It’s Official… The Apple iPhone From Cingular Has Debuted

by Robb Dunewood on January 9, 2007 · 16 comments

 
We have known for a little while that the Apple iPhone was going to be coming out. We thought, however, that the iPhone, the first version at least, would be little more than iPod with a cell phone built into it. Looks like we were wrong about the second part.

Some of the features include:

  • Full functional iPod which supports iTunes
  • Cingular Wireless service and all the benefits of network reliability, Rollover minutes, and more
  • Visual Voicmail: a first on any mobile phone available in the United States
  • Unique internet browsing capabilities
  • Choose from 4 gigabyte or 8 gigabyte memory modules
  • EDGE, GPRS, GSM Quad-band, and WiFi capable

I can tell you now that the this thing will give the BlackBerry Pearl a run for it’s money with first time smartphone buying consumers.

Apple iPhone

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  • dapoktan

    the 1/3 price that the Pearl boasts will be a plus for blackberry, even new 8800′s or “9900″‘s will aim in around 300-ish.. so it willl be cheaper..

    but since when have apple devotees cared about price?.. lol..
    If a FRACTION of apple followers decide their next phone will be Apple made, this will sell out…

    I have my doubts on the touch keyboard.. the whole point of me wanting a smartphone was the qwerty keypad that I could easily type on.. I’ve had a past of annoying touchscreen experiences..

    I’ll wait and see.. hopefully not as reset happy as WM5 phones..

  • Jrey

    9900? wut do u mean by 9900

  • http://www.rimarkable.com Robb Dunewood

    Chace,

    I don’t believe price will be as much of a factor as you may think. Chances are that Cingular will subsidize part of the $500 price tag with rebates if you sign up to a contract. I expect to the price to be in the $300 to $350 price range by the time iphone ships.

    If I am right Dapoktan’s comment about Apple devotees not caring about price comes into play. Although I won’t go as far to say that they don’t care about price, $300 to $350 is definitely in the range that they would be willing to pay regardless of the price of the BlackBerry Pearl.

    As for the the Pearl being bait, it was bait for the wrong fish if RIM was / is trying to play in the consumer market. You mention that RIM has a larger variety of buyers, however, when you look closely, RIM dominates the business market and has a small amount of consumer users comparatively.

    If the amount of free software argument was really an issue no Palm or Windows Mobile user would every buy a BlackBerry. We know, however, that many BlackBerry users are converts from Palm and from Microsoft.

    You’re absolutely right when you say that the BlackBerry Pearl missed it’s mark with consumers and your right that RIM made up for it because of the Pearls adoption by existing users. This, however tells me something very different. It tells me that the BlackBerry is very popular with existing BlackBerry users and the the corporate world where millions of devices are sold each year. It also tells me that the number of BlackBerry Pearl sales in the consumer world is just a rounding error in a market where 100s of millions of mobile devices are sold each year.

    Lastly, Apple doesn’t have a choke hold on this market, but, neither does RIM. Even with the strides that RIM has made in the consumer market, however, I think that the marketing machine that is Apple could gain the edge quite quickly

  • http://www.bregar.com Justin

    It’s been pretty obvious from all the rumors and the Cingular web site that the
    iPhone will most likely not have any promotions added to its price.

    The announcement mentioned that the price is $500-600 WITH a 2 year contract.

  • http://www.airtimemanager.co.uk BBAdmin

    I can’t see this competing with the Pearl. Look on Apples website and see where email comes in to the mix. They spent so long making a nice user interface/PMP device and email was almost an after thought. The iPhone will do email about as badly as the Pearl does media. I think it’s safe to say the iPhone is a consumer device for those after some fashion gadgets, whereas your average smartphone buyer is going to have email at the top of their shopping list. POP and IMAP only, what a let down from Apple.

  • Verizon User

    I think you’re all missing the point – the first gen iPhone is Apple putting down its marker. They’ve redefined what a smartphone should be. Yes, the first one will be expensive and it will have some teething pains. Unless it is a total technical failure, a lot of people will be planning to make an iPhone their next cell phone. That’s what’s important – the market of people who are replacing their current cell phone in the next couple of years. Nobody really wanted a 5 gig, expensive iPod when they were introduced, either.

  • http://www.rimarkable.com Robb Dunewood

    To make a long story short, I don’t think that iPhone will threaten RIM. RIM is much too strong in the business world where they make their bread and butter. What I am saying is that the iPhone will compete for the same consumers that RIM is just starting to go after.

    The perception of the BlackBerry Pearl to most consumers is an email device that you can make phone calls and play MP3s on. The iPhone with these very users will be perceived as the next iPod with widescreen video, Wi-Fi, internet access, and a phone.

    If this device doesn’t suck it will eat share that RIM is going after. Verizon users sums it up best. A lot of people are planning to make the iPhone their next cell phone. Best email device, which the iPhone clearly won’t be, may never entire the mind of most consumers looking at it.

  • dapoktan

    I agree 100 percent with Chase.. the iPhone was CLEARLY not meant for the business market.. I mean, just look at the thing.. not to imply that aesthetically beautiful gadgets cant be business oriented, but this thing is like a glowing ipod.. hah…

    This is clearly geared at the crowed infatuated with the ipods, and where their gadgets are a fashion statement. 500? 600? it is pricey, and will hurt the teens that are begging their parents for one, but for the 25-35 demographic that can make their own monetary decisions, if style matters to them, and the “celebs” are seen using them, it will no doubt be a huge seller.

  • Stu

    the Blackberry and iphone are targeted at different markets. period. The blackberry was targeted, and has been successful, in giving those working professionals, who have not yet used blackberrys, to start because of the ease of use of the pearl. The iphone however, i believe, is targeted at the younger demo of 18-35 year olds. These are the people who have an ipod, a cell phone and use email for personal more so than business. Every colleage kid in America is going to have this thing. That is a seperate market from RIM which relies on the enterprise email. On the apple site, you can see that the iphone is designed more for web based email such as Yahoo, gmail, hotmail. Not eneterprise activation.

    Different markets, pearl is safe …. for now. But bottom line is that the iphone is going to change the cell phone market and outsell even the ipod (if they allow more wireless providers than just cingular).

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