Carphone Warehouse Chip and PIN system crashed on Friday's iPhone launch night. The problem occurred because sales of the iPhone caused an overload to the system, according to a Carphone spokeswoman. 'It lasted hardly anytime at all and it was resolved really quickly,' she said.
Some customers said they faced a delay of up to 20 minutes for processing transactions. There were also several reports on blogs of Carphone staff aggressively pushing insurance with the iPhone.
Among the sites citing hard selling of insurance was the official Apple forum. One visitor said: '"I strongly advise”, “You really should think about it”, “I must caution you”; all these phrases had been used at CPW. It was like being interviewed by the police!'
Another posted added: 'They wouldn't let me leave without going for the insurance, which is illegal. I'm going to cancel tomorrow by phone, but I let O2 know today who apologised and gave me £100.'
A Carphone spokeswoman said the company had not received any complaints and they offer insurance with all contract handsets.
Link
Nov 16, 2007
iPhone 2.0 feature requests
A source close to the iPhone project tells me that iPhone 2.0 will likely feature Java and a native iChat/IM application. Does that mean that iPhone will be able to run Android? I wouldn’t hold my breath.
A spokesman for Apple recently told Pocket-Lint that “All the complaints and feature requests we’ve had can be fixed and added by software upgrades,” going on to say that “We didn’t want to include something for something’s sake.”
Does that mean that we’ll get video recording, copy and paste, syncable notes, the stereo Bluetooth profile (A2DP) and/or MMS? Hard to say… Here’s my short list of requests for iPhone 2.0:
Wireless sync: C’mon Apple, the phone has three radios! Cables are soooo 2003.
A File System: for storing attachments and files
Mobile Safari: Keychain support or some way to store passwords
Mail: Searching
Mail: Send email to a group by addressing it to its group name
Mail: Mark all as read
Mail: One tap to the inbox
Mail: One screen for all new mail, regardless of account
Contacts icon on the home screen (instead of having to click into Phone)
Phone: Display the name and the phone number of the caller
Phone: “Add to contacts?” button after someone calls you
Phone: “Reply with text message” option when a call comes in (like the Treo)
Games: A port of Texas Hold’Em from the iPod (do it now and add network play in v.2)
Link
A spokesman for Apple recently told Pocket-Lint that “All the complaints and feature requests we’ve had can be fixed and added by software upgrades,” going on to say that “We didn’t want to include something for something’s sake.”
Does that mean that we’ll get video recording, copy and paste, syncable notes, the stereo Bluetooth profile (A2DP) and/or MMS? Hard to say… Here’s my short list of requests for iPhone 2.0:
Wireless sync: C’mon Apple, the phone has three radios! Cables are soooo 2003.
A File System: for storing attachments and files
Mobile Safari: Keychain support or some way to store passwords
Mail: Searching
Mail: Send email to a group by addressing it to its group name
Mail: Mark all as read
Mail: One tap to the inbox
Mail: One screen for all new mail, regardless of account
Contacts icon on the home screen (instead of having to click into Phone)
Phone: Display the name and the phone number of the caller
Phone: “Add to contacts?” button after someone calls you
Phone: “Reply with text message” option when a call comes in (like the Treo)
Games: A port of Texas Hold’Em from the iPod (do it now and add network play in v.2)
Link
Apple's iPhone in the UK and Germany
The initial reports on the launch of Apple's iPhone in the UK and Germany this weekend suggest that the frenzy of the earlier U.S. launch has not been repeated, although there are some signs of healthy sales.
As in the U.S., there was preparation for a great turnout when the device went on sale early Friday evening. In the UK, for instance, independent retailer Carphone Warehouse kept stores open until 11:00 p.m. to accommodate expected crowds, and exclusive carrier O2 added 1,400 more staff.
There were some crowds. Ad Age, for instance, reported on Monday that hundreds lined up -- or "queued up," as they say in England -- outside Apple's flagship store in London on Friday.
Fastest-Selling Device
The Times Online reported that O2 is calling the iPhone "the fastest-selling device we have ever seen," with tens of thousands having been sold since it went on sale Friday. Peter Erskine, head of O2's mobile group, added that two-thirds of the iPhone's customers were new to the network. No exact sales figures, however, were released.
The Times Online also noted that there were reports of slower-than-expected sales in Newcastle, Manchester, and Birmingham. The Manchester Evening News reported "small but determined bands of diehards" outside stores in its area.
The Register's Andrew Orlowski was considerably more emphatic that the launch was a dud. He wrote Sunday that "journalists and PR minders outnumbered buyers on Friday night as interest in Apple's iPhone miserably failed to live up to the prelaunch hype in the UK." As an example, he said that readers reported a lack of crowds at the Carphone and O2 stores in upscale Brent Cross.
As to why it's not "the savior of the UK's mobile industry," Orlowski noted that Britons are used to paying for the phone or the contract, but not both. With the 18-month contract, the total commitment is the equivalent of about $1,800.
He also noted recently released competing devices, such as Nokia's N95. But he said the "wonderful user interface" could translate into Britons buying the iPhone and keeping their regular phone.
Fails To Grip Germany
Ad Age noted other complaints among Britons, including awkward text entry, no picture messaging , and no high-speed 3G Internet access. When Wi-Fi access is not available, the device uses the slower EDGE network, which is currently available in only 30 percent of the UK.
In Germany, Deutsche Telecom's T-Mobile reported that 10,000 iPhones were sold on Friday alone, through more than 700 stores. But Bloomberg reported that "the frenzy in the U.S." wasn't repeated in Germany, and Reuters ran an unambiguous headline over its story: "iPhone fails to grip Germany."
In spite of some negative news reports, Jupiter Research's Michael Gartenberg said that "you can't view this launch as anything but a success," citing "encouraging" sales numbers from both countries. It's hard to compare it to the U.S. launch, he said, "because that was a bigger launch, there was more noise," and the device was brand new.
The third announced European market is France, where France Telecom's Orange will launch the device on November 29.
Link
As in the U.S., there was preparation for a great turnout when the device went on sale early Friday evening. In the UK, for instance, independent retailer Carphone Warehouse kept stores open until 11:00 p.m. to accommodate expected crowds, and exclusive carrier O2 added 1,400 more staff.
There were some crowds. Ad Age, for instance, reported on Monday that hundreds lined up -- or "queued up," as they say in England -- outside Apple's flagship store in London on Friday.
