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3G iPhone Going Into Production In May
Posted by
CmdrTaco
on Mon Mar 31, 2008 07:52 AM
from the i-just-want-double-the-space dept.
from the i-just-want-double-the-space dept.
A few folks noted the rumor mill churning over 3G iPhones coming soon. Apparently they might be going into production as early as May, and announced somewhere in the 2nd quarter. Hopefully they manage to stick a GPS and another 16 gigs of memory in this one.
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Don't take away my storage, captain! (Score:4, Funny)
But my iPhone already has 8 gigs!
Will it have a Paris Hilton news blocker? (Score:5, Funny)
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day early? (Score:4, Funny)
WishList (Score:3, Interesting)
- AutoFocus/Flash for the Camera
- 3G
- GPS
and I'm set, getting rid of a bunch of electronics for just one deviceWhat else do you guys think could be added?
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I know everyo
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I know everyone complains about EDGE, but I hope the 3G layers on top of the EDGE support. You can get EDGE just about anywhere--even if it is dog slow. Sometimes that's really handy.
Maybe in the USA, but not elsewhere. Most of Europe skipped EDGE and went straight to UMTS and is now moving to HSDPA. In the UK, O2 (who got the exclusive deal for the iPhone) quickly rushed out EDGE in London, but not anywhere else, meaning that the iPhone has to fall back to GPRS in most of the country. My current phone support UMTS and the network has pretty good coverage - I only occasionally have to fall back to using GPRS, and I really notice the different (50KB/s downloads with 200ms ping times
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FCC approval ? (Score:3, Insightful)
Surely since they had to pre-announce the first iPhone to protect against the FCC announcing it for them, we could expect to see a similar request before a 3G iPhone comes into being ?
Will it have a Fly Eye camera? (Score:3, Interesting)
A key benefit of the camera is if you're on a video conference, your image will be looking straight at the camera instead of off screen.
who cares? (Score:3, Informative)
The iPhone has crippled software, crippled hardware, and crippled contracts. There is no reason on earth to buy one.
3G is what Canada needs... (Score:3, Interesting)
It's almost cruel how little Apple has said about a Canadian release (nothing). They haven't even hinted, nor have Telus, Bell, or Rogers. Only recently have we gotten a sign a 'something' in that there's a "French - Canadian" language seeting in the new 2.0 software.
Sigh, I'll keep waiting.
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Re:why (Score:5, Informative)
Parent
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Or as you said, if a flip flop saves a flop, well, meh.
I stick to my nokia (edge, 3g, gsm, 802.11g) I think
Re:why (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re:why (Score:5, Insightful)
Such is the case for most of the connectivity technologies that see more rapid adoption overseas. There are large areas of the USA that are simply not densely populated enough to justify the expense of rolling out cutting-edge networks there. It isn't a matter of the US simply being behind the technological curve, as some like to assume.
Pardon the PHB nature of this next statement, but these are the types of differences that turn a 3 year ROI into a 10 year ROI, and slow down adoption.
Parent
Re:why (Score:5, Informative)
And don't think we have 100% 3G coverage over here(Denmark) - far from it. I would guess by area we're around 40%(Complete guesstimate), but coverage by population is at least 80% - I see nothing that prevents USA from doing something similar.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
I fail to see anything in the parent post that suggests that he doesn't understand. In fact, it's likely that he understands all too well. Perhaps rather than take an argumentative tone in response, you simply add your point to further reinforce the his.
Now, if such large areas in the US can't justify 3G then how could they justify WiFi as an alternative? That is, after all, the Apple position on the matter.
Re:why (Score:4, Insightful)
This isn't true anymore. About 83% of the U.S. population lives in cities. We just aren't a rural country anymore. The simpler answer is that we have a de facto telecommunications monopoly in this country, and we all know how much monpolies love innovation.
Parent
Re:why (Score:5, Insightful)
This isn't Apple's other electronic markets, cell phones are updated almost the time, and usually it's not just a "slap a stick of bigger memory on it and call it a day" sort of revision. They need and should be adding more features to compete with the rest of the market.
With that said, I don't understand why the hell people keep begging for GPS, I just feel that there are so many other better self GPS only products that get the job done that Apple shouldn't bother with that market. Besides, if you're shelling out hundreds on an iPhone, I have a feeling you may have a GPS system of some sorts already.
Parent
Because we one "One gadget to rule them all" (Score:5, Funny)
"Three PDAs for the Elven Lords
Seven cell phones for the Dwarf Lords and their halls of stone
Nine MP3 players for the
Three Cell Phones for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven PDAs for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine MP3 players for Mortal Men doomed to die,
We want...
