 
iEvolution
join:2006-06-24
Ogden, UT | Agreed.. Really, the iPhone is a nice looking device don't get me wrong but at the price tag not many are going to want it.
What people really want from Apple is a full screen video iPod..not a phone. | |
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 | bi0tech
join:2003-06-19
| Re: Agreed.. I dunno about that really. Portable digital device convergence is the next logical step forward. Combining your GPS/Cell phone/MP3 player/PDA/kitchen sink into one gadget.
Nokia has already produced devices which I firmly believe are already superior to the iPhone but fail to get wide public adoption for the same reason. Large numbers of customers in the US think of it as just a phone, which is understandable. From the dozens of conversations I've had with people asking me what phone they should get (me being generally geek inclined) nearly all them stray in 2 directions.
The first category wants a pda for their own reasons. Whether it be they truly have work they can accomplish on such a tiny device or this ever growing facination with push mail and all the security issues it brings with it. Regardless of the reason they are dead set on it, and that will generally be a palm/pocket pc base. As long as Apple provides these features in a prettier bow, they can do well here.
The second category generally wants a few features either because they sound cool, or their last phone didn't have them. The want to pay as little as possible out of pocket and are generally the basis of the carrier supported phone market. The iPhone might be of some consideration right until they hear the price tag. Then it's give me that 29.99 razr or other similarly pathetic but cute looking device.
There is of course one last category, those that know the technology out there, the stories behind the carriers, and the in's and out's of how the revenue stream works. Those people already know if they want an iPhone or not. And I would be highly surprised of more than a very small percentage do. It's a last generational device, with it's primary feature being 'coolness factor' | |
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N3OGH
Bear patrol must be working like a charm
Premium
join:2003-11-11
Philly burbs
 ·Verizon FIOS
 ·Verizon Online DSL
| I'm an Apple & Mac fan, but I won't be buying an iPhone.
First off, I can't bring myself to pay upwards of $400 to replace something I've dropped 5 times in the past 6 months (my cell phone).
Second, I'm not interested in a touch screen that doesn't have a QWERTY keyboard attached to it. I use my phone more for TXT messaging and mobile e-mail than I do for phone calls.
Third, Cingular (now AT&T)? BLECH. It stinks, and I don't like it. I've finally found a carrier I'm happy with (Verizon Wireless). I have no intention of leaving. Not to mention my seething white hot hate for anything AT&T. Blackmailing thieves. Did I mention I hated AT&T?
I'll probably go with a Motorola Q as my next phone. I almost never sync my phone to my computer anyway, so I really don't care if it's compatible with my Mac. I'm not a huge fan of Windows Mobile, but considering I can get a Q from Verizon for $129 with a contract, and the damn Treo is closer to $400 itself, it's a no brainer for me, especially when I have no intention of using my phone as a PDA, but more as a mobile internet device....
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FCC, PLEASE KILL THE MERGER BEFORE THE MERGER KILLS SATRAD! | |
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spamd
Premium
join:2001-04-22
Rockford, IL | Re: Agreed.. Moto Q = Junk | |
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bobrk
You kids get offa my lawn
Premium
join:2000-02-02
San Jose, CA
·SONIC.NET
| said by N3OGH  :Second, I'm not interested in a touch screen that doesn't have a QWERTY keyboard attached to it. I use my phone more for TXT messaging and mobile e-mail than I do for phone calls. It doesn't? What do you call this? | |
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| | | Ahrenl
join:2004-10-26
North Andover, MA | Re: Agreed.. That's a touchscreen keyboard. No tactile feedback = slower to use. | |
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N3OGH
Bear patrol must be working like a charm
Premium
join:2003-11-11
Philly burbs
·Verizon FIOS
·Verizon Online DSL
| Re: Agreed.. said by Ahrenl :That's a touchscreen keyboard. No tactile feedback = slower to use. Exactly. I have big hands and fingers, I need something with real buttons.
spamd. In all seriousness, let me know what sucks about the Q. I'm not looking for a new phone until September/October and I would appreciate any input. I wouldn't want to be saddled with a lemon for 2 years....
