iOS Devices

 We brought you a video this morning showing one iPhone disassembly, now we can bring you a second glimpse inside the device, this time from TechOnline. This tear-down once again confirms the firms who managed to slip a component inside the Apple device. There’s two videos, part one looks at the main board, while number two (available here) explores what could be a cooling relationship between Apple and Samsung. 

Yep, it is a hit, in case you couldn’t tell by the store lines, Apple is announcing today that they have sold 1 million iPhones this weekend.  According to Apple:

Apple® today announced it sold its one millionth iPhone™ 3G on Sunday, just three days after its launch on Friday, July 11. iPhone 3G is now available in 21 countries—Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and the US—and will go on sale in France on July 17.

“iPhone 3G had a stunning opening weekend,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “It took 74 days to sell the first one million original iPhones, so the new iPhone 3G is clearly off to a great start around the world.”

The new iPhone 3G combines all the revolutionary features of iPhone plus 3G networking that is twice as fast*, built-in GPS for expanded location-based mobile services, and iPhone 2.0 software which includes support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and runs over 800 third party applications available through the new App Store. In the US, the new iPhone 3G is priced at just $199 for the 8GB model, and $299 for the 16GB model**. 

Oh…and the App store downloads topped ten million.  This isn’t actually as significant because a lot of those apps are free and previous iPhone and iPod touch users are downloading these.  Still, it is getting a lot of use!

PC World has  put together a graph (in color!) depicting the average battery life of some common 3G smartphones.  We guess that Apple’s 3G chip isn’t so horible after all because iPhone came up on top.  According to PC World, ‘The 3G iPhone’s 5-hour, 38-minute battery life isn’t great, but it still beats that of the 3G competition.’

As a commenter below points out, we guess PC World forgot about Nokia, the world’s #1 smartphone maker….

Last.FM who we last heard from as giving Indie artists a sweet deal on distributing their music, just got an opportunity to open up their selection to many more ears. Their iPhone/iPod player application that is available for free from the Apps store allows playing of their whole music library.  Here’s a quick video to show you how it works.

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/1314214 w=400&h=400]
 

Last.fm iPhone Demo from Toby on Vimeo.

If you can excuse the rampant advertising (hey, they got to make a living right?) here’s a pretty good instructional video on how to take apart the iPhone 3G without destroying it.  Possible uses include instaling another battery, a new color of back panel or solder on some more Flash storage.  Good luck with that!

While you were sitting on line yesterday and trying to get your new iPhone activated, the Dev team was hard at work perfecting the Pwnage tool. It looks like they’ll be ready with it any minute now…

For higher quality video…

Click here

Oh, and here’s another:

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/1327111 w=400&h=302]
Bootneuter 2.0 from iphonedev on Vimeo.

Today was supposed to be an exciting day for Apple and iPhone users but things went south when Apple’s activation servers went out and people effectively got bricked iPhones.   After waiting hours/days in line on a blistering hot summer day, many first day iPhone customers found that their activations couldn’t take place.  They were given the iPhones and told to go home and activate.  Unfortunately, when they got home, they still had problems.  Still, 3G iPhone customers got off easy.

Even more infuriation was felt by those EDGE iPhone 2.0 updaters who essentially killed their phones for the better half of the day when prompted to update by iTunes to iPhone 2.0.  The software update happens but Apple needs to re-activate your iPhone.  Instead of activations, iTunes was spitting out errors.

It looks like the high activation rate from the 3G iPhones plus all of the old iPhones being updated created the perfect storm to kill the activation servers.

Anger was felt.  Words were spoken, things were said.  Fanboys got upset like if you told them their should be a right mouse click utton on a MacBook.

But noweveryone has a working iPhone again.  And things appear to be happy in Appleland.

Oh, BTW, just about every AT&T store is out of iPhones and most Apple stores are running out as well.  Here in New York lines have been blocks long all day.  We think Apple might have sold a lot of iPhones.

We’ll check back in tomorrow.

Over at MacRumors forums and Apple forums people are complaining about a yellow tint that covers the screen.  Anyone else having this issue?  How are you doing in the iPhone 3G screen lottery?  Did someone pee on your screen?

