3G Archives

Do you have cracks in your iPhone 3G?

Scott Kleinberg posted Jul 30, 2008 | 6 comments

Wednesday, July 30, 2008 -- 11:11 a.m. -- on my couch

**UPDATE 1:53 p.m. -- I just heard back from Apple and its official comment is that it has no comment. Putting my iPhone blogger hat aside and putting on my long-time customer hat, I can honestly say that this makes me quite angry. In my humble opinion, no comment is not the same as "we didn't know about that ... we'll look into it." That would be progress. No comment in the journalism world and in the customer world is usually a dead end.**

There's a lot of talk over at the Apple support forums about cracks in the casing on the iPhone 3G.

Most of the complaints appear to be from folks that have white ones, however, it could very well be that the black ones just aren't visible. The manufacturing of each is the same, so why it would affect just the white is a mystery, which is why I believe that's incorrect.

And as you read through the posts, you'll see that depending on which Apple store people are going to, well, that determines the outcome ... some geniuses replace the models, others have been denied. One poster said Rogers said it would do nothing.

Seems as though the cracks are occurring between the bezel and the volume switch. One theory is that Apple's non-recessed headphone jack was squeezed in, causing a stress fracture.

As of this moment, Apple is not recognizing this as a "known-issue," meaning they aren't acknowledging it on a mass basis and providing a unified solution. That's why folks are getting different responses depending on the store they go to for help.

Of course, it always takes a company longer than it should to declare something a known issue. Look how long it took to get Apple to talk about Mobile Me in terms of it affecting more than just an isolated bunch.

Sadly, if this cracking problem is as widespread as I think it is, recognizing it as a known problem would result in a lot of inventory changing hands ... and widespread returns while there's still a shortage probably isn't the road Apple wants to go down. However, folks are not going to accept cracked iPhones, no how, no way.

So ... if you have cracks in your iPhone 3G, would you kindly take a minute to snap a picture of it -- if you can, of course -- and send it to the e-mail address in the rail? I'd like to post a few and get the word out if there's a big problem ... perhaps the power of iPTIB can help make a difference.

I've sent a note to Apple and am hoping for an official response.

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G

Good luck finding an iPhone 3G now

Scott Kleinberg posted Jul 21, 2008 | 9 comments

Monday, July 21, 2008 -- 11:22 a.m. -- on my couch

For a while, I thought I was the only person going through each and every Apple retail page to see the next-day availability for the iPhone 3G.

Well, turns out, I'm definitely not the only one because the big news today is that Apple has sold out of iPhones in just about every store. Only 3 stores in New York, California and New Hampshire have something to sell. Apple has 187 stores in 37 states. Worldwide, there are 219 stores.

I'm checking with my AT&T person to find out the status there, but at many stores, people are being told there's a 3 to 5 day wait in general. Apple always says they are getting stock daily and to check back each night after 9.

I get e-mails all the time from callers who detail long waits in line. From Birmingham, Ala., to San Francisco to right here in Chicago, people are waiting hours in the hopes of snagging a precious 3G. In many cases, if people are lucky enough to even stand a chance, they are changing their dreams of a black iPhone to a white one or vice versa just for a shot. And sadly, many folks are getting "stuck" with 8 GB iPhones instead of 16GB because the 16GB is clearly the more popular choice.

And the shortages are clearly not limited to the U.S. I get e-mails all the time from around the world, including one from caller Niall in Ireland showing a screenshot of the out-of-stock message from Apple/o2.ie. (Sorry, Niall, I think I mistakenly deleted the screenshot).

Before the launch, actually during the preorder period in the UK, o2 said it was warning of weeks-long shortages due to unprecedented demand for the iPhone 3G.

And, if you are one of the lucky ones to have an iPhone 3G, you likely are bitten in some fashion by the 2.00 software bug that's either making for painfully slow syncing/backing up or ridiculous amounts of crashing and restoring.

So you are damned if you do and damned if you don't, to put it bluntly.

Right now, we need a few things from Apple:

1. More stock of the iPhone 3G. Understandably, it's popular, but let's hope they didn't underestimate the demand of the world's most sought after gadget.

2. Mobile Me fixed for 100 percent of users. This 1 percent problem seems a little hard for me to believe that it's only 1 percent impacted because I'm getting e-mail after e-mail. I have tens of thousands of readers, but it seems as though it's more than 1 percent.

3. A 2.0.1 update yesterday. I keep expecting to see it and still I'm putting up with crashes and I'm avoiding syncing with iTunes.

That said, what's been your experience with trying to lay your hands on an iPhone 3G. Similar to what I've described? If you are still trying, tell me what you are doing to try and where you are trying to buy from.

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G

A week with my iPhone 3G

Scott Kleinberg posted Jul 19, 2008 | 13 comments

Saturday, July 19, 2008 -- 12:12 p.m. -- on my couch

Well, it's been a little over a week since my iPhone 3G took its place along side my first gen iPhone. You can sometimes feel the tension in the room ... YOU LOVE HIM MORE THAN ME!!!

Errrr, what I meant to say is that it's been an interesting week to say the least. Lots of good, some bad and even a little ugly.

Let's break it down. I'm going to stick with specifics to the phone, as opposed to getting into the software. We'll save that part for another day.

The good
What's different about the iPhone 3G is that while it has some new features, many of the features that came out on launch day are also upgradable on the first gen iPhone. Never have people had a true choice as far as upgrading. Many folks have found happiness in upgrading software and not hardware. It was a good thing for Apple to do. People who don't live in a 3G area don't have to buy a whole new phone to enjoy the beauty of the App Store and other features like mass e-mail delete.

But if you do live in a 3G area, the voice quality of your calls is probably a thousand times better than on EDGE. It sounds digital and there's no crackling. And perhaps best of all, there's no ECHO! However, the echo is gone from EDGE too, so if you had that problem in the past, the new version appears to take care of that.

The other big change in the iPhone 3G is GPS. But because it's not turn-by-turn GPS, I find it a lot less useful and a lot more cool than GPS should be. By cool, I mean if you enjoy the idea of walking around or riding around with your iPhone and following that little pulsing blue dot as you go, well, it's cool. And don't get me wrong. It is. I traveled with iWife last week on our wonderful train system here in Chicago and we were pretty amazed at how spot on this thing was. The blue dot even wiggled a bit when we pulled into a train station.

But after that ... after the 3G and the GPS ... well, the 3G iPhone is basically a first-gen iPhone with a plastic back. The plastic looks nice, although it smudges, but the reason why the plastic back is so important is that there's less interference for GPS and the other extra antennas inside for the 3G service. So while at first glance it appears cheaper looking, it really isn't poor quality and that's important.

The iPhone 3G is also a little more tapered on the sides, as you've seen, and you'd be amazed at how that little bit of tapering makes for a more comfortable fit in your hand. It's hard to really put into words, but holding the 3G iPhone up to my face feels more like holding a phone than the first gen. The first gen didn't have the curve that makes it a phone. The best way to really understand what I'm trying to get at is to go to an Apple store and hold each. You'll see what I mean.

When the iPhone 3G is in 3G mode, it sucks battery power like nothing else can. When it's in EDGE mode, the battery lasts much longer than the first gen. And, surprisingly, it appears as though the most battery power is conserved when the 3G iPhone is in Wi-Fi mode. The power management in the new version is pretty impressive. Unfortunately, 3G is a battery sucker so there's not much that really can be done, however, what's shocking is that the iPhone's 3G lasts longer than most other phones with 3G. I can't imagine that. I feel like I'm charging a lot more than I was last time, but since I have 3G, I love using 3G. It's fast and clear.

Also, the speaker is clearer. If you are playing a song from your iPod or streaming a song from a service like AOL radio for all to hear, it sounds much clearer on the 3G than on the first gen. But, ringtones don't sound all that much louder. A little bit, but still not as loud as they should be. At this meeting I have every Monday at work, one of the guys who is always there has a BlackBerry that rings at least once. And it sounds like a freakin' symphony. It's not only a good ring, but it's clear and loud and unmistakable. The iPhone needs this type of ring.

The bad
I haven't been able to get confirmation yet, but either Apple is using a different kind of glass on the front of the iPhone 3G or my fingers have become much more oily in the past week. I'm leaning toward the glass being different. When I hold up my 3G to my first gen, my glass on the 3G looks older than the glass on my first gen -- like I've been swiping and tapping for years. The prints are considered a badge of honor on this device but sometimes there's a such thing as a little too much smudge.

Of course, you can get one of those plastic screen protectors that will help keep the smudge off.

The back of the device certainly picks up fingerprints. No question. But if you have a cloth -- and one of those cloth cases that do double duty work just as well -- they seem to wipe off pretty easily. Keep in mind, I'm using a black iPhone 3G. I'm not sure if fingerprints are less pronounced on the white -- my guess is that they are -- but I wonder how much dirt the white iPhone picks up. Anyone out there willing to let me know the answer to that?

