iPhone 3G

Best Buy begins selling refurbished iPhone 3G devices

Phil Goldstein — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 11:04:56 -0500

Best Buy, the first major independent U.S. retailer to sell Apple's iPhone 3G, has begun selling refurbished versions of the phone at a $50 discount, continuing the trend that started a few weeks ago by AT&T.

The retailer is selling the 8GB version for $149 and the 16GB version for $249. The refurbished phones are ones that were returned during the 30-day trial period and may have minor scratches.

For more:
- see this article

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AT&T sells refurbished iPhone 3G for $99

Phil Goldstein — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 15:11:29 -0500

AT&T Mobility is currently selling refurbished versions of Apple's iPhone 3G for as low as $99 in an eye-catching post-holiday offer that marks the lowest price the phone has ever been sold.

AT&T is selling the 8GB refurbished version of the iPhone 3G for $99.99 and the 16GB version for $199.99 until Dec. 31 with a two-year service contract. AT&T began selling refurbished version of the phone earlier this month at prices $50 higher. AT&T said the "refurbished" phones are ones that were returned during the 30-day trial period and may have minor scratches. The phones have a 90-day warranty.

The news comes a day after Wal-Mart officially started selling the iPhone 3G. The retailer is selling the 8GB version for $197 and and the 16GB version for $297. Wal-Mart is now the second large retailer in the United States to sell the device; Best Buy has been selling it since September.

For more:
-see this article
-see this post

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2008 Year in Review: The iPhone 3G and iPhone clones

Phil Goldstein — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 13:38:40 -0500

The news: AT&T Mobility launched the Apple's iPhone 3G July 11, ushering in a new era of high-speed data capable smartphones. Apple's second-generation iPhone, which featured the same sleek look and innovative touchscreen user interface of the first-gen iPhone, now offered consumers the ability to surf the Web using AT&T's HSPA network and that sparked a flurry of iPhone clones.

T-Mobile USA jumped into the ring post-iPhone 3G, with the launch of the G1, the first phone based on Google's Android platform, which boasted a touchscreen and a QWERTY keyboard. Then came the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, formerly known as the Tube. Verizon Wireless followed up shortly thereafter with the Motorola Krave ZN4--billed as both a touchscreen phone and a flip phone.

Then, the deluge came: the Samsung Epix (AT&T); the HTC Touch Pro, a soup-ed up version of the HTC Touch Diamond (Sprint Nextel); the $800 Sony Ericsson Xperia X1; the Samsung Saga (Verizon) and Samsung Eternity (AT&T); Research In Motion's BlackBerry Storm--the first touchscreen BlackBerry (Verizon); the Samsung Omnia (Verizon); and the Nokia N97.

Why it was significant: It is easy to pronounce this or that as a paradigm shift, but the launch of the iPhone 3G truly was one. The genius lay behind its marketing, with each 30-second ad almost like an infomercial for how to use the multiple features and applications of the iPhone 3G, and then, at the end, reminding customers that it was a phone, too. Apple marketed the iPhone 3G as a mobile computer and digital media player first, and a phone second. And other handset makers felt they had to follow suit, launching a bevy of sleek phones with touchscreen UI's. While each pretender to the throne was looking to be an iPhone-Killer, so far the iPhone 3G remains at the top, simply by virtue that no other handset has achieved the same kind of brand recognition that the iPhone 3G has.

Best Buy Mobile offering iPhone 3G deal

Phil Goldstein — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 11:34:08 -0500

Best Buy Mobile is launching a discount on Apple's iPhone 3G from Dec. 19 to Jan. 3, with the 8GB model going for $189.99 and the 16GB version for $289.99, further boosting its presence in the mobile space. Article, On the Hot Seat with Best Buy mobile's Scott More

AT&T begins selling refurbished iPhone 3Gs

Phil Goldstein — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 11:23:00 -0500

AT&T Mobility has started selling refurbished versions of Apple's iPhone 3G for $50 less than it sells new versions of the phone.

The 8GB model is going for $150 and the 16GB model sells for $250. AT&T says the phones are those that were returned during the 30-day trial period. A two-year service contract is still necessary.

"Each refurbished phone is independently quality tested and loaded with the latest software to meet current factory standards. Some refurbished iPhone 3G devices will have minor scratches." The warranty is said to be "90 days or more" which differs from the usual one-year warranty offered for the iPhone 3G.

