Thoughts and Rumors About the iPhone Nano
December 28th, 2008 by iPhoneTechZone
With rumor’s swirling around about a possibly iPhone Nano being announced at this year’s Macworld Expo, I thought I would weigh in on the future of the iPhone product line.
To me, as a consumer, the iPhone Nano is a waste. Why would you want a phone that is smaller than the iPhone? That trend died when the RAZR did. Now, phones are all about function, and it seems like an iPhone Nano would need to cut a whole lot of function in order to fit the title.
From the leaked screens, it seems like the phone is much smaller than it’s counterpart [the iPhone 3G]. This ultimately comes down to screen size and capacity. I would assume that with this launch, they would bump the iPhone 3G to 16GB and 32GB, and launch the iPhone Nano at 4GB and 8GB. I know many people that have iPhones but DON’T store their music libraries on them [at least not all of it] because it is too small. So the thought of making the capacity smaller is not a turn-off for me.
Instead it is the idea that the current iPhone is GREAT the way it is. By making the iPhone Nano smaller, you are cutting out screen space. Now you can’t watch movies on that big of a screen, the keys when it comes to the qwerty keyboard are smaller [which is already an issue for many people], and there’s less room to view webpages, emails, photo’s and more. One of the great things about the iPhone was that it was one of the first phones to enclude a very large touch screen.
But why do I think that the iPhone Nano is a waste? Another rumor that is floating around is that the new iPhone Nano would have to run on the Edge network from AT&T. The reduction in over all size of the phone would force Apple to use the smaller Edge chipset, meaning you couldn’t have the great speed of the iPhone 3G. Not only would Apple be compromising on screen size, but also overall speed.
Every time I see Steve Jobs up on stage announcing new products there seems to be a recurring theme. Apple doesn’t compromise [at least according to him]. So what would be an advantage of a phone with so many compromises? Price. I am going to go out on a limb here, and say that IF Apple were to release an iPhone Nano AND assuming they used the 4GB and 8GB price points I mentioned, I would not be suprised to see a 4GB iPhone Nano priced at $99.
So why is the iPhone Nano a waste. Well it seems like there would be too many compromises for the price to be justified. Granted, a cheaper iPhone would sell like hot cakes [sounds a lot like when the RAZR went mainstream], I don’t think the overall preception of the phone would be that great. In the coming months and years, 3G cellular networks will be implemented in more places and in more carriers that it would almost be a standard. And to have Apple compromise the chip and go back to Edge would be pretty sad.
But then again, this is all based on rumors and speculation. Who knows what Apple will announce at Macworld? Only time will tell! Check back here on January 5th for all the news!
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Rumors about iPhone firmware 2.2.1 to Bring Push Notification
December 1st, 2008 by iPhoneTechZone
Apple announced early this year with the release of the iPhone 3G that a ‘Push’ notification system would be introduced by September but as you have probably guessed, it was harsly delayed. Thankfully rumors have been floating claiming that the next release of 2.2 (titled 2.2.1) will introduce it to the public.
RussianiPhone.ru have announced this week that the 2.2.1 beta will have the ‘Push’ notification feature bundled with the MobileMe notes syncing. They have backed up their claim with this following screenshot but of course this could easily of been photoshopped:
What is making us not entirely believe this is the fact that the 2.2.1 beta has not even be released to developers so the Russians must have somehow achieved it outside of public distribution. Whether it real of fake it does beg the question, is ‘push’ notifications coming to our 3-inch screens soon?
Steve Jobs has already told us that Apple are planning to get the system ‘100% right’ from the beginning so maybe the long wait has been worth it. With these rumors and screenshots floating around however, it may catch some attention of some eager developers who like to produce instant messaging apps. Watch this space.
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Podcast Over-the-Air Downloads Coming to iPhone with Firmware 2.2
November 6th, 2008 by iPhoneTechZone
The German site Schimanke.com has just published some screenshots taken from an iPhone running on the new firmware 2.2 Beta 2 showing that it will be possible to do over-the-air downloads for both audio and video podcasts without passing through iTunes.
These downloads will still have some form of limitations when used over the mobile network as the episodes will have to be of maximum 10MB in size. This ads to the other new features already discussed in the past such as Google street views and Japanese emoji icons. Sadly, still no news of a background “push” notifications or of a public release date.
