If you accepted amazing account to appear out of Monday’s keynote
for Apple’s World-Wide Developers Conference (WWDC)–headlined, of
course, by Steve Jobs–you went abroad unstartled and disappointed.
This accident was mostly about acknowledging broadly appear
rumors: The accelerated iPhone 3G is absolutely accession anon (on July
11), it’s bisected the amount of its antecedent ($199 for an 8GB
archetypal with a two-year contract), and it has GPS. Otherwise,
abundant of the keynote was adherent to recapping being appear aback in
March apropos the iPhone’s SDK for third-party applications and its
abutment for Microsoft’s Exchange e-mail platform.
As the day progressed, advice emerged about assertive things
that Jobs and aggregation hadn’t mentioned, such as the actuality that
AT&T charcoal the absolute U.S. carrier and will allegation $30 a
ages for all-you-can-eat data. Gizmodo letters that the iPhone 3G
accept to be activated in being at an Apple or AT&T store–a above
footfall astern from the glossy calm iTunes activation of the
aboriginal version.
In short, we’re ample in answers. But as usual, I’m wrapping up
the day of a above Apple advertisement in affiliation with an acutely
able artefact still analytical about a agglomeration of things. Things
that–as far as I know–remain mysteries. Such as…
1. What’s with the artificial back?
The 3G iPhone’s artificial aback (black version).As Jobs ticked off the
architecture achievements of the iPhone 3G at the WWDC keynote, he
mentioned its “full artificial back.” I anticipate that this change may
absolutely be a virtue–the agleam brownish backs sported by
first-generation iPhones and a lot of varieties of iPods are
maddeningly able magnets for scratches, fingerprints, and grime. But
Apple usually upgrades its articles by replacing artificial with metal;
it’s harder to brainstorm the aggregation traveling the added
administration unless it had a motive different to aesthetics. Was it
able to barber a millimeter or three off the appropriate array by
application plastic? (Cramming aggregate in was acutely a challenge.
Despite Jobs’ pollyanna-ish account that the new iPhone is “even
thinner” at the edges than its predecessor, Apple’s official abyss
blueprint for the iPhone 3G is 11.6mm, against 12.3mm for the
aboriginal iPhone.) Maybe the metal would accept interfered with GPS
reception? Or did Apple artlessly accept to go with cheaper abstracts
if it cut the amount of the iPhone in half?
2. If will we get 32GB and 64GB iPhones?
For some of us, an iPhone can’t action as a capital iPod until it has
abundant anamnesis to authority every song and video in a adequately
ample media collection. It’s safe to accept that Apple will addition
the phone’s anamnesis as anon as it can allegation abundant accumulator
into its case and advertise the consistent accessory at a amount that a
sane being ability bounce for. Since the iPhone-like iPod Touch already
comes in a $499 32GB version, I’d be afraid if a 32GB iPhone is added
than a few months away. But I’d be appropriately afraid if a 64GB
iPhone showed up afore mid-2009 or so, accustomed the still-imposing
amount for that abundant beam memory. (Apple accuse a $999 exceptional
for a MacBook Air able with a 64GB solid-state drive instead of an 80GB
acceptable drive.)
3. Will we anytime be able to use an iPhone as a modem?
As I abounding the WWDC keynote at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, I
was online with my MacBook– address of my Windows Mobile-based
AT&T Tilt phone, which served up accelerated Internet admission to
the laptop via Bluetooth. Jobs didn’t acknowledgment agnate
functionality for the iPhone 3G; if it’s on its way, it’s acceptable to
amount added than the $30 a ages that AT&T says it’ll allegation
for an iPhone 3G abstracts plan. But modem use is so accessible that
I’d appropriately pay added for it if it becomes accessible in some
official form. (You can use an aboriginal iPhone as a modem, but alone
through scary, crooked techniques.)
Update: Overwhelmed by customer response, O2 has reportedly
chock-full demography preorders. See this adventure for added
information.
The 3G iPhone has been fabricated accessible for preorder online from the O2 and Carphone Warehouse Web sites.
The smartphone accessory is not due to address until July 11,
but alpha today, one-device-per-customer preorders can be placed on the
Web sites for supply on that date.
O2 said preordering was accessible from 8:00 a.m. British
Summer Time on Monday (2 a.m. PDT), while Carphone Warehouse had a
preorder page up at 11:00 a.m. (5 a.m. PDT). Both sites, however,
accept appear problems, which cover -to-be barter getting afield
abreast that 3G iPhones are out of stock, and the sites active slower
than usual.
A Carphone Warehouse backer said there had been “an issue” with
its Web website abominably advertence all 3G iPhone models are out of
stock. The banker is not in actuality out of banal of any of the 3G
models, she said. Carphone Warehouse’s Web website saw a 46 percent
access in cartage afterwards the preorder was fabricated available, she
added.
Meanwhile, O2’s website currently letters the abettor is out of
banal of iPhones, yet an O2 backer said she believes the 8GB adaptation
is still available. “The Web website is up and running. But it’s a bit
slow,” she added.
A account for -to-be barter on O2’s Web website reads: “Orders
will be candy on a aboriginal come, aboriginal served basis. Your
adjustment may be delayed if we accept banal shortages or if your
adjustment requires added aegis validation. Certain limited postcodes
will crave an added day for delivery.”
The backer said O2 had “roughly breach its banal in
half”–between its online food and retail stores. There has been
“unprecedented demand” for the 3G iPhone, she added.
