iPhone as a Widescreen iPod + Wifi without Contract?

[Object-X]

Why wait?

$600 for a mediocre ipod and wifi.

Why not just wait for the 6th gen iPod that is certainly going to be a WiFi, widescreen, multi-touch, hard drive based, Internet communication wonder? I would. When they release it you're modded iPhone will seem really lame. But then again, why wait? Enjoy it now, then sell it on Ebay and get the iPod.

 

[rob@robburns.co]

iPhone Hacks

To me there are several iPhone hacks that are likely to solve commonly stated issues:

1) this hack to allow iPhone use without cellular phone service
2) AT&T related
a) Unlock phone for use with other providers
b) getting AT&T voice with no-data
c) getting AT&T data with no voice
3) Dial-up Networking bluetooth profile to allow Edge connection from laptop
4) Mounting iPhone in disk mode (probably possible through terminal)
5) installing Apps on iPhone to replace or supplment those already on there (Apple could be using code-signing to prevent non-signed or even non-Apple-signed apps from running)

All of these hacks could add a lot of functionality for particular users. I'm hoping to hear more about this in the coming weeks.

And for those thinking this is a lame iPod, you obviously haven't tried it. It's an awesome iPod with not enough capacity (and you may not like that it can't display on a TV).

 

[brandon6684]

Haven't used it, but this may allow calling...

http://beta.talkety.com/

That still requires you to have a voice plan.

 

[pieman02]

Most expensive iPod ever. (best Comic book store guy voice)
I wonder if the near-future ipod widescreen touchable will have some sort of wifi built in to share songs kind of like how the zune did it (please dont shoot me for wondering if a zune feature would be included in a future ipod release!!)?

I don't think Apple likes to release products that compete with eachother...that being said I think there will be no wifi in the next iPod because 1) It will consume more battery power that the hard drive will need 2) If you want a small device that can browse the web, you have to get an iPhone (think "if you want a laptop capable of running any games whatsoever, you need to spend $1000 more and get the MBP...)

 

[Royale w/cheese]

That still requires you to have a voice plan.

Yeah, I didn't understand that either.

 

[rrijkers]

omg expensive iPod!

 

[Henri Gaudier]

Do you really have to give over your social security number for this phone? Is that to make government surveillance easier; calls, gps etc.

Any observations on this?

 

[SeaFox]

Do you really have to give over your social security number for this phone?

That's generally how they do credit checks.

Your records with the credit reporting agencies are listed under your SSN. Hence, a person entering SSN 999-99-9999 would be labeled as having poor credit, as nobody actually has that number, so there is no credit history with it.

 

[AppleIntelRock]

the iPhone isn't worth 600 dollars just based on iPod/Web features... now a 120 GB HDD might change that

personally, i love using it as a phone

 

[ladeer]

I always use ATT, so buying iPhone for me wasn't a big deal at all except extending my old contract which I had 1.5 years left anyway.

Crazy as it sounds, I found my BlackBerry 8800 from ATT is much superior as a phone and email device, so I just removed the SIM card from my iPhone and continue using my BlackBerry. It's like I paid $600 for a wide screen 8GB video iPod + Wifi browser.

Seriously though, without some important features such as saving an email, syncing note, or even copy-paste, there are too many things I cannot do with my iPhone...I just have to go back to my blackberry.

By the way, gmail on iPhone gives me a lot of problem too...sometimes emails will show no content, even it appears to be perfectly fine on gmail.com....

 

[Cloudsurfer]

So, if you cancel your AT&T plan, aren't you like, able to install any other SIM-card and make use of the phone anyway?

In Europe, the customer by law has to have the option to unlock the phone for free after one year of usage, or for a fee within a year of usage, to allow the customer to take it's phone to other operators.

I can't imagine the iPhone not having such option, or bringing it to Europe would be illegal.

 

[0007776]

So, if you cancel your AT&T plan, aren't you like, able to install any other SIM-card and make use of the phone anyway?

In Europe, the customer by law has to have the option to unlock the phone for free after one year of usage, or for a fee within a year of usage, to allow the customer to take it's phone to other operators.

I can't imagine the iPhone not having such option, or bringing it to Europe would be illegal.

The US version so far cannot be unlocked, but I'm sure some hackers will have figured out how to unlock it within a month or two. and The European version will probably be able to be unlocked.

 

[rockosmodurnlif]

I'm sure there are people more than willing to pay $649 to get a full screen video ipod with multitouch and wifi internet. The contract has been a killer for some who have minimal mobile phone needs.

arn

Gee, there must be more suckers born per minute these days ...

Umm who cares? Its not like they are going to lock you up. And since they don't know who you are without it its not going to hit your credit rating.

You must still believe in the anonymity of the internet. Guess you've never heard of IP addresses being logged. It's not like it's fraud or anything to willfully use a social security number that isn't yours just so can listen to music, read email and watch youtube videos. Oh, and use a fancy schmancy virtual (ooooo!) keyboard.

But I thought it was, assuming you drink the Koolaid, an internet communicator first and foremost.

Because it's called the iInternetCommunicator.

So, if you cancel your AT&T plan, aren't you like, able to install any other SIM-card and make use of the phone anyway?

In Europe, the customer by law has to have the option to unlock the phone for free after one year of usage, or for a fee within a year of usage, to allow the customer to take it's phone to other operators.

I can't imagine the iPhone not having such option, or bringing it to Europe would be illegal.

