iPhone 3G: everything you ever wanted to know (but were afraid to ask)
By Ryan Block 
posted Jun 12th 2008 2:10PM
posted Jun 12th 2008 2:10PM
If you're anything like us, just about everyone in your family has called you up this week to ask if you think they should get the iPhone 3G; it really doesn't help matters that there's just an absurd amount of (mis)information floating around about it right now, too. So this one's for you and your fam -- we're dishing out the straight dope on iPhone 3G, a to z, so feel free to pass it on.So, what's with the new iPhone 3G?
Well, it's pretty much the same iPhone as before -- except now it's down to $200, and has way faster 3G data, A-GPS (which is even better than regular GPS), as well as a flush headphone jack (which is great for anyone who doesn't want to use Apple's bundled headphones). Oh, and it's also a little thinner around the edges, and a little thicker at the center. If you want to know what it was like to try out, check out our iPhone 3G hands-on.
How'd they get the price so low? The iPhone used to be crazy expensive.
Actually, depending on how you do the math it's not actually cheaper. Now, in some countries the iPhone is free when you sign up for service, and in the US you'll pay $200 for the 8GB model -- half what it was a month ago -- so you're definitely paying less up front. But the data plans cost more now, so you might wind up spending more money over the long run.
Um, ok.
Look, gadgets only get cheaper as time goes on, and Apple's sold enough iPhones to continue to lower their cost to manufacture each unit. But more importantly, Apple's re-arranged its business deals to get carrier subsidies. Basically, what that means for Apple is they've decided to stop asking their carrier-partners for a cut of your monthly service fees. In exchange, the carriers have agreed to pay a significant chunk of the cost of your new iPhone 3G in order to get you to sign up.
So everybody supposedly wins: Apple sells more devices and still makes good money, AT&T gets more subscribers, and you get a cheaper iPhone. But there is a financial toll to this: AT&T estimates that helping you pay for your new iPhone will actually cost them $600 million through 2010. But clearly the numbers indicate that the short term cost will be worth it for them the long run.
Does that mean Apple doesn't make as much money per phone?
For all we know Apple might actually be making more money per phone now. With the original iPhone 3G, you paid "full price" for an iPhone -- $600 at its high point. Now you'll be paying no more than $200 (and as little as nothing in some countries) for the 8GB model, so we don't really know exactly how much of Apple's price the carriers are knocking off. We think it's fair to assume it'd still be in the $400-450 retail range, though, if it wasn't subsidied. Which it is.
What's up with the data and SMS pricing?
Well, Apple will be in 70 countries (and counting) this year, so you'll get different plans from region to region. But in the US, users will have to sign up for a minute plan that includes an extra $30 rate for 3G data access (and has no bundled text messages). This is $10 more than the original iPhone's rate plan, which was $20 for data and 200 included SMSs. Matching voice plans start at $40 per month, so you'll basically be able to get started at $70 per month. (We've also got a bit more on AT&T's new plans here.)
I heard you can't activate the iPhone at home anymore, is that true?
This is still a little fuzzy. Here's the deal: with the first iPhone, Apple used to let you buy it in the store and take it home to activate. This process is unlike almost every other phone on the market, but since it's Apple, and because you were paying full price for the device, if you never activated it with AT&T or just unlocked it and sent it to your friend in China or whatever, it wasn't a big deal. Apple made their money on the device, and AT&T didn't lose anything.
But since now AT&T is basically picking up a huge portion of the cost of your iPhone 3G, they want to make damn sure you aren't going to unlock it or send it to a friend. From what we've heard, you'll likely have to start the activation process in-store (so Apple and AT&T knows exactly who's buying the device), and then you might be able to finish it off at home. It's definitely not ideal, but it's the only way they can prevent people from basically walking away with a few hundred dollars of AT&T's money. And at the end of the day, it probably won't be WORSE than buying any other kind of phone though -- anyone who's bought a phone from a US carrier in the last 10 years will be well acquainted with the process.
I heard you have to turn over your iPhone when you upgrade, is that true?
Naw, you bought it, it's yours to hang on to. But if you bought one within Apple's grace period, they'll let you upgrade it free. (More on that below.) But if you bought an original iPhone early on -- which means half of your two year contract is about up -- know that when you buy an iPhone 3G you'll be re-upping that two year contract from date of purchase. So if you buy an iPhone 3G on day one, your new contract will expire on July 11th, 2010.
So if I bought an original iPhone, I can trade it in for an iPhone 3G?
Yes, but only if you bought it AFTER May 27th, 2008. Anyone who bought theirs before that has to live with their purchase -- not that anyone can stop you from showing up to your local Apple store and raising a ruckus.
Can I continue using my original iPhone? Will they still update it?
Yes, and yes! Although the first gen iPhone is officially no longer being made, not even Apple would be so bold as to deactivate the 6m iPhones already out there. They intend to release their big 2.0 software release for iPhones and iPods touch on or around July 11th, which will be the same software running on the iPhone 3G.
What if I decide I don't like the iPhone 3G?
