Apple entered the mobile phone market in July 2007 with a pretty revolutionary cell phone called "iPhone". The device featured a large touch screen enabling an innovative "multi-touch" user interface, also contained an iPod audio player and was running on a stripped-down version of the Macintosh operating system Mac OS X.
The first iPhone was widely criticized for using only the (relatively) slow EDGE network technology. The reason for this was, at least according to Apple's CEO Steve Jobs, that a faster 3G chipset would have eaten too much battery.
One year later, technology had once again advanced quite a bit, so Apple was able to launch its second generation iPhone called "3G". Under real life conditions, this new phone can render most web sites about twice as fast as the original iPhone in its "Mobile Safari" browser.
It has a GPS receiver as well, which is being used by the built-in Google Maps application and various other programs.
Together with the iPhone 3G Apple also launched an "App Store" for native iPhone applications (before that there were only "web apps"), which is available in the iTunes software and on the device itself (= downloads over the air), and extended its previous online service ".Mac" to the new "MobileMe". The iPhone can use this to sync PIM data with both Macintosh and Windows computers.
For enterprise users, the iPhone 3G offers synchronisation with Microsoft Exchange accounts.
Most new features of the iPhone 3G are part of the new iPhone 2.0 software (unless they in fact need 3G or GPS), which is available free of charge for the older iPhone model as well.
The iPhone 3G comes in two flavors. The smaller model has 8 Gigabyte of Flash memory and a black plastic backside cover, the larger 16 GB device comes in either black or white. In some countries Apple uses exklusive partners for the connectivity (e.g. AT&T in the U.S. or T-Mobile in Germany), in others it's also available without this so called SIM-lock. Most carriers offer special iPhone tariffs which usually include some kind of data "flat rate", but are quite expensive compared to normal cell phone plans.
Not all users accept Apple's iPhone marketing strategy. A substantial number of 1st generation iPhones has been "unlocked" using hacker tools and is running in other networks. Vodafone in Germany even offers a special data plan for such unofficial devices these days.
Other hackers developed "jailbreak" software which allowed native third party apps long before the App Store opened its virtual doors. The iPhone 3G has already been "jailbroken" as well, but there is not yet a tool to remove the SIM-lock.
Overall, the iPhone and especially the new iPhone 3G have changed the way people use the mobile internet. The iPhone has quickly become a poster child for the cell phone industry, even though other devices are technically more advanced. Other vendors have tried or are trying to copy its user interface and ease of use, so far with little or no success.
The first iPhone was widely criticized for using only the (relatively) slow EDGE network technology. The reason for this was, at least according to Apple's CEO Steve Jobs, that a faster 3G chipset would have eaten too much battery.
It has a GPS receiver as well, which is being used by the built-in Google Maps application and various other programs.
Together with the iPhone 3G Apple also launched an "App Store" for native iPhone applications (before that there were only "web apps"), which is available in the iTunes software and on the device itself (= downloads over the air), and extended its previous online service ".Mac" to the new "MobileMe". The iPhone can use this to sync PIM data with both Macintosh and Windows computers.
For enterprise users, the iPhone 3G offers synchronisation with Microsoft Exchange accounts.
Most new features of the iPhone 3G are part of the new iPhone 2.0 software (unless they in fact need 3G or GPS), which is available free of charge for the older iPhone model as well.
The iPhone 3G comes in two flavors. The smaller model has 8 Gigabyte of Flash memory and a black plastic backside cover, the larger 16 GB device comes in either black or white. In some countries Apple uses exklusive partners for the connectivity (e.g. AT&T in the U.S. or T-Mobile in Germany), in others it's also available without this so called SIM-lock. Most carriers offer special iPhone tariffs which usually include some kind of data "flat rate", but are quite expensive compared to normal cell phone plans.
Not all users accept Apple's iPhone marketing strategy. A substantial number of 1st generation iPhones has been "unlocked" using hacker tools and is running in other networks. Vodafone in Germany even offers a special data plan for such unofficial devices these days.
Other hackers developed "jailbreak" software which allowed native third party apps long before the App Store opened its virtual doors. The iPhone 3G has already been "jailbroken" as well, but there is not yet a tool to remove the SIM-lock.
Overall, the iPhone and especially the new iPhone 3G have changed the way people use the mobile internet. The iPhone has quickly become a poster child for the cell phone industry, even though other devices are technically more advanced. Other vendors have tried or are trying to copy its user interface and ease of use, so far with little or no success.
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