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FCC, PLEASE KILL THE MERGER BEFORE THE MERGER KILLS SATRAD! | |
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| | | | degauss1
join:2001-07-02
Hillsboro, OR | Ditto that. Touchscreen only limits the usefulness for a hardcore road warrior. And, being locked out from adding any apps to it sucks as well. | |
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| NYC Girl
Premium
join:2007-02-04
Bronx, NY | I won't be getting one, besides it isn't offered on Verizon Wireless...  | |
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WALL_E
Premium
join:2003-05-28
USA
| Fun to Read... I have to say, even though I nearly always 100% disagree with Dvorak (as I do in this case) I always enjoy reading his articles. No one can predict the potential success or failure of the iPhone until it's actually released and available to try.
--
Been around the world and found
That only stupid people are breeding
The cretins cloning and feeding
And I don't even own a TV. | |
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Derspankster
Premium
join:2003-02-12
Marion, OH | Dvorak is Probably Right There's not enough rabid Apple fanboys in the world to make this thing profitable. It's undoubtedly cool looking but too expensive and saddled with an inferior carrier.
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I thought I made a mistake once but I was wrong | |
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PGHammer
join:2003-06-09
Accokeek, MD
clubs:
 ·Comcast
| Re: Dvorak is Probably Right The RAZR and its progeny were originally Cingular exclusives (and all except the SLVR and ROKR succeeded there), though the RAZR and KRZR took off when they went *off-exclusive* (though THAT is more a symptom of carrier loyalty, especially in the case of Verizon Wireless, my own cellular carrier of choice). Cingulat/AT&T has few exclusive handsets today, and most of those it does have have been trumped by similar handsets from other carriers (the SAMSUNG BLACKJACK is the direct competitor to the Moto Q, and in darn near every way, the Q whacks the BLACKJACK right in the exclamation point, for example). Worse, Cingulat/AT&T is GSM, and while GSM is big outside of North America (especially Europe), in North America, CDMA/EVDO rules (the protocols of choice of both Verizon Wireless and Sprint). There has been nothing precluding the manufacture of a CDMA variant of a GSM handset (the RAZR and progreny were all originally GSM); however, there is little incentive to do the reverse (Moto's Q is no longer exclusive to Verizon Wireless; however, the only other carrier accepting/selling the Q is Sprint). | |
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inteller
Sociopaths always win.
join:2003-12-08
Tulsa, OK | ignore him This antique's recipe for success could disappear overnight if people would just quit paying attention to him. he has not said anything meaningful in over 20 years. | |
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brianiscool
join:2000-08-16
Miami, FL | iCrud Watch this junk drop no one is going to shell out large amount of cash for this. | |
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MacWin
join:2003-06-26
Imperial, MO | Re: iCrud Thats what they said when the original iPod was launched and boy did it fa.. oh wait a minute | |
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bartruji
join:2003-04-27
Tempe, AZ
clubs: | I for one can't wait! I'll be switching from Verizon to AT&T in June, cancellation fee be damned! I love my blackberry but after watching Steve's pitch... I WAS SOLD! | |
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Titus Pullo
I came, I saw, I slept
join:2004-06-26
·Embarq
| iStatus will sell this to a niche audience. The iPhone is to a phone conversation what an Office suite is to writing a form letter.
Companies are running out of ideas and depend on bundling and rebranding to imitate innovation.
Someone tell Jobby-Jobs and Bill-O that
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My iLife isn't in MyDocuments | |
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morbo
Complete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000
clubs: | Re: newton scribbled: Beat up Martin
Newton: Eat up Martha | |
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DrewCapu
Giant Diehard
join:2001-12-19
California
clubs:
| Re: newton said by morbo :scribbled: Beat up Martin Newton: Eat up Martha Me: did both | |
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texans20
Weapons of Masturbation
Premium
join:2002-09-28
Texas!
clubs:
| Failure Reasons 1. Battery is stuck in there. WTF? I know a lot of people who keep a spare charged battery because they are heavy talkers.