Now that the iPhone 3G is tapered, there's something I can't do as easily as I could before. I used to put the first gen down flat on the table in my daily news meeting at work and text things to myself as notes to use later. And typing while it was flat was a breeze. I could even use two hands. Now, with the tapered back, the phone rocks back and forth while I try to type on it flat. I guess that's a trade off - more comfortable in the hands means it's less comfortable this way. In the grand scheme of things, I think the more comfortable in the hands part is most important. Don't want to rock the iPhone, as it were.

And don't even get me started on the videocamera. I really thought that was going to be part of this iteration and it needs to be. It should be. And while I'm sure it will happen sometime down the road, Apple is way too slow rolling out things that are already in other phones. Cell phones have had MMS since 1968. And the cell phone I bought 3 years ago had video. For some strange and odd reason, Apple thought it was more important to turn a basic calculator into a scientific calculator than add MMS. Even though I spent years staying after school in high school to learn that the cosine of an angle is the ratio of the length of the adjacent side to the length of the hypotenuse, I'd rather have MMS.

Luckily, though, if Apple ever comes to its senses -- or if AT&T wants a guaranteed revenue source -- MMS can be added to either iPhone via software. It's simply a picture sent via a text message. We know that AT&T's network is set up for it -- although it could be taxing because if iPhone users are given MMS, they'll send them -- even if they cost more than sending an e-mail attachment, which, in the U.S., at least, is free.

The ugly
There's not a lot of ugly with the iPhone 3G. The crashes in software version 2.0 are inherent to the software, not the hardware, so although that's ugly, that doesn't make this list.

What is a problem and qualifies as ugly -- and might actually also come down to software (let's hope so because it can be fixed) is 3G signal strength. It's not as strong as other 3G iPhones. There's all kinds of threads on the Apple support site that talks about people with other 3G phones showing full strength and much less on an iPhone in the same place. I don't have another 3G phone to compare it to, but while I see full bars and 3G at times here in downtown Chicago, I don't always. And I've seen 1 bar on 3G disappear and lose connection and revert to EDGE and then see 5 bars on EDGE. I don't think that a 3G signal should be lost in the middle of a major metro area like this that's covered in it. And I certainly don't think that 3G should have 1 bar while EDGE has 5.

So is it a network thing or is it an iPhone thing. I lean toward an iPhone thing in this case. If other AT&T phones have full 3G signal strength and the iPhone doesn't, well, that's not AT&T's fault. Of course, I can't say how it is in other countries. I'll ask that in a separate post, but please feel free to comment here if you'd like to get things started now.

The camera. I'm kind of disappointed that Apple didn't do something about the camera. Like so many other things that are missing from the iPhone, having such a poor camera in 2008 is almost unexplainable. I mean, there are cameras with 5 and 7 megapixels, and even if life is about more than megapixels, there's at least things that can be done with images. The iPhone's camera is about the most basic camera man could create. And considering all that Apple does with iPhoto and Aperture, it could have done so much more and created a photography experience that makes it stand out.

Also making the ugly section is the vibrate function. It's so soft. There's needs to be different profiles that allow for it to work differently depending on what you are wearing. Case in point ... on weekdays, when I wear dress pants, the vibrate is noticeable. Last night, while I was wearing jeans, I missed an important phone call because I couldn't feel the vibrate. There is no excuse, Apple, for this not to be perfect in a second-generation iPhone.

Conclusion
People ask me all the time ... is the iPhone 3G worth upgrading to. The simple answer is yes. Sound quality is better. Volume of the speaker is better. If you live in a 3G area, despite the battery suckage, the sound and speed is great.

If you do not live in a 3G area, you should wait. The 2.0 software, despite all its bugs, turns the first gen iPhone into an even better iPhone. And eventually, hopefully, those bugs will all be worked out.

The next iPhone ... Grande, supreme, biggie -- whatever it's called ... that's one I have some serious high hopes for. I had those hopes this time around, so maybe I'm setting myself up for disappointment. But overall, if you don't mind long lines, you won't be disappointed with this upgrade. If you really don't need 3G, you can wait and you won't miss out.

I hope to hear your thoughts. If I missed something that's really big to you, please let me know.

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G

Apple forums: LOTS of complaints about 3G reception/speeds

Scott Kleinberg posted Jul 15, 2008 | 19 comments

Tuesday, July 15, 2008 -- 11 a.m. -- at my desk

There's a rather lengthy thread over at the Apple Discussion forums about problems with 3G quality.

It starts like this:

"One of the more disturbing things coming out of the iPhone 3G launch is reports of suspiciously poor 3G reception and speeds. Specifically, I've seen several people report one bar - specifically, one bar - of 3G reception in areas where other devices report strong reception."

What's strange is that I don't find my 3G quality to suffer much at all. I usually have a bunch of bars and I was just telling someone here at the office that I love the quality of voice calls.

Yet, there's someone who posted from Downtown Chicago -- where I am -- that said that it's terrible, one bar, etc.

They are trying to narrow down if it's a certain model iPhone ... if I'm not having these problems, though -- knock on wood -- I'm not sure how it can be all varieties of a certain model. I have a 16GB black iPhone 3G just like other folks there.

So it will be interesting to see if this is a bigger issue than it appears now.

What about you? What has been your experience with 3G? Data? Voice?

Let us know in the comments -- and of course, I want to hear from you in the States, Canada and anywhere else there's 3G.

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G

A good reason to restore your iPhone

Scott Kleinberg posted Jul 14, 2008 | 15 comments

Monday, July 14, 2008 -- 2:45 p.m. -- at my desk

**UPDATE: Caller Nathan e-mailed to alert me to a story: "According to iPhone Alley, it's to correct the screen white value that people have been complaining about."**

**NEW UPDATE -- Caller Ed says he restored his first gen iPhone last night to hopefully fix his volume issue and he also has the new build. So looks like it's for all iPhones, but all first gen iPhones should already have 347. So no need to restore on first gen unless you have something else.**

Let's all thank caller Eric for the heads up on this.

He was forced to restore his iPhone 3G due to a problem application that kept crashing. And when he did, he found that the software version in the restore of the iPhone 3G is different from the version that ships with the iPhone.

The first software build is 2.0 5A345 and the new one is 2.0 5A347.

Eric said he's still trying to figure out what's new in the new release, but he says his iPhone definitely crashes less and feels more stable. What it means for syncing times and power usage, well, I didn't hear. I've asked him to keep me posted and thus I'll keep you posted in ireturn.

Now what you need to know is that, at least for me, clicking check for update yields no update found in iTunes. But once you restore, your phone seems to have the new firmware.

Whether or not this will happen on all iPhone 3Gs is always questionable, meaning, I'd hate for you to restore only to find the same version. But I can't verify it now because I'm at the office and can only sync at home.

If there's someone out there willing to take the plunge -- sync first, have a backup -- and then restore and let us know -- and perhaps take a screenshot of the software version, well that would be fantastic.

Remember: A restore erases pretty much everything, but a proper sync beforehand will put it all back -- everything, even your alarm clock settings!!

Again, just wanted to let you know. Thank you, again, callers, for all the information here.

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G

iPTIB wants your screenshots from around the world

Scott Kleinberg posted Jul 8, 2008 | 2 comments

Tuesday, July 8, 2008 -- 1:25 p.m. -- at my desk

Now that we are about to have the iPhone available in 20-somewhat countries and eventually many more, I would like very much to put together an awesome photo gallery that shows the worldwide reach of this blog.

This morning, for example, I posted the entry about the prices in New Zealand and 2 hours later I received an e-mail from a caller in New Zealand.

More than 50 countries and counting here at iPTIB and besides the icons and cases we choose to put on our iPhones, the other thing that identifies the iPhone as unique to the area in which we live is the carrier name on the front page.

Because you can take a screenshot of your iPhone in the new 2.0 software (I believe you simply hit the top button and middle button at the same time quickly, but I need to check on that first) -- I'm hoping you can all send me your screenshots from the countries you reside in.

In the case of multiple entries from the same countries, I'll use the first one received.

My hope is to have a photo of every country the iPhone is in represented one way or another -- think of it as the license plate game for the 21st century.

Send your photos when you get your iPhone outfitted with 2.0 to iptib (at) mac (dot) com and I'll get the gallery created and linked to from there.

Thanks in advance!

And thanks for calling.

Published in 3G, general, pics

BREAKING NEWS: CONFIRMED: No iPhone in Canada Apple stores

Scott Kleinberg posted Jul 8, 2008 | 5 comments

Tuesday, July 8, 2008 -- 10:44 a.m. -- on my couch

UPDATE 11:44 a.m. -- strangely, Apple retail stores are no longer listed on the Apple UK site either, although an O2 spokesperson confirmed to me that they would be available there. Interesting. Can't think of any reason why this would happen in the UK other than Apple stores not being equipped in time to sign up customers. I'll see if anything here has changed and keep you all posted.**

**UPDATE2: I've called 4 other Apple stores -- total of 5. Two said that there will be no sales at their stores on Friday -- demo units but sales only at Rogers and Fido. The other 3 said they are still awaiting the most up-to-date information and hope to know more tomorrow. So we'll see what it all means.**

**UPDATE3: Apple did not respond to multiple requests for comment.**

DENIED!

Well, would you look at that ... It could very well be that Rogers didn't just anger consumers with its plans ... it angered Apple.

