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iPhone: coolest gadget of the year?

It looks like the iPhone is not selling as hot as you say. There is plenty of phones in stock.
This is so funny. I read it yesterday too and I know exactly what those ebayers feel. Let's just pray that one of those ads on Ebay/Craigslist demanding $1500 for the iPhone is not by Woody. :)

It looks like changing the battery could be an expensive proposition
Apple issues battery program for iPhone - Yahoo! News
This is bad. I never knew of the battery tie-in trick they have. $79 for a battery ? I imagine the warranty is void if you use battery from after-market. I always buy phones that I can patch to use on other networks or can buy accessories from after-market.

Apple, don't be evil.
 
Alain, how often do you think people replace battery in their phones? I've never done that. My phones usually break faster than batteries :)


True, I have replaced the battery of my Treo only once. I had to do the same with my wife's miniIpod. I didn't have to replace the battery on my iPod... but buy a new one (I bought a nano ;) ) because it went kaput... I know that me and my wife abuse the iPods more than regular people because running outside under any condititions (no anymore :D)
 
Apple was sold out at all stores except two by Wednesday. They restocked and now have more available. They built 3 million this time around I believe and are said to have activated about one million so far. So, more iPods have sold this week than Zunes all-time. hehe.

The battery replacement is the same as iPod policy so this doesn't surprise me. Apple is approaching this as an iPod (mini computer) with phone capabilities, rather than a phone that plays music.

I didn't have to wait in any line at all. Saturday morning in Annapolis I just went to the counter and bought it in 1 minute. I am not sure why anyone would pay more than the normal retail price for this. You can order it from apple.com and it will ship soon enough.

btw Alain, I heard that the AT&T contract is only two years. After that the iPhone may be available on other carriers. They're close to closing contracts with other carriers in Europe.
 
Usually, the idea of user-replacable battery is that for bussiness users who travel and need to be on the phone for several hours, they can buy extra battery and swap in a new one when old one runs out. This would eliminate the need for being close to an electronic outlet.

With Apple's clever plan, now they have to send in their phone and wait 3 days to get back. Yeah, you can go to Apple store and get a loaner but who would do that if you are a bussiness power user.

Oh wait, bussiness users aren't iPhone's primary targets, right ?
Just as bussiness users are Blackberry targets.
 
Y'all just jealous !!!

I'm sure everyone will find all kinds of reasons to hate the iPhone and why those big dumb-phones with the tiny screens are so much better because they have feature 'x.' This device I have now is only iteration 1 and its interface is beyond any handheld device. If you judge a phone by a feature checklist, then you will end up with a big complicated MS phone. If you prefer things that work well, then you might do without some of the features like a removable flash card.

Y'all just jealous !!! Now, what time is it?:banana:
 
woody said:
The battery replacement is the same as iPod policy so this doesn't surprise me. Apple is approaching this as an iPod (mini computer) with phone capabilities, rather than a phone that plays music.
I got hit with that policy with my wife's mini-Ipod so whoever was complaining (as in the NY Times) probably didn't know the policy.

woody said:
btw Alain, I heard that the AT&T contract is only two years. After that the iPhone may be available on other carriers. They're close to closing contracts with other carriers in Europe.
YEAH!!! I just need two things in the future iPhone: Verizon Wireless and Bluetooth Audio.
 
One thing no one complained about, but I can... The headphones are like those sucky iPod headphones. I'll buy the first good accessory for that.
 
What can I say :prayer::prayer::prayer:

You got all the cool toys : Plasma, iPhones, MacBooks,...
I need to get a real job to keep up with the Jones and the Woodys :)

Soon, Andy, soon.

I'm just playin' of course. But never has any phone elicited such an emotional response for/against. Hey, I just wanted a good inet phone.
 
What can I say :prayer::prayer::prayer:

You got all the cool toys : Plasma, iPhones, MacBooks,...
I need to get a real job to keep up with the Jones and the Woodys :)

Andy, you are not the only one who needs a real job :) should we compare our "once I get a job I will buy" wishlists? ;)
By the way, my wishlist on Amazon has recently doubled after your posting about interesting books :)
 
Remember when the iPod came out? Seems many are noticing similar comments about the iPhone.

