iPhone
Compatible networks | 2.75G GSM (850/900/1800/1900), Data Download Speed - GPRS/EDGE (Up to 220 Kbps) |
---|---|
Dimensions | 115×61×11.6 mm (4.5×2.4×0.46 in) |
Weight | 135 grams (4.8 ounces) |
Memory | 4 GB, 8 GB, internal |
Display | 3.5 in, 320x480 px at 160 ppi |
Connectivity | Computer via 30-pin iPod dock connector, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
iPhone is a combination camera phone, PDA, multimedia player, and wireless communication device announced by Apple CEO Steve Jobs during his keynote address at the Macworld Conference & Expo on January 9, 2007.[1][2] The iPhone will support push e-mail, mobile telephony, text messaging, web browsing, and other wireless information services.
The iPhone, unlike most smartphones, will not include a built-in keyboard or keypad; input is accomplished via a combination of technologies, including a touchscreen with software virtual keyboard and buttons. Apple has confirmed an optimized but limited version of the OS X operating system will run on the iPhone,[3] but further distinction between the operating system (OS X) running on Macs and iPhones has not been officially explained. Third party applications are currently limited to a "controlled environment".[4]
The iPhone has a scheduled release date of June 2007,[5] pending Federal Communications Commission approval, and will be available from the Apple Store and via Cingular. iPhone has a planned launch price of US$499 for the 4 GB model and $599 for the 8 GB model, based on a two year service contract. The iPhone is a quad-band GSM phone, though Jobs mentioned in his keynote that Apple has a "plan to make 3G phones" in the future.[6] Apple has filed over 200 patents related to the technology behind the iPhone.[7]
Features
Multi-touch screen
The 3.5-inch widescreen display (320×480 px at 160 ppi) touch screen is specifically created for use with a finger (multiple fingers can also be used at the same time); no stylus is needed (furthermore, no stylus can be used as it requires bare skin to operate).[citation needed] The photo album manipulation is an example of multi-touch sensing. The control buttons for the phone have the ability to be reprogrammed to whatever control scheme the user wishes. To unlock the phone touch screen the user must slide a finger from left to right at the bottom of the screen.
The device uses an embedded virtual keyboard made possible by the touchscreen. It features automatic spell checking. The virtual keyboard appears when needed and disappears when the user is finished typing.
Instead of a windowed desktop metaphor, the iPhone uses a Zooming User Interface. It is possible to zoom in and out of objects such as webpages and photos by respectively "unpinching" and "pinching" them, that is, placing two fingers (usually thumb and forefinger) on the screen and moving them farther apart or closer together as if stretching or squeezing the image.
The device also features three sensors: a proximity sensor that shuts off the touchscreen when the iPhone is brought close to an ear (to save battery power and to prevent accidental contact with the user's face and ears from triggering phone features), an ambient light sensor that adjusts screen brightness and saves power, and an accelerometer, which senses the orientation of the phone and changes the screen accordingly.
Phone
The iPhone allows conferencing, call holding, call merging, caller ID, and integration with other iPhone features. A playing song fades out when the user receives a call. Once the call is ended the music fades back on without delay.
iPhone will include a Visual Voicemail feature in conjunction with Cingular which allows users to view a list of current voicemail messages onscreen, without having to call into their voicemail. Voicemail messages will play when selected by the user.
Text messages are presented chronologically in a mailbox format similar to Mail, which places all text from recipients together with replies. Text messages are displayed in speech bubbles (similar to in iChat) under each recipient's name.
Camera
The iPhone features a 2 megapixel camera and a photo management program that allows the user to upload, view, and e-mail photos. The user zooms in and out of photos by "unpinching" and "pinching" them through the Multi-touch interface.
iPod
The layout of the music library differs from previous iPods, with the sections divided more clearly alphabetically, and with a larger font. The Cover Flow, like that on iTunes, shows the different album covers in a scroll-through photo library. Scrolling is achieved by swiping a finger across the screen.
Like the fifth generation iPods introduced in 2005, the iPhone can play video allowing users to watch TV shows and films. Unlike other image-related content, video on the iPhone plays only in the landscape orientation, when the phone is turned sideways. A two-fingered tap is used to switch between wide-screen and full-screen aspect ratios.
Internet communicator
The iPhone has built in WiFi, with which it will be able to access the Internet (through a wireless network) via the Safari browser. The iPhone will also be able to connect to the Internet through Cingular's EDGE network but will be unable to utilize Cingular's 3G network at launch.[8] The web browser displays full web pages as opposed to simplified pages as on most other phones. Web pages may be viewed in portrait or landscape mode and support automatic zooming by "pinching" or double-tapping images or text. Direct downloading of files from iTunes Store is not supported. The iPhone also has Bluetooth built in and works with wireless earpieces that use Bluetooth 2.0 technology and for file transfer.