Fastest-Selling Device
The Times Online reported that O2 is calling the iPhone "the fastest-selling device we have ever seen," with tens of thousands having been sold since it went on sale Friday. Peter Erskine, head of O2's mobile group, added that two-thirds of the iPhone's customers were new to the network. No exact sales figures, however, were released.
The Times Online also noted that there were reports of slower-than-expected sales in Newcastle, Manchester, and Birmingham. The Manchester Evening News reported "small but determined bands of diehards" outside stores in its area.
The Register's Andrew Orlowski was considerably more emphatic that the launch was a dud. He wrote Sunday that "journalists and PR minders outnumbered buyers on Friday night as interest in Apple's iPhone miserably failed to live up to the prelaunch hype in the UK." As an example, he said that readers reported a lack of crowds at the Carphone and O2 stores in upscale Brent Cross.
As to why it's not "the savior of the UK's mobile industry," Orlowski noted that Britons are used to paying for the phone or the contract, but not both. With the 18-month contract, the total commitment is the equivalent of about $1,800.
He also noted recently released competing devices, such as Nokia's N95. But he said the "wonderful user interface" could translate into Britons buying the iPhone and keeping their regular phone.
Fails To Grip Germany
Ad Age noted other complaints among Britons, including awkward text entry, no picture messaging , and no high-speed 3G Internet access. When Wi-Fi access is not available, the device uses the slower EDGE network, which is currently available in only 30 percent of the UK.
In Germany, Deutsche Telecom's T-Mobile reported that 10,000 iPhones were sold on Friday alone, through more than 700 stores. But Bloomberg reported that "the frenzy in the U.S." wasn't repeated in Germany, and Reuters ran an unambiguous headline over its story: "iPhone fails to grip Germany."
In spite of some negative news reports, Jupiter Research's Michael Gartenberg said that "you can't view this launch as anything but a success," citing "encouraging" sales numbers from both countries. It's hard to compare it to the U.S. launch, he said, "because that was a bigger launch, there was more noise," and the device was brand new.
The third announced European market is France, where France Telecom's Orange will launch the device on November 29.
Link
Nov 15, 2007
iPhone video recording, more features coming soon?
As long as the iPhone hacking community keeps jailbreaking the latest iPhone firmware updates, we have no problem with updating our handsets. However, should there come a time when iPhone hackers are unable to find a way into the iPhone’s file-system, Apple had better offer us some really, really, enticing features to get us to update our iPhones - features like video recording, iChat, MMS, stereo Bluetooth.
Well, we could be getting those sought after features in the near future. Pocket-lint is reporting that they have confirmation from an Apple spokesperson that “plenty more upgrades” are planned for the future. “All the complaints and feature requests we’ve had can be fixed and added by software upgrades,” said the Apple spokesperson.
There is even talk of Apple adding video recording functionality and integrating a YouTube uploading feature. And industry insider told Pocket-lint that, “They [Apple] aren’t stupid. They won’t want to give you everything at once. You wait, there will an exciting partnership with YouTube that adds video functionality and then lets you upload to the site in no time.”
So, only time will tell if Apple will be releasing highly-sought-after features like video recording, iChat, and MMS. We really want some added Bluetooth support in the next update. But, as far as video uploading to YouTube, that’s highly unlikely. Downloading YouTube videos are painful enough over AT&T’s EDGE network, but uploading would be just excruciating. Hey Apple, Bluetooth keyboards! You have a great wireless keyboard that we’d love to use with our iPhones.
Link
Well, we could be getting those sought after features in the near future. Pocket-lint is reporting that they have confirmation from an Apple spokesperson that “plenty more upgrades” are planned for the future. “All the complaints and feature requests we’ve had can be fixed and added by software upgrades,” said the Apple spokesperson.
There is even talk of Apple adding video recording functionality and integrating a YouTube uploading feature. And industry insider told Pocket-lint that, “They [Apple] aren’t stupid. They won’t want to give you everything at once. You wait, there will an exciting partnership with YouTube that adds video functionality and then lets you upload to the site in no time.”
So, only time will tell if Apple will be releasing highly-sought-after features like video recording, iChat, and MMS. We really want some added Bluetooth support in the next update. But, as far as video uploading to YouTube, that’s highly unlikely. Downloading YouTube videos are painful enough over AT&T’s EDGE network, but uploading would be just excruciating. Hey Apple, Bluetooth keyboards! You have a great wireless keyboard that we’d love to use with our iPhones.
Link
Apple iPhone: The Review
The launch of Apple iPhone indeed created ripple in the mobile markets the world over. It raised the expectations of the consumers to such a level that it is now becoming difficult for Apple to match up to them. But despite a few complaints here and there, the Apple iPhone has proved to be an awesome phone with features to match its exquisite looks.
This slick and sophisticated handset is the one that can turn all the attention towards you be it in the boardroom or a crowded market. This fashion phone is for the true connoisseurs, the ones who like to make a style statement in all sphere of life. An entertainment device, an iPod and an internet gadget, iPhone is all rolled into one.
The touchpad is convenient and easy to use. It’s a breeze to slide your fingers up and down and watch the screen respond to the touch of your fingers. The display on the phone, owing to Smart Sensors, automatically changes from landscape to portrait and vice versa. The .5-inch touch-screen display is brilliant and comes with a scratch resistant glass top. Instead of a traditional keypad, the iPhone features a virtual keypad. It might take you the initial few days to get used to this touch feature. The handset does not require a stylus, instead your fingers create magic on the touch screen.
The iPhone runs on OS X operating system that is used by Apple on its Macintosh computers. Through iTunes, the user can sync up the device to a personal computer or Mac. No matter where in the world you are, this Quad Band phone keeps you well connected, always.
If you are in the hot spot, WiFi proves to be en extremely useful connectivity option. What more, Apple iPhone has also incorporated all the standard regular connectivity and multimedia features that any high-end phone can boast of today. This is one hell of a gadget, and owning it will definitely make you one cool customer!
Link
This slick and sophisticated handset is the one that can turn all the attention towards you be it in the boardroom or a crowded market. This fashion phone is for the true connoisseurs, the ones who like to make a style statement in all sphere of life. An entertainment device, an iPod and an internet gadget, iPhone is all rolled into one.
