Apple 'iPhone'

[Paul Shields]

I don't personally want one (I realised long ago that having your company pick up the bill was the sensible route) though I have to admit it sounds kind of funky...

"The 11.6 millimetre (0.46 inch) phone includes the 3.5-inch wide touchscreen display and a 2 megapixel camera. The phone runs Apple's OS X operating system, has the Safari browser for Internet searching and e-mail functions that can handle graphics and work with external services.

The iPhone can also connect to the Internet using Wi-Fi wireless technology, and has Bluetooth, the short-range wireless technology used to support wireless headsets or link to other devices such as printers."


http://uk.news.yahoo.com/09012007/32...es-iphone.html

[Mr. Pickles]

It probably has some form of DRM installed. And each phone call costs 99 cents?

[jfrancho]

I've been without a portable phone for four years now. Some of the newer multi function wireless thingy phones seem cool, but not cool enough for me to want one.

[brian.austin]

This is going to be an interesting one to watch.

Apple's iPod pretty much stole the show in the MP3 player market for two reasons:

1. The market wasn't heavily saturated with players.
2. Everyone else sucked at marketing.

This is a different story, though. My own Sprint PPC6700 has everything the iPhone has, aside from the Mac OS X. It runs Microsoft Mobile 5, has Bluetooth, Wifi, Internet access (including hooking up my laptop via USB or Bluetooth and acting as a modem), ActiveSync for connections to my office Exchange server, and MP3 and video playback. Verizon has the same phone on their network. There is also the Motorola Q and a Samsung model, along with a few other less popular models. Then there is also the ever present Blackberry, freshly remade after RIM's victory in court.

I love my iPod and enjoy watching Apple's product development. I'm not sure the iPhone is going to be quite the hit that the iPod was, though. Phones change FAST in this business and Apple isn't known for kicking out new models every six months. This is a whole new market with some very established players.

If nothing else, it's going to be interesting to watch.

I'm REALLY curious to see what Cisco does. Cisco holds the registered trademark for "iPhone" with their VoIP products. An Apple vs Cisco battle would be interesting to watch, too.

[Paul Shields]

Yes, the Cisco trademark is interesting. Not that this has ever stopped Apple in the past (their company name being a classic example ). I also agree that they won't have this market to themselves. One thing that caught my attention though was the CEO of Vodaphone damning the iPhone with faint praise, but also saying that the convergence of the functionalities of music player/phone/internet is the future - and in that area Apple will look a lot stronger than a (currently) 100% mobile phone company. Microsoft won't sit around idly either. Their Pocket PC is in the majority of PDAs (I currently use a t-mobile MDA that's basically a little PC). They don't have the hardware recognition though, and judging by the Zune marketing I'm doubtful they even understand what that market is.

[Shortie]

At £250 ish it is too expensive

For Xmas got the whole family replacement phones e.g. 3 of them for just under £140 they are all MP3 player and have a camera as well okay on a 2Mpixel job but suits an eigth year old

Shortie

[timjon]

Apple's strengths are industrial design and integration. The reason the iPod was successful, marketing aside, was because it integrates so well with iTunes, and because the user interface is excellent.

Remember - when the iPod came out, a lot of people compared the features to the competition (like the Nomad) and concluded that it would tank. Apple doesn't compete on features, they compete on style and ease of use. Even though my current phone has a camera, address book, music player etc, I'd still be tempted by one of these, simply because Apple hardware (and software) is such a pleasure to use.

Cheers,

Tim.

[Paul Shields]

Just finished watchin the keynote and I have to say the iphone really does look fantastic.

I'll be snapping up Apple TV when it's out next month.

[Paul Shields]

Hmm, now I've managed to escape from Mr Job's reality distortion field this Apple TV doesn't look so cool after all. It seems it'll only play what's currently in your iTunes list? So no movies, recorded TV etc? Bah, it's a turkey.

[kavellanet]

Got one of these on June 29th no line no waiting. Walked into my local Apple store in the mall at 8:00pm and found no lines at all. I have got to say that after having it for two days it is very very impressive. Love it.

