iPhone will be an AT&T exclusive - bit-tech.net Forums

Da Dego · 23rd May 2007, 16:14

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/05..._t_exclusive/1

So many people have been lusting over the iPhone that it's almost obscene. Thanks to the delays between the US and EU, I've already had people begging me to import them one, no matter what the price. Unfortunately, that may be harder than it sounds - the iPhone will be an AT&T exclusive for five years, at least here in the States.

bilbothebaggins · 23rd May 2007, 16:38

5 Years?
Isn't the turnover for mobile-phones something like 1-year-to-next-model?

identikit · 23rd May 2007, 16:41

Hahahahahahahahaha. How much are they going to be worth on the black market?! I can imagine gangs of people stealing them then selling them on to importers in the EU, who in turn unlock them and sell them on for profit. You'll be able to pick one up in the UK for a few hundred quid soon enough.

fev · 23rd May 2007, 16:42

iphones of no interest to me, where's the 3g? or even HSDPA

Ramble · 23rd May 2007, 16:55

I'm pretty sure it's a legal obligation for a company to provide an unlock code or something that will let someone unlock the phone.
That said, GSM? As fev says above that's a waste of money, I'd expect at least 3g.

airchie · 23rd May 2007, 17:12

Surprise surprise.

I remember my first mobile phone, all it had was cellnet written on the screen when it had a signal.
And that's only cos I happened to have a cellnet SIM in it at the time.

I saw a friend's new phone recently and it had advertising for **** on the front screen llike a screensaver!

Sod that tbh!

olly_lewis · 23rd May 2007, 17:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by fev

iphones of no interest to me, where's the 3g? or even HSDPA

It'll probably be bumped from EDGE to 3G sooner or later and when it arrives in the UK it'll most likely have to be upgraded to 3G....

Either way, its gonna sell

DXR_13KE · 23rd May 2007, 17:54

here telephone companies normally lock the phones to their network and unlock them for a fee or after the date has expired on the contract, but you can buy unlocked phones in other shops but they cost a little more.
CDMA? GSM? why don't they use 3G in the US? it seams that the US are still in the stone age in terms of mobile communications.

pendragon · 23rd May 2007, 17:57

i really could care less about the Iphone ...now, if only Samsung would make Sprint a nice slider-phone like the LG Chocolate.. well.. then I'd really be interested

Bauul · 23rd May 2007, 18:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by pendragon

i really could care less about the Iphone ...

Don't you mean you really couldn't care less about the iphone? I see people say "I could care less" all the time, when technically they're stating they care a lot about a product, it's odd, I wonder where it came from.

On the subject of the iphone itself: meh. I want my phone to be sturdy, reliable, and, excluding writing time, send a text message in no more than 2 seconds. Funny thing is, the more modern phones get, more complex is seems to become to do the simplest things. Apparently with the new LG Prada phone, which operates much like an iPhone with a touchscreen, it requires clicking through three menus just to get the number pad up.

Ramble · 23rd May 2007, 19:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bauul

it's odd, I wonder where it came from.

Probably from the fact that double nagatives can be confusing to understand sometimes.

Nexxo · 23rd May 2007, 20:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bauul

On the subject of the iphone itself: meh. I want my phone to be sturdy, reliable, and, excluding writing time, send a text message in no more than 2 seconds. Funny thing is, the more modern phones get, more complex is seems to become to do the simplest things. Apparently with the new LG Prada phone, which operates much like an iPhone with a touchscreen, it requires clicking through three menus just to get the number pad up.

Not so. You get to the keypad either by tapping one icon on the main screen, or (during a call) by clicking a button on the side. That's it.

completemadness · 23rd May 2007, 20:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ramble

Probably from the fact that double nagatives can be confusing to understand sometimes.

yeah it can take a minute to work out what someone was actually saying when they start using multiple negatives

pendragon · 23rd May 2007, 20:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bauul

Don't you mean you really couldn't care less about the iphone? I see people say "I could care less" all the time, when technically they're stating they care a lot about a product, it's odd, I wonder where it came from.

Correct. I'm tired and not feeling well, so I guess my grammar took a dive.

cyrilthefish · 23rd May 2007, 20:23

I still can't see whats special about the iPhone *at all*

It's essentially a standard PDA/Phone hybrid device (theres too many of these around to count) in a shiny casing and with a shiny GUI...