The touchpad is convenient and easy to use. It’s a breeze to slide your fingers up and down and watch the screen respond to the touch of your fingers. The display on the phone, owing to Smart Sensors, automatically changes from landscape to portrait and vice versa. The .5-inch touch-screen display is brilliant and comes with a scratch resistant glass top. Instead of a traditional keypad, the iPhone features a virtual keypad. It might take you the initial few days to get used to this touch feature. The handset does not require a stylus, instead your fingers create magic on the touch screen.
The iPhone runs on OS X operating system that is used by Apple on its Macintosh computers. Through iTunes, the user can sync up the device to a personal computer or Mac. No matter where in the world you are, this Quad Band phone keeps you well connected, always.
If you are in the hot spot, WiFi proves to be en extremely useful connectivity option. What more, Apple iPhone has also incorporated all the standard regular connectivity and multimedia features that any high-end phone can boast of today. This is one hell of a gadget, and owning it will definitely make you one cool customer!
Link
Reports Mixed on iPhone's European Launch
By Barry Levine
The initial reports on the launch of Apple's iPhone in the UK and Germany this weekend suggest that the frenzy of the earlier U.S. launch has not been repeated, although there are some signs of healthy sales.
As in the U.S., there was preparation for a great turnout when the device went on sale early Friday evening. In the UK, for instance, independent retailer Carphone Warehouse kept stores open until 11:00 p.m. to accommodate expected crowds, and exclusive carrier O2 added 1,400 more staff.
There were some crowds. Ad Age, for instance, reported on Monday that hundreds lined up -- or "queued up," as they say in England -- outside Apple's flagship store in London on Friday.
Fastest-Selling Device
The Times Online reported that O2 is calling the iPhone "the fastest-selling device we have ever seen," with tens of thousands having been sold since it went on sale Friday. Peter Erskine, head of O2's mobile group, added that two-thirds of the iPhone's customers were new to the network. No exact sales figures, however, were released.
The Times Online also noted that there were reports of slower-than-expected sales in Newcastle, Manchester, and Birmingham. The Manchester Evening News reported "small but determined bands of diehards" outside stores in its area.
The Register's Andrew Orlowski was considerably more emphatic that the launch was a dud. He wrote Sunday that "journalists and PR minders outnumbered buyers on Friday night as interest in Apple's iPhone miserably failed to live up to the prelaunch hype in the UK." As an example, he said that readers reported a lack of crowds at the Carphone and O2 stores in upscale Brent Cross.
As to why it's not "the savior of the UK's mobile industry," Orlowski noted that Britons are used to paying for the phone or the contract, but not both. With the 18-month contract, the total commitment is the equivalent of about $1,800.
He also noted recently released competing devices, such as Nokia's N95. But he said the "wonderful user interface" could translate into Britons buying the iPhone and keeping their regular phone.
Fails To Grip Germany
Ad Age noted other complaints among Britons, including awkward text entry, no picture messaging , and no high-speed 3G Internet access. When Wi-Fi access is not available, the device uses the slower EDGE network, which is currently available in only 30 percent of the UK.
In Germany, Deutsche Telecom's T-Mobile reported that 10,000 iPhones were sold on Friday alone, through more than 700 stores. But Bloomberg reported that "the frenzy in the U.S." wasn't repeated in Germany, and Reuters ran an unambiguous headline over its story: "iPhone fails to grip Germany."
In spite of some negative news reports, Jupiter Research's Michael Gartenberg said that "you can't view this launch as anything but a success," citing "encouraging" sales numbers from both countries. It's hard to compare it to the U.S. launch, he said, "because that was a bigger launch, there was more noise," and the device was brand new.
The third announced European market is France, where France Telecom's Orange will launch the device on November 29.
Link
The initial reports on the launch of Apple's iPhone in the UK and Germany this weekend suggest that the frenzy of the earlier U.S. launch has not been repeated, although there are some signs of healthy sales.
As in the U.S., there was preparation for a great turnout when the device went on sale early Friday evening. In the UK, for instance, independent retailer Carphone Warehouse kept stores open until 11:00 p.m. to accommodate expected crowds, and exclusive carrier O2 added 1,400 more staff.
There were some crowds. Ad Age, for instance, reported on Monday that hundreds lined up -- or "queued up," as they say in England -- outside Apple's flagship store in London on Friday.
Fastest-Selling Device
The Times Online reported that O2 is calling the iPhone "the fastest-selling device we have ever seen," with tens of thousands having been sold since it went on sale Friday. Peter Erskine, head of O2's mobile group, added that two-thirds of the iPhone's customers were new to the network. No exact sales figures, however, were released.
The Times Online also noted that there were reports of slower-than-expected sales in Newcastle, Manchester, and Birmingham. The Manchester Evening News reported "small but determined bands of diehards" outside stores in its area.
The Register's Andrew Orlowski was considerably more emphatic that the launch was a dud. He wrote Sunday that "journalists and PR minders outnumbered buyers on Friday night as interest in Apple's iPhone miserably failed to live up to the prelaunch hype in the UK." As an example, he said that readers reported a lack of crowds at the Carphone and O2 stores in upscale Brent Cross.
As to why it's not "the savior of the UK's mobile industry," Orlowski noted that Britons are used to paying for the phone or the contract, but not both. With the 18-month contract, the total commitment is the equivalent of about $1,800.
He also noted recently released competing devices, such as Nokia's N95. But he said the "wonderful user interface" could translate into Britons buying the iPhone and keeping their regular phone.
Fails To Grip Germany
Ad Age noted other complaints among Britons, including awkward text entry, no picture messaging , and no high-speed 3G Internet access. When Wi-Fi access is not available, the device uses the slower EDGE network, which is currently available in only 30 percent of the UK.
In Germany, Deutsche Telecom's T-Mobile reported that 10,000 iPhones were sold on Friday alone, through more than 700 stores. But Bloomberg reported that "the frenzy in the U.S." wasn't repeated in Germany, and Reuters ran an unambiguous headline over its story: "iPhone fails to grip Germany."
In spite of some negative news reports, Jupiter Research's Michael Gartenberg said that "you can't view this launch as anything but a success," citing "encouraging" sales numbers from both countries. It's hard to compare it to the U.S. launch, he said, "because that was a bigger launch, there was more noise," and the device was brand new.
The third announced European market is France, where France Telecom's Orange will launch the device on November 29.
