FCC "thinks different," grants approval to Apple iPhone

It reveals nothing of interest (unless you consider documents that read like high school physics lab reports to be "of interest"), but sure enough, Apple's iPhone has completed that rite of passage that all handsets must traverse on their way to adulthood: FCC approval. As expected, the iPhone filing reveals just about as little as it possibly (legally) can, offering up a rendering of the ID label location -- the best visual in the whole filing, by the way -- and an endless array of RF plots for GSM / EDGE on the 850 and 1900MHz bands, Bluetooth, and WiFi radiation. No incriminating photographs of a well-abused iPhone lying helpless on a test workbench in some cavernous lab, no user's manual. Soon, friends!

[Via Mobilewhack, thanks Sandeep]

[KR @ May 17th 2007 4:24PM]

@ Jeff Lewis:

Pretty much the longest I've kept a portable device, be it phone, iPod, etc is about 3 years, maybe 4. In any case, when I've upgraded to a new phone or iPod, the original battery in the old model was still going strong.

I know there were some big problems with early iPod batteries dying after a year. But, it seems to me that with current batteries, by the time a battery actually DIES (Not just runs out of juice), many users will probably be ready to upgrade to a new device altogether.

I don't think it's fanboyism, just seems normal to me. I think I'd feel the same about items from any company. As long as the battery lasts for as long as I'm planning to keep the device, I have no problem. And, there will probably be inexpensive options for getting an iPhone battery replaced if/when it does croak.

The only issue there is possibly being without a phone for 2-3 days or so in that situation. I agree that would be a problem, since many people use their cell as their only phone for most purposes.

[paloooz @ May 17th 2007 1:49PM]

Cool, now get back to work on Leopard...

[DT Jacobs @ May 17th 2007 1:58PM]

Buttons on the side! Buttons on the side! Oh dear God it has buttons on the side! BEST PHONE EVER!

[Frankenstein Black @ May 17th 2007 1:58PM]

I have actually had the privilege of seeing one of these puppies live, and trust me it will sell like "hot cakes"! That thing is "hot to def son"...

[Brent @ May 17th 2007 2:02PM]

Good to see it cleared the FCC, all ready to go for its October release...

[EMaster @ May 17th 2007 2:13PM]

Wow, I can't wait to hear the first reports on "OMG I can't believe I blew my life savings on this phone and the battery dies so fast after having it for only 3 months after I watch movies and play music and make calls and browse the web! What do you mean it's on backorder??? For how long? I hate you Cingular and Apple!" ROFL. Have fun with the refurbs and backorders kids. I would never buy a phone with an internal battery no matter who makes it. Even God. Which in this case to many is Steve Jobs. This think has Pocket PC phone edition written all over it.

[steve @ May 17th 2007 2:41PM]

betcha 10 bucks that black thing on the bottom is a removable battery. Why else wouldn't the whole thing be aluminum on the back? And, don't you need to hide the SIM card somewhere?

[DT Jacobs @ May 17th 2007 2:41PM]

If $499 is your life's savings, you shouldn't be spending it on a cell phone. And if you did a poll of how many people actually carry around a second battery for their phone, I'd be shocked if more than 1 in 10 did. If the battery gets you through a full day with above-average usage, I'm sure it'll suffice for the overwhelming majority of purchasers...and if you're in the minority that NEEDS the extra life, and you aren't in your car for at least part of the day (where you can use a car-charger), I'm sure that within weeks of release there will be third-party add-on battery packs.

[thegrey @ May 17th 2007 2:39PM]

Damn you Engadget! You caused Apple stock to rise!

[brendan Sheehan jnr @ May 17th 2007 3:21PM]

"Betcha 10 bucks that black thing on the bottom is a removable battery. Why else wouldn't the whole thing be aluminum on the back?"
So you could tell which end is up when looking only at the back.

[ebrunn @ May 17th 2007 6:21PM]

Its black at the bottom becuase its a non-metal that is differnt from the rest of the phone so the radio waves can exit and enter the phone.

[Octopthorpe @ May 17th 2007 4:41PM]

@ DT Jacobs

Duh, The concept of a replaceable battery isn't (necessarily) to get a second battery, but to be able to replace the battery when it's life is used. I would never buy a $500 anything that used batteries unless I could easily and relatively inexpensively ($50-70) replace the battery. I don't need to buy another $500 widget just because I wore out the battery.

[Tim @ May 17th 2007 2:44PM]

I wonder if Apple will make the initial cost of an iPhone cheap or free with the sale of a laptop to college students like they did with iPods last year? That would be a good marketing move, because college kids are traditionally trend setters for the high school set and adults who want to cling on to their youth.

[KR @ May 17th 2007 2:46PM]

I've owned 2 cell phones since 2003. One Nokia, one Motorola. Both had removable batteries. I never once had to remove the battery from either to swap it out for a "fresh" one. I don't know why people make such a huge deal out of the non-removable battery, when the majority of users probably don't switch their batteries even when the capability is there.

And yes, of course there's the exception of the guy who's on his cell 20 hours a day and has to swap his battery 3 times per day. I'm speaking of average users though.

