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Was the original iPhone a complete shock?

D

dgrog

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 30, 2012
44
9
Just wondering, as I didn't follow Apple back then...when the original iPhone was released - were there lots of rumours that they'd be releasing a phone or was it a complete shock?

Also, what about the iPod? - from what I understand, that was a complete shock, no?

Thanks :)
 
For your average flip phone/ ipod joe consumer, yes.

For power users and business people? No.

I was shocked at how terrible the first iphone was. It was terrible compared to my wm phone.

They cleaned up their act with the 3g and 3gs, which I then bought, then went android. Might go back to the iphone if the next one steps it up.
 
Not only was it a shock, several leading tech experts said it would fail miserably....

Oh and so did the CEO at RIM...
 
thewitt said:
Not only was it a shock, several leading tech experts said it would fail miserably....

Oh and so did the CEO at RIM...
Click to expand...

And Steve Ballmer... and I quote:

$500?!!?! Fully subsidized, with a plan! That's the most expensive phone in the world and it doesn't appeal to business customers because it doesn't have a keyboard, which makes not a very good email machine.
Click to expand...
 
It was a shock in the way it brought existing components together into a complete, well rounded package. Was it perfect? No. But, was there another cell phone like it in world, widely available and easy to use with stable & intuitive software? No.

Many people seem to have forgotten how really cool it was when it was introduced... it was radical; not entirely new, but radical.

The things we take for granted - eg, pinch to zoom, were mesmerizing to watch when the first iPhone debuted; and mind-numbingly simple in retrospect but completely brilliant at the time. The fact that were now take that interaction for granted means we've either been spoiled, the iPhone's been ripped off since it's introduction, or Apple's UI designers really did reinvent the cellphone. How much of each is a factor depends on your point of view. It's a bit of each, tbh.
 
Everyone had to touch my phone for the first 6 months. Everyone... It captured their collective imaginations like no other technology had done before.
 
thewitt said:
Everyone had to touch my phone for the first 6 months. Everyone... It captured their collective imaginations like no other technology had done before.
Click to expand...

No, it was just douche bags pulling out their iphone with the ' I am the **** ' look on their face.

Then I pull out my Windows Mobile Phone and say....so I have a better camera....thousands of third party apps....GPS....MS....swappable batteries.....and better hardware.....

Seriously, the iPhone mostly got huge because of the massive marketing behind it, the orginal one was total garbage. After that, Apple kinda realized they needed things like 3G...and MMS....and GPS......and Apps?

Wasn't until the 3G/3GS that I became interested in the iPhone, then I got a 3GS....then comes along maturing android....so I get that.

Hopefully Apple can step it up with the next iPhone and I'll be interested again
 
I always thought the iPhone would just be like the Powerbook G5, a myth that'd never come to fruition, Apple really held it's secrecy together (compared to now) for the release of the phone), the first one had some pretty big flaws, but it was a kick ass phone regardless that really set the bar, I remember being in LA not long after it was released (didn't get a UK release for some time after) and just being amazed by the amount of tech innovation, it was pretty far ahead of it's time, that's what shocked me more than anything.
 
thewitt said:
Not only was it a shock, several leading tech experts said it would fail miserably....

Oh and so did the CEO at RIM...
Click to expand...

Always thought it was Telstra's (Australia's biggest telco) CEO, but apparently it was his 2IC, who said:

“There’s an old saying – stick to your knitting – and Apple is not a mobile phone manufacturer, that’s not their knitting,” Telstra’s Chief Operating Officer and second in charge, Greg Winn

When I heard that, I just knew it proved how thick Telstra is...

I only became an iPhone owner last year, but only due to money.
 
thewitt said:
Not only was it a shock, several leading tech experts said it would fail miserably....

Oh and so did the CEO at RIM...
Click to expand...

Actually I probraly would have been a failure in the long run if :apple: hadn't opened for 3rd party developers.

/me found the orginal iPhone more than boring
 
G51989 said:
No, it was just douche bags pulling out their iphone with the ' I am the **** ' look on their face.
Click to expand...

Um, no. It was people coming up to me knowing I was a long time Apple user, asking me if I had the new iPhone yet and could they see it....
 
It was cool and very disappointing at the same time

-edge when 3g was available for a very premium phone at the time

-no mms

-no copy and paste

-no app store for 3rd party apps (apple was supporting the use of web apps at the time)

-no gps capability

-headphone socket wasn't standard

-wasn't able to be unlocked after your contract was up


They only thing that was cool was the nice implementation of the touch screen and what it could offer
 
There we're a lot of rumors leading up to the original iPhone announcement in 2007. The rumor community felt strongly that it was coming, but no one knew what it would look like and how it would function... that part was a shock.
 
There was hype because it was Apples latest, but honestly I thought it was kind of disappointing (lack of 3G, a terrible camera, lack of applications etc)

Or rather it was disappointing considering how much it cost. Up until the iPhone it was easy to find the phone you wanted cheap on a 12-month contract.

I had absolutely no inclination to buy until the 3G, when 3rd party apps were starting to build momentum and the handset cost dropped.
 
jav6454 said:
And Steve Ballmer... and I quote:
Click to expand...

Well, he was right for the original phone. Only diehard Apple fans would buy a phone on a 2 year contract that is locked to one carrier for $600. A phone that did not have any 3rd-party apps, no 3G, no MMS, required a data plan (at a time when no other phone did), etc.
Even Apple quickly realized that selling it for $600 was ridiculous and lowered the price to $400 about a month and half after release.
I really would not consider the first iPhone (until iPhone OS 2 came out) a smartphone (due to lack of 3rd-party apps), it's more a really premium feature phone.

Apple learned quick though and next year with the iPhone 3G they pretty much fixed most of the major problems - yes 3G, yes 3rd-party apps, $200 on contract, which is when I bought my iPhone.
 
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