2. It won't take off in the office world. You won't see mobile professionals breaking out the iPhone to calendar in an appointment or send an e-mail. They'll use MS because the MS Mobile OS works great with Exchange offering pretty close to a mobile Outlook.
3. Cingular. Folks will be required to cancel their contract and go through the hassle of porting over their number. I know with Sprint, when you call to cancel service, as long as you are a good customer they give you some killer deals to stay. If the hackers find a way to make it work with T-Mobile then that will equal more sales.
4. From what I understand according to rumor it's only going to be sold with a contract. Thus, even if crackers find a way to unlock it so it'll work with T-Mobile, it would still be very expensive to bring it over.
5. Can't add memory to it.
6. Touch screens on cell phones suck. Face grease, can't feel your way to a number while driving, etc.
7. This is the most important. They aren't allowing custom applications to be loaded up on it. A huge chunk of the fun I have with my Microsoft Smartphone is loading up something such as a game or an app I download for free. It'll be locked down harder than Verizon's phones. Of course, crackers could solve that problem.
I think this will be the PS3 of the cell phone industry. Economy is getting worse and times are getting tougher, people just aren't getting the most expensive things they can anymore. | |
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HappyBunny
Hi. Cram It.
Premium
join:2001-06-23
Long Beach, CA
·Charter Pipeline
| Re: Failure Reasons said by texans20 :3. Cingular. Folks will be required to cancel their contract and go through the hassle of porting over their number. I know with Sprint, when you call to cancel service, as long as you are a good customer they give you some killer deals to stay. If the hackers find a way to make it work with T-Mobile then that will equal more sales. Not to mention Cingular's network is AWFUL in some places (like Los Angeles). I know, I used to have them as my carrier and I broke my contract to get away from them. Even if the iPhone were FREE, I wouldnt go back to Cingular. I think Apple is making a mistake by making it ONLY for Cingular--why not just make a GSM phone, so T-Mobile subscribers use it as well.
I am hoping that the European one will be unlocked, since most Euro phones are not locked to a single carrier. If so, T-Mobile users will be able to use it. | |
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DHRacer
Fire Survivor
join:2000-10-10
Lake Arrowhead, CA
·Charter Pipeline
·Verizon west (ex G..
| Re: Failure Reasons Not to post off topic, but who'd you switch to? I'm getting ready to throw my Cingular phone out the window.
The only reason I still have them is that they work better in Arizona where I spend quite a bit of time than Verizon phones out there. So I take the hit in the L.A. area.
But I'm getting to the point where I can't take it anymore, so that's why I'm asking.
Thanks.
--
"No one will believe you solved this problem in one day! We've been working on it for months. Now, go act busy for a few weeks and I'll let you know when it's time to tell them." (R&D Supervisor, Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing /3M Corp.) | |
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HappyBunny
Hi. Cram It.
Premium
join:2001-06-23
Long Beach, CA | Re: Failure Reasons T-Mobile. They have the old Pacific Bell network in LA--the quality of the calls is MUCH MUCH better. I rarely drop calls, and never have the one-sided or switched calls that I got with Cingular. Customer service is much better, too! | |
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xrobertcmx
Premium
join:2001-06-18
Sterling, VA
clubs: | 1 Major Complaint? I have a second, it is only available on AT&T\Cingular.
In less then 2 months I'm off there network and not looking back, and I am not alone.
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Retaking our country one election at a time. | |
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inteller
Sociopaths always win.
join:2003-12-08
Tulsa, OK
| FUD "Our only major complaint has been (of course) the lack of real broadband connectivity. Hopefully AT&T will provide HSDPA support sooner rather than later, or nudge their EDGE service speed closer to 1Mbps"
ATT had nothing to do with that decision....it was all Apple's to provide EDGE only. They did this so they can move the phone to international markets more easily. | |
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xirian
Premium
join:2003-01-26
Beacon, NY | I'd probbly get it... If it was available on sprint. Every time I look at what cingular wants for data, and then look at my coverage, I cringe. They don't have native coverage here, they roam on what appears to be cellone. | |
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| RadioDoc
58ef2c0
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-05-11 | Re: I'd probbly get it... Uh..."cellone" = Cingular
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Toolmaster of La Grange. | |
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| | | RadioDoc
58ef2c0
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-05-11 | Re: I'd probbly get it... That's a funny one. Cellular One (with the same logo and spelling) is what was Cingular here and lots of other places.
