Mobile Mekka

There has been much discussion around the iPhone and how it is only a consumer device, an ipod + mobile phone. It has even been said that the iPhone has no place on any corporate network.

Apple has recently published a new iPhone FAQ on their website and it has a surprise. “For secure Internet access, iPhone supports industry-standard Wi-Fi security and virtual private networking (VPN).” This is great news for those who want to work with the iPhone.

The downside is that a huge proportion of companies run MS Exchange + Outlook. Unless there is some huge surprise that iPhone works with Exchange (which we HIGHLY doubt) it will ruffle some feathers in the IT department when the management team and C level executives start asking to use the iPhone at work.

I guess we will start to find out more in the coming days after more people get their hands on the gadget of gold. The frenzy is on and we will see what the next chapter in the iPhone story is very soon.

The main question that readers want to know is “When can I get an unlocked iPhone in Europe and Asia?”

CNET Australia has posted an article that compares the features of both the Apple iPhone and the Nokia N95 side by side.  Very interesting.  We conclude that everyone is going to have a different preference depending on what they use the phone for.

One note, it says AU $1379 for the Nokia N95.  Is that a typo?  Seems excessive!!  Can anyone clarify this?

Another good, long detailed iPhone review, this one by Steven Levy which is posted on MSNBC / Newsweek.

There are many interesting tidbits, here is just one:

“I think the best way to make it more valuable would be to encourage outside developers to create new uses for it, and Apple has indicated that they are welcoming Web-based applications geared to their new device.  But as the Google Maps program shows, the results of a separate client application created for the iPhone can be spectacular, and I think the company will do well to keep those coming.  Apple also is taking the unusual accounting step of not logging the revenues of iPhones all at once, but taking it over the length of the contract: it says this will enable it to keep improving the software and adding new applications.   So the iPhone you buy now may have many more features and services by the end of your contract.”

The full Newsweek iPhone article is here.

We found this after we posted the NY Times iPhone review. This is a great overview of the iPhone:

The reviews are pouring in now and Apple must have required that they all be released at close to the same time or something.

Anyway, this next one is from Edward Baig over at USA Today.

Here are some excerpts:

“iPhone isn’t perfect, or even the most ideal smartphone for every user. It’s pricey. It lacks certain features found on some rival devices. AT&T’s coverage was spotty in some areas I tested over the past two weeks. Your employer may prevent you from receiving corporate e-mail on the device.”

“No question, the iPhone is striking to look at. The revelation is that it’s also comfortable to hold and touch. Mostly black and silver with a stainless-steel bezel surrounding the top surface, it’s light (under 5 ounces) and less than a half-inch thick, or roughly two iPod Nanos placed on top of each other. It’s a little taller and wider than a Nano.”

“IPhone’s saving grace for data is Wi-Fi, if you have access to a hot spot. It automatically determines the fastest network it comes across (Wi-Fi or Edge). A virtual keyboard pops up if a Wi-Fi network password is required. Once you’re on Wi-Fi, you can zip around the Web, send e-mail, etc.”

“This is the closest thing to the real-deal Internet that I’ve seen on a pocket-size device”

And here is the overview:

“5 things I like

1 - Terrific widescreen iPod and clever Cover Flow feature.

2 - Smart sensors that change the orientation of the screen from landscape to portrait mode

3  - Gorgeous 3.5-inch multi-touch screen does exceptional job displaying pictures, Internet, maps, e-mail etc.

4 - Flicking through contacts and pictures, pinching to make pix and the Web larger, and tapping on the intelligent virtual keyboard is fun (once you get the hang of it).

5 - Phone is easy to dial despite lack of physical keypad. Visual voicemail.

5 things I’d like to see

1 - Faster “3G” or “third generation” data network

2 - Removable battery

3 - Greater storage (through storage slot)

4 - Extra features including GPS, IM, voice calling, Adobe Flash , and using your own music library for ringtones.

5 - Lower price”

The full iPhone review is long and detailed.  Go on over and soak it up!!

Google’s Chief Executive Eric Schmidt states that the Apple iPhone “is a perfect platform for Google’s hosted applications”.

Could there be a Apple - Google partnership on the horizon?

Source - iPhone Article on ZDNet

Another review in from Walter Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal. A very detailed review, a must read. Here are some quotes from Walter:

“In the 16 years I have been reviewing technology, there has never been this much hype and high expectations”

“Most beautiful and radical smart phone I have ever tested”

“Keyboard issue is a non-issue”

“Best web browser I have ever seen on a handheld device”

“Big drawback is that it is only available on the AT&T”

Here is a video of Walter and an overview on his iPhone review.

iPhone comparison with some other phones

Read the full iPhone review from Walter and the WSJ.

We will post reviews as we get them in.  Here is the first from the NY Times.  They say :

“As it turns out, much of the hype and some of the criticisms are justified. The iPhone is revolutionary; it’s flawed. It’s substance; it’s style. It does things no phone has ever done before; it lacks features found even on the most basic phones.”

“The phone is so sleek and thin, it makes Treos and BlackBerrys look obese. The glass gets smudgy — a sleeve wipes it clean — but it doesn’t scratch easily. I’ve walked around with an iPhone in my pocket for two weeks, naked and unprotected (the iPhone, that is, not me), and there’s not a mark on it. ”

“But the bigger achievement is the software. It’s fast, beautiful, menu-free, and dead simple to operate. You can’t get lost, because the solitary physical button below the screen always opens the Home page, arrayed with icons for the iPhone’s 16 functions.”

The full iPhone review in the Times is here.

Here is a good article over at myway news about the hype and over-hype of the iPhone launch. Once of the many things it talks about is how any small disappointment in the performance of the iPhone could hurt Apple and its stock price.

Apple and AT&T have announced that there will be three service plans available for the iPhone when it comes out on the 29th June. They will start at $59.99 and all three will include unlimited data, visual voicemail, 200 SMS, roll over minutes and unlimited mobile to mobile calling (presumably on the AT&T network only).The other plans will be priced at $79.99 and $99.99 while there will be 2 models of the iPhone available to start, a $499 and a $599 version.Activation will be required and can be done online using either a PC or Mac computer.  

This article from Bloomberg suggests that the iPhone may not bring the returns expected for Apple shares.. 

The website betus.com is betting on what will and won’t happen for the release of the iPhone later this week.  The strangest is that they are giving 20 to 1 odds that some one will get trampled in the rush to get the first iPhones.  Other odds include:- Consumers are reported camping out waiting for an iPhone—3/1- iPhone sells at least 12 Million units in 2008—5/6- The screen breaks/cracks like Apple’s first-generation nano (iPod)—150/1- iPhone spontaneously combusts—150/1  

It looks like the rumours about YouTube being available from the iPhone might be true after all.  Here is an ad that we found on YouTube…  

At 6pm on June 29, 2007 the phone that millions have been waiting for will be launched.  The Apple iPhone.  Apple’s website says it will be available in Apple stores and from AT&T.   It also says that at some point, it will be available online from the Apple Store Online.  It is looking like it will only be available in the United States and under contract, which means a locked phone.  Where does this leave Europe and Asia who are used to unlocked GSM phones and are free to use any phone with any carrier.  Will someone be able to crack the phone and unlock it?  Only time will tell.