iPhone

[Eric Profancik]

So anyone geeky enough to have bought one this weekend? I wouldn't mind one, but price is too high all around: up front for the phone and around back for the monthly charges. And I hate contracts!

[vjmurphy]

Yep, I got one. It's an extremely user friendly device. Setting it up and using it feels pretty natural. I feel like I'm getting a lot more out of this phone more quickly than others I've used.

The Pluses:
* The touch-based UI is very cool and responsive
* Nice and slim
* Great screen
* Wifi is seamless: the phone uses it when it can
* Mail app is nice, voicemail app is cool
* Lots of potential

The Minuses
* AT&T's network is a lot slower than EVDO
* Can't use the phone as a modem for a laptop
* Missing some useful apps, like a To Do list, a RSS reader, etc.

Overall, though, it is an amazing device. I had it getting my gmail within a couple of minutes, and the voicemail is really cool. I suspect that Apple will be releasing more applications along with Leopard.

[Adam Arseneau]

The 8GB iPhone costs about $220 to make.

Spending $600 US on a cellphone is madness, I don't care how cool it is. And in Canada when they finally come out, it'll probably run closer to $800.

When I can buy one for $200, and pick my own carrier? Yeah, we'll talk, Apple.

[vjmurphy]

Spending $600 US on a cellphone is madness, I don't care how cool it is.

Since it replaces an iPod and a cell phone and a palm pilot, I don't mind the price for the convenience of one device (that's extremely user-friendly to use). Let's see, it's a video ipod, which would run about $250 bucks, a cell phone $50-100 bucks, and a palm pilot, about $250 bucks. $600 seems about right (though it is lacking at the moment in Palm Pilot functionality). And its cool.

[HGervais]

Talking to a guy at work and he was telling me about his brother who has a friend who manages an AT&T store who gave him first crack at 6 iPhones. He turned around and sold each one on ebay for in excess of $1,700.00 per unit.

[Adam Arseneau]

Spending $600 US on a cellphone is madness, I don't care how cool it is.

Since it replaces an iPod and a cell phone and a palm pilot, I don't mind the price for the convenience of one device (that's extremely user-friendly to use). Let's see, it's a video ipod, which would run about $250 bucks, a cell phone $50-100 bucks, and a palm pilot, about $250 bucks. $600 seems about right (though it is lacking at the moment in Palm Pilot functionality). And its cool.

I'm definitely interested in such a mythical device, no doubt, but I'm a cheap son-of-a-bitch, I suppose.

[Dave Ryan]

I got one. Very pleased with it so far, activation woes notwithstanding.

I'll go post a review in the blog. Probably easier that way.

[the5thghostbuster]

Forgetting for the moment how far out of my price range such a device (even if it was available in Canada) is, I always ask myself this question: do I really need any of the stuff that the blasted thing offers beyond being a phone? And as always, the answer is a firm no. I'm sure that will change 25 years from now, just as people are starting to directly download content into the brain...

[Dave Ryan]

Okay, done with the review:

http://www.dvdverdict.com/judgeblog/dryan/post/1510

[BrettCullum]

Genius review Dave!

What's amazing to me:
1) No GPS function? It seems cell phones find this easy to incorporate, but none on the iPhone. Interesting. The Google maps sounds cool, but I actually like the GPS function of something like the RAZR.
2) With the phone running 4GB or 8GB it seems like a poor choice to make it video capable. The iPods with video start off at a 30GB level at a bare minimum. Videos eat up memory like crazy!
3) No MP3 ringtones? Seems like that would be easy as hell since it is an MP3 PLAYER!!! I would have thought you could choose a song from your library to be your ringtone. That would be much cooler.
4) You mentioned being a NON-CORPORATE customer of AT&T/Cingular. There are no CORPORATE accounts for the iPhone. It's rather telling that AT&T established this. They see the iPhone as not truly viable for corporations, and not something they would want to equip their staff with. Makes sense in a way - it's not a Blackberry by a country mile. The fact it centers on entertainment will kill it there too.

Sounds like a fun phone. You can not scroll through album covers on the latest Video iPods. I have one, and that is a new feature. It resembles the iTunes store in some cases, but that's totally new for the iPhone.

How about battery life? What's happening there?

[Dave Ryan]

Brett, remember that the Blackberry wasn't embraced by corporate America, either -- until all the young executives forced it to, because they all had one. Right now, though, I think the Exchange server issue is what will keep iPhone on the outside... for now.

Also, AT&T isn't excluding iPhones from corporate accounts. It's just that no current corporate accounts cover iPhones. Nor will (or should) AT&T be rushing to hand out bulk rate discounts (which is all the corporate accounts really are) for a hot item.

I agree with you about the MP3 ringtones. I just assumed you could use a song from the iPod section... But nooooooo.... I've heard rumors that this will be changed in a future upgrade, though.

[erich]

3) No MP3 ringtones? Seems like that would be easy as hell since it is an MP3 PLAYER!!! I would have thought you could choose a song from your library to be your ringtone. That would be much cooler.

As much Apple kool-aid as I've consumed over the years, I'm betting the reason there are no mp3 ringtones is that they're planning on selling them through iTunes, probably for a premium. Right now the iPhone is a "luxury" item, so Apple can get away with a little light price gouging. (Of course, that's no problem for you, is it Judge Eric "Moneybags" Profancik?)

[Eric Profancik]

Of course, that's no problem for you, is it Judge Eric "Moneybags" Profancik?

What? Are you on crack? I have no intention of buying an overpriced phone for $600 and then locking myself into a two-year contract for $60 a month then have nothing but a useless paperweight when I cancel it and then have to pay $79 to get the battery replaced. I have a perfectly lame cell phone with no contract and a $40/month plan that gives me 2000 anytime minutes and unlimited nights/weekends. When somebody can top that, then we'll talk. Until then, it's all silly bells and whistles.

I was just curious who rushed into buying an iPhone before they were fully tested and reviewed.

[erich]

Of course, that's no problem for you, is it Judge Eric "Moneybags" Profancik?

What? Are you on crack? I have no intention of buying an overpriced phone for $600 and then locking myself into a two-year contract for $60 a month then have nothing but a useless paperweight when I cancel it and then have to pay $79 to get the battery replaced. I have a perfectly lame cell phone with no contract and a $40/month plan that gives me 2000 anytime minutes and unlimited nights/weekends. When somebody can top that, then we'll talk. Until then, it's all silly bells and whistles.

I was just curious who rushed into buying an iPhone before they were fully tested and reviewed.

Aw man...did I forget to add my <lame joke></lame joke> tags again? Actually, as hideously embarrassing as it is to admit, I was skimming the thread and got you mixed up with Dave Ryan... (can we just call it a rookie mistake and never speak of it again?)

I agree with you. As cool as the iPhone (and all the hype) sounds, it's not worth it for me, either, especially since I barely get any reception out here in Green Acres. I'll be more interested when they take the widescreen/multi-touch technology to the next gen iPod. My cell phone is mostly for emergencies or making personal calls at work.

[Jon Mercer]

Talking to a guy at work and he was telling me about his brother who has a friend who manages an AT&T store who gave him first crack at 6 iPhones. He turned around and sold each one on ebay for in excess of $1,700.00 per unit.

Wow...what a scumbag.