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Toolmaster of La Grange. | |
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pabster
join:2001-12-09
Waterloo, IA
·Mediacom
| iPhone won't be a failure, but there are several issues.... Mainly, the fact that the phone won't employ a true 3G communication method. Oh, and that pesky little problem called Cingular. Quite possibly the worst cellular provider on the market.
iPhone isn't going to fail (sorry Dvorak, though I love your cynicism and commentary!) but I do believe we will see iPhone 2.0 which will address many of the shortcomings. I personally won't touch it until 2.0 or later. | |
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tmccann11
Who, Me?
Premium
join:2001-06-10
Bayonne, NJ
clubs:
| Re: iPhone won't be a failure, but there are several issues.... said by pabster :Mainly, the fact that the phone won't employ a true 3G communication method. Oh, and that pesky little problem called Cingular. Quite possibly the worst cellular provider on the market. Amen to that. At least with sprint, you can get the sero plan with unlimited net access. I have like 2 months left on my cingular plan then bye bye subpar service. I'm from the camp that believes a phone is a phone is a phone. As long as i can pick it up and make a call, I'm happy. Internet access is a plus, but just to check mail and such. Not a necessity.
Tom
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"Good thing the whole innerweb isn't run with those 3.5 hour reboot time taking computers....I imagine hes running Windows Server 2003 with active directory as a domain controller on a Cascio watch." Barky | |
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aliasrlz
Premium
join:2000-09-01
the world
| Everything being said about the iPhone... was being said about the iPod ....Keep that in mind ...... 
And gawd so many WERE WRONG ....... and thank gawd I owned stock back then, and now, to prove it  | |
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HappyBunny
Hi. Cram It.
Premium
join:2001-06-23
Long Beach, CA | Re: Everything being said about the iPhone... But the iPod didnt depend on the worst-rated cellular service out there. I dont know why Steve went for that. | |
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verolom
join:2002-03-23
Eagleville, PA | Re: Everything being said about the iPhone... Because cheap Verizon Wireless didn't play along and because GSM is the world standard for mobile phones. Jobs wanted to develop with one technology and capture the majority of the market. In my book he made the right decision. | |
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verolom
join:2002-03-23
Eagleville, PA
·Comcast
| Finally! A person here who thinks the iPhone will be great.
I (the ever self-proclaimed guru of all, the "not have an iPod" loner, the PC extremist and a long-time Apple basher) have declared 2007 the year of Apple. I simply see no competition from Dell or HP that is worth anything, the Korean brand phones are poor in features, style and ease of use, the European brand phones are too expensive, too hard to use and often not available in the States, and the rest is rubbish. And besides the phone/pda market Apple has a whole plethora of very attractive, very creative and user-friendly devices, like the iTV, the iSight, the iPod, etc. To visualize, Apple is the Banana Republic of computer electronics, Dell and HP are the Wal-mart and Target.
Sure, the iPhone will have problems, but most of those cited will quickly be resolved, if not already by the release date. What people fail to see lies beyond the "I hate everything Apple" or "AT&T/Cingular is evil" or "It's too expensive or locked down" or "Battery is built-in and won't last".
Apple is a hardware company and they do hardware extremely well. They are also a design company and they have done that extremely well too. The phone will be simple to use, attractive, compact, extremely versatile, and with the eventual success, extremely flexible. It is the little things, the small but extremely well thought-out features that set Apple products apart. It is the integration of things they do very well and it is integration that all of us gadget mongers crave.
