All u want to know about iPhone
Telecom service providers Bharti Airtel and Vodafone have entered into a deal with Apple Inc to launch the iPhone in India by October. Though available easily in the grey market, the iPhone is legally available only in the US, Germany, Ireland, the UK, France and Austria. Gizmo gurus can also look forward to the iPhone 2.0 software that is expected to be released in June, which will perform all the functions of your beloved (or not) Blackberry. So, we bring you...
Why is iPhone worth the wait?
Because it can cure AIDS and give birth to puppies! Well, we wish it did. As it stands, the iPhone is worth the wait because it’s the phone to own if you want to get noticed. Apart from the sleek ’’ slim style statement it makes, what sets it apart is the no-buttons-only-touch concept. The iPhone is not just a phone but also an iPod. And it’s not just a phone and an iPod but also an Internet communication device. That’s three reasons why you should have one!
For a first-time user, getting a grip of the iPhone is not difficult. But its shiny metallic scratch-resistant body is a little slippery so if you’re the sort whose Nokia has lived to tell the tale of 10 drops and counting, your iPhone experience could be short-lived.
But this baby is so cute you will be loathe to let it bounce. As you finger it — yes, it is a rather sensuous experience — what will undoubtedly impress you is its multi-touch sensing. It knows what you want, when you want. All you have to do is tap on the icons displayed on the screen, flick up and down with your finger to scroll the contacts, flip through photo albums as though they were pages… Just like almost everything Apple makes, the iPhone is a piece of design genius.
Perhaps the only thing that may get to you is the typing. Because the keypad works on touch and because everybody’s fingers are not the same size, it isn’t hard to make mistakes. The type-correcting feature kicks in, but you can still expect to take about five days before you ace the keyboard.
There are a couple of cool features worth mentioning here. The iPhone has a sensor that knows how you are holding the phone (vertically or horizontally) and changes the orientation accordingly — like changing your page view from landscape to portrait. It also has a Safari browser that allows users to view full web pages by zooming in and out. Which brings us to…
Why you should have an iPhone
• Multi-touch interface
• SMSes are saved as chat conversations, which is really cool
• Built-in iPod with video playback
• Viewing Word, Excel and PDF documents
• Visual voicemail (a list of voicemails and you can click on the voicemail you want to hear first).
• Predictive typing
• Free live traffic updates in Google Maps
• Quicktime support in Safari
• Speakerphone, mute switch, playing with other applications while you talk, syncing via Outlook calendar and contacts through iTunes (works even on Vista with the latest Outlook)
...And why you shouldn’t
• You can’t forward SMSes (there is no such thing as Sent Mail)
• Can’t copy and paste
• Doesn’t support all iPod accessories. Look for the “Works with iPhone” logo on the packaging
• No built-in game support or ringtones
• No instant messaging or voice dialling
• No A2DP support, no expandable storage, no Windows Media support, no hardware keyboard
How does iPhone send and receive email?
It is a very easy set-up for Gmail, Yahoo! or Hotmail. Starting June, when the new version, the iPhone 2.0, is expected, you will also be able to use Microsoft Exchange Server for emailing. The iPhone sends and receives email over Wi-Fi and EDGE wireless networks.
Can I send and receive email from more than one account?
Yes.
Can the order of the home screen icons be changed?
Yes, in the later versions
How good does the music sound through the built-in speaker?
It’s not spectacular but it’s decent. The quality is, of course, much better with the headphones.
Are fingerprints left on the touchscreen?
Almost none. And they can be easily wiped off in a second.
What does the touchscreen feel like?
Hmmmm. Like a windowpane? You can’t use a stylus, even if you wanted to. It likes to be touched!
Does the battery really last eight hours?
Battery life is decent. You’ll probably have to charge it everyday, depending on usage. Not as good as a Nokia that lasts for two-three days without charging.
Are the camera and camera applications any good?
It has a 2.0 mega-pixel camera. There is no digital zoom or flash and you can’t video record unless you have third-party applications.
What happens when someone sends you an MMS?
Nothing. The iPhone doesn’t support MMS. You don’t get a notification either.
Can you receive a call while you are downloading stuff?
Yes. Even if you are listening to music on the headphones, it will slowly fade away and the phone will ring. You can also talk with the headphones on since it comes with a mic.
What can the Bluetooth support be used for?
Only for the Bluetooth headsets (strictly the iPod-certified ones, apparently). You cannot transmit data like contacts or pictures via Bluetooth.
Can you stream shared iTunes libraries to the iPhone over Wi-Fi?
No. Possibly with third-party applications.
Does it support YouTube?
Yes. It has a YouTube application.
Can you conference call?
Yes, with up to five people.
Tech specs
Size and weight
Height: 4.5 inches (115 mm)
Width: 2.4 inches (61 mm)
Depth: 0.46 inch (11.6 mm)
Weight: 4.8 ounces (135 g)
Camera
2.0 mega-pixels
Capacity
8GB or 16GB flash drive
Display
3.5-inch (diagonal) wide-screen Multi-Touch display
Wireless data
Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) EDGE
Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
Data support
Supports select audio and video formats
Power and battery
Talk time up to 8 hours, Internet use up to 6 hours, video playback up to 7 hours, audio playback up to 24 hours
price $199 (Rs 8600/-) approx. nt yet launched in india