Technology iPhone 4

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Slevin said:
Apple iPhone 4

The new device looks amazing. No other company puts this much thought and detail into a product. I wonder what shortcomings the Android/Blackberry camp are going to complain about now.
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I'm pre-ordering on June 15th. It looks awesome.
 
The new iPhone looks sick! Makes me sad that I just got my 3gs about 8 months ago. Shouldve waited!
 
Blue Dog said:
The biggest shortcoming is still the network. AT&T sucks.
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Yeah but I don't think Verizon could have handled the load on the network either, they might have but I doubt it. iPhone users are heavy data users more so than any other device, when it came out no one expected it to take off like it did so now AT&T is playing catch up trying to build out their network which takes time.
 
Slevin said:
Yeah but I don't think Verizon could have handled the load on the network either, they might have but I doubt it. iPhone users are heavy data users more so than any other device, when it came out no one expected it to take off like it did so now AT&T is playing catch up trying to build out their network which takes time.
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The issue is coverage. Verizon has it, AT&T doesn't.
 
Slevin said:
Apple iPhone 4

The new device looks amazing. No other company puts this much thought and detail into a product. I wonder what shortcomings the Android/Blackberry camp are going to complain about now.
Click to expand...

It wouldn't matter if there was a shortcoming, Apple fanboys would make excuses for it to be ok.

I just laugh everytime Mr Jobs says something about HTML5 being "completely open" or whatever. Is it possible to install an app on your iPhone without Itunes and without jailbreaking it (since they will brick your phone)?
 
As somewhat of a fan boy, I agree that it looks sick with some awesome features. However, I have to admit that the newer Droid OS based phones have as much to offer. The EVO for example is a strong contender IMHO. I do not see this iPhone as anything revolutionary, but I am anxiously awaiting it's arrival nonetheless.
 
Current BB user here, looking to jump ship to the iPhone camp once this bad boy hits the streets. My contract is up in Jan '11 though...does anyone know if AT&T will let me renew it early to get the iPhone 4 when it goes on sale? If it makes any difference, my monthly bill is >$100 (fam plan)...I've heard/read that this makes a difference with AT&T as far as your renewal time frame is concerned.
 
Actually, I use so few voice minutes that I changed over to the AT&T Senior 200 plan with only 200 minutes per month so my iPhone bill is less than $70 p month.

I'm here at WWDC and got to sit in on the iPhone 4 announcement and I think it's pretty exciting. Look for some pretty cool things coming up on the iPad front, also.
 
Captopril said:
Current BB user here, looking to jump ship to the iPhone camp once this bad boy hits the streets. My contract is up in Jan '11 though...does anyone know if AT&T will let me renew it early to get the iPhone 4 when it goes on sale? If it makes any difference, my monthly bill is >$100 (fam plan)...I've heard/read that this makes a difference with AT&T as far as your renewal time frame is concerned.
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I've heard AT&T will let you jump ship 6 months early to renew for the new iPhone. So, I guess you could get one around September.

At most of the others, what so sick about the phone? Is there anything there that we didn't already know? I mean, even ignoring the Gizmodo disaster, could every single one of us not called most of the "revolutionary" improvements?

  • Faster processor
  • Higher res screen
  • Front facing camera
  • Multitasking
  • Better battery life
  • Thinner
It very well may be the best phone out there for awhile depending on your needs, but this is hardly revolutionary.
 
xanthomondo said:
I just laugh everytime Mr Jobs says something about HTML5 being "completely open" or whatever. Is it possible to install an app on your iPhone without Itunes and without jailbreaking it (since they will brick your phone)?
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... what?

HTML5 is "completely open." It's the new web standard. It can't replace Flash for everything, but it's certainly better for most applications. It's not just something Jobs made up.

There is an irony in him lambasting Adobe for having a proprietary format, sure, but the irony goes both ways with Adobe's "We Love Freedom of Choice" countercampaign. And they don't brick your iPhone if you JB it. They might unJB it with updates, but big whoop, just don't install the update until the the loophole fixers catch up.
 
Tiktaalik said:
HTML5 is "completely open." It's the new web standard.
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Will be the new web standard - it isn't the standard yet. It's still in development. The original timeline called for its completion in late 2010, but development has been missing a number of deadlines and is currently delayed.

