Apple’s hype machine for the iPhone was in full swing until its official launch on June 29, 2007. In the run-up to its launch, Apple craftily piqued the public’s appetite for the iPhone by showing off its attractive design and maintaining many details. about the iPhone shrouded in mystery. So what exactly is the iPhone, and more importantly, is it everything Apple says it is?
Apple’s iPhone is actually three devices in one: a cell phone, a widescreen iPod, and a wireless Internet device. Measuring 4.5 “x 4” x 0.46 “and weighing 4.8 ounces, it’s not exactly small, but the iPhone has a fairly slim profile, which further adds to its appeal.
The core of Apple’s iPhone is its 3.5 “touchscreen. The iPhone’s touchscreen has caused more than a little controversy. A touchscreen does not provide tactile feedback, which can make users less confident about what that get into it. Apple is confident that once users get used to the iPhone’s touchscreen, everything will be fine. However, staunch critics remain unconvinced that the touchscreen won’t have its problems. One area of greatest concern is users who rely heavily on texting Do you send short text messages on the iPhone touch screen without stumbling?
Apple’s iPhone, of course, is also an iPod, which will play both MP3 music files downloaded from iTunes and video files. The iPhone syncs like an iPod with a Mac or PC. However, users will not be able to download files from iTunes wirelessly. This will require a physical connection to a computer.
The cell phone portion of the iPhone supports quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900), making it a true “world phone” capable of working in the US, Europe, and Asia. On the data side, the iPhone uses 2.5G EDGE technologies. However, the multimedia functions of the iPhone would be better served by the broadband capabilities of 3G networks, such as UMTS and HSDPA, which, interestingly, AT&T now supports. One saving grace is that the iPhone will come with built-in WiFi to access high-speed Internet connections.
The iPhone battery is rated for 8 hours of talk time and 6 hours of Internet use. The battery talk time was initially rated at 5 hours, but Apple updated it ahead of the iPhone launch. This will make it the longest-lasting cell phone battery, second only to some Sony Ericsson cell phones. IPhone is rated for 24 hours of audio playback, and the battery can retain its charge in standby mode for up to 10 days.
Additional features include a 2 megapixel digital, which is high enough resolution to produce some sharp digital photos. The iPhone also supports BlueTooth technology. One feature that the iPhone will not initially support is GPS. This may disappoint some potential customers, but a viable alternative is to access Google Maps through the built-in Safari browser for your navigation needs.
One particularly cool feature of the iPhone, which can also be very functional, is a series of built-in sensors that detect how you hold the iPhone. A proximity sensor knows when you hold the phone to your ear and dims the screen and turns off the touch screen. There’s an ambient light sensor that adjusts the brightness to save battery power, and there’s even an accelerometer that knows when to switch between portrait and landscape mode. Pretty sneaky, huh?
As of this writing, it is not possible to say for sure how Apple’s iPhone will become popular with consumers. However, given Apple’s track record of producing life-changing products like Macs and iPods, as well as a brilliantly executed marketing campaign, the smart money is on Apple’s iPhone being a big seller, perhaps in the same league. than the iPod.
