Iphone news

So I’m hearing that there are lots of problems with the iphones. If you have one and are having problems please lets us know. I’ll find a good in depth review of one soon, since I’m too poor to afford one. Heres a site where they have taken the iphone apart for those who haven’t seen this:
http://stream.ifixit.com/

iPhone facts from the first reviews

-from Engadget

Posted Jun 26th 2007 8:19PM by Ryan Block
Well, the first reviews are in. But you may have missed some of the more interesting factoids unearthed by the trio of gadget reporters deigned worthy by El Jobso to get a pre-launch iPhone. Here’s a few fresh n’ interesting iPhone facts right off the presses:

* The mobile version of OS X or whatever it is the iPhone runs takes up 700MB of the device’s capacity. Damn son!
* There’s no way to cut, copy, or paste text! WHOA! Big, big mistake.
* No A2DP support. That, friends, is such a huge bummer right there.
* Sorry, music can’t be used as a ringtone — even if it’s just a raw MP3. No additional ringtones will be sold at launch.
* On a PC the iPhone syncs with Outlook for calendars AND addresses! Noice.
* It supports Exchange in some capacity, according to Walt, but he doesn’t exactly say how.
* Pogue again confirms document file reading — but not editing — for PDF, Word, and Excel (only).
* Adobe Flash support is officially out. It’s just not in the browser. Neither is there any other kind of embedded video support. Sorry everybody, that’s that.
* It will take snaps, but won’t record video. How can Apple love YouTube as much as it does and not realize cellphone-shot movies make up a sizeable chunk of the crazy crap you find on there?

More after the break!

* Oh, and no MMS. And sorry, no voice dialing, either.
* Contact groups can’t be emailed as contact lists.
* Apple sez between 300-400 charges the iPhone will lose battery capacity — you’ll send it in and get the cell replaced for a fee. Meh. We knew this would be the case, but still, meh.
* Apple can (and supposedly will) be rolling out periodic updates — no surprise there.
* Battery life is, somehow, almost as mind-blowingly good as Apple claims for calls, music, and movies.
* As we suspected, users are prompted with lists of WiFi networks if you’re not nearby a trusted hotspot. We’ve seen this on other phones, and we’re afraid this would get friggin annoying.
* It’s said to be very scratch resistant. The facade both front and rear apparently just doesn’t pick up marring like regular iPods do.
* Voice quality is said to be good — not great.

Anything else we missed from in there?

Iphone video review

Why You May Not Want An iPhone

from-Forbes
Dan Frommer, 06.11.07, 6:00 AM ET
Give Steve Jobs credit: He’s managed to get the entire tech community–and much of the rest of the world–talking about a pricey gadget that only a handful have seen or touched.

Apple’s (nasdaq: AAPL – news – people ) iPhone finally goes on sale June 29, and for many potential buyers, the only issue is whether they’ll be able to get their hands on one, as it’s certain to sell out immediately. But whether you are a music lover, a business e-mail addict, a mobile power-user or just a normal consumer, there are several good reasons to think twice about dropping $500 for the first-generation iPhone.

Will that be enough to slow iPhone sales after the initial rush? There are, after all, plenty of other options for consumers who want a smart phone, which is essentially a high-end phone with the ability to do other functions, like e-mail. Previously just expensive toys for information technology nerds and executives, smart phones are gaining mainstream appeal. Research firm Yankee Group projects that smart phones will grow from 11% of this year’s mobile-phone market to about 20% of phone sales in 2010.

Jobs hopes to pick up 1% of the market by the end of 2008. But consumers are finicky and have options. If Apple’s iPhone doesn’t stack up, numerous competitors, like Samsung, LG Electronics, Nokia (nyse: NOK – news – people ) and a host of phones running rival Microsoft’s (nasdaq: MSFT – news – people ) Windows Mobile platform, will be happy to take their business. (Elevation Partners, the private equity firm that has invested in Forbes Media, has announced plans to buy a 25% stake in iPhone competitor Palm (nasdaq: PALM – news – people )).

