iPhone iPhone iPhone!

Ypoknons · Post by **Ypoknons** » 2007-07-05 03:27pm

I think it's hard to even find a new Smartphone for $200, regardless of OS. Some lower end Symbian phones and maybe even WM6 phones are getting there, but GPS remains stuck to the high end ($700 N95, $900 E90, etc...). Plus none of the GPS enabled phone are really in the US market.

I don't really expect iPhone prices to drop fast. Apple's incredibility strong brand and high barriers to entry to the US market (different 3G bands, negotiating with the carriers etc...) could really stall competitors.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2007-07-05 05:45pm

Can anyone link me to any available information on iPhone in AU? I haven't been able to turn up shit, and many of my friends are interested.

Resinence · Post by **Resinence** » 2007-07-05 09:07pm

The iPhone was nowhere to be seen at last week's CommunicAsia Expo, the Asia Pacific region's largest wireless and mobile tradeshow, and won't be available in Australia until next year at the earliest.

Australian users keen to get their hands on the device will have to wait until at least March 2008 but the word from some local network representatives at CommunicAsia is that we may not see it until 2009.

The iPhone will be released exclusively on the AT&T Cingular network and operate on its EDGE network across the US. Of all the Australian operators, Telstra is the only one offering EDGE.

"Only Telstra runs a nationwide EDGE network in Australia, with other carriers offering services in limited locations," Telstra spokesman Peter Taylor said.

With such a long period between the US and Australian release, it is likely the iPhone released here will be an updated model capable of 3G features like video calling and faster content downloads.

"Telstra looks forward to reviewing the iPhone as we would all other devices in development," Mr Taylor said.

If they go with telstra/EDGE I'm flying to America just to kick Jobs in the balls. Basically, there is no official news, just speculation that it might have 3G (probably hope more than speculation, fuck telstra) and everywhere I read about it says a 08 or early 09 release for Australia but I couldn't find any official press release either.

Drewcifer · Post by **Drewcifer** » 2007-07-05 11:02pm

DVD Jon has already been busy...

TechNewsWorld wrote: DVD Jon has added another notch to his gun, having managed to hack into the Apple iPhone and activate some of its features without signing up for service through carrier AT&T. The notorious Norwegian hacker posted code online that lets users turn on the phone's music-playing and WiFi capabilities, but not its voice-calling functionality.

The notorious Norwegian hacker Jon Lech Johansen -- better known as "DVD Jon" for releasing code that broke DVD copy protection in the late 1990s -- has drawn first blood with the iPhone.

Johansen has posted a workaround on the Internet that allows iPhone owners to use their devices in a limited fashion without having to first activate it with AT&T.

The code, which he posted Tuesday on his blog in an entry entitled "iPhone Independence Day," transforms the iPhone into a very expensive iPod and Internet communicator.

"I've found a way to activate a brand new unactivated iPhone without giving any of your money or personal information to AT&T NSA," he says. "The iPhone does not have phone capability, but the iPod and WiFi work. Stay tuned!"

The code allows users to play any multimedia file that the iPhone has been designed to play without paying the startup fees. Any function having to do with wireless voice communications, though, cannot be used with the code. The workaround requires a Windows computer that has the Microsoft .Net framework installed.

The article continues -- follow the link above for more -- but basically it involves some minor hacking of iTunes and diverting a specific DNS query to your local host. Cool.

DVD Jon's blog

There's also iPhone Dev Wiki (but they request no direct linking)
iphone.fiveforty.net/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page
They are promising some kind of "special" announcement tonight (5 Jul) at midnight EST (which iirc, would be 600 GMT 6 Jul)

Death from the Sea · Post by **Death from the Sea** » 2007-07-06 09:40am

I find it a bit amusing that the cellular providers that are selling the iphone have hired local police to guard their stores 24/7 for the first few weeks of the iphones release.... like the iphone will increase the likelihood of a store burglary or robbery

ANGELUS · Post by **ANGELUS** » 2007-07-06 06:15pm

Death from the Sea wrote:I find it a bit amusing that the cellular providers that are selling the iphone have hired local police to guard their stores 24/7 for the first few weeks of the iphones release.... like the iphone will increase the likelihood of a store burglary or robbery

Well, it certainly has caused some burglars to go more daring, like we see on this video:

+http://www.poderpda.com/content/view/3548/1/

If such a moron risked to steal one in front of a TV cammera then we can't know how far they'll go.

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2007-07-07 06:58am

Death from the Sea wrote:I find it a bit amusing that the cellular providers that are selling the iphone have hired local police to guard their stores 24/7 for the first few weeks of the iphones release.... like the iphone will increase the likelihood of a store burglary or robbery

The first iPhone shipments flown into Alaska were reportedly received by armed guards. The iPhone is pretty much the most anticipated and talked-about consumer electronics device in history. People have killed for less than that. I don't blame stores for hiring off-duty cops.

Max · Post by **Max** » 2007-07-08 06:35pm

I picked one up yesterday. I have to say, I'm very very impressed with it. The UI alone is worth the money, imo. I had a problem with the virtual keyboard at first, but the word recognition really does help a LOT. I'm actually pretty amazed at how quickly I can send an SMS off without worrying about pressing the wrong virtual key. EDGE isn't nearly as slow as I was afraid of it being. I was able to watch an SNL Digital Short (Dick in a Box) while walking from Porter Sq to my place without any pauses. I spent most of the day being OCD over my itunes library so that every song would have the right cover art, and making sure there were no duplicates of anything...so my cover flow would be perfect and pretty lol

All my friends who have been tinkering with it have all said they want one now.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2007-07-10 01:21am

ArsTechnica has one of the more in-depth reviews on the iPhone up.

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2007-07-10 03:09am

phongn wrote:ArsTechnica has one of the more in-depth reviews on the iPhone up.

Good review. I think they gave it a fair score. But it still leaves a kind of sick taste in my mouth that the iPhone is only "1" better than the Zune.