10 things to know about the Apple iPhone

By Kevin Purdy
Greater Niagara Newspapers

What’s so great about a phone that it has every tech reporter wearing out their keyboard writing about it?

Part of the answer involves how many rumors, speculations and fake Photoshopped prototypes have been circulating among the Apple faithful for years. Something kept a tight secret for two years by one of the most-watched technology companies is bound to make waves when it hits.

But the simplest explanation is that Apple did what it has done with most of its other big product launches — introduced a bunch of features and ideas that were completely outside the realm of accepted thought.


What kind of features?

The fact that the iPhone can play music, take and display pictures, play videos, make phone calls, browse the Web and store contact and calendar information is almost the least-exciting aspect of the gadget. Other devices like the Blackberry and Palm Treo offer most, if not all, of these functions in their own “smart phones.”

What’s really impressing many observers is how it does all that, and how nice it looks while doing it. There is only one real button on the front of the device, and everything is controlled on a roughly 3.5-inch by 2.4-inch screen that is noticeably sharp.

Every function is controlled by an “intelligent” touch-screen version of the Mac OS X software. When you hold the device to your ear, it quickly changes to calling mode. When you turn it sideways to look at landscape photos or widescreen movies, it automatically flips the image for you.

The quick hits of the other gee-whiz stuff: full Bluetooth capabilities, wireless access, docking station included for connecting to iTunes on both Macs and PCs, ambient light sensor.


That’s cool, but is the phone function any better than what I have now?

One would have to ask a local Cingular customer how pleased they are with service to answer part of that question, although Cingular is noted for having some of the most vocal critics in the tech world. As for actual phone function, there are a few nifty improvements.

> Rather than having to run through voicemails sequentially by pressing a key, the iPhone lets you look at all the voicemails you have waiting and choose to listen by caller.

> The finger-scrolling and quick-find methods used throughout the interface are touted as offering an easier way to find and call contacts.

> When using the built-in Google Maps function, a tap or two on a nearby business or home pulled up in a search makes the call there.


How much will it cost?

Depends on how much storage space you want for all those songs, pictures, videos and personal data. The 4-gigabyte model is $499, while an 8-gigabyte phone is $599.


Does ANYBODY have doubts about this thing?

Yes they do. Here are a few complaints raised on well-read blogs and news sites covering Apple and gadgets:

> The basic idea of paying $500 (or $600) for a device with a big glass screen that could be more susceptible to scratches and breaking than the abuse standard phones go through. Many first-generation iPod Nano users can collectively groan on this topic.

> The unanimous complaint is tied to Cingular’s cellular Internet service, EDGE, which is considerably slower than the increasingly popular 3G standard. While the wireless Internet function somewhat makes up for it, it could make for slow e-mail and unbearably long downloads outside access points

> While Apple claims the device gets eight hours of battery life under normal use, reports clock the battery at just two hours while videos are played. Watching a few episodes of “The Office” on a plane, therefore, could leave a user without a powered phone.

> At the moment, only Apple software can run on the iPhone, so users can’t make up for anything Apple left out — including support for Microsoft Office documents and RSS readers


When can I trade my phone in for this?

The iPhone won’t be out until June, assuming the device doesn’t run into any manufacturing hold-ups.

Unless you’re a Cingular Wireless customer, however, switching to an iPhone could require paying hefty cancellation fees and signing a mandatory two-year service contract. Cingular is the exclusive service provider for the device, and has what was described as a “multi-year” agreement with Apple.


Didn’t Apple already help make a phone that could play MP3s and iTunes purchases?

Yes, but they’d probably appreciate it if you didn’t remember that. Cingular and Apple released a Motorola phone called the ROKR in 2005, but a basic cell phone that could only hold 100 songs and required being plugged into a computer to buy or change them caused only a momentary buzz before fizzling out.


Aren’t there other devices called “iPhones”?

Indeed, and one of their makers, Cisco Systems, filed a lawsuit against Apple Inc. on Wednesday in federal court. Cisco claims that it has held a trademark on the name “iPhone” since 2000 and used it as a brand on standard phones that can make calls over Internet lines.