The iPhone also features an HTML e-mail program, which also enables the user to embed photos in an e-mail message. Yahoo! will be providing a free Push-IMAP e-mail service similar to that on a BlackBerry; IMAP and POP3 mail standards are also supported, including Microsoft Exchange.
Widgets, similar to the ones available in Mac OS X v10.4's Dashboard, are included on the iPhone. The examples given in the Macworld 2007 keynote were Stocks and Weather widgets.
An agreement between Apple and Google provides for access to a specially modified version of Google Maps — in map, local list, or satellite form, optimized for the iPhone. During the launch of the product, Jobs demonstrated this feature by searching for nearby coffee shops and then placing a call to one within a single tap.
Other
The iPhone, like other iPods but unlike most mobile phones, features a built-in battery that is not intended to be user-replaceable. The battery is capable of providing five hours of video, web browsing, or talk time. The battery life for music playing is 16 hours.[8] It is as yet unclear how long the batteries last in sleep mode.
There will be new headphones which are similar to those of current iPods, but which incorporate a microphone. Calls can be answered and ended by squeezing the microphone. Wireless earpieces that use Bluetooth technology to communicate with the iPhone will be sold separately.
The loudspeaker is used both for handsfree operations and media playback.
The iPhone has the ability to synchronize with Apple's iCal (for calendar and notifications), Address Book (for phone numbers), and iTunes. Windows users will be limited to iTunes synchronization. The email program Outlook for Windows cannot be synchronized with the iPhone[8]
Iphone have also powerful calculator build in.
Pricing and availability
Jobs announced that the iPhone will first be available in June 2007 in the U.S., Q4 2007 in Europe, and in 2008 for Asia. The initial U.S. release will be offered in two configurations with two different prices, based on a 2-year phone service contract: a 4 GB model for US$499 and an 8 GB model for $599.
Apple also announced that its goal was to capture 1% of the global mobile phone market (of some 1 billion units), which would approximate 10 million units being sold in 2008, the first full calendar year of iPhone availability. For comparison, Jobs announced that the Apple iPod commands 62% of the U.S. market share for MP3 players.[9]
In a deal concluded from secretive discussions beginning in February 2005, Cingular Wireless will be the exclusive carrier of the iPhone in the United States and will remain so until 2009.[10] The iPhone may be purchased only with a two-year service plan with Cingular.[11]
iPhone trademark
This section may be affected by a current event. Information in this section may change rapidly as the event progresses. Initial news reports may be unreliable. The last updates to this section may not reflect the most current information. |
Infogear originally filed for the U.S. trademark "I Phone" on September 3 1993, and later applied for "iPhone" on March 20, 1996. Both trademarks have been registered in the United States since 1999. Cisco Systems obtained the iPhone trademarks after its acquisition of Infogear in 2000.[12] The term has been used on the (Infogear) iPhone since 1997 and (Linksys) iPhone that was launched in 2006. Cisco's trademarks cover "communications terminals comprising computer hardware and software providing integrated telephone, data communications and personal computer functions" (1993 filing) and "computer hardware and software for providing integrated telephone communication with computerized global information networks" (1996 filing).[13][14]
Cisco representatives stated on January 9, 2007, that their company and Apple had been in negotiations regarding the trademark and expected to reach an agreement about the name shortly,[15] according to documents received by Apple's lawyers the night before the Macworld keynote event.[16] Cisco has since announced they are suing Apple over the infringement of the trademark iPhone, seeking an injunction in federal court to prohibit Apple from using the name.
A separate U.S. trademark application for "iPhone" was filed on September 26, 2006, by a heretofore unknown entity named Ocean Telecom Services LLC, covering "handheld and mobile devices". The application claims a priority date of March 27, 2006 based on a trademark filing in Trinidad and Tobago, serial number 37060.[17] Apple had previously filed under its own name for the "iPhone" trademark in Australia, claiming the same priority date and using the same Trinidad and Tobago application, indicating that, in all likelihood, Ocean Telecom is a front company for Apple.[18]
Apple has made filings in various countries outside the U.S., including Australia, where a separate iPhone trademark was filed in 2002 and registered in 2005. In Canada, Apple and Comwave Telecom—which has provided an "iPhone"-branded VoIP service since 2004[19]—have each applied for the trademark, in 2004 and 2005 respectively; Comwave has filed an opposition to Apple's application but both filings presently remain active.[20] It is presently unclear whether Cisco owns any rights to "iPhone" elsewhere.