Bits of HTML5 are still workable now, but I think it's a bit premature to be pushing HTML5 so hard at this point. It's sort of like how companies producing routers all began to create 802.11n routers based on the draft-N spec. I haven't heard any major problems as a result of that, but it seems a bit more responsible/safer to wait for the standards to be solidified, doesn't it?

The iPhone 4 looks nice, but doesn't really seem revolutionary to me. I wish Apple would sell them unlocked. I'm an AT&T customer, but don't care to lose my current plan and take up AT&T's premium data plan. Guess I'll wait for 3GS prices to come down and then will unlock one for myself, unless the "never-locked" versions also come down to a reasonable price.
 
Velocity said:
Will be the new web standard - it isn't the standard yet. It's still in development. The original timeline called for its completion in late 2010, but development has been missing a number of deadlines and is currently delayed.

Bits of HTML5 are still workable now, but I think it's a bit premature to be pushing HTML5 so hard at this point. It's sort of like how companies producing routers all began to create 802.11n routers based on the draft-N spec. I haven't heard any major problems as a result of that, but it seems a bit more responsible/safer to wait for the standards to be solidified, doesn't it?
Click to expand...

Well, good point (esp. because Apple, from what I hear, is actually pushing a not-100%-standard made-for-webkit version). My real point was that there's no hypocrisy in calling HTML5 "open" as compared to Flash.
 
Screw the ipad, I'm getting myself a new iPhone 4.
 
Captopril said:
If you are paying >$100/month for a cell phone plan as a single person, you need to re-prioritize your life.
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You said "family plan."

Point is, I wouldn't expect any special treatment from AT&T because you have a 3-figure monthly family plan bill. It's probably pretty average.

Of course, it never hurts to ask.
 
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There is still no insurance for the iphone through AT&T which might be a dealbreaker for me. I realize there are 3rd parties who offer insurance but I've already discussed this before and don't want to do that.

The front face camera is nothing revolutionary, the Evo has it too. I also wish the iphone had a slightly larger screen size. It maybe the perfect size at 3.5" for some but personally I would have preferred 3.7"-4.3" range like its competitors Evo and Droid Incredible.

Choosing b/w this and the Evo is going to be very difficult.
 
spo01 said:
There is still no insurance for the iphone through AT&T which might be a dealbreaker for me. I realize there are 3rd parties who offer insurance but I've already discussed this before and don't want to do that.

The front face camera is nothing revolutionary, the Evo has it too. I also wish the iphone had a slightly larger screen size. It maybe the perfect size at 3.5" for some but personally I would have preferred 3.7"-4.3" range like its competitors Evo and Droid Incredible.

Choosing b/w this and the Evo is going to be very difficult.
Click to expand...
Well according to the Boy Genius Report AT&T is going to be offering insurance for the iPhone pretty soon

So there is that issue taken care of
 
Blue Dog said:
You said "family plan."

Point is, I wouldn't expect any special treatment from AT&T because you have a 3-figure monthly family plan bill. It's probably pretty average.

Of course, it never hurts to ask.
Click to expand...

AT&T seems to be being quite generous with allowing people to upgrade early for the iphone4. My 3Gs isn't even a year old and they are offering me the subsidized price!! Numerous other people are in the same boat, though some aren't. It doesn't hurt to check though if you're eyeing this phone and live somewhere where AT&T isn't sucky.
 
Blue Dog said:
You said "family plan."

Point is, I wouldn't expect any special treatment from AT&T because you have a 3-figure monthly family plan bill. It's probably pretty average.

Of course, it never hurts to ask.
Click to expand...

Oh ok, duly noted. Yeah fam plans are typically >$100, nevertheless I've heard that AT&T essentially breaks wireless customers into "tiers" based on how much their monthly bill is (regardless of whether its individual or family plan). The highest tier is >$100/month, and that qualifies you for a 6 month early renewal. Not sure if it counts for the iPhone 4, but now that I think about it I don't see why they wouldn't want people to upgrade and renew.
 
Slevin said:
Yeah but I don't think Verizon could have handled the load on the network either, they might have but I doubt it. iPhone users are heavy data users more so than any other device, when it came out no one expected it to take off like it did so now AT&T is playing catch up trying to build out their network which takes time.
Click to expand...

Even if Verizon couldn't have handled the iPhone, if it were on multiple carriers this wouldn't be an issue at all.
 
