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Apple Reaches Goal of Selling 10 Million iPhones in 2008… Three Months Early!

James Falconer — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:11:50 +0000

I had to admit, when Steve Jobs and Apple stated their goal was to sell 10 Million iPhones in 2008… I considered that quite a lofty goal. I mean, there’s so much competition already out there in the marketplace, and you know that the other big-wigs are going to be out to get Apple… releasing new fangled ‘iPhone Killers’… But wouldn’t you know it, it looks like they’ve done it!

From a report at AppleInsider:

An effort on the part of members of Mac Observer’s AFB to track IMEI iPhone numbers has led two technology analysts to conclude that Apple has drastically surpassed analyst’ Q4 iPhone sales estimates, and reached its goal of selling 10 million iPhones in 2008 three months early.

Ok, I can hear you saying ‘What the heck are IMEI iPhone Numbers?’ Let me explain in brief.

An International Mobile Equipment Identity Number (or IMEI) is a unique 15-digit code that gest assigned to each individual iPhone produced. You can find this number on the back of the box in which your iPhone was packaged. You should also be able to find it in iTunes when you have your iPhone connected to your system. Within the 15-digit code are two 6-digit numerical sequences that are crucial to determining the number of iPhones being produced. The first 6-digit sequence is known as the Type Allocation Code (or TAC) and signifies a particular build or set of iPhones. The second sequence is unique to each iPhone produced within that series so that 1 million iPhones can be registered to one TAC. Briefly, the first six numbers account for the set of iPhones, and the other six account for each iPhone within that set. Make sense?

The Apple Finance Board at Mac Observer have been tracking these numbers closely and noticed thatby early September Apple was already on its eighth TAC. That would mean that 8 million iPhones had already been manufactured. Huge. The latest numbers collected by the aforementioned group have Apple at well over 10 million units sold so far in 2008.

Analysts such as Kathryn Huberty of Morgan Stanley estimated Apple would sell 9.3 million iPhones in 2008. Keith Bachman of BMO Capital was quoted to estimate that Apple would sell roughly 8.5 million. Looks like they were well off.

Over 10 million units sold with 3 months to go. Wow. That’s a heck of a lot of iPhones. Can I get a high five? Don’t leave me hangin’ here!

My question is this. 2008 was a great year for the iPhone. The new 3G model, lots of new features… new firmware, the App Store was announced and is off and running… But what is going to come in 2009 to continue the growth and proliferation of the iPhone? With RIM due to release its own BlackBerry App Center, and the BlackBerry Storm, plus a plethora of other touchscreen devices soaking the market… You can see where I’m going here. How is Apple going to stand head and shoulders above the rest?

[Via: AppleInsider]

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Tap Tap Revenge Nine Inch Nails Version Coming Soon

James Falconer — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:38:10 +0000

If you’re familiar with the iPhone and the App Store, chances are you’ve heard of a game called Tap Tap Revenge. In the game that is very similar to Guitar Hero, you simply press on the screen as glowing orbs fly pass on the beat. Hit them at the right time and you score better. Well, there’s a new version of the game that is due out next month… It seems to be following the ’special edition’ releases of Guitar Hero we’ve seen lately (Guitar Hero Aerosmith, anyone?).

The game is called Tap Tap Revenge: Nine Inch Nails Edition. The game will contain 16 Nine Inch Nails songs taken from 2 of their latest albums. A NIN look and brand feel will be added to the game. It will without a doubt be a must have for any NIN fan. Word on the street is that you’ll be able to pick it up in the App Store for $4.99. Not bad.

[Via: MacWorld]

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Apple Drops Frustrating Developer NDA

James Falconer — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:07:28 +0000

The NDA in question was the source of much frustration!

Apple has announced today via the Apple Developer Connection that it has dropped the NDA that has frustrated iPhone developers since the release of the 2.0 firmware. You can view the message from Apple here. Apple finally stepped up to the plate and admitted that the NDA ‘created too much of a burden on developers, authors and others interested in helping further the iPhone’s success’.

Apple attached the NDA to developers that wanted early access to the SDK before 2.0. Of course, all developers assumed that the NDA would be lifted once 2.0 was released, but this wasn’t the case, till now. Most developers were highly concerned that the NDA was still in place, it raised concern that Apple may have some crazy plans up their sleeve. Not to mention it made it tough for anyone to get help or advice via forums, blogs or any other medium.

