Apple iPhone FAQ - Everything you need to know about the iPhone

General Questions

Questions on Specifications

Questions on Functionality

Other Questions

http://www.apple.com/iphone/

The iPhone is Apple's breakthrough into the mobile phone market. Apple, not satisfied with their virtual domination of the MP3-player market (with the iPod), decided to add a cell phone to their lineup (and also to stave off market encroachment from music-oriented phones). The iPhone is, at once, a widescreen iPod, cell phone, and Internet Device. Apple's managed to integrate 4GB-8GB of storage, 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth 2.0, and even WiFi, under a beautifully huge touchscreen LCD screen. The touchscreen is a revolutionary Multi-Touch interface, which allows easy multi-finger navigation.

The Apple iPhone is slated to launch June 29, 2007 at 6pm, local time.

Apple will offer their iPhone in two trim-levels. The version with 4GB of internal storage will be offered at a price point of US $499, while the 8GB version will command US $599. There are rumors regarding possible rebates and/or subsidies, but take them with a grain of salt.

http://www.apple.com/iphone/technology/specs.html

Dimensions: 4.5 x 2.4 x 0.46 inches (115 x 61 x 11.6mm)
Screen size: 3.5 inches
Screen resolution: 320 by 480 @ 160 ppi
Input method: Multi-touch (touchscreen), virtual on-screen keyboard, volume control
Operating system: Mac OS
Web browser: Safari
Application and Widgets: Google Maps, Stock Information, Weather information
Storage: 4GB or 8GB
Network: Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Mhz with GPRS/EDGE
Wireless data: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g ; Bluetooth 2.0
Camera: 2.0 megapixels
Battery: 8 hours of Talk-Time, 250 hours of Standby-Time, 6 hours of Internet use, 7 hours of Video Playback, 24 hours of Audio playback
Weight: 4.8 ounces / 135 grams
Price : $499 (4Gb) and $599 (8Gb) with 2 years contract

http://www.intomobile.com/2007/03/15/will-apple-iphone-really-run-os-x.html

Steve Jobs noted, in his keynote, that the Apple iPhone will be running on "Mac OS." This doesn't mean it will be running the same Mac OS X powering MacBooks and Mac Pros.

The 3.5 inch touchscreen LCD, virtually filling the entire face, is actually what Apple calls a multi-touch display. This revolutionary interface takes the touchscreen interface to a whole new level. Multi-touch is not just optimized for single-finger navigation, multiple-finger gestures make navigation more intuitive and virtually eliminate the need for any hard keys or buttons. Check out this video about multi-touch displays.

Yes - virtual on-screen keyboard

There is no physical keyboard on the iPhone. The multi-touch interface was designed to make keyless navigation a cinche. Still, should you need to input text, a virtual keyboard pops up as needed. This video will give you an idea of the ease of text entry.

Apple has crammed a suite of sensors into their iPhone. First off, the proximity sensor, in the phone's face, detects when you put the phone to your ear and turns off the display. This prevents unintentional inputs and saves on battery power while you are on a call. The accelerometers, a sensor that measure acceleration, will detect rotation of the device from landscape and portrait and will re-orient the screen likewise. A light sensor detects ambient light levels and adjusts the display's brightness for a comfortable viewing experience, while saving battery power at the same time.

NO

While having a Mac would likely make your experience seamless and more integrated, none of the Apple iPhone's features require you to use a MacBook or Mac Pro to take full advantage of them. As a phone, the iPhone does not need a computer. As an iPod and PDA, the iPhone will sync iTunes and Contacts on Windows- and Mac-based operating systems.

Apple will launch the iPhone as a Cingular/AT&T exclusive, and, as such, will only be available through official Cingular retail channels. The iPhone will also be sold through Apple's webstore as well as Apple stores nationwide.

3.5 inches / 320×480

The iPhone's multi-touch display measures a front-face-filling 3.5 inches. The large screen turns the entire front face of the device into a multi-touch interface. The 3.5 inch screen is capable of 320 x 480 pixel density - which means the display is 320 pixels across and 480 pixels high.

NO

As far as the we know, the iPhone has been designed with a smooth, seamless backside, obviating any possibility of a removable or swappable battery. Hopefully, the revised, second generation iPhone will make provisions for a removable battery.

Apple's official battery life specifications are: 8 hours of Talk-Time, 250 hours of Standby-Time, 6 hours of Internet use, 7 hours of Video Playback, 24 hours of Audio playback.
However, there have been spurious reports circulating the Internet as to the Apple iPhone's battery life. Dvorak has "reported" that the battery on the iPhone only lasted a pathetic 40 minutes. FoxConn (Apple's iPhone system integrator) insiders have also hinted at a delay in the iPhone's launch due to lack of component robustness in Apple's design (read: battery does not last long under the intense demands of the iPhone's systems). On the hand, some tipsters are saying (after playing with the iPhone for a good while) that the official battery life specifications hold up to snuff - and we may even be surprised by the iPhone's battery performance. However, all these "reports" are dubious, at best, so we'll just go with Apple's official battery specs and hope that Apple wouldn't ever release a product that falls short.

