Welcome to 2007/The Power of Portability
01/09/07 04:10 PM Filed in: Technology
History was made on
Tuesday, January 9th, 2007, by Apple, Inc. It was:
115 x 61 wide x 11.6mm
3.5 inch multi-touch display screen
320 by 480 at 160 ppi
4gb or 8gb storage
Wi-fi (802.11 b/g), EDGE, or Bluetooth 2.0
2 megapixel camera
4.8 ounces
Up to 5 hours of battery for talk/video/browse
Up to 16 hours of battery for audio
And yes, it does run Mac OS X.
Introducing the new iPhone from Apple.
When Steve Jobs stood on the stage at Macworld on Tuesday and presented the iPhone in all of its glory to the masses, he wasn't just selling us a new phone--he was selling us the future! A future where the iPod, phone, internet, and essentially a PDA all come together on one OS X platform in a handheld device!!
Also released on Tuesday was the Apple TV, though it's significance was severely dwarfed with it being released next to something as spectacular as the iPhone. But I'll cover the Apple TV in all of it's glory in another post.
Apple is known for the effort they put into the design and simplicity of their products. The iPhone is no exception. But the iPhone is more than a pretty phone. Much more.
You navigate the iPhone using multi-touch technology. That is to say, you simply apply pressure to the screen to make the device perform various functions. Tap to click, slide to scroll, two fingers down and pinch to zoom in and out, etc. I would love to get my hands on one of these just to experience it, but the day where that might happen seems very far away at this point.
There was a lot of speculation as to what Apple was going to release at Tuesday's Keynote. Some people said a widescreen iPod. Others said an iPhone. Others said other things, like a wireless internet device, or a newer model of the laptops or desktops. Apple took three of those rumors and made them reality, but instead of three separate devices, they have put them perfectly into one handheld device.
The iPod is, of course, a widescreen, touch screen iPod that piggy-backs off of the phones 4gb or 8gb memory. The iPod feature now supports CoverFlow, which is really neat to see. The videos are such high quality as well, they look fabulous on the little screen.
The phone has many more features than even the smartest of smart phones. Of biggest note (I think), the iPhone syncs with your computer in the exact same way your iPod does... even the same cable, I believe. It also syncs through iTunes. Every time you plug your iPhone into the dock, it will charge and update all of your music, contacts, calendar events, movies, photos, favorites, mail, and more... And you don't even have to click anything!
To make a call, simply click contacts, scroll through your list with the flip of your finger, and click on the name you wish to dial. It's that easy! Now calling... place the phone next to your ear and a sensor automatically senses a close object (your face) and turns off the display to save battery. Bring the phone back down in front of you and the display with turn back on automatically.
As I said, the phone runs OS X, so all of the main features from your Mac will also be on the iPhone. For instance iCal, Mail, and Safari. iPhone is the first portable device to support a fully featured web browser. The entire browser runs natively on your iPhone, which is truly amazing. If you can't read the text on the page after it loads, simple place down to fingers and push them apart to zoom in... or just double tap on the area and it will automatically zoom in where you tapped. The phone will automatically detect a Wi-fi or Bluetooth internet connection, if present. If not present, it will automatically (if it's in your plan) log you on to the network's (Cingular) wireless internet via the cell phone towers. As soon as you move back into an area with Wi-fi, it will take you off of the network's wireless internet and place you on the free Wi-fi without even bothering you with a notice dialog.
There are three main sensors in the iPhone. One senses if objects are close, to turn off the display when the phone is held up to your face. The other senses ambient light, to dim the screen when lights are turned off to conserve energy. And the third is a motion sensor. In any application on the iPhone, simply turn it on it's side and the phone goes into widescreen. Turn it back upright and the image is readjusted properly.
Mail. A fully functional mail client is also provided with the iPhone, and it will read from any POP or SMTP server. Popular email clients which support POP and SMTP are Yahoo!, Gmail, AOL, and I believe Earthlink. No, not Hotmail or MSN. Not without a charge, of course... what do you expect? It's Microsoft!