From all reports I’ve read, developers are now more than delighted. Expect coding snippets, help forums and blogs to pop up all over the place. This should certainly open up the floodgates for iPhone app development to say the least. Good move Apple.

[Via: AppleTell]

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iPhone 3G Comes to Brazil, South Africa and Turkey

James Falconer — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 14:25:38 +0000

As we all know, Apple had set a goal of spreading the iPhone to 70 countries around the world. They’re getting closer and closer. Last week the iPhone made it to Latvia and Lithuania, and this week they’ve added a few more countries. The iPhone is now for sale in Brazil, South Africa and Turkey.

Vivo and Claro are carrying the iPhone in Brazil. In turkey, the iPhone is carried by Vodafone and Turkcell. Last but not least, in South Africa you can pick up an iPhone on Vodacom. Since each of these countries has their own unique deal with Apple, expect unique and different deals to be had at the carrier as well.

So, Apple now has roughly 24 countries left on their list. They’re getting there. Can they do it by the end of 2008???

[Via: MacWorld]

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Verizon Picking up the iPhone?

James Falconer — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:33:53 +0000

According to reports from an insider over at 9to5mac, a deal may be in the works that would have Verizon carrying the iPhone in its device lineup. The move could come as early at Macworld 2009.

I’m not too surprised to hear about this. Murmurs of a new provider have been heard around in Mac circles for some time now, and Verizon was always near the top of the rumor sheet. The exclusivity deal that AT&T has with apple has no public documents confirming the agreement length… So for all we know that deal could end tomorrow. If these rumors are true and Verizon does start carrying the iPhone starting at Macworld, that would make the AT&T exclusivity agreement an 18 month deal. If the announcement comes at the WWDC, that would have made the deal a 2-year term.

Very interesting stuff. We’ll be seeing how this all pans out!

[Via: BGR]

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iPhone Coming to the Ukraine October 3rd

James Falconer — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:54:58 +0000

Russian financial paper Kommersant is claiming that the iPhone should arrive in the Ukraine later this week. The iPhone is now rumored to launch overnight between October 2nd and 3rd. MTS will carry the device, with more sales possibly coming from KievStar stores.

Apple has said in the past that the expected the iPhone to hit the Ukraine before the end of this year, but they haven’t confirmed whether these latest claims on the October date are true or false.

The Ukraine release would of course be a natural extension of the deal which will see the iPhone released in Russia on October 3rd. In Russia the iPhone will be for sale via MTS, MegaFon and Vimplecom.

[Via: MacNN]

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Data Consumption at an All-Time High in Australia

James Falconer — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 18:23:49 +0000

Analytics firm Amethon has published a report that has found the browsing habits and data consumption for users in Australia on the iPhone 3G much, MUCH higher than the typical device in that country. The report provides insight into Australia’s mobile web browsing activities for August. In it, the report states that the iPhone is dominating data consumption and that iPhone generated traffic was growing at an amazing 9% per day.

The report also noted that the average iPhone browsing session consumed almost 6 times as much data compared with the average mobile session (2.07MB vs. 0.30MB).

CTO of Amethon, James Cleary said:

“Proud new iPhone owners are very likely to be surprised by incredibly high data usage, because of the quantity of data consumed with their heavy web browsing. Our belief is that many will adjust their browsing habits as the novelty wears off and some may upgrade their current plan to allow them more data usage…”

With the built-in Safari browser being so powerful, I can’t say I’m surprised at all with these numbers. Browsing the web is almost always a treat on the iPhone. Let’s just hope our Aussie friends have reasonable data plans to fall back on so that they’re not paying through the mouth for their new mobile browsing habits!

[Via: CellularNews]

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iPhone 3G Coming to Best Buy Mobile Canada

James Falconer — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 16:11:24 +0000

In a move that follows Best Buy in the US, Best Buy Mobile in Canada has announced that they too will be carrying the iPhone 3G.

Phil Johnston, the Director of Wireless Solutions for Best Buy Canada Ltd said: “The iPhone is a revolutionary product that has changed the way people think about their mobile phone and we are pleased to be able to help Canadians get their hands on one of the hottest new products introduced in Canada this year. We want Canadians to know that they can count on Best Buy Mobile for the latest and greatest in mobile technology.”