I can't wait to get an iPhone. | |
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aliasrlz
Premium
join:2000-09-01
the world
| Re: Everything being said about the iPhone... Yeah guys, the iPod haters will be whining again about the iPhone .....
I don't care if it cost $500 .. the Motorola StarTac when it first released was over $1K .... and the Blackberry phones were $500 or more for YEARS and just recently came down to normal range. The RAZR was $500 when it first released as well, so people can get OFF that crap about the price ..... People paid it for other phones and will pay it for the iPhone which is pretty much a phone/pda/widescreen ipod/etc all in one....watch, build it and they will come | |
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KoolAideman
@pacbell.net
| Steve Jobs: Thank you for drinking the Koolaide.. come again soon, we love selling you Apple restricted hardware that is a PIA to deal with.
We'll be back next year to take another $400 from you too with our next invention, the iATM. The only ATM that you put your ATM card into and it actually deducts money from your account while it tells you that you are kewl cuz you just got punked by Apple. | |
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AR
Premium,ExMod 2001-04
join:2000-09-21
Toronto, ON
·Rogers Hi-Speed
| Great phone - at $300 Pricing is inflated for sure. But it'll sell hot in America. Europe and Asia won't buy in though.
The only value I see in the iPhone is that it will force innovation - in terms of wider use of touch screen interfaces and styling improvements.
Features wise: ho hum.
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Exercise and Diet journal. | |
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Dread
Deadlifts are not fun.
Premium
join:2005-02-28
Bronx, NY | Re: Great phone - at $300 You could just get a real phone
like the Nokia E61i coming this month, or get any wm5 device..
Treos & Blackberries being the sub-par choices but still better devices due to the ease of use | |
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AR
Premium,ExMod 2001-04
join:2000-09-21
Toronto, ON | Re: Great phone - at $300 Agreed. | |
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RideRed
Vista needs a popup blocker for Vista
Premium
join:2005-06-18
USA
1 edit | Considering what it does, it's not overpriced Considering the cost of a PDA and video iPOD by themselves the iPhone is not 'overpriced'. My Treo700W which turned out to be a huge piece of poo that would never sync right was $600 and doesn't do 1/2 the cool stuff the iPhone is supposed to do.
If the iPhone just "works" like my other Apple products do I will be more than happy to fork over $600+ for it.
Meanwhile we heard the same skepticism over iPod and we now see how that worked out.
--
There's only 10 types of people in this world. Those who understand binary, and those who don't. | |
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See 7 replies to this post |
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dneonrt
join:2003-06-05
Clermont, FL
clubs:
| Looking foward to it. Im really excited for it, its a real innovative step for mobile phones, and it has a great amount of features. Now i wont have to take my iPod, PDA, and mobile with me, just one device. And when you add up the costs of a standalone iPod, PDA, and a mobile phone, your either at the same price, or above the price of the iPhone, so in sense the price is not all that bad. | |
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iEvolution
join:2006-06-24
Ogden, UT
1 edit | Re: Looking foward to it. Really the only thing unique about the phone is NOT the touch screen, not the internet, not the business apps, but the iPod features..thats really it. All if it has been done before it just hasn't been pushed by other companies like Apple is doing.
So really its not innovative at all, you can get a iPod with literally 10 times the capacity for $200 cheaper than the 8GB that comes with this phone.
A Phone and a MP3/Video Player don't have synergy..they don't really go together..thats why there isn't a big player in the All-in-One Smart Phones yet. If I want to use a phone I'll use a phone, If I want a mp3/video player I'll use my iPod. Devices that are focused on one function are usually 10 times better than the device that tries to do both.
I can get a nice cell phone AND a iPod with 10x the capacity for the price they are asking. | |
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sporkme
drop the crantini and move it, sister
Premium,MVM
join:2000-07-01
Morristown, NJ
·Optimum Online
| Dvorak = Always Wrong on Apple Seriously, when was he ever right?
It is fun to read him on Marketwatch though as you can see a nice stock chart in the article that shows his history of being wrong. This article is particularly weak...
