Phone

Apple may soon be free from AT&T

While everyone else was calling the iPhone the greatest device of all time and putting Steve Jobs on that pedestal he enjoys so much yesterday, AT&T quietly told its investors that the revenue sharing deal it had with Apple for the past year has ended.

At first glance, that development may not matter to most. After all, that agreement really only affected Apple and AT&T and consumers were still forced to pay the same price regardless of the revenue sharing.

But if you take another look, you might find that there may be more to this story than meets the eye.

Now that Apple and AT&T have squeaked out of the deal, what's holding the two companies together? Certainly some would say that it's that oft-mentioned exclusivity agreement the companies signed, but I don't know of one person who actually read the thing and no one really knows if Apple can get out or not.

But if I had to take a guess, step one in getting out of its contract with AT&T revolved around the revenue sharing deal. And before you know it, Steve Jobs' latest blockbuster may be on other carriers.… Read more

Random Sampler: Groupwise security hole, Apple attacks unlockers, and more

Most of the news on the web today pertains to Apple's announcement of the 3G iPhone, but there are a few other interesting tidbits worth heckling:

Novell's GroupWise Messenger was found to contain a "moderately critical" security flaw, "which can be exploited by malicious people to compromise a vulnerable system." It's unclear that anyone was affected. I'll just leave it at that. :-) Apple has apparently cut off a primary source of revenue by forcing 3G iPhone buyers into two-year contracts and in-store activation. No more home activation via iTunes may mean … Read more

Apple answers call for iPhone applications

Apple wowed the cell phone industry a year ago with the first version of the iPhone. And now its new software development kit and soon-to-be-launched application store featuring third-party applications could change the game yet again. (To get a closer look at the third-party software unveiled Monday, click here: "Video roundup: New apps coming to the iPhone.")

The big news Monday at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco was of course CEO Steve Jobs' announcement of a 3G version of the iPhone. But the company also made several software announcements that could set a new standard … Read more

iPhone 3G not instilling fear in Apple's music foes

LOS ANGELES--Apple's upgraded iPhone didn't inspire fear in at least two of the biggest subscription music sites--even before they learned that the device wouldn't let people download music via the new 3G network.

"I'm not trembling," Anu Kirk, Rhapsody's director of product management, said Monday at the iHollywood conference. "I'm sure they are going to sell a lot of second-generation iPhones. It's a fantastic product but they can't take over the United States with just one carrier."

Kirk was speaking on a panel discussing the mobile music category … Read more

What the iPhone 2.0 software update adds

There was more news today from Apple's WWDC than just the announcement of the iPhone 3G. CEO Steve Jobs also announced the iPhone 2.0 software update. Available to current iPhone and iPod Touch owners, the software update adds several new features that are interesting, if not extraordinary. Indeed, I warmly welcome the addition of Microsoft Exchange server support and the third-party applications, but I was hoping for a lot more. The software update will be available in early July; iPhone users will get it for free while iPod Touch users will pay $9.95. Here's a summary … Read more

Apple unveils iPhone 2, both the phone and the business

The second chapter of Apple's iPhone era is almost ready to begin, and it's already clear that things will be a little different this time around.

Few people who pay even scant attention to the technology industry could claim to be shocked by the introduction of a faster iPhone earlier on Monday by Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Apple has sold 6 million iPhones since June 2007, Jobs said, and will likely sell a few more once the new model arrives on July 11 with a faster networking chip, GPS capabilities, and a software upgrade that's an IT … Read more

Video roundup: Meet the next-generation iPhone

As expected, Apple CEO Steve Jobs used his time on stage at the Worldwide Developers Conference to announce a new version of the iPhone.

We've pulled together our video clips of his introduction, along with demos of some of its new features, including GPS, the faster 3G wireless technology, and MobileMe, a service that syncs users' e-mail and calendar info on every device they register. Follow the jump for all those videos. And go here to see a roundup of all the third-party apps shown off Monday.… Read more

Look out PSP, the iPhone's in town

One of the more intriguing outcomes from the iPhone SDK and the upcoming App Store is the notion of the iPhone as a mobile gaming platform. When the SDK was announced, game developers leaped on the chance to develop games for the iPhone, which seemed like an exciting new playground for mobile games. But frankly, I was skeptical. I have both a Sony PSP and a Nintendo DS; would gaming on a cell phone really be good enough to compete? We've all witnessed the debacle that was the Nokia N-Gage, and how terrible that turned out to be. It'… Read more

Photos and details: iPhone 3G

iPhone 3G: Something for everyone?

(Credit: Apple)

Crave is teeming with iPhone 3G posts today, and most of them will offer you either an opinionated or a subjective analysis on one or another aspect of the device. You can find service plan assessments, thoughts on the future of GPS, and complaints related to the music player and service.

You won't find any of that here--I don't have much of an opinion on the iPhone 3G. What can I say? It's the end of the day, and my thought process is consumed with an overwhelming desire to kick … Read more