iPhone - so...what's the deal?

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

I know this. I wonder how soon someone will be able to access the folders of the iPhone to add their own in. I currently have the lack luster LG VX-8500 (Chocolate), but I got it because I can easily load and create my own ringtones without paying Verizon a single cent extra by using a USB cable and a nice piece of software called Bit-Pim.

The more I think about it, I would never spend $400 on a phone I couldn't play with first. Hopefully, someone I know will get one, so I can have my own hands on. Its crazy that this phone is getting so much media attention, its mind boggling. Don't get me wrong, I like news on technology and new consumer products, but it seems more like a beauty pageant most of the time.

Does anyone know if this phone is capable of expanded memory (like a Micro SD slot)? (EDIT: Nevermind, last thing Pogue says in his video above is confirmation it doesnt)

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

Ron, how do you like the Jawbone? Specifically, how well does the noise cancellation work? I have the Plantronics 640e and it's okay if there isn't a lot of wind noise, but I may start looking around for a new headset.

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

Michael,

Honestly, I haven't used the Jawbone much. I bought it a few
weeks back and planned to put it to use while out in Vegas.

A co-worker turned me onto it and he loves it! Says that it does
a great job of blocking out noise.

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

I called Apple this morning with a few questions....

The iPhone will be sold through their website starting
Friday at 6pm and you can also order one on the phone by calling
1-800-676-2775

They tell me that there will be plenty of phones on hand and that
they don't expect a sell-out within the first hour. Additionally, the
phones will be shipped for receive at the beginning of the following
week. Though I won't say for certain, all Apple products I have bought
direct have been shipped next day delivery.

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

apparently you can buy it, use it for 30 days to test it and return it if you dont like it.

so a 30 test drive.

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

Today's New Vid on the Keyboard - Buzz

http://www.apple.com/iphone/usingiphone/keyboard.html

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

I'm going for it! My buddy and I already plan to stand on
line at the Apple store 2 hours early.

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

Guess we'll have a nice review Saturday?

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

Jean

Thanks for those review links (see post #61).

Both reviews are very positive all around. The one thing big
negative that both reviews agree on is the fact that it uses
Cingular's EDGE network for Internet and it's painfully slow.

They also both reaffirmed that this phone, as spectacular as it
is, becomes totally useless if you are out of AT&T coverage are.

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

I was in rural NJ a few months back with my Verizon Blackberry... About 40 minutes west of Atlantic City.. Cell service for verizon was dead... No Calls... But my 2 friends with Cingular had bars... And got a call out... All depends on where you are...

By the way.. Ron's buddy is me... 666

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

i don't think that the above has anything to do with it. most of the world has chosen to go with gsm vs. cdma for whatever reasons.

so there are declining returns in attempting to develop anything for a cdma market. i suppose that nokia decided to respond to this by eliminating support for a format that will cease to exist in the near future.

verizon and sprint have even started selling gsm/cdma hybrid blackberries so that their customers can use their phone overseas. i think that is the writing on the wall right there.

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

the jawbone is excellent. i bought one a few weeks ago.

after playing with various headsets over the past couple of years the jawbone is by far the best one available. it does a great job on both ends of the communication in blocking ambient noise. using a headset was not a big deal for me before. but since i got this one i really miss it when i failed to charge it or don't have it on me.

however, it does not work well with wind noise. ummm... actually.... it absolutely does not work well with wind noise.

but other than that it is the best on the market.

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

Re: Buying via the online Apple Store. I read at AppleInsider that the Apple Store site will go down Friday afternoon and reopen at 6 PM Pacific time to start selling the iPhone. So if you're goiing to go the online route adjust accordingly for your time zone.

Also, version 7.3 of iTunes will be posted for download in the next couple of days. It will be required to support iPhone, so those of you jumping in be sure to watch for it and download/install it prior to plugging in your new toy.

