Apple iPhone: Drool Worthy
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." -Arthur C. Clarke
>
Yes, magic: A drool worthy piece of techno candy, and All I can say is I want one. (See this for detailed video).
Many of the expected reveals were true: iPhone, with a touch screen iPod, combined with full web access:
click any of these pics for a video of that functionality:
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Web Apps . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Touch screeen iPod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Full iTunes Music, TV and Film access . . . . . . . . . . . . 
I had Cingular a few years ago -- awful -- but that was prior to the AT&T merger -- now its a much better network, although where I live on the hilly North Shore of Long Island near the L.I. Sound, nothing works well but Verizon . . .
UPDATE: January 9, 2007 4:31 pm
Ouch! Apple v Palm v Rimm intraday chart (via Andrew)
Thanks, Andrew!
Tuesday, January 09, 2007 | 03:24 PM | Permalink
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Comments
doesn't it just make Zune look like even more like the pathetic miserable exercise in mediocrity that it is...
Posted by: Bob A | Jan 9, 2007 3:35:39 PM
does it come in brown?
Posted by: emd | Jan 9, 2007 3:39:32 PM
I was more excited when they made it sound like they had 3 devices coming out - a phone, a touchscreen ipod, and a small browsing device. Together this all looks a little unweildly.
Posted by: Tina Choi | Jan 9, 2007 3:41:41 PM
Cingular ONLY, barry.
Posted by: Slothrop | Jan 9, 2007 3:47:23 PM
I'm gonna wait on this one. Need to know the following......
1. How durable is it? Screen looks like it will scratch and/or break easily
2. How long is the battery life? This could be a major issue.
3. Storage seems rather small at this point.
4. How will it work in real life situations. Looks rather wide to me. I prefer a smaller phone (maybe they'll release a 'nano' version.
5. What about battery life? and is the battery replaceable? (problem with ipods)
anyway, it is a beautiful piece of equipment. I'm just not ready to jump on it yet
Posted by: emd | Jan 9, 2007 3:47:54 PM
Except that is on the At&t betwork, not CDMA...
But pretty cool
Posted by: dave | Jan 9, 2007 3:48:51 PM
All I can say is I want one.
For some reason, that single sentence resonates with me. It pretty much sums up our "need" for plasma TVs, surburbans, and McMansions with granite countertops and other goodies.
Not bashing BR. It's just that statement struck me so poignantly.
Posted by: Michael C. | Jan 9, 2007 3:59:50 PM
Blackberry just tossed into the trash . . .
Posted by: txchick57 | Jan 9, 2007 4:00:19 PM
I think T-Mobile missed a golden opportunity here.
I HATE Cingular and am now forced to weigh the excitement of a convergence device (that is a little bigger than I would like to see) with my hatred of Cingular (although nothing tops my dislike of Sprint).
I am going to stick with T-Mobile for the time being, but this will be neat after they work all of the bugs out and offer a larger flash drive.
I do wonder; is this the death knell for handheld GPS?
Posted by: Chad | Jan 9, 2007 4:05:41 PM
That thing sure looks sexy, but then again, I still think the DynaTAC 8000X is sexy..
Posted by: James Bednar | Jan 9, 2007 4:11:51 PM
wow...the market perceives it as a RIMM (and TREO) killer. Palm and RIMM got reamed today.
Posted by: S | Jan 9, 2007 4:12:32 PM
Apple couldn't really go with T-Mobile, because T-Mobile doesn't (yet) have EDGE, or any other high-bandwidth capabilities. This phone EATS bandwidth, and you don't want to have a situation where it really only works properly in wifi situations.
But Barry -- if you're worried about using this phone at home, don't be -- so long as you have wifi at home, you'll be fine. I think.
Posted by: Felix | Jan 9, 2007 4:13:30 PM
Posted by: Andrew | Jan 9, 2007 4:18:39 PM
EDGE? Are they kidding me? Is that a typo? For a high end phone EDGE is not going to cut it. And the irreplacable battery is the final death knell.
Posted by: bartleby | Jan 9, 2007 4:18:58 PM
This ain't magic. It isn't even advanced technology. What it is is excellent, packaging. Thats what Apple does best. Packaging and creating fads. Hence the constant need to re-invent themselves.
The only real innovation they've made in the last few years was the 'wheel' in the i-Pod. They really didn't come up with MP3 or the micro disk drive. Others did. Same with the Mac - the CPU was never their's - in fact its the CPU used by 'rest of us' for a long long time. The OS is based on Unix, Ma Bell's Unix. They did repackage it - but thats what they do. Even the Apple II was never really the best machine of its time. Only the best packaged.
So as long as these guys can keep the buzz going they're OK. Once something cooler comes along its gonna be one bad Apple - and will take down a bunch.
Keep munching. But don't inhale.
