Many of us iPhone 3G owners came to accept limited battery life as a trade-off for all the amazing things it did. So cheers erupted in offices nationwide from those of us eagerly following tweets and live blogs when Apple announced the new incarnation.
The company listed several new intriguing features, including video, increased storage, a faster processor, a better camera, hands-free voice control and, yes, longer battery life. Apple's press release touts the souped-up battery longevity.
iPhone 3GS is not only faster, but with longer battery life you can
watch more videos, listen to more music, browse the Internet or keep
using your favorite apps even longer.
Well, as my colleague David Sarno points out here, not really.
The S in 3GS may stand for many things on this device --
"sexy," "speed," "sweet" -- but it certainly doesn't stand for "stamina."
Apple COO Tim Cook (left), CEO Steve Jobs and senior vice president Phil Schiller at a meeting last October. Credit: Paul Sakuma / Associated Press.
He's back.
Steve Jobs returned to work at Apple's Cupertino, Calif., campus, company spokesman Steve Dowling said.Jobs in January took a six-month medical leave of absence, saying he would return at the end of June. And it appears Jobs has fulfilled his promise.
"He's at Apple a few days a week, and working from home the rest of the week," Dowling said. "We are very glad to have him back."
Neither Jobs nor Apple revealed the nature of his illness while he was absent. Only weeks ago, it was reported that Jobs underwent a liver transplant during his leave. He was described by his physician as being "the sickest patient" on the list of transplant candidates at the time of his surgery. The disclosure startled Apple observers and led some securities experts to question whether the company withheld information that would have been material to investors.
The 54-year-old co-founder of Apple, known for his relentless attention to detail, is seen by some as the driving force behind the company's products. He was pushed out in 1985 but returned to a weakened company in 1997, and has since built an organization that thinks much the way he does. That, analysts said, has led to minimal operational disruptions -- both while he was away and now that he is back.
"I think the executives know who runs the ship," said Danielle Levitas, an analyst at IDC. "I don't expect his return to be problematic. The bigger strategic issue for Apple is how to get all those senior executives who have taken on more responsibility to continue to stay in the spotlight as much as possible because thereare lingering concerns about his health. Investors need to see a team in place that is capable of creating amazing products."
Some legal scholars and investors say the Cupertino, Calif., company may have run afoul of securities regulations by not disclosing more about the severity of Steve Jobs' medical condition.
The debate heated up after Steve Jobs' transplant surgeon issued a statement Wednesday that the Apple chief executive was "the sickest man on the
waiting list" for a donor liver.
Here's one expert's view, from an article in today's Times:
"If they tried to lessen the disclosure and make it misleading by omission, that's just as bad as telling something that flat isn't true," said Jeffrey C. Soza, a securities lawyer at Glaser, Weil, Fink, Jacobs, Howard & Shapiro in Los Angeles.
Although the iPhone was available in stores starting Friday, buyers were able to pre-order beginning June 9 -- that is, until AT&T and other retailers depleted their allotment of pre-orders five days before the iPhone was to go on sale. That led to some shorter lines at stores this weekend compared to last July when Apple debuted its iPhone 3G, which also sold a million units during its first weekend on sale.
Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs crowed in a statement, "Consumers are voting, and the iPhone is winning." Jobs, who has remained largely out of sight since taking a medical leave of absence in January, has reportedly undergone a liver transplant, according to the Wall Street Journal. Apple this weekend said Jobs will return in a week or two in an advisory capacity.
The Cupertino, Calif., company, which launched the iPhone two years ago, had sold more than 21 million units as of March 28, according to its second-quarter financial report. By the end of the year, Apple is projected to have carved up 10% of the global market for the fast-growing smartphone category, up from 8.4% in 2008, according to iSuppli, a research firm in El Segundo.
"The good news is that smartphones are really on a tear," said Ken Dulaney, an analyst with technology research firm Gartner. "From May this year to January of next year, you will see more smartphone announcements than you have ever seen before. Even with a down economy, I joke that food, shelter, clothing and now smartphones are becoming an essential part of people’s lives."
T-Mobile today announced its new myTouch 3G smart phone, the next generation of its G1 handset, which was the first to deploy Google's Android operating system.
But where the homely G1 found a limited home among tech-savvy early-adopter types, T-mobile is aiming the sleeker, more colorful myTouch squarely at the mainstream -- as well as at its well-hyped new opponents, the Palm Preand iPhone 3G S.
The company is emphasizing the various ways consumers can customize or "personalize" their phones: from the menu options to the array of available Android applications, to the inclusion of a program called Sherpa that learns about users' real-world preferences as they visit various restaurants and businesses in their towns.
"Most of the other products are really built as one-size-fits-all,” said T-Mobile's chief technical officer, Cole Brodman. For the myTouch, he said, the company's focus is "going to be around individualization -- how we allow consumers to make it theirs. No two are really ever alike."
