iPhone Mania

Not about the iPhone exclusively (a bit too early to see refurbished iPhones for sale), but worth a looksie if you are in the market for an iPod.

Look at the picture! Apple’s iPhone? Nop! It’s the Meizu M8! Meizu is a reputable Chinese manufacturer of music/video players. The picture was posted on Meizu’s BBS by a forum moderator. He posted also the specs of the company’s porpoted...

“Verizon Wireless, the No. 2 U.S. cellphone carrier, passed on the chance to be the exclusive distributor of the iPhone almost two years ago, balking at Apple's rich financial terms and other demands. Among other things, Apple wanted a percentage...

There is large amount of controversy surrounding the iPhone trademark infringement in the US; and now there is a new suit against Apple being filed in Canada. Apple will now not only be fighting Cisco for rights to the iPhone name, but also Comwave Telecom- who has been using iPhone for years. They have filed an application with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office in hopes of getting compensation for Apple. Comwave Telecom didn’t stop with going after Apple, and have apparently sent a “warning” letter to Cisco in regards to trademark violation.

Comwave has been using “iPhone” since 2004, and applied for a trademark in 2005. Experts say that the trademark is awarded based in the first company using the brand name in Canada or in applying to register the name.

Apple applied for “iPhone” in 2004, which was prior to Comwave’s application but may have been after Comwave was actively using the name. Cisco had filed an application (through Infogear) to obtain a trademark for the iPhone name in 1998, but abandoned those efforts in the middle of 2003.

“We recently became aware of Comwave and we’re investigating the issue thoroughly,” said Cisco spokesman John Noh.

“Our legal department has put Cisco on notice,” said Yuval Barzakay, president of Toronto-based Comwave.
“We will see how they react and then gauge our next action.”

Technorati Tags: iPhone

A smartphone, as is defined as a "cellular handset using an open, commercial operating system that supports third-party applications" says ABI Research. As such the iPhone being unveiled as a closed phone to third party developers does not truly qualify as a smartphone.

This is ridiculous. Perhaps the folks deciding what makes a phone "smart" should make those definitions based on usability and capability regardless of who controls the reins on releasing new software for the device.

With OS X running on the iPhone it is incredible to me to find "experts" portraying the phone as something less than a smartphone. The expectation is that third party developers of lesser phones somehow make better software than what a single source (in this case Apple) is capable of.

Wake up! Nobody has multi-touch gesturing except Apple and you can bet the farm the single source software provider will be pushing the envelope beyond what others have been able to do for the competing devices. With visual voicemail, Safari and widgets to start I find it surprising the "experts" might not want to take a closer look at what "smart" means.

Apparently, Rogers wireless will not be subsidizing the cost of the iPhone. This basically means that whether you buy the phone on a 3-year contract, or on a 1-year contract, it will cost the same. This is can be viewed as good news or bad news. The good, Rogers will not be adding in any extra costs (aside form currency conversion) for the Canadian version of the iPhone. The bad news is that those who sign up for a multi-year contract will not be receiving any benefits. Rogers will NOT be helping with the costs of the iPhone.

If all of this is accurate, Apple’s reasoning for keeping iPhone prices high might be a hint hat they will be introducing more products based on the same technology (touchscreen iPod). Prices of these standalone devices would be harder to justify if they were compared to discounted/subsidized iPhone prices.

-iPhoneNews Team

Technorati Tags: iPhone, Rogers

It’s offical, Rogers Wireless will exclusively carry the iPhone in Canada.

Rogers Wireless has sealed a deal with Apple Inc. to become the exclusive carrier for iPhone in Canada, according to a customer advisory notice sent to subscribers this week.”

This doesn’t come as much of a surprise though; as Rogers wireless is the only GSM carrier in Canada anyways. So technically, no other company could carry this phone. The exclusivity contract, however, is great news for Rogers. This will surely lead to a lot of profit’s for Rogers through both airtime wireless services and wireless data services over the EDGE network.

So far, Rogers Wireless has said that availability and pricing were still being sorted out, but they have made it clear: Rogers will be the only wireless carrier to offer the Apple handset in Canada.

Other Canadian wireless carriers will not launch the iPhone,
-Rogers Spokesman

Rogers has not given us a specific date, but says the phone will be launched within Canada as soon as possible. Apple is planning to introduce the iPhone in Europe during the fourth quarter of 2007 and in Asia during 2008.

Technorati Tags: iPhone, Rogers

“How much will iPhone cost?” How much will iPhone cost! How many people have asked this? A lot. The record is about to be set straight again. The Apple iPhone will come in two different versions when it is launched in June. The first, and least expensive version, will have 4GB of internal storage. This model will retail for $499.00 US. The top-end model, with 8GB of internal memory, will retail for only $100 more than the 4GB version, at $599.00 US.

If anyone asks me how much the iPhone will cost again I just might go crazy.

Sincerely, iPhoneNews Team

According to Gizmodo, a customer service email was sent by Rogers with the following statement: “Rogers is actively working with Apple to launch the iPhone in Canada as soon as possible and will be the exclusive provider of the iPhone...

According to the AP News Cingular has reported fourth quarter profits nearly quadrupled over the previous quarter.

When combined with the recent discovery of a potential 50% profit margin for Apple on sales of the iPhone one has to ask at what point these giants will begin discounting the iPhone and contract service to attract more users after the initial adapters have snatched up theirs.

Stan Sigman, the company's president and CEO, predicted sales of iPhones would drive wireless company subscriber additions in the second half of the year which would contribute to still higher revenues. Cingular has an exclusive multiyear deal to offer the digital convergence device, which will be sold in both Apple and Cingular retail stores. Cingular has not disclosed how service activation will be done.

"The only word to describe the iPhone is 'wow,'" Sigman said. "I have no doubt the iPhone will be a big seller."