IPhone

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Current event marker This article contains information about a scheduled or expected future product.
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The correct title of this article is iPhone. The initial letter is shown capitalized due to technical restrictions.
For the line of Internet appliances, see Linksys iPhone.
iPhone
Screen 3.5 in, 320x480 px at 160 ppi
Memory 4 GB, 8 GB, internal flash memory
Networks 2.5G GSM (850/900/1800/1900), Data Download Speed - GPRS/EDGE (Up to 220 Kbps)
Connectivity Computer via 30-pin iPod dock connector, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Physical size 115×61×11.6 mm (4.5×2.4×0.46 in)
Weight 135 grams (4.8 ounces)

The iPhone is a multimedia/Internet-enabled phone announced by Apple CEO Steve Jobs during the keynote address at the Macworld Conference & Expo on January 9, 2007.[1][2] The iPhone has a scheduled US release date of June 2007, (later outside the US)[3] and will be available from the Apple Store and from Cingular Wireless. 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's functions include those of a camera phone, a multimedia player, mobile telephone, and Internet services like e-mail, text messaging, web browsing and wireless connectivity. iPhone input is accomplished via touchscreen with virtual keyboard and buttons. 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.[4] Apple has filed over 200 patents related to the technology behind the iPhone.[5]

Contents

History

The genesis of the iPhone was Jobs' direction that Apple engineers investigate touch-screens. At the time he had been considering having Apple work on tablet PCs.[6][7][8] Many have noted the device's similarities to Apple's previous touch-screen portable device, the Newton MessagePad.[9][10][11][12] Like the Newton, the iPhone is nearly all screen, and likewise its form-factor is credited as well by Apple to their head of design, Jonathan Ive.[6][13] Comments made by Jobs in April 2003 at the "D: All Things Digital" executive conference expressed his belief that tablet PCs and traditional PDAs were not good choices as high-demand markets for Apple to enter, despite many requests made to him that Apple create another PDA. He did believe that cell phones were going to become important devices for portable information access, and that what cell phones needed to have was excellent synchronization software. At the time, instead of focusing on a follow-up to their Newton PDA, Jobs had Apple put its energies into the iPod, and the iTunes software (which can be used to synchronize content with iPod devices), released January 2001.[14][15][16][17] On September 7, 2005, Apple and Motorola released the ROKR E1, the first mobile phone to use iTunes. However Jobs was unhappy with the ROKR, feeling that having to compromise with a non-Apple designer (Motorola) prevented Apple from designing the phone he wanted to make.[18] In September 2006, Apple discontinued support for the ROKR and released a version of iTunes that included references to an as-yet unknown mobile phone that could display pictures and video.[19] On January 9, 2007, Jobs announced the iPhone.

Advertising

The first advertisement for the iPhone aired during the 79th Academy Awards took place on Sunday, February 25, 2007 on ABC. The ad, which is available on the Apple website, features clips of people answering the phone from several notable films and television shows.

Features

Touch screen

The 3.5-inch (8.9cm) display (320×480 px at 160 ppi) touch screen is specifically created for use with a finger, or multiple fingers for multi-touch sensing. No stylus is needed, nor can one be used, as the touch screen requires bare skin to operate.[20]

For text input, the device implements a virtual keyboard on the touchscreen. It has automatic spell checking, predictive word capabilities, and a dynamic dictionary that learns new words. Notably, the predictive word capabilities have been integrated with the dynamic virtual keyboard so that users will not have to be extremely accurate when typing -- i.e. touching the edges of the desired letter or nearby letters on the keyboard will be predictively corrected when possible. Additionally, an optional landscape mode for text entry with the virtual keyboard has been mentioned by Apple executives as a possibility for iPhone, but Apple has not yet come to a final decision as to its inclusion in the shipping version of iPhone. A possible advantage of landscape text entry would be the availability of larger keys to ease text entry, especially for individuals with larger fingers. The iPhone varies from common desktop interfaces by using a direct manipulation model of scrolling. Where a typical desktop GUI achieves scrolling by using a scroll-arrow to push a view-window down and thus the content itself up (or the reverse, clicking up to move content down), the iPhone interface enables the user to move the content itself up or down by a simple and natural touch-drag-lift motion, much as one would slide a playing card across a table. Additionally, the interface will compute the speed desired for scrolling based on the speed and acceleration with which the drag motion is performed.

Scrolling through a long list works as if the list is pasted on the surface of a wheel: the wheel can be "spun" by sliding a finger over the display. After the finger is lifted from the display the "wheel continues spinning" for a short moment before coasting down. In this way, the iPhone seems to simulate the physics of a real object, which, it is thought, should give a very natural feel to the whole process.

The UI also features other visual effects, such as horizontally sliding sub-selections and co-selections from right and left, vertically sliding system menus from the bottom (e.g. favorites, keyboard), and menus and widgets that turn around to allow settings to be configured on their back sides.

