A very interesting morning here in Exchange Square, on the east side of central London (more on that later) – but a few miles (if even that) to the west, of course, the UK iPhone launch is taking place. I’ve been too absorbed in note-taking etc to watch much of the blow-by-blow coverage, but this – posted-all-at-once – version is great.
Very surprised at no 3G – everyone was saying that was going to be the key – but pleasantly surprised at the deal with The Cloud (using Cloud wifi hotspots, common in urban areas, will be included in the unlimited data plan, i.e. all the tariffs). But, we don’t have a similar service in Ireland, and the story of the last few months here is how a 3G modem will kill overpriced hotspots around the country (and maybe even have an impact on the home broadband market).
(By the way, I was on a GNER train again last week – wifi in all carriages. Irish Rail, what are you waiting for?)
UK price: £269, monthly plans from £35.
No word, at least so far, on Irish rollout. Over to you, readers-who-aren’t-multitasking-unsuccessfully-like-me. Do we like this?
I think they’ll still sell a ship load of truck loads but they won’t have a huge impact with any person who likes using the net. The kids will buy it thouogh and other people easily influenced by the Apple brand. Will be hilarious to see iPhone users huddled around WiFi spots in the UK, like smokers outside pubs.
I can’t wait to see people wasting money on iphone and then realising its not designed for a market where SMS is massive. Good luck and good night Mr Apple.
I believe the reason they can’t do 3G that the 3G processors are too large to be integrated into the iPhone form factor as well as being a massive drain on the battery! There will be a 3G roll out some day… Hopefully around the time I go for a new contract next May. Texting is not something I do all that often so it really isn’t an issue for me.
http://www.macrumors.com/2007/09/19/3g-iphone-in-the-works/
Its a god damn joke of a phone, doesnt even record video with its camera!