[boead]

Tell me why I want YouTube, music and movies on my cell phone? Oh and why do I want Google maps without a GPS too?

What am I missing?

What don’t I get?

Why is the iPhone dominating my Google news?

Does anyone really give a rats ass besides the news media?

[jon_010101]

Not sure -- but I certainly hope to buy one some day

The Google maps should include positioning via tower triangulation.

The phone is pretty hyped because, realistically, there's nothing else even remotely similar.  The interface is completely revolutionary.  And, whether it succeeds or fails will basically determine the direction of "tech" over the next 5 years.

[jqp]

And, whether it succeeds or fails will basically determine the direction of "tech" over the next 5 years.

I'm not so sure about that...

[jon_010101]

And, whether it succeeds or fails will basically determine the direction of "tech" over the next 5 years.

I'm not so sure about that...

As far as small devices go... consider the impact of the Blackberry, the RAZR, and the iPod.  All of these were massively influential, and made a lot of money.  Each one set a new standard for consumer expectations in a category.  If the iPhone is a hit, then we can expect a lot of interesting competition, and also some great future applications of the same technology.  Imagine having a tablet PC with a similar multi-touch user interface... etc.

[OTL]

Tell me why I want YouTube, music and movies on my cell phone? Oh and why do I want Google maps without a GPS too?

What am I missing?

What don’t I get?

Why is the iPhone dominating my Google news?

Does anyone really give a rats ass besides the news media?

I suggest that you define to yourself what you need, vs. having the media define it for you.

Phone = phone calls.  Simple, no?
Email = others expecting instant response to inane crap.
Music = absolutely essential, but do you need your phone to manage your music?
Video = on a 2 inch screen.  WTF!
Camera = how often can I remove myself from the moment to capture it and "share" it with others that don't really give a rat's ass.

C'mon Dude....get a $20 cell phone and enjoy your life.

[Rashiki]

Oh and why do I want Google maps without a GPS too?

I have google maps on my phone, and it's very handy. Google maps can give directions from a known location to another location. Having GPS is a definite step up, but just having directions is usually enough to get me where I need to go, and I always have my phone with me, but don't always have my GPS.

And... even if your phone doesn't have built-in GPS, you can buy a bluetooth (wireless) GPS device for under $100 that works with software on your phone.

 -Rob

[boead]

Doesn’t a nearly free phone from Verizon have GPS and audible directions? I’d prefer that to a Google map any day. I don’t’ see the point of having a visual display map in my phone and since its primarily for drivers, it’s just another road hazard. The Verizon GPS-Audible directions makes much more sense.

The Treo, Blackberry and other smart phones give the user real-time access to their email messages, contacts and most importantly calendar appointments from desktops that are usually connected to an Exchange Server. It’s that one not-so-simple feature that makes the products useful. Someone sends an email or a co-worker updates a calendar event and I get notified of it immediately. It’s like having a desktop computers communications heart with you at all times. This is why the business community like it.

Search LG LG KE850 and Prada
http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/11/iphone-and-lg-ke850-separated-at-birth/
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/lg-ke850/
Its been out for months and it uses much of the same components used in the iPhone. Its OS is Linux.

So again, why do I NEED or WANT YouTube video access on my cellphone?

I can see possibly replacing my current music player (ipod) with a single unit that plays music too but then it must have a removable SD card so I can still carry (potentially) many gigabytes of music just o0n different 8GB SD cards. The MotoQ does that already and its sound quality is said to be excellent, it uses Windows Media Player mobile and supports stereo Bluetooth.


Do the ‘kids’ know that the iPhone will require a wireless service that cost about $100/month? Plus the phone is $500 with at least a $2400 (2-year) service contract. So this little phone basically cost about $3000 to own for 2-years and doesn’t let you access calendar and contacts wirelessly in real-time, it doesn’t’ have a GPS, it doesn’t’ have removable memory, it doesn’t’ have the ability to ‘chat’ with anyone other than other iPhone users and it doesn’t support 3G digital systems.


So again, what am I missing?

[PhilNYC]

Tell me why I want YouTube, music and movies on my cell phone? Oh and why do I want Google maps without a GPS too?

What am I missing?

What don’t I get?

Why is the iPhone dominating my Google news?

Does anyone really give a rats ass besides the news media?

Given the popularity of video podcasts being watched on video iPods, the ability to watch YouTube videos on an iPhone is actually a pretty huge deal.

I'm actually really looking forward to trying the iPhone and see how they've designed the user interface.  And the ability to get internet, video, audio, and other multimedia functions on it are very cool IMHO...

[boead]

Given the popularity of video podcasts being watched on video iPods, the ability to watch YouTube videos on an iPhone is actually a pretty huge deal.

Really? A BIG deal?? How so?

I can see it now, droves of people downloading YouTube videos while…. Driving? Walking?