Link
iPhone: Madrid through the mini screen
I have just got back from the future. No, I haven't taken a spin in Doctor Who's Tardis; I've been trying out the latest hi-tech aid for the traveller.
The iPhone, made by Apple and launched in Britain yesterday, is a Bond-style mini computer that fits into your pocket, allowing you to surf the web while you are on the road. It's also a video iPod, camera, alarm clock, calendar and, of course, telephone.
This isn't the first such product on the market - BlackBerry and Nokia already allow their customers to access the internet from their phones - but this is arguably the first to be truly user-friendly, with a colourful, easy-to-read screen and a web surfing experience as good as that on any computer.
Travellers can now access up-to-the minute online content from their favourite guidebook - or guidebooks - virtually anywhere in the world; no more lugging around heavy editions.
They can consign dog-eared maps, phrasebooks and brochures to history and replace them with neat, downloadable iPod versions.
They can book flights, accommodation, restaurants and tickets on the hoof, check out train times, find the latest exchange rates, get live traffic news and weather reports, learn a new language and brush up on etiquette.
On long flights or stopovers they can listen to music, watch videos and play games. They can email friends and family, send them photos and update travel blogs. There is not much you can't do with the iPhone, it seems. But does it actually enhance the travel experience? That is the question.
Ahead of yesterday's launch here, I managed to borrow an iPhone from an American friend to try in Madrid for a weekend. My mission was simple: to enjoy a completely paperless holiday.
How would I fare? Would my new gadget allow me to slip seamlessly around the Spanish capital, or would I find myself in the wrong end of town jabbing ineffectually at a blank screen?
One thing was certain: without having to carry around a rucksack full of travel literature, I would save a fortune on chiropractor bills.
If you can already use the internet, operating the iPhone is fairly straightforward. It's slightly bigger than a cigarette packet and almost flat. Its black and silver fascia is dominated by a touch screen, which is operated by a series of swipes, taps and flicks.
The keypad is integrated into the screen, which, although fiddly, has a predictive text feature that corrects any bad spellings. You use the internet in the normal way: type in a website address and the page will appear. To read it, it is possible to expand the required text.
Some companies, including Rough Guides, have developed simplified pages for iPhones to make this process easier. The phone is compatible with both Macs and PCs.
To hook up to the internet abroad you either have to hunt out free wi-fi - wireless broadband - provided by many hotels, restaurants, coffee shops, airports and train stations, pay for an international deal, such as those offered by BT Openzone and T-Mobile, or surf the web over the normal mobile phone line.
The last method is not advisable. Apart from being painfully slow, it costs upwards of 35p per minute. One American user returned home from a holiday in Europe with a bill for $4,190 - about £2,040.
The big advantage of using the internet to research your holiday is that the data on the web tends, as a rule, to be new.
In response to this, traditional guides are rising to the digital challenge. The publisher Lonely Planet, whose website gets four million hits a month, allows its users to download tailor-made Pick & Mix guides chapter by chapter, as well as digital maps, phrasebooks, audio guides and podcasts. It also recently launched Lonelyplanet.tv - a kind of You Tube for travel videos.
Rough Guides offers downloadable "e-books" - digital versions of its guidebooks - and recently introduced interactive maps, phrasebooks and Podscrolls - mini guides - which can be loaded onto the iPod function of the phone.
Newer travel brands, such as the series offered by Mr and Mrs Smith, Hg2, Time Out and Alastair Sawday's Special Places to Stay, are mostly web-based and have as much information on the internet as they do in their books.
Travel sections of newspapers are doing likewise. Using an iPhone, you can have full access to the Telegraph Travel site, including our city guides, interactive maps, picture galleries, videos, blogs and message boards, as well as an archive of everything that appears on these pages.
Before I left for Madrid, I downloaded several guides on to my phone: six podcasts, an audio walking tour, a guide to Madrileño restaurants and bars and a Spanish phrasebook, produced by Rough Guides.
I also "bookmarked" - saved - the Lonely Planet and Rough Guide website addresses, plus a selection of travel blogs for reference.
My first jaunt into Madrid without my usual travel furniture was disconcerting. To put the phone through its paces, I had opted to try it out in a capital city I had never visited, knew very little about, in a country whose language I barely spoke. I felt naked. Could I really put all my trust in a machine no bigger than a beer mat?
My worries were short-lived. On my first outing, Google Maps, which stays on the phone's screen regardless of whether or not you are connected to the internet, accurately directed me from my hotel to the El Rastro flea market.
The satellite images, which are so detailed I could see a child holding a balloon in the main square, gave an interesting new perspective on the city and made getting my bearings much easier.
Next, a quick internet search gave me an up-to-the-minute euro-sterling conversion for a handbag I wanted, then produced a list of nearby tapas bars for lunch.
Emboldened, I spent the afternoon following an audio city guide I had downloaded on to the iPod part of the phone. Then, with time to spare, I logged on to find out when the Museo del Prado closed and headed over for a stroll around the masterpieces.
That evening, using my hotel's free wi-fi service, I caught up with work emails, checked the weather forecast for the following day, listened to music and browsed the web for inspiration for the rest of my stay.
It was liberating. Not only was I completely unencumbered, but I could be totally spontaneous, and was no longer restricted to following religiously the recommendations of one guidebook.
Instead I could canvas the opinions of dozens of guides, as well as a range of blogs, and newspaper and magazine reviews. I discovered tourist-free squares and little-known cafés that traditional guides had overlooked, and it was a joy not to be sharing the same restaurant with a dozen other people wielding the same volume as me.
Oh, and I did feel smug. While other tourists grappled under maps the size of Spain and picked their way through guidebooks, I simply found a nearby wi-fi spot, scrolled through the internet for inspiration, tapped in my next destination and off I went.
Without a backpack and map I was no longer identifiable as a tourist, so was left alone by hawkers and nefarious types to enjoy my day. And no, I didn't miss the security of the printed word, or long to flick through the pages of a book - the phone offered a different, but equally enjoyable tactile experience.
Best of all, I was better informed than I had ever been. I could find up-to-date information on anything - anything - that sparked my interest: the Madrid train bombings, the sexual proclivities of Goya, the time of the next train to Toledo. And the level of detail I could go into was endless.
Take, for example, Madrid's Museum of Ham. It is one of the city's quirkiest attractions, particularly if you like ham, yet it barely gets a mention in traditional guides.
