iPhoneStuff.org

Many people, myself included, have been worrying about the inescapable attachment to a sub-par GSM provider. In the US, of course, this provider has been named as Cingular, but for the rest of the world, it has not been decided yet.

This begs the question: Can I buy an iPhone and NOT have to use it as a cell phone? In other words, do I need a cell phone providers’ SIM card to make it function, or can I just use the iPhone as a standalone iPod, WiFi internet browser, photo viewer, 2 Mega pixel camera, calendar, etc.? The simple answer is: probably not.

In a recent article about frequently asked iPhone questions, David Pogue for the New York Times writes concerning the issue:

“Will the iPhone work without a SIM card installed? i.e., will it be able to surf the web/email?” –Very doubtful.

This also lends itself to another question: If the iPhone needs to be tied to a service provider to be purchased, what happens when the service contract is up? Obviously the contract would be renewable, but what if one chose not to renew for a couple of months? Would it still function as normal just without phone capabilities.

All these questions surely in time will be answered by Apple, who tout their new iPhone as the reinvention of the cell phone. If it truly is as good as they say, they surely have looked into all these issues and are making headway to resolve them before their launch in June.

Canadian residents may have to wait longer for the iPhone than their U.S. neighbours, as Apple has not announced any dates for a Canada release as of yet.

Analysts have named Rogers Communications as the likely candidate for exclusive iPhone service in Canada. This is due largely to the fact that Rogers is the only nationwide GSM provider.

A TorontoStar article from Jan 11, 2007 had this to say:

“While the iPhone will be avaliable in the U.S. by June, in Europe by the end of the year and Aisa by 2008, no release dates have been announced for Canada. Nadir Mohamed, president and chief marketing officer for Rogers Communications, said the company’s GSM capability put it in a ‘very good position’ to become an iPhone vendor here.”

This is not good news for many Canadians who have ever had a Rogers cell phone in the past. Not only are there numerous complains about service, range, and customer support, but these customers have also taken the time to make a web site to warn others about how bad their experience was.

The site is called I Hate Rogers.ca and is a forum for people who have had a bad experience, and informs them of service alternatives in their locales. Unfortunately, Apple’s iPhone may not have any alternatives to offer.

Apple has been using the same typeface for all its’ iPod products for years now, and it seems they’ve carried this same marketing over to the iPhone.

To replicate exactly what this looks like, for any personal reasons, simply use the font Myriad Pro, Semibold, at its’ default kerning.

You can notice by my image comparison that the official logo seems to be a modified version of Myriad Pro, somewhat elongated on the height scale. This is especially noticeable in the “o.”

In this recent post from The Consumerist, they outline how to cancel your current Cingular contract without those pesky cancellation fees.

If you are currently on a plan with Cingular, and want to get an iPhone when it comes out in June, you may wish to use this cancellation trick in order not to overlap any remaining contract when you want to get the iPhone. The details of the iPhone Cingular contract have not been released yet, but it is safe to assume that any cell phone plan you may have had previously, will not be transferrable.

If you have a cell phone contract that reaches beyond June from a different service provider, you may be up the river without a paddle on this one. Current Cingular customers may have an advantage and an opportunity.

Plan ahead, there’s only 5 months to go before the iPhone is released!

With power comes great responsibility. With a thin, sleek, sexy, expensive little piece of technology comes many dangers.

If history teaches us anything, it’s that Apple makes great products, but usually the first generation are more suseptable to damage, scratches, cracks, and failure than future generations.

Thousands of slobbering Apple fanatics will be counting down to the day in June when they can get their hot little hands on this latest piece of touch-screen goodness, but this will not go unnoticed by the public, and the public’s not always the nicest people. Just as when products like the Playstation 3 or Nintendo Wii were released last year, remember to be extrememly cautious as you leave the Apple store, or Best Buy, or mall parking lot. There are the shady types that will view the new robust cell phone as a few quick bucks more than respect you for having the foreknowledge that you have the newest and best thing from Apple.

Having said that, don’t walk around in fear with your new iPhone. Daily many people with iPods out in plain sight take the bus through rough areas of town and don’t live in fear. Just choose wisely who you show it off to first, and where.

The iPhone will more than likely have some accessories, both bundled with it and sold by Apple and third party retailers for exorbitant prices. One of the must-haves with the iPhone is a carrying case. The fact that the whole thing is a touch screen is one indication of how dirty it might get. Fingerprints will love this thing. Try to keep that screen away from loose change or your keys in your pocket too. Showing off the product of your surplus can only impress so much when it has large grooves of scrape on it.

It is unknown at this time whether or not Apple will, through Cingular, impliment some sort of security and GPS tracking, but bank on that not being included. Don’t lose this thing! Cell phones come cheap, and if you lose one, you might regret it, but if you lost your iPhone, not only will you hate yourself for a long time, but it may be a while before you can get a replacement. Apple anticipates that their iPhone is going to be a phenomenal success, and supplies will more than likely be limited.