After unverified reports over the past few days that Apple was shipping stock of the iPhone to Europe to somehow punish Rogers for its pricing plans and the bad PR that resulted, Appleinsider reported first today that Apple stores would not stock iPhones on Friday -- only Rogers and Fido stores.

And sure enough ... now, when you go to "where to buy" at the Apple Canada site, you are presented with just two options, not three. Rogers and Fido. That's it. No Apple store.

Well you know me, I'd never use a story from another source without verification, so I spent 10 minutes on hold this morning with the Apple Store at Eaton Centre in Toronto listening to up and coming Canadian stars on the hold music to get the scoop for myself.

And it's true ... according to an Apple retail representative, you CANNOT purchase an iPhone 3G at any Apple store in Canada on Friday -- only at Rogers and Fido. The rep said that if there are changes to that policy, he is unaware of them and has no indication that it will be changing any time soon.

This is shocking, to be honest. I mean, the lines are at the Apple stores, which, according to the person I talked to, will still have demo units to look at and drool over.

To me this is the same thing as a radio station saying it's the voice of a team and only providing commentary and not the play-by-play.

So ... Rogers ... may I be among the first to congratulate you ... it is clear that you have screwed your customers big time with this one ... for Apple to pull one of ts most-popular products from its own stores on the day of a major worldwide launch shows that it's not playing games. This decision is just beyond comprehension.

On one hand, I understand it. It's like Steve Jobs got mad, slammed his fists on his all white desk (with no drawers and a single button in the middle) and said "PULL IT!!" Now, assuming anger got the best of him, this is not a good thing for the Canadian consumer because they've already been punished enough ... to have to endure high rates and have to wait at a Rogers or Fido store instead of an Apple store is just mean.

And that brings us to the other hand ... it's really unfair for the consumer to take the brunt of this. Maybe it would have been wiser for Apple to pull the phone from Rogers and Fido, but I'm not sure how it could have done that and made a statement.

It's a tough place to be ... Steve could have just left well enough alone, but, for reasons that we may never actually know, he didn't. And now, well, we'll see what it means for the Canadian bottom line.

Oh wow. Folks over in Waterloo must be salivating right now and jumping for joy. This can't be bad news for RIM and the BlackBerry universe.

I wonder ... Is this an Apple ploy to get Rogers to cave and match plans that are more similar to AT&T in the States and O2 in the UK? Maybe. Rogers hasn't been known to back down from what I've seen, but ... I wouldn't be surprised if we saw some changes and updates to the Canadian iPhone plans. We'll see if that changes the sales situation come Friday.

So more information as it comes in.

In the meantime ... please please please do leave comments and share your thoughts.

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G

OMG! New Zealand gets the shaft!!

Scott Kleinberg posted Jul 8, 2008 | 6 comments

Tuesday, July 8, 2008 -- 3:44 a.m. -- on my couch

Forget what I said about Rogers having the most unfair iPhone 3G pricing in all the land.

As of this moment, that dubious distinction goes to our friends in New Zealand, where, apparently, no one knows how to price the iPhone 3G.

I mean, this is ... it's .... Let's just say it makes Rogers look cheap.

I see a monthly fee on there that's $250 a month. In American dollars, that's $187.96. In Canada, that's $191.06.

And .. the iPhone costs $549 (8GB) and $699 (16GB) with the "cheapest plan" which is $80 a month and only includes 250 MB of data.

That crazy $250 plan? That isn't even for unlimited data! It's for 1 GB.

I heard Steve say that the iPhone could not be priced at more than $199 and $299 American equivalent if a contract was being offered. Did I hear wrong? Because these prices in New Zealand make my stomach hurt.

Do we have any readers here in New Zealand that would be interested in commenting? Specifically, is this a surprise to you? Is everything so expensive there or is this as shocking to you as it is to all of us?

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G

Apple's guide to upgrading to iPhone 3G

Scott Kleinberg posted Jul 7, 2008 | 4 comments

Monday, July 7, 2008 -- 12:51 p.m. -- out and about

Apple has posted a support document detailing replacing your first generation iPhone with an iPhone 3G, and it covers everything from SIM cards to making sure everything you have transfers over successfully.

In a nutshell, the secret is to make sure that you back up the original iPhone in iTunes. When you plug in your new iPhone 3G into the same computer with the same iTunes account, your information will transfer over via a restore process.

And as far as SIM cards, because there have been a lot of questions, it's as I said here before ... it depends on the country and carrier. In the U.S. for example, you MUST use the new SIM card that comes with the new iPhone. And in other countries, a SIM card swap is permissible under certain circumstances. You'll have to ask your specific carrier about that, Apple says.

So for now, this is a must-read for anyone upgrading to ensure they get to keep everything between iPhones. However, do remember ... AT&T says that visual voicemail will not be maintained in the changeover, so if you have a voicemail that you must have, you need some way to record the audio from your iPhone. Otherwise, just listen to it now.

Here is the link to the document -- it's pretty complete and easy to understand, but let me know if you have questions and I can help where possible, of course.

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G

Just tell me how much!!!

Scott Kleinberg posted Jun 26, 2008 | 3 comments

Thursday, June 26, 2008 -- 12:30 p.m. -- on my couch

Is it just me, or is everyone else getting pretty darn annoyed with the secret prices, the prices up on the Web one day and down the next?

I just want to know. What in the world is going on in the boardrooms of these companies?

It seems to me as though it has to be Apple holding this process up. It has to be. I can't see the individual phone companies all having these kinds of problems.

First, here in the States, AT&T is giving customers the silent treatment. Basically, no one has heard from the mobile communications giant since Steve made the announcement back on the 9th.

Hello? AT&T? Call me, ok?

Then over at o2, which wins the iPTIB prize for best iPhone Web experience, best customer service and most up-to-date and useful information, well, they put up prices for the pay as you go plan and then quickly take it on down.

In case you missed it, the information that was briefly up said it was £300 (about $591) for an 8GB iPhone 3G and £360 (about $709) for the 16GB model. But then it was taken down and replaced with a message saying that details will be available shortly. Free WiFi was/is included for 6 months and then it's
£10 (about $20) each month.

I suspect that when the information magically reappears that it won't be much different than when it was taken down.

This just in: Quickly, before Steve or someone takes it down, here is the information on Orange's plans in France

So what's up? Is Steve Jobs sitting in a boardroom with a light switch saying NOW! No, NOT NOW! Ok, NOW! WAIT! OK! HANG ON! YES! TAKE IT DOWN! UP! DOWN!

Agggghhhh! Cut it out.

Just tell me and tell me now. Remember, phone company people and Steve Jobs, WE ARE the ones who are paying the money up front and each month for 2 years for this ... it would be nice if you gave us some information.

And for the carriers that have just magically ignored this subject like it's not happening, that's not customer service. Put up a screen that tells us the status and why it's taking so long.

I hate to say this -- yes, I'm talking to you, AT&T -- don't make folks come here to find out what's going on with the pricing details for the iPhone 3G. I mean, yeah, I want everyone to be here, but I want you to make the information much more accessible than you are now.

Any thoughts? This comment string, like so many others, has the potential to generate great comments from around the iPTIB universe.

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G

iPhone 3G's extra buzz dialed down on purpose

Scott Kleinberg posted Jun 14, 2008 | 26 comments

Saturday, June 14, 2008 -- 11:07 a.m. -- on my couch

Caller Brad asked me a great question in a recent comment. He asked what happened to that extra buzz we've grown so accustomed to regarding the new iPhone. That got me thinking.

You know, the iPhone 3G is turning out to be less revolutionary despite the 3G (been around for years) and GPS (which is in all fairness is very good). The other features will operate on the first version iPhone.

I'm thinking that the iPhone 3G is an intermediate step to get the handset in the hands of millions around the world. And then, next time, look out. Then, it's a shocking amazing reinventing on the phone. Like it was the first time.

Think about this for a second ... you love the iPhone because you have an iPhone, right? You (and I) are part of the iPhone lifestyle and world. And so are about 5 million others, depending on what numbers you read and believe.

OK. Fast forward past July 11 and through the holidays of 2008. Now, there are say 15 to 20 million people in 70-or-so countries that are in the same exact boat as us. They have an iPhone (model isn't important) and they love their iPhone.

And now ... they can't imagine being without an iPhone.

That above paragraph is the key. I think Steve Jobs' ultimate goal is not to reinvent the iPhone every year. He doesn't really have to. What he has to do is get people to buy into the fact that they can't be without it. And if he does that, by getting it into as many hands as possible, then he can sell it to every single one of those people and then some every single time he upgrades it.

It's the same idea as the Mac. Get a Mac into as many hands as possible, so, when the time comes to buy a new computer, a PC makes you laugh. And, for the people who aren't buying computers at this very instant, open a retail store within 50 miles of their home and introduce them to the beauty of the Mac so they know where to go next time they need a computer.

In my mind, the iPhone sales model is built the same way. iPhone 1 was revolutionary and a game changer. iPhone 2 is just a step with some new features to keep current, a few designed to wow and iPhone 3 is a shocker. iPhone 3 is a shocker because it comes AFTER 20 million people -- perhaps more -- are holding it, using it and loving it. And look at all of the job postings we've seen/heard about from Apple for the iPhone that couldn't possibly be completed in time for this version -- camera engineers, video engineers -- the list goes on and on.

