All Articles Tagged iPhone 3G

Sorry to rain on the iPhone 3G parade but it has to be done. Here’s some not so great news about the iPhone 3G. The iPhone 3G data plan is going to cost $30 per month. That’s $10 more than the current iPhone plan. On top of that, current iPhone owners will have to sign a NEW 2-year contract to use the iPhone 3G. Meaning, buying an iPhone 3G won’t be a seamless upgrade in the traditional sense. Granted, AT&T won’t count the remaining years on your current iPhone contract to the new iPhone 3G contract, the fact that you have to sign a new contract plus the added cost per month just doesn’t sit right with me.

Look at it this way, the iPhone 3G costs $199. Hip hip hooray right? Not quite. We have to add the cost of the added monthly fees. First we multiply the 10 dollars more a month by 24 months (the life of a 2 year contract) which equates to $240 dollars more to use the iPhone 3G’s data plan versus the original data plan. Now for the simple math, $199 (cost of the iPhone 3G) + $240 (cost of 3G data vs EDGE data over 2 years) = $439 over the lifetime of the contract. That’s actually a $40 dollar increase from the current iPhone, not quite the ‘half price’ that we’re being marketed to believe.

Also, it looks like AT&T will discontinue their pre-paid, GoPhone option meaning there is no alternative than being tied into a 2 year voice+3G data contract under AT&T. At least before, some users could choose to use the iPhone as a pseudo-data only device.

Perhaps its because the old revenue sharing model of the original iPhone is no longer in effect, but it looks like AT&T has taken back control of data plans and is positioning the iPhone 3G to increase subscribers and broaden market potential. The carrier subsidy is theoretically included in the $199 price, essentially AT&T is giving Apple the money upfront instead of through a month-to-month revenue sharing plan. Do we as consumers win out? Depends what your perspective is. The iPhone 3G is still a great phone and a steal, but AT&T & Apple are obviously not in the same relationship they were in just one year ago.

So when the iPhone 4G comes is AT&T going to raise our data prices to $40? Will it stop? What do you guys think of this? Does it change your perspective on the price of the iPhone 3G?

UPDATE: Gizmodo is also reporting that the iPhone 3G can only be activated in store via a 10-12 minute process. Also, a fine might be levied to those who don’t activate the iPhone 3G within 30 days. It seems like the iPhone no longer carries that unique badge of being separate from the rest of the other phones in AT&T’s lineup anymore..

Remember the iPhone 3G ad that they were reportedly filming at the Fifth Avenue Apple Store? Well it came to fruition at WWDC and it’s pretty slick. Not quite as epic as the 1984 commercial or as flashy as those iPod dancing ones, but the iPhone 3G “hallway” ad has its own appeal.

It starts with two security guards handling a silver lockbox and walking through an uber-modern, top-secret hallway. As the security guards walk, a voiceover says, “It’s finally here. The first phone to beat the iPhone.” As they set the safe down and it opens, the voiceover goes on to say “…introducing the NEW iPhone…3G”

How do you guys like it? Click the Read Link to watch the new ad.

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iPhone firmware 2.0 was detailed in WWDC with some rumored features finally seeing the day of light. Features include:

• iWork and Office document viewing
• Save images from E-Mail directly to photo library
• Contact Search
• E-Mail/SMS Bulk Delete & Move
• Scientific Calculator when switched to Landscape Mode in Calculator
• Support for a TON of languages including Chinese, Japanese

Firmware 2.0 will be available for iPhone users come ‘Early July’ for free and for iPod Touch users at a reduced fee (compared to the last update) of $9.95.

image credit: iPhoneBuzz

Headline says it all, don’t it? The iPhone 3G is going to be released on July 11th, 2008. It will be $199 for the 8 gig version, $299 for the 16gig version. It will come in black and white (in the 16 gig anyway). It has 3G speeds for data, 2.8 times faster than EDGE. It has GPS. It will have 3rd party software.

Mark your calendars!

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As promised, we’ll be starting up our MetaLiveBlog in just over an hour. We’ll be tracking all them other live blogs and posting updates and our thoughts and commentary real time. A few seconds behind, but way ahead in pithy commentary, eh? We should have one or two quick posts up before the excitement begins, but we’ll move this post back up to the top when it all gets going. Keep an eye out (like you needed us to tell you that).

