The second-gen iPhone: 3G, GPS, only slightly thicker
So we've got it on authority that the second-gen iPhone is already well into testing, and numerous units are floating around in super secret pockets. A trusted source got a chance to check one out, here's what we've heard.
- The first thing people will notice: the 2nd gen iPhone will be about the same size and shape as the first gen.
- It will, of course, have 3G. And proper GPS!
- The most noticeable physical difference is back of the phone is no longer metal -- the whole thing is glossy black, from top to bottom. The volume buttons are now chrome.
- Because it's got a little less metal to deal with, it doesn't have quite as many angular edges. The battery is (still) not removable.
- The phone itself will be slightly thicker than the first gen device.
- The headphone jack will no longer be recessed, and will finally be flush with the body.
- The device itself uses roughly the same size and resolution screen as the first generation product.
- No solid word on battery life or storage capacity.
P.S. -Image via iPod Observer, MacRumors points out it's probably just a case (which we'd likely agree with); we're not by any means claiming the image above is the new iPhone, just an example of what it could look like given the info we received.
Reader Comments (Page 7 of 10)
tekdroid @ Apr 26th 2008 1:15AM
Three cheers for yet more slippery black gloss and oh-so-stylish chrome accents (buttons). I mean how classy.
http://www.apple.com/support/iphone/service/battery/
The non-removable battery continues to make an appearance. Is this 2008? Just checking.
Those Apple battery replacements after 400-500 charges must be looking good on the financials at $85.95 a pop, not to mention the days lost waiting for your phone. Too bad anyone that wants to avoid power pooping on them and wants to carry a spare can't have power when they want it.
"No spare battery4u!"
Michael Michniewski @ Apr 26th 2008 2:26AM
http://www.colorwarepc.com/p-103-iphone.aspx
nuff said
Pc_Madness @ Apr 26th 2008 2:30AM
If they put GPS on the iPhone, does that mean it will still need to get the maps via Google (aka 3g or whatever). Cos if they are going to release this in Australia its going to cost us a few dollars to view a few images from Google maps. :(
russwilliams @ Apr 26th 2008 5:09AM
youd think the maps could be stored on the phone with downloadable updates
nick @ Apr 26th 2008 2:54AM
i work at att. to anyone saying the iphone is going to be 3g soon, you're crazy. from a business standpoint it is totally stupid. they are coming out with the SDK so they float on that for awhile and sell some phones. when that starts to pitter out, they are going to release a 3g model...once they fix the battery life. it would kill the iphone.
to you guys arguing about windows mobile: it has the most returns (q, blackjack, tilt, 750) i'm glad they don't force me to own one. they actually force employees to take them home (for free) and use them, so we know how to trouble shoot all the issues we get from them. it is unreliable and has many problems with syncing, email, mms, internet, etc.
if you want quality and you are spending a good amount then buy and iphone or a blackberry. both are excellent OSs and they each appeal to different people. the iphone will make you use internet more, but email isn't as good and neither is messaging.
basically: winmo sucks, iphone and blackberry are king (i own an 8310). use a bb or iphone and after a week you'll never touch the crappy winmo or palm phones.
Joseph Luk @ Apr 26th 2008 8:04AM
I hope that you don't work for AT&T Corporate because if you do, I would consider selling my shares for such narrow minded management. To be brutally honest, from a business standpoint, you're totally stupid. Simply focusing on the U.S. market today is a recipe for disaster. In light of Apple's most recent quarterly results, its clear that the U.S. market for iPhones and iPods is slowing. 3G capability on the iPhone 2 is a value added function primarily to address the weakness of the original iPhone in international markets. The iPhone didn't do as well in those markets because consumers couldn't put up with slower EDGE connections that are less common than 3G. Given the U.S. recession and falling value of the dollar, it makes complete business sense for Apple to go after Europe and particularly Asia, (China and India) where land line infrastructure is weak and mobile phone service is expected to have the largest growth. By giving more attention to foreign markets, Apple can offset at least in part some of the weakness in the U.S. economy, even if they have to sell the devices at a discount compared to the U.S.
