So, does anyone love this thing enough to spend $599 at the end of June for one of the first batch to go on sale? I like some Apple stuff, but this just seems to be destined to not live up to the hype. Plus, that's a pretty hefty price tag. What does everyone think?
That demand will far outstrip supply. You need to remember that the original iPod was a VERY expensive MP3 player when it was introduced and the EXACT same criticism was leveled against it. Well, it turned out to be a game changer and so will this. Bet against this company at your own peril. The product momentum Apple is building for the 2nd Half of this year is going to be incredible. Apple is in talks to bring movie rental services to iTunes which could be downloaded and broadcast via AppleTV to your living room, their web browser Safari is now available for Vista, their new operating system Leopard is coming out in October, look for the touch screen technolgy in the iPhone to show up on new iPods and even their desktop PC's....I'm breathless!
The iPhone is just one part of their overall strategy and it is going to be a huge success based on the early sales indications and projections, not based on "hype". Like the iPod, as the phone is adopted by the high end buyers, Apple will eventually bring the price points down and offer models allowing for different entry point along the cost scale, just like they did with iPod. They also will expand the cellular servicing companies which you can sign up with.
We see iPhone's shipping 150,000 units in their Q3 ending Sept. and Q4 of 800,000 for a total of 950,000 sold by the end of the year. For 2008, 8,100,000 world wide iPhone sales.
Oh, I'm sure it will be a success. But Bryan with all that you said - are you buying one? That's the real question.
I'm pretty gadget crazy and tech oriented and have a certain amount of extra cash. And even I am not buying one - at least for a long while.
I think it's awesome... but even if it was cheaper I wouldn't buy the first version of it. They always say never buy a first version of anything. I'll give it a few years to get the bugs out and for the price to go down.
I will be interested in seeing how this does. It will not be available in Canada when it is first released, but I suspect it will be in time. I have no doubt that it will be immensely popular at the start. I just wonder how Apple will handle it when competitors release products with similar or more features. The competition in the Cell Phone business seem very fierce, with companies releasing new features and technology every few months. Apple has already given the competitors a look at what they are planning to release, so they might not have the top phone for very long. There will always be the prestige of owning an Apple phone, which I am sure Apple is banking on, but others might release phones that are similar at lower prices, and a lot of companies have been in the Cell Phone business for a very long time, so better equipped to compete with Apple. So it will be interesting to see if Apple will be into continually developing the phone at the pace that others do. I know at the time when Microsoft came out with the X-Box, some wondered if they were willing to stay in the gaming business long term, and to date they have, so it is possible the same will happen with Apple, I guess time will tell on this.
Quote from: Rico on June 12, 2007, 06:47:56 AM
Oh, I'm sure it will be a success. But Bryan with all that you said - are you buying one? That's the real question.
I'm pretty gadget crazy and tech oriented and have a certain amount of extra cash. And even I am not buying one - at least for a long while.
No, I won't be buying one. I'm into my triathlon gear more than tech gadgets. I don't even have a plasma or LCD TV yet and an 8 year old surround sound system. The only relatively new tech item I own is a 2 year old iMac. I've never been an early adopter. :)
Having siad that, as to weather or not I or you or Kenny are going to buy one isn't the point. The point is that there is a massive market out there for people who will, it's just not us but that isn't an indictment of the product, we are to small a sample. Limited availabilty will keep interest and demand at a fever pitch going into the holidays. It will be a MUST HAVE item. The thing with us is that we are not MUST HAVE trendy guys, we are geeks. That is a generalization I think you can make about sci fi folks, we tend to be very anti-trend.
I aslo agree with Jeff, and would add that there already are a plethora of product out there that's similar and cheaper. But like I said, remember the iPod. It faced a ton of cheaper competition which did the same task and yet people paid up for the iPod due to its cache and excellent form and function. So to shall the iPhone go.
I think the clincher for the iPOD was iTunes. That and it's great and solid interface. Even now, there isn't a better overall portable music player, in my view.
But at the price, (keep in mind $599 is a lot more than $250 for an iPod) I don't think your average person will be buying the iPhone. Everyone it seems and your grandma has an iPod these days. That's market penetration. While the iPhone I'm sure will sell well, I really don't think it's the next great thing.
Market penetration for the iPod only came through lowering of price over the years. We'll the same thing happen with the phone.
