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General discussion

Thoughts on the iPhone?

Jan 9, 2007 2:56AM PST

That sound you hear? It's the collective release of nine million simultaneous geekgasms as the iPhone is announced. Here are my thoughts - please feel free to add yours.

1) Wow.
2) No, seriously - wow. The adaptable, dynamic interface, push email, photos, iPod video functionality, photos and ten thousand other things all in one device is absolutely incredible. Particularly in terms of the touchscreen, this, like the iPod, will have ramifications for the entire tech sector, specifically in how people conceive of the interplay of design, functionality and interface.
3) But - and it's a big one - did they just 'PS3' themselves? $600 US *with* a contract is an enormous amount of money. Like the PS3, it's 'worth it' in the literal sense, but is this so expensive that it will drastically reduce the rate of uptake? I'm not saying that the device itself is akin to a PS3 - it obviously offers something that nothing else does - but I sorta' felt like it was a huge buildup that led to... "six hundred bucks US?!". Are they out of their minds?

Discussion is locked

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The price is right
Jan 9, 2007 3:06AM PST

People expect alien technology these days for free. Get over it.

The price is right smack in the sweet spot for its market. Believe me, there won't be anything other than a shortage of these things once they begin to ship.

Apple has combined every sick rumor that's been floating around the past year into one AWESOME product. I'm only bummed that I have to wait 5 months.

-Kevin S.

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Wrong again!
Jan 9, 2007 5:35AM PST

Get over it? Shyeah right!
It's bad enough the ps3 is 600 bucks and it sits safely in your living room. We are talking about a $600 (plus 2 year contract) device that you carry around ... it gets roughly handled, smudged, dropped, stolen, **** spilled on it daily! How many people are willing to risk their $600 in their back pocket? I can just see all of the pissed of people who will end up losing or getting these ripped off from them.

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To MacHugger
Jan 10, 2007 5:23PM PST

Sorry, but calling people names is not allowed in these forums.

Your post is deleted.

This means that vector313's reply and your other post in the thread is gone as well.

There are ways to put your point of view across, without bad-mouthing people.

Mark

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Unfortunately, just like the PS3...
Jan 9, 2007 3:12AM PST

I will not be getting one. Too dang expense Sad

And please don't give me all that PS3 "Well you get all this" logic. It's still 500-600 dollars so I don't care what comes with it.

Even if it came with the cure for Cancer I still couldn't afford it.

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Seriously... even if it came with a cure to cancer?
Jan 12, 2007 1:41AM PST

I'm sure you were just getting a point across, but do bear in mind anyways that there are those that would give their life savings, legs, and a single eye if it meant it would cure their cancer.

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(NT) pity reply
Jan 12, 2007 6:32AM PST
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Not impressed...
Jan 9, 2007 3:46AM PST

Does nothing "new" as far as I can tell, it just looks cool. Basically they are combining a bunch of tech devices, which most have been saying they do NOT want. I have an i-Pod to play music, I have a phone to make calls...and the fact that they are with Cingular means I will NOT be able to make calls. $600 is pretty crazy, but it is in line with the Blackberry I believe. I just don't see business people using this phone, and I think for the common user, most of us already have things that perform most of the functions the phone has...so why spend $600 and switch to a crappy carrier.

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What is "new"?
Jan 11, 2007 11:15PM PST

My Motorola i930 is a smart phone with windows. It cost under 200 with contract. Browses internet, plays wma video and music, seamlessly syncs with my outlook. Gets my web mail and corp mail. Camera and video cam. SD expansion slot currently limits me to a 4 Gig store(per card), more than engough for me. I have yet to "get" the video fascination. Is the iphone all about touch screen and design, that I get, but all this excitment just for a new look or is there anything really new to this phone? Oh yeah for us Nextel users you can't ever take away my push to talk the biggest productivity enhancement ever in a cell phone (compare to IM with voice).

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This isn't exactly a Treo nor BB killer
Jan 12, 2007 1:43AM PST

It's moreso going vs stuff like the Motorola Q, and other multimedia/fun/WL cell phones

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Wow at first, but now...
Jan 9, 2007 3:46AM PST

My initial reaction was a big WOW...the dynamic interface looks way cool...

