Cingular Ties, Several More iPhone Models? And More Details...
PCMag, MobileBurn, and TelephonyOnline reported on comments on the Apple iPhone from Glenn Lurie, Cingular's president of national distribution. Cingular, of course, is the exclusive provider for the Apple iPhone in the U.S. and this deal has been said to last until 2009. As part of the branding, the "Cingular" word will appear on the iPhone screen, but will not appear on the body of the phone itself.
Of particular interest, Cingular's exclusivity contract "covers 'all models' of the iPhone, including several other devices in the works that may be 'coming out very quickly'". Unfortunately, the exact details surrounding the quote were unavailable, but appears to be related to the possibility of future 3G implementation on the iPhone -- a feature which Steve Jobs stated during the keynote was on the roadmap for future models.
Other details include:
- 2 year contract required, applies for existing customers as well
- Apple is taking additional efforts to prevent the unlocking of the phones
- Apple and Cingular will share tech support responsibilities
- Cingular hinted at possible iPhone specific data plans
- Likely a 1 year warranty
Meanwhile, there's a battle for the rights to Apple's phone in the UK. The contenders include O2, Vodafone, Orange and T-Mobile.
MacWelt.de published answers to questions (translation) from Apple Germany about the iPhone. And iLounge was able to have some hands on time with the iPhone. Some things revealed in these reports:
- iTunes songs can not be set as ringtones
- As reported, battery is not user replaceable
- Gestures / Scrolling interface has brief learning curve
- Screen appears resistant to smudges
- No Voice over IP support
- No wireless iTunes downloads/purchases
Also, in case you missed it, Apple has posted (iTunes) the Macworld San Francisco 2007 keynote in video podcast format on the iTunes Store.
Of particular interest, Cingular's exclusivity contract "covers 'all models' of the iPhone, including several other devices in the works that may be 'coming out very quickly'". Unfortunately, the exact details surrounding the quote were unavailable, but appears to be related to the possibility of future 3G implementation on the iPhone -- a feature which Steve Jobs stated during the keynote was on the roadmap for future models.
Other details include:
- 2 year contract required, applies for existing customers as well
- Apple is taking additional efforts to prevent the unlocking of the phones
- Apple and Cingular will share tech support responsibilities
- Cingular hinted at possible iPhone specific data plans
- Likely a 1 year warranty
Meanwhile, there's a battle for the rights to Apple's phone in the UK. The contenders include O2, Vodafone, Orange and T-Mobile.
MacWelt.de published answers to questions (translation) from Apple Germany about the iPhone. And iLounge was able to have some hands on time with the iPhone. Some things revealed in these reports:
- iTunes songs can not be set as ringtones
- As reported, battery is not user replaceable
- Gestures / Scrolling interface has brief learning curve
- Screen appears resistant to smudges
- No Voice over IP support
- No wireless iTunes downloads/purchases
Also, in case you missed it, Apple has posted (iTunes) the Macworld San Francisco 2007 keynote in video podcast format on the iTunes Store.
Top Rated Comments
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66 months ago
Bummer about apple making it hard to unlock. a lot of crushed dreams around here i'm sure.
66 months ago
I really hope that after Apple gets some leverage in this industry that they do away with the locking of phones. They really do need Cingular to help distribute this phone for them initially, but once more people see the iPhone in action and learn they can buy them from Apple stores I bet Apple will change this ideas.
I have a suspicion that Cingular was the one who required such things as iTunes songs not being able to be set as ringtones. That is so backwards I never understood by cell phone manufacturers did this. Being free of a specific carrier will be good for everyone, but Apple needs the publicity first.
I have a suspicion that Cingular was the one who required such things as iTunes songs not being able to be set as ringtones. That is so backwards I never understood by cell phone manufacturers did this. Being free of a specific carrier will be good for everyone, but Apple needs the publicity first.
66 months ago
sweet
yeah, sounds pretty good to me. hope these things start shipping......the sooner the better....
66 months ago
A lot of this is no surprise. The iPod is a closed system and in order to get the huge amount of leverage over Cingular that they did, Apple had to give up some concessions. That's why we have hackers...
66 months ago
Do they mean songs purchased from iTunes store cannot be used as ring tones, or anything you might have in your iTunes library?
In any event restrictions like that are just mean spirited, and show up what is wrong with the cell phone industry.
In any event restrictions like that are just mean spirited, and show up what is wrong with the cell phone industry.
66 months ago
>>- Screen appears resistant to smudges
BS, you can even see them in the Keynote stream.
BS, you can even see them in the Keynote stream.
66 months ago
I just read on MDN that
"AT&T Inc. will rebrand its Cingular Wireless service with the AT&T name starting Monday, a move aimed at bringing together the company's newly acquired entities and services under a single moniker," Dionne Searcey reports for The Wall Street Journal."
So will the iPhone still be branded Cingular?
"AT&T Inc. will rebrand its Cingular Wireless service with the AT&T name starting Monday, a move aimed at bringing together the company's newly acquired entities and services under a single moniker," Dionne Searcey reports for The Wall Street Journal."
So will the iPhone still be branded Cingular?
66 months ago
I really hope that after Apple gets some leverage in this industry that they do away with the locking of phones. They really do need Cingular to help distribute this phone for them initially, but once more people see the iPhone in action and learn they can buy them from Apple stores I bet Apple will change this ideas.
I have a suspicion that Cingular was the one who required such things as iTunes songs not being able to be set as ringtones. That is so backwards I never understood by cell phone manufacturers did this. Being free of a specific carrier will be good for everyone, but Apple needs the publicity first.
On any standard Nokia supporting mp3 or aac, you can use your mp3's as ringtones. If reality is different in the US then, yup, it's the carriers demands.
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