iPhone first day UK, videos

[Hands0n]

The Beeb article on the iPhone first day in the UK is here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7085643.stm

Interesting videos on the page too - notice how full the shelves are behind the counter? This baby has not done what it did in the US on day one! No evidence of selling out like they did with the iPod Touch. Sure, they may have stocked up - but then there were no queues around the block, although barriers in place just in case!

One mustn't mock - but I do think Apple made a big mistake bringing a retrograde device from the emerging USA into the already up there 3G/HSDPA Europe. Consider, who are they going to sell this to? Enthusiasts and gadget freaks - not the mainstream punter in the street with his Samsung D900. Plus, we don't generally have the same amount of disposable income in Tax-heavy Blighty.


Greg Joswiak, head of marketing for the iPhone, denied that the phone had sacrificed function over form by choosing 2G.

"We wanted to make sure that we had a very small device and good battery life. You can't do that today with 3G.

I wonder what he'd make of the 3 Skypephone manufactured by Chinese company Amoi - it is tiny and full-on 3G.


iPhone Fans queue (http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/player/nol/newsid_7080000/newsid_7087200?redirect=7087225.stm&news=1&nbram=1&bbram=1&nbwm=1&bbwm=1&asb=1) - yea but not in the hundreds seen in the US

Launch fever (http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/player/nol/newsid_7080000/newsid_7088100?redirect=7088109.stm&news=1&bbram=1&nbram=1&nbwm=1&bbwm=1&asb=1) - just check out how many on the shelf behind the counter!

If these links don't work they are on the page itself on the right-hand side.

[3g-g]

We wanted to make sure that we had a very small device and good battery life. You can't do that today with 3G.

That's absolute nonsense! 3G battery life nowadays is approaching that of the 2G handsets. The only reason the initial battery lives were as bad as they were was the lack of 3G network to work on, constant high power searching for a 3G signal. On every network (bar O2, which perhaps explains why they won the iPhone) it's fairly extensive 3G coverage. No constant searching means a much extended battery life.

The iPhone is nice, but I'll wait. A 3G version perhaps I'll take the plunge, that and a better camera on it. I'll happily play with my new HSDPA 3G LG Viewty thanks!

[gorilla]

I'm probably going to get a Mac after xmas, so I'm sure that I'll be tempted by an iphone when this contract is up. Only if they have a 3g version though and the price has come down and I can use it on any network!

[Hands0n]

Only if they have a 3g version though and the price has come down and I can use it on any network!

You might have to wait around 5 years for that. Isn't the O2 contract with Apple an exclusive for that period of time?


But how much is O2 paying for its five-year exclusive, and can it really make any money out of it?

Source: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/19/uk_iphone_at_last/

[Ben]

I thouuught I read the exclusivity may only apply to 2G iPhones, but that could be a load of rubbish.

Who knows, a 5 year iPhone contract could be the catalyst for transforming the O2 network. I can't see the iPhone being available on any network any time soon, though, in any scenario.

[miffed]

I thouuught I read the exclusivity may only apply to 2G iPhones, but that could be a load of rubbish.

Who knows, a 5 year iPhone contract could be the catalyst for transforming the O2 network. I can't see the iPhone being available on any network any time soon, though, in any scenario.

My vision is ...... ( ;) )

The next "iPhone" will be a similar device to the HTC Shift / Ameo

I reckon it will run a version of OS X closer to , or even Leopard - and I reckon it will be Sim free - Ben , you recently posted that Apple are working on a Tablet - and I reckon it is going to be on the smaller end of things , and probably marketed as the "iPhone Pro"
Hopefully this will be BANG up to date with a slot for a SIM that would give GSM / EDGE /HSDPA & WIFI - ( not so much reason to leave 3G out with a larger battery / device) -This device would then be useful all over the world !
I think Apple are going to re-enter the PDA market , by coming in with a fully fledged computer in PDA's clothing -
I reckon this device wouldn't only be marketed as a phone - so they would be silly to tie it to a contract / provider

All pure speculation , obviously , but would be nice if true

[Hands0n]

I am really not sure who is worse, Miffed or me! I vote me!!

