iPhone news, reviews and how-to's since 2007
A Cingular sales rep. told CNET that the iPhone will be released on June 11. There’s no real confirmation yet, but the date is also the first day of Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, where, according to Engadget, “Steve and Co are always keen to announce new wares.”
EDIT: I called 25 Cingular stores asking when the iPhone will be available. See a list of the stores and their responses in my new post on this topic.
Derek Punsalan went into a Cingular store to trade in his Sprint BlackBerry 8703e for a Cingular BlackBerry Pearl and came out with a receipt with this printed on the bottom:
Not sure what it means, but Derek thinks it could be a glitch hinting that the iPhone price “may be discounted for longer service agreements.” We’ll find out in June.
Autospies reported Tuesday that BMW may be the first auto manufacturer to make its cars iPhone-friendly. “A reliable source” told Autospies that iPhone compatibility – beyond “just Bluetooth” – might be built into the next BMW 7-series (out in 2009).
There’s not much evidence to back this rumor up, but it’s worth mentioning that BMW was the first auto manufacturer to team with Apple on integrating the iPod into its cars via a glove compartment iPod hookup controlled by buttons on the steering wheel.
The next generation of Apple iPods will feature touch-screens and wide displays, predicts the Chicago Tribune’s Eric Benderoff.
“Put me on the record as saying you’ll see a touch-screen iPod this fall,” Benderoff said. He thinks Apple would do well to include the iPhone’s nifty features on the next iPod, if only to “protect its bread-and-butter product line.”
Apple hasn’t introduced anything groundbreaking for the iPod in a few years. I would love to see some iPhone features on the upcoming MP3 players.
Rogers Wireless customers will be pleased to know that the mobile phone service provider will be the exclusive iPhone carrier in Canada.
No info yet on availability, though I have little doubt it’ll be after June, when the iPhone debuts in the US.
Analysts expect the price of the Apple iPhone to start dropping soon after the device is released in June. iSupply senior analyst Andrew Rassweiler predicted a “$229.85 hardware and manufacturing cost and a $245.83 total expense, yielding a 50.7 percent margin on each unit sold at the $499 retail price.”
Apple will initially sell their iPhone units at $499 and $599 to take advantage of the “must-have” buzz surrounding the release, Rassweiler predicted. Price cuts, he said, are inevitable.