contact. Just my two cents...

But, that's not to say contact search couldn't have been included originally.

 

[Rot'nApple]

I agree. Maybe Apple just half-assed it and thought, "Whatever, the developers [SDK] will come up with the apps so we won't have to do any work."

So Contact Search is coming... Good news to those that have a lot of contacts, especially if the iPhone gears up for enterprise use along with personal use. I know I could add between customers and possible vendors, especially vendors, hundreds and hundreds if not 1000's of contacts. Does anybody know if the iPhone has "Spotlight"-like search for applications especially with the app store coming (not for previewing the apps for "purchase" but for those that add (free or paid) a boatload of apps and whatever they might create), document search or "to dos" search, mail messages search, photo search, iCal search etc. Just curious or will this be added, one at a time, with Apple iPhone software 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0 etc. updates?

 

[Rot'nApple]

THAT is why AT&T is evil? Because their employees can't connect to internal email with an iPhone?

That's the strangest definition of evil I've ever seen.

Not having an iPhone, yet, do you, "Dimwhit", consider AT&T evil or would you say you have had no problems with AT&T (Customer Service, Billing, etc.) and how has your coverage been since AT&T touts more "bars" in more places?

This inquiring mind would like to know. Any other observations from other people are greatly appreciated.

If AT&T is as evil as some claim with lousy coverage, you would think the several million new AT&T iPhone customers would revolt or definitely send Steve Jobs a message!

 

[hokka]

Not enough people?

Maybe there's just not enough business sense to lock into one Telco when there are less than 20Million in total? Pretty obvious to me.

 

[Hawkeye411]

Just paid for my golf membership. Now I need to start saving just in case they release the iPhone in Canada at the same time!!
🙂
http://www.kingswoodpark.com/golf.php

 

[Analog Kid]

Something is telling me that there will be some kind of "global release" of the iPhone 2.0 coming summer... except for a couple of disadvantaged countries.

Maybe this list will cover it... (eh.. the countries that will get the 3G iPhone 2 ofcourse... 😀)

You missed Русский. Russia is third in active users, from what I understand, behind the US and China.

now there just blue ballin us.

😀
Nothing could summarize my feelings more succinctly...

 

[randomrazor]

I dread the day when i purchase my iPhone and have to leave t-mobile. I can see the reason why went will At&t due to the number of customers it has... Correct me if I am wrong but how much is it to make an iPhone compared to a Touch?? It can't be that much of a difference??? ... to sell an unlocked phone for 900 is ludacris or highway robbery. I am hoping those two golden gate bridges bring some good news in june. Also is it possible for apple to come out with a new phone slap on a new name like iPhone Pro and not have to breech the contract with apple ...just scoot around it???

 

[bacaramac]

Did anyone notice that the contact app can now be directly accessed from the home screen on iPhone like iPod Touch has today.

Not sure if this is new for this release of the 2.0 firmware, but I hadn't seen anything on this prior.

 

[Aussie John]

Too bad I dont live in Australia, that sounds like a pretty good deal.

Wait till you see the prices. Somehow doubt will be cheap.

 

[jimace]

Contact Search - Yahoo!

I believe those people that have hundreds of contacts in their iPhone are in the minority.

Most people prob have 10-25 contacts they call often and the people that have more people they call often need to get a life. 🙄

Seriously, though, most of us have select people we call often and for the other people we don't call often, it's not too difficult to scroll through and find the contact. Just my two cents...

But, that's not to say contact search couldn't have been included originally.

I'm not trying to earn Brownie points, but I have 7,165 contacts in my iPhone. While that might be an extreme case, any person using the iPhone as a serious business application tool will have 100's, if not thousands of contacts and it is great to be able to search by first name, company name, etc. to find them quickly when you need them.

 

[MattInOz]

Contact search is a waste of time...

It's easier/faster to just remember phone numbers and type them in the "ole fashion" way.

ATT will be the exclusive carrier of the iPhone for a while. They reconfigured there entire network in order to make visual voicemail work. Apparently, Verizon did not want to do that and I'm sure others would not have.

I don't see any other carriers getting a bite of the pie anytime soon.

BTW...Verizon is the best network in the US right now and I'm a Verizon customer switching to ATT when the new iPhone comes out.

Sure AT&T have a five year contract, but has anyone here ever seen it.
purely speculating.
The exclusive might be staged so only the first year is carrier lock, noting iPhone2 release dates are all 1year after the first release. the final 4 years might be a sales exclusive to at&t stores and ongoing deal on the activate with iTunes for those sold at apple stores.

