Latest Update - Review at PCW (added 19 November ’07)

Apple’s iPhone Review main features:

• 3.5-inch touch-sensitive screen
• Doubles as a widescreen iPod
• iPhone’s accelerometer detects when users rotate the device from portrait to landscape
• GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
• 2.0 megapixel camera
• Bluetooth

Check Overall Rating

Read More Reviews - (added 19 November ’07)

Source	Temperature
PCW
ComputerActive
Digital Trends
Reg Hardware
Gizmodo
PC Magazine
Pocket-lint
PC World Stress Test
Macworld
San Diego Source
All Things Digital
The New York Times
Newsweek
USA Today
CNET Australia

1. PCW - 14 November’07 - reviews the Apple iPhone and notes it’s a wonderful interface but it does have its downside. Here’s an excerpt from their review -
   “Considering Apple wants users download music and surf the web, the lack of 3G is surprising to say the least. Apple says it’s a battery life issue, but we’ve seen plenty of 3G phones that can last over four days and, if you want to boost battery life, 3G can usually be switched off.”

2. ComputerActive - 14 November’07 - reviews the Apple iPhone and comments the large screen is the real deal clincher. Here’s an excerpt from their review -
   “The iPhone probably is the world-changing device that people have been talking about - if only in that other manufacturers will have to run fast to catch up with its usability - but its main drawback is that it’s extremely expensive relative to the phones that most of us already have.”

3. Digital Trends - 7/6/2007 - reviews the Apple iPhone and writes, “Apple’s iPhone is a huge leap forward in mobile gadgetry. Unlike other smartphones, iPhone is not only highly functional but addictively fun to use and far greater than the sum of the previously described parts. Oh, and we’ll bet that in the fall we’ll see the next gen video iPod — an iPhone without all the communications add-ons.”

4. Reg Hardware - 7/5/2007 - reviews the Apple iPhone and writes, “The iPhone itself? Once I got it home, I couldn’t help but enjoy the novelty of it all. The “Look Ma, no stylus!” interface. The visual voicemail. The display image that rotates as the device rotates. Fresh out of the box, the iPhone is so much fun because it’s such a departure from what’s come before. But even during this wide-eyed honeymoon period, frustrations set in from time to time, and you have to wonder how the device will fare in the long-term.”

5. Gizmodo - 7/2/2007 - 10 things to know before you buy an Apple iPhone they continue, “As you can see, the iPhone has caveats galore. Even though we’re still enjoying the iPhone, any prospective buyers should be aware of these limitations before throwing down $500 or $600. Many of these problems (video recording, MMS, Instant Messaging, custom ringtones) can be fixed with a software update, but if any of the other features are important to you, you may have to wait until iPhone 2.0.”

6. PC Magazine - 7/2/2007 - reviews the Apple iPhone and writes, “It’s the best portable media player ever. It’s possibly the most fun we’ve ever had with a handheld device. It browses the Web like a champ. Yet as a voice phone and a messaging device, it’s a loser. The iPhone is full of contradictions.”

7. Pocket-lint - 7/1/2007 - has a new stress test of the Apple iPhone and writes, “So would we sign up for a two-year contact? It’s a tough one. The iPhone is still a great handsets, however, it’s also a handset that comes with multiple downsides; as we’ve listed above.

   We are going to give it top marks, however before you sign up yourself, you must make sure you are aware of its many limitations.”

8. PC Word - 6/30/2007 - has a new stress test of the Apple iPhone and writes, “Can you scratch it? What happens when you drop it? PC World’s Eric Butterfield takes the iPhone through a grueling set of tests to check how the device handles abuse.”

9. Macworld - 6/30/2007 - reviews the Apple iPhone and writes, “Is the iPhone revolutionary? Apple says so, and it is—if you think a cell phone, Web browser and iPod all combined are revolutionary.

   But it goes farther than that. A lot of people believe the iPhone is another platform for Apple. In that regard, it will be a revolution for Apple and open a whole other market for the company.

   The iPhone is not the “Perfect Device.” But it is a darn cool piece of technology that does a lot of things surprisingly well. And, for those of you waiting for “Version 2.0,” it will only get better.”

