iPhoneStuff.org

Users of AT&T who have access to the internet and other rich applications have noticed an increase in the speed and bandwidth over the last couple of hours. No doubt this is due to the costly upgrades AT&T have gone through over the past few months in preparation for the iPhone’s release on its network.

For discussion regarding the speed increases, please see the following links:

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=321459 & http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1189862

http://www.digg.com/apple/AT_T_customers_seeing_sudden_boost_in_EDGE_speeds

Yes it does, no it doesn’t. The debates have gone on since the iPhone was announced. What can it do, and what can’t it do? Well, here’s what the iPhone can’t do:

• Video recording
• Instant Messaging
• Any flash support
• Games
• Songs as Ringtones
• Picture messages (MMS)
• One-size-fits-all headset jack (May have to buy an adapter for certain headphones)
• Wireless Bluetooth Stereo Streaming
• Voice recognition or voice dialing

Personally, I think the feature I’m most disappointed to hear about is the lack of video recording. Even the cheapest camera-phones nowadays can record video, albeit sub-par quality, but sometimes that’s all you need.

Source:

Gizmodo

Apple has just announced the cost of each rate plan and what get for your iPhone. Many are surprised that it’s not that expensive, however, adding the cost of the iPhone + the 2-year contract, you’ll be paying a MINIMUM of 1,939.75 after all is said and done. ($59.99 x 24mo. + 499.99 4GB iPhone)

Here’s the rate table:

Only a week before the iPhone is released! Here are some last-minute iPhone facts that will hopefully help you to make your purchasing decision before the countdown is over.

1. The iPhone will support IMAP, POP3 and Yahoo Push email. It will automatically recognize phone numbers in email messages and provide one-click access to dialing them. However, it will not support Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), so users won’t be able to send text messages with pictures or video to other mobile phone users. The iPhone will not let users chat with friends directly via instant messaging (IM).

2. When watching a video on the iPhone and a call comes in, the video will automatically pause while you take the call, then resume when you hang up.

3. The iPhone does not offer GPS capability.

4. Third-party applications will be allowed only as web-based applications loaded from the internet on the iPhone’s Safari web browser. Apple will roll out a Windows version of Safari, which should drive support, application development and awareness of the browser to improve the Safari-centric iPhone experience, especially for Windows users.

5. As demonstrated in the latest iPhone ad, featured below, the iPhone will be compatible with Youtube. As earlier reported on iPhoneStuff.org, a spokesman for Apple confirmed Youtube, and yet said that Youtube does not necessarily mean Flash support. The last time I checked, Youtube does require Flash to work, so it seems that the iPhone comes equipped with a specialized version of the Flash player that works only with Youtube, and not in the built-in Safari browser.

This brings me to the next point:

6. The iPhone will not support Flash in it’s Safari browser. Running off the heels of the last iPhone fact, it would appear that the iPhone has a limited version of the Flash player built into it, so it will more than likely be only a matter of time before Apple releases a fully-fledged Flash player for the iPhone’s Safari browser.

7. In order to use an iPhone, buyers will be required to first set up an account with the iTunes store using their credit cards, even if they have no intention of buying anything there. This is in addition to the required carrier contract with AT&T. Current iTunes account holders will be able to use existing accounts.

8. We already knew that iTunes would provide sync capability between iPhone and email, contacts, calendar, photos and other data on both PCs and Macs. We learned this week that the synchronization is automatic when the iPhone is plugged in.

Sources:

Mac Rumors
PC Advisor

I think that if I were Arnold Schwarzenegger I would probably walk around giving random people in the midst of police officers giant thumbs-ups too. Now onto more iPhone related news…
The iPhone is now approved for sale in the United States. To see more details about the FCC’s approval of Apple’s iPhone, please see AppleInsider.

When the iPhone was first announced, Mac-enthusiasts the world over hit the internet hard, blogging about it, about how much they wanted one, and debating what would be good or bad about it. Now - just over a month after the iPhone was announced on January 9th at Macworld, is the buzz still king?

As you can see by this chart listing blog mentions by day of “iPhone,” the buzz peaked around Macworld, Jan 9th, but quickly tapered off to just under 1000 mentions per day, and now has settled at a lull of around 200 mentions per day.