Tim @ Apr 26th 2008 4:33AM
just bought an 89gb hopefully they will upgrade me for free for being such dicks at not getting it right the first time.
David Mac @ Apr 26th 2008 4:50AM
Honestly, I don't see why people make such a stink about 3G. Correct me if I'm terribly wrong, but most iPhone owners do not have full 3G coverage. Sure, AT&T is rolling out 3G in increasing areas but it really doesn't have much coverage at present.
GPS isn't much good without natively stored maps. You have to have a connection to download the maps anyway in order to use your location ... most people won't be able to do much with just latitude and longitude, which is primarily what you get from satellite.
Of course that picture is either a 3rd party mod or a photochop (not shop, chop). Everything about it is wrong.
According to the AT&T CEO, we'll have 3G iPhones soon ... bully for him. It doesn't really matter to me. My 8GB works extremely fast over EDGE (at least 2/3 the speed of the WIFI that I get on my college campus) and I'm happy with the battery life. I'm a college student and am online almost constantly during classes (no joke) but my battery will still last from 8 AM calculus through 2 AM parties and still have 25% charge when I plug it in at 3:15.
While it would be nice to have user-replaceable batteries, it just doesn't make sense from a business standpoint considering that Apple wants to make sure it knows what batteries are being used. What percentage of cellphone users carry spare batteries with them? Not enough to make for a significant market share.
If you are thinking about replacing dead batteries, well, Apple has a reason for wanting to do it themselves. They know that 3 out of 10 people will screw it up and everyone will talk about how hard it is to replace the iPhone battery and how often it messes up. If they do it themselves, they don't have to worry about that. Simple logic. We might not like it, but it's a good business plan.
Not to say the iPhone can't be improved. But all I want in iPhone 2 (new hardware and new software) are improved speakers, voice dialing, copy/paste, and improved/front facing cameras (for video chat and good video recording). Most of the stuff is just software updates. They should be able to boost sound through firmware - they've already done it once.
Don't unnecessarily bash the iPhone. It has the most powerful browser and GUI for a mobile device of any kind...period. There's a reason that is a good thing. I'm an ubergeek, but even I would rather have a phone with features that work seamlessly and quickly than a phone that requires 5 minutes (for me) to figure out where the "f***ing browser settings" are. So many other phones make what should be simple processes long and in-depth procedures simply because it lacks the speed of the iPhone's GUI.
Blackberry is an amazing phone, but it is so much harder to use. It's not just that the learning curve is steep (heck - the iPhone's learning curve slopes downhill); even once you know how to do everything it still takes a long time. It's like power steering, for crying out loud. Once you have it, you never go back.
Don't bash the keyboard either. I can type 100 wpm on a standard 101-key keyboard. I can do email on the iPhone (two thumbs, blackberry style) at speeds approaching 60wpm. Try to beat that with a physical keyboard on a mobile device (note: for the purpose of this "challenge", mobile device does not include laptops with full-size keyboards). Granted, I have trouble texting while driving because I have to look down every now and then. But I shouldn't be texting anyway, so phooey on me.
I'm no Apple fanboy. But I like what the iPhone does. So do most iPhone users. Facts are facts.
David MacMillan @ Apr 26th 2008 4:51AM
Note - when I said "Blackberry is an amazing phone" I meant all blackberry phones...I'm not an idiot who thinks there's just one "BlackBerry".
russwilliams @ Apr 26th 2008 5:06AM
Good on you mate. I concur with your views
russwilliams @ Apr 26th 2008 5:02AM
I REALLY hope it isnt glossy black back!!! And slightly thicker???
Where you guys getting this??
Your obviously just out to upset me you twats.
If what you say is true, my wait for a decent spec iPhone will have been in vain and i will be very pissed of the at Apples design team.
I want solid tactile cold sexy metal!! If they go plastic theyre gonna ruin a design classic. I mean imagine the iPod going plastic back. It just wouldnt be the same.
Heed my comment Apple. Dont make me say I told you so.
Glossy Black back!??? Please...No.
The Cadet @ Apr 26th 2008 5:30AM
Guys, It's not a real iPhone 2.0 (3G) its cover you can get in Hong Kong.