I'll acknowledge all the flaws that have been repeated to death but I'll still put money on this thing selling huge and making Apple and their shareholders more cash. Most BBR readers are wrong when they guess at what the "average person" wants since their views on technology are often quite myopic. | |
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streetmedik
Just an Ole Streetmedik
join:2004-12-17
Henryetta, OK
clubs:
| Money money money I am wondering just how many $400+ super mega phones do we really need? I had hoped that Apple would do somethingthat would really shake up the industry and put super phones in the hands of the average working person. But then I remembered this Apple, what was I thinking?
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Get in, Sit down and Hold on! There's a trauma out there somewhere and were gonna find it. | |
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GilbertMark
Premium
join:2001-05-02
Gilbert, AZ
·Cox HSI
| Re: Money money money said by streetmedik :I am wondering just how many $400+ super mega phones do we really need? We really need about 10 more. I like a massive selection from which to choose.
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Got a V3 or a V3i or an L7? Want to get the most out of them? Check out my sites »hacktheV3.com and »hacktheV3i.com and »hacktheL7.com
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bartruji
join:2003-04-27
Tempe, AZ
clubs: | Re: Money money money I was hoping for at least 12 more... | |
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RadioDoc
58ef2c0
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-05-11 | Pots and kettles "John Dvorak meanwhile does what he does best (inflame fanboys to generate hits) "
Hmmm...
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Toolmaster of La Grange. | |
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Jehu
Premium
join:2002-09-13
MA
| Re: Pots and kettles said by RadioDoc :"John Dvorak meanwhile does what he does best (inflame fanboys to generate hits) "Hmmm... What a novel idea lol. | |
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jfmezei
Premium
join:2007-01-03
Beaconsfield, QC
·ELECTRONICBOX
| Cingular's monopoly is temporary Consider that the USA isn't that big a market when you compare the rest of the world. India has over 1 million new mobile subscribers PER MONTH.
Apple struck a deal with Cingular to help it launch the IPhone. There will be bugs, fixes and improvements. Once the iphone is mature, Apple will roll it out to the rest of the world.
So even if Cingular doesn't do too well in the USA, the iphone risks doing brisk business in the rest of the world.
Also, one would have to read the contract between Cingular and Apple to know how long the exclusivity clause will last. It won't be that long before T-Mobile can sell it, and it will take even less time for the iphone to be available independant from a specific carrier. Such a device is a PDA/IPOD first, and phone second, and personally, i would insist on getting an unlocked unit that is not attached to a specific carrier.
Whether the iphone will be ported to the proprietary US CDMA thing, I do not know. If Verizon and Sprint promise a certain volume, then apple may spend the money to produce a USA-only version of the unit. But on a global basis, that market is very limited. And it is also less profitable for handset manufacturer because of the royalties going to Qualcomm. (which is why Nokia is exiting the CDMA market alltogether).
The danger here is that Cingular will cripple the phone by restricting functions (so it is easier to support). And that would give the phone a bad image for the rest of the world. Apple would do well to also sell unlocked/full featured units independantly from Cingular. | |
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| capkingy
join:2003-06-06
North Kingstown, RI
| Re: Cingular's monopoly is temporary This phone is perfect for me. It allmost replaces the need for a laptop. I can do everything I want to on this phone execpt play Graphics intensive First Person Shooter games. The power situation could be a bit better but again I have that taken care of. I have the Alpine cda-9856 with the ipod cable. The alpine can charge the Iphone while I am listening to my music in the car. I would prefer a better carrier but all of my friends have Cingular now the new AT&T and they love the service. It works great in Rhode Island. I would love to see Apple make an unlocked version of the Iphone at some point. I am going to wait a month on this phone and see how it does with the phone reviews. Hopfully it will get Leo Laporte's approval. He has a funny podcast piece he did on diggnation slamming the Zune when it came out. If the Iphone does great in the reviews I will be opting for the 8 gig Iphone. I have the 4 gig nano now and the storage size is a bit on the small side. It fits great in my shirt pocket. Hopfully the Iphone will fit in a shirt pocket. | |
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iPhone: June 11
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