Holy crap! After an unfathomable amount of speculation culminating recently in the release of iPhone products from Linksys, Apple has finally dropped the ball on the holy grail of the tech industry: the Apple iPhone.
The device blends style and functionality into one groundbreaking device. It features a full touchscreen interface and is powered by OS X. It supports Widgets, Safari, Google Maps and iTunes with CoverFlow.
What’s more, it integrates total iPod capabilities, making it the first music phone that people might actually want. My question though, at 11.6-millimeters thick, does it really have enough juice to be a functional phone and media player? Apple is saying it can get 5 hours with talk or video and 16 hours of music, but there is no information as to what happens when users do all of that stuff concurrently.
Anyway, it also features a 2-megapixel camera and some efficient use of iPhoto that could make it a legitimate pocket camera replacement. And for the music there are versions with 4GB and 8GB of NAND storage.
It’ll be available exclusively through Cingular and it only features EDGE, which makes it not appealing at all to me. If, however, you’re not dissuaded by that fact, you can get them this June. The 4GB will be $499 and the 8GB will be $599—both WITH a two year contract.
GREAT COVERAGE. THANKS.
Looks real cool but it is still just a giant PDA.
Gotta say, the tour on the Apple web site looks pretty slick to me. Any work on when it might be on Verizon or Sprint’s faster EVDO networks?
iTainment! With no keypad/QWERTY this is more of an entertainment/music device, with phone capabilities. The camera at 2MP is better than most, and the screen looks great!
Thanks for the blow by blow coverage; you guys did a great job.
BTW; didn’t you mention that it included bluetooth and wifi in addtion to the Edge?
The major stumbling point (as always!) is the major hurt this will put on the wallet. Of course….if the CG guys decided to award a few of these for participatoin. Didn’t think so; you guys earned them yourselves with great CES and Macworld coverage.
Holy Crap! $499-$599 with a 2 year contract? what is is it without?
Apple really have to pull one out of the bag to make the iPhone a step above the smartphone crowd.
* The multi-touch interface is a plus, but lack of 3G is a minus.
* 4/8GB of flash memory is a plus, but there are other phones that have this (e.g the Sony W950).
* Triple wireless (GSM, WiFi, Bluetooth) is standard in all the new Series 60 phones from Nokia, so nothing new there.
* You can’t call iPod-ness a plus because the familiar iPod interface is not carried through to the iPhone.
The summary of incremental features that the iPhone has over other smartphones is a gorgeous screen and multi-touch. Lack of 3G is a minus, so in my opinion, OSX on the iPhone needs to be 100% lag-free and crash-free in order to make the iPhone a definite winner over the rest of the crowded smartphone market. I need to see one in action before making this call.
Blake, at which point did they ever say the prices are with contract? I believe the contract prices have not been worked out yet, and I highly doubt that these prices are WITH contract. This is Apple’s selling price, and whatever Cingular does with it and how many years they want to pin you down to get their money out of it is Cingular’s decision I would guess. Sure, people would even buy it for $499 and $599 WITH a contract just like hundreds of thousands went and bought the overpriced PS3, but unless someone can show me where Steve-O said this is with a contract I don’t believe it.
Second of all, WIFI, hello!?? Not a single word about wifi in your article. Sure, EDGE might not be appealing, but wifi sure is, especially if you live in areas that feature free wifi coverage!!
Apple has yet again pulled a winner out of Steve Jobs’ ass. Way to go.
Damn, it called the Iphone.
Cisco can just sit back and wait for the check to show up now.
“Given Apple’s numerous requests for permission to use Cisco’s iPhone trademark over the past several years and our extensive discussions with them recently, it is our belief that with their announcement today, Apple intends to agree to the final document and public statements that were distributed to them last night and that address a few remaining items we expect to receive a signed agreement today.”
CHA-CHING
Check your facts – the iPhone supports WiFi, too.
On the slides shown during the keynote…right under the price it says…”with 2 year contract”.
So…yes that is the contract price. Meaning it will likely be around $800 without.
I’ll wait for the 3G model thanks.
The entire keynote can be seen on Apple’s iPhone page.
iPhone is available with Cingular ONLY!? And what if I am stuck under contract with a carrier OTHER than Cingular but still want a iPhone?
Well, the only solution I could fine was http://www.Cellswapper.com – they get you out of any cell phone contract!