3G iPhone on track for early '08?
By Chris Ziegler 
posted February 23rd 2007 2:28PM
posted February 23rd 2007 2:28PM
It seems that a common theme in dialogue regarding the iPhone has become, "I'll wait for version 2, thank you very much." The sentiment makes sense in some ways; after all, the first-gen model lacks key goodness (3G radio, open platform, removeable battery), not to mention the fact that companies frequently fail to get the first version of anything perfectly spot-on. Problem with waiting for version 2, of course, is that whole "waiting" part -- but it maybe be a bit more painless than anyone had thought. AppleInsider is reporting that a Swedish carrier is reassuring a large client that the first 3G iPhone will be on shelves as soon as January of next year, silencing one of the largest criticisms -- EDGE data -- of the June '07 model. That said, there's no guarantee the 3G version will hop the Atlantic (or any other body of water, for that matter) in the same time frame; Apple might instead choose to starve North America of UMTS handsets the same way many manufacturers have. Furthermore, the model might be identical to its 2.5G equivalent in every other respect, leaving the battery and platform issues unaddressed. Still, the purely theoretical thought of over-the-air iTunes clipping along at HSDPA speeds is a tantalizing one, is it not?
I am one of the many who are waiting for the iphone to come out so I can switch carriers from Sprint to Cingular but its already a long time to wait just for the June release. Is 3G really that worth it when the iphone doesn't seem like its going to be used mainly for internet browsing and text input anywayz? I mean I am only going to use it as a phone, ipod, and a text messaging device, not a full blown internet device enough though it might run os x and safari. I guess if you could change the view of webpages from portrait to landscape mode and providing that the touch screen keyboard works well then it might be well worth the wait but if not then I think I'll just hop on the 2.5G version that comes out in June. I've had 3G with Sprint for a long time and its not that serious and I don't even browse the internet on my phone as much as I thought I would and I had a Pocket PC...
"...the first-gen model lacks key goodness (3G radio, open platform, removeable battery..."
What would lead anyone to believe that future models will have a removable battery? iPods don't. The sealed case is one of Mac's core industrial design principles.
However, on an iPod, it's almost, *almost*, excusable but only because Apple tends to treat their customers well. After all, they did eventually replace everybody's battery after the iPod battery lawsuit and ensuing debacle. My concern is that because this is a cell phone, purchased through a carrier, I could see them being less inclined to do anything about it. If they leave it to Cingular, you're going to be S.O.L. if the battery fails. You'll be stuck with a device that cost you 4 large, locked into a two year contract, and some 3rd party company will want 120 bucks to replace a battery that costs about $6 to make.
"It seems that a common theme in dialogue regarding the iPhone has become, "I'll wait for version 2, thank you very much."
Gee...some people are never pleased. I'll take this any day...now if it weren't for that astronomical price :(...Oh well, I guess I'll just have to placate myself with the BB Pearl till then.
"Gee...some people are never pleased. "
Yeah your right we can't be pleased. Why even bother realeasing such a "revolutionary" device when it's not even up to speed, so to speak.
If you are serious about emails and web browsing on the iPhone, you'd better wait for the 3G version. To take advantage of the full HTML browsing experience on the iPhone, HSDPA is a must. Besides, the cost of the data plan is the same whether you are using an EDGE or HSDPA phone.
Treo,
that's not at all true. i can browse engadget just fine on my edge equipped blackberry. Engadget's code doesn't work very well on a blackberry html browser (the links between article header/body/comments are not correctly sourced - which is Engadget's problem, not blackberry's) but it works fine and loads quickly enough.
Could it be faster with HSDPA? sure, but its not at all necessary.
I didn't do alot of browsing with Edge, but I've heard from some ppl that there's not *too* huge a difference.
I just bought a Samsung Blackjack a week ago, and have already re-sold it on eBay. I bought it, because I told myself I could get a Blackjack and an 80gig iPod for the same price as the iPhone. More storage for music, more software flexibility. Here's why I sold the Blackjack....
I was browsing some website, and as fast as it was loading, I still had to scroll from left to right continuously to view the whole page. A full zoom-out feature built into Safari on the iPhone is gonna be GREAT. I was also using Google Maps alot in the past week on the Blackjack (for work), and I thought about how awesome it would be to just tap my finger on the map to zoom into where I was going. The multi-touch interface and LARGE screen are gonna make the iPhone a revolutionary mobile device. (IMHO)
My contract with Verizon expires May 5, 2008. I am counting the days.