Apple and AT&T offer a 30-day money back guarantee (just in case you don't get coverage in the places you most often frequent). After that you pay a $175 early termination fee (ETF), which goes down each month over the course of your 24 month contract.
Is faster 802.11n WiFi supported?
Nope, it's still just 802.11b/g. Seriously though, you're a fringe case if you need more than 54Mbps to your cellphone.
Can I use voice and data at the same time?
Yes and no: unlike the original iPhone -- which did not support EDGE class A, and sent calls to voicemail while you were browsing the web -- the UMTS / HSDPA-based iPhone 3G should be able to handle data and calls at the same time when in 3G mode. So that means if you get coverage, you'll be fine. But if you're in a spot where there's only EDGE service, you likely won't be able to do voice and data at the same time.
I heard rumors that this thing can get up to 40Mbps over 3G, is that true?
Right now AT&T's HSDPA network is supposedly capped out at 1.4Mbps for phones, but we hear the iPhone is rated for HSDPA 3.6 (3.6Mbps), and AT&T claims its network speeds will go even faster than that by next year.
What did they mean by "greatly improved" audio quality?
Well, we heard about it two ways: Apple claims they've both improved the audio circuitry and quality of the signal to your headphones, but also cleaned up the in-call sound quality. We haven't tested this at length though, so we'll let you know if that's the case once it launches.
Can I use the iPhone on any carrier?
It's not unlocked, so no, you can't. While we're sure that iPhone hackers will figure out a way to unlock it for the betterment of all mankind, you're pretty much expected to use it with your designated domestic carrier, and pay the usual exorbitant roaming fees when you leave the country.
I hear that even though it has GPS I can't use it as a nav unit, what's up with that?
According to the SDK agreement, it looks like Apple doesn't want you using your iPhone to replace your Garmin. But it should still technically be feasible, and they demoed their Google Maps app doing geo-caching, so it's really a matter of intended use. Apple, apparently, doesn't want the device to be used that way -- but at the end of the day it may just be a contract mishap. We'll know soon!
Why doesn't it do video / MMS / A2DP / scrub my callouses / pick up my dry cleaning?
Clearly Apple has the technological prowess to make (most of) that stuff happen, but for whatever reason they've chosen not to support it. Maybe it's because of battery life issues, maybe it's because Steve just didn't see the need. Either way, it's a philosophical decision for them, so they may never change it. Bummer, right?
So what the hell do I do with my old iPhone?
The funny thing about a $200 3G iPhone is that it makes it pretty difficult to sell your original iPhone. Unless you know someone who doesn't need the 3G, we'd suggest keeping it as a backup, or even jailbreaking and unlocking for use when traveling overseas (in places have GSM networks).
If you do try to sell or give away your old phone, do yourself a favor and read about how you can completely erase it. Just hitting the format iPhone button won't actually remove all your data, and you really don't want your private conversations and passwords to be recovered by someone else, do you?
All that's well and good, but I have a question you didn't answer.
42. Just kidding. Leave it in the comments below! If it's a good one (and something we have or can get the answer to) we'll add it in!
Reader followup questions
Chris asks: Can these devices be purchased and given as gifts?
No. You will need to walk out of the AT&T or Apple store with the device activated.
Greekjgg asks: What if I want to buy one for work which already uses AT&T for company account? I can't activate in store, obviously, so will it be possible to to buy without a contract?
We don't have details yet but iPhones for business use will likely be provisioned through your company's IT department.
Tons of people ask: If I purchase an original iPhone from a friend will I be able to get the old data plan pricing? Or will I need to sign up at the new, more expensive rate?
Yes. You can get the old data plan price if someone gives you a device and you establish service for yourself.
Chris and SeditioN VII ask: What's the no-commitment price?
We have not yet announced the unsubsidized price.
We follow up: So you WILL be able to buy it without the two year commitment?
We haven't announced whether or not that will be offered.
Vic asks: Will long-time customers who are otherwise eligible for a free or reduced-price handset upgrades be able to lower the price when buying the iPhone 3G?
No one will pay less than $199 for the 8GB or $299 for the 16GB models. As you know, those are subsidized prices.
Matt asks: Say I just recently signed up with AT&T, standard contract. Now I want to get an iPhone 3G -- will I have to pay more than $199 for the phone because it's subsidized? For example, if I were to upgrade to a Blackberry now, I can't get the advertised $99 price (because I am a new, existing subscriber); my price is $374.
It depends on whether or not you are eligible for an upgrade.
We ask: What is the penalty for not activating the phone in 30 days? How will that be enforced?
[no comment given]
Hmmm did you ever think people really want to hear this stuff? And by you clicking the the link to comment on this article, that is showing engadget that people want to read these articles because of the number of visits it gets. Be smart, leave engadget cause no one here will miss you. We all know you're getting an iPhone 3G anyways lol
Seriously, the data plan is more money with no SMS? That's a slight dealbreaker. Also, if I bought and iPhone last June and want an iPhone 3G is it still $199 or is it a higher 'upgrade' price?