Here:
"Remember we saw the rumored leaked photos of the upcoming 3G iPhone? It’s black covered and way different from the current version. Well, our readers in Hong Kong saw the same stuff today. Wow. Is it world’s first 3G iPhone appeared in Hong Kong? Not really. According to our tipster, he said it is just a protection case for the current model of iPhone. You can have this cool facelift for the iPhone now if you live in Hong Kong. Sorry, folks, rumor smashed."
Link:
http://www.winandmac.com/news/3g-iphone-appeared-in-hong-kongnot-really/
Sorry for breaking your hearts.
Nash @ Apr 26th 2008 6:52AM
@clark
Well done, well done indeed !!
Fanboyism and the web is really a hole new way of "communicating".
But you really stayed calm and focused on the facts.
Products aside, what you hear today, is, that while Apple products are excellent, it's also now super cool (or super green, if you like!), to be anti-MS.
All their bad press is finally catching up to them. Finally. I have in many years been wondering, howcome they could get away wih it, over and over again (most have cost lots).
Today however, it seems that all the bad press is comming up again, suddenly everybody remembers everything.
"You Reap What You Sow"
RaySilko @ Apr 26th 2008 7:00AM
@clak
"Here's what the iPhone does better than any other phone I've used before -- integration. It works far more like a computer than most phones."
ahahahahahhahahahahhahahahahahahahahahhahhahhahhahahahahah, and more ahahahhahahahahhahhahaa....
oh boy, sorry...i really wanted to quote you and add this post on my iphone, but since i DON'T HAVE A COPY/PASTE function, I had to use my COMPUTER!
ahahahahahahhahahahahhaaa
thanks for the laughs anyway!
doudOSX @ May 18th 2008 10:14AM
umm... he said that "it works far more like a computer than most phones" not that was a mini computer or anything!.
(hint hint its a phone its probably never going to have half the stuff that a computer has. all phones are made to do is call people and sometimes go on the web/IM)
ThePremierAssassin @ Apr 26th 2008 7:25AM
Everything sounds excellent except for the lack of metal...
I don't want that glossy backside. It looks fugly to me.
Coroe @ Apr 26th 2008 8:28AM
There should be a big, big BUT instead of "only slighty thicker". I mean, what the heck? I expected the new iPhone to be as thin as the iPod Touch.
ipodhacks.tk @ Apr 26th 2008 8:32AM
cool... check out my site for more info!
Ipodhacks.tk
Matt Baron @ Apr 26th 2008 9:28AM
Ugly...
chris @ Apr 26th 2008 10:13AM
oops... engadget's high source is wrong.
http://gizmodo.com/384356/glossy-black-iphone-3g-is-just-a-third+party-case
KLanD @ Apr 26th 2008 10:24AM
For pete's sake people..
Sometime I think people buy Apple products just to say they buy Apple products. Oh wait.. that is why a lot of people buy Apple products.
This isn't the new Iphone, it's just a case for the old one.
As for the new Iphone, it will suck, just like the current Iphone. Why?
Because Apple always falls short of creating amazing products. (flame away macfans but it's true) They always sells you last years tech so that they can release a "new" model in half a few months later. They do this because they know most mac fans will always buy the "new" model.
Example.. How many Ipods do you have? 3? 4? I have one music player. I've had it for years and it still works great. I can change the battery whenever need to and I add memory all the time with it's SD slot. So I have 4 2gb SD cards, big deal, at least I have the option of expansion.
Any new blackberry, prada or most smart phones for that matter have all /more of the features that the Iphone has. I mean come on...
- No push email
- no 3g
- no pic/vid sms
- no video record functions
- no gps
- no live TV
- no memory expansion
- not able to change the battery
- crappy reception
- no flash player
The list goes on and on. If Apple is going to make a 2nd gen Iphone, here are the stats I think it'll have.
- 16gb or 32gb, no expansion.
- GPS, but only if you subscribe to Apple GPS.
- no keybord
- no battery changes
- 3G GSM (way ta go Apple go 3g when everyone will be going to 4g)
- Push email
- no pic/vid sms.