One Gadget the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Gadget to rule them all, One Gadget to find them,
One Gadget to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
***
(ie: I don't want a separate cell phone, PDA, MP3 player, GPS and batman utility belt. Especially NOT when the technology is available to easily have all 4 in a single device. And the only thing stopping it from happening is BS marketing idiots.)
Parent
Why GPS on you cell phone. (Score:5, Insightful)
Traveling? Want to find a restaurant? Just use your cell with GPS and you can even dial the number and make reservations. Yes auto GPS systems have that but do you carry them in your pocket? When you travel you may or may not have a GPS in your rental car. Yea you could take your portable one with you but what if you don't have a rental car and are just walking? What if you are riding with someone that doesn't have a GPS?
Again it is always in my pocket. It is the same reason that I have web browser on my phone and a media player.
It is always with me and it is small and light.
Parent
GPS is incredibly useful (Score:4, Interesting)
Parent
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But here are some examples of when I have used my GPS. My wife got us involved in a book club. The meeting was at a members. I had the address so I had no real problem finding it.
I was in the Next town over and needed to find an ATM. GPS works just great for that.
I stopped to get gas in that same town and an older gentleman asked me where the nearest Walmart was. I had no idea until I took out my Cell phone and did a search and
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Now that I have a good car GPS system to save me from getting lost all the time, I want one in my pocket. I can think of a few times when I have been out in a city on foot, and had to worry about getting lost. It would have been nice to have GPS
Re:why (Score:5, Informative)
Parent
Maps versus GPS (Score:4, Interesting)
then MAYBE you'll have a decent argument about why maps are superior in every way. Maps are useful to be sure but GPS devices do a lot more than just show where streets are located. I use my GPS almost daily. Bet you I get a lot more value out of my GPS than you do from your map.
Parent
GPS is the next wave of integration (Score:3, Insightful)
With that said, I don't understand why the hell people keep begging for GPS...
Because GPS is a VERY logical addition to a mobile device. Arguably more logical than a music player for many people. Any business traveler would likely find a GPS enabled phone (with appropriate navigation software) to be extremely useful. I think the GPS is the next logical device to see serious integration into smartphones (after PDAs and MP3 players) because it is such an obvious fit for mobile users.
I have a Garmin nuvi 660 and a Nokia E70. Both are fine devices. But there are MANY times when car
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My girlfriend just got a new phone to replace her two year old one that broke. The new one is almost imperceptibly smaller, the camera is slightly higher resolution, and the default ringtone is more annoying and more difficult to change.
Apple has done very well by resisting the urge to cram more "features" into their devices. Most famously, the iPod.
Re: GPS (Score:4, Interesting)
Besides i don't want GPS built in. As GPS uses a ton a battery power. I want a Bluetooth, or other dongle that occasionally sends GPS data. Why can't I get a car dock, with a built in GPS receiver? Just plug the iPhone in I can listen to tunes, hook up the bluetooth to my car's bluetooth headset, and have driving map to go by all from one device.
Unfortunately the SDK, and Apple's EULA's prevent exactly that from ever happening.
Parent
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Worse, because GPS signals require so much work to read, receivers typically require several minutes to achieve a usable result from a cold start, so the option of leaving it off for the 99% of the time you're not using it is less appealing because staring at a busy cursor on your phone for 5 minutes sucks when you just want s
Re:Why does iPhone succeed? (Score:5, Insightful)
Like it or hate it, you got to admit that the iPhone has a pretty nice interface and it's not too hard to learn. When my mom and aunts, who are in their 40s and not very technologically adept, decided to pick up iPhones and can use them as well as me, you know they're doing something right.
Parent
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My old Motorolla V551 took a hard hit and was knocked out cold. I needed a phone - fast... I walked into the Cingular/AT&T store, asked to see a phone that would do more than just be a phone... So I looked at Palm... Been there, done that, have the t-shirt from Handspring... *yawn* --- I looked at Blackberry... too fruity for me... --- I then took a serious look at the (then) top of the line Windows Mobile
Re:Why does iPhone succeed? (Score:5, Insightful)
I have used other smart phones such as the Motorola Q and the Blackberry, but the iPhone is the simplest to use for what I want: easy to access and read e-mail and web browsing and a phone. It also does simple things like work as my calculator, a calendaring system, take notes on it, do alarms, stop-watch, stock quotes, weather and whatever else you download for it now. And oh yeah, it is my iPod too and I synch it with Bluetooth to my car for use as hands-free.
