Once upon a time people thought digital watches were a pretty neat idea...

Ah, Douglas Adams at his finest.

Oh right, fair enough.


I certainly agree they over-sold it as a feature. I'd have made much more of the actual hardware than of video calling. It's a really well made good looking phone but the video calling was very much 'me too'.


Pretty much any wifi connection is going to be better for stuff like live video due to latency issues. Not that 3G can't cope provided you tailor the system to cope with it, but it does have issues with latency.


Mmm.. I honestly think the wifi only restriction is like quite a few other limitations I've seen on iPhones - both in house and 3rd party apps had have features which were 'only wifi' - Skype famously - and in virtually every case the app itself could work perfectly happily over 3G, it was just that AT&T intervened on the basis that their network wasn't up to the traffic. I'd lay a fair pile of cash that the 'wifi only' restriction is down to AT&T and has no technical basis at all.

Jon

I like the fact that they are going to try and make it a standard.

If it is adopted by other platforms then that would be great for those who want to video call to their friends and family. Personally, I'm not particularly interested in video calls.

I think it looks great but some of the 'revolutionary' stuff is not really that revolutionary. Apple hype though, eh

I would have it (when I upgrade my current contract/phone) if it werent so expensive. Given that the HTC Desire can be had for free I'd struggle to justify the extra for the iPhone 4, especially as once the novelty wears off all the camera/satnav/video/books stuff goes out the window and it reverts to a device to make calls and send texts

it does what now?

Are they new features for iOS4?

I'd like to think I'm pretty immune to hype anyway, but I can't imagine many people being taken in with all the recent 'magical' and 'revolutionary' comments from Apple

O'rly?

I don't think the marketing department would those words if they didn't work.

I think that the changes are small incremental and progress. I have been watching the iOS 4 keynote and the improvements may be small but they work. I watched the reasoning about multi-tasking. It made sense.

The increased battery life is a big thing for me - they reckon 300 hours on standby now, which is much much better than my current iPhone 3G which needs a charge every couple of days.

That wasn't quite what I meant, I meant with users uploading streaming data and downloading at the same time (possibly multiple users) that other customers will suffer. I know uploading (at 20kb/s) kills my 6 meg internet connection for downloads/latency

That annoys me, especially considering there are other markets than AT&T where the iPhone is available and arguably better infastructure in some countries.

That said the UK is seriously lagging in technology hence why we cannot get devices like the EVO 4G (which I would love to have over a Desire or iPhone 4G) due to the network system

Skype worked fine for my on Windows Mobile over 3G/HSDPA, would be nice to see them add video chat on all their clients just to spite Apple as it will provide a free service similar to

I don't understand how an apple promoter like you doesn't have an iphone
Can you explain?

(8+D
Heather, did you see that?!?
(8+D

Mark

I should point out that the TV ad itself works very well, it's just those sort of words jar when you hear and see them alongside it...

How do I promote Apple? I use their hardware and software to earn a meagre living, nothing more. I also have recourse to use machines with other operating systems installed. I have a preference, that's for sure, but I don't actively promote Apple or its hardware. In fact, I am on record as being openly critical about some of their stuff.

I can't actually afford an iPhone. I manage my mobile telephony needs with a skanky cast-off Nokia and £50 a year PAYG. It nearly got planted in a wall earlier today when its OS decided to freeze on me again. So much for candid cell phone photography.