"Apple clearly had similar goals in mind when designing the two devices: Get the main features right and make them simple to use. Integrate those features in a way people haven’t experienced before. Use a computer for those things that are more easily done on a computer and sync the two seamlessly. And make the entire package look and function in a way that will make people want to use it. As the platform matures and new models are released, add new features—without going overboard—and improve existing ones, all the while keeping the product easy to use.

Which means that the first iPhone, just like the first iPod, isn’t perfect. It’s missing features, some of which seem like forehead-slapping omissions. Some of the features it does have don’t feel quite finished. And there are plenty of phones out there that do more. On top of that, it’s not cheap. All of which, together, would appear to support the argument that, Apple’s PR spin aside, the iPhone is far from revolutionary.

But here’s the thing: Although the Apple- and iPod-haters won’t want to hear this, the truth is that the iPhone is every bit as revolutionary as was the iPod. Not in terms of which features it offers, but how it offers them—the stunning interface, the ease of use, the innovative way you interact with the device, the slick integration with iTunes and your computer, and the way features that are obscure and unused on other phones are accessible and useful on the iPhone.

That’s not to say we can’t quibble over little interface issues and which minor features should have been included in version 1.0. And there are valid complaints about major features omissions. But many of these complaints—including my own—miss the larger point, which is that the iPhone has, in one fell swoop, transformed the mobile-phone market, just as the iPod did the portable-media-player market six years ago. Expectations and standards just got a lot higher, for everything from external design to software interface to the activation process. As a result, just as portable media players have improved tremendously thanks to the iPod’s influence, you’ll be seeing other phone vendors (finally, it seems) take the overall user experience seriously. (At the same time, just as Apple stayed ahead of the iPod’s competition by regularly introducing new models with new features and at different price points, I think we’ll see a similar process with the iPhone.)

Oh, and after using the iPhone for a week, I can tell you there’s one other way in which the first iPhone is like the first iPod: Whatever your initial impression, the more you use it, the more you appreciate it—and the more you wonder how you got along without it."


link:

Macworld: Editors' Notes: The iPod of phones
 
By the way, it is nice to observe how Apple's stock has been performing in the past few weeks :) I think it is partially influenced by iPhone.
 
Andy, why were they not allowed to sell BlackBerry in China? Sounds strange to me, but I'm not an expert.
It took RIM 8 years to clear regulatory hurdles by the Chinese gorvernment. The main telecom companies in China are state-run so they do not want a direct threat to their business.
The BlackBerry delay has provided an opportunity for China Mobile's rival, China United Telecommunications (China Unicom), which introduced its own "RedBerry" push e-mail service last year.
BlackBerry OK'd for sale in China - Network World

Among the concerns regulators had was the ability of BlackBerry users to quickly exchange messages with its SMS Latest News about SMS (short message service) without having them routed through a central location. The device also has encryption capabilities that may have raised concerns among Chinese regulators, who closely monitor and control Internet discussions.
E-Commerce News: Global: RIM Gets Green Light to Sell BlackBerry in China
 
Interesting, I think China is not the only country where certain cell phone companies cannot get through government regulations.
 
An unexpected result of all this iPhone hype is that Quantnet picks up a huge traffic pike from people searching for iPhone review. We have close to 100 concurrent visitors reading this thread at any moment. At first, I thought it was a fluke or some kind of spiders but it's been happening for the last several days and all the visitors are legitimate users. :DLook at the pictures for proof.
They probably google for the phrase "iPhone coolest gadget of 07" ;)

Thank you Apple and Hien !
 
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Andy, maybe some people looking for info on iPhone will be interested in MFE as well :)

I think we should start discussing more of current events :)
 
An unexpected result of all this iPhone hype is that Quantnet picks up a huge traffic pike from people searching for iPhone review. We have close to 100 concurrent visitors reading this thread at any moment. At first, I thought it was a fluke or some kind of spiders but it's been happening for the last several days and all the visitors are legitimate users. :D Look at the pictures for proof.
They probably google for the phrase "iPhone coolest gadget of 07" ;)

Thank you Apple and Hien !

In fact, this threat is #1 hit on Google! Way to go QN!

iPhone coolest gadget of 07 - Google Search
 
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