Remember ... the cell phone industry is expanding faster than ever. Part of that is because of Apple. It has to be, because if the other cell phone manufacturers don't offer anything better than what the iPhone has, they'll all crumble. They have to try to at least beat the iPhone while the iPhone is between product cycles so they can steal some limelight (Instinct, anything from HTC, Voyager and even, in some ways, Android, although that last one will eventually prove to be Apple's biggest competition).

So ... after a long post, I guess what I'm saying is that Apple is being purposely cautious here to get the iPhone out there. That's first and foremost. Market share. While it's growing for the Mac, it's obviously a thorn in Steve's side. Do it the other way with the iPhone. The features are important and ultimately a key, but for now, build the market share. Make the iPhone a household name more than it is now and then build the features.

Does that mean you shouldn't buy an iPhone 3G. No. You probably should, if you really enjoy staying current. It's a revolutionary phone in its own right, even if it's not the amazing video conferencing cut and pasting behemoth we all wished and hoped for. It is faster, if you happen to be in a 3G area, the GPS is great (really is) and there is a white version if that's a deal breaker for you.

That said, if you have a first generation iPhone in a non-3G area and you don't care about GPS, then stick with what you have. You'll get all the other great features via Exchange support and all the fun of the App Store (provided there aren't programs there that require 3G and GPS). And wait until iPhone 3.0 comes out -- or at the very least, iPhone 2.5 with 32GB. In that case, you'll be much more rewarded. I do think that by the time all the above manufacturers do what I described earlier in this post, Apple will need to add so much to the next iPhone that it will make your head spin.

That's my take. What's yours? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G, AT&T, news, opinion

Pretty good GPS

Scott Kleinberg posted Jun 12, 2008 | 5 comments

Thursday, June 12, 2008 -- 3 p.m. -- at my desk

more at twiigs.com...

I'm amazed at the GPS in the iPhone. It's pretty cool. What's clearly missing is turn by turn directions as in a regular dedicated GPS device and I really hope that's either in the works from Apple or something we'll see from TomTom or Garmin.

But what Apple promises is pretty spiffy. Take a look:

How it works GPS (Global Positioning System) technology uses information from earth-orbiting satellites to find locations. A receiver estimates the distance to GPS satellites based on the time it takes for signals to reach it, then uses that information to identify its location. But the A-GPS (Assisted GPS) solution on iPhone 3G goes a step further, using a unique approach to find the closest satellites and more quickly identify your position. That gives you a faster fix on your location than with regular GPS.

Get the signal
In addition to A-GPS, iPhone 3G uses signals from GPS satellites, Wi-Fi hot spots, and cellular towers to get the most accurate location fast. If GPS is available, iPhone displays a blue GPS indicator. But if you’re inside — without a clear line of sight to a GPS satellite — iPhone finds you via Wi-Fi. If you’re not in range of a Wi-Fi hot spot, iPhone finds you using cellular towers. And the size of a location circle tells you how accurately iPhone is able to calculate that location: The smaller the circle, the more accurate the location.

And then there's this one, which is really fascinating to me since so many people said GPS would be the battery killer:

Save power
GPS on iPhone is active only when you need it. iPhone powers the GPS unit on and off quickly and automatically, so it won’t adversely affect battery life.

I can't wait to get my hands on this. I really enjoyed using the maps while in San Francisco and that was without GPS. On my trip, which, by the way, was my first time in California, iWife and I really were able to find our way with those maps. Only one time was an exit guideline not marked correctly and we passed it, but otherwise great stuff.

So here's a question for you on-the-fence upgraders: Is the iPhone's GPS what's making the decision difficult or is it something else -- like 3G? Vote in the poll and discuss in the comments.

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G

iPhone 3G antennas are where?

Scott Kleinberg posted Jun 12, 2008 | 6 comments

Thursday, June 12, 2008 -- 1 p.m. -- out and about

I was reading Apple's 3G page and came across this very interesting paragraph about the antennas in the iPhone 3G:

iPhone 3G delivers UMTS, HSDPA, GSM, Wi-Fi, EDGE, GPS, and Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR in one compact device — using only two antennas. Clever iPhone engineering integrates those antennas into a few unexpected places: the metal ring around the camera, the audio jack, the metal screen bezel, and the iPhone circuitry itself.

Well how about that. I never would have guessed the antennas would be in the ring around the camera and the audio jack.

Amazing what I learn just reading.

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G

An interview with Steve Wozniak about iPhone 3G

Scott Kleinberg posted Jun 12, 2008 | 2 comments

Thursday, June 12, 2008 -- 11 a.m. -- on my couch

Guess what? Steve Wozniak, who with Steve Jobs introduced the world to Apple in 1976, is excited about the 3G iPhone.

He told Laptop's Joanna Stern that he's really happy about the iPhone 3G. Maybe that's not too surprising, though, considering he loved the original iPhone.

He spoke about several topics, including Apple's steps into the enterprise market (He's happy with what they are doing) and how big Mobile Me will be (potentially, huge).

It's a good read, so check it out here if you want to read the entire interview.

And in even more Woz news, my colleague Curt Wagner has some hilarious info about Woz and ex-girlfriend and D-List star Kathy Griffin about life with an iPhone.

You can find that here.

And as always, your comments are welcomed.

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G

FIRST ON iPTIB: Upgrading to iPhone 3G at AT&T store means parting with your old iPhone

Scott Kleinberg posted Jun 11, 2008 | 41 comments

Editor's note: Just wanted to post a quick note about the misinformation this morning. I know that many of you are visiting this blog for the first time. I pride myself on being credible and checking every single fact that goes on this blog, and that's something I did this morning before posting this information. So I want to apologize for leading anyone astray. The person that I talk to at AT&T is someone I trust, but we're all human and sadly we all make mistakes. Rest assured that I do everything I can to provide you with 100 percent accurate information and I'll always make that priority No. 1. Thanks for calling.

**UPDATE 2:24 p.m. -- this information has been corrected ... here is the new link to the most updated information. You DO NOT have to turn in your old iPhone to upgrade. AT&T made a mistake and provided incorrect information. Click here for the new story**
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 -- 11:51 a.m. -- on my couch

**UPDATE 12:39 p.m. -- no word from Apple yet. But as I'm thinking about this, it makes me more mad. I own that iPhone. It was unsubsidized. I bought the equipment up front. AT&T has no right to take it ... let's hear from AT&T on why it thinks it has a right to take my equipment, contract or no contract. Make sure you let anyone who doesn't read this blog and has an interest in iPhones know about this breaking news story.**

Here is something that you may not have known. Something you need to know.

I just finished an e-mail exchange with an AT&T spokesperson who told me that if you upgrade from your current iPhone to iPhone 3G at an AT&T store, you need to turn in your first iPhone to qualify.

Currently, I have a message into Apple and haven't heard back on what its in-store policies are. AT&T says they do not know what Apple's policy is, so this post only regards AT&T stores for now, but here's what I know:

* This goes for everyone with a first-generation iPhone, regardless of purchase date.

* There is no non-subsidized price -- meaning, you can't pay more and keep your old phone. If you buy at an AT&T store, you must part with your original iPhone to qualify for the deal.

* AT&T said earlier that if you purchased a first generation iPhone after May 27 that you can trade it in for the new one for free minus a 10 percent restocking fee. This is completely independent of that. This goes for everyone upgrading to 3G at an AT&T store.

I will update all of you as soon as I hear back from Apple. If Apple's policy matches, everyone needs to part with their original iPhones to get a new iPhone. If Apple's policies are different, looks like the lines will be at the Apple stores for sure.

Again, this post is only for those going to AT&T stores until further notice.

Please, let's discuss this in the comments.

Oh, my take? Sorry, AT&T ... this is ridiculous and unfair and almost hurtful.

I paid $599 for my iPhone. Unsubsidized. Yes, I'm on a 2-year-contract with it from AT&T, but I purchased the equipment. To be told that I need to turn it in to qualify for my next iPhone is a slap in the face that hurts more than a strong San Francisco wind on the Golden Gate Bridge.

In other words, it stings!!

I was hoping that I misunderstood this policy, because I'd never imagine in a million years that I'd need to part with my iPhone for any reason, other than to sell it or give it to a friend.

My inquiry to AT&T started because someone asked whether or not AT&T would unlock their original iPhone to be used as an iPod or backup or something. When I asked, I was told that the policy for AT&T stores states that the original phone must be turned in.

You know that I never mince words and that I'm not afraid to take on the big boys ... well, AT&T ... I'm taking you on ... this policy is unfair and is exactly what's wrong with the cellular industry today. It's a prime example of why there needs to be a change.

I really thought Apple would be the catalyst for that change. Appears I was wrong, because here I am letting you know of a policy that just stinks

OK. Your turn.

Can't wait to hear your thoughts.