- 3 or 3.2megapixel cam (when everyone else will have 5)
Oh and probably a 799$ price tag which will drop to 599$ after a month or so.
Jason Peterson @ Apr 26th 2008 11:04AM
Those of you that feel that the iPhone is not the king of phones are correct. It does not have every feature available in the mobile phone world, this much is obvious. But the iPhone stands out for one huge reason.
You know what makes the iPhone shine? Do you know why it stands out so much? Because people will debate the heck out of the phone at places like engadget. You people are willing to submit trash talk and spec swapping just to prove why the phone is better or worse than another.
I own a Tilt and an iPhone, and I like a bit about both. I like 3rd party apps for Winmo and office mobile, as well as MMS. I like the iPhone interface much more because is is simple and streamlined. The web browser is awesome on an iPhone even without flash (btw, Adobe said they will be releasing flash for the iPhone soon.) I like my GPS on my Tilt and I like my custom skins. I do not like the touch screen on my Tilt, and I hate having to use a stylus to be accurate with on screen controls.
And BTW, not all 3rd party apps on the iPhone will cost. There will be free apps available to the iPhone too.
I am not a fanboy. No. As a matter of fact, there is not much I like about Apple. But I do like my iPhone with all of its short comings and all. I am not saying it is better or worse than any WinMo phone I have used because that is a never ending debate.
So keep on arguing and debating because THAT is what makes the iPhone shine.
azoneben @ Apr 26th 2008 11:22AM
http://gizmodo.com/384356/glossy-black-iphone-3g-is-just-a-third+party-case
ali cengiz @ Apr 26th 2008 11:24AM
http://www.fasilmeyhane.com taksim fasıl meyhane
Christopher Mata @ Apr 26th 2008 11:35AM
So when SDK comes out this June, will us 4gb(haha i know) iphone users need to use wifi in order to download the applications or will they be able to be streamed through the edge network? Also to use the applications which you need to be online, such as aim, will you need to use wifi?
doudOSX @ Apr 26th 2008 11:40AM
funny every time a thing about microsoft is posted its like a ohhh watever ms sucks and wen a apple thinng is posted its a 303 comment flame war
doudOSX @ Apr 26th 2008 11:40AM
funny every time a thing about microsoft is posted its like a ohhh watever ms sucks and wen a apple thinng is posted its a 303 comment flame war
doudOSX @ Apr 26th 2008 11:42AM
funny every time a thing about microsoft is posted its like a ohhh watever ms sucks and wen a apple thinng is posted its a 303 comment flame war WTF DO ALL OF YOU USE LINUX WTF DONT SHIT ON APPLE CAUSE YOU ALL ARE F**KING SAD THAT YOU CANT GET ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
doudOSX @ Apr 26th 2008 11:43AM
I HATE ENGADEGT COMMENT SYSTEM
Bradleybang @ Apr 26th 2008 11:49AM
A2DP?
California as well as most states will begin to require the use of handsfree (.Ie bluetooth devise) for use in the car. We user do not want to carry around two headsets. One of the reasons people buy a iphone is to have only one device for mp3 & phone.
Apple needs to get the A2DP bluetooth spec working on there year old iphone! Hell my Sony Ericson phone from 3 years ago had this feature.
DomZ @ Apr 26th 2008 12:16PM
Owned by Gizmodo. Rumor smashed.
General Grant @ Apr 26th 2008 12:33PM
The glossy black iPhone rumor is about as real as this one. http://www.iphonesavior.com/black-3g-iphone-2-leaked-photo.html
Or even the green Hulk iPhone version. Save the drama for the dali llama. http://www.iphonesavior.com/white-iphone-red-iphone-and-colors-2008.html
DomZ @ Apr 26th 2008 12:39PM
http://gizmodo.com/384356/glossy-black-iphone-3g-is-just-a-third+party-case
[ W ] @ Apr 26th 2008 1:26PM
@dave
You are a true Windows Mobile/Microsoft fanboy
Chris.calc @ Apr 26th 2008 1:44PM
I am a current iPhone owner and this is all I can say. The device itself is great, integration is fantastic.