As someone else already pointed out, the ease of use and interface are the key things that a good smartphone really needs - and Apple succeeded quite well with their first try. Yes, it didn't have 3G or GPS built-in for the first pass at it, but future versions most certainly will. Once they add the rest of those features, i'll be surprised at what people will find to complain about it then. It will probably never have enough memory for the complainers and i'm sure the DRM and device lock-down are also something to continue to complain about, but i'm happy with the phone now just as much (or more than) I was when I bought mine back in September after they lowered the price on it. Now if only AT&T could get some better coverage around where I live
Parent
Re:Why does iPhone succeed? (Score:5, Insightful)
Don't underestimate the power of the dark side.
Parent
Re:Why does iPhone succeed? (Score:5, Interesting)
1: Ease of use.
2: High quality software - few software bugs
3: Ipod
4: Very good web browser
5: Some very nice third party software (if you jailbrake it)
I've also have a Nokia E90 - so I'm able to compare my iPhone to a more feature full phone. This is a phone that has almost all the features that you could imagine. 3.5G, GPS, SIP client, multi megapixel camera, keyboard and etc. This is similar to other expensive Nokia phones.
The problems with the Nokia phones are:
1. Several different confusing menus - the series 60 is awful to use
2. Lots and lots of bugs, several that freezes the phones
3. Terrible multimedia software
4: Good web browser with bad user interface. Nokia calls it Safari (webkit) based, but the interface is miles away from the iPhone
Yes my Nokia E90 has it bright spots. For example I bring it along on my travels because of it's GPS and its SIP client. Additionally the keyboard makes it nice using ssh to check problems with servers and etc. And it's really nice to have 3.5G Internet access. But since it's awful to use as a day to day phone it's mostly left at home.
BTW: I live in Oslo, the main capital of Norway. An area with very good 3G and 3.5G coverage. So I know what I'm missing with just the EDGE network.
Parent
Re:Why does iPhone succeed? (Score:5, Insightful)
Apple appear to be taking advantage that many people are unaware how almost every phone (even cheap ones) can do Internet access as standard, so they are able to promote it as a new and wonderful thing (even on Slashdot, I see this happening).
(And it's not clear it has "succeeded" apart from in the sense of not flopping? Sure it's succeeded, but so has the Treo and many other phones, but if you mean been a success above all others, that's not clear at all to me.)
Parent
Re:Why does iPhone succeed? (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm sure they're also attracting the people that have tried out the browsers on their phones, and found them so painful to use that they've just given up. I'm one of them - I never use the browser on my Samsung Z560 unless I really have to. In contrast, I'll browse the web on my iPod Touch quite happily - it's not as good as a desktop browser, but it's not that far off.
In fact, I was ranting to my boss just now about the fact that my phone browser forgets cookies when the browser is closed (which happens every time you close the clamshell, annoyingly). It's particularly apparent when using PayPal Mobile, which shows you a regular login page by default. You can opt to log in using your mobile number and a PIN, and if you've got the cookie you'll be automatically redirected. Mine, unfortunately, forgets the cookie.
Parent
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Not only that, but the iPhone is free of all the crap that the networks insist on putting on your phone.
T-Mobile UK have intentionally made my Samsung Z560 more annoying to use. The most infuriating example is the web browser's bookmarks list. At the top of the list are two bookmarks for 'T-Mobile Favourites' and 't-zones'. You can't delete them, or even move them to another position on the list. The worst part is that the phone only shows three bookmarks on the screen at a time, you have to scroll to
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I'll definitely be getting a 2nd gen...
** Because it's sexy...and cool (Score:3, Insightful)
Someone mentioned that the iPhone is essentially a sexed-up Treo.
Re:Why does iPhone succeed? (Score:4, Insightful)
The Treo concept remains a desirable one so you answered your own question. The company that does the best job with this type of device will succeed. Right now it is Apple (among others).
Parent
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you don't have to reboot it 5 times a day and it doesn't have interface lag switching between networks.
Oh the web browser is actually useable.
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I have the palm version of the Treo. It is complete shite.
Form factor first, it is heavy and the antenna sticks out. The stylus fell out of the pocket long ago and they charge Apple prices for a replacement - $20 for three pointy sticks. I am now on my third replacement in two years. Some people I know have been through six.
The browser is crud. It
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Cost. The thing is already $400-$500. Imagine if you added all of those "features"...
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1) 3G high-speed data download support through HSDPA (which AT&T is implementing in major metropolitan areas).
2) Maximum flash memory increased to 32 GB, the same as the top-line iPod Touch.
3) Improved onboard camera with 4-5 megapixel capability.
4) Bigger capacity battery (though this will increase the thickness of the iPhone about 2-3 mm).
5) Improved transceiving antenna, very necessary for HSDPA connections.
6) Optional sof