But after looking into the specs a little more:
- $600 and no 3G???

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Um, no
Jan 9, 2007 3:51AM PST

Hey all,

no 3g I noticed, not that it matters for my area.

Too expensive, if you're dropping $600 on a phone, maybe you should look into putting more on your mortgage or something, haha. Or you are not quite that age yet and have money to burn.

Don't give me the PSP arguement, I bought 2 DS Lites with money left over and don't regret it. This phone is slick and nice looking, but pass me my Nokia thanks.

Now as for some of the emerging tech, what was that one that lets you charge devices wirelessly? Damn neat, Power something? Check that one out.

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DON'T drop it!
Jan 9, 2007 4:09AM PST

i'd break out in tears if i dropped my iphone

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Are you guys kidding me?
Jan 9, 2007 4:13AM PST

A phone with a widescreen ipod, all the functionality of a treo and Blackberry + OSX??????

=A.W.E.S.O.M.E.

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Negatives are too great
Jan 9, 2007 4:17AM PST

The product itself is incredible. . .

BUT

I am REALLY surprised that this is limited to Cingular customers. What's the point of spending so much time and money to create a revolutionary product if you are going to restrict half the market from being able to buy it?

The price is really high but I would still consider it if I could get it with Verizon. But the price obstacle and the carrier obstacle together are just too much.

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people have to understand
Jan 10, 2007 11:08PM PST

GSM is the world standard. if apple is only going to make one version that is the logical choice.

In the US you have two major choices for GSM. Cingular and T-Mobile. Cingular has great service, T-mobile is questionable.

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*IF* being the operative...
Jan 12, 2007 6:08AM PST

...your arguement falls apart when someone asks why not just make it 3G compatible...

then you get into the sticky wicket of apple being cingular's bee-hotch. Silly

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uh
Jan 13, 2007 2:22AM PST

my argument has nothing to do with 3G. It is strictly regarding GSM, so it's solid.

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but then you are ignoring an important detail, ya know?
Jan 14, 2007 3:13AM PST

I think the problem is that most people are looking at the iphone saying it should be the killer device that's better than anything else out there. At least that's what I originally thought it would be, and judging by the enldess posts by ppl here I think they at least thought the same at the beginning, so when it lacks a feature, especially the kind of feature thjat would allow its use on more than one carrier (kind of a biggie, say, to a verizon customer living in an area with poor cingular coverage), some ppl got disappointed.

The gist of what I got from you was that apple picked GSM cuz it works with the world and that is fine and therefore the iphone is still a great product. You don't care that its only GSM, but that's a big deal to other people.

I would agree with you in that for what it has to offer it's great, maybe even the best, but when you look at ALL the details, it has some shortcomings, that's all. hope i was clear.

And realize just how sad I am that I can't get one Sad maybe I'm a little bitter.

-karl

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just trying to create some balance and be reasonable
Jan 14, 2007 4:18AM PST

no product can please 100%. there are enough people ripping on the iPhone, so I don't need to add to that. Most don't hang around to highlight the positives of it.

I want:

ichat (I am disappointed about that) or even better multi-platform chat app like Adium

3G (although right now I don't even have a data plan with my Treo 650 so that would be purely a luxury.)

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agreed. slashdot had a good post on it today...
Jan 15, 2007 10:41AM PST

I dont have the link for me, but it was a trio of blogs that explained about 3G, and OSX rumors. Definately a good read. And definately in opposition to all the recent trashing of the poor iphone.

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iphone
Jan 12, 2007 11:15AM PST

I don't really care a big hoot, not impressed by Apple.

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i agree
Jan 17, 2007 1:08PM PST

I agree with you I wish it were available to Verizon. I don't like Cingular after these couple months are up I'm switching carriers. Cingular charges too much...

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can you elaborate on "charges too much"?
Jan 17, 2007 1:25PM PST

Both Cingular and VZ are shown w/unlim nites/wkends on individual plans:
450min for $40
900min for $60

Are you referring to hidden costs, customer service, or something else sinister?