For those who were taken aback by a $499 minimum price point for the new Apple iPhone, and are still recovering from sticker shock, some analysts may have what you need to hear to perk you back up.

To date, Apple’s most successful iPod was not their flagship original model (originally priced at $399 for a 5GB model, and $499 for a 10GB model,) nor any of its’ 4 generations afterwards. Rather, it was the little brother, the iPod Nano, who stole the hearts of gadget-goers and music-lovers the world over. Was it his itty-bitty size and potableness, or his less daunting price point? More importantly, what does this have to do with the upcoming iPhone?

Reuters had this to say about the possibility of a cheaper “low-end” iPhone in the future:

Apple could… follow a similar model with the iPhone that it did with the iPod: Start off with what may seem a steep price, but drop prices as component costs fall and volume production economics kick in, all the while adding more functions and services.

While the idea of waiting a little longer for an iPhone may seem incorrigible to some, it may be the wise thing to do, not only for your wallet, but for any new features you’ll look back and sigh that you didn’t get. Only time will tell.

Before yesterday, ideas flew wildly about what Apple’s rumored iPhone would, could, and might look like. Here is a compilation of side-by-side comparisons, concept, to official.

This concept had the same idea as many concepts - that being that the iPhone would have a slide-out keypad, and an iPod-like face. This concept of course is far from reality because the iPhone is closer in size to a 5th generation iPod than a 1st generation Nano.

Here’s an interesting concept, but it looks like they only got 1 thing right. The product name.

Modeled after an earlier generation iPod, this iPhone concept is not bad, but Steve Jobs would hate using those tiny keys to type with. He’d rather have a lush touch-screen.

Here’s a concept that didn’t fare too badly again the real deal. The artist correctly assumed that the screen would be large, touch-sensitive, and in the shape of the unit would be iPod-like. Other than that, not so great.

I thought this one was funny, because it was actually not that far off from Jobs’ gag unveiling at Macworld 2007. This phony rotary dail iPhone was shown on screen before he went into further detail about it and showed the real thing.

So, is the touchpad thing projecting the screen like an LCD projector, or are they attached? The thinness factor looks unbelievable, probably as fragile as a wheat thin.

This concept design was actually fairly accurate. The ear piece at the top of the unit is about the same size and shape, and it does have a bigger screen, the wheel in the middle of which indicates it is touch sensitive. One of the few concepts that was black based in colour like the official Apple iPhone design. Too bad it had keys.

This concept is obviously not a serious attempt at guessing what Apple’s new iPhone would look like, but who with a vintage style and good taste in their right mind wouldn’t love one of these? It’s sleek, shiny, and looks like the old iMac’s base with a phone on top instead of a monitor. Very cool. Maybe something like this in the future for the corded market from Apple?

Another concept design which attempts to copy the Nano layout. Apple hasn’t ruled out that a future Nano-like iPhone release is possible. With buttons and a smaller screen though, less than likely.

A Nano concept design with a slide out for keys and a conferencing camera. The idea of the self-facing video-conferencing camera is good, but using it to talk to Phil Schiller, not so good.

Steve Jobs said in his January 9th keynote at Macworld that nobody likes a stylus. In his mind, Steve Jobs was also wanting to say that nobody likes Steve Balmer.

The iEgg. The concept was actually more acurate than a lot of the other concepts for how the iPhone would be marketed. Notice the hand that’s holding it? That brings in both the concept of size comparison, as well and adding a human element. As far as the rest of the concept, iEgg does not make a good crack at it.

This concludes the iPhone Stuff comparison of pre-Macworld 2007 fan iPhone concepts, to the real iPhone. Which one is your favourite?

Yesterday Apple met the expectations of all the rumor-mongers in the blog sphere when CEO Steve Jobs announced that Apple was reinventing the phone.
The iPhone by the newly renamed Apple Inc. (throwing away ‘Computers’) is to be released in June of 2007. Apple enthusiasts everywhere set their alias on instant-messaging services to a variation of “150 days to iPhone!”

The idea of the iPhone is, not to reinvent, but rather to completely redesign the wheel. Phone, PDA, iPod, all in one, but not with a clumsy keyboard with hard to depress buttons, rather, a touch screen with intuitive controls. The idea is incredible, and Steve Jobs made sure to announce that Apple patented the heck out of it.

As good as the iPhone sounds, it was not without some drawbacks in the minds of many. Cingular, a US cell phone service provider, is to be the sole provider of service with an agreement with Apple. The problem being that Cingular, despite being on of the larger networks, also has many critics. Many say that Cingular’s service is sketchy at best and reception is not too great as soon as one leaves heavily towered areas.

Those of us living outside the United States are left wondering who Apple might make a deal with in our country, or if the iPhone will be service provider independent? Will it cost more if the service provider hasn’t already been decided?

The iPhone will run at a cost of $499 US for a 4GB capacity model, and $599 for an 8GB.