10. San Diego Source - 6/29/2007 - reviews the Apple iPhone and writes, “The iPhone’s ability to perform so many capabilities in a single device and still be intuitive to use is a remarkable achievement. But in doing so some compromises were made, making the iPhone geared less to the business user, and more to those wanting an entertainment device. That’s because of the cumbersome keyboard, slow connection speeds and non-replaceable battery.”

11. All Things Digital - 6/29/2007 - reviews the Apple iPhone and writes, “Expectations for the iPhone have been so high that it can’t possibly meet them all. It isn’t for the average person who just wants a cheap, small phone for calling and texting. But, despite its network limitations, the iPhone is a whole new experience and a pleasure to use.”

12. The New York Times - 6/27/2007 - reviews the Apple iPhone and writes, “The phone is so sleek and thin, it makes Treos and BlackBerrys look obese. The glass gets smudgy — a sleeve wipes it clean — but it doesn’t scratch easily. I’ve walked around with an iPhone in my pocket for two weeks, naked and unprotected (the iPhone, that is, not me), and there’s not a mark on it.”

13. Newsweek - 6/26/2007 - reviews the Apple iPhone and writes, “In a sense, the iPhone has already made its mark. Even those who never buy one will benefit from its advances, as competitors have already taken Apple’s achievements as a wake-up call to improve their own products. But for all its virtues, the iPhone is still a risky venture because it’s yet to be proven that, despite the wow factor, millions of people are ready to pay several hundred dollars more than the going rate for phones—and in some cases, paying even more to bail out of their current mobile contracts. There’s also a potential backlash from those sick of the hype. During our iPhone conversation, however, Jobs professed that he wasn’t concerned about inflated hopes, and certainly not whether he would meet his own projections of 10 million sold in 2008: “I think we’re going to blow away the expectations.”

14. USA Today - 6/26/2007 - reviews the Apple iPhone and writes, “For starters, iPhone is a breeze to set up and fun to use, evident from the moment you slide your finger across the screen to unlock it. It’s a wonderful widescreen iPod and fabulous picture viewer. Smart sensors change the orientation of the display from portrait to landscape mode, based on how you hold the device and what you are doing at the time. Once you get the hang of its “multitouch” interface — give it a few days — you won’t have to schlep a separate iPod and cellphone in your pocket.”

15. CNET Australia - 1/10/2007 - Australia previews the Apple iPhone and writes, “On the downside, we were hoping for wireless iTunes music downloads. And it’s too bad Apple stopped short of 3G support. Also, we’re hoping that Apple introduces a standalone touch-screen iPod without the phone element as not everyone will want a convergence device. And here’s the biggest caveat: phones are only as good as the calls they make, so we’ll have to wait for our final assessment once we get a review product. As for battery life, Apple is promising five hours for calling or video and 16 hours in music mode.”

Apple iPhone Sample Photos

1. [Sample Photos at The New York Times]

Apple iPhone Videos

[Using th Apple iPhone Keyboard]
[Apple iPhone Sneak Peek]
[5 Reasons the Apple iPhone is So Cool!]

Apple iPhone Features Include:

• Quad-band GSM/EDGE phone
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but no 3G
• 11.6mm thick: apparently thinner than all those other anorexic smart phones
• 2-megapixel camera
• iPod connector, mic input, and speaker jack
• Proximity sensor: when it’s close to your ear, the touchscreen and display shut down
• “Smart” screen knows which way to orient images depending on how you hold it; widescreen playback for videos
• Highest-resolution Apple screen of all time
• Mac OS X operating system
• Touch screen interface, no stylus
• Full applications
• “Visual voice mail”
• Safari Web browser
• Google Maps — including satellite and traffic data
• POP3 and IMAP e-mail capabilities — real e-mail, not mobile version
• Widgets
• Seamless integration between EDGE and Wi-Fi
• Flash memory
• 5 hours of talk, video, and browsing time; 16 hours of audio playback
• US pricing: 8GB model, US$599 with a two-year contract; 4GB model, US$499

Posted in Apple, Apple Review Roundup |