The phone supports Google Maps, so if you're lost, or just want to know where the nearest Starbucks is relevant to your current position on the globe, never fear... your iPhone is near!
Of course the phone supports SMS text messaging. I'm not 100%, but I also believe SMS can be a chat client, so if you're on a wireless network it won't charge you for a text, it will simply IM for free.
All typing is done with an onscreen QWERTY keyboard that you simply touch with your fingers. I've heard that it takes a bit of getting used to, but what phone doesn't? I've also heard that's the only thing on the phone that takes some getting used too--everything else is so simple it's astounding.
Basically, the iPhone is way, way, way, WAY more than just a phone. It's an iPod, a phone, an internet communicator, and Jobs doesn't refer to it as this, but I do: A PDA. Because it essentially does every function OF a PDA... and then some! All for a reasonable price of $499 ($599 for the 8gb). It seems a bit steep at first glance, but if you think about all the functions it has, it really is a reasonable price.
Of course, the biggest downside to the entire phone is the exclusive service provider, Cingular. I don't have a problem with Cingular except that I don't use them. My Grandpa does, but I won't be able to talk him into getting an iPhone. I think it would have been a smarter choice on Apple's part to make the phone universal, but they didn't ask me. And I'm sure they had their reason. Another problem with the phone is Apple's insistence, once again, to make the battery as difficult as possible to get to. Apple strives for simplicity in every way... their are three, and only three actual buttons you can click on the iPhone. The rest is touch screen. But their batteries for all iPods and most of their devices are always obscure and hard to get to. You basically have to take it in to a shop to get it replaced. But the phone is still impressing me, even with those two bummers.
Imagine the possibilities of a device this powerful... and portable! The sheer thought of it blows my mind, and I haven't even got to hold one yet, I've just seen one in use and read many articles on them. Infinite information at your fingertips. The possibilities are endless. What is Apple going to amaze us with next in the near future? Apple has reinvented the phone and completely changed the way we look at communication and the limits we had placed on it.
(For the record, and just to clear this up for all of you out there, if Microsoft had come out with a phone of this magnitude, yes, I would be writing an article on it. The fact is, Microsoft doesn't have anything like this. Apple does, so I'm covering it. End of discussion.)
115 x 61 wide x 11.6mm
3.5 inch multi-touch display screen
320 by 480 at 160 ppi
4gb or 8gb storage
Wi-fi (802.11 b/g), EDGE, or Bluetooth 2.0
2 megapixel camera
4.8 ounces
Up to 5 hours of battery for talk/video/browse
Up to 16 hours of battery for audio
And yes, it does run Mac OS X.
Introducing the new iPhone from Apple.
When Steve Jobs stood on the stage at Macworld on Tuesday and presented the iPhone in all of its glory to the masses, he wasn't just selling us a new phone--he was selling us the future! A future where the iPod, phone, internet, and essentially a PDA all come together on one OS X platform in a handheld device!!
Also released on Tuesday was the Apple TV, though it's significance was severely dwarfed with it being released next to something as spectacular as the iPhone. But I'll cover the Apple TV in all of it's glory in another post.
Apple is known for the effort they put into the design and simplicity of their products. The iPhone is no exception. But the iPhone is more than a pretty phone. Much more.
You navigate the iPhone using multi-touch technology. That is to say, you simply apply pressure to the screen to make the device perform various functions. Tap to click, slide to scroll, two fingers down and pinch to zoom in and out, etc. I would love to get my hands on one of these just to experience it, but the day where that might happen seems very far away at this point.
There was a lot of speculation as to what Apple was going to release at Tuesday's Keynote. Some people said a widescreen iPod. Others said an iPhone. Others said other things, like a wireless internet device, or a newer model of the laptops or desktops. Apple took three of those rumors and made them reality, but instead of three separate devices, they have put them perfectly into one handheld device.
The iPod is, of course, a widescreen, touch screen iPod that piggy-backs off of the phones 4gb or 8gb memory. The iPod feature now supports CoverFlow, which is really neat to see. The videos are such high quality as well, they look fabulous on the little screen.
