Apple iPhone

[Badgers]

Unless it has a built in Oyster Card I am not interested

 

[Crispy]

Interesting. A network-connected wallet. Hmmm. I'd be right in guessing that the seperation of functions has 100% security, of course.

 

[ovaltina]

Unless it has a built in Oyster Card I am not interested

I saw someone at Brixton tube once who had taken the chip from an Oyster and put it into a ring on his finger. The guard at the gates was well impressed.

You could probably put the chip into the back of my phone, there's lots of space behind the battery, which would mean not having to get my wallet out every time I take the tube

 

[stdPikachu]

I'd be right in guessing that the seperation of functions has 100% security, of course.

According to El Reg, they can't even decide on the ownership (i.e. reponsibility) of the secure storage. Personally the whole thing sounds like a clusterfuck waiting to happen, but I'm naturally suspicious of what seems like pointless integrration to me.

As an aside, DoCoMo have been doing the same thing for years, not sure how much it's caught on.

 

[editor]

According to El Reg, they can't even decide on the ownership (i.e. reponsibility) of the secure storage. Personally the whole thing sounds like a clusterfuck waiting to happen, but I'm naturally suspicious of what seems like pointless integrration to me..

I'd like it if my debit card worked as an Oyster, automatically topping up from my account.

 

[Crispy]

What would stop me taking an oyster instant pay terminal and hacking it into a portable machine that I wave around by people's pockets, taking their cash? If I understand it right, the authorisation on oyster is instant - that is, it doesn't phone home to a central database to authorise the transfer.

 

[editor]

According to El Reg, they can't even decide on the ownership (i.e. reponsibility) of the secure storage. Personally the whole thing sounds like a clusterfuck waiting to happen, but I'm naturally suspicious of what seems like pointless integrration to me.

I'd like it if my debit card worked as an Oyster, automatically topping up from my account.

 

[editor]

What would stop me taking an oyster instant pay terminal and hacking it into a portable machine that I wave around by people's pockets, taking their cash? If I understand it right, the authorisation on oyster is instant - that is, it doesn't phone home to a central database to authorise the transfer.

The system only works for small amounts (under £10), so I'd imagine a dodgy scamster notching up a massive flurry of £10 payments would be flagged up pretty quickly.

 

[Badgers]

I saw someone at Brixton tube once who had taken the chip from an Oyster and put it into a ring on his finger. The guard at the gates was well impressed.

You could probably put the chip into the back of my phone, there's lots of space behind the battery, which would mean not having to get my wallet out every time I take the tube

Wicked

I think that could have loads of good applications.
Stitched into a coat sleeve?
Part of a bracelet?

 

[stdPikachu]

What would stop me taking an oyster instant pay terminal and hacking it into a portable machine that I wave around by people's pockets, taking their cash?

What's to stop you? It's illegal, that's what!

Sorry, I'm immediately wary of any payment system that works on the principle of authorisation by proximity, no matter how small the amounts of money involved. But then I'm one of those stuckists who uses cash for almost everything.

To paraphrase again, I believe that those who are willing to forgo security for more convenience deserve neither and will lose both

 

[Badgers]

What would stop me taking an oyster instant pay terminal and hacking it into a portable machine that I wave around by people's pockets, taking their cash? If I understand it right, the authorisation on oyster is instant - that is, it doesn't phone home to a central database to authorise the transfer.

What would stop you dressing up a postal worker and robbing old people in their homes?

 

[Xanadu]

To paraphrase again, I believe that those who are willing to forgo security for more convenience deserve neither and will lose both

 

[jæd]

AT&T confirms 3G iPhone due next year
A long-anticipated 3G version of the iPhone is guaranteed for 2008, AT&T's head has told a meeting of the Churchill Club in Santa Clara, California. "You'll have it next year," said CEO Randall Stephenson. The executive would not elaborate on how fast the new phone would be, but AT&T currently operates 3G through an HSPA network, theoretically capable of speeds up to 3.6Mbps. Stephenson is also refusing to comment on whether or not it will cost the same as the current $399 iPhone, except to say that Apple CEO Steve Jobs "will dictate what the price of the phone is."

http://www.macnn.com/articles/07/11/29/att.3g.iphone.in.2008/

And I wonder what the memory will be...? 16 Gb...?

