. . . makes current hi-end mobile devices seem more like over-priced pieces of crap. OK, maybe not 'crap' really, but heck - $199?! (maybe true 'touch screens' weren't that expensive to make in the first place. . . as demostrated by Microsoft with Surface and its plans for 'Windows 7')

And that comes with GPS, 3G speeds, and the plethora of innovative features already seen with the current iPhone (and some still waiting to be discovered). This new toy was announced by Steve Jobs just today at the WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference). While its not like a lot of us weren't expecting a new hardware to be announced alongside the new firmware, the price tag is a real game-changer!

Technically speaking, the new iPhone is cheaper than an iPod Touch keeping in mind that the 8GB iPod touch is currently selling for $299. Also, the 16GB iPhone'll go for $299 compared to its current iPod Touch counterpart at $399. That leaves the question - "why get an 8GB iPod Touch when you can get the 16GB 3G iPhone at exactly the same price?". . . that maybe a little conservative though. . .as it leaves out the possiblity of any price slash on existing hardware.

Ok, maybe i've been talking too much about the price, but that's exactly the big reason most pro-Nokia & pro-Sony Ericsson dudes decided to remain anti-Apple. Yes, I still have my reservations about the iPhone, some of which are still (annoyingly) more than valid with the new 3G release.

- NO front-facing camera for video calls
I speculated this a week ago while talking to a friend. Apple's probably reserving this 'feature' for a future hardware release. DUMB! DUMB!! DUMB!!!
- Zero improvements on the 2MP camera
Even the camera software remains largely untouched. Not much of a pain when it comes to what third-party applications can do to extend functionality though but then, the optics couldve been improved.
- NO native MMS support
Nothing much to say here. . . but my girlfriend and I heavily use MTN's MMS services in form of Audio messages. My N82 has been a trusty companion here. Major reason why its my secondary Celtel line that's been confined to my iPhone's SIM tray.
- NO native notes sync
WTF?! I can't imagine ranting on my phone and not being able to get the rants out of the confines of that device. The .Mac application has just been replaced by MobileMe which is supposed to facilitate better syncing of goodies between the Web, your Mac, your PC, and your iPhone. Notes syncing still got left out.

A few goodies. . . the headphone jack is no longer recessed. This means you can plug in any headphone of your choice. Good news for 'aspiring audiophiles' like me!

What do y'all think about this new toy?

@naijafan
Yeah, it's a bummer as per the front facing camera, but it's possible that could change. AT & T doesn't support video calls so no need for a front facing camera.
it's a whole new ball game in Europe, however, so Jobs may do something about that. Don't forget there's a month before release.


The $199 price point is awesome. It's coming out in 70 countries, including Senegal and Angola. I'll bet anything that Nigeria is on that list.

Imagine an iPhone on sale from MTN at $199 = N26k. That'll be the day.

Looks like Apple is serious about cutting out jailbreaking and unlocking. might be a long time before we see any 3G iPhone in Nigeria, especially now you can't get it online.


The native games look amazing, wish they had demoed more. but with the NDA over, you'll see lots of devs showing off their wares.

All in all

$199 for a 3G smartphone
Faster browser than competing devices.


Better battery life (7 hours video!!!! 24 hours audio!!)
GPS

Man, that's a sold package.

Bros! abeg where can i get the iphone to buy at $299?

Huh huh

what really got me irked about the iphone today is that why wont they just release
a sim free version.
no video call camera? whats that?
i'm also thinking $199 for the 8gb? there has got to be a catch there.
i wonder how much you will be forced to pay monthly
and why the hell is nigeria not on the coming soon list?
if kenya, niger, mali and cameroon, guinea, ivory coast, senegal, south africa are there, why not us?
men this sucks

the good thing is i will still hold on to my un-3G iphone for a little longer

iphone, i hate it with a passion,

htc touch pro, will be way to go soon, right now n95-8gb is my baby and since november last yr, it has proved to be my all in one device,

but heck if i get dat apple for $250, afta all stuff may have been added by our naija sellers, i will buy one, if not. HTC TOUCH PRO IS D BEAST

pete,

why would it be a long time before we see a 3G? i got my first iphone last year 3 weeks after it was launched (that's sometime in july), that's even before anybody was sure it was hackable because i knew every and any system can be compromised. i held on to it for another 3 months before the s/w unlock was released, during the period i simply used it as an iPod (it was jailbroken).

with the 3G it gets even easier. the last time u said something about hackers not being sure they can unlock/jailbreak the 3G, but how is the 3G architecture different from the 2.5G given that the 1.2.0 firmware (meant for the 3G) is installable on the 2.5G? where i am going with this is simple: pwnage already provides a means of jailbreaking and unlocking every and any iphone including future releases as long as the architecture remains the same.

logica:

pete,

why would it be a long time before we see a 3G? i got my first iphone last year 3 weeks after it was launched (that's sometime in july), that's even before anybody was sure it was hackable because i knew every and any system can be compromised. i held on to it for another 3 months before the s/w unlock was released, during the period i simply used it as an iPod (it was jailbroken).

with the 3G it gets even easier. the last time u said something about hackers not being sure they can unlock/jailbreak the 3G, but how is the 3G architecture different from the 2.5G given that the 1.2.0 firmware could be installed on the 2.5G? where i am going with this is simple: pwnage already provides a means of jailbreaking and unlocking every and any iphone including future releases as long as the architecture remains the same.

New baseband + new bootloader + all hardware fixes = No way Jose

Apple was content to look the other way since the iPhone wasn't on sale in many other countries, but with this new carrier model on the horizon and it's impending launch in 70 countries around the world, there's no need to offer tacit support for hackers any more.