JacobSilge said:
Even if Verizon couldn't have handled the iPhone, if it were on multiple carriers this wouldn't be an issue at all.
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But the long standing rumor is that Apple offered the iPhone to Verizon first, they turned it down because they wanted control of it and Steve didn't want to play that game with them and such they went to AT&T who took a risk on a device they never saw before and for that they should be rewarded with loyalty from Apple.

I'm not saying AT&T's network is perfect, it's not but the people behind the scenes at Apple know the whole story on AT&T's network and if they didn't think it was viable then they would jump ship. I have no doubt that Apple has a bunch of loopholes in their contract with AT&T and if they weren't preforming up to snuff Apple could ditch the network.

Finally it's also about logistics. A huge majority of the rest of the world is standardized on GSM while Verizon and Sprint is on CDMA. Building an iPhone for a CDMA network would force Apple to run a separate production line for CDMA phones and it's not viable for them to do so currently.

I find that allot of people like to make generalizations without the facts, and say things like Apple should offer the device on the Verizon network but there are massive gears moving behind the scenes that we never see and we only get the end result without knowing what goes into the process. Sort of like seeing how a hamburger is made from when the calf is born till you flush it down the drain in the porcelain bowel, there are things in the background that we have no knowledge about that can affect out meal.
 
Slevin said:
But the long standing rumor is that Apple offered the iPhone to Verizon first, they turned it down because they wanted control of it and Steve didn't want to play that game with them and such they went to AT&T who took a risk on a device they never saw before and for that they should be rewarded with loyalty from Apple.

I'm not saying AT&T's network is perfect, it's not but the people behind the scenes at Apple know the whole story on AT&T's network and if they didn't think it was viable then they would jump ship. I have no doubt that Apple has a bunch of loopholes in their contract with AT&T and if they weren't preforming up to snuff Apple could ditch the network.

Finally it's also about logistics. A huge majority of the rest of the world is standardized on GSM while Verizon and Sprint is on CDMA. Building an iPhone for a CDMA network would force Apple to run a separate production line for CDMA phones and it's not viable for them to do so currently.

I find that allot of people like to make generalizations without the facts, and say things like Apple should offer the device on the Verizon network but there are massive gears moving behind the scenes that we never see and we only get the end result without knowing what goes into the process. Sort of like seeing how a hamburger is made from when the calf is born till you flush it down the drain in the porcelain bowel, there are things in the background that we have no knowledge about that can affect out meal.
Click to expand...

I agree that there is a lot going on in the background and probably a lot of complex politics making a Verizon iPhone impossible, though I stand by my opinion that, at this time, AT&T exclusivity is probably hurting Apple more than it is helping. Many people I know, myself included, were quite disappointed at the lack of the iPhone being opened up. Unfortunately, for a lot of people, AT&T service is not ideal, therefore making the iPhone non-ideal as a phone. With the iPhone really coming along and improving in each iteration, it is quite disappointing to have no carrier choice, regardless of the reasons why. With the newer Android phones replicating or exceeding the features of the iPhone, a lot of users (myself included) are going to be willing to take the hit and accept a worse user experience in exchange for better service in their area. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems like both Apple and the consumer are losing out in that scenario, with Google being the main winner.

Regarding the logistics, I think this is just an excuse. Apple had no difficulty with producing two versions of the iPad (WiFi only and 3g), why would it be so logistically impossible to produce the iPhone in both GSM and CDMA versions? There obviously is demand for it - not only on Verizon in the US but probably also in China and South Korea - so they would more than likely still rake in a lot of money from the second production line.

Now if an iPod touch with a 3g radio came out, I would be more than happy to use AT&T for data and keep my Sprint flip-phone purely for calls/texting.
 
Any word on itouch?
 
TMP-SMX said:
The iPod Touch will come out in September like it always does. It could come out in August also but more likely September.
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Yeah, my thinking is that Apple will release the new one right after the whole "Buy a Mac, get an iPod" deal is done. That way they successfully reduce their inventory of old product.
 
Yep. Though even if they update it the new models would not be eligible for the promo. They did this back in 2007 when I was buying an iMac. It was August and new iPods were just released but the old ones were eligible.
 
Anyone actually manage to pre-order? I tried for about an hour after they went live, but gave up with no success. Just gonna wait out the first batch of iPhones and get one on the re-stock.
 