According to the WHOIS database, Apple owns the generally non-profit-organization–oriented domain name iphone.org (domain created 1999-12-06), Cisco owns the network-oriented domain name iphone.net (domain created 1998-01-28), and the Internet Phone Company LLC based in Santa Rosa, California owns the commercial domain name iphone.com (domain created 1995-08-24). Internet Phone Company LLC is a Voice over IP provider that is unrelated to Apple or Cisco. The site was hit with a surge of traffic following the Jobs keynote and was temporarily taken down.[21] The URL iphone.org now links to Apple's iPhone web page.
The use of the name iPhone in secondary top-level domains is unclear. It was reported that, as early as November 2006, in some countries the relevant domain names are owned by individuals, including, for example, iphone.us and iphone.cn.[22]
Specifications
- Screen size: 3.5 in (8.9 cm)
- Resolution: 320×480 pixels
- Size: 115×61×11.6 mm (4.5×2.4×0.46 in)
- Weight: 4.8 oz (135 g)
- Operating System: a "light" version of OS X 10.5 "Leopard"
- Safari web browser
- A widget engine
- Core Animation
- Power Management
- USB connection port
- Plays AAC and MP3 audio file formats
- Plays H.264 video
- Graphical user interface
- Integrated WiFi (802.11b/802.11g), EDGE and Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR
- 2 megapixel camera
- iPod - music, video and photo functionality
- iPod portion features Cover Flow interface and 3-D effects
- Multi-touch screen interface (the "Home" button is the iPhone's only physical front panel button)
- On-screen QWERTY keyboard
- Fingertip scrolling, pan, and zoom (through a technique called "pinching") functions
- Built-in rechargeable, non-removable battery with up to 5 hours of talk/video/browsing or up to 16 hours of audio playback.[8]
See also
- Apple Newton - early Apple personal data assistant, now defunct
- Personal digital assistant
- Smartphone
- Technological convergence
- iPhony
References
- ^ "Apple Reinvents the Phone with iPhone" (Press release). Apple Inc. 2007-01-09. Retrieved 2007-01-09.
{{cite press release}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ "Apple Unveils New Mobile Phone". Associated Press. The New York Times. 2007-01-09. Retrieved 2007-01-09.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ Haslam, Karen (2007-01-12). "Macworld Expo: Optimised OS X sits on 'versatile' flash". Macworld UK. Retrieved 2007-01-16.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ Markoff, John (2007-01-11). "Phone Shows Apple's Impact on Consumer Products". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-01-13.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ "Apple iPhone Thoughts". MP3 Newswire. Richard Menta. 2007-01-10. Retrieved 2007-01-10.
- ^ Live from Macworld 2007: Keynote Address — Quicktime stream of Steve Jobs keynote
- ^ Ishimaru, Heather (2007-01-09). "Apple Options Not An Issue At Macworld". abc7news.com. Retrieved 2007-01-11.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ a b c d Pogue, David (2007-01-11). "The Ultimate iPhone Frequently Asked Questions". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-01-13.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ "Apple introduces iPhone". Reuters. 2007-01-09. Retrieved 2007-01-10.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ Richtel, Matt (2007-01-10). "In Cingular-Apple Deal, Only Phone Was Missing". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-01-10.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ Lee, Ellen (2007-01-10). "Apple Wants a Bigger Bite". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2007-01-10.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ Blitstein, Ryan (2007-01-10). "Cisco Sues Apple Over Apple iPhone Name". The Mercury News. Retrieved 2007-01-10.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ USPTO trademark status; serial number 74431935 - Infogear 1993 filing
- ^ USPTO trademark status; serial number 75076573 - Infogear 1996 filing
- ^ Charny, Ben (2007-01-09). "Cisco pushes Apple for permission to use iPhone trademark". MarketWatch. Retrieved 2007-01-09.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ "Apple's 'iPhone' name unsettled even during Jobs keynote". Associated Press. The Mercury News. 2007-01-09. Retrieved 2007-01-10.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ USPTO trademark status; serial number 77007808 - Ocean Telecom 2006 filing
- ^ Australian Trade Mark On-line Search System - search for trademark no. 1136412
- ^ "comwave iPhone". Comwave Telecom Inc. Retrieved 2007-01-16.
- ^ Canadian Trade-mark Database – application numbers: 1279514 (Comwave), 1234665 (Apple)
- ^ Mullins, Robert (2007-01-09). "Can Apple pick up the iPhone name?". IDG News Service. Retrieved 2007-01-12.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ "IPhone.com? Does not belong to Apple territory..." (in Simplified Chinese). 2006-11-28. Retrieved 2007-01-12.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help)
External links
- iPhone website — Official pages from Apple Inc.