iphone

iPhone on the way

If you read any of the Mac news sites, you probably already know the official release date for the iPhone is June 29. With the release only three weeks away, Apple has been ramping up the hype with three new commercials showing more of the iPhone's features.

I have to admit, for my part, the hype is doing its job. The latest group of ads show off the versatility of the iPhone using a number of its features together. My favorite is the one entitled "Watered Down." In this ad, you get a brief look into what it's like to surf the Internet using Safari on the iPhone. The point of the ad is to show how the iPhone doesn't give you a watered-down version of the Internet like other devices; you get to browse actual Web pages, zooming in on the stories you want to read. Like all the iPhone ads, at the end we're delivered back to reality with an incoming call--lest we forget, it's still a phone.… Read more

More tips for getting out of your cell phone contract to buy an iPhone with Cingular

We previously published a series of tips for getting out your current cell phone contract -- without paying exorbitant termination fees -- and migrating to the (apparently) required 2-year contract with AT&T/Cingular required for iPhone purchase These pointers included roaming outside your network's coverage (more on this below), negotiating (good luck), and schlepping the contract off on a friend or family member (ugh).

Of these tactics, the most commonly successful is the first one mentioned: use loads of minutes while your phone is in "roaming mode" (utilizing another provider's network, which your provider … Read more

Finding out if your account is eligible for the iPhone

When June 29th comes around and the swarms descend upon AT&T/Cingular and Apple retail outlets, many users will be shocked to discover that their current Cingular wireless contracts are not eligible for the standard iPhone pricing (US$499 for the 4GB model or US$599 for the 8GB model), or may not be able to purchase the iPhone at all.

First of all, as separately noted, there will be no upgrade discount for the iPhone that brings the cost of the device below the aforementioned prices. Second, as we previously noted, Apple has now explicitly stated the … Read more

iPhone will not be offered with any activation or upgrade discounts

We have confirmed with several AT&T/Cingular retail locations that there will be no activation or upgrade discounts for the iPhone that bring the cost below already announced pricing (US$499 for the 4GB model or US$599 for the 8GB model). In other words that is the minimum anyone will pay for this device, based on current information -- the upgrade/activation discount is built into those prices.

What is not clear, is whether or not anyone will be paying more than US$599 for the iPhone if their contracts are ineligible for the required 2-year activation. … Read more

HTC Touch launches; first impressions and thoughts as an iPhone rival

HTC, the company behind many of today's most popular Windows Mobile smart phones, is known for offering a broad range of devices. It has done petite, thin, and powerful, and it's even gone above and beyond traditional smart phones, as we saw at CTIA 2007 with the introduction of the HTC Shift and HTC Advantage. And now here's the company's latest twist: the HTC Touch.

The details:Announced today for the United Kingdom (foiled again!), the HTC Touch features a technology called TouchFLO that allows you to operate the smart phone just by swiping your finger … Read more

3G vs. 2.5G: What the iPhone will be missing

Though there are rumors that a 3G-capable iPhone is in the works, all official indications are that the initial iteration of the device will make use of "2.5G" (affectionately known as "EDGE" in ATT&T/Cingular's world). Also, it should be noted that (assuming Apple has not secretly placed HSDPA-capable chips in the iPhone) the capability to access Cingular's 3G HSDPA infrastructure is not one that can be added to the iPhone via a software update; access -- at least for already released devices -- requires capable built-in hardware, such as this … Read more

What the iPhone commercials tell us

Apple iPhone watchers breathed a collective sigh of relief yesterday when TV commercials shown during 60 Minutes revealed the June 29 release date at long last. From our perspective we don't know what's better--finally putting an end to five months of rumors or actually getting more information about a cell phone that has sent people into hysterics (yes, I'm including Crave in that group).

Though the commercials didn't tell us much more than what we already know, they do let us get a look at the device in action. Here's what we saw.

Let you … Read more

Apple junkies, mark your calendars: iPhone on June 29

Not much else to say here, other than that Apple has made it official that the iPhone will be released on June 29. That's a Friday. This means, depending on your affiliations, that you can either breathe a sigh of relief that after the 29th you'll optimally stop hearing annoying iPhone rumors, or you can stop speculating and focus on raising that $600 to feed your addiction. Now go!

Update: Check out the iPhone TV ads!

(Via Engadget)

Apple: iPhone will ship June 29th, commercials debut

Apple has begun airing three television commercials officially indicating the iPhone will ship on June 29th. At least two of the spots were shown Sunday night (June 3rd) during CBS' 60 minutes broadcast, and have also been posted to Apple's Web site. The three commercials are: "Never been an iPod" demonstrates Cover Flow scrolling, position-based switching between horizontal and vertical orientation, and video playback "Calamari" shows the Google Maps application locating a seafood restaurant, then calling it. "How to" an all-encompassing spot that shows the iPod function, an email message with photos, Safari … Read more

iPhone is open to third-party apps, says Jobs

During the interview with Walt Mossberg at D5, Steve Jobs apparently let slip (according to the transcript from Gizmodo and Engadget), that even though the Apple iPhone won't start out of the gate with support for third-party applications, Apple is open to it and is working on making that possible later this year. Both transcripts imply that Jobs was concerned about security issues, which is what presumably was holding up the process. The lack of third-party support was one of the biggest complaints about the iPhone when it was first announced earlier this year, so if Apple actually makes … Read more