That depends if you are eligible for an upgrade yet. If you are eligible then you will get it for the 2 year pricing i.e $199/$299
As for data....its really not that bad, considering every other smartphone on AT&T is a $30 data plan
@Coolone3000: Actually I am paying $20 for my data plan (MEdia Max 200) - unlimited Internet and 200 messages with my Nokia N95.
(Which, incidentally, still blows the 3G iPhone out of the water)
So anyone who purchased the original iPhone at MSRP (not subsidized by ATT) should automatically be eligible for the upgrade, since we only signed a contract for the iPhone "service" which sucks by the way... Am I wrong here??? If ATT does not agree, I definitely will not continue to be a customer of theirs.
Thats because some nice AT&T employee is helping you out, or just had no idea what plan to give you. The standard smartphone/PDA plan is $30, there sometimes isn't a clear way to police this within AT&T, so if the employee wanted to be nice to you, he could give you the Media Max plan and AT&T wouldn't know the difference (at least not for a while). I used to work for AT&T and i would do this to get a sale sometimes, also you have an overseas phone with no subsidy, anyone who buys a smartphone/PDA under contract is required to have a $30 data plan to actually get their mail in rebate back.
@Scott
And no Scott, just because they didn't subsidize the original iPhone doesn't mean you didn't sign a contract that says you will continue service for 2 years. However, that doesn't mean that you're not eligible for an upgrade in which AT&T will allow you to buy the iPhone for the $199/$299 price and restart your contract. Your eligibility depends on how long you've had your phone, if you pay your bill on time, and how much money you spend, you will just have to check it out.
True. I have an ATT 8525 and I also am using the MediaMax 200 plan which is unlimited internet, and 200 txt messages for $20/month.
I'm really considering getting an iPhone 3G, but to increase my data plan $10/mo AND have to pay more for texts is a hard pill to swallow.... stupid recession! I may just tell people to email me, and forget SMS.
Thanks Engadget for this all encompassing FAQ.
According to tuaw current iPhone owners will be allowed to upgrade to the 3G iPhone at the subsidized price but are subject to the same activation requirments.
http://www.tuaw.com/2008/06/10/iphone-upgrade-breakdown/
"To quote from the AT&T memo:
When the 3G device launches, all active postpaid customers in good standing with a 2G iPhone will be eligible to receive the qualified upgrade pricing for a 3G device regardless of service tenure. (Customers that would not otherwise be eligible due to tenure will be made eligible at launch)."
I think I'll stick with my unlimited data and 200 SMS for $20/month and a year down on my contract. I've been fine with Wi-Fi and the faux-GPS is enough to help me when I need some direction.
I'm waiting for the iPhone v3.0 (Too soon?)
=P
There is already an iPhone app that will allow you to send SMS over IP which will help cut down on your text messages.
The existing iPhone's lowest data plan is $20 including 200 SMS and unlimited data -- Any word on whether they'll continue to offer this data plan on non-3G iPhones post 7/11?
I agree, the no TXTs is kinda a deal breaker for me too. I was OK with $10 a month more... but ATT being to cheap to give me a few TXTs is just lame. I really want an iphone, but I feel like I'm being a stooge if I pay $15 a month more than it costs on TMO for the same service.
really? again?
Oh they will keep doing this all the way into August.
This is the "sell" phase of the campaign. This is when, after the "Hype" build-up phase, they saturate you with continuous fluff and repeat information that has already been posted several times. This is a continuous advertisement in the form of blog posts. A blog-vertisement.
It's basically just to keep it in the news with the hope that you will think Apple and nothing else. They did this with all Apple products, like the AppleTV, MBA, Iphone SDK. And no they dont do this with any other companies products.
It's not just Engadget it's Gizmodo, Airs, and various other tech news sites as well.
Of course they like to pretend that they are soooooo sick of these posts themselves, which is such a lie it's laughable.
Well said, Fred.
No clue why anyone sees the need to complain. Fine, we get it, some people don't care about the iPhone. And for you there will be a fresh post coming along in a few minutes. If you hate iPhone coverage so much, there are a lot of other really amazing sites to read.
But for the thousands, even millions of people who clearly do care a lot about this device, our aim is to provide the information they're after. There is absolutely no question that from a user interest standpoint, more people come to tech sites like Engadget looking for information about the iPhone than for any other device. And at a certain point in any business, be it material or media, supply must attempt to meet demand.
but, but, but... Ryan.... what will everyone join in a rant about with a common enemy?
"No clue why anyone sees the need to complain. Fine, we get it, some people don't care about the iPhone."
No, we would liker to see you over the top commitment for all things Apple applied to everyone's products
"And for you there will be a fresh post coming along in a few minutes. If you hate iPhone coverage so much, there are a lot of other really amazing sites to read."
So you're basically admitting that yes, we are in the tank for Apple, we will post something about them every few moments, we dont give the same treatment to other products, and we dont want your readership if you dont like it. Many people came here because they thought this site was amazing itself, but if you see it as just a platform for Apple PR then that's a real shame.
"But for the thousands, even millions of people who clearly do care a lot about this device, our aim is to provide the information they're after. There is absolutely no question that from a user interest standpoint, more people come to tech sites like Engadget looking for information about the iPhone than for any other device. And at a certain point in any business, be it material or media, supply must attempt to meet demand."