Press Release Source: Apple Inc.
iPhone Delivers Up to Eight Hours of Talk Time
Monday June 18, 8:30 am ET
Now Features Durable Glass Top Surface
CUPERTINO, Calif., June 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Apple® today announced that iPhone(TM) will deliver significantly longer battery life when it ships on June 29 than was originally estimated when iPhone was unveiled in January. iPhone will feature up to 8 hours of talk time, 6 hours of Internet use, 7 hours of video playback or 24 hours of audio playback.* In addition, iPhone will feature up to 250 hours-more than 10 days-of standby time. Apple also announced that the entire top surface of iPhone, including its stunning 3.5-inch display, has been upgraded from plastic to optical-quality glass to achieve a superior level of scratch resistance and optical clarity.
Sorry - not buying it. I still think the battery use will be the one big flaw of this item. Apple insists on making the battery built in which means you can't carry a spare. That's just silly to me.
Again, love the ads on TV, it will sell like crazy, but battery life will still be an issue.
Nope - way too expensive unless someone wants to give me $500.
For now, got my iPod, cell phone and its not even a blackberry. Yes, I can cope.
Quote from: Rico on June 18, 2007, 06:10:19 AM
Sorry - not buying it. I still think the battery use will be the one big flaw of this item. Apple insists on making the battery built in which means you can't carry a spare. That's just silly to me.
Again, love the ads on TV, it will sell like crazy, but battery life will still be an issue.
When you say "not buying it" do you mean the iPhone or the statement in the press release? I'm confused.
Well - you already know I'm not personally buying one. So yes, I meant the press release. I have followed tech products and their battery life specs for a long time. Laptops, PDA's, cell phones, MP3 devices, etc. Almost in all cases the battery life is not as good as they initially say. In some cases it's actually much worse. When some real world test reports come in under normal use I will feel a lot more confident in the numbers.
I still really think they needed to make the battery easy to remove and replace with a spare.
'Gotcha. Certainly the iPod had some major battery issue's a few years ago which Apple handeled poorly. Part of the problem is that consumers would simply buy another iPod, so the companies motivation to revamp the entire product is diminished. I think they learned a lot of lessons from that.
Now the iPhone originally specd' out with a much lower battery life expecatation. This release is actually new information as the company tries to get ahead of the issue and address it prior to the release. As you said, we'll see how real world usgae plays out....June 29th!
Here's the latest:
YouTube content today is available for download via Apple TV, allowing you to stream YouTube vidoes to your television and starting June 29th will be available on the iPhone as well via WiFi.
I could see watching those tiny poor quality, compressed videos on a phone, but blown up on your TV? Wasn't Apple TV suppose to help you watch more HD content on everyone's big HD TV?
HD downloadable content will be from iTunes.
Quote from: Bryancd on June 20, 2007, 05:54:15 AM
HD downloadable content will be from iTunes.
You forgot the word, eventually in there Bryan. ;)
Don't look at Apple, blame the studio's! They aren't ready to give HD content to iTunes, they still are clinging to the belief that they can hold on to DVD sales or are desperatley trying to play catch up and provide the service themselves. iTunes has become so ubiquitous that they will have no choice but to deal. The more they tighten their fist, the more content will slip through their fingers ;).
That's slightly true but Microsoft offers quite a bit more HD content via Windows Live/XBOX 360 than Apple iTunes has been able to so far. I think Apple and Steve Jobs want a bit too much of a "cut" on the profits. At least that's how it looks on the surface. It's an ever changing market and world out there and all these companies are battling for a piece of it.
One thing I can't get past is spending almost the same for an electronic version of a movie versus buying a physical copy of it. 99 cents for one song is somewhat palatable, but $12 and up for an electronic version only of a movie is too high when I can buy a real physical disc copy for almost that.
I know, we're old school like that. :) My 17 year old brother, however, loves digital content everything as does the rest of his generation it seems. He doesn't own a single CD of music and if movie content goes entirelt digital, he would never own another DVD.
Regarding Microsoft and X-Box, the entire concept of having the X-Box become a multi-media device has been a comlete failure, same with Sony PlayStation. They just can't compete against iTunes.
Oh, here's the release, with info on the video quality..
Apple said Wednesday that it's eagerly awaited iPhone will allow users to enjoy YouTube’s originally-created content when it begins shipping on June 29.
A new Apple-designed application on iPhone will wirelessly stream YouTube’s content to iPhone over Wi-Fi or EDGE networks and play it on the devices 3.5 inch display, the Cupertino-based company said in a statement.