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louis vuitton Damier Graphite case for the iPhone
October 3rd, 2008 by iPhoneTechZone
After the line of Graphite bags seen at the Men’s Fall 2008 show, Louis Vutton decided to make it’s own small leather accessories for the iPhone. It’s the ultimate accessory for the urban man searching for functionality that also comes with resistance, lightness and a sharp design.
So if you want to bring an extra touch of Luxury to your iPhone and don’t mind spending $250 I would suggest you go in style and get yourself the brand case like Louis Vuitton’s new Iphone with his brand new Damier Graphite model. Very clean and classy, It’s sure to attract a few jealous looks!
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The iPhone 3G 32 GB rumored for release as soon as next week
September 21st, 2008 by iPhoneTechZone
The latest rumors spreading is that as soon as next week, Apple could be updating the iPhone 3G to 32 GB of storage (moving the 16 GB model to where the 8 GB is now, and dropping the 8 GB entirely), and may even go back to in-home activation!
These are two updates I would personally love because I now get a much-needed, bigger iPod for my music and videos (I right now am on an old, original 1st Gen 4 GB Nano), a better cell phone (I am on AT&T), and the fact that I can handle the whole activating process from my computer and not have to deal with all the craziness of lines and such that go on in Apple and AT&T stores would be AWESOME!!!
Let’s hope this comes true and soon, but in the meantime: would you go for this “new” iPhone 3G, and hold off your existing purchase of an iPhone or one of these other upcoming phones for different carriers (see top), or are you just gonna say “This isn’t going to happen, and I want my iPhone 3G/LG Dare or Samsung Instinct NOW!” Let us know your thoughts and plans in the comments.
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Griffin’s new iTrip Autopilot Car Charger
September 21st, 2008 by iPhoneTechZone
Griffin Technology just released two new products for its iPod/iPhone for your automotive needs. Both are successors to the original iTrip product. I remember buying my 1st iTrip for my 4th generation iPod; it was a standalone unit that just sits on top of the iPod turning my iPod’s LCD into FM station selector.
Well, the latest iTrip Auto Smartscan ($79) and iTrip Autopilot ($99) have evolved much beyond the original. All iTrip products are very convenient for people who want to enjoy their iPod for their car but either do not have an aux input from their OEM car stereo or do not want to pay upwards of $300 to buy OEM iPod integration offered by some companies like Acura, Audi, BMW, Honda, VW, and etc.
Pros:
- Nice low profile charger design that can clear most car’s arm rest storage
- iPod control at the base of charger is very handy, lights up too!
- Smartscan works very nicely to determine the best three FM stations to use
- RDS function is nice to display song information on supported Radio
Cons:
- FM modulators suffer in quality in big cities with lots of interference (this applies to all FM solutions)
- I could think of a couple of more features to add (ie. aux in/out, build-in mic for iPhone)
- Too many steps to get to the menu for the preset-stations
This product is very easy to use, hardly any learning curve is necessary; it literally works right out of the box. The smart-scanning is a great feature; making it very easy to automatically detect the best 3 FM stations and automatically pre-sets them for you. I really loved the way you can control your iPod or iPhone using the control buttons on the base of the charger; while it is useless in my car (because its hidden out of the way of access by design), I can imagine it being very handy on cars with cigarette chargers more prominiently mounted. The charger does a great job at, well, charging your iPod and iPhone; as with any modern day accessory, power supply is always my top concern, an accessory (such as bluetooth headset) that contributes to draining my device is never welcome in my collection. The control module is compact and easy to navigate with only three buttons, which is just the right configuration; I especially like the high-contrast LCD display on the control module.
As far as the sound quality, this is where I ran into a little bit of trouble; the problem with NYC is that it has so many stations that interferes over FM. iTrip Autopilot has done a terrific job and managed to find the best three stations which worked, but lots of hissing and intereference can be still be heard. As I manually searched for an open station; the white noise I hear are way too overpowering. Therefore; I conclude that if you live in a smaller city or township with less interruptions over air wave; FM modulators are great; in larger metropolitan like L.A., N.Y.C or Miami, chances are almost all FM modulators would run into some form of interruption.
