Posts from — July 2008

Prince McLean, AppleInsider
Apple has significantly improved upon last year’s original iPhone while extending many of the benefits of its newest model to existing users in the form of the iPhone 2.0 software update. AppleInsider’s week-long “Inside iPhone 2.0” series will present a detailed analysis and review of the iPhone 3G, the 2.0 software, the App Store, and push messaging.

This first segment looks at the iPhone 3G hardware itself, what’s new and different, what’s bad, and what’s missing. A followup segment on hardware will look how the new iPhone 3G compares to other smartphones, and whether it’s worth the upgrade for existing iPhone users.

Inside iPhone 2.0: the new iPhone 3G Hardware
Inside iPhone 2.0: iPhone 3G vs. other smartphones
Inside iPhone 2.0: the new iPhone 3G Software
Inside iPhone 2.0: iPhone OS vs. other mobile platforms
Inside iPhone 2.0: the new iPhone App Store
Inside iPhone 2.0: MobileMe Push Messaging

Inside iPhone 2.0 review series: the new iPhone 3G hardware
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Apple’s clear interest in securing the rights to develop custom mobile processors based on the ARM platform appear to sync with comments made in financial reports published earlier today.

ARM Holdings plc, the group responsible for licensing ARM mobile microprocessor designs to hundreds of chip designers and manufacturers, disclosed in its Second Quarter earnings a deal with “a leading handset manufacturer,” which many observers believe to be Apple.

The report noted that “Q2 also included four significant licenses with major OEMs,” including “a leading handset OEM who bought a long-term architecture license to ARM’s current and future technology for use in mobile computing.” The report also included and aerospace OEM, a “leading consumer electronics OEM,” and networking giant Cisco.

Continues: ARM reports finger Apple as ‘long term architecture licensee’

Technorati Tags: Apple, iPhone, iPod, Mac

Two weeks after it launched on July 11, the iPhone 3G is still hard to find in the US. Many Apple retail stores have no supplies at all, leaving buyers to track down the stores that do have remaining stock and wait in slow moving lines that stretched out for five hours.
The 3G iPhone Availability web page, run by Chris Barnes using updates from Apple’s retail store availability feed, indicates that less than half of the US Apple retail stores are currently reporting units in stock. Of 188 US stores, 51% had inventories of the white 16 GB model, 44% had some 8 GB units, and only 40% had the black 16 GB version.

Continues: Tight supply of iPhone 3G leaves customers waiting for hours

Technorati Tags: Apple, iPhone

European retailers were sold out of the new iPhone 3G before stores in the US even opened on Friday, thanks in part to strong marketing from Apple’s mobile partners. The initial sales surge not only blew through stores’ inventory but also delivered a knock-out punch to Apple’s iTunes activation servers.
The Swiss daily newspaper “20 Minuten” reported that hundreds waited in line for hours in Zürich in front of the central Swisscom store. The mobile phone provider opened 100 of its retail stores at 6:30 AM and served snacks and water to those waiting in line.

Continues: Europe Sells Out at iPhone 3G Launch

Daniel Eran Dilger
Apple shut down its .Mac services for maintenance Wednesday night while switching over to the new MobileMe. While .Mac email continued to work with some interruptions, other services went down completely, including sync, iDisk file access, webmail, and web hosting. Attempts to access online .Mac services either presented a “this service is temporarily unavailable”page (listed with a copyright date of 2007) or redirected users to the MobileMe preview site.

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Daniel Eran Dilger
Apple’s limited comments on Snow Leopard, the next version of Mac OS X due in about a year, have opened the playing field for rampant speculation. Here’s a look at a series of myths that have developed around the upcoming release. The eighth myth of Snow Leopard:

Snow Leopard is Just an Operating System

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Across Europe, Apple’s mobile service partners and mobile phone retail outlets have begun prominent marketing efforts for the new iPhone 3G. Here in Switzerland, mobile phone stores and electronics stores have been selling iPhone accessories for months, despite the fact that nobody has been selling the iPhone itself.

Continues: iPhone frenzy heats up in Switzerland

Daniel Eran Dilger
Apple’s limited comments on Snow Leopard, the next version of Mac OS X due in about a year, have opened the playing field for rampant speculation. Here’s a look at a series of myths that have developed around the upcoming release. The seventh myth of Snow Leopard:

Apple will have to give Snow Leopard away for free if it lacks many marketing features.

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