Leapfrogging the G1, the myTouch device will come with a 3.2-inch touchscreen display as well as an accelerometer and compass to boost the phone's ability to know where it is and which way it's pointing -- the better for location-based applications.
The phone, which will become available for pre-sale on July 8 and is expected to ship on July 29 will retail for $199 for new T-Mobile customers who sign up for a two-year contract. The price may be different for existing in-contract customers, depending on how much time remains on their contract. T-Mobile said the pricing ladder will not be finalized until closer to the pre-sale date.
The Sherpa application, which T-Mobile co-developed with Santa Monica-based mobile technology company Geodelic, uses a "learning engine" to determine mobile users' preferences and behavior, the better to recommend places and services in a given location. Geodelic calls Sherpa a "geobrowser" because it searches the Web to pull appropriate recommendation data from sites such as Yelp and CitySearch.
The emergence of the myTouch, coupled with the recent launch of the Pre and IPhone 3G S, clearly cements this as the summer of smart phones.
An iPhone 3G S waiting for "some time" to become activated on the AT&T Network. Credit: David Sarno / Los Angeles Times
The iPhone 3G S certainly arrived on time, but some owners of the new phone eager to start voice controlling, video recording and just enjoying their new gadgetry had their instant gratification put on hold.
In some parts of the U.S., AT&T's activation systems were experiencing delays on newly purchased iPhones, including the older 3G model, whose price was lowered to $99 recently.
A message on the screen of phones straining to be recognized by the network read: "Waiting for activation. This may take some time."
We called an Apple iPhone customer service representative to help us with our own activation (see picture above). She cautioned that, after the initial online setup, consumers might have to wait hours for their phone to find the network.
"We just got an e-mail saying, ‘Please advise customers that there could be 2-3 hour delay in activation' of the phones," she said, explaining that the glitch was "due to an absolutely huge volume of phones that went out today."
"Evidently we’ve sold more phones than we thought we were going to sell," she said. "It’s taking AT&T longer than we thought it would take them to get all these phones set up."
Apple's media relations team did not return an e-mail seeking comment.
CNET reported that some users are receiving a message noting that activation could take "up to 48 hours."
The activation delays closely resembled a similar source of user frustration from last summer's launch of Apple's 3G model.
However, an AT&T service representative suggested that repeatedly cycling the power on a new phone might speed the activation process.
We used this method and, whether it made a difference or not, our phone finally jacked into the network. And it took only two hours.
In the predawn hours this morning, two lines formed in Glendale for the iPhone 3G S.
A view from the door of the line at the AT&T Store on Brand Boulevard at its height. Credit: Michelle Maltais / Los Angeles Times
One was outside the Apple Store that stretched along the edge of the second level of the Glendale Galleria parking structure with tape-marked rows. The other, not even a mile away, had only two guys in green portable chairs and a laptop outside an AT&T store.
About 5:45 a.m., having scoped out both lines, I became the fourth person in the line at the AT&T Store on Brand Boulevard.
Two hours and 45 minutes earlier, Milton Davila, 19, took his post as the first in line with only a cup of coffee and couple of doughnuts to keep him company. About a half hour later, he was joined by Vartan Nadjaryan, 20, who brought his laptop -- to surf the free Wi-Fi outside the store -- and a fold-up chair. "I basically get a rush out of signing a new contract," Nadjaryan said. "It feels good to get [the new iPhone] on the first day."
Both Davila and the third person in line, Dennis Martin of North Hills, just bought the iPhone 3G for less than a month ago and hurried earlier this week to return them before 30 days passed so they could get its faster successor, with double the memory for the same price.
The customers who pre-ordered get their new phones. Credit: Michelle Maltais / Los Angeles Times
"It was awesome, very addictive! I almost can't live without it," Martin said, who had traded in a Motorola Razr. In the month that he had the iPhone, he has integrated the social networking applications into his daily routine. And texting is something he does regularly. From his Razr, he sent about five text messages a month. But from the iPhone, that number jumped to 1,300."Having the phone allows me to leave my laptop. It's so nice to walk out of the house with nothing else."
By 6:45 a.m., a small line had collected outside the store, but the majority of them had pre-ordered the phone and were there just to pick them up. They were in and out in a flash starting just a few minutes before 7. For the most part, the process moved smoothly -- no real need for the muscled man who stood eyeing the mellow crowd. Despite the relatively anemic turnout at this store, excitement was still coursing, mostly about the new device's speed, video camera and voice control.
An AT&T employee sifts through the large stack of claim checks for 32 GB iPhone 3G S devices. Credit: Michelle Maltais / Los Angeles Times
There had been some concerns that stores might not have enough phones in stock to meet demand. At this AT&T Store, an employee sifted through a fat stack of claim tickets for walk-in purchases of black 32-gigabyte 3G S phones. Only about 10 walk-in customers were in line at the time -- and some were buying white 16-gigabyte phones.
By the time Nadjaryan, Martin and I shot our first videos and determined whether we were facing north or northwest, the entire line fit inside the doors of the dimly lit store. We were all done before the sun had broken through the marine layer.
