phones

Arrival of iPhones greeted by 'armed guards'

The first shipments of Apple's iPhone arrived on Sunday at airports across the country, according to AppleInsider, just in time for the start of iPhone Week.

Apparently the iPhones were shipped from Hong Kong to several major cities in the U.S. via air freight in order to clear customs ahead of Friday's expected launch. AppleInsider also reported that armed security guards greeted the arrival of the shipments, a practice usually reserved for shipments of diamonds and other more traditional baubles.

It's an open question as to how many iPhones will be available for sale this weekend. … Read more

Would you switch carriers for the iPhone?

The iPhone hits store shelves in less than a week, and Apple and AT&T are both counting on the buzz translating into record sales.

Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO, says he expects the company to sell 10 million iPhones by the end of 2008. AT&T execs have said that more than a million people have already inquired about how they can get their hands on the new gadget.

If the hype lives up to expectations, the iPhone could help AT&T boost subscriber growth. But with more than 76 percent of the U.S. population … Read more

iPhone cravers make their way to Craigslist

Whenever something's a legitimate social phenomenon these days, you can typically follow the zeitgeist on Craigslist. The impending Apple iPhone is no exception.

I was inspired by a recent Cult of Mac post to hunt on Craigslist for some of my favorite "Buy me an iPhone!" or "I'll buy you an iPhone!" ads, which I've detailed below. Interestingly enough, they were restricted to the biggest of big cities, as far as I could tell (New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston) and I could track down only one that promised a genuinely … Read more

Nokia announces U.S. availability of Nokia E61i and Nokia E65

Back in February at the 3GSM World Congress, Nokia introduced three new models to its E series of business-centric smart phones: the Nokia E65, the Nokia E61i, and the Nokia E90. We oohed and we ahhed, and went through our usual pangs of defeat as we resigned ourselves to fact that we probably wouldn't see these devices in the United States. Well, lift up your heads and break those piggy banks, my friends, because today the Finnish cell phone manufacturer announced the U.S. availability of the Nokia E65 and Nokia E61i (the E90 is expected to ship in … Read more

Why I'm not getting an iPhone next week

Apple will begin selling the iPhone on Friday, but I'm not buying one.

It isn't that I don't like Apple hardware. I'm typing this on a MacBook Pro I bought last November. I have a stack of older PowerBooks (literally), a couple of iPods (one dead, alas), and a Power Mac G5.

It isn't that I don't like to buy new toys. I just counted: I carry around ten battery-powered devices every day, four of which are less than six months old.

But I don't need a new phone, especially not … Read more

Apple rolls out the iPhone displays

It doesn't appear that Apple and AT&T hired window designers from Macy's for the iPhone campaign.

The first window ads for the iPhone appeared in the retail stores of both companies Friday. They're fairly simple, just a picture of the iPhone itself and reminding everyone that it's "coming June 29." AppleInsider spotted some larger ads in what appears to be a mall somewhere, but in busy downtown San Francisco, Apple and AT&T went for a more compact campaign.

Those stores will be the epicenters of iPhone madness next Friday when … Read more

Does iPhone need a 20-minute introductory video?

Apple has just released a twenty-minute guided video tour of the iPhone. I launched the video expecting a whizzy, emotionally-engaging presentation that would get me even more jazzed about the iPhone's release. Instead I found a straightforward, talking-head tutorial that had me wishing that John Hodgman or Justin Long would show up to provide a little comic relief.

I suppose I shouldn't slam Apple for choosing substance over style, but the button-by-button hand-holding stood out as an anomaly from all the other experiences I have had with Apple over the past 20 years.

I expect Apple communications to … Read more

iPhone tour available on Apple's site

The longest iPhone commercial you'll ever see is available on Apple's Web site.

The company on Friday posted a 20-minute guided tour of the device that is one of the most exhaustive looks yet at that iPhone thing you might have heard about. A really nice, enthusiastic man wearing a black shirt (no, not that one) takes you through the various features of the iPhone, including making phone calls, listening to music, sending e-mail, browsing the Web, and using applications like Google Maps.

Alas, the technical details we've all been waiting for are not to be found. … Read more

Won't someone think of the children?!

ABC's Ashley Phillips says iPhone fever: Not everyone buys hype.

But some critics believe that the "early adopters" who wait anxiously in line next week outside Apple and AT&T stores... could be in for a nasty surprise.

Really? Which critics think Apple and AT&T's customers are ignorant idiots who know nothing of the product they're going to stand in line for hours and sign away two years of their cellular lives to get?

According to industry analysts, some of the drawbacks are the lack of built-in GPS, which is already widely … Read more