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Apple 3G iPhone - Should You Get One?

2008-08-19T15:24:06Z

Getting a new cell phone can be a daunting task. With all the new features being released at blazing speeds it can be really hard to keep up. During your research you’ve more than like come across the iPhone. It’s one of the most searched terms on Google, and is one of the best selling phones on the market. But does that make it a good option for you?

Before I get into the dissection of the iPhone, let me first say that it’s a wonderful handset. Any feature you could think of for being on a cell phone is theoretically possible on the iPhone. Think for a second though; just because the iPhone can do all these, does that make it the right fit for me?

Here are some tech specs for the iPhone those who are into that kind of thing:

Height: 4.5 inches (115.5 mm)
Width: 2.4 inches (62.1 mm)
Depth: 0.48 inch (12.3 mm)
Weight: 4.7 ounces (133 grams)

UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
Wi-Fi (802.11b/g)
Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR

3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen Multi-Touch display
480-by-320-pixel resolution at 163 ppi

Ok, now that you’ve seen the technical specs of the 3G iPhone let’s look at the most important issue. Price. Well if you’re on budget then price is a factor, which might be where you start to feel iffy about the iPhone.

Prices For the 3G iPhone w/ Two Year Contract
8 GB - $199
16 GB - $299

Prices for the 3G iPhone w/o Two Year Contract
8 GB - $599
16 GB - $699

3G iPhone..aka..Phone Of The Future

So if for whatever reason you want an iPhone without signing a two year contract, might I suggest a cheaper notebook, or even desktop computer? The price gouging doesn’t end there either. How AT&T and Apple really hit the pocket book is with their data plans. The standard data plan for the 3G iPhone is $29.99. That is just for using the network for internet, text etc… Then you have to add on the voice plans which start at $39.99. Mind you this is just the bare bones of cost for the 3G iPhone.

Like I mentioned earlier the iPhone has more features and extras then any cell phone on the market. The App Store is littered with all kind of different programs which are useful on your 3G iPhone. Most of them are free, though some of them like Super Monkey Ball have a small fee. You can listen to music, watch videos, and eventually will be able to stream your iTunes playlist to your iPhone. After looking at the features of the iPhone, that $199/$299 price seems more and more reasonable.

When deciding on purchasing an iPhone, just remember all of these facts. Think to yourself, “Is the high price worth it to me for all it can do?”
If you think that you’ll use the iPhone to its full potential then definitely go purchase on immediately. If you want your handset to just call your friends, and family; and sending out the occasional text message then there’s definitely better/cheaper options.

Mac Freeware Of The Week

2008-08-18T15:20:42Z

iMedia Browser

Do you like the media browser that Apple includes in some of its applications, but wish you could use it from any application? Now you can. The iMedia Browser can be used whenever and wherever you need to access your library of music, videos, photos, and bookmarks.

Download

New Mac vs PC ads

2008-08-15T15:54:45Z

Here are two brand spanking new Mac vs PC ads for your viewing pleasure

iPhone 3G Connection Getting Fix?

2008-08-14T14:11:43Z

If you read BusinessWeek then you’ve no doubt heard about that the problems behind 3G connection issues have been discovered. For anyone having troubles connecting through 3G, you can blame your Infineon chipset for the problems.

While people have differing opinion on why the Infineon chipset is acting up, Apple has already said how they plan to fix it. There is a software update which according to sources should be coming at the end of September. Many believe that Apple for some reason set the software settings of 3G too low and isn’t capturing the full potential of the connection.

Of course there are others who believe that the 3G connection issues are simply a hardware problem. If this turns out to be the case, then the fix is much more complicated than just a software update. If Apple chooses to acknowledge the problem then this could call for some kind of hardware recall.

Best Buy Carrying iPhones In September

2008-08-13T13:46:05Z

Everything big happening to Apple seems to be going on next month. The rumors of the iPod Touch and MacBook series was reported on yesterday. Now it looks like another big happening will be going down in September.

I was working at Best Buy when Apple first started integrating itself into the electronics retailer. It wasn’t a whole lot, but the Apple section had some demos and an Apple specialist was generally there to answer questions. The marriage of Apple and Best Buy isn’t a weird fit, but Apple always tends to be a maverick or a loner. So their addition to the Best Buy supply is kind of surprising, but overall a good business decision.