The iPhone’s battery is one example of a feature that could flop. By all indications–Apple is still being mum about almost all details regarding the device–the iPhone’s rechargeable battery is sealed inside its case. That’s what Apple does already with its iPod devices, presumably to save space. The company says the battery will last up to five hours of talking, watching video and browsing the Internet.

But it’s not clear how those claims will measure up in the real world. What happens if you use the phone’s wi-fi connection heavily? Or a Bluetooth earpiece? Without a midday charging pit stop, iPhone owners may have to consistently choose between using its Web and multimedia features or saving battery power for phone calls.

Other smart phones have similar battery drawbacks. Palm, for example, says the battery in its newest Treo 755p will last for up to four hours and 12 minutes of talk time. But when that’s up, you can easily swap out the Treo battery for a charged replacement. Many people carry a spare, especially while traveling on business. With the iPhone, it seems you may be tethered to a backup-battery accessory, which is far from ideal.

Making matters worse, rechargeable batteries have a limited lifespan and can be charged only a finite number of times. This number varies, but Apple says a properly maintained iPod battery–whatever that really means–can retain 80% of its original capacity after 400 full charging cycles. Eventually, it will hold a charge so short that it must be replaced, which could at best mean a trip to an Apple or AT&T (nyse: T – news – people ) store, or at worst, an annoying, mail-in battery replacement service.

The iPhone’s stripped-down data features could also provide incentive to wait for a better offer. Apple’s boilerplate is that the iPhone is a “revolutionary” device for browsing the Internet on the go. To an extent, it has a point: Apple’s Safari is arguably the most powerful mobile Web browser. And the iPhone’s large display will surely make surfing the Web more enjoyable and functional than on a tiny Motorola (nyse: MOT – news – people ) Razr screen.

But for whatever reason, Apple decided not to allow the iPhone to work on AT&T’s fastest, “third-generation” (or 3G) wireless network, opting instead for its slower “EDGE” network. The difference is apparent even on a small-screen device browsing scaled-down, mobile-edition Web sites. When you’re surfing full-size Web pages, as Apple touts on the iPhone, the slow speeds could be a deal breaker.

During Apple’s first-quarter earnings conference call, finance chief Peter Oppenheimer said the company is “very much sold” on the slower network because it is more widespread in the U.S. This is a valid point, sort of. AT&T says it has 3G coverage available in 165 major U.S. metro areas, with dozens more on the way, and EDGE coverage in 13,000 cities and towns. But a 3G device can seamlessly hop between the faster and slower networks. And many of the iPhone’s competitors, like the 7-month-old Samsung BlackJack, do just that. So why did Apple skimp?

One reason may be the iPhone’s built-in wi-fi capability, meaning it can connect to local hot spots and avoid AT&T’s data network altogether. This is much faster than using the cellular Web, but imperfect. Wi-fi access is not as universal as you think, and often it’s not free. Spending $10 to use a faster Internet at Starbucks doesn’t sound practical on top of a $40-per-month, all-you-can-eat EDGE data plan. You may already have a wi-fi hot spot in your home or office–but chances are, you have a computer there, too, with a screen larger than 3.5 inches.

Then again, wi-fi may be a cool feature if Apple opens the iPhone up to developers to write interesting software like network or peer-to-peer games, on-the-go photo sharing software or any other mobile-friendly apps. Jobs is particularly fond of the iPhone’s Google Maps software, which he says “blows away” any previous version, and the iPod music software, which he says is “the best iPod we’ve ever made.” But it’s not clear if Apple will let other people write software for the iPhone, at least right away, and that could be a reason to stay away.