Really? Millions of people come to Engadget just to read about the iPhone? So how many readers do you have when you dont have another fluff piece on this product to post?
Why not just cut out the unimportant stuff from all these other companies and just run iPhone news then? Apparently Millions must keep coming here for something else.
People calm down your whining .. it takes a half millisecond to read the word "iPhone" and scroll downwards slightly to the next article -- it won't kill ya. It's like how people bitch about how I whine about displays sucking or the lack of snap-on game controller attachments to phones, grow up.
Btw, Ryan you should have answered the question what some of the alternatives already out there or coming out (Diamond, Xperia etc).
Ryan et al,
I know you have page count data to confirm this but just FYI, there are a lot of people who enjoy iPhone news.
People with nothing to complain about are more silent.
Thank you Ryan. I don't understand the hate about Apple news on this site. There's certainly enough other information about DARPA, robots, Verizon phones, etc. to satisfy. I keep looking for news about AT&T's plan pricing to see how much I'll take it in the a$$ and I appreciate the news compilations. Haters can go read TMZ or Perez Hilton!
Forget it, Ryan; just keep on doing what you do because you can't win, and you can't please them all.
Good on ya concerning the coverage.
@Ryan Block
Your last 14 Blogs, 11 of them were all either Apple or the iPhone products. I don't hate Apple or the iPhones. But stuff like these makes me want to hate them.
fred, is simple logic really that difficult for you, or are you just a budding trial lawyer?
how does stating "And for you there will be a fresh post coming along in a few minutes" amount to an admission that they're "in the tank for Apple"? Like he said, it's business, fool.
I totally get what you are saying Ryan....
But at the same time so many users complain about this that it would seem that you have gone above and beyond meeting demand....
I mean there is already a banner on the top of the site, why did you need to reiterate everything with redundant articles?
As far as this particular article goes, I actually find it acceptable, since you have aggregated everything so it is concise and informative. The thing is that after about fifty less-informative, scattered posts, it is hard not to get the impression that you guys are are just giddily typing away out of joy at any new Apple product.
Yeah good job Ryan! Its just that time of the month for Fred i'm sure. I guess he hasn't really looked around at every other news site on the web and noticed the large amount of news stories talking about the new iPhone.
yeah, i don't get it either. information is information. if you don't care, don't read it. it's just so fucking asinine to read something about a product, and then complain that you have to read too much about that product.
no one forces these overly opinionated people to read every post and comment; they just have too much time on their hands. but it's clearly not enough time to realize they don't know what they're talking about.
take off your tinfoil hat. there's no conspiracy. you are just ignorant.
@Ryan Block
I think the reason to complain is the fact that, maybe, just maybe there is a weblog or two dedicated to Apple. Not being a fanboy it may take me a sec to think of one, but for some reason http://www.tuaw.com/ rings a bell. Ever heard of it?
Now if I really cared about an iPhone, I'm sure I would expect to see a post exactly like this over on that site. Strangely you see a bunch of info about sdk and the app store, but it seems to lack the distinct feeling of a sales pitch that the posts on Engadget have. Probably something to do with the lower web traffic and/or the fact that if your reading http://www.tuaw.com/ your probably already part of the Apple flock.
One suggestion I thought of, and this may be quite a stretch, is given this duality of sites and info, what about a new site? Call it "The Unofficial Non-Apple Weblog". Unfortunately www.tunw.com is already taken, but I'm sure you guys could think up something else. That way the non apple sheep would only have to scroll through about half as many articles, since without Apple there would be half as many posts if not less.
This rant brought to you by those that still don't give a flying fuck about the iPhone.
I vote to keep it coming. And to ban all the post haters of any kind who are for some reason unable to scroll f*&$^&@ down.
"how does stating "And for you there will be a fresh post coming along in a few minutes" amount to an admission that they're "in the tank for Apple"? Like he said, it's business, fool."
Really, phanboy, try to grow up a little.
"Fine, we get it, some people don't care about the iPhone. And for you there will be a fresh post coming along in a few minutes."
Fresh post about what? From the tone of his post, I took it as: "We know you dont like all the iPhone news, and for you another one will be coming up any minute anyway"
If Ryan wants to be more clear on what that means, then I'm all ears.
And yes this is a business, and we are his customers. His customers want a bit more balance and a cooling down all the iPhone saturation and Block says "The hell with you!". Sounds like good business practice.
Apparently he thinks this site can run on Apple news alone and the fanatics that demand more of it. His loss if he follows through on that.
Just keep it coming, I like to read these.
really fred? you're the customer? what a riot! how much do you pay for engadget? how much do advertisers pay? oh yeah...
naw, but you're right, Ryan admitted it! BURRRN HIM!
...golly, it feels so good to be all grown up and hatin' like you!
"His customers want a bit more balance and a cooling down all the iPhone saturation and Block says "The hell with you!". Sounds like good business practice."
Uh, no. A couple of whiny customers bitch about something they could easily skip over. Ryan Block says we have non-iPhone news too.