To achieve higher video quality and longer battery life on mobile devices, YouTube has begun encoding their videos in the advanced H.264 format, and iPhone will be the first mobile device to use the H.264-encoded videos.
“iPhone delivers the best YouTube mobile experience by far,†said Apple chief executive Steve Jobs. “Now users can enjoy YouTube wherever they areâ€"on their iPhone, on their Mac or on a widescreen TV in their living room with Apple TV.â€
Over 10,000 videos will be available on June 29, and YouTube will be adding more each week until their full catalog of videos is available in the H.264 format this fall.
iPhone will include the built-in Apple-designed YouTube application when it is available in the US on June 29, 2007 in a 4GB model for $499 (US) and an 8GB model for $599 (US). The device will be sold in the US through Apple’s retail and online stores, and through AT&T’s retail stores.
They just announced the contract pricing for the iPhone service will range $59-$99 depending on the plan.
That's per month right?
I would assume so...right?
There is already a line forming outsdie the Apple store in NYC and we are still almost 3 days away. Brand loyalty like that...hmmm, reminds me of fans of certain movie franchises.... :)
How people that can afford to line up for days ahead of time can still buy a $600 phone still amazes me. Hey, can these things be off loaded to eBay or would you be locked into the 2 year service plan?
They will show up on e-bay, for sure for $1500, probably. How can people line up for days to see a movie, or buy an X-Box, or PS2, or any other "must have" high end anything? Considering some of the uselss stuff collectors absolutley kill themselves to buy, why can't you understand this? One mans worthless crap is anothers dream possesion.
Besides, I'm having more fun watching people bash Vista over at the RPF!! :boxing
Real Cost of iPhone: Service Plan Revealed
At long last the final shoe on iPhone has dropped: The cost of voice and data plans that you'll have to buy from AT&T when you purchase the device. The good news: It's not as bad as some had feared. The bad news: It's still going to cost you a pretty penny if you're used to paying $40 a month for a basic service plan.
Here's the damage: $60 a month for 450 minutes. $80 for 900 minutes. $100 for 1350 minutes. If you need even more minutes, plans continue to climb up to $220 a month for a whopping 6000 minutes. The good news: All plans include unlimited email and web, rollover minutes, unlimited mobile-to-mobile, and 200 text messages a month. All except the cheapest plan include unlimited nights and weekends minutes; the cheapest plan includes a mere 5000 of those. Contrary to earlier rumors there is no voice-only option for the iPhone: Remember you need data service to do all the cool email/web/mapping business that makes iPhone an iPhone, otherwise you've pretty much got a pretty brick in your pocket that can play Avril Lavigne tunes.
Is this a good deal? Let's compare. AT&T's cheapest voice-only plan costs $40 a month for 450 minutes, 5000 nights and weekend minutes, and no data services at all. (Even text messages are about 15 cents a pop.) Adding $20 a month for unlimited web isn't a bad deal. For the $60 of the iPhone's cheapest plan, you can get AT&T's 900-minute plan with no data service.
Looking at it another way, AT&T's Messaging Unlimited plan (unlimited MMS/SMS messages) costs $20 a month extra. Its unlimited messaging and media plan (which gives you access to cellular video as well) costs another $40 a month. The company has a variety of data plans for web browsing phones. The closest to what the iPhone gets you is SmartPhone Max, at $30 extra per month.
Whew, that's a lot of numbers. Putting it all together, designing a comparable plan to iPhone's $60 service on AT&T with a non-iPhone device would actually cost about $70 a month. Believe it or not, iPhone service is actually a bargain!
On the other hand, $60 a month or more isn't cheap. Over the life of the phone that equates to $1,440. Add in the price of the phone and activation fees and the cheapest amount you'll spend on an iPhone over the next two years is $1,975. You can almost buy a brand new MacBook Pro for that outlay. And don't forget the cancellation fee you'll pay on your old phone...
Overall I'm pleased. AT&T could have gouged consumers with a $100/month plan and few people would have flinched. Instead the company is offering an affordable option that should help to ease the sting of that initial $500 or $600 outlay. That said, I'm sure many will still find the plan too expensive. As always, I await your thoughts, opinions, and rants on the topic.
That sounds like Walt Mossberg from the Wall Street Journal!
Got the article from Yahoo News, Christopher Null The Working Guy
I didn't realize it could do so much. I can totally see why it costs $599 now.