Evidently, people still care very much about this new revolutionary phone, mp3 player, and internet connect device, however, the intial buzz has died out.

In the top 100 keywords, also provided by Technorati, iPhone was not even close to within the top.

One thing is sure about the upcoming launch; as the time gets closer, we’ll see these numbers picking up again, enough to easily surpass the numbers around Macworld.

Some sexy iPhone icons for your OS X desktop were released a few days ago over at INTERFACELIFT.com. This is surely only the first of many iPhone icons, as there are many versions of the popular iPod product in icon form, as well as iMac, Mac Pro, and more. Get them while they’re hot!

iPhoneMatters.com recently had an interesting poll about why one would opt out of getting an iPhone.

The choices were:

1. Cingular
2. Way too expensive
3. I despise everything Apple, I am a troll
4. The lack of a real keyboard
5. I’m getting one!

…and the results were:

1. 41.66% Way too expensive
2. 25.97% Cingular
3. 21.80% I’m getting one!
4. 6.75% I despise everything Apple, I am a troll
5. 3.81% The lack of a real keyboard

It would appear that most percieve the iPhone’s price to be it’s biggest downfall. Another thing of note is that very few - perhaps only the business types - would say they wouldn’t get an iPhone because it lacks a real keyboard or the ability to use with a real keyboard. As always, there’s lots of angst for Cingular.

What drives your opinion? Will you be getting one? Why? Why not?

Ars Technica got some great information from a well-known professional usability expert, Bruce Tognazzini, including his opinions on whether the iPhone’s touch-screen interface will be the next big thing, or the next big flop. You may find the results surprising.

Naturally, besides a few elite media people, and Steve Jobs himself, no one has really had a good “hands-on” with the iPhone to test it out for usability, however, perceptions and predictions can be formed.

Bruce…

Loves:

Gives ordinary people widespread access to technologies that have otherwise been very limited for public consumption (such as multitouch and whatnot)
Very approachable, even for older folks
Visual, random-access voicemail. “It’s about time.”
Hates:

Five hour battery life, and non-replaceable battery (without a crowbar…). “That’s a bad interface,” Tog says.
Relying on public WiFi (”Public WiFi is a mess”) for Internet access, or expensive cell networks affect fundamental reliability
SMS, e-mail, and voicemail are all separated out as much as possible. “I should not have to visit three different places on my phone every few minutes to see what is happening.”
Widgets are the only add-on path for the iPhone. “I can only hope that changes.”
Needs a keyboard. Touchscreen keyboard is nice and all, but not good for extended use and takes up much of the screen.
Nits:

Desperately needs to be tested for ruggedness (is that a hint for me, Tog?)
SMS should include an interpreter to expand upon common abbreviations
Camera should be higher resolution
Facial recognition “would be a plus”
iPod interface potentially confusing, much more complex than phone interface
Safari browser on iPhone may and may not be forgiving to web pages that are not totally strict on HTML. Forgiving will be much better in the long run than not.
Maps on the iPhone should just “know” where you are and tell you how far, distance and time-wise, you are from appointments that are on your calendar

He did, however, comment on how much of an improvement on current cell phones this phone from Apple really is, saying “Traditional cell phones are dull, limited, and at end-of-life. iPhone is glorious, and it is only the beginning.”

Yes, if we can learn one thing from our technologically and cell-phonically advanced neighbours in Japan, it’s that cell phone innovation has to start somewhere, but where it leads to with competition, is limited only by imagination.

Apple’s iPhone may be the only king of touch-screen phones in North America, but the Japanese have had country-wide 3G service for a while now, touch-screens are nothing!

In this article from Joystiq, it explains that the phone - called the D800iDS - has dual screens that resemble the Nintendo DS, and no keys.

Its’ features include a PictoChat-like utility, enabling users to scrawl messages to eachother, and focus mainly on games and fun.

While North America anticipates the arrival of its’ first innovative cell phone in… forever, Japan quietly puts out highly superior products on a regular basis. Will this phone ever be available in the United States or Canada? Most likely not.