Move On, Rumormongers: The iPhone Is Finally Real
from the looks-like-an-iNewton dept
Steve Jobs finally fulfilled the wishes of a million Apple fanboys by today announcing the iPhone in his Macworld keynote address. As you'd expect, it's flashy and a little bit different: a 3.5-inch hi-res screen that covers the entire face of the device -- and it's a touchscreen, so there's no standard keypad or keyboard. The music, video and photo functionality looks pretty great, and if the iPod's anything to go by, syncing the device with a computer should be pretty simple. It also features a version of the Safari web browser, and it's integrated with different Google and Yahoo services in what appears to be a pretty nice way. Some basic specs are out -- GSM/EDGE support, two-megapixel camera, Bluetooth and WiFi -- but plenty of questions linger, especially for some details about Jobs' statement that the device runs OS X. Battery life is going to be a significant concern (though Apple claims it will get 5 hours "of talk time, video, and browsing", or 16 for audio only), and the multi-touch user interface (which uses fingers instead of a stylus for pointing) looks like it could be a bit too complex for many users. For instance, dialing a phone is no longer the straightforward tapping of a keypad; it requires calling up a virtual keypad, then tapping on the screen, with no tactile feedback. The iPhone, overall, seems pretty slick, but at first glance, this device seems to be a really advanced iPod with a phone bolted on, more than anything. Surely that will impress a fair amount of advanced users, but for the vast majority of people whose primary interest is in having just a phone, it's overkill -- particularly when it's going to cost them at least $500 and a two-year contract for service from Cingular when it's launched in June.
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expected convergence
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iPhone is tied to network
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It looks like a PSP and an IPod had a baby
L
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Re:
"It looks like a PSP and an IPod had a baby"
It looks like my PDA, with better resolution but without the stylus interface I love so much. I wonder how many people are going to destroy their $500 phones trying to clean the screen after it gets all smudged and oily?
(Now, if I could actually make occasional phone calls from my PDA for a reasonable price, that would be neat...)
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Not for everyone, but...
None of which are really known for their user interface's either. Heck, how many buttons, clicks, and so on do I need to make a simple address book phone call on my RAZR?
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Re: Not for everyone, but...
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Re: Re: Not for everyone, but...
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It wasnt for me..
Because now that I have seen the slides, I want one of these newfangled toys.
(tho I still wish that cingular had been turned into a dumb plumber and all "phone" functionality implemented via voip... sigh, cant have evertyhing)
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Runs Mac OS X?
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Re: Runs Mac OS X?
It runs the kernel and probably a sub set of OS X interface libraries and APIs...you won't be able to run OS X apps on it unless specifically coded for both.
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Re: Runs Mac OS X?
(but no, it won't do either)
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Huh?
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EDGE?
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Touch screen no good
Forget about making a call while driving (I know one shouldn't do it, but we all do - and the reason we're able to is because of physical buttons).
Not for me, that's for sure. Also, $500 WITH a 2 year contract..... ouch!
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S ofva B
God knows Verizon's answer to this will make me sad.
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expensive
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Re: expensive
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Re: expensive
Cramped touch screens don't
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Re: expensive
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Ridiculously overpriced imo...
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The page that loads fast
Apple.com - iPhone
Please forgive the shilling, but the linked page loaded so slow and took up so much memory and cpu to display it was a horrid experience.
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The just a phone folks...
All the smartphones that this device will compete with are high-end, pricey, niche devices too. It will fit right in with the competition, and BLOW IT AWAY!
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I agree with S ofva B
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Re: I agree with S ofva B
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Ditto on Cingular's service...
I'll have to stick with my trusty Verizon Blackberry. Maybe I have to carry a separate MP3 player, but at least I can make a call when I need to.
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2 megapixel cam? Meh.
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Re: 2 megapixel cam? Meh.
There is a finite limit to the ability of those tiny lenses. Sadly, 2 megapixels is already on the other side of that limit.