The firm where I work is full of very techie people - some only barely on this planet. All of them are very intelligent and absolutely delightful people to work with. At times I can hardly believe that they pay me to work with these people. I really like them a lot. But some are most definitely alien implants :)

Understandably, and utterly predictably, when the iPhone came out it was not going to be ignored by this lot. And so by close of business today we have now got at least 12 of the beasties on the floor. They outnumber the Nokia N95 and N95 8GB by many as far as I can tell. And I was rather proud to be supporting the Nokia camp with my brace of N95s. Its a dirty job, but someone has to do it.

One or two of you may have, then, noticed that I have been relatively outspoken against the iPhone. I have the iPod Touch and love it to bits. It is great in a very great way, rather like a great thing even.Its pretty good.

So today, while a group of them were huddled with their iPhones, laughing and playing around I wandered over. I said they were a good bunch didn't I? And so they let me have a play with one. Feck!!

On the way home I swung by Bluewater and walked out with a new iPhone :) It was simply impossible to resist having held it. I was just saying to Ben how the pictures just do not do this device justice. The thing is just simply gorgeous to hold, I thought the iPod Touch was a piece of work, the iPhone pips it to the post.

Operationally, the two are near-identical. The only differences will be the Apps and the underlying settings menus.

Miffed has covered off the iPhone adequately - I have little to add. Whether I can really tolerate an 18-month contract with O2 remains to be seen. It could have been much worse, Orange could have won :D but thankfully it didn't [here]. I'm getting EDGE at times here at home.

Criticism of the touchscreen for texting are surfacing all over the place. I am inclined to agree that a skilled clicker is going to have a devil of a job adjusting. But it isn't too bad if you're not an 300bps clicker. I've always been a bit of a prodder - my skill is touch typing and so these little fellas are always hard for me to get along with. I just manage T9 but am hopeless on multi-tap.

iTunes Support
I had always wondered this but never really tried it. Tonight I plugged in my iPhone and iPod Touch at the same time into the Mac Mini. Would iTunes handle multiple devices concurrently? I really don't know why I bothered even wondering! The iTunes software quite happily took both and sync'd them with their differing attributes - also updating the firmware on the iPod Touch without missing a beat. Now that is what I call intelligent software. Excellent :)

[miffed]

Congrats mate !

I am noticing a trend , Nearly everyone who has a Touch (that I know)
goes on to buy an iPnone
Also , everyone who has a play with mine wants one (seriously ) In fact one guy from the gym where I work is on his way to the o2 shop this very morning ! - Upgrading from an Orange N95 (eh ? UP grading from a HSDPA device with a 5mp camera to a 2G device with a 2mp camera ? thats illogical captain ! ) - An interesting point though, to give him a true experience , I had him browse over 2G ,not HSDPA - and he found the browsing FASTER than his N95 on Orange !! Which begs the question -what sort of speeds is Orange 3G really getting in the real world ?

As for the typing - I am getting really good at it now - the "auto correct" thing is absolutely amazing and makes up for multitude of typing sins - I am amazed it works so quick and well - it certainly comes in handy for the few days you spend getting used to the keypad ! - But now I am used to it - this keyboard and the threaded SMS feature make the iPhone the best SMS machine I have ever used !
Well done mate - enjoy your purchase !

What would be interesting (as you have both ) would be a review , in the same stylee as Ben's N95 "head to head" , as a lot of people seem to compare the two at every opportunity !

[Hands0n]

What would be interesting (as you have both ) would be a review , in the same stylee as Ben's N95 "head to head" , as a lot of people seem to compare the two at every opportunity !

Okay, good idea, I'll see what I can come up with. The N95 is the primary machine, it is my main number. The iPhone is going to replace my Vodafone N95 (I'll probably eBay it).