For example, if you’re looking to check your corporate e-mail with any ease, you may have to wait. It’s not clear if the iPhone’s e-mail software will initially–or imminently–support “push” e-mail from Microsoft Exchange e-mail servers or Research in Motion (nasdaq: RIMM – news – people ) BlackBerry servers. Apple has a deal with Yahoo! (nasdaq: YHOO – news – people ) to support real-time “push” e-mail delivery. But CrackBerry addicts should be iPhone-hesitant, at least until we get more information about compatibility. (RIM did not immediately return a request for comment.) Jobs said recently that Apple is “working to find a way to allow developers to build applications” but that security is a sticking point.

Rabid e-mailers or texters may also be skeptical about the iPhone’s keyboard-free design. Jobs dislikes the tiny QWERTY thumb keyboards on many of today’s smart phones, with good reason: Typing is slower and less accurate than on a normal, full-sized keyboard.

But it’s not apparent that typing on a touchscreen will necessarily be any better. Many BlackBerry users, once familiar with the keyboard, can type without looking. Can you thumb out a text message on an iPhone screen without undivided attention? Will it work in the rain? Or if you’re wearing a bandage? Will it scratch, as the iPod screens have been infamous for?

Lastly, one of the most anticipated, unknown iPhone features is its real price tag. We already know that it will cost $500 to $600, depending on storage capacity. But AT&T’s contract requirements could easily quadruple that price. To qualify for the lowest pricing on many smart phones, carriers require that you subscribe to an all-you-can-eat data plan for around $40 per month, in addition to a $40-or-more-per-month calling plan.

So much for getting the cheapest calling plan and just using the wi-fi feature for the Internet. Add text messaging and taxes, and you’re looking at a bill near $90 per month. Over the two-year contract period, that’s more than $2,000.

Businesses manage that expense for executives’ BlackBerrys, but will consumers happily pay that much? AT&T says existing customers will get the same deal as new customers switching from Verizon Wireless or Sprint Nextel (nyse: S – news – people )–but subscribers will have to extend their contract for two more years. Will AT&T offer a version for prepaid service subscribers? Many consumers can justify buying a $500 smart phone/iPod hybrid. But AT&T’s service terms could break the deal.

iPhone rumor du jour: June 20th release date

-from engadget

Ok, another iPhone rumor — you want to be looped in, don’t you? If not then just wait, there’ll be another post along shortly. Anywho, supposedly according to a CNBC “On the Money” report, an AT&T store told them Apple’s cellphone would launch on June 20th. Which is hilarious because if you call 10 different cellphone stores you’re bound to get ten different answers regarding the launches of upcoming products — especially the hottest phones. Why? Mostly just because those clerks read the rumors online just like you. Surely enough, the AP apparently called a bunch of AT&T stores and got launch dates franging from June 11 to June 22, but nothing certain from Apple or AT&T corporate. Still, makes for some amusing Friday reading, dunnit?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Read – MacRumors reports
Read – AP follows up

My thoughts on the Iphone

So after I first heard about on G4, I thought it was a horrible idea, and I still think it’d be a waste of money to buy if you already own a Ipod. I will admit that unlike many people in my generation (’87-’89 peeps) I have a slight bias aginst the Macs, it was just the way I was brought up. I will still buy a mac books, maybe after their batteries stop swelling up. Back to the Iphones, from what i hear and read resembles a palm pilot and includes:

• Ipod like capabilities
• wireless internet
• A “revolutionary” user interface called a touch screen. It does move with ease and very smooth I’d like to add
• Safari, so you can browse the internet. You can even flip it sideways, like the zune, to browse the internet pages.
• ease at checking emails and voice mail, also making calls seems very easy.

This all seems like a good idea, but remember “don’t believe the hype” This thing is expensive, $500 on the low end, so if you are willing it get one I would suggest trading in or selling your current Ipod. You won’t need it anymore if you decide to get on of these Iphones. I think if you have an ipod and a phone you might as well not buy this, since I doubt you’ll be able to listen to music and talk on the phone at the same time as surfing the internet. If you want to do all of that yo might have a problem known as a cyber addiction.