Apple iPhone

[Bryancd]

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.

[Rico]

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?

[Bryancd]

HD downloadable content will be from iTunes.

[Rico]

HD downloadable content will be from iTunes.

You forgot the word, eventually in there Bryan.   ;)

[Bryancd]

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 ;).

[Rico]

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.

[Bryancd]

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.”

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.

[Bryancd]

They just announced the contract pricing for the iPhone service will range $59-$99 depending on the plan.

[Rico]

That's per month right?

[Bryancd]

I would assume so...right?

[Bryancd]

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.... :)

[Rico]

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?

[Bryancd]

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

[Geekyfanboy]

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.

[Bryancd]

That sounds like Walt Mossberg from the Wall Street Journal!