Overall, I am quite impressed with Griffin’s product design and usability. Having the ability to easily scan and preset three of the best available station is very handy. The high-contrast display is good throughout day and night. The sound quality is on par with any FM stereo solution. For a basic iPod solution I think the $79 iTrip Auto Smartscan will do the trick. If you have extra money to invest in the $99 iTrip Autopilot, I think it’s a worthy upgrade to be able to get the extra iPod control and display.
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Star Wars: Force Unleashed for the iPhone released on the App store
September 16th, 2008 by iPhoneTechZone
Now you can play Star Wars: The Force Unleashed game on your iPhone and iPod touch and you can experience the Star Wars universe as never before. The devastating power of the Force is in your hands. You are Darth Vader’s Secret Apprentice, trained by the menacing Sith Lord to hunt down the last of the Jedi. Unleash a barrage of Force Powers - including Grip, Lightning, Jedi Mind Trick and much more - at the flick of your fingers you tap, touch and swipe your way through enemies . . .
The game starts out as expected with the classic Star Wars screen describing the plot:
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PwnageTool and QuickPwn noqUpdated and workinf for iPhone firmware 2.1
September 14th, 2008 by iPhoneTechZone
Oh, so soon? After hearing about Apple incorporating preventive measures into iTunes 8, I was a bit worried that the iPhone Dev-Team would take some time before they came up with a smooth and safe PwnageTool for my iPhone. But they did it, and in record time. Just a day after the iPhone 2.1 software was released (5 days after iPod touch 2.1 was released), the iPhone Dev-Team got their show on the road with PwnageTool 2.1, and QuickPwn 1.1.
The ‘pwn’ goes around iTunes 8’s protection, without hacking or patching a single core file of iTunes or Mac OS X. The tool will unlock and jailbreak first generation iPhones. iPhone 3G will only be jailbroken, as will the first generation iPod Touch. This tool is not tested on the iPod Touch 2G, as the developers claim they don’t have any to test it on! Too bad they don’t accept any donations.
If you are confused about the differences between PwnageTool and QuickPwn, let me put it in simple words. QuickPwn lets you pwn your iPhone after you have officially updated with iTunes. On the other hand, PwnageTool will create a custom firmware which you then use to update your iPhone. Both tools will achieve the same end result, but with PwnageTool you have more control as to what packages you want to install, whether you want a custom boot logo or not, etc. QuickPwn, on the other hand, is much quicker. Both tools are very easy to use.
This time round the team has decided to go the BitTorrent route to reduce the server loads, especially during the initial stages. If you are wary of BitTorrent technology, they also have direct download mirrors listed by third party hosts. The whole thing feels like it’s a community event! If you are having trouble with downloading the 2.1 update via iTunes, iClarified lists official download links so you can get it using your preferred download manager.
The tool is currently only available for Mac OS X, but a Windows version should be out soon.
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Rogers said to be revising it’s iPhone plans
September 6th, 2008 by iPhoneTechZone
Rogers Wireless will be revising its iPhone plans on October 1 to include a new 250 minute plan for $60, among other changes.
The new bundles would feature a $60 plan with:
- 250 daytime minutes
- 75 texts
- 1GB data
- Visual Voicemail
- three months of unlimited local calling
- a permanent MY5 Local option
A $75 plan may also be available, with 400 minutes, 100 texts, and 2GB data.
Early on, Rogers has had a rocky relationship with iPhone customers, many of whom are unhappy with the relatively high cost of plan rates and miniscule data allowances.
Do you find this to be an improvement, or does Rogers still have a long way to go?
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Official tethering option for the iPhone seems on the way
August 31st, 2008 by iPhoneTechZone
It seems Apple and AT&T are in talks regarding adding a tethering option to the iPhone. One user emailed Apple to complain about the lack of that feature, particularly considering it is offered on most other smartphones for $30/month.
Supposedly, Steve Jobs replied and said:
We agree, and are discussing it with AT&T.
Steve
Interesting… AT&T actually does offer a tethering option for their other smartphones for, you guessed it, $30 a month. But the iPhone has been excluded from this. For those who don’t know, tethering is a feature that allows a user to connect to the Internet through their cell phone. In effect, turning their phone into an Internet connection for a laptop. As you may remember, Nullriver’s Netshare was pulled from the App Store recently because it offered this very feature.
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