I'm not altogether surprised at your lad from the gym's Orange experience. One has to wonder why Orange are [still] so price-hostile to letting their users into 3G data. If their network sucks that badly then it is probably why. They don't want to get caught out and so price everyone off the facility until they can support their customers on it, if ever. I left Orange ages ago and haven't looked back. I really don't know anyone on that network anymore.

[miffed]

Have you activated over iTunes yet ? (EDIT - of course you have !) This is something that I was expecting to be a pain in the backside - but was actually very straightforward and quick !

I do find the whole purchse procedure a little baffling though - more than one person I know has been put off by the fact that you can't even acricare the thing without a computer , a broadband connection and iTunes , plus the fact that you can only pay by card - Ok , so I accept that most prespective iphone customers WILL have all of these, but I know some people find the proccess a little daunting

[gorilla]

Oh no, now I want one.

Ok, so I don't, but I dare say come the next incarnation I will want an iphone.

So, does this mean the itouch goes back in the box?

[gorilla]

plus the fact that you can only pay by card - Ok , so I accept that most prespective iphone customers WILL have all of these, but I know some people find the process a little daunting

But you need to provide your bank details to acquire a contract in any case. Is it still the case, when buying from a (phone) shop that you need to provide id and proof of address. I find that more daunting than paying by card.

[Ben]

Mhm.

See, I played with one for a while in a CPW store and I just didn't get the draw. I liked all of the features that are also available on the iPod Touch, but the phone features are soo standard. Plus signal was all over the place, it kept dropping into No Service (in the middle of Canterbury, heaven forbid), as did my friend's.

I think an iPhone vs N95 8GB would be a good comparison in terms of living with both devices. I don't think the iPhone can be compared properly to the original N95, though. The N95 8GB is an incredible device, where as the N95 is lacking in several departments as covered in my head-to-head.

[miffed]

But you need to provide your bank details to acquire a contract in any case. Is it still the case, when buying from a (phone) shop that you need to provide id and proof of address. I find that more daunting than paying by card.

Well me too ! - but I do know of people that simply won't use plastic
I also know people without broadband , and I know many people that don't / won't use iTunes too
All these people are excluded from being potential customers !

Personally I found the Purchase / acivation / contract set up to be a doddle (although I was expecting to encounter "server" problems due to demand ! )

But I have shown some people , and they (like virtually everyone who has a look / play) decide they are going to get one - then , when I mention iTunes/ broadband /activate by your PC / pay by card (not cash /cheque ) they looked a little confused by it all

[miffed]

Mhm.


I think an iPhone vs N95 8GB would be a good comparison in terms of living with both devices. I don't think the iPhone can be compared properly to the original N95, though. The N95 8GB is an incredible device, where as the N95 is lacking in several departments as covered in my head-to-head.


Hey , no problem !
Just stick your 8GB in the post to Handson for the review then :D

...Or I could come and pick it up ?

[The Mullet of G]

Mhm.

See, I played with one for a while in a CPW store and I just didn't get the draw. I liked all of the features that are also available on the iPod Touch, but the phone features are soo standard. Plus signal was all over the place, it kept dropping into No Service (in the middle of Canterbury, heaven forbid), as did my friend's.

I think an iPhone vs N95 8GB would be a good comparison in terms of living with both devices. I don't think the iPhone can be compared properly to the original N95, though. The N95 8GB is an incredible device, where as the N95 is lacking in several departments as covered in my head-to-head.

I think comparing an iPhone to either flavour of N95 is like comparing a saw with a Swiss Army knife.

[The Mullet of G]

I am really not sure who is worse, Miffed or me! I vote me!!

