- $499 for 4GB, $599 for 8GB iPhone - 2-year service agreement required - iPhone is not eligible for Wireless Phone Insurance; iPhone is covered by Apple Warranty - No business discounts - iPhone must be activated before it can be used. Pre-installed SIM card. - Activates "within a few minutes" - 14 day return policy. If opened, there is a 10% restocking fee. - Existing AT&T wireless customers will need to add an iPhone Data Plan.
Wonder what the warranty cost on this phone will be. I'm a bit saddened no insurance being offered on the phone.
Also some early reviews (with thanks to MacRumors)
NY Times: David Pogue - "so sleek and thin, it makes Treos and BlackBerrys look obese." - After walking around with the iPhone unprotected for 2 weeks, no marks on it. Glass smudges are easily wiped off. - 700 megabytes is occupied by the phone’s software - Making calls can be a 6 step process if phone is off. - Web, Email is superior - Battery Life Test: 5 hours video, 23 hours audio. Note: did not turn off Wi-Fi and other features as Apple suggests. - Typing was OK. Difficult at first, but learned to "trust" the keyboard. "The BlackBerry won’t be going away anytime soon." - Cites AT&T network as iPhone's biggest downfall. Cites Consumer Reports survey which ranks AT&T network as last or second to last in 19 out of 20 major US cities. - AT&T’s EDGE cellular network: "excruciatingly slow" - Slideshow of photos taken with iPhone - Video Review
Newsweek: Steven Levy - bottom line is that the iPhone is a significant leap - The iPhone is the rare convergence device where things actually converge. - e-mail looks more like you’re working on a computer than a clunky phone - YouTube videos work great on Wi-Fi, but can display in a lower quality when you’re not at a hotspot and are using AT&T’s EDGE network - unless I did a lot of video watching or Web browsing, [the battery] could generally last the day - I’ve been jamming it in my pocket with keyrings, coins and pens, and so far it’s nearly as good as new.
USA Today: Edward Baig - Apple's iPhone isn't perfect, but it's worthy of the hype - The revelation is that it's also comfortable to hold and touch. - I expected to miss the tactile feel that a physical keyboard provides. I didn't. - You can hold a conference call with up to five people. - No voice recognition or voice dialing - halfway decent internal speakers for listening if you set the thing down - iPod games are not compatible with iPhone - our company tech department raised questions about the security settings Apple required with our Microsoft Exchange servers. - Battery life didn't prove to be a big problem in my unscientific tests - Edward Baig brought his iPhone to CNBC and demoed it live tonight: Video
Ahh, the joys of being an early adopter. Apple has said they plan to "surprise and delight" iPhone owners with software updates. That won't help you get 3G or GPS, but you should see new functionality added to the iPhone for awhile.
I highly doubt it was AT&Ts restriction. Apple has gained unprecedented control over the phone even to the point of getting a cut of the service contracts. Would it surprise anyone if one of the upcoming OS updates allows the user to use an MP3 ring tone?
The phone's interface really looks great and the reviews are very positive. Strangely the word in the valley is that Apple does not expect to sell out right away. I think that is probably because they really do have a fairly big supply already build up and it is kind of a niche product.
On a side note: I have heard that there will be a forced OS upgrade that will occur when the phone is activated for the first time.
Probably don't expect to sell out because no one in corporate america (i.e. - where you can expense your phone) can purchase one. If it's not compatible with Microsoft ActiveSync or the Blackberry client, it will be a tough sell beyond retail. Perhaps retail will be enough (gotta believe the margin is insanely high...), but I can't imagine that as a great long term strategy considering the price point.
ATT doesn't offer insurance on any of their high-end phones, but there are 3rd party options (which I have never tried).
Yeah, there was a hilarious WSJ article, quoting various IT/MIS people swearing they'll never allow the iPhone into their company and threatening any "rogue users" who dare buy it. I sure hope some of their CEOs get iPhones -- who's the rogue then? It reminds me of the IT/MIS people's frantic efforts to keep PCs out in the early 80s...
Anyway, my guess is that it's going to be a huge success, because after all the corporate smart-phone sector is tiny compared to the overall market, and that's where the iPhone is competing. I think a lot of people are viewing it as Blackberry, etc. competitor because it has much of the same functionality -- but Jobs & Co. see it as a way to open a new world to regular cell phone users, and they feel that people will be willing to pay the asking price. Well, we'll see soon enough.
The iPhone won't compete with the Blackberry market simply because it lacks a tactile QWERTY keyboard. In that world, efficiency is more important than elegance. The big question will be how many people in the general market are willing to pay smartphone prices for smartphone services many probably don't need.
There will eventually be Blackberries with virtual keyboards. They don't keep the same style forever. I hear people bitching on an almost daily basisabout how small the Blackberry keyboards are now compared to the old models. How the Blackberry keyboards have been "Treo-ized". How the SureType keyboards suck. It's only natural that their progression will lead to a virtual keyboard at some point.
Every single review of the iPhone that has been published so far pretty much says the same thing....
The keyboard was a nuisance to use at first, but after a few days, users were able to use it as fast and efficiently (or more efficiently) as other standard phone keyboards.
As an owner of a Blackberry, I'm not entirely happy with their keyboard. It is small and cumbersome but my typing speed has improved with time. I can't imagine the virtual keyboard being any different, and I agree that in time, all phones will be using the same technology.
I think a decent market of under-30 "youth" will emerge.
Where the Crackberry is a power tool, a mover-and-shaker status symbol, a business need, the iPhone is (supposed to be...) cool. It's an iPod. It's a movie player. It's a phone. And it's not geeky or complex looking like a Treo. It's something that a 25 year old with a decent job, no mortgage and a wife can afford (cheaper than a PC, same as a PS3).
And people are prone to buying things they "don't need". Look around here at those with $600 in a PS3 game player. Or thousands in DVDs. There's lots of money to be spent on fluff. Frankly, HTF is a monument to spending large amounts of money on non necessities. If Apple taps into the youth market, it could be a huge success.
Membrane keyboards over the past few years seem cheap to me, so I reverted back to a noisy but fast alps key switch (Matias Tactile Pro) It will be interesting for people like me to adapt to no positive feedback on a keyboard. My use will be much less than a business traveler, but if any portion of the virtual board feels like it needs uneven pressure, I'll have a problem.
My very young neice and nephew fly on any small book or cell keyboard, so it's probably just my heavy work hands getting in the way.
I noticed in one review, a guy was really hammering the buttons and keys, and in another the reviewer seemed to have a very light and fast touch.
What wireless e-mail capabilities does the iPhone have besides web browsing ? Pain in the arse to hit webmail.corporateurl.com and type in a user/pwd every time you want to check mail....
Pogue now has a "Often-Asked Questions" article up. Among other things, he addresses the "Why no 3G?" question. He says Apple told him the current 3G chipsets use too much battery juice.