I am just totally pissed that a phone with so much promise is tethered to the crappiest cell network in the country.
It's like buying a Porsche and putting bicycle tires on it.
That's just my opinion.
JA.3 @ Apr 26th 2008 1:50PM
ahaha Clak's FAQ was just great.. Had me rolling.
I can't really enter the battle here between WM & the iPhone.. As I have never owned a Windows Mobile device.
But I enjoy the iPhone, because unlocked & jailbroken (for me) it's better than any phone I've owned or messed around with.
To each his own though.
Travis Tomlinson @ Apr 26th 2008 2:20PM
Gizmodo busted this rumor http://gizmodo.com/384356/glossy-black-iphone-3g-is-just-a-third+party-case
That is kinda a slap in the face to me as an Engadget reader, considering I trust these guys just for them to throw faulty rumors around.
Marty K. @ Apr 26th 2008 2:29PM
Yay: Gizmodo with their investigative post on how this "glossy, black iPhone" is just a case!
Boo: Engadget for being gullible enough to originally post with a certain degree of certainty that the iPhone will come out in glossy black: "The most noticeable physical difference is back of the phone is no longer metal -- the whole thing is glossy black, from top to bottom."
Double Boo: Engadget for backpedaling by updating original post to save face and now claim that "we're not by any means claiming the image above is the new iPhone, just an example of what it could look like given the info we received."
:: flashes gang sign :: Gizmodo, suckas!
J/K guys ... I'm a fan of both. Engadget just has egg on its face this time.
MacNewb @ Apr 26th 2008 2:31PM
A larger second gen Apple device??? BLASPHEMY!
Hexxeh @ Apr 26th 2008 2:33PM
Really obvious photoshop: http://blog.hexxeh.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/iphonefake.jpg
Someone just scribbled out the Colourware markings.
DomZ @ Apr 26th 2008 2:37PM
One of these days you will link back to Giz and acknowledge your failure. It would be a classy move.
docrock @ Apr 26th 2008 2:53PM
If they made the phone 24k gold, working on all networks, completely open source, unlocked, user changeable battery, and with copy and paste... all for the low low price of $19.99 some of you whiners would still complain that it is not available in Silver or some crap like that.
They do research and they talk to mostly regular types. the fact that you are reading this blog and better yet the vast caverness voids of the comments sections tell you that you are not the common user John Q. Public. As a tech type we should all try and understand the difficulties of reaching everyones itch.
I'm just saying it's been a year... if you got one by now you most likely really love it or close to it after software releases in June. If you don't then you probably won't have one soon 'cause it just ain't for you. I'm not a fan of flat butt women; however, i can at least appreciate the finer points of all women and choose the kind for me. (I'm part Latino.. we just have to have the booty... it's the J-lo complex. Sorry!).
We will see it when it comes and just try to appreciate what Apple has done for the industry and not knock the product just because it not you type of booty.
Aloha,
stiltskin @ Apr 26th 2008 3:03PM
Thicker wtf?
J. Evans Turner @ Apr 26th 2008 3:27PM
A2DP, please?
roole @ Apr 26th 2008 3:57PM
Wow. 329 comments. Go figure.
The sheer ignorance of these masses must make all the iPhone-loathers on engadget want to throw up!
Heh heh.......
roole @ Apr 26th 2008 4:00PM
Oh, and a possibly fake one at that....... priceless!
Heh heh heh....
Elliot @ Apr 26th 2008 4:19PM
AT&T exclusive?
Or could this one come on any network?
Elliot @ Apr 26th 2008 4:20PM
Like T-Mobile?
Not on contract, but like unlocked and could be used with any SIM?
Chris @ Apr 26th 2008 4:25PM
I find it interesting that Apple would go with the glossy black plastic when they are phasing out glossy plastic in favor of Aluminium??
Hunter Camp @ Apr 26th 2008 4:32PM
I went to me local AT&T store today and asked about the new iPhone, and he told me more than he should have. This pic is definitely not what the new iPhone will be because there will be no 8GB model, so there ya go!
check out my post about it
http://scoopvendor.com/2008/04/26/2nd-generation-iphone-confirmed/