 

[paolo]

almost certainly. The Samsung chip should have been shipping in volume for awhile by then. It's also possible there will be an interim update - 16gb, ahead of 3G. MacWorld SF in January would be the next logical time to announce.

Whenever 16gb appears, expect a 32gb iPod touch too.

 

[tarannau]

Upbeat sales report from Michael Abramsky at RBC. Perhaps we're being a little cynical.

(excuse the large cut and paste - the source won't allow direct links)

Despite a very familiar set of limitations, the iPhone is showing continued demand in Europe and leading its immediate rivals

Sales checks in France, Germany, and the UK have all revealed strong sales both during and immediately after each country's respective launches. While T-Mobile's initial launch saw only 10,000 iPhones sold in Germany on the first day, many of the carrier's 700 retail stores continue to reflect a "solid" demand of 15-20 iPhones sold per week, Abramsky says.

France has so far proven the most immediately successful of the three nations, having registered roughly 63,000 customers on Orange's website amid reports of sellouts at some of the cellular provider's Parisian stores. Britain's O2 sold between 30,000 and 40,000 iPhones on its first weekend.

Surprisingly, reports from all three countries point to the device outrunning competitors that should theoretically fare better than the iPhone due to features or price. Phones like the HTC Touch or LG Prada are often heavily subsidized or offer features that the iPhone lacks, but are still being outsold by Apple's first offering.

The iPhone is even outselling Nokia's well-known N95 smartphone, which has sold more than a million units in the UK since its March release, the analyst writes.

Europeans are still hesitant to buy the iPhone due to the lack of fast 3G Internet access, its stripped-down Bluetooth feature set, and an unusually high price. However, the statistics suggest that a future 3G iPhone will be more of a pleasant upside to the iPhone's sales than an absolute necessity, Abramsky notes.

The strength of the iPhone is leading RBC to increase its total iPhone forecast to 12.5 million phones sold worldwide by the end of calendar 2008, 25 percent higher than Apple's stated goal of 10 million. About 4 million of these will come from buyers outside the US and may include countries such as Canada, Italy, and Spain, all of whom are top candidates to receive the iPhone next year.

A popular iPhone in Europe could also result in a "halo" that translates to increased sales for the Mac on the continent

 

[paolo]

France has gone very well for Apple. If I remember rightly, France Telecom (Orange) announced 50,000 signups in week one. 50% switchers from other carriers. Oddly, though, only a few hundred unlocked phones sold.

Also... There's been some interesting numbers published for mobile browsing. iphone browser usage is dwarfing Symbian and Windows mobile combined. I would of course paste a link to that, but I'm - ah - using my i...

 

[Sunray]

Upbeat sales report from Michael Abramsky at RBC. Perhaps we're being a little cynical.

(excuse the large cut and paste - the source won't allow direct links)

The N95 is well known for not being the greatest phone because of its terrible battery life.

iPhone is well known for being far too expensive.

Joe public is now well clued up on mobile phones and contract and costs. Just look at those companies with those cash back deals where they made it as hard as possible to get the cash back expecting only 40% would, yet 80% neatly jumped through every hoop and caused them to go bust.

Make it max 250 quid, any operator, people might be interested. If not then its going to be consigned to a nice niche gadget.

 

[laptop]

Wicked

[Oyster] Stitched into a coat sleeve?

Wash, or dry-clean?

 

[tarannau]

Make it max 250 quid, any operator, people might be interested. If not then its going to be consigned to a nice niche gadget.

This strikes me as a bit of a fatuous point. The whole 'smartphone' market is itself a niche gadget field and this being (a) Apple's first phone and with (B) Apple's aiming for a mighty 1% of the mobile market I'm not sure what else you're trying to say. Bear in mind that the iphone's currently outselling the entire Palm and Blackberry ranges in the US, hugely established competitors. Given the size of the entire market, a niche is all they have to aim for.