Still a good deal they would still be the path of least resistance.

 

[Tres]

Oh god I hope this rumor about the iPhone not being exclusive to one carrier in Australia is NOT true. As far as I've observed, when the iPhone has been released in America/Britain/Europe, the carrier offering the phone has improved their data plans to allow people to actually use it as an internet device without breaking the bank. Australia's mobile data plans are probably the worst in the world, and without carrier exclusivity there is no incentive for any of the carriers to change this.

 

[Bonte]

Maybe the iPhone will be locked to specific contracts but not to one specific carrier, Apple needs its cut in the contract for accounting reasons and updates.

 

[ezekielrage_99]

Too bad I dont live in Australia, that sounds like a pretty good deal.

The telecommunication industry in Australia is crap, us poor aussies don't have much of a choice when it comes to choosing a carrier for any sort of a phone. The main carriers in Australis are Telstra, Optus Vodafone, Orange and to a lesser extent Virgin, which mean most of our phone/internet/mobile plans are way over priced compared to other countries in the world.

IMHO if the 3G iPhone is released in Australia open to all carriers we might see some very good value deals out there to entice people to buy the iPhone.

But if Telstra gets it exclusively, which I have heard many times over in my field of employment expect to pay top dollar because Telstra doesn't have the reputation for value for money.

 

[Cybix]

well its really about time we got noticed!!

more than one carrier?? woop woop that means i can probably use optus!! none of this telstra crap
no contract lock in? even better i wont need to void warranty!
current resellers can sell them?? hhmmm bit of a downer, they will jack up prices heeps.

i cant wait!

Umm, I don't think they will jack up the price. All re-sellers sell for what the online apple store sells their gear for.. I don't see a problem?

Everything here is jacked up in price when compared to the USA. Stupid considering our dollar is very closely matched to the USD at the moment. Sad.

 

[L3X]

I'm not trying to earn Brownie points, but I have 7,165 contacts in my iPhone. While that might be an extreme case, any person using the iPhone as a serious business application tool will have 100's, if not thousands of contacts and it is great to be able to search by first name, company name, etc. to find them quickly when you need them.

Wow...that is a lot. Well I think you're definitely in the minority...

Like i said, I hope they include this feature for people like you and the rest of us too...

It should have been included from the beginning but they prob got caught up with something else and decided to delay working on this.

 

[Cybix]

Oh god I hope this rumor about the iPhone not being exclusive to one carrier in Australia is NOT true. As far as I've observed, when the iPhone has been released in America/Britain/Europe, the carrier offering the phone has improved their data plans to allow people to actually use it as an internet device without breaking the bank. Australia's mobile data plans are probably the worst in the world, and without carrier exclusivity there is no incentive for any of the carriers to change this.

Bloody well said!

 

[windyroad]

Third Line Forcing

According to their sources:

- iPhone Australia launch in last week of June release
- More than 1 carrier
- No contract lock in
- Current resellers will be able to sell iPhones

If true, this would represent a significant departure from Apple's current model in the U.S. which locks customers to AT&T specifically.

emphasis added

The reason for mutlipe carriers is most probably because of regalatory reasons. Tieing the iPhone to a specific carrier would very likely be considered a form of Third Line Forcing, which is illegal in Australia because of it's anti-competitive nature.

There was also an article about this on ZDNet back in Feb

 

[yvo84]

To the guy who lives in the US but used to in Aus, mate the prices now have tumbled here. a $29 cap per month gets you 150 worth of calls. I'm on $69 cap which gives me $550 worth of calls, and 300 mins to my own company. And of course we're not charged to RECEIVE calls or sms ever. The new 69 cap on 3 gets you all that, a free phone, plus 2 GB of data per month.

It's all becoming very cheap.

 

[hokka]

To the guy who lives in the US but used to in Aus, mate the prices now have tumbled here. a $29 cap per month gets you 150 worth of calls. I'm on $69 cap which gives me $550 worth of calls, and 300 mins to my own company. And of course we're not charged to RECEIVE calls or sms ever. The new 69 cap on 3 gets you all that, a free phone, plus 2 GB of data per month.

It's all becoming very cheap.

Have compared your rate-per-minute/second between carriers' plans lately?

It's all marketing mate, don't get sucked in... oops too late you seem to believe the outset figures only.

 

[chickenninja]

the news of multiple carriers is far more compelling than 3g or larger storage space. hopefully iphone will cater to every carrier in the nation, just like computers can use internet access from any ISP.