Depending on availability and supply Best Buy plans to sell the iPhone 3G for $199 (8GB) and $299 (16GB)… Of course, with that you’ll have to sign up for the loooong 3-year contract from Rogers or Fido.

I also found it interesting that Best Buy up in Canada was obviously prepping their site for the iPhone. If you check out this page, they were obviously trying to get some traffic flow and more for the iPhone in prep for the launch!

[Via: MobileSyrup]

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Apple Cutting iPhone Production Levels?

James Falconer — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 15:49:07 +0000

Analyst group Pacific Crest is claiming that Apple has slashed the number of iPhones it plans to build before the end of the year. According to their sources, Apple is ordering only 14 to 15 million units of the 3G. You can be guaranteed that the units will still fly off the shelves however… So the move will most definitely hurt component suppliers for the iPhone. Reduced production means reduced profits for them!

Pacific Crest has also noted that the 8GB model remains the most popular. Check out any Apple Store these days and chances are they are either out-of-stock on the 8GB, or there are very few left. I can attest to this personally. I went to a Rogers store earlier in the week to pick up a 16GB iPhone 3G, and they ran out of 8GB units some time ago. Thankfully they had quite a few 16GB units in stock, so I picked one up and was on my merry way. I like the white look available in the 16GB anyways… Gives me that nice, classic iPod feel.

[Via: MacNN]

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BBC Adds Radio Shows to iPhone iPlayer

James Falconer — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:17:44 +0000

The BBC offers quite a bit of TV through the iPlayer on-demand service. A lot of radio from the BBC is available as well. However, for iPhone users this isn’t always the case. For most of this year iPhone users were only able to watch TV shows via the BBC iPlayer. Well, that’s changed now.

This week the BBC announced that the iPlayer service would allow iPod Touch and iPhone users to access BBC radio programming. This is cool if you want a change of flavor in your daily radio tune-ins. Speaking for myself, I get a kick out of radio from overseas… Much different than the typical North American broadcast.

The radio streams will go to broadcast in 128kbps MP3 format, and they will be available for your listening pleasure up to 7 days following the original broadcast.

[Via: arstechnica]

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China Mobile Seeking 3G and WiFi-Less iPhone

James Falconer — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:56:15 +0000

China Mobile is expected to launch the iPhone on its network in the near future, but with some functionality removed to comply with regulations in the country. Various reports from within the country have noted that 3G and WiFi will apparently be disabled on the Chinese model.

Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry, the company that puts together iPhones for Apple is waiting for confirmation from China to give the ‘green light’.

China Mobile is expected to build out its own 3G network using the Chinese TD-SCDMA format. By disabling the 3G functionality, it would make the iPhone less appealing to users that might want to buy it and unlock it to work on the W-CDMA network that rival China Telecom manages.

Talks had broken up between Apple and China Mobile back in January, but they resumed in July. Apparently talks resumed because Apple is no longer insisting on revenue-sharing within the Chinese Market.

[Via: Cellular News]

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iPhone App Dev Aint Easy: Apple Rejects App for ‘Duplicating Functionality’

James Falconer — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:40:51 +0000

I have a few iPhone app developer friends that have told me some interesting stories. Sometimes it is a tough struggle to get an App into the App Store… and even if they succeed, it could be removed at any time. Tracking of sales and other vital statistics have been slowly getting better and better for developers… Yet I know there is some real frustration for developers because Apple holds all of the cards.

Case in point, an app called MailWrangler. The app was written to simplify access to multiple Gmail accounts from your iPhone. Developer Angelo DiNardi has reported that Apple rejected the submission to the App Store for ‘duplicating funcionality’. This isn’t the first time the ‘duplicating functionality’ issue has come up.

In an email received by DiNardi, Apple stated: “Your application duplicates the functionality of the built-in iPhone application Mail without providing sufficient differentiation or added functionality, which will lead to user confusion.”

In reality, Apple’s response is more confusing to me than the MailWrangler app. MailWrangler does something that none of the built-in iPhone apps can do… use multiple Gmail accounts simultaneously while presenting the full Gmail features only available from the web interface. Using the built-in Mail app for the accounts denies you several of Gmail’s features. I’d say that is different enough, wouldn’t you?