Meanwhile, back at the mall, groups of about 30 at a time were moved forward to the next of the three waiting locations. Inside the store, amid the bright fluorescent lighting and music, was a flurry of activity -- employees activated phones, pointed out accessories and some customers gave fist bumps, took pictures of each other holding their new phones and tested out the voice controls.
By about 9 a.m., customers were still gathered outside the Galleria in the parking structure, but nowhere near the lines of tape that extended about 100 yards into the lonely reaches of the garage. Apple employees had wheeled out a cart with bottles of water for those waiting. I chatted with a few folks who were looking forward to trading in their manhandled Razrs for the new hotness. Even Mais Matevaosyan, who spent the majority of his time in line complaining about AT&T service and reception, was excited. Matevaosyan said he contends with about 20 dropped calls a day.
Meanwhile, back at the AT&T Store, it was business as usual -- no lines, no crowds, no hoopla.
'Twas the night before iPhone 3G S, and all through the town, not a creature was stirring...
Except for AT&T factory workers. And Apple Store salespeople. And enraptured technophiles with expiring wireless contracts (and still others who refuse to wait until their two years are up).
Yes, the newest iPhone launches today, when some stores will open at 8 a.m. to tend to the inevitable lines of unruly Apple enthusiasts.
An AT&T spokeswoman sent along a video, seen above, that the company put together, showing the packaged iPhones rolling off the assembling line at one of the telecom's distribution centers. For those itching to get your hands on the speedier, video-enabled smartphone, this should whet your appetite.
For those who abstain from biting into the Apple hype, you may freely wince in disgust.
The time every iPhone owner has been waiting for is here. No, not the launch of the iPhone 3G S -- that's Friday.
The third major software update, iPhone 3.0, is available for download through iTunes -- free for iPhone owners and $9.95 for iPod Touch users.
Of course, we've been testing betas of the new version for more than a month. Not to rub it in or anything. But that means we've had plenty of time to try it out in real-life scenarios. We'll tell you what shines and what gets forgotten.
Cut, copy and paste: It's pretty sad when a feature that's been in most smart phones for years (and just about every computer for decades) is the biggest news. But lo and behold, we're actually getting excited for copying text or photos and pasting them into other programs.
All jokes aside, the feature is well executed. Double click or hold your finger down on a word, and up pops a small window asking whether you want to cut or copy the text. You can drag ...
In a reminder that spurned gadget lovers can quickly turn rabid, several thousand angry iPhone owners in the U.S. and U.K. have signed a pair of Twitterpetitions to protest pricing regimes for Apple's new iPhone 3G S. In the U.S., those currently under two-year contract by AT&T must pay $200 more than for the new phones than customers not under contract.
Screen shot of a Twitter petition.
That means $499 for the top-of-the-line 32-gigabyte iPhone 3G S and $399 for the 16-GB version, rather than $299 and $199 respectively, the prices for those with no existing contract. If you want to buy the phone with no contract at all, it's a piggy-bank-breaking $699 and $599.
(In the name of fairness, it should be noted that this movement comprises a vanishingly small fraction of iPhone 3G owners. The company has sold more than 15 million of the second-generation devices since their release last summer.)
In a typical complaint on the AT&T message boards, user apw34 seethed, "This is ridiculous and slap [sic] in the face to long time loyal iphone customers. . . . We have to mount a vigorous campaign to change this policy."
"Longtime iPhone customer" is a borderline oxymoron, however. The phone debuted only two years ago at a price point of $599 for the first 8-GB phone, or $399 for the 4-GB -- contract or no. Moreover, customers who purchased those original models in 2007 would now find themselves eligible for the discounted, new-contract pricing.
Unless Apple decides to institute a quick price reduction -- a move it made soon after the 2007 release (triggering another mini-outrage), customers who expect to be exempted from their contracts may find themselves bound by their own signatures.
"Why should the iPhone be any different than any other ATT phone?" argued user kgipp. "Your reasoning would imply that anyone that has had a Blackberry should be able to upgrade to a new Blackberry anytime they want. What would be the point of offering incentives such as discounted phone prices if they're just going to keep making exceptions?"
Indeed, discounting new handsets to new or out-of-contract customers has long been part of mobile providers' strategy to filch market share from competitors.
But before you try telling that to the owners of the now-outmoded iPhone 3G -- who woke up Monday to find themselves in possession of a 12-month-old relic that is slightly slower than the new version, not to mention lacking its compass and video camera -- make sure to strap on your helmet.
Corrected, 12:16 a.m.: An earlier version of the post used prices from Apple's iPhone "Apple Store" page, which currently states that existing AT&T customers will pay $699 for the 32GB iPhone 3G S and $599 for the 16GB. An AT&T representative, however, told the Times that the actual prices will be $200 more for customers under contract, not $400.
Depending on the model, your device features either a hard drive or flash drive that allows you to read and write files to it just like an external drive.
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