Not everyone wants a cooling down of the iPhone saturation. Obviously Block knows a bit more about his audience than fred does :p
"really fred? you're the customer? what a riot! how much do you pay for engadget?"
Engadget = product
Readers = Customers
"how much do advertisers pay? oh yeah..."
They advertise on this site in hopes that people click on their ads. Have those people leave, and they pull the ads, and site looses money.
"naw, but you're right, Ryan admitted it! BURRRN HIM!"
Burn? No, try being smarter and improve the site so that people on both sides can enjoy the place, not to tell them to bug off.
"...golly, it feels so good to be all grown up and hatin' like you!"
Hatin'?
@fred
awww, sounds like someone got their panties in a twist. why is it that you're still here if you dislike posts about the iPhone/Apple so much?
Just HOW is A-GPS (which is not supported in my country by carriers) better than normal GPS, which works perfectly umm... worldwide even on a mountain without any carrier?
How is loading maps from the internet (slow+I have to pay for it each time I use GPS, can't use navigation) better than free (sometimes) pre-loaded maps of Europe, USA and my country/city with navigation?
How is totally inaccurate A-GPS better than more accurate GPS? GPS doesn't work in buildings, okay, but do you want a turn-by-turn navigation to your boss's office in a building? Or to the water closet? If iPhone doesn't have Sirf Star 3 chip (or a decent alternative), it doesn't have GPS support. A-GPS is not GPS. They are different technologies - one looks for satellites, another looks at base stations of the carrier.
A-GPS may start faster, but why would you want a global positioning system (read as navigation system) without a turn-by-turn navigation? Neither shows the number of the building...
here that, Ryan? you might "loose" fred as a member, then you'll lose all your ad revenue and no one will come here anymore and you'll be homeless and everyone will laugh at you!
fred, i really gotta hand it to you, you're one of the most sanctimonious trolls i've seen on these boards in some time.
not that it matters, but i'm personally not buying the new iPhone; i'm quite disappointed by it. that said, i'm still 1000x more interested in it than the latest freakin Epson projector or random laptop only coming out in Uzbekistan. even if i'm not thrilled with it or Apple and AT&T for a variety of reasons, it's still obviously newsworthy and a cultural phenomenon.
but what really compels me to respond me, fred, are your huge fallacies of logic. i mean seriously, you're just taking random unrelated statements from Ryan and just flatly asserting "SEE?!?! ITS TEH BIAS!!1"
we get it fred, you hate apple. good for you, you've got lots of company. but don't make shit up, k? thanks for playing.
lets rant about the usage of the word "netbooks".
I agree with Ryan.
Theres something GOD gave each and everyone whos posting in this thread...FREE WILL.
Exercise that shit. You'd be surprised to find out that you're FREE to go to WHATEVER website you want to visit for your gadget news...
Now shut the f*ck up about Engadget and the iPhone. Its the HOTTEST and most POPULAR device on the planet right now whether you like it or not. And guess what? Whether you like it or it kills you A LOT MORE people LOVE the iPhone than hate it.
Therefore there is a HUGE demand for news on it. Therefore Engadget being in the business of making I dunno MONEY should talk about it in order to get hits.
In short you're a HATER.
I'm not an Apple fanboy and I don't think I'll be getting the 3G iPhone. Its not too much of an improvement over the first one and there are other serious contenders to it. However I don't fault Engadget for doing what they do. Its THEIR website. NOT YOURS.
So move on little crybaby.
The iPhone coverage is not at the expense of other gadget coverage, so I will keep coming back to this site.
I don't know if anyone remembers the Aesop's fable about a farmer and son taking his donkey to the market. Anyway. the point of that story was that if you try to make every critic happy, you'll end up satisfying nobody.
Make the case that other gadgets news is being ignored or not appropriately covered in some fashion, then I'll prop my ears up.
"fred, i really gotta hand it to you, you're one of the most sanctimonious trolls i've seen on these boards in some time. "
"why is it that you're still here if you dislike posts about the iPhone/Apple so much?"
These are the guns they pull out when they basically run out anything else to say.
But anyway, I've never recalled saying I hated Apple postings, have you? The lopsided ratio of them to everything else, yes.
And no, I'm not a "sanctimonious trolls". I'm just something that most Apple zealots hate beyond anything else, a person that dissents from their tired Apple Uber Alles line of "logic" that cant understand how someone can think that differently. Dissent is unpatriotic!
I dont expect a "phanboy" to get that.
I love that you bitch about the Apple posts, yet make them INCREDIBLY relevant by posting a gazillion gripes about this content making it onto the blogs.
Get over it people. It's an awesome gadget. You don't like Apple, or their products? DON'T BUY THEM. Don't read the posts. Don't comment on the posts. Get on with your rewarding life using HTC, Samsung, Sony, Blackberry or whatever it is you like and use. End of story.
Lucky for you, and me, and everyone else, we are free to choose. If you don't agree with capitalism --Hugo Chavez might have a spot for you.
