The iPhone Experience

[elfs]

Last night, Omaha and I went out to buy her an iPhone. It was surprisingly easy. We went over to the AT&T store at the Southcenter shopping district and they were sold out. I told Omaha (and Kouryou-chan) to keep talking to the guy at the AT&T store while Yamaraashi-chan and I went over to the Apple Store in the mall to see if there were any left. Sure enough, there were. So I got into line while Yamaraashi-chan found a bench nearby and kept reading her book, called Omaha and told her I was in line and did she want me to stay in line, or would she mail-order one?

She decided that I should stay in line. The line was amiable, the Apple geeks were doing a good job of maintaining order, and everyone got their phone in due time. They were even passing out water and coffee! Omaha showed up with Kouryou-chan, and while she waited in line I took the girls over to Coldstone Ice Cream.

It took Omaha less than twenty minutes to get her jesusphone, and she was a very happy camper. I ribbed her about it. "How's your precious"? I asked.

"My phone does not bind me to the Dark One!" she hissed. She learning that there are aspects of it she's not sure she likes. Which is why, when I get the chance, I'm buying a Neo 1973 when one becomes available. I mean, it won't be nearly as cool as the iPhone, but it runs Linux and all of it, even the dialing capability, will be source-available.

Still, I have to admit that what I've seen of the iPhone is quite the amazing little gadget. I'd kinda want one, if I didn't feel like owning one was more selling my soul than even the iPod.

Comments

US maybe not so open to OpenMoko

[ideaphile.livejournal.com]

Unless FIC gets FCC approval for the Neo1973, it'll be illegal here. That doesn't mean it won't work, or that you won't be able to get single units through Customs, but it probably does mean there won't be many of the things around.

Cellphone companies have a lot of control over the equipment on their networks. They might choose to just deny service to these phones, or they might wait and see if hackers exploit the phone's unusual level of software control.

It would be nice if this phone established a precedent for opening up access to the US cellphone networks, but I'm afraid that isn't very likely. The carriers clearly want to retain control over the equipment on their networks because their business models depend on this control to some extent, and by and large the FCC listens to them.

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Re: US maybe not so open to OpenMoko

[wolfwings.livejournal.com]

There's a strange dichotomy in the US cell-phone world. There's the Verizon/AT&T camp on one side swearing by CDMA, then there's the T-Mobile/Cingular camp on the other side swearing by GSM. This is over-generalized, but for the most part it's true. The CDMA folks? Yeah, they rely on locking you into only their handsets, only their hardware.

T-Mobile? They'll gladly sell you only a SIM-card to use in any unlocked phone. And once you've been a customer for 3 months (or if you have proof you'll be traveling out of country), walk into any T-Mobile store and they'll unlock any phone they've sold you so you can use outside SIM-cards in it. Cingular isn't quite as direct about it, but will work with you if you act like a squeaky-enough wheel I've heard.

I'd imagine T-Mobile in particular won't bat an eye at these phones showing up. Hell, they have guys in tech-support that helped me configure my Razr V3 for GPRS dialup on my Linux notebook. Over bluetooth. Sure, I had to wait on hold for an age and get juggled until they dug up the info I needed, but they didn't immediately go 'Um... I'm sorry, we only support Windows,' and hang up on me. :-)

And regardless... according to the Wiki, they do have FCC approval. Which doesn't surprise me since the components are all off-the-shelf stuff from looking over that page, so it's not that hard to get FCC certification in that case AFAIK.

Re: US maybe not so open to OpenMoko

[ideaphile.livejournal.com]

That's very encouraging about T-Mobile.

I don't think the OpenMoko wiki is implying the phone has FCC approval. I think it's just providing links to the kinds of agencies that approve hardware.

Given that the PC board design was only recently finalized (link (http://www.texyt.com/FIC+OpenMoko+$350+open+Linux+mobile+phone+launch+00100)) I don't think there's been time to complete the system-integration process and get FCC approval.

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Re: US maybe not so open to OpenMoko

[wolfwings.livejournal.com]

Fair enough point about what the Wiki is trying to imply. Hadn't thought of that, and didn't spot the article you linked to before.

But yeah, T-Mobile isn't the best carrier for reception, but for their willingness to do the 'right thing' and work with a customer to get em' just what they want affordably, I know of no better nationwide carrier currently.