Category: iPhone (Page 13 of 55)

      iPhone 4 still won’t kill the Flip

      June 12, 2010 /

      Flip video.One of the best features of iPhone 4 is that it records video in 720p. As with the iPhone 3GS, a lot of people have been asking whether that functionality will kill the Flip. I think the answer is still no, but it will eventually turn into a yes.

      The problem is that the iPhone still isn’t prevalent enough. There are plenty of people in the world who are scared of smartphones – unsure that the additional cost of a data plan is actually worth it. For those people, the Flip is still a great option. It’s cheap, easy to use, and records great video.

      As smartphones become more and more prevalent, though, its inevitable that the Flip will die off. As I’ve said plenty of times about the Kindle, I still believe purpose-built devices are a thing of the past. The Flip is no exception. The more advanced our daily handhelds become, the less we’ll need things like a Flip to fill the gap.

      Apple, iPhone, Lifestyle

      What the iPhone 4 tells us about the next iPad

      June 10, 2010 /

      Steve Jobs with an iPad.I have never been so happy to not be an early adopter. I wanted an iPad and I wanted one badly, but I figured I’d wait. No sense in buying the first generation of a device that Apple will just improve in a big way for version two. After the iPhone 4 announcement, it’s clear just what we’re likely to see on the new iPad.

      First, a new screen. That “retina display” will be the envy of every iPad owner. Granted, it won’t likely be scaled to iPad sizes – there’s no way the chip could drive that dense a display – but the original iPad screen will likely get a refresh for version two.

      Next up, you can bet on at least one camera. Steve Jobs said during the keynote that there would be “tens of millions of FaceTime devices this year so there’s going to be a lot of people to talk to.” No way Apple is selling tens of millions of iPhone 4 units, so there’s got to be something else. That’s where the iPad comes in. FaceTime doesn’t thrill me on the iPhone. It looks small, shaky, and mostly unnecessary when a computer is typically close at hand where there’s a Wi-Fi network. With an iPad screen, though, FaceTime could be more appealing.

      As a longshot I’ll also suggest a body redesign. I love what Apple did with the iPhone 4 body. That’s the kind of engineering that makes Apple unique. If that design improves reception, I’ll be even happier. I could see the same happening for the iPad, even though the current design seems fine.

      Apple, iPad, iPhone, News

      DFW on video calling

      June 10, 2010 /

      DFW Infinite Jest.If you don’t know who David Foster Wallace is, you should. If you don’t read him, you need to. He was easily one of the smartest writers of our time and yet he manages to write with such charm and wit that you can’t help but love the guy.

      DFW’s great literary epic, Infinite Jest is chock-full of philosophical ramblings on could-be and once-was human conditions. Among his observations are the following thoughts on video calls, which in light of the recent iPhone 4 announcement, seemed appropriate to share.

      Good old traditional audio-only phone conversations allowed you to presume that the person on the other end was paying complete attention to you while also permitting you not to have to pay anything even close to complete attention to her. A traditional aural-only conversation […] let you enter a kind of highway-hypnotic semi-attentive fugue: while conversing, you could look around the room, doodle, fine-groom, peel tiny bits of dead skin away from your cuticles, compose phone-pad haiku, stir things on the stove; you could even carry on a whole separate additional sign-language-and-exaggerated-facial-expression type of conversation with people right there in the room with you, all while seeming to be right there attending closely to the voice on the phone. And yet — and this was the retrospectively marvelous part — even as you were dividing your attention between the phone call and all sorts of other idle little fuguelike activities, you were somehow never haunted by the suspicion that the person on the other end’s attention might be similarly divided.

      […] Video telephony rendered the fantasy insupportable. Callers now found they had to compose the same sort of earnest, slightly overintense listener’s expression they had to compose for in-person exchanges. Those caller who out of unconscious habit succumbed to fuguelike doodling or pants-crease-adjustment now came off looking extra rude, absentminded, or childishly self-absorbed. Callers who even more unconsciously blemish-scanned or nostril explored looked up to find horrified expressions.

      God damn it he was brilliant. For more of his thoughts on video calling, check out the source post at Kottke.org. Better yet, spend a month of your life reading this book.

      iPhone, Lifestyle

      Should I be more cautious about the AT&T upgrade?

      June 9, 2010 /

      Dueling iPhonesI am unflinchingly excited for the new iPhone, and even more so that AT&T has granted me an early upgrade eligibility. But why did they do it? Supposedly the subsidy on my 3GS, which is only a year old, is built into the life of my two-year plan. Is that $18 upgrade fee really going to cover the difference of a full year of service?

      No. It’s not. So why is AT&T so ready to lock me in for what would only be an additional year. Here’s what AT&T says:

      The reason we’re doing it is we recognize the commitment our current iPhone customers have made to us. We listened to people last year and took steps to make the process better. And we built on it this year by expanding further the approach.

      Here’s what I say: bullshit. Of course you don’t want angry customers on your hands but losing even more money on each phone by selling it off to people who haven’t made up the difference seems crazy. You have to wonder if that Verizon iPhone rumor isn’t true after all. I know, it’s been denied up and down and back and forth and whatever other way you can deny it. But come on, is AT&T really that generous?

      iPhone, Mobile

      Get your iPhone 4 upgrade up to six months early

      June 7, 2010 /

      iPhone 4.Early adopters always get pissed when a new device comes out. After all, it can be hard to justify spending another couple hundred bucks on a gadget that closely mimics your current gear. The iPhone is no exception, but luckily AT&T has your back (sort of – their network still blows).

      AT&T is offering iPhone 4 upgrades up to six months early for a minimal upgrade fee of $18. That’s a damn fine price to get your hands on the new iPhone. If you’re like me, you probably cringed when you saw that six month figure. I got my 3GS last June on launch day, which leaves me a far cry from the six month upgrade window. As it turns out, that “six months” is a little more flexible than you’d think.

      If you want to know your upgrade status, dial *639# from an AT&T phone and you’ll receive a text message concerning your eligibility status. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was indeed eligible for the $18 upgrade. I’m definitely taking advantage – current 16GB 3GS prices range from $250-$500 on eBay. That more than covers the cost of the phone and the upgrade.

      The iPhone 4 will be available June 24th.

      Apple, iPhone, News

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