Cheers,
A
Americans have an inflated sense of entitlement and take no responsibility for themselves or their actions. (its always someone else's fault or responsibility)
I hate all these Apple posts therefore I chose to read them,and take the time to leave a verbose comment to that effect.
I have too much time on my hands.
Yeah not to mention the bias in this post:
"Why doesn't it do video / MMS / A2DP / scrub my callouses / pick up my dry cleaning?
Clearly Apple has the technological prowess to make (most of) that stuff happen, but for whatever reason they've chosen not to support it. Maybe it's because of battery life issues, maybe it's because Steve just didn't see the need. Either way, it's a philosophical decision for them, so they may never change it. Bummer, right?"
Are you serious Block? Acting like MMS is such a big deal? IT'S A BASIC FUNCTION OF ALMOST EVERY CELLPHONE NOW.
So did Steve Jobs shoot it in your mouth or in your eye this time?
fred, thanks for proving that you're brain dead beyond reproach. what part of "I don't like the new iPhone" don't you understand? jesus christ man, you're dressing yourself up as a patriot now? i don't care what your opinion is or how it differs from mine, but i WILL call you out on your bullshit, freddy got fingered
@dave: you're still in high school right?
"fred, thanks for proving that you're brain dead beyond reproach."
And you've proven the ability to converse like a teenager. Congrads to You.
"what part of "I don't like the new iPhone" don't you understand?"
I dont care if you do or dont, that isnt what this was even about.
" jesus christ man, you're dressing yourself up as a patriot now? i don't care what your opinion is or how it differs from mine, but i WILL call you out on your bullshit, freddy got fingered"
You've only stated that being critical of any aspect of this site is verboten. I dont believe that. And "fingered"? Do you have any other vulgar phrases you to use in place of a sentence?
"I dont care if you do or dont [like it], that isnt what this was even about."
Actually, you implied that I was on some fascist Apple fanboy squad on several occasions, so I've just caught you in another lie.
"You've only stated that being critical of any aspect of this site is verboten."
Really? How did you make it through high school? My ONLY point is that your FACTS are wrong. And I will call you out on your BULLSHIT. Comprendes, bandejo?
Are you done playing the victim yet? Look up "sanctimonious" and get back to me. Seriously, why do all the Apple haters sound like Stalinists?
fred:
"Engadget = product
Readers = Customers
They advertise on this site in hopes that people click on their ads. Have those people leave, and they pull the ads, and site looses money."
so with 300+ comments and what i'm sure are quite a few more pageviews, what part of continuing to post about the iPhone do you feel is hurting the advertisers?
do you think that people such as yourself outweigh the number of people who are indifferent/figured out how to scroll past the iPhone news and the people who are generally interested in the device? do you think ryan has a reason to be deceitful?
aside from just disliking the news yourself, i'm just trying to follow your logic here.
@CraigJ
No, just tired of the bullshit that even when apple releases a shitty product Engadget turns it into a positive, which is what this is.
Example:
"How'd they get the price so low? The iPhone used to be crazy expensive.
Actually, depending on how you do the math it's not actually cheaper. Now, in some countries the iPhone is free when you sign up for service, and in the US you'll pay $200 for the 8GB model -- half what it was a month ago -- so you're definitely paying less up front. But the data plans cost more now, so you might wind up spending more money over the long run."
Might wind up? are you kidding? ATT is locking you in to a more expensive plan and any way you calculate buying this phone (the legal way) it ends up costing more money. This is what I'm sick of, trying to look for the best of the worst in everything Apple and then shitting on other companies' products, Never will you see a truly unfavorable article against an Apple product or business decision on here, ever.
I'll admit too, that the amount of Apple posts on this site bugs me. But if other sites driveled on endlessly about products that I love, such as RIM and Sony products, it wouldn't phase me. Unfortunately, there are far less of sites when compared to the pro-Apple sites. And I think that's what gets to people.
You have to admit that even if the iPhone wasn't an amazing technical feat, Apple would still sell zillions of them. They would just make it look shiney and advertise the crap out of it like they do everything else, and it would sell.
@ Dave
I get what you are saying but what can you do? Engadget likes Apple and their products so they will remain positive towards them, as will I. This discussion can go on forever but I'll try to wrap this baby up in the tiniest package I can; Dave, you are a wanker.
Ryan, don't even bother. People like to bitch. In particular it's a disease of the internet, incurable bitching. If you stopped all Apple posting, and even if Apple fanboys said nothing, the usual suspects would find something else to bitch about or they'll find another site to do their bitching. Click on some of these profiles and read the comments. You will see that some people concentrate the majority of their posts on bitching. That said, I have found iPhone coverage to be a bit excessive but that's okay. If I don't want to read something I will skip over it.
If your model of operation is wrong, you'll know it. I'm sure you know that. But, I'm sure it's nice to hear once in a while that you guys are appreciated. From me, you are.
its like going to cnn.com and complaining that there are too many stories about the election
No clue why anyone sees the need to complain. Fine, we get it, some people care about the numerous iPhone posts complaints. And for you there will be a fresh comment coming along in a few seconds. If you hate iPhone ranting so much, there are a lot of other really amazing (?) comments to read.