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Re: Re: 2 megapixel cam? Meh.
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Re: Re: Re: 2 megapixel cam? Meh.
No, I wouldn't care to. Why are you even asking?
Did you have a link that refutes my claim? No? Then sit down and shut up.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: 2 megapixel cam? Meh.
But yeah, 5 mega pixel cell phone cameras are useful for taking pictures of noise.
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Smart phones
I would sit on the couch, lean up against the arm rest and the couch touched the send button, happened several times and called the last dialed number, my wife was very irate until the couch hit the speaker button and I realized what was going on.
You can lock the touch screen, but then it is a hassle to make a call. Ended up getting blackberrys with the thumb wheel.
Maybe there is a solution to where the phone could tell if it is in the holdster, or maybe sensors to detect the heat of your hand so it knows you are holding it? I hope Apple has found a way around this problem, it was VERY annoying to me, and I was happy I was only stuck with the phone for a few days and had not spent hundreds of dollars on it.
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Re: Smart phones
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I wonder how much cisco gets...
I wonder if they get a royalty for the name or if Apple didnt ask and will be sued for trying to use the name?
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mmmm iphone, mmmm
No talk about battery life afaics, so I think that's the hidden gotchya.
It's not saying "portable computer" to me either. Where's my xterm so I can ssh into a server, wheres vi and screen :) - no seriously those are the tools I want first and foremost, not to actually code on but a quick login to check a server status or something.
A bit on the pricey side though too, you'd want to insure that. I guess I might get one in 2008 when iPhone2 comes out and this one has proven itself.
Very disappointing to see Jobs gloating about patents though. As if the technology didn't speak for itself. Don't they get it that when we see "patents" it puts us OFF a product.
Anyway, sexy hardware, so even if the software is crap and inflexible we can look forward to when the python bindings come out and a Linux kernel will run on it :)
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Re: mmmm iphone, mmmm
I still wonder about the Cisco thing though.
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Re: mmmm iphone, mmmm
It says it runs OS X, even being as cagy as possible says the kernel and most probably everything else to a point so I am sure there is a shell and python bindings.
IMHO I would guess that the apps can be basically dashboard widgets as they are now; XHTML, CSS and JS with bindings to deeper functionaility. They seem to be pushing this device as something that developers and users like too.
Also to everyone talking about its price etc, its Apple, its aimed at a very specific market not the mass market, I think Jobs mentioned 1% of the whole mobile market as a target.
Personally I think this thing is going to be a big hit in the same way as the iPod. Wait for iPhone nano in 2 years ;)
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ummm iPhone nah
I am very surprised no one else picked this up.
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Re: ummm iPhone nah
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Cisco
There was some question as to whether Apple would be able to use the iPhone name for the device. But Cisco Systems (down $0.09 to $28.54, Charts), which owns the rights to the iPhone name, said Tuesday it expects to reach agreement with Apple later Tuesday on using the name for its device.
"Given Apple's numerous requests for permission to use Cisco's iPhone trademark over the past several years and our extensive discussions with them recently, it is our belief that with their announcement today Apple intends to agree to the final documents and public statement that were distributed to them last night and addressed a few remaining items," Cisco said in a statement obtained by CNN. "We expect to receive a signed agreement today."
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Sweet!
I like the user Interface, I like the idea of calling up the keyboard and other applications.
I own an iPod so the touch screen is a "no brainer" for me.
Also, I already have Cingular so it would mean an easy transition to the iPhone for me, with no need to change my number.
I'm sold! Someone buy it for me? Please?
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hold the phone
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why isn't there more outrage at the price...
also, they seem to be missing a big part of the market share where people don't pay a dime for their phones (me and everyone i know), and have nice (cheaper than $499) 40-60Gb handheld media players.
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Re: why isn't there more outrage at the price...
The price doesnt seem outrageous, it just seems high. I havent decided if its more than I am willing to spend or not, but I will tell you that I dont think its overpriced.