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

ron, it is quite obvious that you are not an cingular/att fan.

the network claim is really dependent on where you use your device. all of the anecdotes in the other thread really do not hold much water. fine they dropped a call. ALL carriers drop calls. it is the nature of the industry. as i stated above people should choose the carrier that best serves their area. but i highly doubt that one carrier serves an area THAT much better than the other btwn the two major carriers. the network argument is really a moot point as far as i am concerned.

the real stumbling block is the iphone using EDGE (avg. user experience of 70-120kbps) instead of HSDPA (high speed downlink packet access "aka 3G" (avg. user experience of 400-700kbps)) i think it was a huge mistake on apples part (read not ATT) not to include support for HSDPA. that is why there is such a focus on the phone having WIFI. if the phone had support for HSDPA trust me you would barely hear mention of WIFI. as you can see the download speeds between the two are not even comparable.

if the iphone had 3G i would get one in the first batch too. but since it doesn't i will continue to utilize my current 3G devices. i can't go back to EDGE.

here is your best course of action if you really want to try an iphone.

keep your verzion line and activate a new line of service with a new number from att. you have 30 days to decide what you want to do. if you decide to hang on to the phone you can port your verizon number to the iphone. it is a really simple process (although it didn't used to be) that will take at maximum 3 hours and usually will take place instantly.

if you decide that att's network is that poor or that the phone does not meet your expectations you can return the phone and cancel service within the first 30 days penalty free.

i USED to do this process for people all of the time.

i really doubt your user experience will be that different than that of verizon. seriously.

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

Diallo,

Thank You for your thoughts. Good read.

What makes this decision much easier for me is that the
internet on the iPhone is not the killer app for me nor
is it a necessary one.

I already have a Verizon PC air card that allows my Macbook Pro
to access their National Broadband Network at blazing-fast REV-A
speed. When on the road, I use my laptop to access the Internet,
not my phone. Though I'll be canceling my Verizon cell service, I
will continue to remain a subscriber of their broadband.

Still, the iPhone will come in handy for those few times
I need quick information off the Internet. For those rare moments,
I suppose I can deal with AT&T's sluggish EDGE network.

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

Actually it's 14 days, with a 10% restocking fee taken out if the box has been opened.

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

Ron, does this mean we may have a HTF for mobile in the works?

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

Jean,

One never knows.

There is another really great review on YouTube here:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ERyQ21BEC6s

Something that does concern me....

How long till version 2 and 3 of this phone? And, when that
happens, what will become of those of us that shelled out $600
for the original?

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

I would be more concerned with the Gen 6 iPod before even worrying about the Gen 2 iPhone. We all know the financial risks involved by being early adopters. And as far as features go, if everyone got it right the first time, then they would have a 2nd or 3rd round to double, nay triple their profits. We can all thank Henry Ford for planned obsolescence. 'Tis the nature of the business with technology.

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

With Apple, who knows. But no longer than a year til the next rev, perhaps even 6 months, I'd expect. Nothing. You'll still have the same great phone you bought when it came out. Just like all those 1G iPod owners when 2G came out -- or me, with my 1G nano after 2G came out.

But also like with their OS, iTunes, and iPod software, it's reasonable to expect ongoing software upgrades that improve performance and feature set for the 1G iPhone for a while to come.

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

Here is a rumor on Mac Rumors which questions the possibility of ringtones in the next iTunes version required for the iPhone.

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

unless ATT has something special going on with the iphone the standard return policy is 30 days and no restocking fee.

i havent heard of anything changing. if so, that is news to me.....

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

Taken off their FAQ:

- $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

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

i wonder if that return policy is if you buy it from apple or if you buy it from att as well. quite interesting......

att's return policy is 30 days and no restocking fee.

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

Another potential problem....

Getting on the AT&T website with a FIOS connection is difficult
tonight. Seems the site is taking some heavy loads.

Wonder if this is going to make the online activation any more
difficult.

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

Both.

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

It's been speculated that the reason Apple did this was becauase EDGE is more widespread right now than HSDPA and they want to ensure a consistent experience for all iPhone users. Not saying I agree with that, but I've read that in a couple of places. Of course, it's just speculation - who knows what's in Jobs' head...

I do expect a 3G iPhone (iPhone Plus??) to be available sometime next year. It's just too much of a disadvantage for them not to make it available soon. My guess is they'll drop the prices on the original model and add the 3G phone at the current prices.
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.

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

Interesting - when I went to watch that video they made me sit through a BlackBerry ad first. I can't imagine Jobs would be happy to see that...

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

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.

Re: iPhone - so...what's the deal?

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).

Good luck to all those jumping into the fray !