But for the thousands, even millions (!) of people who clearly do care a lot about this device, their aim is to bitch in order to find an outlet for their furious anger. There is absolutely no question that from a user interest standpoint, more people come to tech sites like Engadget looking to bitch about the iPhone than for any other device. And at a certain point in any business, be it material or media, supply must attempt to meet demand.
@dave: I was referring to the last sentence of your post. Seems unnecessary to me, but if that's how you roll...
Actually, fred, phanbuoy is quite correct - the advertisers are the customers, not us.
Of course, Engadget aims to attract maximum readership for its customers and it seems posting about Apple products does the job.
Simple.
"Just HOW is A-GPS (which is not supported in my country by carriers) better than normal GPS, which works perfectly umm... worldwide even on a mountain without any carrier?
How is loading maps from the internet (slow+I have to pay for it each time I use GPS, can't use navigation) better than free (sometimes) pre-loaded maps of Europe, USA and my country/city with navigation?
How is totally inaccurate A-GPS better than more accurate GPS? GPS doesn't work in buildings, okay, but do you want a turn-by-turn navigation to your boss's office in a building? Or to the water closet? If iPhone doesn't have Sirf Star 3 chip (or a decent alternative), it doesn't have GPS support. A-GPS is not GPS. They are different technologies - one looks for satellites, another looks at base stations of the carrier.
A-GPS may start faster, but why would you want a global positioning system (read as navigation system) without a turn-by-turn navigation? Neither shows the number of the building..."
A-GPS is just GPS with an added bit. it uses cell tower locations to speed the fix up. if you have no signal then it's just regular GPS
Google or Wikipedia it before being an asshole...
I don't like the iPhone that much but that is just an insult to technology
@Craig
"I hate all these Apple posts therefore I chose to read them,and take the time to leave a verbose comment to that effect.
I have too much time on my hands."
DITTO!!!
So it's $10 more per month AND they took SMS out of the plan? Well, I guess I'm not nearly as sold as I thought I was. As much as I hate the phone selection on Sprint (especially the selection they allow for Sero customers), I find it a lot more difficult to justify the monthly fee increase from $30 to $70, while simultaneously losing the ability to text without even more added cost... all for a phone (and one that may or may not have the GPS software to take advantage of the hardware). I was willing to pay double for an iPhone (going from $30 to $60), but now we're talking almost triple monthly.
@Dave, Dave, Dave : language young man. WTF!?
Leave Ryan Alone!!!!!!
ryan wrote: "And for you there will be a fresh post coming along in a few minutes. If you hate iPhone coverage so much, there are a lot of other really amazing sites to read."
to which fred replied: "So you're basically admitting that yes, we are in the tank for Apple, we will post something about them every few moments, we dont give the same treatment to other products, and we dont want your readership if you dont like it. Many people came here because they thought this site was amazing itself, but if you see it as just a platform for Apple PR then that's a real shame."
I don't understand how you could objectively interpret Ryan's response that way. Engadget reports on gadgets. It's not their fault that Apple is currently trendy, nor is it Engadget's fault that the iPhone is so hyped (and whether or not it deserves the hype is irrelevant). A lot of Engadget readers are interested in the iPhone, so Engadget posts a lot of stories about it.
Fred... just a thought: every time you click through to whine about an Apple post, you are adding one more tick to the number of times it is viewed, adding one more set of eyeballs for Ryan and his crew to sell ads to.
Furthermore, every time you reply, all the apple fans who have "E-Mail me when someone replies to this comment" checked get another email with a link back to this post, adding more value to the ad space on this page.
EVERY TIME YOU TROLL AROUND HERE BEING OBNOXIOUS, YOU ONLY ADD VALUE TO THE APPLE POSTS.
If you really want them to stop... GO AWAY. If you and all your Apple-disinterested buddies would just NOT CLICK IN TO THESE POSTS, their value would inherently go down, and Ryan and others would not see it as such a sound business decision to continue posting stories like this. You are just making dude richer by postin' it up in here, adding incentive to continue these posts.
Plus then, those of us that actually like these posts and see them as valuable (and yes, there are lots of us... at least 6 million) would get to have rational, valuable conversation. Neat, huh?
@Dave
Apple allows you to e-mail photos, this takes the place MMS. There are a million reasons for Apple to force you to do this instead of MMS. But there is not a doubt that they chose to do it this way because the benefits are greater than the costs.
Maybe they wanted to keep the phone plans simple. MMS could be more expensive for Apple or AT&T than using EDGE or 3G to send a photo. Maybe they're waiting to bring out Mobile Me so that you'll use that instead.
All the other phone companies are not Apple. They are based on the telco industry, not the computer industry. Apple chose to do this because Apple > Dave. And your opinion is definitely in the minority of people.
congratulations everyone on making this reply chain to the first post the longest one ever, off the first page. i hope thak unchecked email when someone replies :)
MMS is a basic feature, included in all of at&t's messaging plans, so it wouldn't be anything new or more expensive. And if I wanted to email a picture to somebody, I'd wait till I get home, cause if I was trying to send it from my phone, normally that means its a picture I want seen right away, not the next time the person recieving it decides to check their email.