4.5 x 2.4 x 0.46 inches / 115 x 61 x 11.6mm

Apple styled the iPhone to be sleek and minimalistic - just like all their other products. The clean lines of the iPhone measure up to a slim 11.6mm thick - less than half an inch! That's quite a feat, considering the iPhone is packed with sensors, Bluetooth, massive storage, and a full-body multi-touch display!

Of course you can! Being a smartphone, Apple endowed the email capability on its iPhone. The built-in mail client (similar to Apple Mail) supports POP3 as well as IMAP email servers. And, keeping with the iPhone's ability to display full-page web content, the iPhone email client will display rich HTML emails with all images and graphics displayed accurately.

Of course you can! Remember, Apple intended the iPhone to a widescreen iPod (the best to date, in my opinion) with great smartphone functionality. The iPhone will sync with iTunes, on your Mac or PC, for an easy transfers of music and videos (movies, TV shows, etc.). You can buy music and videos straight from the iTunes Store, or acquire them yourself and use iTunes to sync them with the iPhone. There is talk of Apple rolling out a subscription service for iTunes, but that belongs in the "Rumor" section.

A "smartphone" is a term that is used to identify any cell phone that also takes on the functions of a PDA - often with multimedia capabilities. Devices like this combine the features of a PDA (Calendar, Contact Management, Email Client, Web Browser, Computer Synchronization, etc.) with the calling features normally associated with mobile phones (calling, SMS text messages, etc.). Some "smartphones" can also view and edit office documents.

To date, Apple has not given the iPhone any support for Microsoft Office documents. Apple has chosen to keep the iPhone's operating system "closed" - only Apple branded/licensed software will be made available for installation - and Microsoft does not have Apple's blessing. However, it looks like PDF documents will be viewable on the iPhone.

"Visual VoiceMail" is a revolutionary voicemail interface. Apple basically forced AT&T to revamp its voicemail system to support the iPhone's new voicemail system. The interface works just like it sounds - voicemails are visually displayed according to caller. With "Visual VoiceMail" you don't have to listen to voicemails in sequential order, allowing you to choose exactly which voicemail you want to listen to - and which to ignore.

Some of you may be familiar with the Cisco iPhone. Yes, it has the same name as Apple's iPhone. Yes, they are two completely different devices. No, that didn't stop the two from getting into a court battle over who should control the "iPhone" name. Cisco sued Apple for trademark infringement, claiming that they had legal right to the name, as their VoIP phone had already been released with the "iPhone" branding. However, Apple argued that the Cisco relinquished control of the "iPhone" name due to non-use. Apple's position is that Cisco's Linksys CIT200 VoIP Phone was never branded as an "iPhone" and that Cisco submitted a "Declaration of Use" to the USPTO under questionable terms. As of now, the two companies have decided to share the "iPhone" trademark.

The iPhone will be launched in the US, and exclusively on Cingular/AT&T's wireless network. Rogers Canada looks to be the odds-on favorite for the Canadian launch. There is no clear leader as far as a European carrier, but speculation pegs Vodafone as a strong possibility.

There has been no official word from Apple, nor Cingular/AT&T, on any planned rebates or subsidies on the iPhone. Apple's official stance on the subject is that there will be no manufacturer rebate and no carrier (Cingular/AT&T) subsidization for signing a new contract with every iPhone sale. However, there have been rumors that Apple has recently begun to strongly consider price-breaks on the uber-expensive iPhone.

Apple has closed-off the iPhone's operating system to third party developers. This means that Apple will decide who is worthy enough to develop any additional software for installation on the iPhone. Third party games and applications (whatever they may be) will be available, just not as widely available as with other operating systems (Windows Mobile, Symbian OS).

Apple is requiring that customers sign-up for a new 2-year contract with every iPhone purchased. Apple has forced Cingular/AT&T's hand with yet another unprecendented move. But, then again, there are rumors that the iPhone will be available without a contract - for a hefty price, of course.

NO

The iPhone will be a Cingular/AT&T exclusive. No other carrier will be launching this device. Verizon was actually Apple's first choice as a carrier, but reportedly refused to bend to Apple's will and was thus rejected as the exclusive carrier. Also, the iPhone is a GSM phone, which means it uses a completely different kind of network than Sprint, Nextel, and Verizon (CDMA, iDEN, and CDMA networks, respectively). T-mobile US, the nation's second-place GSM provider, could theoretically support the iPhone - if you manage to unlock (remove network restriction) the device.

The European launch of the Apple iPhone is slated for Q4 2007 - sometime between October and December of this year. More specific details are not yet available.

The Apple iPhone is scheduled for Asian delivery to start in 2008. More details are not yet available.

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