The phone has many more features than even the smartest of smart phones. Of biggest note (I think), the iPhone syncs with your computer in the exact same way your iPod does... even the same cable, I believe. It also syncs through iTunes. Every time you plug your iPhone into the dock, it will charge and update all of your music, contacts, calendar events, movies, photos, favorites, mail, and more... And you don't even have to click anything!
To make a call, simply click contacts, scroll through your list with the flip of your finger, and click on the name you wish to dial. It's that easy! Now calling... place the phone next to your ear and a sensor automatically senses a close object (your face) and turns off the display to save battery. Bring the phone back down in front of you and the display with turn back on automatically.
As I said, the phone runs OS X, so all of the main features from your Mac will also be on the iPhone. For instance iCal, Mail, and Safari. iPhone is the first portable device to support a fully featured web browser. The entire browser runs natively on your iPhone, which is truly amazing. If you can't read the text on the page after it loads, simple place down to fingers and push them apart to zoom in... or just double tap on the area and it will automatically zoom in where you tapped. The phone will automatically detect a Wi-fi or Bluetooth internet connection, if present. If not present, it will automatically (if it's in your plan) log you on to the network's (Cingular) wireless internet via the cell phone towers. As soon as you move back into an area with Wi-fi, it will take you off of the network's wireless internet and place you on the free Wi-fi without even bothering you with a notice dialog.
There are three main sensors in the iPhone. One senses if objects are close, to turn off the display when the phone is held up to your face. The other senses ambient light, to dim the screen when lights are turned off to conserve energy. And the third is a motion sensor. In any application on the iPhone, simply turn it on it's side and the phone goes into widescreen. Turn it back upright and the image is readjusted properly.
Mail. A fully functional mail client is also provided with the iPhone, and it will read from any POP or SMTP server. Popular email clients which support POP and SMTP are Yahoo!, Gmail, AOL, and I believe Earthlink. No, not Hotmail or MSN. Not without a charge, of course... what do you expect? It's Microsoft!
The phone supports Google Maps, so if you're lost, or just want to know where the nearest Starbucks is relevant to your current position on the globe, never fear... your iPhone is near!
Of course the phone supports SMS text messaging. I'm not 100%, but I also believe SMS can be a chat client, so if you're on a wireless network it won't charge you for a text, it will simply IM for free.
All typing is done with an onscreen QWERTY keyboard that you simply touch with your fingers. I've heard that it takes a bit of getting used to, but what phone doesn't? I've also heard that's the only thing on the phone that takes some getting used too--everything else is so simple it's astounding.
Basically, the iPhone is way, way, way, WAY more than just a phone. It's an iPod, a phone, an internet communicator, and Jobs doesn't refer to it as this, but I do: A PDA. Because it essentially does every function OF a PDA... and then some! All for a reasonable price of $499 ($599 for the 8gb). It seems a bit steep at first glance, but if you think about all the functions it has, it really is a reasonable price.
Of course, the biggest downside to the entire phone is the exclusive service provider, Cingular. I don't have a problem with Cingular except that I don't use them. My Grandpa does, but I won't be able to talk him into getting an iPhone. I think it would have been a smarter choice on Apple's part to make the phone universal, but they didn't ask me. And I'm sure they had their reason. Another problem with the phone is Apple's insistence, once again, to make the battery as difficult as possible to get to. Apple strives for simplicity in every way... their are three, and only three actual buttons you can click on the iPhone. The rest is touch screen. But their batteries for all iPods and most of their devices are always obscure and hard to get to. You basically have to take it in to a shop to get it replaced. But the phone is still impressing me, even with those two bummers.
Imagine the possibilities of a device this powerful... and portable! The sheer thought of it blows my mind, and I haven't even got to hold one yet, I've just seen one in use and read many articles on them. Infinite information at your fingertips. The possibilities are endless. What is Apple going to amaze us with next in the near future? Apple has reinvented the phone and completely changed the way we look at communication and the limits we had placed on it.
(For the record, and just to clear this up for all of you out there, if Microsoft had come out with a phone of this magnitude, yes, I would be writing an article on it. The fact is, Microsoft doesn't have anything like this. Apple does, so I'm covering it. End of discussion.)