On the negative side, from what i've read it'll have a incredibly locked down OS, that will not run 3rd party apps unless they are signed by apple.

Microsoft did that on the first windows mobile phones and eventually had to relent and make the application signing voluntary rather than mandatory due to it being universally hated by the consumers.
(I remember the *fun* of having to manually hack my first windows phone by copying code to the phone while it was booting up, but before the security policy got applied, to break the code-signing :P )

In short, the application lockdown makes it worse than any other hybrid PDA/Phone out there.

related link: http://www.slipperybrick.com/2007/01...open-like-mac/

DreamTheEndless · 23rd May 2007, 21:10

Meh - I'll have one on day of release -

I'll let you guys know how good/bad it is.....

Aankhen · 24th May 2007, 00:27

Heh. The whole mobile phone industry in North America is so completely anti-consumer, one wonders why they even bother pretending to be otherwise.

<A88> · 24th May 2007, 02:18

Meh, my phone has a touchscreen, WiFi, GPS, plays videos and music with album art whilst updating the music everytime I connect it to my PC, MSN messenger, Live Local, hotmail, syncs all my contacts, emails and calendar entries to Outlook, syncs all my notes to OneNote, has Word, Excel and Powerpoint, a decent 2mp camera, FM radio, expandable memory, changable battery and endless 3rd party apps. Anyone would think the iPhone would be a downgraded product with a highly upgraded price

<A88>

fev · 24th May 2007, 02:37

*hugs vast phone collection*

still a fan of my p990, but then the n95 camera is better and more multimedia focused but then the spv m700 does both but with a worse camera.

Gah it's too much

Krikkit · 24th May 2007, 02:50

To be honest I can see the iPhone hitting the spot just right.

Personally, I haven't got a use for fancy features like WiFi, GPS, and video playback, 3G and e-mail access and endless 3rd party apps.

The iPhone hits the spot I'd most want if I didn't have a massive music collection - it's a functional, sleek, stylish phone (with all the usual gubbins), combined with an MP3 player, all in one device. I think it's what a lot of people will want, but the downside is the price. Ain't it always the truth.

fev - you have far too many phones.

23rd May 2007, 16:14	#1
Da Dego Brett Thomas Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Cleveland, OH USA Posts: 3,906	iPhone will be an AT&T exclusive http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/05..._t_exclusive/1 So many people have been lusting over the iPhone that it's almost obscene. Thanks to the delays between the US and EU, I've already had people begging me to import them one, no matter what the price. Unfortunately, that may be harder than it sounds - the iPhone will be an AT&T exclusive for five years, at least here in the States. __________________ "Frankly that seems overkill. iluvtrees2 arguing with spec is the intellectual equivalent of a bunny rabbit taking on a pissed-off lion." - Nexxo

23rd May 2007, 16:41	#3
identikit Ultramodder Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: London Posts: 1,183	Hahahahahahahahaha. How much are they going to be worth on the black market?! I can imagine gangs of people stealing them then selling them on to importers in the EU, who in turn unlock them and sell them on for profit. You'll be able to pick one up in the UK for a few hundred quid soon enough. __________________ www.crushed-core.com \| Folding @ Home \| CPC & Bit-tech folding stats (team #35947) \| My Heatware

23rd May 2007, 16:42	#4
fev Corporate Whore Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Tesco - On Beanbag, Games Playing Office Posts: 2,884	iphones of no interest to me, where's the 3g? or even HSDPA __________________ I know what I'm doing... do you? Follow me on Twitter..go on

23rd May 2007, 16:55	#5
Ramble Ginger Nut Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Exeter, Devon/Wantage, Oxfordshire Posts: 5,235	I'm pretty sure it's a legal obligation for a company to provide an unlock code or something that will let someone unlock the phone. That said, GSM? As fev says above that's a waste of money, I'd expect at least 3g. __________________ Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Ensign Ricky are beaming down to the planet. Guess who's not coming back.

23rd May 2007, 17:54	#8
DXR_13KE Madeira's banana is the best!!! Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Madeira ; Portugal Posts: 6,471	here telephone companies normally lock the phones to their network and unlock them for a fee or after the date has expired on the contract, but you can buy unlocked phones in other shops but they cost a little more. CDMA? GSM? why don't they use 3G in the US? it seams that the US are still in the stone age in terms of mobile communications. __________________ *Renegade X - 0.40 Release!* <---- CLICK!