Word has it that Apple has had infineon working like monkeys to improve security for this new chip. At $ 199 the phone is heavily subsidized. Would make no sense for carriers to incur that subsidy without any benefits.

Add to that the fact that you can now only buy iPhones offline, and you must activate before you leave the shop and you have a difficult situation to say the least.

nkc:

iphone, i hate it with a passion,

htc touch pro, will be way to go soon, right now n95-8gb is my baby and since november last yr, it has proved to be my all in one device,

but heck if i get that apple for $250, after all stuff may have been added by our naija sellers, i will buy one, if not. HTC TOUCH PRO IS D BEAST

As a WinMo enthusiast, i have to say the Touch pro is pretty good. I may get that or the Xperia as a secnd phone, especially since my TytN wen't balls up.

but the iPhone is in a class of it's own. There's loads to expect from OSX.

bro,

i try to be an enthuasist of dem all, but u and i know it aint easy, i had d Xda Orbit,but u know most are not user friendly, so i went back to nokia, after a while i saw d xperia, but on research on specs, its not my type, too weak, so i was calm with my 8gb, den walks in, my uncle with a new phone tytn II, with win mo 6, i was taken aback, d phone was flawless to me, as i rushed to go and buy it, i said wait, dis phone may have a senior, on research i saw touch pro, broda, weda iphone is in mars or venus, it cant compete, dat fones is bloody, did u see d specs, ram etc, does r d kind of stuff, i want, and it will support 32gb micro sd card, so u know what dat means, so i have decided to wait for it

but as u knw, in waiting for it august will come and den nokia will launch nokia n96 with tv and 16gb and symbian FP 2, men it will be wahala for me then, so let me watch and see, who winds, i tot i phone would be ready for battle with 3g, but i see dey aint ready yet, its for d fashionistas, and me am not one but like u said an enthusiast.

bored

Lungwun, your questions are legitimate. The phone is relatively affordable but the service plans are now unbundled so where you used to just pay for data service before, now you will pay for email data plan separate from browsing plan, oh, another thing, 3G iphone can get wap push email on an enterprise server. That means corporations can give to their employees (probably executive employees) and install a microsoft enterprise server to handle the push email.

I like the way the new one looks, thinner and platinum look to it.

one thing though, i doubt if out naija sellers will sell for that price they will hike it up as much as they can

nkc:

one thing though, i doubt if out naija sellers will sell for that price they will hike it up as much as they can

I assume by naija sellers you mean the GSM carriers. I'm pretty sure they'll sell the phone unsubsidized (i.e more than $199). We don't have that kinda contract model in use in Naija.


I'll probably stick with my iphone 16gb, and then get either the Xperia or The Touch Pro for a second phone. Depends on how 3G in Naija pans out sha.

Nothing beats the iPhone browser

pete

New baseband + new bootloader + all hardware fixes
one operational word: DOWNGRADE!

Add to that the fact that you can now only buy iPhones offline, and you must activate before you leave the shop and you have a difficult situation to say the least.
come on, we have nigerians working in apple stores. even if they aren't nigerians, we have "friends" working in apple stores.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080610/ap_on_hi_te/tec_iphone_lockdown

read the end of that article.

naija sellers i mean ordinary sellers

notin beats d iphone browser, pls expatiate, wat makes it better and un beatable

logica:

pete

New baseband + new bootloader + all hardware fixes
one operational word: DOWNGRADE!

Add to that the fact that you can now only buy iPhones offline, and you must activate before you leave the shop and you have a difficult situation to say the least.
come on, we have nigerians working in apple stores. even if they aren't nigerians, we have "friends" working in apple stores.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080610/ap_on_hi_te/tec_iphone_lockdown

read the end of that article.

@logica
Right on spot man. . .
Sounds like pete is suddenly against iPhones being hacked. Mind you, Nigeria (and a host of other countries) isnt on the coming soon list. So you'll end up with a hacked hardware if you really want to get one. I'm definitely getting one as well. . . @ $199 and get it hacked.

Any system / product with limitations is a juicy target for hackers. Remember the PSP.

BTW, I'm pretty sure installer.app would still be around for some time. . .

@logica, naijafan

Not being pessimistic. . .just being kinda realistic.

With the phone highly subsidized to $199, it's AT & T taking a hit.
I'd expect all iPhones are pretty well accounted for in the shop. If an iPhone is sold, there's gotta be a contract.

If installer and appstore can coexist, i'll be happy as a clam.

Unconfirmed rumors say the 3G iphone is locked down like no phone ever before. Let's wait and see.

@nkc
Have you ever used an iPhone to browse before? if you had, you won't be asking me that question

Kilo n so?

pete,

u don't seem 2 understand. even if the 3G is locked inside on the board with chains as huge as those used during the slave trade and with padlocks, they will be unlocked. what i am waiting to try out is the assertion that any custom ipsw created with winpwn should install on any iphone and future designs as long as the architecture remains the same. b4 winpwn, u couldn't install a custom ipsw. now if u cannot pwn the 3G, then that's a problem. but i know they will get around them and develop a 3G version if the current one doesn't work.

with the contract thing with at&t, what will simply happen is at&t will find out they cannot account for a whole bunch of phones whose owners seem to have valid contracts. if hackers can develop cracks for the phone, they can also trick the registration process.

i cant touch it, i hate it

but if u say wat it does different from htc and n95-8gb then i will look into it. htc touch diamond browsing is off d hook, rated d best in d whole world, check sites

Is it so?? i got my Iphone 3G by remote unlocking method, i got it done from Prounlocking and unlocked,