The Sys-Security Group

Why wouldn’t Apple sell an iPhone SIM free? Many people around the world would not wait a second before placing an order to get the iPhone. But according to the rumors that I have read lately, part of Apple’s agreement with the Telecom companies (i.e. Orange France, O2 England, and Vodaphone in Germany) is to receive a 10% of the revenue from those who would buy an iPhone. So for Apple, the revenue potential is not only coming from the expensive hardware (I paid, I know) but also from its usage.

If you think about this, this is a brilliant move. So why allowing iPhone SIM free were Apple cannot collect? This is why, in my opinion, there would not be an iPhone SIM free, and this is also the reason why Apple is chasing those who claim they have unlocked the iPhone.

I had written here a lot of things in my blog against the iPhone. And still I stand behind most of them. But after playing several hours with an iPhone yesterday, I can definitely say that Apple had manufactured a very cool phone and a gadget.

Not that it is without issues, but the main advantage of the iPhone is its GUI and the ease of use.

Functionality wise the iPhone has the same functionality as with any other mobile phone on the market, and it does not lack any major features. The integrated iPod even makes it better.

Comparing the iPhone to the latest Windows Mobile 6 phones does an injustice with the iPhone. Simply, in my opinion, the iPhone is far superior to the WM6.

This also holds true when compared to the Blackberry. Some would argue that the Blackberry’s keyboard is better, and therefore business wise they would choose the Blackberry. I think this is all a matter of taste. A lot had been written about the virtual keyboard – too small, hard to use, etc. But after about 15 minutes of using it, the keyboard and the automatic correction it offers worked like a charm.

The iPhone is easy to operate, and intuitive. But here is the problem – this phone is not for my mom and not for my dad. It is for the cool folks who understand to slide their fingers across the beautiful touch screen to get their work done. Not that there are not tone of those out there.

If apple would add a GPS, UMTS/3G support, take security seriously and fix the battery issue (replacement and lifetime) then undoubtedly, in my opinion, they will have the #1 phone on the market (some may argue they already have).

HTC announced on June 5th the HTC Touch (579 USD for a SIM free phone). HTC Touch features the TouchFlo technology, which allows you to operate the smart phone just by swiping your finger on the device’s 2.8-inch, 65,536-color touch screen. The direction of movement your finger is taking over the touch screen is mapped into actions the phone executes.

HTC Touch is based on Windows Mobile 6 Professional Edition; support any feature you would like from a smart phone but lack support for 3G.

Does this make a proper rival against the upcoming Apple iPhone? It is currently hard to tell. In my opinion both mobile phones lack some features, which I deem mandatory form a smart phone.

The truth is that I still can’t understand Apple regarding the pre-mature announcement about the iPhone. Not only that this is the first time Apple announces a new product well before it is going to be available on the market (6 months) but this is the first time Apple is revealing all of the features and capabilities of a new product well before it is available.

The iPhone is not a revolution - the opposite is the truth.

I believe consumers will find the iPhone disappointing not only due to the enormous hype around it and the high expectations but also because of its features (and the lack of). After the cool factor will diminish and the features and capabilities will be compared to other smart phones available on the market the iPhone will not be declared as the smart phone of all smart phones. On the contrary.

Why? Well, Apple is not a mobile phone company. This suggests that with the first generation of iPhones some mistakes may be made. One good example is with the battery which is an integral part of the phone…

Another mistake, in my opinion, is with sticking with a single operator. Why not learning from the HTC module? When HTC understood that its mobile phones are such a hot commodity they started selling their own brand along side with their old business of OEMing their phones to the largest operators in the world. In fact my mobile phone is made by HTC. If I wish to use an HTC mobile phone I can do this on any network I would like (as long as it is not CDMA).

But the next list of issues is even worse for Apple. The lack of voice dialing, 3G Internet access, Word or Excel support, the fact it can’t be used as a laptop modem, no support for removable memory, no 3rd party applications, and mostly that its calendar, task, and e-mail will not sync with Microsoft outlook.
In my opinion the iPhone is not a miracle, and it is a mobile phone. which now trails after the existing mobile phone, and in 6 months this situation would even be worst.

What would do the iPhone for Apple? I am not sure, but I sincerely hope it will not be Apple’s biggest mistake.

A year after year (and sometimes only some months in between) I have been updating my line of iPods. I can see them stacked here, from the first generation of the iPod to the new iPod shuffle.

The one I did not get in the process is the iPod Video. Actually when I examined the iPod video I could not understand what the whole enthusiasm is about. I can’t still understand who wants to watch movies on a 2.5inch screen.

It would actually be interesting to study how many of those people who had bought the iPod video are actually using the video functionality of the iPod video or just bought it since it has a cool factor.

Although I got the new iPod shuffle and I own the nano I am not please with those. It just irritates me that for a lot more money you get less technology/features.

So, lately I was wondering which new MP3 player should I get. Finally I got the new Sony S2 sports walkman (the 2GB version). Compared to the iPod it has a screen, although one line but usable. It has a build in FM tuner, and it is able to report various information regarding your sports activities. What I like the most is that for 3 hours of playing songs I only need 3 minutes of charging.

Sure, there are some drawbacks, like no software for my MAC OS X, but still as a whole this is a better player, with more features, the same price (the 1GB version is 80USD), and with a better quality player.

I believe that there are other people like me who are disappointed at what Apple has to offer them currently with the iPod player line of products. Just look at Archos’s new 604 player and you will understand what I am talking about.