Overview The Apple iPhone made its highly anticipated debut June 29. The much-hyped Apple iPhone has been at the center of technology circle discussions since its announcement in early January 2007. The touchscreen device is an AT&T-serviced phone fused with an iPod, multimedia center, email and Internet connection and most major features common to smartphones. With 4 gb and 8 gb models ($499 and $599, respectively), the iPhone can display full websites and sync up to Macs and PCs. Limited units were available on the first iPhone release date, June 29. Many customers spent hours in line at Apple and AT&T stores to sign up for the device and service. Several buyers canceled previous coverage plans for other carriers. The iPhone is only available on AT&T's service, which has been criticized for its slow EDGE network. However, in preparation for the gadget's debut, AT&T spent $50 million to boost its network speeds.

Details [edit] Specs Size: 4.5 x 2.4 x .46 inches Weight: 4.8 oz Band: Quad-band (MHz: 850, 900, 1800, 1900) Connectivity: EDGE Bluetooth 2.0; WiFi (802.11 b/g) Battery: 8 hours talk, 7 hours video, 6 hours browsing, 24 hours audio; 10 days standby time (Apple's announcement of battery life) Display: 320 x 480 at 160 ppi; 3.5 inches Memory: 4 gb and 8 gb models [edit] Features Camera: 2-megapixel What Makes It Unique: Multi-touch input, Touchscreen display, Runs OS X, and Safari

Other Information On June 26, Apple and AT&T announced three monthly rates for the phone: $59.99 for 450 minutes, $79.99 for 900 minutes and $99.99 for 1,350 minutes. All plans come with unlimited data, 200 text messages and Visual Voicemail, a feature that organizes voice messages so users can decide in what order messages are heard. AT&T and VZW boost EDGE network speeds - FierceWireless 2007-07-02 Digital Playground intros adult content for iPhone - FierceMobileContent 2007-06-27 AT&T announces iPhone rate plans - FierceWireless 2007-06-26 iPhone not for the enterprise, Gartner says - DailyTechRag 2007-06-22 The iPhone gets a facelift - DailyTechRag 2007-06-19 No iPhone SDK means no real third-party apps - DailyTechRag 2007-06-12 Apple allows iPhone to run third-party apps - FierceWireless 2007-06-11 iPhone: 5 year AT&T exclusive, no CDMA - DailyTechRag 2007-05-23

Brief Timeline of iPhone Buzz

Dec. 14, 1999: Apple acquires the domain name www.iphone.org, which to this day directs visitors to the main corporate page.

Aug. 28, 2002: Wireless Week reports that Steve Jobs, chief executive of Apple, and his former partner, Steve Wozniak, are said to be developing a "smart" phone in an attempt to kick-start the market for next-generation mobile phones in the same way that the company's computers popularized personal computing.

March 28, 2005: Business 2.0 Magazine publishes an article based on analysts’ comments about what is next for Apple. The iPhone is in the top five potential products, along with a wireless iPod, video iPod, media center and an enhanced iPod product for the car.

May 12, 2006: Japanese news agency Nikkei is reporting that Apple and new Vodafone Japan owner Softbank are working together to develop cellphones capable of downloading and playing music from the iTunes store.

Sept. 11, 2006: PiperJaffray analyst Gene Munster estimates that Apple could sell as many as 12 million iPod-enabled cell phones next year, potentially boosting earnings by as much as 10 percent above current Wall Street estimates.

Sept. 27, 2006: Cingular Wireless will be the first carrier to offer the upcoming iPhone--a rumor which itself has not yet been confirmed. The operator reportedly has a six-month exclusive on the device, to be offered early next year.

Jan. 9, 2007: Steve Jobs announces the "iPhone" at MacWorld, sparking a flurry of media attention as well as a legal battle over the name that both Apple and Cisco claim as their own. The device is mobile phone, an "Internet communicator" and a wide-screen video iPod all rolled into one. The iPhone will run on OS X, on Cingular's network, and have no keypad or buttons, just a large touch screen. Other interesting features included a sensor that can tell if you are holding it in portrait or landscape mode, a sensor that detects lighting in your environment and adjusts the screen's brightness accordingly, and a sensor that can tell when you hold it up to your ear so it shuts down the screen to save power. The phone is only 11.6 mm thick, but boasts a 3.5 inch screen with 160 ppi resolution.

Full Timeline: FierceWireless 2006-12-18