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G

Welcome to the subsidy: What that iPhone 3G might really cost

Scott Kleinberg posted Jun 10, 2008 | 24 comments

Tuesday, June 10, 2008 -- 6:18 p.m. -- at my desk

**This is, in my humble opinion, an important read for anyone considering upgrading to an iPhone 3G.**

You know the old saying, you don't know what you got til it's gone? That might apply to the iPhone 3G.

Last June, when you lined up with thousands of your friends to purchase a first generation iPhone, you happily (in most cases) plucked down $499 or $599 for the privilege of owning the coolest new gadget/cell phone on the planet. You didn't think (much) about the fact that you were paying hundreds of dollars for a phone when you could have gotten any old phone for a fraction of that.

That's because you welcomed, with opened arms, Apple's crazy new strategy where it controlled the cell phone, not the cellular carrier.

With iPhone 3G, you are participating in a whole different plan, but it's a plan that's been enforced for years across the board, much to the chagrin of customers around the world.

Welcome to the subsidy, where Apple sells (insert carrier here) for a certain price, the carrier eats part of that cost and turns around and sells you the phone for a lesser cost. In this case, Apple is reportedly charging AT&T in the neighborhood of $450-$500 per iPhone 3G. You'll get it for $199 or $299. In return, AT&T will own your soul for the next two years.

Ahhhh, the 2-year contract.

But wait, Scott, what are you talking about? I signed a two year contract on June 29, 2007, right?

You sure did, but you owned that phone from the get-go because the phone wasn't subsidized.

Now, when you upgrade to an iPhone 3G -- or when you buy new -- you don't technically own the phone. I mean, you do, but you don't. The phone is subsidized. And the rules that AT&T/carriers can impose are much, much more strict than they ever were before.

Case in point. Last time around, Apple pretty much told AT&T (with some negotiation, of course) what it wanted the carriers to charge folks. Not entirely, but Apple had a say. Now, Apple is pretty much turning to the carriers and giving them the opportunity to handle the plan end of the deal. It did say that carriers couldn't charge more than the equivalent of $299 U.S. per phone, but other than that, it's up to carriers to decide.

Here's something to think about ... this information is not yet released and AT&T said they will get back to me when they know, but while we've heard that the data plan is increasing from $20 to $30 for unlimited data, no one has confirmation that text messaging is included in the price. We can hope that at least 200 messages are included like they are now, but we don't know that for sure.

And to be honest, not that I'm sure of any of this, but the fact that I haven't heard this makes me wonder if we'll end up paying more for the privilege of text messaging. Because, you see, in the subsidized world, that can happen more much regularly than it could under the way Apple did things last year.

Think about the differences we know already.

Price
The reason the iPhone looks so inviting at $199 and $299 is that AT&T is cutting the cost. I argue that you'd be much better off if Apple and AT&T left the model the way it was and you ended up paying $599 for the iPhone again. But Apple's hand was kind of forced because the model that worked for AT&T and Apple here didn't work well elsewhere in the world. And for Apple to expand to 22 countries by July 11 and 70 countries by the end of the year, it needed to make some key concessions.

Activations
No more iTunes activation at 2 in the morning in your underwear folks, unless you go to the Apple Store in New York City in your scivvies. Now, you need to activate in store, just like you always did, with an AT&T or Apple representative, who will get you up and running before you walk out of the store. And while that's great, it takes away the freedom and cool factor that we had before. This needs to be done in this situation, because if AT&T is subsidizing, it needs to protect its investment. It can't sell a phone for $199 only to have someone sell it on eBay for $999. AT&T needs and relies on every contract under the subsidized model.

I see subsidies in an interesting light. I appreciate the up front cost being less, believe me I do. But truth be told, that feeling of saving money disappears quickly when you realize what you just gave up for that 2-year-contract. My other mobile carrier now has been nothing but annoying when it comes to upgrading. "Well, paragraph 2 of section 405g says that you can't upgrade until ... blah .. blah ... blah ...

Call it the "because I said so model." Or, call it the "as long as you live under my roof you'll follow my rules young man/lady model" You have the iPhone, but you've given up a lot for it.

And here's something you really need to consider. I don't want to panic anyone, because I have absolutely no idea, but whether you live in the States or live in Singapore, you have no way of knowing what the individual carrier will do when it comes time for upgrades/new models.

You sign that contract for the heavily-discounted iPhone 3G on July 11. On Nov. 1, Apple releases a 32GB iPhone 3G and you want one. But can you get one? Does the carrier need to subsidize the cost of the iPhone again and extend your contract? That would be the right thing to do, but more than likely, you'll have to pay much more than the upgrade price or new customer price because your contract is only 6 months old.

And if your carrier works like other carriers I've used, your carrier may tell you that you can't upgrade at all until you are closer til the end of your contract. I can't imagine a carrier saying that you can't have a new iPhone, but I can certainly see you being told that it will cost you $699 and the guy across the street $299 or $399. The subsidy means you get a discount and you don't qualify (usually) for any discounts for the life of the plan -- or perhaps a discounted rate that's prorated to the start of your contract.

Long story short, with a contract signed July 11, 2008, a brand new better iPhone released on July 11, 2009 for $199 may not be something you are even presented with as an option unless you are a new customer. You're pwned by the carrier in this case. Before you question my thought process, think about every single cell phone you've used/had pre iPhone. Now, I know that the models are different in different places. In Europe, for one example, Nokia sells phones unsubsidized and you bring them to the carrier for activation. But many of you know what I'm talking about.

Again, my goal is not to scare anyone ... my goal is to make sure that you are clear about what a subsidy is. And in the simplest of terms, a subsidy means you pay less for the iPhone now without necessarily knowing the cost later.

I do look forward to hearing your thoughts on this controversial topic.

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G, news

iPTIB around the world

Scott Kleinberg posted Jun 10, 2008 | 3 comments

Tuesday, June 10, 2008 -- 1 p.m. -- out and about

Seeing it like this is just amazing.

I mean, look at all of these countries.

I've heard from folks in 47 of them, and some of the ones I've heard from arent even on this list (Israel, for example).

Once this iPhone craze takes off everywhere, I want to hear from a caller from each country. I think we can do it. I think everyone knows someone somewhere, and I think we've built an amazing and successful worldwide iPhone community.

So, if you are reading this blog for the very first time, welcome. I'm happy you are here.

Take a look around and get to know everyone and realize that I answer every single question and respond to every single comment. And you can contact me however you feel most comfortable. There's a full list in the right rail, from e-mail to IM to Twitter to Facebook. It's all up to you. I will help you troubleshoot and get you whatever information you need -- and if I don't have it, I'll work to find it.

I cover iPhone news when the other sites aren't even awake. And I cover iPhone news that they just let pass by.

We've done amazing things here, like get help for Go Phone users who lost EDGE coverage. Or helped each other get through an EDGE/GSM outage in England that left many folks iPhone-less.

And we'll do more amazing things come July 11 and whenever the iPhone 3G is announced.

So please ... introduce yourself in the comments. Sign up for Twitter. Take a look around.

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G

TomTom has GPS plans already for iPhone 3G

Scott Kleinberg posted Jun 10, 2008 | 3 comments

Tuesday, June 10, 2008 -- noon -- on my couch

Remember how I said yesterday that the new iPhone's GPS lacked turn by turn directions and that someone would eventually offer it via the App Store?

Well ...

Reuters reports that TomTom, based in the Netherlands, has a version of its navigation software running on an iPhone and is planning on making the app available.

Reuters quotes a spokesman: "Our navigation system runs on the iPhone already," the TomTom spokesman said after Monday's iPhone 3G announcement.

But there's no work on when TomTom, which is Europe's largest maker of car navigation devices, would make the application available.

And I have a feeling this won't be the only company pushing into the iPhone 3G GPS game.

Hold on tight.

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G

What color iPhone 3G are you?

Scott Kleinberg posted Jun 10, 2008 | 17 comments

Tuesday, June 10, 2008 -- 11 a.m. -- on my couch

more at twiigs.com...

Here's a black and white issue that's simply fascinating.
What color iPhone do you want?
You need to spring for the $299 16GB iPhone 3G to have a choice between white and black, so this isn't for everyone.
Me, I've always loved the white iPod. I have a few white iPods. And then Apple stopped with the white and I was sad ... but the black and the silver were always beautiful enough to make me happy.
Now I'm back to not being sure.
But after saying that I wanted white if a white one were made available, now I'm changing my tune and thinking black.
I worry that white will get dirty. I also wonder if white looks a little too, shall we say, not masculine? I mean, I couldn't pull off a pink iPhone, but I'm not sure I can get away with white. I don't know. I think the black might be more me.
I don't think you can go wrong and it's always a matter of personal preference. I'm just curious about what the overall feeling is out there.
Black or white?
Let me know, please.
Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G, news

iPhone 3G: The bad

Scott Kleinberg posted Jun 10, 2008 | 13 comments

Tuesday, June 10, 2008 -- 12:38 a.m. -- at my desk

There were many good pieces to today's announcement, but there were plenty of things I wasn't happy about.

See if you agree.

No cut and paste
Is Steve mocking us? Does he really not think that cut and paste is important? Or is it that the genius engineers at Apple can't figure out how to do it? I mean, one has to ask the question since there's no other viable reason for it not to be included -- now or when we first launched.

