# I want the new iPhone **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 9, 2007, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-the-new-iphone/387317 "2007-01-09T18:08:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-the-new-iphone/387317/161 "2007-01-18T09:12:10Z")
[QUOTE=Mr2001] Well, the iPhone runs OS X, which Apple touts as being a reliable operating system. If the ability to install third party apps would break the phone, perhaps OS X isn’t as reliable as they claim… [/QUOTE] Except, _does it_ actually run OSX? It’s beginning to sound to me as if it actually runs some kind of OSX-a-like, perhaps even in a similar way that Windows CE/Mobile devices could be described as ‘running Windows’. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-the-new-iphone/387317/162 "2007-01-18T09:30:10Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] Except, _does it_ actually run OSX? It’s beginning to sound to me as if it actually runs some kind of OSX-a-like, perhaps even in a similar way that Windows CE/Mobile devices could be described as ‘running Windows’. [/QUOTE] Rumor has it that they’ve ported OSX to a Samsung built processor. Apple’s very good at keeping details under wraps. Everybody suspected that they were going to introduce a phone at Mac World, but _nobody_ had all the details of the device, and certainly they didn’t get the “wow” factor even close to being right. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-the-new-iphone/387317/163 "2007-01-18T16:40:42Z")
[QUOTE=Sleel] You’ve obviously got an axe to grid. You accuse Jobs of outright lying instead of exaggeration or figurative speaking, and then you accuse me of supporting his statements when that’s obviously not true. I said earlier that I thought there would be some third party software in spite of what Jobs said. Apple _might_ have reasonable concerns about stability and safety. Cingular _might_ have had problems already with the other products you mentioned. I don’t know, since I’m not an insider. All I did was _theorize_ about reasons why Apple is, at this point, not planning to allow user-installable software. [/QUOTE] Someone is lying. Steve Jobs knows that there is no real objection to running third party apps. Cingular sells phones that can run arbitrary third party apps. All major phones companies sell such phones. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-the-new-iphone/387317/164 "2007-01-18T16:52:22Z")
[QUOTE=Dewey Finn] How about simply staying off the phone and keeping your eye on the road? [/QUOTE] :rolleyes: As I said already, it is best to concentrate on driving. I can do that. You can do that. The problem is all those other bipedal creatures out there who do not and will not do that. They will use their phones. They will dial numbers. If they have no buttons, odds are that they will look at the screen. ---
**Author:** ![aaelghat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c5a1d2/32.png) [@aaelghat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaelghat)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-the-new-iphone/387317/165 "2007-01-18T17:54:09Z")
I didn’t watch the keynote, but does anyone know if with the iPhone you can record a voicenote or take your voicemail and save it permanently on the “iPod” part of the phone? ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2007, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-the-new-iphone/387317/166 "2007-01-19T01:37:39Z")
[QUOTE=Mr2001] **Sleel** , I don’t mean to make this personal, and I apologize for accusing you. [/QUOTE] I appreciate the apology. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2007, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-the-new-iphone/387317/167 "2007-01-19T01:49:35Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] Except, _does it_ actually run OSX? It’s beginning to sound to me as if it actually runs some kind of OSX-a-like, perhaps even in a similar way that Windows CE/Mobile devices could be described as ‘running Windows’. [/QUOTE] My understanding is that the iPhone _is_ running OS X, but not **Mac** OS X – that is, it doesn’t have certain components that are used by the desktop/laptop Mac operating system, such as the Finder, assorted device drivers, yadda yadda yadda. Lower-level OS features like Darwin, CoreImage, etc. are still there, tho. And I’m pretty sure the iPhone will allow third-party programs to be installed, probably purchased through iTunes or whatever, so they can control the entire “user experience”. I’m just figuring Apple is refusing to allow uncertified J. Random Applications to get installed. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2007, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-the-new-iphone/387317/168 "2007-01-19T02:19:05Z")
[QUOTE=gazpacho] Someone is lying. Steve Jobs knows that there is no real objection to running third party apps. Cingular sells phones that can run arbitrary third party apps. All major phones companies sell such phones. [/QUOTE] I agree. There seems little point in creating a powerful multi-function mobile computing, then applying a finite set of constraints on what kind of computing can be performed on it. People that want a combined camera/media player/phone/PDA also want to be able to install and play games, they want to calculate tide tables, they want to use calculator utilities specific to their profession (i.e. resistor colour codes, haematology rules, etc), or use their device as a metronome, or any other of thousands of different things that are already possible on other smart phone solutions. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2007, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-the-new-iphone/387317/169 "2007-01-19T03:20:22Z")
[QUOTE=rjung] My understanding is that the iPhone _is_ running OS X, but not **Mac** OS X – that is, it doesn’t have certain components that are used by the desktop/laptop Mac operating system, such as the Finder, assorted device drivers, yadda yadda yadda. Lower-level OS features like Darwin, CoreImage, etc. are still there, tho. [/quote] Has Apple ever used the term “OS X” to refer to a subset of their operating system before, or are we inferring this new coinage? I believe you’re right, but it seems awfully shady. Like, say, if you bought a new product that claimed to include Firefox, but it actually didn’t support CSS, extensions, or tabbed browsing; and their explanation was that there’s now a major difference between “Firefox” (watered down shell of a browser) and “Mozilla Firefox” (the product you know and love), even though the terms had been interchangeable up until today. > [@](#): > > And I’m pretty sure the iPhone will allow third-party programs to be installed, probably purchased through iTunes or whatever, so they can control the entire “user experience”. I’m just figuring Apple is refusing to allow uncertified J. Random Applications to get installed. That does seem most likely - it’s the business model for Verizon’s Get It Now, and essentially for iPod games, both of which feature limited selections of expensive broad-appeal titles, and both of which have been heavily criticized for being closed off. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2007, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-the-new-iphone/387317/170 "2007-01-22T05:04:40Z")