Apple looks to add to the partnership even more when the iPhone goes on sale at Best Buy. Starting September 7th Best Buy will begin carrying Apple’s handset. Before this the iPhone could only be found at an Apple store or an AT&T carrier. As the fight for electronics grows on, and places like Wal-Mart and Target become more viable; Best Buy will have to find a way to differentiate itself from the competition.

Partnering with Apple is a good place to start.

Rumor: iPod Touch and MacBook Announced In September

2008-08-12T15:20:49Z

According to PcWorld.com we could be in store for some major announcements come September. The rumors involve mostly the iPod Touch and MacBook series. There are rumored announcements about lower prices, and new models for Apple’s most popular lines.

The iPod Touch is hopefully going to receiving a significant price cut, and could drop from $299 to $199. Some other rumors presented on PcWorld is that the iPod Touch will be getting a makeover, to resemble the 3G iPhone. It’s also being reported that we could be in store for some storage space upgrades as well.

Some of the more significant rumors are about the Macbook model. The prices are rumored to drop from $1,099 to $999. Some of the significant hardware upgrades, is that there’s a small chance we could see a slimmer model announced. Probably the most intriguing rumor is Apple’s development on the MacBooks with touch screen capabilities.

Apple App Store: Selling At A Tune Of $30 Million

2008-08-11T14:01:12Z

“Selling like hotcakes” can be the only saying I can think of when talking about the iPhone App Store. In a recent interview with Steve Jobs, by Wall Street Journal, Jobs uses this saying only in different words.

If you’re to believe Jobs’ numbers about the App store, then the digital download service is making $1 million a week. This isn’t even including all of the free apps that are available. Going by current projections, Apple can look to see revenue in the $1 billion in close to three years. Of course Apple doesn’t get to keep all of this money though. 30% of the money made from the App store is kept by Apple, while the 70% goes to the App makers. Some of the most popular apps have been Super Monkey Ball, with 300,000 downloads at $9.99, and Epocrates Inc drug encyclopedia which has seen 125,000 downloads.

Steve Jobs put it simply with this quote, “I’ve never seen anything like this in my career for software”

iTunes Streaming To iPhones & iPod Touches?

2008-08-08T14:08:16Z

For iPhone or iPod Touch users, some of the biggest news to surface on the devices has landed (atleast in my opinion). It looks as though Apple is applying for a patent on a technology that would stream your iTunes library automatically to your handheld device.

As of now, if you want your favorite songs to play on your iPhone or iPod Touch, you have to transfer the music files to your handheld. With the new patent, users could instead just set up a stream so their iTunes library could play through Wi-Fi or cellular networks.

Apple hasn’t released any comments on any future uses for the patent. They have been able to pull off a similar feat with Apple TV, streaming iTunes over local wifi. Hopefully more details will be released soon about this much wanted advancement.

Video: iPhone 3G vs. Samsung Instinct

2008-08-07T14:12:43Z

Check out this video from Cnet on how the iPhone 3G stacks up against the Samsung Instinct. Just don’t get distracted by the massive blonde streak going through the dude’s hair.

iTunes Is Still #1 Music Retailer

2008-08-06T13:37:43Z

Back in April, iTunes took the lead as music retailer from Wal-Mart. The first half of year is now officially over, and iTunes is still in command of the lead. According to the NPD’s latest release of music retail rankings from January 08 - June 08, iTunes remains on top while Amazon moved up from the fifth spot, to fourth place.

1. iTunes
2. Wal-Mart (Walmart, Walmart.com, Walmart Music Downloads)
3. Best Buy (Best Buy, Bestbuy.com, Best Buy Digital Music Store)
4. Amazon (Amazon.com, AmazonMP3.com)
5. Target (Target and Target.com)

Russ Crupnick, an analyst of NPD had this to say about the recent rankings, “We expect Apple will consolidate its lead in the retail music market, as CD sales continue to slow” … (on the rise of Amazon from #5 to #4) “Amazon’s CD buyers tend to be older, so they haven’t abandoned the CD format to the extent seen in the average music buyer. Plus Amazon’s successful introduction of its digital download store will help the company improve its position in the future”