Whereas I DO think a gaming console is WAY overpriced at 600$. I balked at buying an xbox for 200$ (I was not an early adopter), and since then, my N64 has seen at least 10x more usage. No way would I spend 3x that much to buy a PS3.
However, that phone seems a whole lot more justified in it's higher price.
Or at least thats how I feel today. We'll see how I feel in 6 months when my VZW contract expires.
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Re: why isn't there more outrage at the price...
Look at the other smartphones with similar feature sets today, and theyre in the 600-750 range (granted they have UMTS, usually). This price isnt out of the norm at all. Hell, anytime nokia comes out with a high end N series phone, they can go up to $800+ and people buy them en mass..
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iPhone -- to spawn a raft of new 'ecosystem' produ
With a flat shiny screen, you know it's going to need something...
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also, they seem to be missing a big part of the market share where people don't pay a dime for their phones (me and everyone i know), and have nice (cheaper than $499) 40-60Gb handheld media players."
Well, that aspect of the US market pisses a lot of us off, and I know I personally would have been happy to buy a phone that I can use with a variety of major carriers and go month-to-month instead of a plan.
However...
I can't see any sane person buying for a phone that 1) requires a 2-year service contract; 2) costs $500-$600 and 3) can only be used with one carrer. No freaking way. One of those issues would be OK, but not all 3.
I'm guessing they realize that only the hardest core of Apple fans will sign on with these terms, and that this is in effect a self-selecting beta testing population. If they want this to gain acceptance, they probably need to open it up to more carriers. Failing that, it needs to be cheaper if they're going to play vendor lock-in.
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i can't wait
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Remember the first iPod?
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QUOTE
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I can't see any sane person buying for a phone that 1) requires a 2-year service contract; 2) costs $500-$600 and 3) can only be used with one carrer.
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If you recall recent history, when the RAZR first hit the streets and was available for general purpose -- it's price point was ... wait for it ... $499! Subsidized!! So, the market already knows that people will pay $499 for a subsidized phone. It's been done plenty of times.
The point about one carrier is an unfortunate one, but at least they chose the largest carrier ... and one with HSDPA. (I'll need to switch, but am willing to do so)
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Do some research before making an asinine comment. Apple's newest toy supports push IMAP, the technology behind both Blackberry and Microsoft Push. I wouldn't expect a Windows fanboy to educate himself past what an article tells you though. Carry On.
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Uh ... um ... ok, so there's a verb in IMAP known as "IDLE" which is what lets you maintain a persistent connection to your IMAP box, which gives you that "push" type of mail delivery everyone uses.
I can guarantee you ... RIM and Microsoft do *not* employ IMAP IDLE as a part of their push mechanisms. Try again.
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Pretty much a clone of my BB
Never mind the fact that my Blackberry can do 90% of what the iPhone can do (including Google maps, but also TelNav with voice prompts) and is available now for $200. And it has EVDOr1, which was loading the pages Jobs was browsing as fast as his WiFi connection.
Plus it's smaller and has true push email, not battery sucking IMAP IDLE, which also requires you to have a constant data connection... I've used IMAP IDLE on 3 different phones and you do NOT want that, it's terrible, esp. compared to RIM's service.
I've had smartphones for almost 10 years now, first Ericssons, then a whole string of Palms and now a Blackberry. The BB was by far the easiest to learn, setup and just generally works. It's to phones what the Mac was when I first got one in 1989 and it's hard to see how the iPhone significantly improves on that, at least for business users.
Honestly, while I generally like what Apple does, and this phone will probably be popular with consumers (if only because it cuts the number of devices you have to carry), I can't see that businesses will care all that much about it. Esp. since you need a extra thing to charge it, instead of a generic USB cable (one more thing to drag through airports).
Chris.
P.S. I have SSH on my BB. You don't need either vi or screen on the phone as those run on the server....
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end of the line...
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