Read-only apps
The Mobile Me idea is fantastic. Make desktop-like Internet widgets that connect directly and wirelessly to an iPhone. And now it reads iWork, which means Keynote -- but if I want to make a change on the fly, I can't. I want to be able to edit those documents. I know that I can now use my Mac and have it all sync, but I want my iPhone to be my computer -- I don't want to carry around both, and until Apple addresses this, I still have to.

No extra storage
It's still 8GB and 16GB. I just got access to the App Store .. can I have a 32GB iPhone? Please? I'll pay for it.

No videocamera
Man, I wanted this one. I wanted that front facing camera. I wanted to videochat with you folks where I am. I really wanted that amazing mobile version of iChat. Nope. Not true. In the future, yeah, I'm sure, but not now.

No MMS
AT&T says it's checking, but it looks like MMS is up to Apple and it looks like Apple is in all SMS mode. MMS is now about as basic as dialing a phone and still the iPhone is without it. Sure, we can e-mail photos - faster with 3G -- but I still want to be able to choose between sending iWife a text and sending her a picture.

Same camera
Apple recently put out the call for engineers who can work on making the iPhone's camera better. I guess that's for iPhone LTE or iPhone 4G or whatever it's called. For now, no flash (camera flash) and no more than basic 2MP. Sigh.

Bluetooth is blah
I still want to be able to stream my audio via bluetooth. And I can't. Yet. I think we will someday, but we can't now. And I want it now!!

No turn-by-turn GPS
Following the dot as you drive is nice, but there's no turn by turn directions like a traditional GPS. No doubt that a 3rd party will make it happen, but I would like to see something as basic as that right out of the box. The 3G chip is there. Take it to the next level. Turn by turn is what makes GPS so cool and so useful.

No Flash
Ok, Apple and Adobe -- no one cares about who is good enough for whom or whatever the problem is here. When I surf a site to see a menu and it's Flash and all I get is a little blue square, I get annoyed. I want this problem fixed now. I want Flash on my iPhone.

No landscape keyboard
Why isn't this the norm across the iPhone board in every app?

The dock isn't included
The dock came with the original iPhone. Not anymore. It's not required, but I like it when my iPhone rests on my coffee table in its dock. I don't know that you can use the old dock with this version. That's something I will be asking Apple and hopefully having an answer about, but my gut is that you can't.

3G isn't in enough places
More bars in more places, AT&T promises and while I appreciate all the upgrades they are doing on their network, I think the 3G footprint is very small compared to the EDGE footprint. And while it's great that the iPhone will work in EDGE and Wi-Fi like now, I think the network needs to be more robust. Hopefully with the next technology (4G/LTE) we'll have more people able to take advantage.

That's my take on the bad. Please, though, let me know what you think about the good and the bad and what you think I missed and should address.

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G, BREAKING NEWS, news

iPhone 3G: The good

Scott Kleinberg posted Jun 10, 2008 | 6 comments

Monday, June 9, 2008 -- 11:55 p.m. -- at my desk

Well, sadly, folks, it took me all day to get a chance to post the way I wanted to post earlier. Darn that Steve Jobs having a WWDC the day I return to work from vacation. I really wanted to make sure that these posts were informative and useful and not rushed, so I hope you don't mind the wait.

So, let's start with what I think is the good in this post.

3G
This iPhone is faster ... much faster. In fact, it's almost as fast (but not quite) as Wi-Fi. But that's if you are in an area with 3G coverage. You'll be able to surf the Web and talk on the phone if you so choose. You'll be able to download apps via the app store if the file is less than 10 MB. You'll be using (insert carrier name here) most feature-driven and speedy network available. And remember ... while many of you don't live in a 3G area, many of you travel. You'll appreciate the speed boost when you can have it. You never know when you'll be in a place with 3G.

GPS
Finally, GPS in the iPhone. Did you see the presentation today? That little dot zig zagging down Lombard Street in San Francisco? Lombard, for those of you who don't know, is a very crooked street in that city that's a great tourist attraction. I know. I was just there. What's missing, though, is turn-by-turn GPS -- traditional in-car GPS -- but mark my words ... some company -- whether it's a big one like Garmin or a smaller outfit will fix that mighty quick. But .. an iPhone that knows where you are is a good iPhone.

App store
This is a big deal, especially since you can download apps over the cellular network in many instances. How freakishly cool is it to do that? Very. And since there's variable pricing, you don't have to worry about paying $10 a pop. You can go all free if that's what you want ... and, the apps automatically know there's an update and let you know about it. Very sweet.

Battery life
Whoa! What's up with these big numbers for battery life? I never saw that coming. I don't think anyone did since 3G is traditionally a battery hog. Looks like Apple's software and chip choice are top notch if the numbers it advertises are even close to true. We're talking 5 hours talk time on 3G, 10 hours talk time on EDGE and up to 300 hours of standby? Blows me away.

Mobile Me
While not a feature of the iPhone in itself, it can be considered the backbone, where mail and calendars and everything just update dynamically, over the air, instantly -- no dock needed. Apple is almost trying to get away from the dock -- it's not even included in the box anymore. But once of the reasons my iPhone isn't as updated as I would like is that I don't sync it as much. Plus, I have contacts at work and music at home. I still have to sync my music at home, which is fine, but now if I change a contact anywhere, it's on my iPhone. Period. That's a beautiful thing and more than worth the $99 price that Mobile Me costs. Even though I think it should be free, it's still worth it. I know, I know, that's weird.

Exchange
There will still be plenty of people and businesses that won't switch from BlackBerry and while the iPhone isn't exactly a BlackBerry, it's a heck of a lot cooler and closer in functionality than it ever was before. The Exchange power for business and personal use is going to set it apart in amazing ways.

The price
It's cut in half. $199 for a 8GB model and $299 for a 16GB model and no more than the equivalent in any country is very impressive. Sure, you have to resign your two-year contract, but it's a subsidized phone. You can't have your cake and eat it too ... so I think this is the best of both worlds ... more affordable and much less hit on the wallet.

Scientific calculator
Apple says you rotate your iPhone and your pocket calculator transforms into a sophisticated scientific calculator with dozens of functions for solving complex scientific and advanced mathematic problems. Now, when you are walking down the street and someone asks you for the tangent of 3.7, you'll be prepared.

Better audio
I haven't heard how it sounds myself, but I hear that it's MUCH better than it was. Thank goodness. Anything is better, right?

Mass move
Now you can delete multiple mail messages instead of that dreaded one swipe at a time. Apple listened there.

Who and where are you?
And now we can search for contacts. I talked to someone with thousands of contacts and he was very excited about this feature. I am too, even though I'm not quite as popular.

That, to me, is the good side of the iPhone. But where there's a good ... there's a bad. Coming up.

Let me know please ... what do you think is good? What did I miss? What do you not agree with? The floor is always open.

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G, BREAKING NEWS, news

3G iPhone info?

Scott Kleinberg posted Jun 8, 2008 | 6 comments

Sunday, June 8, 2008 -- 11:11 a.m. --stuck at San Francisco airport

Severe weather in Chicago has iWife and I grounded in San Francisco. I'm not a fan of delays.

So here's something that made me a bit happy. I received an email from someone I've talked to before who said he has some "iPhone info I'll be interested in."

Take all rumors with a large chunk of salt but I'm conveying it only because its from someone I've talked to before. I don't want to say that I don't trust the info, but I have to be realistic when reporting any rumor. There's always a chance the info could be coming from a non production iPhone -- meaning, what we get isn't what anyone is seeing now.

Anyhow, here's what I "know":

-Thinner, maybe bit shorter, but thinner is key
- Many carriers available to choose from in menus
- There is GPS, but not sure if it works like typical automobile GPS or if its only accessible for other mapping features.
- Back is black and glossy

So, that may not be all that much new but its something. Also, Engadget just reported that the chip inside is capable of UMTS and HSPA for all sorts of 3G connectivity.

We should know on Monday. I will Twitter the most up to date news as I get it so if you haven't signed up, please do as this should be the fastest way to get info -- I say should because sometimes twitter has its share of problems on high-traffic days.

I'll approve comments as time permits, especially if I'm stuck here, so feel free to let me know what you think. Just heard there are currently no flights landing or taking off in Chicago. Woo-hoo!!

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G

Are 3G upgrades behind EDGE wonkiness?

Scott Kleinberg posted May 30, 2008 | 1 comment

Friday, May 30, 2008 -- 12:06 p.m. -- on my couch

Interesting report over at boygeniusreport.com about increases to AT&T's 3G speeds and rolling outages that appear to be linked to the upgrades (down for a while and then boom! Speedy!!)

AT&T didn't have anything amiss to report yesterday when I contacted them on your behalf regarding EDGE being down in select parts of the country. And while boygeniusreport is talking about 3G and I'm talking about EDGE, I can't help but wonder if they aren't linked.

I don't expect AT&T to divulge everything, so I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that the two events are potentially somehow related -- you know, like 3rd cousins twice removed? Yeah, that kind of relation.

The major point of EDGE outages yesterday, though, were in New York City proper. So this report at boygenius being all about Manhattan and vicinity lends some strength to what I just said.