And even RIM is starting to put A2DP on their phones now, relizing how big of a market it really is. With the iPhone being primarily a music phone, you'd think that it would be one of the first add on's to it.
I think that what people fail to realize is that Apple makes the product for the customer, not for it's higher ups. If it's really a problem for you (Like it is for me) don't buy it. But for those of you to which its not a problem, have at you. I have nothing against the iPhone, its just not the phone for me. Different folks, different strokes.
i thought of so many things i would like to say about this whole reply chain, but then i realized idiocy of almost everything in it. So, to go with the flow:
REPLY CHAIN CONTINUED...
@Phoenix..
Phoenix, you are wrong... never tell someone that they are an insult to technology if you are not 100% sure that you're correct. I would really hate to think that you got all of your info from ironic wikipedia (the fact site that you can change). Anyways, A-GPS will never be equal to or better than real GPS (fact). That's just the way it is, deal with it. That goes for Engadget too.. I'm disapointed you guys said that.
Has anyone else noticed that the iphone3G is just an iphone. I mean, its great that they have it with 3G, but didn't the original iphone have the 3g chipset when it was sent to the FCC in the beginning. I know the original had issues with the battery operation with the 3G chip (meaning: battery life was none existent.). The iPhone 3G just looks like they popped the original (and nicer) backing off, slapped a thicker battery in it (and possibly a new bluetooth A2DP chip) replaced the back with a "colorful" PLASTIC back and called it a new phone.
Perhaps I am used to Apple making real changes to their devices, but couldn't Apple send me a new battery and backing of my choice with a note on how to activate my 3G chip.
Any info on how jailbreakable the new iPhone will be?
^ wrong person?
WTF are you talking about?
Hmmmm my last post was for someone else, who's post i was replying to mysteriously disappeared.........strange. Maybe big brother engadget didn't like his comment??
Since it's more of the same,couldnt we just use the same stuff we've been using for the first iPhone to jailbreak it?
my stimulus check is supposed to be mailed no later than July 11, at $300. I planned on getting a 16 gig iphone at $299, could it be fate?
DAMN YOOOU APPLE!
If you don't have enough to get the full $600, maybe you shouldn't be buying a new iphone, it means one of two things:
1) you don't earn enough to get a net table income
2) You're in college and shouldn't be wasting $70/month when you can access the internet from anywhere on campus
Maybe how he spends his money is none of your business.
How do you spend your money (purely rhetorical, I really could give less than damn.....less than a femtodamn)? For all we know, you could spend $5k a month to fuel your seal clubbing hobby.
Apparently some of us pay too much in taxes to get a stimulus check. How stupid is it to give the people that don't pay taxes an extra tax refund?
jared, why be a douche? you should be more like derX. i really have a hard time understanding the basis of that comment
@ Jared
3) You just graduated college and didn't make enough last year to receive the full $600, but have a job this year making more in a month than Jared makes in a year.
Clubbing baby seals is an awesome good time.
The stimulus payment was just to make the oil companies richer. What else are you going to spend it on?
@Jared
If you make more than $75k single or $150k married, you don't get a stimulus at all. As you get closer to those numbers your stimulus check gets reduced.
Though I'm surprised (since this is a tech blog) that very many people have not gotten theirs already, if you used e-file you should have already gotten it... a while ago.
we all use pirated copies of tax software so we don't e-file. (please reconnect ethernet cable when done).
not again
yeah...you didnt tell us how many more posts we'll have on 3G iphone before it comes out?
Is it confirmed that the iPhone 3G won't have voice dialing? This seems like a necessity with all of the new legislation to prevent people from talking directly into their handsets or "texting" while driving.
OS X has had voice recognition built in for ages. It's a matter of implementing it into the version of OS X that runs on the iPhone. There's really no hard/soft-ware reason for it.
Thanks, that was some good information
Will this ever end? every bloddy day the same thing.
could you stop with the same crap every day. we get it, thre will be a 3g iPhone.
I know you guys get paid to bring this up but come on, end it please.
its a bloddy phone. I dont see you guys doing the same thing for the Touch Pro and Touch Diamond.
just go to a different tech blog jackass
Touch Pro and Touch Diamond aren't software platforms: they're wanna-bes for those that can't - or won't - buy from Apple.
how much did you pay for a subscription here at engadget again?
better clean those blod stains
wow, get butt hurt much?
> TheCow5 wrote:
> "Will this ever end? every bloddy day the same thing.
> could you stop with the same crap every day. we get it, thre will be a 3g
> iPhone.
> I know you guys get paid to bring this up but come on, end it please.
> its a bloddy phone. I dont see you guys doing the same thing for the
> Touch Pro and Touch Diamond."
Personally, I think the Diamond is a nifty gadget as well (with various advantages and disadvantages vs the iPhone), but the fact is that not as many people are interested in it.
What if I want to buy one for work which already uses ATT for company account? I can't activate in store obviously so I need to buy w/o a contract, will this be possible?
so existing iphone users will be able to re-up and take advantage of the subsidized price on the newer models?