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So is a Lamborghini
Jan 9, 2007 6:00AM PST

And a Bently Phantom too! But I ain't buying one.

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Not exactly a Treo nor BB replacement
Jan 12, 2007 1:46AM PST

It's moreso going vs stuff like the Motorola Q, and other multimedia/fun/WL cell phones. I believe this was mentioned on Cnet

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If you build it, they will come.....
Jan 9, 2007 4:26AM PST

All I can say is, buy Apple, Inc (no longer Apple Computer, Inc) stock now!!! This is a revolutionary product for them. Expensive? Yes it is, but this thing is going to sell like crazy.
Here is why-

1. Think of the 10 zillion products that support the IPOD, if this thing has an Ipod connector on the bottom, and the Iphone OS can support the existing accessories it will have more bits and waggles to plug in than any other phone on the market. EVER. Out of the box connectivity to cars, clocks, stereos, airplane seats, you name it!

2. It is user friendly for the average joe. As someone who has had a Blackberry and a Moto Q, neither one of those devices are very non-techie friendly. While it remains to be seen, it seems pretty simple to use. Plus push email from Yahoo and advanced SMS will make every teen in the US want this phone. Sure business users may not add it to the corporate purchasing list right away, but the 12 to 25 yr old crowd will be all over it.

3. Cost is really not too out of line with the market, $499 to 599 is a lot. But $499 for a Palm 700w/p is a lot too! $350 for a Sony Mylo is a lot considering it cant do most what the Iphone does. Flat out, I think that people will buy the Iphone and not blink at the price, its the one device youve always wanted, that works how you want it. Plus, you have 6 months to save up, 100 bucks a month, 3.50 a day.

TJ

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Right On
Jan 11, 2007 11:24PM PST

Buy Apple's stock now and it will pay for the phone.
Mine already did.

It's going to be a huge hit. If you don't think so you haven't seen the Keynote video. AWESOME doesn't even cover it.

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the iPhone is not revolutionary let alone original
Jan 22, 2007 6:54AM PST

Give Apple credit for marketing hype. Jobs claims the 'Revolutionary' Iphone is actually a 'Brilliant' phone! The truth is there is little that is original about this offering, including even the name which actually belongs to Cisco- several other vendors have implemented the concept for quite a while. E There have been smartphones from other companies, notably the in-this-case needlessly maligned Microsoft, which has been shipping comparable functionality for 3 years now.

My Cingular 2125 smartphone running Windows mobile 5.0 gives me seamless mail connectivity to corporate mail / contacts / calendar from Outlook, webmail (yahoo, gmail), browser (IE or Opera take your pick), media player (video, mp3), expandable memory via mini-SD, 1.3MP camera/camcorder, live traffic updates, mobile GSM via third party product. Heck I can even listen to NPR or any other internet radio via streaming - either via bluetooth or on built in speakerphone. I even have the multi-band GSM and Cingular Edge that Apple is touting out the box. And get this, it lasts my power usage for well over a day. The dispaly is bright and crisp. The phone is small - and drops comfortably in to my jeans pocket without even a bulge.

Its For all those Mac groupies, shed your blind faith in Apple's hype. Apple is no longer an upstart, but yet another big corporate which no doubt puts out decent products but nothing worth following over the edge of the cliff for. Suggest go eduate yourselves.

(Worth a read - Motorola CTO Padmasree Warrior's blog: http://blogs.motorola.com/author/padmasree-warrior )

Cheers,
Rik

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Two, please! One for me and one for my wife!
Jan 9, 2007 4:28AM PST

Price doesn't bother me at all. Looks like a fantastic device. I'll have one and I'll write it off!

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Intrigued, but....
Jan 9, 2007 4:50AM PST

1) First reaction, like most, was WOW
2) As a phone it seems awesome, but as an iPod, I would rather have the touch widescreen iPod with 60 GB for my videos, 8GB just doesnt work for me as an mp3/video player.
3) Apple should put the Samsung digital TV receiver chip in the new iPod, that would be awesome, and hopefully it will in the next gen.