We’re using the fancy widget above, so no need to refresh the page to get the updates. You can also submit your own comments and thoughts with the widget above and we can publish them as things get going.

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Another day, another leaked picture.  These pictures add another layer to the already interesting pie that is the iPhone 3G. The leaked images show that there will be a front facing camera used for video conferencing on the iPhone. iPhone-to-iPhone video calls would be made possible with the 3G network while iPhone-to-iChat video conferencing will require WiFi.

As the images say, “The video calling revolution has begun”.

Other interesting tidbits from these leaked photos is the back-facing speakers, the tapered edges, and the color selection (black or (product)red). The tapered edges make a lot of sense with the thicker vs thinner rumor battle: thicker in the middle and thinner on the edges (guess we should have seen that coming). The speakers were probably moved because of the edge’s thinness. And for the color choices, Apple has always been in line with the (Product)Red campaign, so it’s not too surprising. Also of note, iChat is supposed to be released for Windows (XP2 or Vista), so everybody can join in on the fun.

Personally, I don’t think mobile video conferencing has matured enough in the US for Apple to include it in the iPhone 3G. What do you think? Let’s start a manhunt for Carlos Rodriguez? Or should we RUMOR SMASH this already? 

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What? Oh, sorry… You though we…? Nope. Dunno. Haven’t the foggiest. Maybe you could tell us? When Steve Jobs pulls out the updated version of his little pocket universe dent’er, what’s he going to call it?

• iPhone 3G
• iPhone Black
• iPhone: The Next Generation
• iPhone Nano
• iPhone Pro
• i2
• iPhone BOLDEST
• iPhone X 2.0 “Lynx”
• iPhone M6524X2519 (oops, Nokia’s already TM’d that…)
• iPhone Me
• iPhone Take 2
• iPhone Release II: Attack of the iClones
• iPhone Air
• iPhone Vista

No? None of the above? Well then, what do you think the next generation iPhone will be called?

And remember, this is a Wait-A-Thon post! Comment on this post — or comment on any post tagged “Wait-a-Thon” — for your chance to win a $100 iTunes Gift Card! Note that you must post with a valid and real email address so we can send you your prize — no switching!

What’s going to power the next generation iPhone 3G? Infineon again? Insider Intel? A curveball from PA Semi? And more importantly — when are we getting our hands on one?! What do YOU think?

To give you some help, here’s a HUGE roundup of all the iPhone 3G chipset and ship date rumors. Epic-style. Because let’s face it, roughly 0.01 seconds after Steve Jobs pulled the first iPhone from his pocket back at Macworld 2007, and someone, somewhere, put aside their childlike sense of wonder long enough think: “Nice! What’s the next gen going to be like?”

Complementary, contradictory, obvious, confusing, all but confirmed or from left field via outer space, the rumors have flooded the internet ever since. It’s become almost impossible to keep track of them all. But we’re going to try!

One week from today Steve Jobs takes Moscone Center stage for the sold-out WWDC keynote, and according to everyone and their newsfeed, announces the iPhone 3G. In eager anticipation, every day this week, TiPb wil be rounding up a different set of next generation rumors, from 3G to GPS, release dates to price points, colors to casings, 2.0 software to .Mac .Me services, and this weekend we’ll wrap it all up with a look into the WWDC/iPhone 3G Crystal Balland a roundup of the very best of YOUR predictions.

So come on, let’s get in on!

[Digg it!]

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This week Mike and Dieter discuss the continuing iPhone 3G drama — could it be that Apple plans to just sell the thing unlocked and let carriers do what they will rebate-wise via iTunes?

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Here we go again. The sheer number of iPhone 3G case leaks is getting to be embarrassing. The latest looks to be from a Chinese manufacturer of Griffin cases and all but confirms the “new” form factor: A more rounded back, slightly less beveled front, and perhaps more squarish corners.

Thinking back to our last iPhone 3G sighting, it occurs to me that we might still have not seen the final look of the device — the white and black plastic we’ve been looking at has had an awfully chintzy feel. Since all these leaks are coming from case manufacturers, it’s possible that:

1. They created mockups of the basic iPhone 3G casing based on Apple’s specs in order to better create cases or
2. Apple sent out a bunch of “dummy phones” that match the shape of the iPhone 3G but do not match the look?

…more renderings after the break!

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