The firm where I work is full of very techie people - some only barely on this planet. All of them are very intelligent and absolutely delightful people to work with. At times I can hardly believe that they pay me to work with these people. I really like them a lot. But some are most definitely alien implants :)

Understandably, and utterly predictably, when the iPhone came out it was not going to be ignored by this lot. And so by close of business today we have now got at least 12 of the beasties on the floor. They outnumber the Nokia N95 and N95 8GB by many as far as I can tell. And I was rather proud to be supporting the Nokia camp with my brace of N95s. Its a dirty job, but someone has to do it.

One or two of you may have, then, noticed that I have been relatively outspoken against the iPhone. I have the iPod Touch and love it to bits. It is great in a very great way, rather like a great thing even.Its pretty good.

So today, while a group of them were huddled with their iPhones, laughing and playing around I wandered over. I said they were a good bunch didn't I? And so they let me have a play with one. Feck!!

On the way home I swung by Bluewater and walked out with a new iPhone :) It was simply impossible to resist having held it. I was just saying to Ben how the pictures just do not do this device justice. The thing is just simply gorgeous to hold, I thought the iPod Touch was a piece of work, the iPhone pips it to the post.

Operationally, the two are near-identical. The only differences will be the Apps and the underlying settings menus.

Miffed has covered off the iPhone adequately - I have little to add. Whether I can really tolerate an 18-month contract with O2 remains to be seen. It could have been much worse, Orange could have won :D but thankfully it didn't [here]. I'm getting EDGE at times here at home.

Criticism of the touchscreen for texting are surfacing all over the place. I am inclined to agree that a skilled clicker is going to have a devil of a job adjusting. But it isn't too bad if you're not an 300bps clicker. I've always been a bit of a prodder - my skill is touch typing and so these little fellas are always hard for me to get along with. I just manage T9 but am hopeless on multi-tap.

iTunes Support
I had always wondered this but never really tried it. Tonight I plugged in my iPhone and iPod Touch at the same time into the Mac Mini. Would iTunes handle multiple devices concurrently? I really don't know why I bothered even wondering! The iTunes software quite happily took both and sync'd them with their differing attributes - also updating the firmware on the iPod Touch without missing a beat. Now that is what I call intelligent software. Excellent :)


Dude I could have told you about a fortnight ago that you were going to buy an iPhone and I'd only been using the forum for a couple of days, I'm just surprised you managed to hold out for as long as you did. If its providing the smile factor then its all good. :D

[miffed]

I think comparing an iPhone to either flavour of N95 is like comparing a saw with a Swiss Army knife.

Interesting you should use the tool analogy MOG , as 'tool' is the word that enters my mind whenever I hear someone suggest the old n95 is better than the iPhone ;)

( see the way I put that smiley in there ? - bet you can't do that on your n95? )

Seriously though - I've had two mate , I know the pain of owning an N95 - and the pleasure of an iPhone
While the N95 is an impressive bucket full to the brim of spec - and the iPhone is seriously lacking in spec - I still hold the iPhone as a better device
Can't speak in terms of The 8gb as I haven't has the pleasure .... Yet ;)

[Hands0n]

Have you activated over iTunes yet ? (EDIT - of course you have !) This is something that I was expecting to be a pain in the backside - but was actually very straightforward and quick !

I had one scary moment when the iTunes/O2 page just froze for about 5 minutes while it assembled all the data I had entered and just before it shot off to do its credit check. But apart from that the whole thing was predictably Apple, and very non-O2 :D I have had to use the O2 portal today to check my new bill and it is very average. They need to do more work on it.


Oh no, now I want one.

Ok, so I don't, but I dare say come the next incarnation I will want an iphone.

So, does this mean the itouch goes back in the box?

Hell No! The iPod Touch is going to get continued use. It is the 16GB version and has tons of Podcasts and Films on it. I am loathe to do too much of that media-playing stuff on the iPhone just because when I most want to make a call it'll have a flat battery! Although when out and about for the day, or longer, I tend to take along a 4-AA cell recharger, car charger and mains charger just in case. But I do that with all my tech when its mobile with me. It always causes a bit of a stir at the airport as its in my hand luggage - its the wires, transformers and batteries that send the X-Ray folk into apoplexy :D :D


But you need to provide your bank details to acquire a contract in any case. Is it still the case, when buying from a (phone) shop that you need to provide id and proof of address. I find that more daunting than paying by card.

