Well, if at first you don’t get Verizon, try T-Mobile. I’m not holding my breath for this one after getting a little excited over Verizon, but an analyst believes that T-Mobile will offer the iPhone by 2011. Now, whether that is the first part of 2011 or the last part, he didn’t say. But trust him, he’s an analyst.
Well, it seems that the biggest thing about the new iPhone, other than it won’t be available for Verizon, is the new video chat feature. A camera on the front allows users of the new iPhone to see each other while they talk. Video talking is not new, but many think that now since Apple is endorsing it, it will go through the roof.
And another nail appears to go in the Verizon iPhone coffin. Steve Jobs said Tuesday, among other things, that he is happy to stick with AT&T since they made the leap of faith to trust Apple with the iPhone when it debuted. Jobs admits that AT&T’s network, while not perfect, is getting better. He just wishes that it was going faster. He also thought that any other national carrier would probably have the same issues if they had the iPhone. Here’s an idea, Steve; LET US FIND OUT!
Nokia and Opera, a cell phone producer and internet browser company, respectively, have publicly stated support for Adobe’s Flash software. Adobe and Flash have gotten into a heated spat through the media concerning Adobe’s Flash software. Apple CEO Steve Jobs has called the program a buggy battery hog while Adobe has lashed out at Apple over its refusal to support Flash on the iPhone and iPad. The reason this is such an issue is that a lot of casual gaming on the internet uses Flash for its gameplay. Second, since people like to have these mobile devices for casual gaming in addition to other functions, they can’t play on the internet because of Apple’s lack of support. This to me seems real simple. If Jobs is correct that the software is buggy and sucks a lot of energy from the battery, prove it. Put your results where your mouth is. Find a way to test the battery drain from using the Flash software. To say something without proof to back it up is unethical and is sometimes a diversion from a larger problem. On the other hand, Adobe can stamp its foot in the ground and pout all it wants to, but Apple has the right to support or not support various software for their devices.
Wal-Mart has cut the cost of the 16GB 3GS iPhone almost in half, going $97 with a two year contract with AT&T. Many people take this as a sign that Apple plans to launch a new model later this summer. Apple is starting to treat the iPhone like a video game series. There’s been a new model each year since the original came out in 2007. Each subsequent model has only included a few tweaks that don’t mess with the overall layout and function of the phone. But, I would caution Apple if I could, when you get into a routine of releasing another version of the same product yearly and all you do is make a tweak here and there, you will soon give the market burnout on your item. I brought up video games earlier, and aside from sports games, the Tomb Raider series is an appropriate analogy. After its debut, the company responsible started releasing a new game each year. The result was that players got tired of playing essentially the same game with different locations and graphics, so they stopped buying. Hopefully, Apple doesn’t get into that rut so they can continue to innovate and really wow us with spectacular new features.
Forget any plans you had of owning a Verizon iPhone anytime soon. The terms of the original contract between Apple and AT&T has been uncovered. According to the contract, AT&T has exclusive rights to the iPhone until 2012. This absolutely stinks considering AT&T’s customer satisfaction rating is the lowest. There are some people who speculate that the iPad launch may have given Apple an opportunity to revisit this exclusive contract. This is all guessing at this point, so there are no details as to whether the contract has been amended and/or whether it will be shorter or longer. I have not had good experience with AT&T’s service myself, so I am definitely pulling for shorter.
I was at a Best Buy this past weekend, and I got my first look at an iPad. Best Buy had a wi-fi connection so people could surf the internet. When I first picked it up, I was surprised at the weight of the iPad. It’s surprisingly heavy for how thin it is. When surfing, I held it in one hand and use the other hand to navigate, and my arm started to tire after holding it up for a while. It also looks smaller than what I’ve seen in the promotional pictures. It was only as big as my hands side by side, and I have small hands for an adult. The one thing the iPad has going for it is a very clear, bright screen. I could easily see what I was looking for and read without difficulty. I do still have to wonder if glare would be an issue if you have it in a different environment. The only reason I would buy an iPad is for the e-reader. I like the idea of being able to read a variety of books from one device easily. But even the e-reader seems to be missing a crucial feature; the ability to highlight passages. There are bookmarks, but no highlight feature that I could see. That might be a deal breaker.
If you’ve been following the news in the tech world, you probably have heard the name Gray Powell. For the uninitiated, Gray Powell works for Apple, took a device from the R&D department with him one night and left it in a bar accidentally. Someone else picked it up and tech site Gizmodo got their hands on it and did a full review of an unreleased Apple product. What appears to be a prototype for the iPhone 4G was splattered all over the net and Apple formally requested the device back. Now there is speculation that Powell may lose his job, but to all this I say, “Take Apple down a notch more.” I find it a bit childish that we have such high security for tech devices yet we have a system of airport security that is the epitome of the three stooges. You know why Apple is so secretive? It’s because all these tech presidents and big wigs steal each others ideas all the time. They don’t call them the “Pirates of Silicon Valley” for nothing. I know of no other field that places so much on hoarding ideas for personal gain. So, when something like this happens, I dance a little dance. I hope Verizon and TMobile are taking notes from what they’ve learned via Gizmodo.
As Apple continues to push both the iPad and iPhone with more and more apps, the Android is starting to bridge the gap slightly with its own app store. The Android now boasts 38,000 different apps right now and is on pace to have 100,000 by year’s end. The Apple store already 100,000, so it appears at first glance that Apple already has the market beat, but only time will really tell. The problem both phones face is an issue of quality over quantity. While some apps for both phones are very practical and beneficial, there are quite a few that fall into the “almost worthless” category, according to an article by Jared Newman.
I personally think that Android will be able to grab a little more of the market when people realize that the Android is not limited when it comes to apps. What I mean is that Apple makes custom apps that pull info from the internet and then presents it in a way that Apple wants people to see it. The Android does not have that limitation. The biggest example of this is the Flash issue that Apple refuses to accomodate. If a website has Flash anywhere on the site, that portion of the site will not function on the iPhone or iPad. The android again does not have that limitation which I think will ultimately help Android take some of the market from Apple.
this is a close as Apple employees have gotten to an iPad
Security is so tight around the new iPad that even employees of Apple stores haven’t gotten a chance to work with the thing. I don’t understand the reason for this, it’s not like there is a secret as to the appearance or general method of operation. I would think it would behoove Apple to educate their employees so they can in turn market the iPad to customers.