Posted by: Bluzer | Jan 9, 2007 4:31:20 PM
Innovation: Touch screen, Full Web access, orientation sensors, packaging, integration, call merging, multi-product integration, etc.
Posted by: Barry Ritholtz | Jan 9, 2007 4:35:41 PM
Make a Verizon version. I have had AT&T and Cingular in the past - NO way I ever go back to them. Verizion is the only company that I have renewed contract with - four times now.
Posted by: beechdriver | Jan 9, 2007 4:38:14 PM
Keyboard looks sucky - but who knows until you try one - plus it's get smudged with and infinite layer of finger prints.
And of course, battery life. That's the key question.
Posted by: blaze@blaze.com | Jan 9, 2007 4:49:54 PM
I'm not sure what all the hubub is? I can listen to music, watch videos, surf the net, read emails, and make phone calls on my phone now. I can even change the battery. Now that's innovation.
Posted by: xsham | Jan 9, 2007 5:02:29 PM
Somewhat interesting that Cingular's exclusive deal didn't net big gains like Apple's.
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?t=1d&s=AAPL&l=on&z=m&q=l&c=PALM%2CRIMM%2CT
Posted by: Alex | Jan 9, 2007 5:05:14 PM
Seems like this won't be available for a good while. The small print on Apple's site says...
"This device has not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission. This device is not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained."
I would think that FCC certification is absolutely fundamental so something like this.
Anyone know when it will be available? And will Jobs and iPhone ever co-exist at Apple?
Isn't there something that goes..Innovation (pseudo or otherwise) delayed is innovation denied....or something to that effect?
Posted by: Bluzer | Jan 9, 2007 5:11:47 PM
How do I get out of my Verizon contract?
Posted by: semper fubar | Jan 9, 2007 5:47:02 PM
A newly extinct species:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear
Posted by: Eclectic | Jan 9, 2007 5:53:04 PM
I switched to Cingular when I got my Treo 180 and have been a more or less happy customer ever since. I absolutely loved my Treo and was very sad when it died and I couldn't afford a newer Treo. My current Razr is nice, but I have been thinking about going back to the Treo .... although after today, not so much.
Lucky me, my current Cingular contract runs out about the time the iPhone will come out; I expect to be in the market for one unless some huge showstopper comes up in the meantime.
Posted by: fiat lux | Jan 9, 2007 6:45:35 PM
Apple did announce they will be selling one online & in stores - will theirs be 'unlocked?"
Posted by: jbelkin | Jan 9, 2007 7:12:24 PM
I agree. EDGE? EDGE? Ugh. I'm sorry but dialup speeds are not going to cut it with a high end phone. It's like buying a Ferrari and the car has wooden wheels on it. Sure it is a powerful car but no one will ever get to see it perform.
Posted by: dari | Jan 9, 2007 7:15:03 PM
will this phone be as fragile as my pos ipod? if so, no thx
Posted by: Mark | Jan 9, 2007 8:40:09 PM
I love my shuffle.
Dang if I didn't just sign a new two year agreement with Verizon though. Bummer.
I'm up for the apple TV next month.
That and appl on any weakness.
Posted by: Craig | Jan 9, 2007 9:56:38 PM
For the few skeptics, they need to go watch the keynote address:
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/keynote/
This thing is huge.
Posted by: mh497 | Jan 9, 2007 11:18:13 PM
"This ain't magic. It isn't even advanced technology. What it is is excellent, packaging. Thats what Apple does best. Packaging and creating fads. Hence the constant need to re-invent themselves."
And what is Starbucks? What is Chanel? What is Louis Roederer Cristal? This is about lifestyle. If you want a phone, you can get one for free nowadays. And a walkman too. But excuse moi, if you want to look cool, to dream, to feel liberated, to feel belonging, then oui, you need ze iPhone. And granite countertops too, even though you have never made an omelette in your life! OK, there is too much liquidity in the world...
Posted by: Lauriston | Jan 10, 2007 1:00:56 AM
the iphone is a technological tour du force and yet i think i'll wait for iphone V.2.
8 GB seems pretty skimpy and perhaps by then the iPhone will be on a high-speed cell network and boosted to, oh say, 15 GB
Beautiful UI though...
Posted by: brion | Jan 10, 2007 1:01:29 AM
What's the big deal? I have a Pocket PC that does all this stuff already -- with a touch screen.
What's more, I don't see much difference between this and the Cingular phone that Apple cross-branded about eighteen months ago -- and that was a flop.
What that episode proves is what people should already know -- that we don't actually want to listen to music on our cell phones, just as we don't want to make phone calls on our TVs or drive our refrigerators. The "convergence device" is still out there, but this isn't it.
This is a half-hearted effort on apple's part.
Posted by: speedlet | Jan 10, 2007 2:41:25 AM
Short AAPL.