Yea, what is that about? If the credit check passes why do they need your Leccy and Gas bill? The iTunes/O2 process did all the address checking, captured the bank details, lifted a lot about me from the iTunes registration. So all in all it was completely painless, for me.


Well me too ! - but I do know of people that simply won't use plastic
I also know people without broadband , and I know many people that don't / won't use iTunes too
All these people are excluded from being potential customers !

Personally I found the Purchase / acivation / contract set up to be a doddle (although I was expecting to encounter "server" problems due to demand ! )

But I have shown some people , and they (like virtually everyone who has a look / play) decide they are going to get one - then , when I mention iTunes/ broadband /activate by your PC / pay by card (not cash /cheque ) they looked a little confused by it all

I suspect that Apple and O2 would consider the lack of iTunes a filter to keep their "undesirable" customers away :) Cynical? Moi? But you are absolutely right, the supposition that the customer will have iTunes does appear presumptious and even a bit draconian. Until, that is, one considers the background to all of this is that Apple now have an iPod that is also a Phone! Apple want to capture the punter with the hope of them using iTunes Store to purchase music, even Windows users.

The strategy is limiting, for sure. But I'm not convinced that Apple really want it any other way. They are not about to drop something like this into the punter's lap and let them get on with it themselves. It wouldn't be the Apple way.


I think comparing an iPhone to either flavour of N95 is like comparing a saw with a Swiss Army knife.

I tend to agree with that sentiment - although in any comparison one would have to compare the constituent parts rather than the entire device vs its peer. Clearly, these two (iPhone and N95/N95 8GB) have different intentions. But they have common points that can be compared (i.e. browser, mail client, SMS, Camera etc.).


Dude I could have told you about a fortnight ago that you were going to buy an iPhone and I'd only been using the forum for a couple of days, I'm just surprised you managed to hold out for as long as you did. If its providing the smile factor then its all good. :D

LMAO ;) Of course I was going to get an iPhone - just not this particular model! But I, like many of us on the forums, am way to much of a big kid to hang around with the disposable burning a hole in my pocket. What tipped me over the edge was the office letting me fondle one of theirs. Big mistake on my part - less than 4 hours later I had one in my rucksack! It is the little things about the iPhone that seem to do it for me. I think that it is woefully inadequate in so many ways - but in many that really count to me, it is absolutely spot on. But for absolutely sure, this is not a device for all people. There are going to be many that will not like it, even in it's future 3G incarnation. Which is good, really. I don't want to be around when the ubiquitous phone comes out - it got scary enough when the N95 started appearing in every Chav's hand :D

[Ben]

Yea, what is that about? If the credit check passes why do they need your Leccy and Gas bill? The iTunes/O2 process did all the address checking, captured the bank details, lifted a lot about me from the iTunes registration. So all in all it was completely painless, for me.
Well, it helps prevent identity theft. The more documentation you have the more likely it is that you are who you say you are.

[Hands0n]

Well, it helps prevent identity theft. The more documentation you have the more likely it is that you are who you say you are.

Identity theft is far too easy in this country (possibly the world!). If I were that way inclined all I need do is rummage through someone's wastebags before collection day and I'll most likely have everything that I need. Certainly quite enough to get one of the high-street retailers to hand me over a nice shiny new phone on contract and walk out with it.

In our local area they have made it even more pleasant to do since we have separate (clear!!!!) bags for paper and plastic. No foodstuffs or other unpleasant stuff to wade through :)

Several weeks ago some fool threw a Tesco carrier bag full of their paper waste into my front garden (don't ask, we've some right twonks here). Inside were Bank Statements, a letter from an insurance company and a few other bits and pieces. Enough, I reckon, to arm myself with to take on his identity.