Captopril said:
Anyone actually manage to pre-order? I tried for about an hour after they went live, but gave up with no success. Just gonna wait out the first batch of iPhones and get one on the re-stock.
Click to expand...

I managed to get mine pre-ordered but in the bustle of the busy websites may have reserved one at an Apple store too. For those who are curious about upgrading early, I still have 10 months on my current contract and was able to upgrade at the fully discounted price. I'm curious if I should have held out for the white iPhone. I always regretted not getting one but I don't want to pay extra for it and presume it will cost more.
 
Tried all day finally got an order in around 11pm for delivery no later than 7/8 but I also reserved one at the apple store closest to me so I might just pick mine up therein the 24th.


Also there is no premium on the white iPhone same price but they didn't stock any, probably because the black one is more popular
 
I was able to pre-order yesterday and I'm very thankful because at some point last night they changed the delivery date from June 24th to July 2nd. It's pointless to pre-order at this point.

A few words about the iphone vs android debate:

I've used a first generation iphone for about 3 years now and I absolutely love it. I have also used droid phones and think these are also amazing. I really don't understand why the droid fanboys/apple fanboys compare the two because both are meant for different types of people. Droid is for those that want to customize the hell out of their phones and who really want to get "inside" their phones; these users have absolute freedom to do whatever they want with their phones. On the other hand, the iphone is extremely intuitive and using it is a seamless experience. The downside is that apple inherently limits the capabilities of the phone in many ways (ie: not "true" multitasking, and lack of complete freedom). With this in mind, I think droid is great for what it is but I still don't think the experience is quite up there with using the iphone, although I'm sure that will change in the coming months.

PS ATT is lame as **** for limiting the data plan when a phone comes out that encourages more data transfer (ie: recording 720p videos and uploading them on 3G). This will personally save me some dough because i'm always near wifi but I can see how it will piss a lot of people off.
 
tungsten87 said:
I was able to pre-order yesterday and I'm very thankful because at some point last night they changed the delivery date from June 24th to July 2nd. It's pointless to pre-order at this point.

A few words about the iphone vs android debate:

I've used a first generation iphone for about 3 years now and I absolutely love it. I have also used droid phones and think these are also amazing. I really don't understand why the droid fanboys/apple fanboys compare the two because both are meant for different types of people. Droid is for those that want to customize the hell out of their phones and who really want to get "inside" their phones; these users have absolute freedom to do whatever they want with their phones. On the other hand, the iphone is extremely intuitive and using it is a seamless experience. The downside is that apple inherently limits the capabilities of the phone in many ways (ie: not "true" multitasking, and lack of complete freedom). With this in mind, I think droid is great for what it is but I still don't think the experience is quite up there with using the iphone, although I'm sure that will change in the coming months.

PS ATT is lame as **** for limiting the data plan when a phone comes out that encourages more data transfer (ie: recording 720p videos and uploading them on 3G). This will personally save me some dough because i'm always near wifi but I can see how it will piss a lot of people off.
Click to expand...
Well you could keep your unlimited plan since you had an iPhone previously.

But really all data plans are limited, with the exception of the previous unlimited iPhone data plan no carrier offered a plan such as that and as such AT&T is just moving in line with the rest of the industry. Does it suck for new iPhone and iPad owners who don't have an unlimited plan that go over their limits, yeah. But if AT&T is to be believed then a vast majority will not go over their limits and should be fine.
 
Slevin said:
But really all data plans are limited, with the exception of the previous unlimited iPhone data plan no carrier offered a plan such as that and as such AT&T is just moving in line with the rest of the industry.
Click to expand...

Well, this isn't really the full story. The data cap that Verizon and T-Mobile use (5gb) is substiantially higher than AT&T's new cap, so AT&T is doing a bit more than just getting in line with other providers. However, if it relieves network congestion (and costs less), then everyone is better off. And while most users currently are fine with 2gb (I'm sure I would be), the cap does make $20/month for tethering kind of a rip off, as that is the one way I could see really racking up data usage. Meanwhile, Sprint just introduced a truly unlimited 3g/4g plan, but since they continuously lose users, they probably just have plenty of capacity to spare, more aimed at this tethering crowd.

As an unrelated question, can you buy an unsubsidized iPhone and use it on T-Mobile's network? Or do Apple/AT&T somehow lock you from using T-Mobile's GSM band?
 
