It's finally announced that it's coming... and it's still not quite there (however uber geek and cool pics here)...
When I geeked about the lauch of the first model of the iPhone here, there were a few things the device was missing. Apple (to their credit) have fixed a couple of these, added a couple of other good things and still not caught up on the whole package. There's then also a few more things that they haven't altered or updated that I would have thought are a "must do" in a version 2.0 release.
Let's face it - the release of the iPhone was a breath of fresh air in an increasingly stale mobile phone market. No one had really done anything special with the technology, and handsets weren't in themselves any cheaper. The iPhone v1.0 on release was a tad expensive however Apple shortly rectified that (much to the chagrin of the early adopters). The v2.0 release has been announced at a global price point - $US199 ($209.32) for the 8GB model to $US299 ($314.50) for 16GB (info courtesy news.com.au). The two Aussie telcos who have announced they'll sell the iPhone (Optus and Vodaphone) now have just over a month (device releases July 11) to annouce their plans and THE plans they'll bundle the phone with - and be prepared to hang onto your wallets.
One of the coolest things about the v2.0 device is the introduction of 3G speeds (one of the downsides I reported in my original article about v1.0 device). The integration of the phone with its applications, and GPS and the data requirements for mapping, etc, will make this a data hungry beast. The data speed will make it practical to purchase and download songs from iTunes while you're out and about... cool for purchasing the latest song you just heard somewhere, but bad when you get your bill at the end of the month and your data bill is more than your phone cost in the first place! Additional to this, currently only Telstra have national 3G coverage and they are yet to show their hand if they'll be selling the iPhone v2.0. Vodafone and Optus may flog it but it will only work really nicely in the capital cities of Oz, and then somewhat selectively.
The most interesting aspect of the new features of the iPhone v2.0 is the Microsoft Exchange push mail integration (ActiveSync) and full support for the Microsoft Office Word/Excel/etc formats, taking a MASSIVE swing at the market dominance BlackBerry has had in this arena for some time (although Microsoft's own offering in Windows Mobile 5.0 and 6.0 has been chipping away at it). This will allow you to get your iPhone to sync your work e-mail wirelessly, and read/reply as well as getting your calendar and contacts synced on-the-go. A great integration, but I am yet to be convinced I'll want to tap away with the iPhone's on-screen keyboard to reply to e-mails, write new ones, etc. It just seems a little clumsy, but with the iPhone's excellent user interface (UI) it's all you have business world. To be fair the device is Bluetooth 2.0 enabled, so an external keyboard could be purchased and paired if you were that concerned. I'm guessing it will be more business chic than business practical that drives this baby into the corporate environment. In an age where more and more companys are looking at ways to recruit and keep Generation Y happy, the iPhone will become the tool du jour. There is also some cool integration with Cisco IPSEC VPN support, and the ability for company administrator's to "lockdown" settings within the iPhone.
One thing really surprised me - the released specs of the phone have a 2.0 megapixel camera in it. Still. I would have thought we should have been dragged into 2008 with at least a 5.0 MP camera... but then, I guess we must save something for the release of the iPhone v2.5 or v3.0!
The long and the short of the iPhone v2.0:
+ 3G connectivity is finally here
+ Apple's App Store, allowing you to buy and download everything you weren't sure you needed but have to have on your cool new toy
+ Let's face it, it just looks cool, has has a spectacular UI (and you can now get it in white!)
+ Quad-band unit (GPRS/EDGE), Tri-band unit (3G/HSDPA), should allow the phone to globally roam without issue
+ Exchange integration - nice work!
+ The incredibly long list of cool and eminently useable features in the damn thing
? Why would you buy a 8GB iPhone, when the 16GB isn't that much more expensive
? Still no user replaceable battery
? Still no additional memory expansion slot
? Exchange integration - tappy, tappy, tappy with your fingers
I want one... OH, I WANT ONE... but I'll wait until I get offered one by my next job... they can pay the data bill. ;)
What do you think? Will the iPhone being released in Australia make you want to change your phone?
iPhone v2.0 - http://www.apple.com/au/iphone/
12/06/08 UPDATE:: Both Vodafone and Optus have announced they will be selling the iPhone under a 'prepaid' plan as well, allowing people to purchase the unit and not be locked to their network... methinks because Apple wouldn't let them... ;)
14/06/08 UPDATE:: Telstra has a swing at Optus over its '3G' coverage of Oz, stating that Optus's network will be a mix of two frequencies, only one of which the iPhone supports for 3G connectivity. Buyer beware!