The iPhone Thread - Cracked / Unlocked!!!

[jassi]

i did see this presentation sometime and it is indeed quite exciting stuff - now that software bit is taken care of to cater to enterprises as well as developers, lets hope they enhance the hardware with iphone 2, just that little bit, maybe a better camera which takes videos and 3g/hspda support

Originally Posted by Samurai

Ram, Anup,

I know you guys have logged lot more miles than my two decades in the industry. But, have you actually seen the presentation here: Apple - QuickTime - Apple March 6 Event

My company has never used Macs and never developed anything for Macs, I don't even own an iPod. So, I have no soft corner for Apple products.Yet, few weeks back my boss declared that we need to start looking into iPhone based developments, he said it is possible everybody will switch into iPhone, which I found ludicrous. He said he was blown away by the new SDK, and that got me really wondering. He is a 1975 batch IITian with more than 3 decades of industry experience at every corporate level in every platform starting from Mainframes. You can't impress him easily.

Therefore, I too saw the presentation. Well, I am also blown away. The new SDK is so revolutionary, I went weak in the knee. If you have already seen the presentation and then making this statement, then I don't know what to say.

[bigman]

Originally Posted by nishantgandhi

The price drop actually makes us wonder whether O2 UK is having problems with selling their legit iPhones. Nevertheless, it's not sure whether this step will tame the black market of unlocked iPhones imported from the USA. After all, to get an O2 iPhone you have to sign a long-term contract with O2.

(Source)

No need to sign a long-term contract. The contract only comes into force if you use itunes to activate the iphone. If you buy on O2 and then use iliberty (or the other jailbreak/unlock software) then you bypass the need to take out the contract. So an iphone without contract for £169.

[srijit]

Originally Posted by bigman

No need to sign a long-term contract. The contract only comes into force if you use itunes to activate the iphone. If you buy on O2 and then use iliberty (or the other jailbreak/unlock software) then you bypass the need to take out the contract. So an iphone without contract for £169.

Are you sure? As far as I know, the only places you can get phones without contract were the Apple stores, both retail and online. Those buying via AT&T, O2 or T-mobile had to sign a contract, cos it was in their interest that you pay for the subsidized phone. Apple on the other hand is all about the User Experience You leave their stores without any hassle.
If on the other hand we can indeed buy iPhones without contract from O2, then that is great news


Samurai san, one more thing that is interesting about the iPhone is that there are very few differences between models. So far the only changes have been in the storage capacity department. When a 3G iPhone comes, there wont be a huge change. You can write software for the iPhone knowing that it will work on all phones from the first model. This is similar to how Mac's have limited hardware to support

Compare this to the thousands of models that companies like Nokia, SE, HTC put out. Everytime a new model brings in unique hardware, you are forced to rewrite the code to suit that model. And if that model only has a samll userbase, it is a complete waste of time.

[bigman]

Originally Posted by srijit

Are you sure? As far as I know, the only places you can get phones without contract were the Apple stores, both retail and online. Those buying via AT&T, O2 or T-mobile had to sign a contract, cos it was in their interest that you pay for the subsidized phone. Apple on the other hand is all about the User Experience You leave their stores without any hassle.
If on the other hand we can indeed buy iPhones without contract from O2, then that is great news

100% sure. I got one myself last week but traded it for a HTC Kaiser.

With O2 in the UK the contract is done when you use itunes to activate the phone. If you jailbreak, activate and unlock the phone through software like iliberty then you bypass the need to take out the contract.

If you are in the UK then there is plenty of info on this at :iphone price reduced to £169 from today 16th April only 8gb - HotUKDeals Forum

Carphonewarehouse were getting customers to sign something to say they would activate but you can still buy it online from O2 and they make it clear that the £169 is a one off charge and 0 monthly.

[srijit]

bigman, if you got that, then that is cool. Its just that in the US, if you buy from AT&T, you are forced to get the contract when you buy the phone. Of course, you can jailbreak, unlock, whatever, but you are still bound to that contract. At least, that is my info. It is good to know that there are options

[flipsyde]

i wanted to pick an iphone this month from the US but i have been reading plenty of articles which says that a 3G iphone is round the corner and mayb even the 32gb iphone.

i have someone coming from the US on may 15th skipping which there is someone arriving on june 20th. i need to take a call on whether i should buy one right away or should i wait a little longer and see what comes up. i am not desperate for a new phone so i can wait (but not for long......)

andddd as if this was not enough to boggle my decision, my family is planning to make a trip across europe in june. we cover most of the usual touristy locations. now i understand from netchefs post that you get a 8gb iphone for £169 in the UK also remember reading elsewhere about 8gb iphones in germany retailing for 99euros or something...... now these are real tempting deals....... pls advice!!!!!!!

[srijit]

I'd advice you to wait to see if there is a June announcement. However the deals on the ₤169 8Gb phone might not be available then.

[bigman]

Originally Posted by flipsyde

now i understand from netchefs post that you get a 8gb iphone for £169 in the UK also remember reading elsewhere about 8gb iphones in germany retailing for 99euros or something...... now these are real tempting deals....... pls advice!!!!!!!

The German T-Mobile deal for 99 euros is dependant on you taking out a very expensive monthly contract. I worked it out and it would cost you 1200 euros for the yearly line rental to get the phone for 99 euros.

With the £169 UK deals you are not forced to sign the contract and can bypass the need to take out a contract.

[Ram]

iPhone = average phone + excellent multimedia player
but...

1. no Bluetooth A2DP headphone capability,
2. mediocre camera -- no autofocus,no flash
3. no GPS, won't even connect with Bluetooth GPS receivers.
4. no 3G
5. no FM radio
6. No 3rd party software applications

So what is the iPhone then?
a fancy low capability toy for the "advanced" American market.

Today we expect a phone to also be a computer, camera, radio, multimedia player, GPS-device, internet Web-surfer and email device. Tomorrow even Digital TV.

iPhone coming to India? Too little, too late, -- a costly marketing disaster waiting to happen!

[tsk1979]

Agree with you Ram.
iPhone is more of snob value.
HTC, Palm etc., offer much better bang for the buck.
I am waiting for a truly open platform phone with good hardware and open API to come into the market for which you can build any application you like,
Nokia is halfway there, hope to see better with the next OMAP platform.

[revved_up]

I think the one and only reason why Iphone would sell is "Mind Blowing GUI".
Agree with you Ram that the Iphone is a below average phone which is missing some very basic features like "SMS forwarding, sending business cards, getting sms delivery reports... the list goes on".
Unless Apple does incorporate the very much needed "phone" features it is going to fall on its face in India.

P.S: I have been using an Iphone for about 1 month now.

[Jaggu]

Atleast majority of the issues should be addressed in the forthcoming 3G version, then again will it be launched in India?

[suniil]

totally agreed. I've iphone (now using by OH) & nokia N95 black.

I myself tested and did some blind testing with my office colleauges both N95 & iPhone, where most them rated both the phones similar AQ. Headphones used where Shure 530PTH & sennheiser HD595. Also N95 has slight edge of customisable graphic equaliser in music front.

But GUI experience of iPhone is untouchable at this stage.

Originally Posted by revved_up

I think the one and only reason why Iphone would sell is "Mind Blowing GUI".

[srijit]

We all have our reasons. For me, I hate Nokia's menu's and I have a Sony Ericsson.
So, I want an iPhone next.

[Jaggu]

For me i will await news on June 9th before i decide between iphone 2 or HTC diamond, then again was chatting with an android guy, and boy oh boy they really have some great stuff coming up