Kris1 said:
I managed to get mine pre-ordered but in the bustle of the busy websites may have reserved one at an Apple store too. For those who are curious about upgrading early, I still have 10 months on my current contract and was able to upgrade at the fully discounted price. I'm curious if I should have held out for the white iPhone. I always regretted not getting one but I don't want to pay extra for it and presume it will cost more.
Click to expand...
Pretty sure the white is the same price point.
 
JacobSilge said:
Well, this isn't really the full story. The data cap that Verizon and T-Mobile use (5gb) is substiantially higher than AT&T's new cap, so AT&T is doing a bit more than just getting in line with other providers. However, if it relieves network congestion (and costs less), then everyone is better off. And while most users currently are fine with 2gb (I'm sure I would be), the cap does make $20/month for tethering kind of a rip off, as that is the one way I could see really racking up data usage. Meanwhile, Sprint just introduced a truly unlimited 3g/4g plan, but since they continuously lose users, they probably just have plenty of capacity to spare, more aimed at this tethering crowd.

As an unrelated question, can you buy an unsubsidized iPhone and use it on T-Mobile's network? Or do Apple/AT&T somehow lock you from using T-Mobile's GSM band?
Click to expand...

If 96% or whatever AT&T claimed use less than 2GB/month then it only affects less than 5% so it really isn't that big of a deal, very few people will hit that wall. The 20/month for tethering is a rip off, if they gave you extra bandwidth that would be one thing but they don't even do that so that really blows.

You can buy an unsubsidized iPhone but I'm not sure if you can use it on T-Mobiles network, it's not so much that they stop you from using T-Mobile but I think T-mobile uses different GSM frequency than AT&T and Apple never really cared about supporting it because they weren't designing their device for that network but you would have to google it. But T-Mobile doesn't have visual voice mail.
 
As good as the new iPhone is, it still doesn't have the capability to play Flash movies. That's a dealbreaker for me. I visit alot of sites that have Flash movie content.

Android has Flash. Apple doesn't. And I don't even have either! I would, however, lean more towards Android because of the lack of Flash playability of the iPhone.
 
David Pogue from the NYTs on the Sprint EVO

Best part of the article

After two days of fiddling, downloading and uninstalling apps, manually force-quitting programs and waiting for servers to be upgraded, I finally got video calling to work — sort of. Sometimes there was only audio and a black screen, sometimes only a freeze-frame; at best, the video was blocky and the audio delay absurd.

To make video calling work, you have to install an app yourself: either Fring or Qik. But we never did get Fring to work, and Qik requires people you call to press a Talk button when they want to speak. The whole thing is confusing and, to use the technical term, iffy.
Click to expand...

Also wanting to use it as a WiFi hotspot costs and extra 30/month and will drain the battery in less than an hour, you pay an extra $10/month for 4G service even if you don't live in a 4G service area

Apple would never ship a device that you need to fiddle with in order to get to work, if a consumer buys a device it should work out of the box flawlessly anything less than that then the company failed the consumer.
 
by the way, how do you guys plan on protecting our iphone 4? i'm definitely not buying one of those bumpers since they don't protect the phone at all and look ****ing stupid. i'm thinking an invisible shield for both the front and back. I don't believe that this alumino-silicate glass will be able to withstand the shock of a fall from more than a few feet. i used my first gen iphone for 3 years with no case... dropped it a few times but it never landed on the screen (fortunately). thing was built to withstand a few falls me thinks.
 
Yeah, I havent figured out the whole case thing yet. I don't want to flush 30 down the drain for those bumpers but I don't want to hide my beautiful iPhone behind crappy plastic covers either
 
BlondeCookie said:
As good as the new iPhone is, it still doesn't have the capability to play Flash movies. That's a dealbreaker for me. I visit alot of sites that have Flash movie content.

Android has Flash. Apple doesn't. And I don't even have either! I would, however, lean more towards Android because of the lack of Flash playability of the iPhone.
Click to expand...

Except, you know, it's in beta and doesn't work too hot.

I'm almost considering uninstalling flash on my laptop - it is my sole source of crashes, currently.
 
The bumper would protect the most dreaded complication and that would be shattering the screen. It isn't going to prevent scratches if you put it in your pocket with your keys though.
 
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