The internet, by comparison, has no fewer than 372,000 entries on it, from mainstream sites such as the New York Times to far-out offerings from Librarianavengers.com.
Of course the phone isn't faultless. At £269, it's expensive, and in Britain buyers have to sign up to an 18-month contract with O2, Apple's service provider, for £35-£55 per month, which puts the true starting cost at almost £900.
Apart from this, the phone's battery power is short - the phone ran out on me at about 7pm each day - the camera has just two megapixels, a meagre resolution compared to that of most new models, and despite the predictive text feature, the touchscreen keys are slow and fiddly when typing more than a short email.
My only other complaints were that the screen was hard to see in direct sunshine and that it showed up every fingerprint, which rather ruined the cool look.
Despite this, the iPhone is expected to be a runaway success in Britain, as it has been in the United States, where it was launched on June 29, And this is just the start.
Apple's second-generation iPhone is rumoured to have faster "3G" internet access, bigger 16GB storage and satellite navigation. Nokia recently announced it is launching a similar smart phone in association with Microsoft, while other manufacturers are busy producing their own versions.
On my last evening in Madrid, I decided to conduct an experiment by venturing out in the old, cumbersome way. I collected all the usual travel equipment from my hotel's bookcase and piled it on to my bed: Lonely Planet's guide to Spain (2004 edition); Spanish phrase book; dictionary; six maps of Madrid's various quarters; contact list in case of emergency; camera; CD player; normal mobile phone.
The whole lot weighed marginally less than a Spanish bull. As I was loading on the last brochure, I realised I wouldn't have a bag nearly big enough to carry it all in.
Shame. I slipped my iPhone into my jacket pocket and bowled out into the Madrileño night.
Suzy Bennett flew to Madrid with EasyJet (0905 821 0905 - premium rate number - www.easyjet.com). Flights from Luton, Bristol, Gatwick, Edinburgh and Liverpool start at £22.99 one way, including tax. She stayed at Casa de Madrid (0034 9155 95791, www.casademadrid.com), a boutique hotel facing the city's Royal Opera House, which offers free wi-fi access for its guests. Doubles cost from €260 (£180).
Link
The iPhone, made by Apple and launched in Britain yesterday, is a Bond-style mini computer that fits into your pocket, allowing you to surf the web while you are on the road. It's also a video iPod, camera, alarm clock, calendar and, of course, telephone.
This isn't the first such product on the market - BlackBerry and Nokia already allow their customers to access the internet from their phones - but this is arguably the first to be truly user-friendly, with a colourful, easy-to-read screen and a web surfing experience as good as that on any computer.
Travellers can now access up-to-the minute online content from their favourite guidebook - or guidebooks - virtually anywhere in the world; no more lugging around heavy editions.
They can consign dog-eared maps, phrasebooks and brochures to history and replace them with neat, downloadable iPod versions.
They can book flights, accommodation, restaurants and tickets on the hoof, check out train times, find the latest exchange rates, get live traffic news and weather reports, learn a new language and brush up on etiquette.
On long flights or stopovers they can listen to music, watch videos and play games. They can email friends and family, send them photos and update travel blogs. There is not much you can't do with the iPhone, it seems. But does it actually enhance the travel experience? That is the question.
Ahead of yesterday's launch here, I managed to borrow an iPhone from an American friend to try in Madrid for a weekend. My mission was simple: to enjoy a completely paperless holiday.
How would I fare? Would my new gadget allow me to slip seamlessly around the Spanish capital, or would I find myself in the wrong end of town jabbing ineffectually at a blank screen?
One thing was certain: without having to carry around a rucksack full of travel literature, I would save a fortune on chiropractor bills.
If you can already use the internet, operating the iPhone is fairly straightforward. It's slightly bigger than a cigarette packet and almost flat. Its black and silver fascia is dominated by a touch screen, which is operated by a series of swipes, taps and flicks.
The keypad is integrated into the screen, which, although fiddly, has a predictive text feature that corrects any bad spellings. You use the internet in the normal way: type in a website address and the page will appear. To read it, it is possible to expand the required text.
Some companies, including Rough Guides, have developed simplified pages for iPhones to make this process easier. The phone is compatible with both Macs and PCs.
To hook up to the internet abroad you either have to hunt out free wi-fi - wireless broadband - provided by many hotels, restaurants, coffee shops, airports and train stations, pay for an international deal, such as those offered by BT Openzone and T-Mobile, or surf the web over the normal mobile phone line.
The last method is not advisable. Apart from being painfully slow, it costs upwards of 35p per minute. One American user returned home from a holiday in Europe with a bill for $4,190 - about £2,040.
The big advantage of using the internet to research your holiday is that the data on the web tends, as a rule, to be new.
In response to this, traditional guides are rising to the digital challenge. The publisher Lonely Planet, whose website gets four million hits a month, allows its users to download tailor-made Pick & Mix guides chapter by chapter, as well as digital maps, phrasebooks, audio guides and podcasts. It also recently launched Lonelyplanet.tv - a kind of You Tube for travel videos.
Rough Guides offers downloadable "e-books" - digital versions of its guidebooks - and recently introduced interactive maps, phrasebooks and Podscrolls - mini guides - which can be loaded onto the iPod function of the phone.
Newer travel brands, such as the series offered by Mr and Mrs Smith, Hg2, Time Out and Alastair Sawday's Special Places to Stay, are mostly web-based and have as much information on the internet as they do in their books.
Travel sections of newspapers are doing likewise. Using an iPhone, you can have full access to the Telegraph Travel site, including our city guides, interactive maps, picture galleries, videos, blogs and message boards, as well as an archive of everything that appears on these pages.
Before I left for Madrid, I downloaded several guides on to my phone: six podcasts, an audio walking tour, a guide to Madrileño restaurants and bars and a Spanish phrasebook, produced by Rough Guides.
I also "bookmarked" - saved - the Lonely Planet and Rough Guide website addresses, plus a selection of travel blogs for reference.
My first jaunt into Madrid without my usual travel furniture was disconcerting. To put the phone through its paces, I had opted to try it out in a capital city I had never visited, knew very little about, in a country whose language I barely spoke. I felt naked. Could I really put all my trust in a machine no bigger than a beer mat?