For more:
- see this article
- see this post

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Wal-Mart begins pilot iPhone 3G program

Phil Goldstein — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 11:12:47 -0500

Wal-Mart has begun a pilot program to sell Apple's iPhone 3G in its stores, according to an internal Wal-Mart document that appeared on the blog Engadget.

The document states that beginning Dec. 28, Wal-Mart stores will sell the iPhone 3G. The prices will be $197 for the 8GB model and $297 for the 16GB model along with 2-year service contracts from AT&T Mobility. There is no mention of a $99 4GB model, which was rumored to be sold at Wal-Mart.

The pilot program stipulates that 488 stores will get 5 iPhone 3Gs that will be sold to Wal-mart employees, who, if they would like to be one of the five, will enter their names into a raffle at each store. Each store must sell all five of the phones during the pilot program. The phones must be sold at full retail pricing and with an AT&T contract.

Wal-Mart has consistently said that it has made no official announcement that it is selling the iPhone 3G. If Wal-Mart begins selling the phone, it will be the second large retailer in the United States to do so. Best Buy began selling the phone in September.

For more:
- see this article

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Ad wars: Here's our take on the holiday wireless commercials

Phil Goldstein — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 09:11:47 -0500

It seems that as the number of days in the holiday shopping season dwindles, the number of holiday-themed wireless commercials or web ads increases. This is true of most consumer and retail goods, but with the wireless industry it's slightly different because all of the companies are essentially selling you the same thing. But that's not what the Tier 1 operators and handset makers would like you to believe: each of their products are faster, better, shinier than all of the others. Or, maybe, simply, their commercials are just better.

FierceWireless compiled a sampling of the commercials that are airing right now from some of the operators and handset makers. They run the gamut from merely informative (such as a 3-minute spiel about how best to buy an iPhone 3G for someone) to entertaining (the AT&T Mobility gingerbread men strike back!) to the simply zany (a swarm of Santas in a Motorola commercial).

Some of the ads hawk products that are doing extremely well in the market, but are flops as commercials because they fail to tell the consumer much about the product or why they should buy it. Other commercials are for products that are not doing as well but offer up some zip and pizazz that make them entertaining.

To be clear, we are not critiquing, reviewing or otherwise passing judgment on the products or services being offered, but merely on the commercials. FierceWireless has offered a critique of both their aesthetics and effectiveness, and they are divided up by carrier or company. Check out our list and post a comment telling us which one is your favorite and why. Click here for FierceWireless' Holiday Themed Commercial Review. --Phil

Wal-Mart to begin selling the iPhone 3G

Phil Goldstein — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 11:09:05 -0500

Rumors that Wal-Mart will start selling Apple's iPhone 3G appear to be gaining credence, as Wal-Mart employees prep for the launch, according to reports.

The retailing giant will reportedly begin selling the phone the week between Christmas and New Year's Day. It would be the fourth retailer to sell the uber-gizmo, after Apple and AT&T Mobility stores, as well as Best Buy, which started selling it in September.

There are also reports that Wal-Mart will be selling a $99 4GB version of the phone. According to a report in the San Jose Mercury News, Kim Nguyen, the cell phone department manager at the Milpitas, Calif., Wal-Mart, said an AT&T representative told her that her store would be getting such a model.

Wal-Mart has not released any official details of the rollout. In November, Wal-Mart spokeswoman told FierceWireless that the company had made no official announcement about offering the iPhone.

For more:
- see this article
- see this post

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Report: Wal-Mart to sell iPhone 3G

Phil Goldstein — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:08:23 -0500

Wal-Mart will reportedly begin selling Apple's iPhone 3G Dec. 28 in 2,500 of 3,500 Wal-Mart stores in the United States, as well as in 69 of 500 Sam's Club stores, according to JPRG Research analyst Jamie Townsend. The news follows a confirmation by Wal-Mart in October that it would be selling the T-Mobile G1, the first phone powered by Google's Android platform.

The iPhone 3G news was outlined in a research note Townsend sent to her clients that described the Wal-Mart arrangement as a standard distribution deal, meaning customers will still have to sign a two-year service contract with AT&T Mobility. In addition, she said the device "is likely to be priced the same or less than at AT&T or Apple stores."