All it takes the front to actually do it.

I would much prefer the electronic means that I used to register via iTunes than paper any day. We shred all paper that is identifiable to any of us these days.

[Ben]

I think the identity debate is one for another place and another time. ;)

[Hands0n]

Sorry - nasty habit of mine :D Too many tangents, not enough time :eek:

Isn't it amazing, though, how a non-3G device can capture the minds of the masses whichever way you look at it? When was the last time a 3G device did this?

[The Mullet of G]

Interesting you should use the tool analogy MOG , as 'tool' is the word that enters my mind whenever I hear someone suggest the old n95 is better than the iPhone ;)

( see the way I put that smiley in there ? - bet you can't do that on your n95? )

Seriously though - I've had two mate , I know the pain of owning an N95 - and the pleasure of an iPhone
While the N95 is an impressive bucket full to the brim of spec - and the iPhone is seriously lacking in spec - I still hold the iPhone as a better device
Can't speak in terms of The 8gb as I haven't has the pleasure .... Yet ;)

Its also interesting that I used a saw for comparison, as I think the iphone is specifically designed for people who are wooden. ;) I'm typing this on my N95 so if you can see that smiley then your wrong, if not I'll eat my hat and a hat of your choosing. :) For me iPhone just doesn't tick enough boxes, it simply doesn't do a lot of what I require from my phone, if your willing to make major sacrifices then I'm sure iPhone is great. :)

[miffed]

:)

As with all disputes , this can be solved in a professional and measured manner

- WITH A GOOGLEFIGHT !!

Lets try "iPhone Problems" Vs "N95 Problems"

http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=iPhone+problems+&word2=N95+problems+

Hmmm , 43 iPhone problems compared with 2,002,000 N95 problem posts on google - That'll probably be because there are more references to N95 - so it'll all be proportional right ?

http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=iPhone&word2=N95

Ah , well not quite , so the iPhone has nearly 4 times the references - yet a fraction of the complaints - thats interesting

You can't argue with the numbers ! or Googlefight !

;);)

[Hands0n]

I'd never heard of Googlefight. Interesting then that when looking at the comparison of 3G complaints vs 2G complaints http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=3g+complaints&word2=2g+complaints that 3G has the most:
3G - 1,540,000 results
2G - 484,000 results

Make of that what you will.

[The Mullet of G]

Quality, I have to admit thats the first I've heard of google fight. :D

Interestingly if you just type "iPhone Problems" or "N95 Problems" into google it gives totally different results, the iPhone scores a hefty 33,200 while N95 manages a respectable 3,510, make of that what you will. ;)

Its worth noting that I did expect N95 to score higher there due to it selling several million more units than iPhone, and the fact it uses an open ended OS instead of a hand holding walled garden effort, 3rd party apps and the like can often be the downfall of any OS in more ways than one. :p

[Ben]

Not to mention, of course, that the N95 has documented issues... to the extent that Nokia took feedback from testers and bloggers and created the Nokia N95 8GB.

Oh I love how googlefight can be twisted ;) http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=iPhone+issues&word2=N95+8GB+issues

Best of all...
http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=steve+jobs&word2=bill+gates

[Hands0n]

Look! You simply have to ask it the right question (http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=kill+steve+jobs&word2=kill+bill+gates) then you'll get valid and reasonable answers.

Now we're getting somewhere (http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=kill+tony+blair&word2=kill+gordon+brown) :D

Meanwhile ..... back on topic (http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=the+n95+is+best&word2=the+iphone+is+best) ;)


Edit: This (http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=Hands0n&word2=Mullet+of+G) had to be done :D :D :D

[Ben]

Bite me! (http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=Ben&word2=The+lot+of+ya) :D

Another award winning thread brought to you by Talk3G!

[Hands0n]

Blimey! We've really started something (http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=Yes+we+have&word2=No+we+haven%27t) here now!! :eek: