Will a 3g iPhone have to go through FCC checks?

[sowlerrmgh]

Hi,

I am planning on getting a 3G iPhone as soon as it comes out (I tried and Edge one but I could not stand the internet speed).

When apple revises a product does the product need to go through the FCC or can it be released without going through the FCC considering it is just a change of chip?

sowlerrmgh

 

[TimJim]

Since its a change of chip to 3G it will have to go through the FCC. But some products can be rushed to be approved right before the release.

 

[sowlerrmgh]

OK, I seem to remember that the first iphone was announced earlier so that it wouldn't be leaked through the FCC. I imagine this will probably have to be done with the 3g iphone unless apple can put it through the FCC in a matter of days.

 

[avaloncourt]

Is there any particular reason why you asked exactly the same thing as another thread posted an hour before yours?

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/465797/

 

[spikefood]

If the only thing changed is the 3G chip (which are already FCC approved) it might be able to get by on a technicality.

 

[nickspohn]

It needs FCC approval because of the chip, so we will indeed know when we are about to see the iPhone. Other things like a bigger hard drive don't need the approval.

 

[kdarling]

Why do you want to know?

Nothing says that a 3G can't get approval and still take a long time to go on sale

Don't forget that the first phone took almost six months to come out after its announcement, and a month-and-a-half after its FCC approval.

And it's always possible (tho not probable) that it will come out overseas first.

Cheers.

 

[sowlerrmgh]

Why do you want to know?

I just want to know how we are going to get the 3g announcement: announcement with launch at a later date or announcement with immediate launch.
Considering the iphone will have to go through the FCC it is most likely to be an announcement with later launch date.

 

[kdarling]

Ah.

That makes sense!

 

[spikefood]

Why do you want to know?

Nothing says that a 3G can't get approval and still take a long time to go on sale

Don't forget that the first phone took almost six months to come out after its announcement, and a month-and-a-half after its FCC approval.

And it's always possible (tho not probable) that it will come out overseas first.

Cheers.

Apple is not stupid, if they officially announce a 3G iPhone then sales of current iPhones will drop dramatically. They are out to make money, we won't know the official date for the 3G iPhone until a month before at max. Hell Apple might even announce at the WWDC something like "available starting today! the new iPhone !"

 

[sowlerrmgh]

They are out to make money, we won't know the official date for the 3G iPhone until a month before at max. Hell Apple might even announce at the WWDC something like "available starting today! the new iPhone !"

From what I can tell there will always be a time when the public know about the 3g iphone and it is not released:

a) Apple launch the product on the announcement day but the media find out through the FCC earlier
b) Apple announce the product with a later release date therefore we all know

Both ways Apple will suffer a drop in sales prior to the launch

 

[nickspohn]

There is a lengthy discussion on how they will do this in another thread, and what i've said all alone is most likely:

We're going to find out ahead of time. Apple needs to work with AT&T, and train employees. This isn't like a new iPod coming out, it's VERY different.

Apple will probably discount the EDGE phone and sell them at the same time to get rid of stock.

 

[skwoytek]

You have to remember that the FCC doesn't test the phone, the tests are performed by authorized test firms. As an example, the iPhone tests were done by CETECOM. At this point, nothing public was filed or revealed and Apple will know that the device passes FCC requirements.

A brief timeline: The iPhone tests were conducted by CETECOM on February 6, 2007. The first letter from Apple to the FCC was dated March 8, 2007. The FCC publicly posted the iPhone information on May 17th.

Quite a bit can happen and the public never know...

What follows are my thoughts on the subject.

Apple has already announced the iPhone. The iPhone secrecy was maintained and the introduction fanfare has passed. The main focus now is not losing sales momentum by pre-announcing.

Also, many believe that the main reasons for revealing the iPhone months in advance were for marketing and to allow people to hold off on new phone purchases and extending contracts for six months. I know I did. The number of people with contracts ending in those six months was approximately one-quarter of U.S. cell phone owners. By the holidays, one-half of all contracts had ended. Apple won't have had the opportunity to influence all out-of-contract cell phone owners until January of 2009.

In June, I think we'll hear about the new iPhone with availability within the month, if not immediately.

 

[benmrii]

Apple needs to work with AT&T, and train employees. This isn't like a new iPod coming out, it's VERY different.

It isn't a new iPod coming out, but it is just a new iPhone coming out. If 3G, a second camera, a GPS addition and more internal storage is added then we're talking about a speed bump, not a new product.

This isn't a PowerMac G4 changing to a PowerMac G5. This is a PowerMac G5 hitting its second rev. This isn't an iMac Flat Panel to an iMac G5, its an iMac G5 to an iMac G5 with iSight.

It's a significant speed bump, to be sure. Much more anticipated than most considering EDGE was a few years outdated when the iPhone was released. But even if half of the wish-list items shared on these boards (even the ridiculous ones) are implemented you're talking about a very small learning curve.

The software isn't changing. 99% chance the interface isn't changing. The repair (read: replacement) process isn't changing. The setup process isn't changing. I can't imagine any need for training that would take more than a 30-45 minute read through a .pdf and 20 minutes of tinkering with one.