Wal-Mart has not commented on the report. "We've made no official announcement about offering the iPhone," Wal-Mart spokeswoman Melissa O'Brien said in an email to FierceWireless on Wednesday.

There is also a rumor that the iPhone 3G device will be reduced to $149 in January, as Apple finds itself in an increasingly crowded smartphone market and hopes to boost sales amid weakening economic conditions.

For more:
- see this article

Realted Article:
Wal-Mart to sell T-Mobile G1 Android phone for $149

Apple hit with another iPhone 3G lawsuit

Phil Goldstein — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:42:09 -0500

Apple has been hit with another lawsuit related to the iPhone 3G. The suit claims, among other complaints, that the company has been aware of hairline cracks in the iPhone's casing.

"Although Apple was and is aware that the iPhones were and are defective, and that consumers have experienced repeated instances of cracked housing, Apple has nevertheless allowed the defectively designed iPhones to be sold to the public," the suit says.

The suit, which was filed in a New York District Court by Long Island resident Avi Koschitzki, also complains that the iPhone's connection to AT&T's HSPA 3G network is not what was advertised. Apple sought in mid-October to throw out a similar lawsuit from July that also made those claims.

For more:
- see this article

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iPhone 3G passes RAZR as top-selling phone

Phil Goldstein — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:03:52 -0500

The iPhone 3G replaced the Motorola RAZR as the top-selling consumer handset in the United States, displacing the RAZR from the top spot for the first time in three years, according to the NDP Group.

The other phones that rounded out the top five selling phones in the third quarter were Research In Motion's Blackberry Curve (pic), the LG Rumor (pic) and the LG enV2 (pic). NPD found that despite the average selling price of phones rising 6 percent to $88, the sale of consumer handsets fell 15 percent year-on-year to 32 million units in the quarter.

"We had seen[the iPhone's] popularity rise since the launch of the 3G model at lower prices," said Ross Rubin, the director of industry analysis for NPD. "However, for it to be a device that's selling for a significant premium over the price of average handsets, and to be available only at one of the major carriers in the U.S. is exceptional."

For more:
-see this release
-see FierceWireless' Holiday Handset Guide

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AT&T, Firethorn launch iPhone mobile banking app

Phil Goldstein — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:58:06 -0500

AT&T Mobility announced that it had partnered with Firethorn Holdings to bring the company's mobile banking software to Apple's iPhone. Some of the banks that are part of the deal are America First Credit Union, Arvest Bank, BancorpSouth, Carolina First, FirstBank, Mercantile Bank, SunTrust, Synovus, USAA and Wachovia. Release

Report: Lower-income Americans are turning to the iPhone

Phil Goldstein — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:17:22 -0400

As the economy continues to weaken, lower-income Americans are turning to Apple's iPhone 3G, using it as an all-in-one device for Internet access and entertainment to save money, the research firm comScore has found. Article (sub. req.) Report

Apple vs. Android: What developers need to know

Phil Goldstein — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:16:25 -0400

Apple's iPhone and Google's Android have revolutionized the mobile application development and created many opportunities for developers. FierceMobileContent editor Jason Ankeny took an indepth look at the two platforms and compiled a list of tips for developers. Article

Apple sells 6.9M iPhones in Q4

Phil Goldstein — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:12:07 -0400

Apple, in announcing its fourth quarter earnings, said that it had sold 6.9 million iPhones in the quarter, and was poised to have 200 million downloads from its App Store.

The iPhone number is just one of the major headline statistics in what was a monster quarter for the California computer maker. The phone, which is subsidized by AT&T Mobility and runs on its 3G HSPA network, has been a huge seller for the company, and the 6.9 million units sold compares to 1.1 million units in the year-ago period. Apple launched the iPhone 3G in early July. The company saw its net profit for the period ending Sept. 27 surge 26 percent to $1.14 billion.

In announcing the news, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said the company would pass the 200 million mark for the number of applications sold in its App Store, which launched the iPhone 3G.

He also added some bluster during a call with investors when he claimed that Apple had sold more devices in the quarter than Research in Motion, the Canadian BlackBerry-maker. RIM has not yet released its numbers for the current quarter.