The photo album and web page magnifications are examples of multi-touch sensing. It is possible to zoom in and out of objects such as web pages 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. This scaling is done uniformly and proportionally based on the image in question so there is no distortion of the image itself, as would be the case if the image were actually stretched or squeezed.

Other inputs

The display responds to three sensors: a proximity sensor that shuts off the display and touchscreen when the iPhone is brought near your face to save battery power and to prevent spurious inputs from the user's face and ears, an ambient light sensor that adjusts the display brightness and saves battery power, and an accelerometer, which senses the orientation of the phone and changes the screen accordingly, albeit in only one 90 degree direction.

A single frontal hardware button brings up the main menu. Subselections are made via the touchscreen. The iPhone utilizes a full-paged display, with context-specific submenus at the top and/or bottom of each page, sometimes depending on screen orientation. Detail pages display the equivalent of a "Back" button to go up one menu.

The iPhone has three hardware switches on its sides: sleep/wake, volume up/down, ringer on/off. All other multimedia and phone operations are done via the touch screen.

Phone

The iPhone allows conferencing, call holding, call merging, caller ID, and integration with other cellular network features and iPhone functions. For example, a playing song fades out when the user receives a call. Once the call is ended the music fades back in.

The 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. Unlike most other systems, messages can be listened to in a non-chronological order, by choosing messages from a list. Cingular completely reworked their voicemail infrastructure to accommodate this new feature designed by Apple.

E-mail 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 iChat) under each recipient's name.

Camera

The iPhone features a 2 megapixel camera with video and software 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. The software will interact with iPhoto on the Mac.

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

Wikipedia on the iPhone's Safari web browser.
Wikipedia on the iPhone's Safari web browser.

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 not be able to utilize Cingular's 3G/HSDPA network at launch.[20] 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. The iPhone also has Bluetooth built in and works with wireless earpieces that use Bluetooth 2.0 technology and for file transfer.

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 with a single tap.

Email

The iPhone also features an HTML e-mail program, which 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. The email program Outlook for Windows cannot be synchronized with the iPhone[20] for the time being. There is no enterprise email connectivity[21] other than IMAP and POP3.

OS X

Apple has confirmed an optimized, full version of the Mac OS X operating system (without unnecessary components) will run on the iPhone, although differences between the operating system (OS X) running on Macs and the iPhone have not been officially explained. It is expected to take up "considerably less" than 500MB,[22][23][24]. It will be capable of supporting as-yet undetermined bundled and future 1st and 3rd-party applications, which are currently limited to a "controlled environment".[25][23][26]

Apple intends to offer a smooth method for updating the iPhone's operating system, in a similar fashion to the way that Mac OS X and iPods are updated, and touts this as an advantage compared to other cell phones.[22]

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.

The iPhone's version of OS X includes the software component "Core Animation" which is responsible for the smooth animations used in its user interface.

Other

The iPhone features a built-in battery that is not intended to be user-replaceable, similar to existing iPods. The battery is capable of providing five hours of video, web browsing, or talk time. The battery life for music playing is 16 hours.[20] It is unknown how long the batteries will 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.

Pricing and availability

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.[27] The iPhone may be purchased only with a two-year service plan with Cingular.[28] Jobs announced that the iPhone will first be available in June 2007 in the U.S., during the fourth quarter 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 with Cingular Wireless: a 4 GB model for US $499 and an 8 GB model for $599.

Apple also announced that its goal is to capture 1% of the global mobile phone market, which would be approximately 10 million units being sold in 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.[29]

Specifications

  • Storage: 4 or 8 GB Flash memory, storing files and operating system.
  • 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: OS X
  • Dock connector connection port
    • Dock with dock connector to USB cord
  • Plays AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (MP4 from iTunes Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3 and 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF and WAV audio file formats
  • Plays H.264 video
  • Quad band GSM / GPRS / EDGE: GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900
  • Integrated WiFi (802.11b/802.11g) 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.[20]
  • Integrated accelerometer motion sensor for automatic smart switching between portrait and landscape display mode
  • Integrated proximity sensor turns the display and touchscreen off when held near the face to conserve battery power and avoid spurious inputs[4]

Processor(s)

It is not yet known what processors power the iPhone. However, on January 24, 2007, AppleInsider stated that Samsung will provide a unified central processing unit.[30] On February 7, 2007, EE Times Europe published a report that three ARM processors are used in iPhone, but did not confirm exactly what chips might be used.[31] Earlier, Intel Italy executive manager Dario Bucci claimed that one of Marvell's XScale series of ARM processors is to be found in iPhone.[32]