Of course, AT&T would probably say that it is always updating its network to update and improve service. No doubt. It certainly can't say that they are getting 3G ready for Steve's big launch on June 9.

Although I'd love it if it did!

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G

3G coverage update

Scott Kleinberg posted May 22, 2008 | 1 comment

Thursday, May 22, 2008 -- 12:23 p.m. -- at my desk

In the land of 3G, blue is gold.

See that map? That's a map of the Pittsburgh metro area and everything in blue is where 3G coverage is available.

Not so bad, take it from someone from there.

But, as we get closer to the release of a new iPhone, the one question on most people's minds is what will my 3G coverage options be?

Unfortunately, there's always going to be someone who doesn't get 3G coverage and will therefore have the use of EDGE and Wi-Fi instead.

But, here is what AT&T tells me:

AT&T’s 3G network is currently available in more than 275 leading U.S. markets. We will deliver the AT&T 3G network to nearly 350 markets by the end of 2008, including all of the top 100 U.S. cities. The remaining markets for HSUPA deployment within the current 275 3G markets are San Jose, San Francisco, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Tulsa.

That last part is talking about what I talked about yesterday ... the HSUPA is a faster version of 3G that, if the iPhone supports it, could be viewed as a second-level of 3G speed. HSUPA would be faster than normal old 3G, which is already fast.

But what is unknown now is the iPhone's compatibility with the 3G network. Can it do HSUPA? Will it be implemented? Battery life is still the ultimate issue.

Presumably, the iPhone could handle all flavors of 3G and not be set up to take advantage of the fastest speed now. Or, the iPhone could handle it all out of the box.

And, who knows ... maybe AT&T wlll have different tiers of pricing plans for different people. That's a question I'm trying to ask, but I have a feeling getting a comment beforehand would be impossible. My thinking is that if you are in an area that has no 3G coverage that you wouldn't pay for 3G coverage on your iPhone. Of course, if you travel and want to take advantage of the boost, well, then you'd need that plan.

It's all confusing until Steve steps out on that stage.

In the meantime, here is a list that you should familiarize yourself with, along with links to maps that show 3G coverage. This may change before the iPhone launch as additions and upgrades are made, but for now, 3G coverage looks like this.

I know a lot of you have strong opinions -- good and bad about 3G -- so please feel free to discuss in the comments.

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G

3G -- AT&T getting it done

Scott Kleinberg posted May 21, 2008 | 2 comments

Wednesday, May 21, 2008 -- 11:19 a.m. -- on my couch

Remember AT&T's announcement last year that it was working hard to finish a 3G rollout/upgrade by this year? Well, it looks like it may be coming just in time for the new iPhone launch.

AT&T announced on Wednesday that by the end of June, the company will deploy High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA) technology in the six remaining markets across AT&T's entire 3G (third-generation) wireless broadband network.

That's the super fast flavor of 3G, and today, it's available in more than 275 markets. By the end of the year, it will be available in nearly 350 markets.

Direct from AT&T, here's what that means in theory:

With the new addition of HSUPA technology, AT&T 3G users can enjoy uplink speeds between 500 and 800 Kbps. The technology is available in all but the few remaining AT&T 3G markets and will be included in all future deployments.

Now the reality is a bit more fuzzy. It's not known 100 percent for certain that the new chip in the new iPhone will support the super fast 3G version we're talking about here. In that case, the iPhone is already behind the 8-ball. But AT&T says that some of its fast wireless can be upgraded in the future via software.

So does that mean the 3G iPhone will be slower than a 3G iPhone that comes out in say 2009 or 2010? Quite possible, unless the chip Apple uses now is upgradable. But if it's not and it requires new hardware, well, then that's part of the upgrade roadmap ... you buy new to get new and that's the way it usually works in the technology world.

But in this case, we're just going to have to wait to see where theory and reality intersect before declaring the 3G iPhone good, bad or anything else.

Feel free to discuss in the comments. This is at least good news for all of you who are concerned about not having access to some sort of 3G. It looks like AT&T has your number.

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G

3G iPhone next month: Gizmodo "breaks" news

Scott Kleinberg posted May 20, 2008 | 2 comments

Tuesday, May 20, 2008 -- 11:06 a.m. -- on my couch

Gizmodo says it has confirmation that the 3G iPhone is coming at WWDC because it talked to a source very very very very very very very close to the launch.

OK. At this point, we don't really need Gizmodo and sources who are close to know that the 3G iPhone is coming at WWDC in June. I think we've already reached that point.

Anyhow, that's what they are reporting today. Only difference is that they added the word confirmed to the headline.

In my world, it's confirmed when Apple, AT&T or one of the many carriers signed on comes to me with official word. And of course I'm still hopeful that will happen, so stay tuned.

But to recap ... new iPhone. Next month.

Ok. We now return you to your regularly scheduled excitement :-D

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G

3G iPhone with hidden CDMA surprise?

Scott Kleinberg posted May 15, 2008 | 19 comments

Thursday, May 15, 2008 -- 9:32 p.m. -- at my desk

So I've been reading up on the BlackBerry Thunder and how big of an iPhone killer it's supposed to be ... and then I was reading about how its 3G compatibility will be global with GSM and CDMA.

Verizon Wireless and Vodafone aren't exactly compatible: VZW uses CDMA-based EV-DO, and Vodafone uses GSM-based HSDPA.

And that got me thinking ... what's to say Apple hasn't already thought of that in our upcoming 3G iPhone?

I mean, sure ... Apple could create a phone for the GSM areas and a phone for CDMA areas, but does it really have to? I mean, wouldn't it be to Apple's benefit to create a phone that covers all the bands and therefore is more expandable out of the box?

I mean, if I travel to a country where CDMA is in use and I want to take my iPhone with me, well, I'm stuck with a GSM-only phone. A true international global phone will let me use my phone wherever I go, and I think that's important in this day and age. Whether or not Apple is using a chip that's capable of that, I'm not 100 percent sure, but I really am hopeful.

Maybe there's someone out there who knows a little bit more about the technology who would care to lend some backing to this idea. Or, maybe someone just wants to tell me that I'm working too hard and don't know what I'm talking about. That's OK. I'll take either.

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G

3G will get much faster, AT&T says

Scott Kleinberg posted May 14, 2008 | no comments

Wednesday, May 14, 2008 -- 11:30 a.m. -- on my couch

Go, Speed Racer, go! And hold onto your iPhone.

According to an article today at Electronista, AT&T's head honcho says that the 3G you see today is nothing compared to the 3G you'll see in 2009.

Speaking at Morgan Stanley's communications conference, AT&T mobility chief Ralph de la Vega said AT&T's HSPA network will be improved from current theoretical peak downloads of 3.6 mb/sec to about 20 mb/sec in 2009.

And that's before 4G, which is more commonly known as LTE or Long Term Evolution. Those speeds are expected to reach 100 mb/sec. The article mentions exactly what I was thinking before I reached this point in it and that's this: Now we know why AT&T didn't address Sprint and Clearwire the other day ... while Sprint and Clearwire could in theory bring ridiculously fast speeds to the plate first, they might not. And if they don't, AT&T is right behind waiting.

In the end, the speed racer in mobility is always going to be a race.

You can read the rest of the specifics and some quotes from de la Vega here.

Let me know what you think. This at least makes me feel better, although I already knew that speeds would just continue to increase as time passes. Now at least we have a general idea as to how much.

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G

3G: Who has the best network?

Scott Kleinberg posted May 13, 2008 | 5 comments

Tuesday, May 13, 2008 -- 7:02 p.m. -- at my desk

Electronista has an interesting write-up via Computerworld about the best 3G network.

Looks like good news, iPhone users ... AT&T won.

Check out the story from Electronista here and the full test from Computerworld here.

And let me know what you think, especially if you have experience using 3G on any network. Always interested in hearing opinions.

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G

Canada declares war on the U.S.

Scott Kleinberg posted May 13, 2008 | 7 comments

Tuesday, May 13, 2008 -- 5:42 p.m. -- at my desk

Well, figuratively, anyhow.

Depending on your allegiance and general point of view, you could say that RIM, the folks behind the BlackBerry and headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, have taken the first shot at Steve Jobs in sunny Cupertino, Calif.

Rather than wait for Steve and Co. to go marching into BlackBerry territory and taking no prisoners, RIM has decided to fire the first Bold shot with its new BlackBerry Bold.

Say what you will about BlackBerry -- I did yesterday -- it's a decent machine for what it is. It has 3G, it records video, it does all the things that iPhone users are hoping and praying for in the next model.

It's an interesting place for a business to be. The Bold isn't available yet, but RIM could either just sit and wait and try to announce something after the iPhone -- which really doesn't make much sense because once the new iPhone is out, it's all anyone will likely talk about for a while. RIM's announcement could seem like it's piggybacking if it comes later.

So, it makes it's move now and fires a shot. iPhone users take notice because of the features it promises. And now it's Apple's turn to fire back.

It will be interesting to see if Apple's offering has anything that puts the Bold to shame, or if the war for business users will continue with two models that do similar things.