Do you have any idea how you will have to wait to download a video? I provide video broadcast in 3GGP format to Smartphone users. Basically no phone system supports it except Sprint and each clip is limited to 2MB.  Verizon uses a closed system called VCast so its useless to anyone like us. Regardless, it takes a stupidly long time to download anything. I cant’ see anyone doing it more then just a few times as a novelty and then forgetting about it. Unless your like 16 years old.

Seriously, this isn’t what WE want. It just something they can do, so they do it and market it as the next best thing but its not. It’s just stupid and useless.

I'm actually really looking forward to trying the iPhone and see how they've designed the user interface.  And the ability to get internet, video, audio, and other multimedia functions on it are very cool IMHO...

You obviously haven’t spent any time with any SmartPhones. They’ve been around for a very long time. Sure, the Apple will have lots of eye candy but its business model is horribly flawed. Nobody I know that uses Blackberry, Treo, MotoQ or any other similar device gives a rats ass about the iPhone. If anything the overall census is that’s its stupid and useless to them – its partly my business to know this.

The only people excited seems to be the kids, techno geeks/nerds and the media (because it drives web traffic). All of which are not business users. And obviously the iPhone isn’t being built for the business user, its being built for the kids, techno geeks and nerds. BUT, are they going to shell out $3000 over two years to own one?
Some will but most won’t.

[PhilNYC]

Really? A BIG deal?? How so?

I can see it now, droves of people downloading YouTube videos while…. Driving? Walking?

Do you have any idea how you will have to wait to download a video? I provide video broadcast in 3GGP format to Smartphone users. Basically no phone system supports it except Sprint and each clip is limited to 2MB.  Verizon uses a closed system called VCast so its useless to anyone like us. Regardless, it takes a stupidly long time to download anything. I cant’ see anyone doing it more then just a few times as a novelty and then forgetting about it. Unless your like 16 years old.

Seriously, this isn’t what WE want. It just something they can do, so they do it and market it as the next best thing but its not. It’s just stupid and useless.

Well, I'm going to wait and see what the streaming quality actually looks like before condemning it.  At least conceptually, I am looking forward to this, especially as I have more and more become a YouTube junky.  Particularly for commuters and people who travel a lot, this is IMHO a very positive feature.  Just about everyone I know who commutes via public transportation watches video clips and TV episodes on their video iPod on their way to and from work.  Most of these people are in their 30s and 40s, and it applies to both men and women.

You obviously haven’t spent any time with any SmartPhones. They’ve been around for a very long time. Sure, the Apple will have lots of eye candy but its business model is horribly flawed. Nobody I know that uses Blackberry, Treo, MotoQ or any other similar device gives a rats ass about the iPhone. If anything the overall census is that’s its stupid and useless to them – its partly my business to know this.

I've used a Treo since they were first introduced by Handspring (in fact, the senior hardware designer of the Treo is a close friend...my freshman year roommate in college).  Have owned the Treo 600, 650, and now the 680...and I use it not only for phone and email, but for Internet, picture sharing, games, and city guides.  As much as I enjoy it, I find the Internet browser capabilities frustratingly limited.

The only people excited seems to be the kids, techno geeks/nerds and the media (because it drives web traffic). All of which are not business users. And obviously the iPhone isn’t being built for the business user, its being built for the kids, techno geeks and nerds. BUT, are they going to shell out $3000 over two years to own one?
Some will but most won’t.

Is it really going to cost that much more than any other smart phone?  I thought it was being introduced at $699?  Is the phone service going to be more than a typical plan?

Oh, and I guess this means that I'm a geek...

[ctviggen]

If you're able to download video and music at home, then I would like it.  If you have to download (and pay for this) over the cell phone network, I likely wouldn't like it.

[PhilNYC]

If you're able to download video and music at home, then I would like it.  If you have to download (and pay for this) over the cell phone network, I likely wouldn't like it.

The press releases say "streaming video", so this would indicate it would be over the cellular network.  However, don't most services companies offer a plan for unlimited data usage for a relatively cheap price?

[boead]

If you're able to download video and music at home, then I would like it.  If you have to download (and pay for this) over the cell phone network, I likely wouldn't like it.

The press releases say "streaming video", so this would indicate it would be over the cellular network.  However, don't most services companies offer a plan for unlimited data usage for a relatively cheap price?

Its about $60/month additional for unlimited internet. Basic cell phone plan is about $40/month and anything else you might want plus taxes. So $100+ per month will be about right.

The point is that its NOT a viable replacement for a Treo or other smart phone. Without real-time Outlook connectivity most companies/people will find it useless. So it becomes a ‘consumer’ product.

Average consumer pays about $35/month for their cell phone. And maybe an extra $10 for GPS travel directions and/or another $10/mon for VCast video and music.
The iPhone service will be at least twice that or more.

Train and Buss commuters account for a small percentage nation wide. Most of us commute in our cars.

Don’t get me wrong, I like the idea of a better cell phone but the iPhone is not what I’m looking for in a phone. Most people want longer battery life and a better quality camera and maybe email/text messaging to anyone, anywhere.
Being able to play music is potentially convenient for some but its still problematic since I can’t use regular headphones and the use of headphones while driving is illegal in most states so stereo headsets are limited in usage.