 

[jæd]

1.1.3 Firmware coming soon...

The site points to multiple reports that a 1.1.3 upgrade for the iPhone will appear by Saturday which adds both a disk mode for storing general data on the device and a voice recording mode for capturing lectures or voice memos.

http://www.electronista.com/articles/07/12/06/iphone.113.rumor/

I wonder if the Voice Memo app would be workable on the Touch, seeing as they've got a microphone to work on it...

 

[Structaural]

My current contract comes to and end in May. Having had a mess around on a colleagues iPhone I can see me buying one when they come out here in Holland, if the price isn't too steep. The screen looks amazing if a little greasy. Do they work with Airports Extremes?
I only use my phone for SMS, calls and browsing (though not often as it looks shit on my Nokia 6280) and my 2gb ipod has had better days so it would suit me, though a mail app would be useful.

 

[Crispy]

Airports Extremes?

Yes

I only use my phone for SMS, calls and browsing (though not often as it looks shit on my Nokia 6280) and my 2gb ipod has had better days so it would suit me, though a mail app would be useful.

It has a mail app.

 

[Gromit]

though a mail app would be useful.

The mail ap is quite good. Ive set up two email addresses on it and like the way it works. But you can also go in via the web and look at say gmail that way. Gmail detects you are mobile and puts up a mobile webpage for u which I thought was quite cool.

 

[Structaural]

Excellent. I mainly use Gmail but I've got a POP account for mailing lists.

 

[Gromit]

Well setting up Yahoo, Mac, Gmail and Aol emails are simplicity itself as it has ready made options for those.

Funnily enough not for M$'s Hotmail. I wonder why

The ap handles Imap, Pop and Exchange.

 

[paolo]

google now have an iPhone specific 'bundle' of their core web apps, with some nice AJAX stuff to make it fast. If you go to google mobile (www.google.com/m) it will auto detect and give you the iPhone version, rather than the more cut down mobile version. (note: you have to use the .com route - .uk doesn't do it at the moment.

 

[Gromit]

Yeah thats the same with gmail. When I said mobile version I meant the cut down iPhone version. Like. mini web page rather than wap.

 

[Mr Retro]

Saw an iPhone in the flesh for the first time today. After having a good play I think it's fucking class. Going to get one soon.

 

[paolo]

From mobiletoday.co.uk

------------------------------------
Growing demand for quality handsets
2007-12-07

iPhone remains number one, as N95 also enters the chart

Quality handsets are driving demand, and prices are falling. The iPhone still tops the chart, with demand up and average prices edging lower. The N95 has shot in at number 5 - clearly a sign that distributors and retailers are stocking up to meets the needs of the discerning customer this Christmas.

Rank / Demand (rising/falling) / Phone

1 + Apple iPhone
2 - Nokia 6300
3 + Motorola RAZR V3
4 + Nokia 1600
5 + Nokia N95 8GB
6 + Nokia 1112
7 - Nokia 1110i
8 + Nokia 2610
9 + Samsung E250
10 + Sony Ericsson W810i

 

[pseudonarcissus]

I've just been raped! I was traveling in Brazil all last month. I was just checking email when I needed to. 23 times in a month. AT&T (I live in the US) have charged the grand total of $1566.52 to check me emails 23 times. One downloaded 31.250 Mb, $609.55. And the phone never asked me if I wanted to download that attachment!

The Editor is right, much as it pains me to say it, Palm is best. My old Trio would ask if I wanted to down load an attachment, not just go and download Mbs willy nilly. How ever pretty it might be it ain't worth $1500 for one month.

Moral of the story.....don't buy an iPhone if you are going to check serious emails while international roaming, even if you only check them when you need to rather than every 30 minutes.

I am presuming charging structures are similar in the UK.

I cannot see anyway of stopping it downloading attachments or limiting the size of data transfered.