For more:
-see this WSJ article (sub. req.)
-see this MacWorld article
-see this Telecoms.com article

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Intel demos platform, partners with Ericsson

Phil Goldstein — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:41:39 -0400

Intel unveiled on Monday the first Mobile Internet Device (MID) running on its Moorestown platform, and an Intel executive said the platform, which is scheduled for release sometime in the latter part of 2009, will incorporate 3G, Bluetooth, WiMAX, WiFi, GPS and mobile TV.

Intel also announced a partnership with Ericsson to bring HSPA technology to the platform.

Anand Chandrasekher, the senior vice president and general manager of Intel's Ultra Mobility Group, showed those at Intel's Developer Forum in Tapei, Taiwan, a video of an "iPhone-esque form factor device" that can be used for videoconferencing and GPS-based map searches, among other features.

Intel is betting that MIDs running on its Atom processor will become as ubiquitous as Apple's iPhone 3G.

For more:
- take a look at this pic from Intel's blogger event in Taiwan of one of the prototype devices
- see this Information Week article
- see this PC World article

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Google has kill switch for Android apps

Phil Goldstein — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 10:04:18 -0400

T-Mobile USA's G1, the first phone running on Google's Android software, has been billed as one of the few serious competitors to Apple's iPhone 3G in the smartphone space. It now stands side-by-side with it in at least one respect: there is a kill switch for applications bought in Google's Android Market.

The G1, which is supposed to officially launch on Oct. 22, has been greeted with much fanfare. But the fine print reveals that Google may be just like Apple in wanting to protect its applications and maintain a sense of control. Computerworld first reported the news and in scouring the fine print found this: "Google may discover a product that violates the developer distribution agreement...in such an instance, Google retains the right to remotely remove those applications from your device at its sole discretion."

When Apple revealed in August that it had in place a kill switch to remove what it deemed malicious applications from its App Store, developers responded angrily.

For more:
- see this article
- see our unboxing photos of the G1

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Microsoft: No Silverlight for iPhone, maybe for G1

Phil Goldstein — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:03:22 -0400

Microsoft said it was probably not going to be putting its Flash competitor Silverlight on Apple's iPhone 3G, but said it was keeping a watchful eye on Google's Android platform, and said Silverlight might get onto T-Mobile's G1.

The website Tech Radar quotes Scott Guthrie, vice president of Microsoft's .NET developer division, as saying that Microsoft has talked about putting Silverlight onto the iPhone, but so far Apple has balked, as it has with Adobe's Flash player.

He did say, however, that the G1 remains a distinct possibility as a possible outlet for Silverlight going forward. "It's more of an open platform, that is something we're going to continue to look at," he said. "Certainly as it's gotten deployed and if sales are good we'll definitely keep our eyes out and look at that in the future."

Earlier this spring Microsoft inked a deal with Nokia to run Silverlight on the Symbian OS.

For more:
- see this article

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Apple asks judge to toss out iPhone 3G lawsuit

Phil Goldstein — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:53:12 -0400

Apple has asked a federal judge to throw out a lawsuit that iPhone 3G customers had brought against the company, saying that the customers did not ask the company to repair their iPhones or ask for a refund as part of their one-year warranty.

The suit, brought by Jessica Smith from Alabama in August, said that the iPhone 3G repeatedly dropped calls and that its connection to AT&T mobility's 3G HSPA network was not reliable, and that the service she received did not match what Apple claimed it would be in its marketing campaign. She was later joined in the suit by another iPhone customer, Wilton Triggs, and the suit was seeking class-action status.

"Plaintiffs' Amended Complaint conspicuously omits one critical condition precedent to all three causes of action: an allegation that they contacted Apple to seek a repair of the alleged defects or a replacement iPhone 3G under Apple's One (1) Year Limited Warranty," Apple's attorneys said.

A separate lawsuit was filed against Apple in California in September, with the bulk of that complaint focused on AT&T's network, which the lawsuit complains gets bogged down due to high volumes of usage.

As well, a U.S. District Court judge for the Northern District in California denied Apple's request last week to dismiss a $1.2 billion anti-trust suit, which claims that Apple violated anti-trust laws by tethering the iPhone to AT&T's network.

For more:
- see this article on the Alabama suit
- see this article on the anti-trust suit

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Walmart to sell iPhone 3G

Phil Goldstein — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:23:59 -0400

Best Buy became the first third party retailer to sell Apple's iPhone 3G in September, and the blog Boy Genius Report is now reporting that retail giant Walmart will follow suit in November. Report