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The New 3G iPhone Isn't All Apple Says It Is
So the fanfare has subsided (a little) and the dust is settling along with excitement following the details of Apple’s new 3G iPhone, to be launched July 11. Apple have been bullish about the fact that the phone is half the price of the old version at only $199, as well as offering improved memory, faster web browsing and GPS features amongst other things. Yet, just like any other new tech release these days, a lot of the hyperbole is covering over some important facts. Let’s take a look at just what these are. “The 3G iPhone will be a GPS Killer”
Admittedly, this little nugget of information hasn’t come from Apple itself – no, you can blame the media and various tech bloggers for this pearl. While it’s true that the new 3G iPhone will offer GPS technology, Apple are referring to it as “assisted GPS” – does this mean it has limitations? Is it another hidden smokescreen from Apple? All that has been mentioned so far is that it can be Wi-Fi structured and that "GPS applications will be made available". Wi-Fi isn't exactly the greatest function for GPS stability and stating that "GPS applications will become available" doesn't exactly engender confidence. Also, there’s the small matter of price when comparing the iPhone to a dedicated GPS system (which I’ll come to soon). Additionally, the iPhone only has a 2 inch by 3 inch screen – are you seriously trying to tell me that this is preferable to a dedicated GPS system where the screen sizes range from 3 inches to as much as 7 inches? Also, what do you do if you’re using the GPS features on the new iPhone and a call comes in? Apple haven’t exactly been forthcoming about this conundrum as of yet. And try as I might, I couldn’t find any details about how much battery power the GPS feature would use when I looked at the spec sheet on Apple’s website – something they don’t want us to know? So I hardly think that the new iPhone will be as big a threat to GPS systems as many people would have you believe. “The New Apple 3G iPhone is only $199”
Yes, this is true – compared to the old $399 price tag of the original model, the new iPhone is half the price, but there’s a rather big “If” attached. To benefit from the $199 price tag, you have to sign up for a two-year contract with exclusive US provider AT&T. Let’s have a look at what else you’ll need: Voice plans starting at $39.99 per month
Unlimited 3G data plans at $30 per month for consumers, $45 per month for business users
So, if you go for the basic iPhone model (the 8GB version at $199 as opposed to the 16GB version at $299), you’ll be looking at a minimum cost of $1879 to enjoy all the features that are on so-called lesser 3G phones from dedicated cell phone manufacturers. Now let’s go back to comparing it to a GPS system – sure, you don’t use a GPS system as a cell phone or an MP3 player, but then again, you can pick up a proper GPS system for as little as $99 for a basic handheld unit. And if you want one with MP3 functionality, you can pick it up for under $300. And, interestingly enough, GPS leaders Garmin have already announced the Nuviphone, which marries GPS and 3.5G cell phone technology into one unit – sound familiar? Going back to the price of the new 3G iPhone, the real test will be when the unit makes its debut in Canada. After the country missed out on the first model – thanks to the prohibitive costs of using the online networks through Canadian provider Rogers Communications – Apple has announced that the new 3G iPhone will be coming to Canada. Yet the 3G service plans are already ridiculously expensive in Canada – if you have to have a voice plan, 3G plan, a data plan and the cost of the phone as well, then the new iPhone might die a horrible death before it’s even launched south of the border. Don’t get me wrong – I think the new iPhone looks a stunning piece of kit and should be yet another successful feather in Apple’s bow. Yet there are still some questions that need to be answered, and that $199 price tag doesn’t look so great when you add up all the extras you need. The next few months should be pretty interesting… |
Original iPhone post
The new 3G Apple iPhone
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