Lots of other apps have been rejected for numerous reasons… My only concern is that Apple is applying their standards arbitrarily… and unevenly. The rules need to be clear cut, and I think there is some confusion out there which is causing developers continued frustration.

Read more about Angelo’s struggles here… and be sure to leave him a positive comment. App development ‘aint easy!

[Via: ARSTechnica]

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iPhone Home Activation Coming Soon…

James Falconer — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:26:42 +0000

Remember that post I did a few days ago about contract free iPhones and possible home activation? Well, Apple store employees have continued to comment on the whole home activation thing, and it looks like we’ll be able to take advantage of the new activation shortly.

The new home activation system would be a bit different than the original. The new system is designed to help reduce the amount of time it takes to activate and sign-up new or existing customers in store. You’ll be able to pre-activate your iPhone at home by entering your cell contract details… or social and billing info if you’re a newbie. THEN, you’ll need to head over to the Apple store (or perhaps even an AT&T store?) to purchase the phone. The iPhone will be ‘unbricked’ at the store.

Hopefully the new system works well if it is indeed launched.

[Via: BGR]

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Contract Free iPhones for the Holiday Season?

James Falconer — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 18:21:08 +0000

Rumors are now surfacing that the in-store only iPhone 3G activation policy will be lifted. With the holiday season fast approaching, this looks to be a pretty darn smart move by Apple, if indeed it is true. I hope Apple has boosted production on the 3G, as you can bet mom, pop, sister and brother will be buying up 3G’s for holiday gifts.

Apple store employees are reporting that a fifth option named ‘Home’ has appeared in their EasyPay systems when selling an iPhone 3G. On top of that, there may be a refresh and price drop on the 8GB models… Whenever shortages occur it is usually a sign of an impending change or price drop.

With the new iPod line and these supposed changes to the iPhone… It’s looking to be a huge holiday season for Apple.

[Via: BGR]

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OtterBox for iPhone 3G Defender Series Case Now Available

James Falconer — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:21:15 +0000

Need the ultimate level of protection for your iPhone? You’re in luck, because Otterbox has just released the OtterBox for iPhone 3G Defender Series Case. Wow, that’s a mouthful. The official blurb from Otterbox:

Due to the immense popularity of this item, it will ship in 5-7 business days. The OtterBox for iPhone® 3G Defender™ Series follows in the Defender Series tradition by offering stylish and sophisticated protection. First, a thin, clear membrane covers your Touch Screen to help prevent scratches and dings. Second is a hard, strong Polycarbonate skeleton that surrounds your device. Wrapped around all of this is a Silicone skin that absorbs bump and shock, protecting against the accidental drop. Included with the case is a ClipStand holster. This case will not fit the 1st Generation iPhone. If you have the 1st Generation iPhone and would like a case, click here.

For now, the case is limited to black, but a yellow, grey and pink model are coming shortly… And as mentioned above, it will only fit the iPhone 3G. For more info on this new case click here.

Thanks to Tricia for the heads up on this one.

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Vuzix iWear AV310 video glasses brings 52-inch iPhone display to life

Will Park — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:34:02 +0000

Vuzix iWear AV310

How cool would it be if you could watch a movie or TV show on your iPhone’s 52-inch display? Darn tootin’ that’d be cool. Unfortunately, the iPhone’s 3.5-inch multi-touch display is nowhere near as big as the eyeball-busting plasma hanging on your living room wall.

But, that doesn’t mean you can’t get the 52-inch experience from your iPhone just the same. With Vuzix’s iWear AV310 video glasses, movie-loving iPhone users are immersed in a widescreen 16:9 virtual video environment that emulates the look of 52-inch screen as viewed from 9-feet away. Dual high-resolution LCD displays embedded within the iWear AV310’s frame feature individual diopter adjustments from -2 to +5 that ensures a perfectly focused image for each eye. The “AccuTilt” features allows for 15 degrees of tilt-adjustment, and an adjustable nose-piece makes the iWear AV310 comfortable to wear, while the on-screen settings make on-the-fly changes a breeze.

The Vuzix iWear AV310 works with any NTSC or PAL compatible video output, including the iPhone and iPhone 3G, and is good for 5 hours of operation on a single AA battery. Expect the iWear AV310 to command a $250 price-point sometime soon. Just how soon we can’t say.