Obviously, both companies want to stand out in people's minds. It's hard to deny the sexiness and class of the iPhone, but it's also hard to ignore BlackBerry's popularity in the corporate world.

I'm fascinated by this and anxious to see who comes out the winner.

What do you think of this war? Do you think it's a war that Apple has already one or that both can easily lose?

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G, news

iPhone: Coming soon everywhere

Scott Kleinberg posted May 12, 2008 | 2 comments

Monday, May 12, 2008 -- 1:32 a.m. -- on my couch

According to Reuters, Singapore Telecommunications and associates will bring the iPhone to Singapore, India, Australia and the Philippines later this year. According to an announcement Monday by SingTel, Southeast Asia's largest phone company, it, Bharti Airtel, Globe Telecom and Australia's Optus have already signed the agreement with Apple.

There are still some big countries left to announce, but soon the iPhone will have a legitimate home around the world.

I know we have at least one regular contributor here from Singapore who is going to be pumped beyond belief about this news. You know who you are.

If you are from any of these areas -- or if you aren't -- I have just signed an agreement with my comments area and it's open for business now.

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G, International, news

3G: The final frontier

Scott Kleinberg posted May 12, 2008 | 9 comments

Monday, May 12, 2008 -- 1:25 a.m. -- on my couch

**UPDATE -- the Bold will launch exclusively first on AT&T.**

BlackBerry has Boldly gone where no iPhone has gone before.

RIM take the skin off its BlackBerry Bold (which will likely be called the BlackBerry 9000 something or other) and it has 3G, GPS, Wi-Fi and takes some design cues from the iPhone.

I said some ... this thing isn't sexy. Well, it is for a BlackBerry, but ... well, you can see the photo.

The Bold will record video. It takes photos. It runs on the fast HSPDA network. It has a 624-MHz processor, 1 GB of built-in memory and a micro-SD slot for expanded storage.

It also has something called BlackBerry Media Sync to transfer desktop iTunes music files to the smartphone.

And as mentioned, GPS and Wi-Fi, along with a display that's just as sharp as the current generation iPhone.

So what now? What now indeed, Steve?

Right now, I'm hoping that the new iPhone beats the pants off this thing. I consider this BlackBerry an OK 3G phone. I don't, on the surface, see anything that's making me say wow. And everything Apple releases a product, I saw wow. So let's see if that happens this time.

The BlackBerry Bold doesn't look like a bad product. I just know that the 3G iPhone has the potential to be much better.

Potential is the key word here. It will take more than a current version iPhone injected with 3G to stay on top of the game.

Seriously, what has to happen right now is an announcement that makes the folks up in Ontario say holy ****.

We need a game changer. We can't settle and survive with anything less.

And we'll know soon enough.

In the meantime, please do let me know what you think of the BlackBerry Bold. Here's a link to the new product page so you can take a look around.

RIM says you'll be able to get it around the world starting this summer.

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G

Apple practicing safe iPhone?

Scott Kleinberg posted May 11, 2008 | 6 comments

Sunday, May 11, 2008 -- 10 a.m. -- on my couch

I was just reading over at Gizmodo and they've got something that's very intriguing that I didn't think of ... they say that maybe Apple is pulling the stock to prevent people from making a purchase they'll regret since the new version is coming. Kind of internal protection to make sure that thousands of people aren't angry for purchasing an instantly outdated device (4GB iPhone anyone?)

Interesting. I actually like that thinking. I'll take Gizmodo's analysis to the next level, though ...

If Apple would rather give up about a month of sales in order to keep unhappy customers from storming the walls of Cupertino, then they have to feel pretty confident they'll meet their sales goals.

Remember, 10 million is the magic number. Wall Street and analysts will expect more, but Apple said 10 million iPhones sold in 2008. They said they were confident of that number.

So if the iPhone is really going to be released in 20 or so countries in a month, it's safe to assume that 10 million is doable. It's safe to assume that 15 million is doable. It's safe to assume that Apple is taking the public relations high road and warning customers to be patient and that they'll want the 3G iPhone.

I can tell you this ... assuming all this is right and Apple isn't going to magically just replenish the stock Monday morning, this version of the iPhone will be back in the store again ... and it will cost less and be sold alongside the 3G iPhone. I don't believe this phone is end of life and I don't believe that it's completely sold out.

But it's possible Gizmodo is on to something.

What do you think?

Thanks for calling.

**Oh, and happy Mothers Day to all the moms around the world.**

Published in 3G

3G iPhone: Where will it land first?

Scott Kleinberg posted May 6, 2008 | 11 comments

Tuesday, May 6, 2008 -- 11:28 a.m. -- on my couch

**UPDATE 05.06.08 11:39 p.m.: There's all kinds of "news" out there today about leaked AT&T memos that detail times when employees supposedly can't take vacations and that it must mean that the 3G iPhone is coming out. I chose to ignore this earlier because as someone who works in an office, it's crazy to think that memo is some secret code for the 3G iPhone's release date. It could just be a memo that states that summer is a busy time ... every company can decide how it wants to handle vacations. I make those decisions every day. So while other sites that specialize in unsubstantiated rumors are reporting this to be fact, I'm sticking with reporting actual iPhone news and analysis. Just wanted to let you know why you didn't see that information covered until now.**

We've talked about this before, but it's worth bringing up again because the New York Times has a short article that speculates the 3G iPhone being available in Europe by August -- in time for the most popular vacation (holiday?) season there.

So as I've been saying for months -- does this mean Steve Jobs will change things up in a rather shocking way and send the 3G iPhone overseas first and eventually back to the U.S.?

Many of you have written me with mixed reactions. Some of you see the logic. Others say I'm crazy and anti-American. I assure you I'm not anti-American, although I'm 3.78 percent crazy, according to a recent study.

The reason I mentioned the possibility in the first place is because of a caller who mentioned something that seems to get away from us sometimes -- when people think of 3G, they don't think of America. Period. They just don't. Higher-speed 3G networks are most accessible and associated with Europe and Asia -- actually, more Europe because Asia isn't all on GSM.

An earlier version of iPhone software was available in Europe first. Granted it was the one that introduced international keyboards, but it's not outside of the realm of reality that Apple could gamble in an area that hasn't seen strong iPhone sales in order to boost those numbers before concentrating on its homeland.

Apple is an international company and I'm sure it doesn't have a mantra that states America first and everywhere else second. Apple is a customer-driven company, and, of course, a business-focused company. No question that the EDGE/Wi-Fi version of the iPhone, while fantastic and beautiful and all of those things, probably didn't rock Europe's world. a 3G iPhone will.

And then there's the subject of AT&T -- how far along is its 3G upgrade? We heard earlier this year that they are expanding and plan to make 3G available in 100 of the top U.S. markets by the end of the year. Perhaps I can get some information from my AT&T representative and flush this out, but 3G in the states doesn't have a great reputation. I've only used it once and I was impressed. But that was in downtown Chicago. As my callers in Oklahoma and Idaho will attest to, they aren't really excited about 3G.

Yesterday, T-Mobile supposedly "leaked" a report that it will be the first to test the 3G iPhone. Test is a strange word. Test can mean they are the first market or it could mean that a bunch of people in magenta suits and dark sunglasses with big giant T hats will walk around saying "can you hear me now" in Austrian. Yeah, I know that's Verizon, but it sounds funny.

Anyhow, testing is always going on. Steve Jobs? Trust me folks, his iPhone's been 3G for a long time now. It's being tested. But T-Mobile's statement of being a test market is intriguing and one that I'm sure will see lots of coverage as we get closer to a launch.

I still haven't seen any application at the FCC yet. I won't get into it all again here, but the reasons for that could range from Apple is hiding it under the guise of another company name or the 3G iPhone isn't so radically different that it requires a long waiting period for approval. Or, it could be that the 3G iPhone isn't coming until the fall in time for our holiday shopping season and Europe is going to test it out.

We'll find out, presumably, at WWDC next month. It's a long time to wait, and perhaps we'll get some useful information beforehand that will give us a clue, but for now ... I think a European launch first, U.S. launch second is something we at least have to be prepared for in terms of a possibility.

I won't be surprised if I'm wrong. Not at all. Just making conversation, as the kids say.

And now I'd love it if you'd make conversation with me. I haven't gotten any "you're crazy, man" comments in about 3 hours now, so send them -- and anything else you want to say to me -- my way.

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G

iPhone handwriting recognition?

Scott Kleinberg posted May 5, 2008 | no comments

Monday, May 5, 2008 -- 3:46 p.m. -- at my desk

Get a load of this ... a Chinese blog shows what's purported to be firmware for the iPhone that supports handwriting recognition.

Of course, it could be a great jailbreaking job, but Apple is rumored to be releasing the next iPhone in Asia and we know that it has plenty of background and interest in handwriting recognition.

There's lots about this out there today ... you can read a write-up on Macrumors here and you can take a look at the actual Chinese blog here, which is just cool to look at all the pictures.

And wow ... if the handwriting recognition is real and coming to China, then what does it mean for the future of input on the iPhone for us?

So cool ... let me know what you think in the comments.

And thank you to www.wretch.cc, which is where the photo comes from.

Thanks for calling.

Published in 3G

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