iPhone

Is Apple considering bidding on 700MHz spectrum?

Apple is considering bidding on the government's upcoming wireless spectrum auction in January, according to a Business Week story.

The story, which cites two unnamed sources, said that "Steve Jobs & Co. have studied the implications of joining the auction, which will be held Jan. 16." But at this point at least one of Business Week's sources says that Apple is leaning away from participating in the auction, the story said.

The spectrum auction scheduled to take place in January 2008 will allocate wireless licenses for spectrum in the 700MHz band that is being vacated as a result of the switch to digital TV. … Read more

Apple: 1 million iPhones sold

It seems like only yesterday that Apple had sold its first 270,000 iPhones--not a bad tally for just a little bit more than the first day on the market.

Monday morning, a little more than two months after the much-lusted-after gadget went on sale, Apple said in a brief press release that it had sold its 1 millionth iPhone.

"One million iPhones in 74 days," Apple CEO Steve Jobs exulted in a press release. "It took almost two years to achieve this milestone with iPod."

Last week, Jobs unveiled the new iPod Touch, which mimics … Read more

Final report: The iPhone is not open for business

At the Office 2.0 conference, as you probably know, every attendee got an iPhone with their paid admission. There was a very useful iPhone-friendly Web site set up, and several companies were showing off shiny new iPhone business applications.

But is the iPhone a business-class product? I talked to the developers making applications for this platform, and to attendees at the conference, and came up with a disheartening answer: It is not. From the two-handed interface to capricious keyboard to the slow Edge network to the lack of a real developer's interface to the phone, it's just … Read more

Apple signs iPhone patent deal with Interdigital

Apple has signed a patent-licensing agreement with a company called InterDigital for what appeared to be $20 million, plus ongoing royalties, that covers the current iPhone and hints at a 3G successor.

Interdigital broke the news in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission Thursday, amid all the hubbub related to the iPhone pricing flap. The company said it has signed a seven-year licensing agreement with Apple retroactive to iPhone Day that covers the technology used in the iPhone.

Interdigital develops technology that gets mobile phones onto cellular networks. The company's products and designs are used for older … Read more

Free your ring, and your iPhone will follow

Here's some exciting news for those of you who have an iPhone and want to have the Star Wars Imperial March play every time your mother-in-law asks you for help installing the latest sudoku game: with a bit of file-extension tweaking and judicious use of the new iTunes 7.4 for Windows or Mac, you can now customize your ringtones without having to donate another 99 cents to Steve Jobs' favorite retirement fund.

Oh, the Macalope's aching, be-horned head...

Oh, gray lady, what depths have you sunk to that you feel you must quote Rob Enderle?

Rob Enderle, president of the Enderle Group, a market research firm in San Jose, Calif., was skeptical of the store credit.

No.

Way.

"A $100 credit could be perceived as adding insult to injury," said Mr. Enderle, noting that store credits are seldom well received.

Compared to what? Nothing? The Macalope's not sure you're completely familiar with the term "adding insult to injury", Rob. And again with the passive tense? Passive/aggressive much?

"It's a … Read more

And on day 68: $100 iPhone credit

And, in case you hadn't heard, in a letter posted on Apple's site, Steve Jobs claims to have read "hundreds" of irate emails regarding the iPhone price drop and is therefore issuing $100 worth of Apple credits to us early adopters. Did he really read all of those emails? Hrmmmm.

While Apple is not under any obligation to do so, it was still nice of them. Now, I know some people will be like why not $200, or why not cash-money. May I repeat, not any obligation to do so. Besides, only us geeky types who … Read more

Now will you shut up and let me eat my tofu and bean sprout wrap?

Steve Jobs:

Therefore, we have decided to offer every iPhone customer who purchased an iPhone from either Apple or AT&T, and who is not receiving a rebate or any other consideration, a $100 store credit towards the purchase of any product at an Apple Retail Store or the Apple Online Store.

Even this probably won't satisfy some people (you know who you are!), but the Macalope at least is well pleased and considers the matter closed.

Now leave Steve alone so he can finish his lunch.

Apple to offer $100 store credit to iPhone customers

After protests over its decision to cut the price of the iPhone by $200, Apple will give iPhone users a $100 store credit.

The company on Thursday posted an open letter from CEO Steve Jobs on its Web site defending the decision to cut the price of the 8GB iPhone from $599 to $399, but acknowledging that Apple shouldn't have treated its early adopters in such a fashion. Jobs had announced the price cut just a day earlier at a San Francisco event at which the company unveiled a refresh of its iPod line, including the new iPod Touch. … Read more

Some iPhone users get refund, some don't

Apple's price cut on the new iPhone is causing some confusion among existing iPhone users about who is entitled to a price adjustment and who isn't.

Apple's CEO Steve Jobs announced Wednesday the company is slashing the price of the iPhone by $200. The 8-gigabyte version of the iPhone was $599 but now sells for $399.

Apple and AT&T have said they will give $200 credits or refunds to customers who bought the iPhone in the past two weeks. So what about the thousands of people who waited in line all night for their iPhones … Read more