iPhone: An Internet Device?
There has been a huge amount of speculation online (for years actually) about Apple producing a PDA or a Phone. Recently Steve Jobs introduced the world to the iPhone which is being marketed as an iPod, phone and Internet communicator. The iPod and phone part I get, the Internet communicator, with regards to an Irish market, is a bit of a stretch. This is definitely a device designed with the American market in mind.
The problem with any kind of mobile Internet is that none of the current networks in Ireland offer any kind of reasonably priced data packages that will allow for anything more than e-mail usage from the iPhone (unless connected to a wifi hotspot - pretty slim chance of finding many of those in Ireland). It’s a real pity the iPhone isn’t 3G compatible as it would be perfect for the 3 network’s eagerly anticipated X-Series. Unfortunately the iPhone currently only supports EDGE.
EDGE and 3G are the technologies that allow for high-speed mobile data transmissions, the most notable difference between the two is the speed. With EDGE you can connect to a mobile network at up to 384kbps but with 3G it’s up to 3.6mbps. It’s that huge difference in speed that allows you to make video-calls on a 3G network, which means no video-calls on the iPhone.
Currently only O2 and Meteor support EDGE, Vodafone and 3 surpassed this lesser technology to install a 3G network. Therefore the iPhone, as it is now, will only work on O2 or Meteor. It definitely limits your options and seeing as O2 is already a Apple Reseller, for now I’m going to assume that when the iPhone does launch in Ireland, it will launch on O2, only.
January 26th, 2007 at 11:43 am
I suspect that their reluctance to use 3G may involve battery life; the iPhone’s battery is verging on inadequate as it is, and 3G would add some demand. And while you’re right about the theoretical speeds for (more modern) 3G, real world 3G apparently doesn’t often attain such speeds.
Possibly the iPhone 2 will have 3G or a successor technology :)
January 26th, 2007 at 4:47 pm
I agree with you about battery life, 3G would certainly add some demand. However, with a HSDPA network, 3G speeds clock in at a max of 3.6mps - and trust me, these are not theoretical speeds.
I dont doubt that Apple wont eventually launch a 3G version of the iPhone, perhaps their decision to launch a non-3G handset was to make certain that there WOULD be a successor to the iPhone.
May 29th, 2007 at 7:16 am
The internet connection works like the PSP so your not running up a hugh internet bill on the mobile internet rates!
anyway I’ve pre booked maritas and mine in the states.
May 30th, 2007 at 8:55 pm
Yes it has wi-fi, but that doesn’t make it a portable internet device, unless there you’re in a hot-spot, which is rare in Ireland.