See also

References

  1. ^ Apple Inc. (2007-01-09). Apple Reinvents the Phone with iPhone. Press release. Retrieved on 2007-01-09.
  2. ^ "Apple Unveils New Mobile Phone", Associated Press, The New York Times, 2007-01-09. Retrieved on 2007-01-09.
  3. ^ Menta, Richard. "Apple iPhone Thoughts", MP3 Newswire, 2007-01-10. Retrieved on 2007-01-21.
  4. ^ a b Steve Jobs. Macworld 2007 San Francisco Keynote Address. Apple Inc. Retrieved on 2007-01-28.
  5. ^ Ishimaru, Heather. "Apple Options Not An Issue At Macworld", abc7news.com, 2007-01-09. Retrieved on 2007-01-11.
  6. ^ a b Grossman, Lev. "The Apple Of Your Ear", Time, 2007-01-12. Retrieved on 2007-02-01.
  7. ^ Cohen, Peter. "Macworld Expo Keynote Live Update", Macworld, 2007-01-09. Retrieved on 2007-02-01.
  8. ^ Block, Ryan. "Live from Macworld 2007: Steve Jobs keynote", Engadget, 2007-01-09. Retrieved on 2007-02-01.
  9. ^ Wilcox, Joe. "Apple's Son of Newton", eWeek Microsoft Watch, 2007-01-09. Retrieved on 2007-02-01.
  10. ^ Kahney, Leander. "Apple Newton Versus iPhone", Wired News, 2007-01-15. Retrieved on 2007-02-01.
  11. ^ McCracken, Harry. "iPhone: It's a Newton! Sort of!", PC World, 2007-01-13. Retrieved on 2007-02-01.
  12. ^ Mortensen, Pete. "iPhone: The Newton's Revenge", Wired News, 2007-01-09. Retrieved on 2007-02-01.
  13. ^ Wilson, Greg. "Private iCreator is genius behind Apple's polish", New York Daily News, 2007-01-14. Retrieved on 2007-02-01.
  14. ^ Mossberg, Walter. "The Music Man" (fee required), The Wall Street Journal, 2007-06-14. Retrieved on 2007-02-01.
  15. ^ Kennedy, Niall. "Walt Mossberg interviews Steve Jobs", 2007-06-14. Retrieved on 2007-02-01.
  16. ^ Chaffin, Bryan. "Steve Jobs: No Tablet, No PDA, No Cell Phone, Lots Of iPods", The Mac Observer, 2003-06-05. Retrieved on 2007-02-01.
  17. ^ Howell, Denise. "D: Interview With Steve Jobs", Bag and Baggage, 2003-05-30. Retrieved on 2007-02-01.
  18. ^ Lewis, Peter. "How Apple kept its iPhone secrets", CNN Money, 2007-01-12. Retrieved on 2007-02-06.
  19. ^ Chen, Jason. "iTunes 7.0.1 Has Buttloads of Mobile Phone Mentions", Gizmodo, 2006-09-27. Retrieved on 2007-02-01.
  20. ^ a b c d e Pogue, David (2007-01-11). The Ultimate iPhone Frequently Asked Questions. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2007-01-13.
  21. ^ Lane, Slash. "Bear Stearns ups Apple target to $125, says Palm at risk to iPhone", AppleInsider, 2007-01-10. Retrieved on 2007-01-21.
  22. ^ a b Haslam, Karen. "Macworld Expo: Optimised OS X sits on 'versatile' flash", Macworld UK, 2007-01-12. Retrieved on 2007-01-16.
  23. ^ a b Ihnatko, Andy. "You could call iPhone perfect", Chicago Sun-Times, 2007-01-18. Retrieved on 2007-01-25.
  24. ^ Pogue, David (2007-01-13). Ultimate iPhone FAQs List, Part 2. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2007-01-26.
  25. ^ Steven, Levy. "Apple Computer Is Dead; Long Live Apple", Newsweek, 2007-01-10. Retrieved on 2007-01-30.
  26. ^ Markoff, John. "Phone Shows Apple’s Impact on Consumer Products", The New York Times, 2007-01-11. Retrieved on 2007-01-13.
  27. ^ Richtel, Matt. "In Cingular-Apple Deal, Only Phone Was Missing", The New York Times, 2007-01-10. Retrieved on 2007-01-10.
  28. ^ Lee, Ellen. "Apple Wants a Bigger Bite", San Francisco Chronicle, 2007-01-10. Retrieved on 2007-01-10.
  29. ^ "Apple introduces iPhone", Reuters, 2007-01-09. Retrieved on 2007-01-10.
  30. ^ Jade, Kasper. "Samsung claims primary seat in Apple iPhone", AppleInsider, 2007-01-24. Retrieved on 2007-02-09.
  31. ^ Clarke, Peter. "What's Inside Apple's iPhone? Three ARM Processors", EE Times Europe, 2007-02-07. Retrieved on 2007-02-08.
  32. ^ Rusconi, Gianni. "Bucci (Intel): «Il cammino verso la ripresa è ancora lungo»", Il Sole 24 Ore, 2007-01-18. Retrieved on 2007-01-20. (in Italian)

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