My worries were short-lived. On my first outing, Google Maps, which stays on the phone's screen regardless of whether or not you are connected to the internet, accurately directed me from my hotel to the El Rastro flea market.
The satellite images, which are so detailed I could see a child holding a balloon in the main square, gave an interesting new perspective on the city and made getting my bearings much easier.
Next, a quick internet search gave me an up-to-the-minute euro-sterling conversion for a handbag I wanted, then produced a list of nearby tapas bars for lunch.
Emboldened, I spent the afternoon following an audio city guide I had downloaded on to the iPod part of the phone. Then, with time to spare, I logged on to find out when the Museo del Prado closed and headed over for a stroll around the masterpieces.
That evening, using my hotel's free wi-fi service, I caught up with work emails, checked the weather forecast for the following day, listened to music and browsed the web for inspiration for the rest of my stay.
It was liberating. Not only was I completely unencumbered, but I could be totally spontaneous, and was no longer restricted to following religiously the recommendations of one guidebook.
Instead I could canvas the opinions of dozens of guides, as well as a range of blogs, and newspaper and magazine reviews. I discovered tourist-free squares and little-known cafés that traditional guides had overlooked, and it was a joy not to be sharing the same restaurant with a dozen other people wielding the same volume as me.
Oh, and I did feel smug. While other tourists grappled under maps the size of Spain and picked their way through guidebooks, I simply found a nearby wi-fi spot, scrolled through the internet for inspiration, tapped in my next destination and off I went.
Without a backpack and map I was no longer identifiable as a tourist, so was left alone by hawkers and nefarious types to enjoy my day. And no, I didn't miss the security of the printed word, or long to flick through the pages of a book - the phone offered a different, but equally enjoyable tactile experience.
Best of all, I was better informed than I had ever been. I could find up-to-date information on anything - anything - that sparked my interest: the Madrid train bombings, the sexual proclivities of Goya, the time of the next train to Toledo. And the level of detail I could go into was endless.
Take, for example, Madrid's Museum of Ham. It is one of the city's quirkiest attractions, particularly if you like ham, yet it barely gets a mention in traditional guides.
The internet, by comparison, has no fewer than 372,000 entries on it, from mainstream sites such as the New York Times to far-out offerings from Librarianavengers.com.
Of course the phone isn't faultless. At £269, it's expensive, and in Britain buyers have to sign up to an 18-month contract with O2, Apple's service provider, for £35-£55 per month, which puts the true starting cost at almost £900.
Apart from this, the phone's battery power is short - the phone ran out on me at about 7pm each day - the camera has just two megapixels, a meagre resolution compared to that of most new models, and despite the predictive text feature, the touchscreen keys are slow and fiddly when typing more than a short email.
My only other complaints were that the screen was hard to see in direct sunshine and that it showed up every fingerprint, which rather ruined the cool look.
Despite this, the iPhone is expected to be a runaway success in Britain, as it has been in the United States, where it was launched on June 29, And this is just the start.
Apple's second-generation iPhone is rumoured to have faster "3G" internet access, bigger 16GB storage and satellite navigation. Nokia recently announced it is launching a similar smart phone in association with Microsoft, while other manufacturers are busy producing their own versions.
On my last evening in Madrid, I decided to conduct an experiment by venturing out in the old, cumbersome way. I collected all the usual travel equipment from my hotel's bookcase and piled it on to my bed: Lonely Planet's guide to Spain (2004 edition); Spanish phrase book; dictionary; six maps of Madrid's various quarters; contact list in case of emergency; camera; CD player; normal mobile phone.
The whole lot weighed marginally less than a Spanish bull. As I was loading on the last brochure, I realised I wouldn't have a bag nearly big enough to carry it all in.
Shame. I slipped my iPhone into my jacket pocket and bowled out into the Madrileño night.
Suzy Bennett flew to Madrid with EasyJet (0905 821 0905 - premium rate number - www.easyjet.com). Flights from Luton, Bristol, Gatwick, Edinburgh and Liverpool start at £22.99 one way, including tax. She stayed at Casa de Madrid (0034 9155 95791, www.casademadrid.com), a boutique hotel facing the city's Royal Opera House, which offers free wi-fi access for its guests. Doubles cost from €260 (£180).
Link
iPhone's U.K. Invasion
Rachel Rosmarin and Elizabeth Woyke
When Apple begins selling its iPhone in Europe on Friday, Britons have plenty of reasons not to buy one: It is slower, more expensive and less flexible than other devices available to them.
But Apple’s high-end brand cachet follows it across the pond and analysts and executives expect healthy queues throughout the holiday season for all three sellers in the U.K.: Apple (nasdaq: AAPL - news - people ), Spanish telecom carrier O2 and phone retailer Carphone Warehouse.
O2 Chief Executive Matthew Key predicted that together, the companies will sell 200,000 iPhones by Jan. 1, 2008. Carphone Warehouse has predicted it could move 10,000 iPhones in the first 24 hours after it goes on sale.
While some analysts point to the iPhone’s sluggish EDGE data network as a factor that could turn off U.K. consumers—many phones in Europe are already outfitted with faster 3G connections, which are rare in the U.S.—the iPhone was the most searched for phone in the U.K. on all search engines in the month of October, according to Hitwise analyst Robin Goad.
British phone-buyers are iPhone-curious, at least, and some say they’re certain they’re ready to buy. About 10% of U.K. mobile subscribers surveyed by M:Metrics say they have a “high interest” in buying an iPhone.
But even those intrigued by the iPhone are complaining about its hefty price tag. "Apple is brilliant on interface and usability, but in Europe, phones are so heavily subsidized, there's a perception that they're worth nothing," says Boris Nemsic, chief executive of Telekom Austria Group, a European telecom company with 11 million mobile customers.
That's particularly true in the U.K., where customers are used to getting high-end phones free with carrier contracts. Vodafone (nyse: VOD - news - people ), one of O2's chief rivals, is currently offering dozens of phones free with certain contracts in the U.K., including the N95 from Nokia (nyse: NOK - news - people ) and the BlackBerry Pearl. Vodaphone is even pairing one free Samsung phone with a free iPod nano.
Britons are grousing about what they see as a regional premium in the device’s pricing. It is being sold for £269 ($567) in the U.K. — cheaper than its launch price in the U.S. in June, but 42% more than its current U.S. price of $399, following a September price cut by Apple.