As a bit of an aside, if they could make a phone that’s just a phone the size of an iPod Nano _that_ would be pretty sweet. Maybe it’s just me, but I use my phone for phone calls, and maybe text messaging. I hate the feel of a phone in my pocket and I have one of the smallest phones out there. On the other hand, I can barely tell that the Nano is in my pocket. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-the-new-iphone/387317/171 "2007-01-24T05:33:02Z")
[QUOTE=Mr2001] That does seem most likely - it’s the business model for Verizon’s Get It Now, and essentially for iPod games, both of which feature limited selections of expensive broad-appeal titles, and both of which have been heavily criticized for being closed off. [/QUOTE] The get it now thing on Verizon is only slightly better than no third party apps. Those programs have to be approved by Verizon and generally involve monthly fees. We want to be able install things that don’t go through an expensive Verizon screening process. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-the-new-iphone/387317/172 "2007-05-18T20:50:09Z")
iPhone gets FCC approval. > [@](#): > > The Federal Communications Commission approved Apple’s iPhone on Thursday, clearing the way for the combined phone and music player to hit the shelves. > > “The iPhone has passed its required FCC certification milestones and is on schedule to ship in late June as planned,” said Natalie Kerris, Director of Apple Music PR. “We can’t wait until customers get their hands and fingers on it.” > > Some of the FCC documents confirm a few features of the phone, including that it will have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi and operate in the 1900MHz, 1800MHz, 900MHz, and 850MHz frequency bands. ---
**Author:** ![Reepicheep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@Reepicheep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reepicheep)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-the-new-iphone/387317/173 "2007-05-18T22:12:42Z")
Apple geek here, waiting impatiently. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-the-new-iphone/387317/174 "2007-05-18T23:39:06Z")
It’s amazing how much worse the iPhone looks just 3 months on. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2007, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-the-new-iphone/387317/175 "2007-05-19T00:06:39Z")
I just went to [apple.com](http://apple.com) and it looks the same to me. What did they change to make it look worse? ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2007, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-the-new-iphone/387317/176 "2007-05-19T01:03:11Z")
Well, all the corporate sponsorship decals are kind of tacky… ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2007, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-the-new-iphone/387317/177 "2007-05-19T09:03:26Z")
worse relative to some of the newly announced products that fill a lot of holes in the iPhone line, namely, 3g, higher res screen and GPS. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2007, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-the-new-iphone/387317/178 "2007-05-19T18:45:47Z")
I am not Steve Jobs, I don’t work at Apple, and I do not know what Apple will or will not do wth the iPhone. I know what _I_ would do with the iPhone if _I_ were CEO of Apple and the iPhone did indeed run OS X itself (regardless of what processor it ran it on). I would make the computer as we know it obsolete in 18 months. You would dock your iPhone in a cradle from which USB, DVI, and FireWire ports would let you attach keyboard, monitor, mouse, and peripherals. When docked, it’s a computer. When you go to lunch or to a meeting down the hall, you lift it out of the cradle and the various apps immediately resize / revamp their GUI to sizes & elements appropriate to the screen and available controls of the iPhone. But they’re the same apps. Same data. Moreover, when it’s properly docked, you highlight a phone number in Safari or Excel or FileMaker and hit, oh I dunno, Command-Control-P and whatever is selected is dialed. And your voicemails are instantly downloaded to .mp3 files and stored, a la iPhoto, in folders that are auto-named for date and time and caller, and an iVoiceMail app tracks all that so you can quickly search for old calls and play 'em back at will. And of course your voicemails are all part of your iTunes collection as well unless you uncheck that option. Your texting messages are auto-cc’d to your email application into an iPhone IN and iPhone OUT folder and any email you compose can be cc’d to addresses that are really telephone text addresses, not email addresses. Wherever you go, you walk up to any unoccupied work carousel and plunk down your cellphone and hey, you’ve got not just _a_ computer but _your_ computer. No MacBook, iMac Mini, or subnotebook is anywhere near as portable. As soon as they’ve got the technology to put the horsepower, RAM, and storage space necessary into an iPhone, count on it. That’s my guess. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2007, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-the-new-iphone/387317/179 "2007-05-19T18:58:36Z")
Dude, you _need_ to send that to Apple. They do that, and PCs are _history!_ ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2007, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-the-new-iphone/387317/180 "2007-05-19T19:37:28Z")
[QUOTE=Shalmanese] Almost every other common website is at least accessible if not supremely usable. In short, theres tons of stuff you can do with a tiny screen. [/QUOTE] Hm.. how are secure sites that always require username/password, as at financial/banking websites or brokerage accounts, shopping online, paying bills, etc handled? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-the-new-iphone/387317.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-the-new-iphone/387317.md?page=10)