Oh and I’m a techno geek too and I still don’t’ want one. Also, I want a new phone each year and I want it basically for free or cheap. I’m not buying a new $500 phone every two years and I certainly don’t’ want a cell p-home for more then two years.

The whole model just don’t really work.

[Rashiki]

So again, what am I missing?

You're not missing anything. All of the features and functionality of the iPhone have been around in some form or another for a couple of years at least, but I have never seen a phone that did everything (or even a major subset) very well. The thing that will drive the iPhone's success or failure will be how well the features work and how easy they are to use. There were plenty of MP3 players before the iPod came out, but Apple managed to pull together a user interface that most people could learn to use easily and liked along with the support infrastructure (iTunes, iTunes store) that worked well with it, and in doing so they captured more than half of the market.

I have a Nokia E61 with wi-fi, web browsing, google maps (and full GPS through a bluetooth module), downloadable applications, music playback, streaming video, etc., but even as a techie geek, I find the features don't always work as expected and they certainly aren't seamless or intuitive. My wife (who is not a techie, but has become an honorary geek) has used my phone for web browsing, but she certainly doesn't find it easy or convenient and will usually wait until we get home unless we need to look something up "right now". If the iPhone does it better than any other phone, it will set a standard that other manufacturers will have to strive for.

 -Rob

[PhilNYC]

Its about $60/month additional for unlimited internet. Basic cell phone plan is about $40/month and anything else you might want plus taxes. So $100+ per month will be about right.

I'm paying $19.99/month for unlimited data access with Cingular (the NEW AT&T!).

The point is that its NOT a viable replacement for a Treo or other smart phone. Without real-time Outlook connectivity most companies/people will find it useless. So it becomes a ‘consumer’ product.

I don't see that as a problem.  It's the same market that Samsung, LG, Nokia, Sony-Ericsson and everyone else seems to be going after with the high-tech camera and music phones.

Average consumer pays about $35/month for their cell phone. And maybe an extra $10 for GPS travel directions and/or another $10/mon for VCast video and music.
The iPhone service will be at least twice that or more.

But there's a whole segment of phone users out there that buy the high end music and camera phones, and to them, the iPhone looks like an absolute killer.  And unless Cingular (the only carrier to work with iPhone initially) doesn't raise their data plan pricing, it will only add $19.99/month for unlimited data streaming...

Don’t get me wrong, I like the idea of a better cell phone but the iPhone is not what I’m looking for in a phone. Most people want longer battery life and a better quality camera and maybe email/text messaging to anyone, anywhere.
Being able to play music is potentially convenient for some but its still problematic since I can’t use regular headphones and the use of headphones while driving is illegal in most states so stereo headsets are limited in usage.

You may not be the target market for the iPhone.  And I certainly don't think Apple believes that a $699 phone will be a mass-market product.  This is definitely a high-end product for a niche early-adopter market...and once it gains acceptance there, they will work on reducing the cost.  And as the wireless carriers figure out how to stream data faster wirelessly (like they do in Japan), the services available on the iPhone will become more sophisticated and user-friendly.

Oh and I’m a techno geek too and I still don’t’ want one. Also, I want a new phone each year and I want it basically for free or cheap. I’m not buying a new $500 phone every two years and I certainly don’t’ want a cell p-home for more then two years.

The whole model just don’t really work.

A lot of people said that about the Treo when it first came out, too.

[boead]

The prices are in…

$60/mon plus taxes – 450min, does not include Free nights and weekends.

$80/mon plus taxes – 900min, includes Free nights and weekends.

$100/mon plus taxes – 1350min, includes Free nights and weekends.

All include 200 text messages, unlimited mobile-to-mobile calling, iPhone Visual Voicemail.
$30 – 1500 additional text messages/month
$400 – unlimited text messages/month

$36 activation fee

$500 – 4GB memory

$600 – 8 GB memory

[ctviggen]

Too expensive for me, considering I pay around $90/month for three phones and free nights/weekends (I forget the minute limit, though). 

[PhilNYC]

Each plan also includes unlimited data, so surfing the email and Internet (including watching videos on YouTube) won't cost anything extra...

I also believe this includes Cingular's "National" plan, so the pricing is about the same as a regular smartphone...

[ctviggen]

I guess that's not too bad.  It's still a large investment. 

[boead]

Each plan also includes unlimited data, so surfing the email and Internet (including watching videos on YouTube) won't cost anything extra...

I also believe this includes Cingular's "National" plan, so the pricing is about the same as a regular smartphone...

Ooooooo – Just what I want. Web surfing and YouTube on a 4” screen with a really slow connection. 

You know AT&T’s unlimited wireless is really slow! Its not broadband wireless or even as fast as a slow DSL, it’s closest to a plain old 56k dialup.


I still don’t get what the fuss is all about.