[Via: iPodNN]

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iPhone 3G Wins Gadget of the Year Award

James Falconer — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:17:58 +0000

Readers of Stuff magazine have voted the iPhone 3G ‘Gadget of the Year‘. The new iPhone beat out other cool ‘gadgets’ including the Wii Fit, B&W’s Zeppelin iPod Speakers, the Xbox 360, the ASUS Eee PC, and Sony Playstation 3. I guess Stuff readers have good taste! Readers rated gadgets in performance, design and value, and a kind of arbitrary ‘cool factor’ category.

The editorial staff of Stuff did not pick the iPhone 3G however for this award. Instead they awarded it to the ASUS Eee PC.

[Via: MacNN]

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iPhone 3G sales strong and steady in UK

Will Park — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 01:07:11 +0000

iPhone 3G

As we wait for Sony Ericsson, RIM, HTC, and Samsung to drop their latest wares on the entire world, the iPhone 3G has apparently been doing quite well for itself. With the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 rumored to go live at the end of this month (except for us Yankees, of course); RIM’s first touchscreen BlackBerry handset - the BlackBerry Storm - appearing on Verizon’s website; HTC unveiling the WVGA HTC Touch HD; and Samsung speculated to be launching the US-spec Samsung Omnia as the AT&T Mirage early next month, the iPhone 3G has quietly slipped to the blogosphere’s back-burner.

But that doesn’t mean the rest of the world has forgotten about the device that essentially kicked off this latest wave of sleekly-styled smartphones boasting large touchscreens with a focus on intuitive and eye-catching UI’s. In fact, it seems that the iPhone 3G is doing quite well in the UK. The latest numbers, according to Mobile Today’s source, indicate that Apple and O2, the sole iPhone 3G carrier in the UK, are pushing a steady 27,000 iPhone 3G units every week.

Apple saw upwards of 50,000 iPhone 3G’s being sold during the initial iPhone 3G launch-craze, with sales slowing down to a hugely respectable 35,000 units per week after the first month. Today, reports put iPhone 3G sales at 27,000 units per week - a figure slightly north of the initial launch-day rush, but strong nonetheless.

The Apple iPhone 3G now comprises somewhere between 4% and 6% of the UK’s mobile market. The iPhone 3G’s market-share is even said to have reached the high single-digits in some weeks.

Overall, it looks like the iPhone 3G is doing just fine for itself. Now, just how the HTC Touch HD and BlackBerry Storm affects iPhone 3G sales remains to be seen.

[Via: MobileToday]

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DataViz DocumentsToGo Coming to the iPhone

James Falconer — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:55:49 +0000

DataViz, developers of DocumentsToGo has announced that they’re working on an iPhone version of their flagship software. The DocumentsToGo Mobile Office Suite allows you to read and edit your Microsoft Office formatted Word, Excel and Powerpoint files. The app is already available for most other platforms including most BlackBerry, Palm and Symbian devices.

The software is ideal for writing, editing or changing important documents while you’re on the go. If you’re out of the office, no problem. Edit up that proposal and send it back to the office or to your client… Heck, even do it from the golf course!?

No release date has been given yet for the new iPhone app, but you can sign up for e-mail updates at the DataViz website.

[Via: iPhoneWorld]

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App Store to Hit 1 Billion Mark Sooner Than Expected

James Falconer — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 02:53:24 +0000

If you love your iPhone, and can’t get enough of the App Store, Apple has reached a milestone with stunning speed. Last week Steve Jobs announced that Apple has seen more than 100 million downloads from the App Store so far. Impressive by any standards… But it gets more impressive. If App Store users continue to download at the current rate (was around 70 million downloads in August) that would mean the App Store would reach 1 billion downloads before the end of the first year. Not too shabby I’d say.

As more and more new apps get added, and more importantly… as more FREE apps get added, I think we’ll see the App Store reach the 1 billion mark well before the first year anniversary. With the iPhone now selling in countries all over the world, one can only expect big things for the iPhone and the App Store during the remainder of 2008. That said, with new touchscreen devices popping up all the time including the new BlackBerry Storm, competition is stiff. Look for Apple to innovate and hopefully ‘blow our minds’ at MacWorld in January.

[Via: TechCrunch]

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