Most interesting post in this thread. If the carriers in Europe can't guarantee users switching and staying, then there is almost no reason to bend over and accept Apple demands. AT&T can't guarantee it either but it sounds like they have a better chance in the states than a European carrier does. But all that is just pure speculation.

Speaking of speculation, I have changed my mind. I think Apple should release two new iPods, one with wi-fi, one without, and charge a premium of the wi-fi enabled iPods. If I could, I would.

 

[HyperZboy]

At the same time, whoever pulls out a phone-less iPhone's going to look like a complete dork.

Ummm, obviously you haven't seen one as it doesn't look like a typical dork's smartphone. In fact, the only feature I've yet to show anyone who I've shown mine to is, receiving a phone call!

That said, I find this news interesting not because I intend to try it (I've already activated mine), but in the fact that less people would be interested in this if it weren't for AT&T's terribly slow, crappy, EDGE network, which of course immediately crashed already yesterday! Maybe this will put a fire under Apple & AT&T's a$$es to fix this problem. Otherwise, people WILL hack solutions like this and I applaud them.

 

[tobor68]

well if you plan to unlock your iphone and turn it into the most expensive ipod ever, then you should be aware of these:

jajh for iphone and talkety

both are phone calls thru the web. these will certainly make things interesting...

 

[Nikko1965]

One giant step for mankind

I think it's great that so much interest is made in someone buying a $600 product, disabling it's main purpose and then presenting it as a work of genius. I suspect if he gutted his 17" MacBookPro, put in some kettle filaments and used it as a portable trouser press he'd be nominated for a Nobel prize.

I can see our man sat in Starbucks or McDonalds or some other WiFi enabled fat factory browsing away and then realising he spent so much time on MacRumors reading about himself that he's late for his Dungeons and Dragons club, reaching into his pocket for his mobile phone to tell Azgraz the Loser he'll be late and as he dials on his AT&T mobile costing $80 a month the thought flickers across his mind that technology convergence might not be a bad thing.

 

[Nermal]

Since when are EULA's enforcable legal documents?

Does a phone even have a EULA?

 

[Arcus]

this is silly, wait for a new ipod or just use it as a phone

Where have all the geeks and hackers gone?

I think it's great that so much interest is made in someone buying a $600 product, disabling it's main purpose and then presenting it as a work of genius. I suspect if he gutted his 17" MacBookPro, put in some kettle filaments and used it as a portable trouser press he'd be nominated for a Nobel prize.

I can see our man sat in Starbucks or McDonalds or some other WiFi enabled fat factory browsing away and then realising he spent so much time on MacRumors reading about himself that he's late for his Dungeons and Dragons club, reaching into his pocket for his mobile phone to tell Azgraz the Loser he'll be late and as he dials on his AT&T mobile costing $80 a month the thought flickers across his mind that technology convergence might not be a bad thing.

Again more geek hate.What shame. Jealous maybe?

 

[koobcamuk]

Right... and another thing that's possible is that the iphone could go back into lock-down mode after a certain period of time without a SIM. Just speculation, but it would make sense.

arn

I'm surprised that AT&T haven't done what softbank in Japan have done to their phones. The phone needs contact with the network, or non of the functions will work. Mind you, Japan has nearly 100% mobile phone coverage and most of it's 3G.

I remember that my first iPod 3rdGen, 20GB was £300 ($600) when I bought is in 2003 or 4. Now that is a lot of money and looking back, it revolutionised the way I listen to music...

 

[Manic Mouse]

Don't expect the next iPod to have WiFi or internet abilities. It's clear that Apple is going to keep the iPhone low capacity, high functionality and vice versa for the iPod to prevent them cannibalising each others sales. Eventually the lines may converge into one be-all-do-all device (when flash capacity rivals HDDs at a similar price), but not yet.

 

[Bern]

Okay, now this whole iPhone thing has reached the pinnacle of stupidity.

 

[tekcor]

But it's buggy

I would have to agree, it might not hold a million songs, but it has a ton of features that no iPod has had before.

I've been reporting bugs left and right for the iPhone. Apps are unexpectedly quitting (or what I expect is a "unexpectedly quit"), sometimes sorting is completely off, and the iPod always shuffles - regardless whether you tell it to or not. It also doesn't yet work with any FM transmitter, so I'm still using my 5G iPod in my Griffin RoadTrip until somebody creates something compatible.

My basic point is I love the device. I'm happy with the investment considering all the features, and I have internet at my fingertips everywhere I go. But as an iPod+WiFi - I'd be royally pissed off.

 

[defeated]

i don't think its practically useful, but its an interesting idea anyway, future iPod, probably will be like iphone minus phone, so..

 

[michelle21]

i posted this on the Iphone board and barely got posted on. Plus i took the info from TUAW.com and gave credit to its OP.

This is totally nuts... And than you wonder why cell phone providers have the policies they do. I'm like somekind of super hacker, but this stuff is just totally stupid. and I would never try it. Apple will come out with a widscreen ipod eventually.

 

[whooleytoo]

Okay, now this whole iPhone thing has reached the pinnacle of stupidity.

?

So, if I (hypothetically) wanted a large screen iPod, with touch-screen UI, that had the ability to browse the internet and receive email through WiFi, so I bought an iPhone and cancelled the contract - I'm stupid.

But if I wanted all that and paid 59 dollars per month for 2 years, it would make more sense?

Uber-supersizing your McDonalds meal for 10c still isn't good value if you don't want to eat that much - paying for what you don't want or need is never good value.

If people just want the functionality listed above, it makes no sense NOT to cancel their contracts.