Check out all the cool features:
[youtube=425,350]1xXNoB3t8vM[/youtube]
:roflmao
....but all true....... :innocent
Conan is just the best!
:Bow: That was way to funny :roflmao
excellent, I'm gonna get one! :luke
And the reviews are coming in!
Walt Mossberg at the WSJ with a great review including a very positive test of the battery life:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118289311361649057.html
NewsWeek:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19444948/site/newsweek/page/0/
USA Today:
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/edwardbaig/2007-06-26-iphone-review_N.htm
This was posted on the RPF from a NYT article today:
From David Pogue's NY Times Circuits Column, June 28, 2007
1. From the Desk of David Pogue: Often-Asked iPhone Questions
================================================== ========
With its new iPhone, Apple pulled off two masterful feats:
creating the machine and creating the buzz around it.
That machine, and that buzz, have inspired a lot of
questions. Just how much of a phone, an iPod and an Internet
machine is this thing?
Here are the answers to the most frequently asked iPhone
questions. Consider them a companion to my review yesterday,
which covered the big points like the touch-screen keyboard
(adequate with practice), the AT&T Internet network
(painfully slow) and the iPhone's overall character (fun,
powerful, amazing).
Before you dive in, though, a note about the "Does it
have...?" questions. Apple has indicated that it intends to
add features through free software updates, so the real,
secret answer to some of the "no" answers is actually,
"Coming soon."
Phone
Does the touch screen work if you're wearing gloves? Will a
stylus or pen tip work? No. Skin contact is required to
operate the buttons. Fortunately, most tappable elements on
the screen are big and broad, designed for fingertip access.
Does the iPhone have a speakerphone? Vibrate mode? Airplane
mode? Yes, yes and yes. The speakerphone and the vibrations
are both weak, though.
Can I dial without looking? Can I dial one-handed? You can't
do much on the iPhone without looking. Then again, few people
can operate a cellphone without looking. Dialing the iPhone
one-handed, though, is easy. As your fingers grasp the
iPhone, your thumb is free to tap buttons, scroll lists and
so on.
Can I use a SIM card from another phone? The iPhone comes
with an installed SIM card, the tiny circuit board that
stores your account information and phone number. Apple says
that you should be able to replace it with any recent AT&T
card, once you activate it in iTunes. No other company's SIM
card works in the iPhone.
Will the iPhone work overseas? If you mean to use your AT&T
account, yes; call AT&T to turn on international roaming, and
then prepare to pay big roaming charges. If you mean to
insert some other country's SIM card, no.
How about voice memos, voice dialing or call recording? No.
Do I need an AT&T account? Yes. The iPhone won't work at all
without a two-year AT&T voice-plus-Internet plan (and no, you
can't use it as just an iPod, no matter how tempting the
bigger screen and longer battery life is).
iPod
What iPod features does the iPhone have? Password protection,
Shuffle and Repeat modes, ratings, audiobooks, audiobook
speed control, podcasts, SoundCheck, equalization, volume
limiter, on-the-go playlists.
What iPod features does it lack? Games, lyrics, video output
to a TV and disk mode (when the iPod acts as a hard drive for
transporting computer files).
Does the iPhone work with iPod accessories? Some of them. The
iPod radio receiver works, for example, but FM transmitters
may not work. Existing speaker systems trigger the iPhone's
airplane mode (wireless and phone features turned off) to
avoid interference with the music. Starting soon, iPhone-
compatible iPod products will bear a "works with iPhone"
logo.
Can you use your iTunes songs as ring tones? Can you download
new ones? No. At the moment, the iPhone's 25 ring tones are
your only choices. (They're really good.)
Can you use your own headphones? Fortunately, the iPhone has
a standard miniplug headphone jack; unfortunately, its
plastic molding prevents most headphone plugs from seating
properly. Inexpensive adapters are available from Belkin and
others.
Wireless
Does the iPhone work with Bluetooth computers, printers,
stereo headsets or keyboards? No. At the moment, it
communicates only with hands-free devices like Bluetooth
headsets (including Apple's very tiny one, coming in July)
and a car's dashboard system.
Does the iPhone alert you when it detects a wireless Internet
hot spot? Yes. In fact, if it's a hot spot you've used
before, the iPhone hops onto it seamlessly and quietly.
Can the iPhone serve as a wireless modem for my laptop? No.
