CONSUMER NEWS    RECALLS    COMPLAINT FORM    SCAM ALERTS  
Small Claims Guide   Class Actions   Lemon Laws   FAQ   Newsletters   Spanish


Complain about a product or service

Automotive    Education    Electronics    Family    Finance    Health    Homeowners    Shopping    Travel   
NEWS   Latest |  Archives |  Auto |  Cells, etc. |  Computers |  Financial |  Health |  Homeowners |  Parents |  Privacy |  Scams |  Seniors |  Travel

Apple Readies iPhone For Release

Apple Stakes Its Future on an Expensive, Unproven Gadget



By Mark Huffman
ConsumerAffairs.com

June 26, 2007 

Signal Problems Plague iPhone 3G
Internet Buzzing About iPhone Case Cracks
Glitches Plague iPhone 3G Intro
AT&T To Offer Contract-Free iPhone
NYC Cops Break-Up iPhone Craigslist Scam
Apple Unveils New Generation iPhone
New BlackBerry Will Take On iPhone
Group Hits Apple Over 'Toxic' iPhone
Apple Cuts Price of Most Expensive iPhone
Security Flaw Found In iPhone
Congress Slams AT&T Over iPhone Contract, Fees
Apple Denies iPhone Nano Reports
iPhone Snags Reported
Apple Readies iPhone For Release
Look For Early iPhone Price Cuts
Apple iPhone Wows MacWorld Audience
---
iPhone Complaints
More about Apple

Amid building hype, Apple is set to launch its new iPhone, promising the ultimate in pocket technology for the ultimate gadget consumer. The device goes on sale Friday, June 29 at Apple retailers and over 1,800 AT&T stores.

The iPhone does so many things that you tend to forget that it actually makes phone calls. It uses the Cingular – now AT&T wireless – network to send and receive calls, just like any ordinary mobile phone. But at prices starting at $499, the iPhone will need to do a lot more if Apple loyalists are going to spend that kind of money, analysts suggest.

Apple has positioned the iPhone more as an Internet device than a telephone. It has provided rich HTML email, web browsing, searching, and maps. It uses a touch screen interface for most functions, just like a computer.

In fact, users will place phone calls from the address book just by pointing to a particular contact.

Apple says the iPhone syncs with the address book you already use on your computer — Address Book or Entourage on a Mac, or Outlook or Outlook Express on a PC. If you keep your contacts on the web using Yahoo! Address Book, iPhone can also sync with them.

The iPhone is also an electronic organizer or daytimer. Using its built-in calendar, iPhone lets you check appointments using your finger as a mouse. iPhone uses iTunes to sync with the calendar application you already use on your computer — iCal or Entourage on the Mac, or Outlook on a PC — just as it does with your contacts.

In fact, Apple iTunes is a major beneficiary of the iPhone, since you can’t use the new phone without an iTunes account. The account is required, regardless of whether you plan to use the phone to play music or videos.

The iPhone comes equipped with a 2-megapixel camera and a 3.5-inch display. It uses iTunes to sync photos from iPhoto on a Mac or Adobe Photoshop Elements, Adobe Photoshop Album, or any picture folder on a PC. If you were so inclined, you could carry thousands of photos on your phone.

Apple is especially pround of the iPod feature on iPhone, calling it “the best iPod ever.” It comes with a 3.5-inch “widescreen” display for music, TV shows, and movies you have in your iTunes library.

But despite all the gee whiz features, there are skeptics.

The Washington Post reports the phone does not work on AT&T's fastest network, which runs on so-called 3-G technology. It's possible Web surfing with the iPhone could be, at times, frustratingly show – at least slower than on other, less expensive phones.

Meanwhile, other gadget enthusiasts maintain that the first version of any new technology is usually not going to be as good as it will eventually be.

Then, there’s the price. At $499 -- or $599 for the more-memory model -- it’s definitely a luxury purchase for most young people, Apple’s demographic of choice.

On the other hand, diehard Mac fans have never displayed much price sensitivity and appear willing to sacrifice performance for trendy design -- sort of like Prius owners.

As we reported in January, the market research firm iSuppli predicts Apple will quickly cut iPhone's price, saying the profit margin at the introductory price is abnormally high.

Apple’s stock price has skyrocketed in the months leading up to Friday’s iPhone debut, but some on Wall Street are bracing for disappointment. Apple has set sales expectations very high, saying it plans to sell 10 million units in the next year.

While market analysts say Apple may sell as many as 200,000 phones in the first two days and as many as 3 million in the second half of the year – that may not be good enough to satisfy the investors that have pushed Apple stock over $120 a share.



Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.


Consumer News

October 7 2008

Recent Recalls & Safety Alerts



FREE CONSUMER NEWSLETTERS

The Daily Consumer
Afternoons M-F

Sign up now!


Consumer News & Alerts
Every Sunday

Sign up now!


Knowledge is free.
Knowledge is power.





Back to the top |

Advertisement


Home | Complaint Form | News | Recalls | FAQ |
Consumer Resources | Small Claims Guide | Lemon Law | Newsletter | Contact Us
Advertise With Us | Testimonials | Newsroom | RSS Feeds |


Terms of Use Your use of this site constitutes acceptance of the Terms of Use

Advertisements on this site are placed and controlled by outside advertising networks. ConsumerAffairs.com does not evaluate or endorse the products and services advertised. See the FAQ for more information.

Company Response Welcome If complaints about your company appear on our site, we welcome your response. Please see the Response Form for more information.

For more information, see the FAQ and privacy policy. The information on this Web site is general in nature and is not intended as a substitute for competent legal advice.  ConsumerAffairs.com Inc. makes no representation as to the accuracy of the information herein provided and assumes no liability for any damages or loss arising from the use thereof. 

Copyright © 2003-2008 ConsumerAffairs.com Inc.  All Rights Reserved.    The contents of this site may not be republished, reprinted, rewritten or recirculated without written permission.