23rd May 2007, 16:38	#2
bilbothebaggins Multimodder Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Austria Posts: 113	5 Years? Isn't the turnover for mobile-phones something like 1-year-to-next-model?

23rd May 2007, 17:57	#9
pendragon I pickle they Join Date: May 2004 Location: Massachusetts,usa Posts: 631	i really could care less about the Iphone ...now, if only Samsung would make Sprint a nice slider-phone like the LG Chocolate.. well.. then I'd really be interested __________________ -----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK----- GCS d-@ s-:>: a- C++$ UL---@ P++>+++++$ L+ E----@ W+++ N o? K? w++>+++++ O---@ M-- V? PS--() PE+@ Y? PGP-@ t+(+++) 5(+)@ X@ R+(++) tv@ b++ DI@ D++ G e++>+++++ h! r(%) y? ------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------

23rd May 2007, 20:23	#15
cyrilthefish Hypermodder Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: UK Posts: 838	I still can't see whats special about the iPhone at all It's essentially a standard PDA/Phone hybrid device (theres too many of these around to count) in a shiny casing and with a shiny GUI... On the negative side, from what i've read it'll have a incredibly locked down OS, that will not run 3rd party apps unless they are signed by apple. Microsoft did that on the first windows mobile phones and eventually had to relent and make the application signing voluntary rather than mandatory due to it being universally hated by the consumers. (I remember the fun of having to manually hack my first windows phone by copying code to the phone while it was booting up, but before the security policy got applied, to break the code-signing :P ) In short, the application lockdown makes it worse than any other hybrid PDA/Phone out there. related link: http://www.slipperybrick.com/2007/01...open-like-mac/ Last edited by cyrilthefish; 23rd May 2007 at 20:31.

23rd May 2007, 21:10	#16
DreamTheEndless Gravity hates Bacon Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Portland Oregon USA Posts: 1,554	Meh - I'll have one on day of release - I'll let you guys know how good/bad it is..... __________________ Srenob is deader than dead, so check out my new blog instead: http://i-have-a-blog-now.blogspot.com/ (Note - there's not much there yet, but maybe there will be someday.)

24th May 2007, 00:27	#17
Aankhen Supermodder Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: India Posts: 406	Heh. The whole mobile phone industry in North America is so completely anti-consumer, one wonders why they even bother pretending to be otherwise. __________________ It sure took me a long time to realize I hadn't changed my forum settings since returning from Canadia-land.

24th May 2007, 02:18	#18
<A88> Trust the Computer Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Bournemouth Posts: 4,797	Meh, my phone has a touchscreen, WiFi, GPS, plays videos and music with album art whilst updating the music everytime I connect it to my PC, MSN messenger, Live Local, hotmail, syncs all my contacts, emails and calendar entries to Outlook, syncs all my notes to OneNote, has Word, Excel and Powerpoint, a decent 2mp camera, FM radio, expandable memory, changable battery and endless 3rd party apps. Anyone would think the iPhone would be a downgraded product with a highly upgraded price <A88> __________________ TheCounterfit.co.uk Twitter Facebook Last.fm Flickr! FriendFeed

24th May 2007, 02:37	#19
fev Corporate Whore Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Tesco - On Beanbag, Games Playing Office Posts: 2,884	hugs vast phone collection still a fan of my p990, but then the n95 camera is better and more multimedia focused but then the spv m700 does both but with a worse camera. Gah it's too much __________________ I know what I'm doing... do you? Follow me on Twitter..go on

24th May 2007, 02:50	#20
Krikkit Don't panic! Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Lancs, UK Posts: 15,174	To be honest I can see the iPhone hitting the spot just right. Personally, I haven't got a use for fancy features like WiFi, GPS, and video playback, 3G and e-mail access and endless 3rd party apps. The iPhone hits the spot I'd most want if I didn't have a massive music collection - it's a functional, sleek, stylish phone (with all the usual gubbins), combined with an MP3 player, all in one device. I think it's what a lot of people will want, but the downside is the price. Ain't it always the truth. fev - you have far too many phones. __________________ \|E8400 @ 4.4GHz\|WC: 2*120.1 GT's, MCP350, Storm G5\|4GB Dominators\|DFI LT X48-T2R\|8800GT\|74GB Raptor\|Chieftec BA01\|OCZ ModXStream 600W\|Dell 2208WFP\| The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, The LOL!!1!!1!, The Zlad!, The Kempness, The Braaaaaains...