Can the iPhone receive songs, files, calendar appointments,
contacts or software updates wirelessly? No, only from your
computer through the U.S.B. charging cradle. But this is kind
of neat: Unlike the iPod, there's no "do not disconnect"
message during syncing. You can yank the iPhone out of the
cradle whenever you like - to answer a call, for example;
syncing resumes when you're done. You can also operate the
iPhone while it is charging.
Internet
Can you make phone calls while you're on the Internet? Yes -
if your iPhone has a Wi-Fi connection. When it's using AT&T's
Internet network, no.
Why didn't Apple use AT&T's faster 3G Internet network? Apple
says that today's relatively unpolished 3G (third generation)
radio chips would drain the battery too fast - and at this
point, wouldn't provide enough of a speed boost to justify
that trade-off. Apple will release a 3G iPhone model when the
time seems right.
How snappy is the real iPhone, compared with Apple's ads?
It's identical, with one exception: Apple never shows the
iPhone when it's on AT&T's cellular network. That would just
be embarrassing.
What kind of e-mail can it get? The iPhone comes with presets
for Gmail, AOL and Yahoo Mail. You can also set up standard
POP3 and IMAP accounts.
Is there instant messaging, like AIM or MSN Messenger? No.
Text-message exchanges appear as sequential, colorful text
balloons, just as in Apple's iChat program. But they're still
cellphone text messages, not chat.
Does the iPhone synchronize bookmarks with your computer?
Yes: with Safari on the Mac, or Internet Explorer on Windows.
What does the Web browser have? Multiple open pages (like
tabs), fonts, layouts, pop-up menus, checkboxes, clickable
links and dialable phone numbers (tap with your finger).
What does it lack? Java, Flash, stored passwords, RSS,
streaming audio or video (except for some QuickTime videos).
What about V.P.N. (virtual private networking)? The iPhone
works with several common V.P.N. systems (that is, secure
connections to corporate networks). A Settings screen lets
you fill in the configuration details.
Software
Does the iPhone synchronize with my computer's calendar and
address book? Yes. It can sync with Address Book or Microsoft
Entourage on the Macintosh, Outlook, Outlook Express on
Windows, or Yahoo's address book on the Web. If you add
appointments or phone numbers to the iPhone, they are added
to your computer the next time you sync.
Do To Do items show up on the iPhone? Do memos in the
iPhone's Notes program show up on the computer? No.
Does the keyboard rotate when you rotate the iPhone? Only in
the Web browser. That's a shame, because the rotated
keyboard, stretching the full length of the screen, is much
bigger and easier to use than the narrow version.
Can you type with two thumbs? I've seen Apple employees flail
away with two thumbs as though on a BlackBerry, but it takes
loads of practice. After two weeks, I'm still tapping with
one index finger.
Without cursor keys, how do I edit something I've written? If
you hold your fingertip against the glass, a magnifying loupe
appears around it. You can now slide you finger through what
you've written, moving the insertion point as you go.
Can the iPhone replace a BlackBerry? It's not really even in
the same category. For example, only Yahoo Mail accounts
offer "push" e-mail like a BlackBerry, in which new messages
appear in real time. For other accounts, the iPhone checks
either periodically (every 15, 30 or 60 minutes) or when you
tap the Check button. Similarly, you can view e-mailed Word,
Excel and PDF attachments on the iPhone, but you can't create
or edit them. The iPhone doesn't work with corporate Exchange
e-mail systems, either, unless the administrator turns on
IMAP (the administrator presumably knows what that is).
Hardware
Is there an ambient light sensor? Yes. A light sensor lies
camouflaged behind the black glass. Each time you wake the
phone, it adjusts the brightness - to make it brighter in
sunlight, for example. You can also adjust the brightness
manually.
Does the camera have a flash? Zoom? Self-portrait mirror?
None of the above. The chrome Apple logo on the back is not a
self-portrait mirror.
Are there any secret features? When the screen is off, the
glossy black glass becomes a handy makeup mirror.
Jobs hints at iPhone corporate e-mail support
By Aidan Malley
Published: 07:00 PM EST
Apple Inc.'s chief executive has confirmed that iPhone will ease its way into workplaces after all, according to a new interview.
Speaking alongside AT&T's recently promoted CEO Randall Stephenson about the iPhone's release in a joint interview, Jobs delivered a small but significant hint that Apple would quickly address concerns about integrating its phone mail client with business e-mail systems.
"You'll be hearing more about this in the coming weeks," he said. "We have some pilots going with companies with names you'll recognize. This won't be a big issue."
Access to work e-mail has frequently been cited as one of the primary roadblocks to the iPhone's acceptance beyond personal use. Many, though not all, companies with larger-scale e-mail systems currently use Microsoft Exchange -- a service which Apple will only partially support with the shipping version of its handset, which so far connects to Exchange only through the IMAP e-mail protocol.
The concern that workers may pressure employers to integrate the iPhone regardless of actual support has prompted some to develop workarounds, such as a web-based service from Visto.
Jobs' interview time also provided the executive an opportunity to publicly comment on the expected turnout for the Friday iPhone launch. There have been no serious concerns about lineups getting out of hand as most Apple fans have been "respectful" in the past, he said. The 6PM lineup was also chosen to give as many people as possible a chance to buy the phone during daylight hours without leaving work.
When asked about the growing possibility that the iPhone will sell out by the weekend and that people might clamor for paid pre-orders, the Apple CEO was direct in advising eager buyers to wait for the next shipment.
"You're going to have to come back in," Jobs said. "When you start taking people's money and can't deliver the product, there are lots of legal issues. It's easier to disappoint people."
My brother just called me from the Apple Store in White Plains New Your from an iPhone! They have them ut to demo. He said there are lines 3 deep to try one and he said, and I qoute, "I have never seen a store more crowded".
I love the idea of this phone and if I traveled a lot I'd probably buy it. But I don't travel. Its too expensive right now for me to even consider it. Heck, I have a G4 Power Mac running Panther and a dinky View Sonic monitor at home that I can't even afford to upgrade right now. Why would I drop 600 dollars on a phone that I won't use?
I am positive this gadget will be a success. There are many folks who could use something like this, but its too much bang for too much buck for me at this time. I'll just save my money for a quad-core Mac Pro Work Station with and 23" Cinema HD Display instead.
I'll just save my money for a quad-core Mac Pro Work Station with and 23" Cinema HD Display instead
Be still my beating heart, I think I'm in :love with Jen! She KNOWS her Mac! :Bow:
Cali Lewis who does the excellent Tech video podcast over at www.geekbrief.tv bought two iPhones on Friday. She is a big Mac fan, and even filmed purchasing them in the Apple store. But on her recent video cast she said she is probably going to return them for a refund. She didn't like that she couldn't share minutes and have unlimited data on both in one household. She said she could do it, but would have to pay an additional $29.99 on top of the $80 service plan for each already. It will be interesting how all this plays out. I see many on eBay going for retail or even lower right now. That seems odd.
Gee, the Newsweek, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today all had a different opinion. It also appears that all AT&T stores have sold out of thier initial allotement and Apple stores report being sold out as well. You can hope for the failure but this is for real, you probably said the same thing when the first iPod came out. ;). The main issue's this weekend have been some people having trouble with AT7T activating the phones, especially when they are transfering #'s from a different carrier. All in all, the phone is being very well reviewed. Yes, it's not perfect and it wille volve just like the iPod did, but right out o the box, they have a winner. It really is a remarkable little device.
PS- I just went down the list at e-bay and it does not seem to confirm what you said at all. The lowest selling price I have seen is $700. These are only going to be rare for the next week. Our understanding is that Apple ramped up a lot of production heading into this release, so there should be a lot of availability.
Bryan, again I am not hoping for failure. I am far from anti-Apple, iPOD's, etc. My iPOD is one of the best purchases I ever made, but I am also glad I didn't buy an early one. I've even been looking to buy a Mac computer for a secondary machine. I was just passing on another reviewers comments. Also, most of the reviews that I have read have been talking about the functionality - which I have never doubted. They all seem to agree the calling plan agreement and pricing is not the best and limited.
P.S. Interesting for such a slick device how many are being pawned off on eBay. ;)
There's no way I'd buy an iPhone for the next 1-2 years. After that, I bet I'll end up with one.
I love my iPod more than any other electronic device I've ever owned, but I'm sure I wouldn't have felt the same way about the iPods from a few year ago.
I'm sure part of the fervor is the Apple cult and a lot of it is just people wanting to own the latest status symbol, but I love the concept and can't wait until it is a little further along in the technology and the price is a bit lower.
Yes, I agree. It does seem to be a lot to pay for a phone, even with the other features. Honestly, all I want my phone to do is not drop calls and not cost a lot. I have a laptop that does great for everything else.
Quote from: Rico on July 01, 2007, 03:27:27 PM
P.S. Interesting for such a slick device how many are being pawned off on eBay. ;)
Not really when you consider 2 per customer ;) Back at 'ya big boy!
Brass tax. I do love Apple's products for their innovation and uniqueness. If PC's and Microsoft are the Evil Empire, Apple is the Rebellion. More importantly, my job is based on anticipating and predicting trends which can generate return for my clients. Apple has presented me with a tradable commodity with which I can generate return, and income. Suffice it to say, I do a great deal of homework to try and gauge the quality of a compant and it's prospects for the future. My financial future depends upon it. Believe me when I say that the iPhone WILL revolutionize telecommunications as we know just as the iPod and iTunes did for music and video content. People don't like Seteve Jobs. I get that. He's arrogant and a prima dona. But I like that in a CEO who runs a compant I am invested in.
I love Steve Jobs. He's a visionary.
I love Pixar. I love iPod. I'm sure at some point I'll love my iPhone.
And I love my Windows PC. It's good that Gates (who I don't mind either) has a rival.
From what I've read, neither guy is a really nice person, but both have changed our lives for the better.
Early estimates range from 450-600,000 units over the weekend. By all metrics, it's a blockbuster of a product launch. CNBC is reporting that Apple has delivered on the hype.
I want one really bad, but I am on Verizon for two more years, as is my whole family, and I live in a rural area that is covered by Verizon better than anyone else. "sigh"
I wish they would have gone with other carriers.
Oh well. I love my ipod, I use it so much I'm surprised it still works. :)
Verizon also owns me. Living in Arizona, there coverage is really good, especially out in the wilderness. Be patient, more carriers will be coming, they just needed to pick a single carrier for the launch to help focus sales, but we will see new providers as the next generation phones become available, inluding G3, better internet (At&T's is decidedly slow and Apple is aware of that), and the more compatibility with Microsoft Outlook for work e-mail.
Here is a Blog about a persons experiences so far with the iPhone. Some Positives and Negatives, though sounds like the Negatives are more with AT&T
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/?cat=146&tag=nl.e622
If 10 years ago you told me Apple would one day control the Music, and Phone industry(and they will control it with this) I would have had the men in white take you away quickly.
The turn around of that company is absolutly amazing.
About 25 percent of iPhone buyers are 'switchers' to AT&T - firm
By Katie Marsal
Published: 10:00 AM EST
About one quarter of consumers adopting Apple's heavily-hyped iPhone handset are 'switchers' to AT&T from other carriers, financial firm American Technology Research reported on Friday, citing unnamed sources.
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"We find these numbers impressive, showing that a fair amount of customers are willing to pay high early cancellation fees (~$125-$200) to get out of their existing service contracts for an iPhone," analyst Shaw Wu wrote in the report.
The analyst said the only other product in recent history to command a similar type of respect (at least in the beginning) was the Motorola RAZR in mid- to late-2004. Initially priced at $500 with a service contract and $800 without, the super-slim handset eventually saw subsidies and went on to enjoy phenomenal success, selling in excess of 50 million units.
"We believe both instances indicate that high price points are not an issue for early adopters who purchase the first few million units," Wu told clients.
Meanwhile, the analyst also cited sources in reiterating that Vodafone remains the front-runner and most likely carrier partner for iPhone in Europe, primarily due to its large subscriber base, broad geographic coverage, and investment in advanced technology.
"However, due to AT&T's success and ability to gain new customers with iPhone in the USA, other carriers including Orange, T-Mobile and O2 are aggressively bidding for European iPhone rights, giving Vodafone stiff competition," Wu wrote. "From our understanding, there could be a scenario where iPhone has multiple carrier partnerships (maximizing its market potential) with each tailored for specific regions and/or countries, i.e. Vodafone in the UK, T-Mobile in Germany, and Orange in France."
Regardless of which carrier gets picked for iPhone rights in Europe, the AmTech analyst believes Apple is in a strong position to end up with terms just as favorable as those granted by AT&T in the U.S, where the company collects bounties and recurring monthly service fees from the carrier.
"We believe that potential carrier partners are more willing to accept Apple's tough terms and conditions given Apple's strong brand name and mainstream appeal and iPhone's ability to lure customers away from other carriers," he wrote.
Over the next 2-3 years, Wu expects iPhone to bring smart phone technology into the mainstream, particularly as Apple rounds out the handset's product line with mid-range and entry-level offerings, just as it did with the iPod and portable media players.
"We believe the iPhone is among must-own gifts for this year's holiday shopping season," he told clients.
Wu, who maintains a 'Buy' rating on shares of the Cupertino-based Apple, said he's already seeing the potential for upside to his $165 per-share target.
Put me on the Christmas list that gets an iPhone in their stocking! Still planning on waiting quite awhile on this.
Hey - has anyone heard the rumor about a new iPod with touch screen by the end of 2007?
Yep :). New Video iPod with the same type of interface the iPhone has. Probably will be announced in August and avilable for the holiday season.
We all know the iPhone can do a lot of cool things.
But the real question is, WILL IT BLEND???
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg1ckCkm8YI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg1ckCkm8YI)
That is the funniest $600 I have seen go up in smoke in a long time!
Great video. Except for me cringing...
Quote from: Bryancd on July 13, 2007, 11:33:21 AM
Yep :). New Video iPod with the same type of interface the iPhone has. Probably will be announced in August and avilable for the holiday season.
I will buy one of those! :)
The iPhone isn't that great as everyone makes it out to be. In My opinion, it should only be $300. I mean you can't put in a spare battery, what if you drained the battery while listening to music or doing other stuff and you needed to take a really important phone call. Also, AT&T ONLY? THAT STINKS! Really, its much cheaper to just get a nano and a Treo and more practical. I'm just waiting for people to crack the apple iPhone so that it will work for other services other than AT&T lol. It will happen soon, in fact, they're overdue. In about a year the next generation will come out.
Yeah, the battery thing is really stupid. I mean I have a 30GB Video iPod and I have a cell phone. Why would I need an iPhone?
I disagree with the comment that the Xbox 360 has failed as a multimedia device. I just recently got it hooked into my laptop through the wireless network in my home and have been fooling around streaming movies and such...it's a pretty good feature. The Xbox live marketplace has tons of content, and I would use it alot more if their pricing model was different. I think they should offer unlimited access to their movie/TV downloads for a flat monthly fee. Tons of people would take advantage of that as an option I think. Xbox Live Platinum or something.
AP
Apple Sells 1 Millionth IPhone
Monday September 10, 11:14 am ET
Apple Sells 1 Millionth IPhone, Nearly a Month Ahead of Schedule
NEW YORK (AP) -- Apple Inc. sold its millionth iPhone on Sunday, just 74 days after the combination cell phone-iPod went on sale and less than a week after its price was cut by a third. Apple previously said it expected to hit the million-sold mark by the end of September. Monday's announcement sent Apple shares up $2.94, or 2.2 percent to $134.71. On Wednesday, Apple CEO Steve Jobs cut the price of the 8-gigabyte iPhone from $599 to $399 and discontinued the $499 4-gigabyte version.
The next day he apologized to those who had paid full price and offered $100 credits to early buyers. In a letter on the company's Web site, Jobs acknowledged that Apple disappointed some of its customers and said he had received hundreds of e-mails complaining about the price cut. Jobs added that "the technology road is bumpy," and there will always be people who pay top dollar for the latest electronics but get angry later when the price drops.
"This is life in the technology lane," Jobs said in the letter Thursday.
I just had my first hands on experience a few nights ago. My company is going on a corporate cell phone service this week. If they were not doing this and the iphone was cut to $300 (not going to happen), I would get one. I wouldn't use it for the internet. Even though you can zoom in, the type font is still small. If you see anyone using one of these things while driving -- get as far away as you can.
Hey Rick, you get the $99 Zune ?
Hard to beat a free company phone. That's what I use.
P.S. Didn't get a Zune yet, but www.woot.com has them today now at $80!
I don't think the Iphone sucks at all. for what it is designed for it works great. I don't see why people are hating on it. Yes, it's expensive but what Apple product isn't? That's the premium you pay to say you are using their products.
But do you have one?
P.S. And for the record, I'd probably get one if I didn't have a free company phone.
I am waiting for iphone 2.0.
That being said, I picked up a new 160Gb iPod classic last Friday. It is one sexy piece of tech.
QuoteJobs added that "the technology road is bumpy," and there will always be people who pay top dollar for the latest electronics but get angry later when the price drops.
"This is life in the technology lane," Jobs said in the letter Thursday.
I confess. I don't have any sympathy for those suckers. That is one of the fastest drops I have ever seen though.
I got my PMA400 off ebay. So I have a separate phone and video/MP3 player. Together they cost less than an iphone at the reduced price.
I have to save money to buy those low tech Oriental Rugs that don't depreciate. :2cents
psik