Is the iPhone a PC, a mobile phone, an iPod, or an Internet service? Well, it is to some extent a synchronization of a camera phone, a multimedia player, a mobile phone, and an Internet service. Technically speaking, it is a quad-band GSM phone.
The Features of the iPhone
Touchscreen: The iPhone has an 8.9-centimeter liquid crystal display touchscreen which can be operated with the flick of a finger and a virtual keyboard on its touchscreen for text input. The user can afford to be a little casual when typing, as it has a built-in spell checker along with a dictionary. Just by touching, sliding, or lifting your finger, you can scroll or move content up or down. Do not worry; the speed of the drag motion is computer controlled. Vertical and horizontal sliding add value to the device. As with webpages, zooming in and out is possible, although the method is different. With the iPhone, this can be accomplished by moving two fingers.
Other input: Three sensors influence the iPhone's display. The first, a proximity sensor, quickly shuts off the display and touchscreen. The second is an ambient light sensor that adjusts the brightness of the display, and the third is an accelerometer that judges the orientation of the phone and changes the screen accordingly. While the main menu appears when the user presses a single hardware button on the front of the device, sub-selections can be accessed using the touchscreen.
Phone: The iPhone includes capabilities for conferencing, call holding, call merging, caller ID, and linking with other cellular networks. With its pioneering visual-voicemail feature, the first in the industry, you can look at your list of voicemail messages, decide which messages to listen to, and then go directly to the message that interests you. There is no need to listen to prior messages.
Camera: The user can upload, view, and email pictures with the iPhone's built-in two-mega-pixel camera. The touchscreen allows the user to zoom in and out when taking photos, and the camera's software is compatible with iPhoto. Users can browse their photo libraries and with a flick of a finger easily choose a picture for their wallpaper or to include in an email.
Multimedia: The iPhone's music library is organized differently than that of the iPod. The sections are clear and have a larger font. Like iTunes, the device shows images of different album covers in a scroll-through photo library. The iPhone will allow you to enjoy all of your iPod content, music, audio books, audio podcasts, video podcasts, television shows, and movies. Like the 2005 iPods, the iPhone can play video, allowing users to watch TV shows and films. However, video only plays in the landscape orientation on the iPhone, appearing upright when the phone is turned sideways.
Internet: The iPhone also contains an advanced, award-winning Safari™ web browser. Users can see any webpage and easily zoom in to expand any section by tapping on the display with their fingers. You can surf the web from just about anywhere via Wi-Fi or EDGE. The device also includes built-in Google and Yahoo! Search technology.
Email: The iPhone has an HTML email program, which enables you to embed photos in email messages.
Additional features: The iPhone has a built-in battery that is not user replaceable. It will provide five hours of video, web browsing, or talk time. The battery life for music playing is 16 hours. The device has headphones incorporating a microphone.
Pricing and Availability
The iPhone will be available in the U.S. June 29, 2007. It will be available in Europe in late 2007 and in Asia in 2008. Its 4GB model will cost $499, and its 8GB model $599.