U.K. service plans are also more expensive. The cheapest applicable plan offered by O2 is £35 ($74) a month, compared to $59.99 a month from AT&T. (O2 however, requires only an 18-month contract, compared with 24 months with AT&T.)
In Germany, the phone will cost even more: €399 ($585). Service plans from T-Mobile will range from €49 to €89 a month ($72 to $131) under minimum two-year contracts.
Apple attributes most of the price differences to the European countries' value-added taxes, which, unlike U.S. sales tax, is baked into the price of goods. The rest, it says, comes from higher business costs in Europe, although the company didn't elaborate on what these involve.
O2 has sought to counter cost complaints by touting the phone as a feature-packed device with a top of the line MP3 player and Internet browser, not just a mere cell phone.
IDC analyst Chris Hazelton doesn’t believe that the iPhone's price, use of the EDGE network, or even the fact that Apple is limiting iPhone purchases to two per customer and credit card transactions only, are the biggest iPhone turn-offs for Europeans. Instead, Hazelton believes that Europeans will balk at the lack of choices of carriers for iPhone service. Europeans are accustomed to more carrier flexibility, he argues.
Under French consumer law, for instance, manufacturers are not allowed to tether phones to particular carriers beyond six months. The upshot: More than 60% of French cell phone owners have an “unlocked” phone that can work with any GSM carrier’s services, says Hazelton. “That high number is aided by regulation, and while it's not simply that they have nicer carriers, the carriers and government do want to give users choices.”
Orange, the iPhone's exclusive carrier in France, has said it will offer a premium-priced, unlocked version of the iPhone following its Nov. 29 launch. That could fuel a reverse market for unlocked iPhones. "I wouldn't be surprised if Europeans start exporting these 'officially unlocked' phones to other countries," says Ty Liotta, a senior merchandiser at ThinkGeek.com, an online store that specializes in importing tech-oriented gadgets.
The European familiarity with unlocked phones could also drive continental hackers to tamper with Apple’s lockdown on the iPhone at a proportionately higher rate than Americans have, so that the device can be used on any carrier and also run unsanctioned software. “I think you might see stronger hacker efforts in the U.K., and eventually in Asia, than in the U.S.,” says IDC’s Hazelton.
American hackers have already hacked the iPhone twice, in a practice known as “jailbreaking”: once when Apple released the device to the public in June, then again when Apple pushed out a software update that deactivated tampered-with iPhones. On Friday, Apple is pushing out yet another software update to all iPhones, including those sold in the U.K.
On Nov. 5, Britain’s Guardian newspaper quoted hackers who boasted that they plan to break through Apple’s latest software shackles within hours of the phone’s launch. While it will likely take more than a couple of hours, says Hazelton, “We could see a U.K. versus U.S. hacker race to unlock. Hackers don’t like to be told they can’t do something when they know that they can.”
Link
When Apple begins selling its iPhone in Europe on Friday, Britons have plenty of reasons not to buy one: It is slower, more expensive and less flexible than other devices available to them.
But Apple’s high-end brand cachet follows it across the pond and analysts and executives expect healthy queues throughout the holiday season for all three sellers in the U.K.: Apple (nasdaq: AAPL - news - people ), Spanish telecom carrier O2 and phone retailer Carphone Warehouse.
O2 Chief Executive Matthew Key predicted that together, the companies will sell 200,000 iPhones by Jan. 1, 2008. Carphone Warehouse has predicted it could move 10,000 iPhones in the first 24 hours after it goes on sale.
While some analysts point to the iPhone’s sluggish EDGE data network as a factor that could turn off U.K. consumers—many phones in Europe are already outfitted with faster 3G connections, which are rare in the U.S.—the iPhone was the most searched for phone in the U.K. on all search engines in the month of October, according to Hitwise analyst Robin Goad.
British phone-buyers are iPhone-curious, at least, and some say they’re certain they’re ready to buy. About 10% of U.K. mobile subscribers surveyed by M:Metrics say they have a “high interest” in buying an iPhone.
But even those intrigued by the iPhone are complaining about its hefty price tag. "Apple is brilliant on interface and usability, but in Europe, phones are so heavily subsidized, there's a perception that they're worth nothing," says Boris Nemsic, chief executive of Telekom Austria Group, a European telecom company with 11 million mobile customers.
That's particularly true in the U.K., where customers are used to getting high-end phones free with carrier contracts. Vodafone (nyse: VOD - news - people ), one of O2's chief rivals, is currently offering dozens of phones free with certain contracts in the U.K., including the N95 from Nokia (nyse: NOK - news - people ) and the BlackBerry Pearl. Vodaphone is even pairing one free Samsung phone with a free iPod nano.
Britons are grousing about what they see as a regional premium in the device’s pricing. It is being sold for £269 ($567) in the U.K. — cheaper than its launch price in the U.S. in June, but 42% more than its current U.S. price of $399, following a September price cut by Apple.
U.K. service plans are also more expensive. The cheapest applicable plan offered by O2 is £35 ($74) a month, compared to $59.99 a month from AT&T. (O2 however, requires only an 18-month contract, compared with 24 months with AT&T.)
In Germany, the phone will cost even more: €399 ($585). Service plans from T-Mobile will range from €49 to €89 a month ($72 to $131) under minimum two-year contracts.
Apple attributes most of the price differences to the European countries' value-added taxes, which, unlike U.S. sales tax, is baked into the price of goods. The rest, it says, comes from higher business costs in Europe, although the company didn't elaborate on what these involve.
O2 has sought to counter cost complaints by touting the phone as a feature-packed device with a top of the line MP3 player and Internet browser, not just a mere cell phone.
IDC analyst Chris Hazelton doesn’t believe that the iPhone's price, use of the EDGE network, or even the fact that Apple is limiting iPhone purchases to two per customer and credit card transactions only, are the biggest iPhone turn-offs for Europeans. Instead, Hazelton believes that Europeans will balk at the lack of choices of carriers for iPhone service. Europeans are accustomed to more carrier flexibility, he argues.
Under French consumer law, for instance, manufacturers are not allowed to tether phones to particular carriers beyond six months. The upshot: More than 60% of French cell phone owners have an “unlocked” phone that can work with any GSM carrier’s services, says Hazelton. “That high number is aided by regulation, and while it's not simply that they have nicer carriers, the carriers and government do want to give users choices.”
