Liveblogging here at the Manila Bulletin Technews office and I still can’t get over laying my dainty hands on the much-heralded 8GB (!) Apple iPhone . Everyone who’s held it is right, you hold the iPhone and it immediately elicits a “wow!” not to mention irrepressible “ooh’s” and “aahs.”
As I remain in a state of awe, let me just give a quick rundown of my memorable first impressions with the Apple iPhone:
1. Form factor is super sleek, it’s in fact a better looker than the iPod. It’s thin in size and if you’re looking for a keypad, there’s none. The Apple think-tanks make up for it by incorporating a stunning 3.5″ screen made of impeccable chrome glass.
2. The adventure begins when you press on the middle button (the only button in the front of the phone) . The color screen lights up and the phone tells you “slide to unlock.” Then you get to know that this is a “touchy-feely phone” – one that responds to whatever you do with your fingers. Press, tap, draw circles , swipe and the phone’s highly interactive, animated menu responds accordingly.
3. Wi-fi connectivity with just one touch. Surf and email all you can, access Google Maps, view YouTube videos and transfer music files via iTunes. Google Maps, Stocks and YouTube are already formatted in the iPhone.
4. Slide show of your images. Flick n’ move your fingers to enlarge your chosen image until it filles up the screen. Heck, you can even twist and turn it.
5. One-touch still camera with 2-megapixel resolution.
6. Hold the phone upright or tilt it to switch viewscreen and desired images to portrait or landscape mode.
7. Built-in iPod! We just have to believe Steve Jobs when he says this is “the best iPod ever made.” View album covers in animated mode with just the stretch of a finger, like in iTunes.
8. Seamless Web-browsing with Safari. Thanks to the huge screen, you can view sites in their full-glory, the same way they appear on your laptop or PC.
9. SIM compartment of the iPhone is found on the bottom topmost portion. To take out the SIM, just prick the small port and the SIM will pop out.
10. “Slide to power off” 😛
Because nothing’s perfect in this world, the iPhone also has its flaws.
According to my editor, “the battery life sucks!” (but then, what would you expect from a phone with highly-animated and interactive functions?)
– no video recording function.
– MB Vice President Emil Yap, owner of the Philippines’ first iPhone, says the calculator only has basic functions. You can’t use calcu function if you’re a billionaire, multi-millionaire 😛
– I found it hard texting with just the press of my finger. I had a few mistypes with my SMS. Makes you wish the phone had a stylus. The keyboard is very user-friendly though.
– Okay we were just practicing how to text as we couldn’t use the phone’s “call and text” function yet. The MB unit uses AT&T prepaid roaming which will soon be switched to post-paid for maximum use of the iPhone’s call function. The first review of the iPhone in the Philippines coming to Manila Bulletin Technews soon!
More photos of moi using the iPhone in Art Samaniego’s moblog.
nice. but I heard you can’t use it to actually call anyone yet. sigh. It’s a beauty. but as with all new apple products, I will wait till the kinks iron out.
Hi Noemi. Yes, this one’s locked to At&T Cingular. Considering the minuses I mentioned above, there should be an upgraded version of the iPhone. In the meantime, one should be content using it as virtual iPod and Wi-Fi enabled PDA of sort 😛
OMG, the IPhone! ( mimicking Elle Woods’ voice lol ). I’m quite scared of multitasking machines, though, ever since my Canon Multitasking Pixma gave up on me. I hope this one’s a good multitasker!
the more important question: where do we order and when will it start to be available?
Efficient multi-tasker it is Sophie, and very easy to use 😛
It’s only something like $599 for the AT & T line. I’ve read James that it will only be available in our shores in 2008!
dito, maraming iPhone. hehehe. but at $599, it still is very expensive.
our company issued the samsung blackjack instead. not bad – 3g phone running windows ce, our cingular plan has unlimited internet access.
…and, i can use the phone as a wireless modem to connect my pc to the internet.
Bago yan ah..Samsung Blackjack..i’ll watch out for it Batjay:)
It’s certainly gorgeous! Drool. But I’m going to wait it out — 3 megapixel camera with video-recording a must for me.
HI Fruityoaty. Maybe the next version of the iPhone will be better for you. Walang video rec ito.
hi there
im so happy to hear that u got d first iphone in the phil., but i just want to know, will the iphone be released here at the philippines and for it to have our own cp lines like globe or smart??
im waiting for its release, and i dont want to wait for nothing
thanks for ur info….