[Bruce @ May 17th 2007 2:49PM]

The thing is that this will replace the iPod you have, so if you're like the rest of us you have a charger in your car and at work and at home and most likely on you somewhere. So battery life might be short but I have charges everywhere so even if I have to upgrade my chargers all over the place that's fine I've already adopted that type of life style.

Although I'm thinking about switching from cingular and iPhone to Helio and Ocean. It's a sweet device, especially with the google maps with GSM.

[zorg @ May 17th 2007 2:52PM]

I gleefully bought a Treo 650 with an extra battery two years ago. Lost the spare battery within three weeks and never bought another.

The only thing standing between me and an iPhone is HSDPA. I probably won't get the first version because it won't be fast enough.

Within a year, they'll come out with a 3G version and I'll get that, even if it's a total flop in the market place.

They've been working on it since 2002 and cell phones suck, so I will bet that it will be an improvement, even if reviews lambast it for being "closed" or "small" or "large" or whatever.

[steve @ May 17th 2007 4:20PM]

why would you need to do that? since when do you use a phone backwards. Anyways, this breaks the ipod mold of a solid back, so there has to be a good reason other than a compass.

[Kinmar @ May 17th 2007 3:32PM]

"So you could tell which end is up when looking only at the back."

The camera lens (shown in the pic) is on the portion of the phone.

[Kinmar @ May 17th 2007 3:33PM]

*top (portion)

why no edit button... why?

[Jeff Lewis @ May 17th 2007 3:42PM]

Wait... it's only dual band?

It's not even triband let alone a quadband worldphone?

And what's with this obsession with Google Maps? Any WM or Symbian smartphone can do that now through a browser. Or heck, get a good app like TomTom or iGo and do it right - even connect a GPS (via bluetooth). I have Mapopolis on mine and keep a tiny Orbitz 32 channel GPS in my pocket.

Oh.. and for the people who don't understand why a replaceable battery is a good thing: it's not just in case your battery runs out of juice (but still a nice thing to have given that batteries are generally pretty cheap - especially if you have a phone that you actually use regularly as a PDA, GPS system, a video and music player... not just as eyecandy) - it's also for when the battery DIES.

LiONs have a limited lifespan, as iPod owners know. In cheap phones, you're more likely to replace the phone before it dies, but in high end phones, you're more likely to keep the phone longer - and even hand it off to someone later, or sell it. Not being able to replace the battery then is a problem.

All of that aside, there's something just wrong about a consumer rationalising a missing feature that's the norm in all other products in the same class. It's like saying 'Please sir - sell me less for more - can I have another whipping?'

So lame.

So fanboy.

[walk2k @ May 17th 2007 4:12PM]

Well it's an Apple product, their users are used to paying for more and getting less, all the while babbling on and on about how great it is.

I mean..... PAY ... for a cell phone? With real money? Up front?? Doesn't make much sense does it.

[Doug @ May 17th 2007 4:24PM]

FYI: Google Maps is available as a standalone application on WM smartphones/Pocket PCs... No longer has to be run through a browser.

[tim @ May 17th 2007 3:54PM]

Engadget, you sure this wasn't faked?

[Paul Good @ May 17th 2007 4:15PM]

Uhh, it is quadband, but the fcc only cares about 850 and 1900 since that is all we have here for GSM.

[andrew harrison @ May 17th 2007 7:23PM]

Like has already been said, there's a very good reason for it.

Similar to the Macbook Pros which have a rubbery plastic section on the screen hinge, it is so the radio waves can get in and out of it without interference. The metal housing causes trouble, and replacing a section near the transceiver with a rubber or plastic that minimises interference gives better reception and signal strength.

[Doug @ May 17th 2007 4:23PM]

Ok, show's over folks... nothing to see here.... move along...

Personally I think the iPhone only appeals to Apple Fanboys, for whom price isn't an issue. For the rest of us, $499-599 is just too much to pay for phone... That's what it is after all... just a phone. And you can buy a Mac Mini for less!

My T-Mobile Dash, which I paid $149 for, does everything that the iPhone does (save for the touchscreen interface), plus it does more out of the box (plus anyone can write software for it), and it has a keyboard! I don't really understand why anyone, save the fanboys, would want to shell out so much money for such a limited device.

I'm a believer that touchscreen interfaces don't belong on phones. This is primarily a phone, after all, and dialing using a touchscreen interface (without tactile feedback) is kind of a frustrating experience. Add the frustration caused by a using a touchscreen with features like text messaging, email, mapping, and web browsing on top of that, we may find that people just don't use those features as much as they thought they would. The iPod portion might work alright with the touchscreen, but it does make changing tracks without looking at the screen an impossible task, since there aren't any buttons for your fingers to find. Be on the lookout for people trying to find music or dial on their iPhones while driving (and you know they will) because they certainly won't have their eyes on the road. The voice interface on my Dash sure makes all of those things easy... Saying "Dial 555-1212," "Call My Wife at home," "Play Avril Lavigne," or "When is my next appointment?" sure works better than navigating through ANY touchscreen interface.