This is going to be the undoing of AAPL. Just a wild prediction. The #1 use of a phone is communication. Blackberry succeeds in making communication easier.
iPod sales will plummet if the phone is success but I assume most people will just stick to iPods for entertainment. Major problem? Price point is way too high. Again -- Apple users already have iPods. They're not paying $600 for ANOTHER iPod.
It will be a "surprise" failure to everyone else.
Posted by: ari5000 | Jan 10, 2007 8:06:24 AM
I agree with ari5000. This is all just hype. Reality will be a different outcome.
Posted by: Liam | Jan 10, 2007 9:39:34 AM
I am always amazed by how polarizing this company is.
I think strategically this phone is huge for AAPL. Given that they are following the same model they did with the iPod by entering the market at the premium level this phone will mainly be used by business types. It runs OSX not some variation ergo any software company can make clients that run on it. Apple just gave MS, Lotus, and all the other enterprise groups a very good reason to make software not only for the iPhone but Macs as well.
Another thing that was said by the Yahoo guy , "Its like Blackberry with out the enterprise server." That is huge for small and mid sized companies.
Lastly, for anyone that is wasting space by ticking off all the things that are uninnovative about this phone Do a side by side comparison of all the smart phones out there. Many of the them do all the same things that the iPhone does, hundreds of them. So if they do alot of the same stuff then how do we differentiate them?
Design, Execution, Interface, Sexyness, and Price.
In June when this is available go to Cingular hold one of the exising smart phones in one hand and the iPhone in the other and try and tell yourself that there is nothing totally different in this product.
Posted by: chi guy | Jan 10, 2007 9:45:55 AM
big hype..
touchscreen is NOT gonna work.
i think shorts here will make tons of money.
besides, all these features are pure bullshit..how many people really use these features in the gadget... what a waste of asset allocation.
Posted by: sam | Jan 10, 2007 9:46:37 AM
additional wish list for this phone:
WiMax capability
removable battery (although I did change the battery on my iPod, so it ain't as hard as Apple wants you to believe)
maybe down the road, offer a flip phone version with two screens to cut down on the size of this behemoth!
Posted by: Chad | Jan 10, 2007 9:55:03 AM
My take is RIM is a buy. The market has misread this thing. I'm sure Apple will sell plenty of these devices but I don't see enterprise's running out to buy and support this thing for their users. I'm also a bit wary of the back-end "push" software apple talked about. This is harder than it looks. They might get a reasonable solution for the guy that walks in off the street but not so sure for a F500 unless Apple is licensing this SW from one of the established firms.
Also, regarding the Verizon vs. Cingular discussion - your experience is going to be largely determined by where you live and if you live in the northeast then Verizon is likely going to provide a better experience. If you live elsewhere then Cingular may have an advantage. Much of this is determined by the legacy of what firms were rolled up to create these companies. Overall - Cingular and Verizon have the best networks nationwide. T-mobile is an also ran although it might provide superior service in a given location.
Posted by: El pollo loco | Jan 10, 2007 9:57:11 AM
The links provided by Apple via Barry R. just do not show the WOW factor...but this link does from CBS News...Nothing better than seeing a real human work the device...and how about that voice mail feature?...enjoy
Posted by: Bill B. | Jan 10, 2007 10:39:08 AM
My employer has a program for issuing most employees a company-paid Blackberry. When it was introduced, it was an immediate hit with all status-gadget hunters. I was not interested, and my spouse tried to push me to get one, just as a portable game device. That's about as much interest as we can muster in that type of stuff. It's bad enough as it is to have all those junkies scan email every minute while pretending to partake in conversations, even conversations they themselves initiate.
Posted by: cm | Jan 10, 2007 11:02:28 AM
Remember: the iPod was truly revolutionary. It changed the ENTIRE WAY PEOPLE BUY AND LISTEN TO MUSIC.
It was tremendous. Switching from tapes to CDs was a big, amazing change -- the iPod was 100 times bigger. 2 billion songs downloaded! 30 million units sold?
That said: This is a fancy cellphone. You'll still get the same dropped calls and lousy service. For $600?
I still don't know what "Apple-TV" is so I won't comment.
They should focus on finding batteries that don't explode. That would definitely be revolutionary.
Posted by: ari5000 | Jan 10, 2007 8:45:30 PM
Incredible, what more could someone want??? an iphone with Cingular/AT@T's incredible coverage... sounds like an incredible.. I'm getting for sure.. :-)
Posted by: John | Feb 13, 2007 11:03:06 PM
I am SO looking forward to the iPhone!
Posted by: Steve Hobbes | Feb 23, 2007 1:34:52 AM
I tested this camera for a client. I didn’t have the light running for more than 15 minutes. The battery lasted approximately 6 hours before recharging. The LCD, however, had a few dead pixels - never saw this before. Tried returning for exchange and had to put up quite a fight. Anyone else seen this? http://www.batteryfast.co.uk/
Posted by: apple | Mar 19, 2008 5:11:09 AM