Orange, the iPhone's exclusive carrier in France, has said it will offer a premium-priced, unlocked version of the iPhone following its Nov. 29 launch. That could fuel a reverse market for unlocked iPhones. "I wouldn't be surprised if Europeans start exporting these 'officially unlocked' phones to other countries," says Ty Liotta, a senior merchandiser at ThinkGeek.com, an online store that specializes in importing tech-oriented gadgets.
The European familiarity with unlocked phones could also drive continental hackers to tamper with Apple’s lockdown on the iPhone at a proportionately higher rate than Americans have, so that the device can be used on any carrier and also run unsanctioned software. “I think you might see stronger hacker efforts in the U.K., and eventually in Asia, than in the U.S.,” says IDC’s Hazelton.
American hackers have already hacked the iPhone twice, in a practice known as “jailbreaking”: once when Apple released the device to the public in June, then again when Apple pushed out a software update that deactivated tampered-with iPhones. On Friday, Apple is pushing out yet another software update to all iPhones, including those sold in the U.K.
On Nov. 5, Britain’s Guardian newspaper quoted hackers who boasted that they plan to break through Apple’s latest software shackles within hours of the phone’s launch. While it will likely take more than a couple of hours, says Hazelton, “We could see a U.K. versus U.S. hacker race to unlock. Hackers don’t like to be told they can’t do something when they know that they can.”
Link
Verizon Knocks T-Mobile Off Top Spot in Customer Service
By Dieter Bohn
That's a bit of a shocker - T-Mo has been king-of-the-customer-service hill for a long time now, but a recent JD Power study shows they've been bested by Verizon. The other piece of news is less surprising - satisfaction with carrier customer service is down all around and has been trending steadily down for years now.
As a part of this Smartphone Round Robin I've been making weekly calls to AT&T to change up my plan to reflect my phone - since both the iPhone and the Blackberry have their own special data plans and services to deal with. I don't know if AT&T has been putting something in their water coolers lately, but the support I've been getting has been absolutely stupendous. Hold times: short; representatives: friendly and smart; phone system navigation: still crap, but really - whose isn't these days?
My biggest complaint with most carriers these days is their data packages are byzantine and surreal. T-Zones, BIS, iPhone data, MEdia Net, Dial-up packages: I doubt even Kafka could have come up with these varied, conflicting, and mysteriously priced plans.
How 'bout y'all: happy with your provider? Are you thinking the grass is greener on the other side? If it's Verizon on the other side, apparently it just might be.
Link
That's a bit of a shocker - T-Mo has been king-of-the-customer-service hill for a long time now, but a recent JD Power study shows they've been bested by Verizon. The other piece of news is less surprising - satisfaction with carrier customer service is down all around and has been trending steadily down for years now.
As a part of this Smartphone Round Robin I've been making weekly calls to AT&T to change up my plan to reflect my phone - since both the iPhone and the Blackberry have their own special data plans and services to deal with. I don't know if AT&T has been putting something in their water coolers lately, but the support I've been getting has been absolutely stupendous. Hold times: short; representatives: friendly and smart; phone system navigation: still crap, but really - whose isn't these days?
My biggest complaint with most carriers these days is their data packages are byzantine and surreal. T-Zones, BIS, iPhone data, MEdia Net, Dial-up packages: I doubt even Kafka could have come up with these varied, conflicting, and mysteriously priced plans.
How 'bout y'all: happy with your provider? Are you thinking the grass is greener on the other side? If it's Verizon on the other side, apparently it just might be.
Link
Apple: More iPhone Features Coming
Posted by Eric Zeman
If you're disappointed by some of the features not found on the iPhone, time will cure your ills. According to comments made recently by an Apple spokesperson, the Cupertino firm plans to add more functionality over the coming months.
I guess Apple thought we'd be overwhelmed to have a complete feature set included on the iPhone from the outset. Rather than ship fully realized devices starting June 29th, Apple held back many features that are common on simpler, cheaper phones. Many complaints arose at the iPhone's lack of stereo Bluetooth support, inability to record video or send picture messages, and so on. As was evidenced by the 1.1.1 firmware update, Apple can and will add new features to the iPhone through software upgrades.
An Apple rep recently told Pocket-lint, "All the complaints and feature requests we've had can be fixed and added by software upgrades." Apple has been mulling all the feedback and complaints of the iPhone and said about its initially limited feature set, "We didn't want to include something for something's sake."
There is a lot of speculation about why Apple didn't include more features from the onset. Some think that adding new features every few months will keep new customers coming in the doors. Others think that the promise of new features might prevent more people from hacking their iPhones.
If you ask me, I think Apple couldn't have the additional features ready by June 29th. I bet it performed some internal calculations, figured out what the minimum feature set it could prepare by launch, and went with it. The reason Apple hasn't added more features already is because they are still in the process of being developed.
Apple knows exactly what its customer want at this point. Now it is only a matter of time before Apple gets around to adding them to the iPhone.
Link
If you're disappointed by some of the features not found on the iPhone, time will cure your ills. According to comments made recently by an Apple spokesperson, the Cupertino firm plans to add more functionality over the coming months.
I guess Apple thought we'd be overwhelmed to have a complete feature set included on the iPhone from the outset. Rather than ship fully realized devices starting June 29th, Apple held back many features that are common on simpler, cheaper phones. Many complaints arose at the iPhone's lack of stereo Bluetooth support, inability to record video or send picture messages, and so on. As was evidenced by the 1.1.1 firmware update, Apple can and will add new features to the iPhone through software upgrades.
An Apple rep recently told Pocket-lint, "All the complaints and feature requests we've had can be fixed and added by software upgrades." Apple has been mulling all the feedback and complaints of the iPhone and said about its initially limited feature set, "We didn't want to include something for something's sake."
There is a lot of speculation about why Apple didn't include more features from the onset. Some think that adding new features every few months will keep new customers coming in the doors. Others think that the promise of new features might prevent more people from hacking their iPhones.
If you ask me, I think Apple couldn't have the additional features ready by June 29th. I bet it performed some internal calculations, figured out what the minimum feature set it could prepare by launch, and went with it. The reason Apple hasn't added more features already is because they are still in the process of being developed.
Apple knows exactly what its customer want at this point. Now it is only a matter of time before Apple gets around to adding them to the iPhone.
Link
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