And before you accues me of being anti-Apple, please know that I am a Mac owner.

Ho-hum!

[McGinley @ May 17th 2007 4:38PM]

Avril Lavigne?Seriously?

[Doug @ May 17th 2007 4:40PM]

Just trying to use an example that a "typical" iPod owner might appreciate. :)

[Cheeseboy1966 @ May 17th 2007 4:41PM]

But Seriously......Were there always buttons?

[Cheeseboy1966 @ May 17th 2007 6:13PM]

Sorry, yes you can see the buttons in the MacWorld photos......My bad.

[sshah87 @ May 17th 2007 5:05PM]

Why is it news that the thing got fcc approval? it's not like anyone expected it to fail, right?

[RS @ May 17th 2007 5:13PM]

You can bet this phone will be backordered before the release week is over! One thing that seems to escape all the Nokia, Samsung, Blackberry, etc users is that this phone will sync with a Mac flawlessly, and Windows users too for that matter. Most of these tried and true companies have done a miserable job relating to the Mac user. Sync through iTunes and have your Calendar, Address Book, Tasks, Notes, Voicemail, Music, Movies, Podcasts, Widgets, OSX, and on and on. All this discussion about the $500 price tag being too high…what do people think the latest Blackberry 8800 or the 8300 is going for..same price, less phone.

[KR @ May 17th 2007 5:15PM]

Yes, it always has had buttons. If you hit Apple's iPhone page you can go back and watch the keynote where Steve breaks it down.

Top button is for sleep/awake. Side buttons are for silent/ring, and volume up/down, IIRC.

[angelsvairwaves1 @ May 17th 2007 8:38PM]

So if this is such a shitty device, then why is it getting so much press? Pieces of junk dont get attention. Everyone who finds a fault in this phone is looking past a lot of great features to things that really don't matter. Its part preference too. If you dont like the touchscreen, then get another phone.
And the price... what device isn't ridiculously expensive when it's new? Anybody remember the RAZR?

[YodaMac @ May 17th 2007 10:53PM]

I'm sure the battery life will be comparable to your iPod's battery (also not 'replaceable') and 3rd party replacement options will become available for the iPhone, JUST like the did for the iPod for those who really needed it. My 3G iPod is still running fine after all these years and I will end up replacing it (with an iPhone) before the battery is even 'dead'. No worries.

[Francis @ May 18th 2007 12:01AM]

Disclaimer 1: I am not an Apple fanboy, in fact, I HATE Macs and would never own one at home (I've worked on them for years, but that disscussion is not relevent to this posting).

Disclaimer 2: I dont own an iPod and Zune (althought i've considered an ipod in the past)

With that said, I've got to chime in on a few of the comments thus far:

1) On the subject of price: $500-$600 is NOT out of line for a newly introduced smartphone... thats what I paid for my current one when it came out (of course now you can get it for $100 with rebate and contract, buggar that!)

2) On the subject of a removeable battery: Anyone saying you dont need an extra battery CLEARLY DOESNT OWN AN INTERNET ENABLED SMARTPHONE. If i'm online for any decent period of time and or listening to music for a while (4gb SD card), the battery will not last all day. Thus being able to swap a new one in for the evening or whatnot is ESSENTIAL.

3) On the subject of fanboys being the only people interested in this device: as i already said in the above disclaimer, I'm far from a fanboy - I'm in the haters group that see apple products for the pretty, overpriced things they are.... BUT I WANT AN IPHONE!! yes.. I said it, I want one, and am even willing to brave the fanboy infested waters to get one! ... well, at least i was... read below

4) iPod, Phone, internet, touchscreen, mapping, the list of features goes on, and its a lovely one... until you get to the dealbreaker: NO OUTSIDE APPLICATIONS. Now i can somewhat understand that... no outside apps muddying the waters, thus ensuring that the phone wont be crashing on a regular basis like um *cough*windows mobile*cough* .... but seriously... for a $500 PDA phone, thats the dealbreaker for me. I dont ask for much.. but theres a few very basic functionality apps that I should be able to run if need be.... AND thats not even talking about the inability of the device to open a basic word attachement in an email (an industry standard!)

I summary: I ad high hopes for this device being the first apple product I would take home, i really did... I was excited about upgrading my phone in a month or two.... but the issues above in #4 are just too unforgiveable in a $600 smartphone.... hopefully v2.0 of the iPhone will rectify them....

[Zeus the God @ May 18th 2007 2:56AM]

iWell, iAt iLeast iKnow iThat iThe iPhone iWill iBe iComing iOut iSoon.

Actually, I don't really care. Apple's too self centered, and leading the nation to be self centered bastards with all this "i"Crap.

[Oritron @ May 18th 2007 4:33AM]

I think the "i" meant Internet when they launched the iMac, not "I" as myself.

[Des @ May 18th 2007 7:53AM]

It would be ideal if it had a mini-usb port (or indeed Nokia style barrel) for charging - a more proprietary port would make it harder to find chargers when out and about - one of the great advantages of Nokia phones is that there is nearly always someone from whom you can borrow a charger (they fouled up a bit with the newer charger)