[brian.austin]

Originally Posted by kavellanet

Got one of these on June 29th no line no waiting. Walked into my local Apple store in the mall at 8:00pm and found no lines at all. I have got to say that after having it for two days it is very very impressive. Love it.

Give us an update in a month or so, after the "cool" factor wears off. I loved my first smartphone during the first few weeks, too. I still like it but can see the benefits of other smartphones.

[digitalzed]

Waiting for Version 2.0 and a price reduction of about $300-400.00 and no two year contract. Also, a different provider than AT&T, which has the SLOWEST Internet access of any major carrier would be nice too. Wifi is reasonably fast from what I hear, but you're not always near a hot spot. And the camera on ANY camera phone sucks. timjon is 100% correct in saying that Apple succeeds where others fail because they make the "experience" of use so much more intuitive than other companies do with their devices/computers. Still, I'll wait for a better price/feature/network combo and then dive in.

[brian.austin]

Originally Posted by digitalzed

Still, I'll wait for a better price/feature/network combo and then dive in.

Something to consider here: if the iPhone is successful, others will follow suit. Those following can build upon the iPhone's good points while avoiding the bad ones.

Look at the Motorola Q as an example. Very similar to the Blackberry in operation but with a Windows Mobile OS instead of RIM's OS. Quite popular in the business sector. Plus it does NOT rely on a third party solution to sync with Exchange mail servers for contacts, calendar, e-mail, etc..

I'm looking forward to what the iPhone does to the industry more than Apple's version of it.

[Imagesgranted]

exceptional phone even beating microsoft smartphones and easily beating brickberrys with the tiny keys. Someone has actually put everything together and it works and they certainly know how to market their products.

[wookiee2cu]

Doesn't necessarily beat smartphones if you are a business user. It is a very nice phone but is lacking features. Hopefully with the new release of the 3G model they will have made other changes as well. It's rumored that they are working on a new email system (one like the smartphones... go figure), allowing MMS and Mobile Office programs. There is also a murmor of GPS. If they incorporate these features then I will be all over it. Apple has finally realized that they are not capitalizing on the power/business users, that's why they are working on incorporating all of these features or so the rumor goes.

[Alfred D.]

More and more mobile phones have similar specs to the iPhone's. Better even in some. But, afaik, none yet has the gesturing UI.

[Alfred D.]

Originally Posted by wookiee2cu

There is also a murmor of GPS. If they incorporate these features then I will be all over it.

Why?
I know where I am. And where I want to go. I payed attention when I was in school... Unlike most!
And GPS means big brother – and other creeps – can pinpoint my location and track my movements too.
Which is why I carry my mobile phone in switched off mode at all times, and only switch it on if I really need to make a call. That is also an excellent opportunity to check voicemail messages and return those calls. And then I switch it off again.
So any big brother will be able to only record a very sketchy pattern, with huge holes in it, of my movements.

[Rogue]

My cell phone has an interesting feature, I'm not sure if it will catch on though.
It has these little buttons, if you push the buttons and put it to your ear you can talk to someone!

[peterst6906]

Originally Posted by Rogue

My cell phone has an interesting feature, I'm not sure if it will catch on though.
It has these little buttons, if you push the buttons and put it to your ear you can talk to someone!

That's so 20th century, get with the program...

[brian.austin]

Originally Posted by Alfred D.

Why?
I know where I am. And where I want to go. I payed attention when I was in school... Unlike most!
And GPS means big brother – and other creeps – can pinpoint my location and track my movements too.
Which is why I carry my mobile phone in switched off mode at all times, and only switch it on if I really need to make a call. That is also an excellent opportunity to check voicemail messages and return those calls. And then I switch it off again.
So any big brother will be able to only record a very sketchy pattern, with huge holes in it, of my movements.

Uh...yeah. Out of hundreds of millions of people moving around, ole' BB is particularly interested in YOU.

The funny part is that by doing what you're doing rather than following the lemmings, you're actually MORE noticeable!