Or is this just the new 3G iPhone’s screen default "tint".  Maybe Apple went with a slightly less quality screen on the 3G iPhone – or same quality – different default tint.  So maybe the question should be: Does anyone have a white 3G iPhone screen?  Does anyone want to buy a 2G iPhone with Whiter white?  The price just went up $100…

Update: there are some reports that the yellow tint burns off after some use.  Is this your experience?

We are getting many reports in from readers having less than stellar experiences getting their 3G iPhones….hardly unexpected considering the pent-up demand.  A few readers have written in to say that AT&T has given them iPhones to activate at home.   Others at AT&T say that they ordered their iPhone but won’t recieve it for "another few days as stocks become available." 

We haven’t had any reports from Apple Store customers who are running out (oops – yes we have – this one only has a few hundred left) but the activation is taking much longer than anticipated.

How is it going for you?

http://player.stickam.com/stickamPlayer/174207768-4654009

 Electric Pig is an up-and-coming technology news and reviews site, while we put our own models through their paces, we thought we’d offer you a few initial thoughts from the team there.

 Yes, it’s here – Truphone has introduced a VoIP application for the iPhone – low-cost rates, no global roaming charges, and here’s the video of the software in action…

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx9V-lN9XTg&hl=en&fs=1]

What is it like to wait on line in Holland for an iPhone? Look no further than Tmobile’s Webcam. http://hosting.dutchview.nl/t-mobile20080710/t-mobile.swf

party is over…

As the iPhone 3G circles the globe over the next 24 hours, more and more stores will begin opening up.  Distorted Loop points out that Apple is leaving a trail of stores all over the world.  Eventually there will be over 70.  And they will have iPhone and iPod Apps stores.  But will these iTunes stores carry any more products?    Some international movies? 

With that big of a footprint, reaching that many people (India=1 billion sets of eyes and ears), will some movie and record studios come beckoning?  They’d be fools not to!

In case you were wondering, we gave it a shot.  Updated the iPhone to 2.0, ran Ziphone, and it crashed.  Then we downgraded to 1.4,  Crash again….holding pattern.  Zibri how long are we going to have to wait?

Oh well, we’ll have iPhone 3Gs in T- minus …

Anyone out there tried the other jailbreaking methods?  Any success?

First things first.  Get the 2.0 Firmware here.   If you dare… At the moment Apple hasn’t put it out as an upgrade on iTunes.

Second,  go ahead one day. In New Zealand it is tomorrow.  Go ahead click on the Apps store link.

Third, Visit the Apps store screenshot (below).

Maybe check out the Autopsy as well.  Note that those bottom screws help to take the iPhone apart without having to pry anything open and should make battery replacement a reality.

No big surprises here…AT&T is getting their 3G iPhones and *gasp* the white ones come in white packages. 

What will they think of next?

 Last.fm has introduced a royalty scheme for unsigned acts, offering independent artists the chance to accrue royalties from Last.fm each time their track is listened to through the site.

Unsigned and independent artists can sign up for the program when they upload their music to Last.fm, and earn revenue when their tracks are played free-on-demand, or on Last.fm’s streaming radio, or both.

Martin Stiksel, Last.fm co-founder, told Distorted Loop: “This is a big day for independent artists. We’re leveling the playing field by offering them the same opportunities as established bands to make money from their music. "

The move is one of several digital initiatives from Last.fm as the company positions itself to clean-up in the music subscriptions market, presumably with an eye toward a mobile streaming play at some future point. Perhaps its highest profile recent move was the introduction of Radiohead’s ‘In Rainbows’ album for free streaming playback through the service. Another recent move saw Last.fm reach a deal with Universal Music under which the label’s entire music video catalogue will be made available for free-on-demand streaming to Last.fm users.

The Universal video content will be ad-supported, in the same manner as Last.fm’s pioneering free-on-demand service which launched in January. Artists, labels and copyright holders receive a share of revenue from the ads displayed next to their content. 

 Rogers Wireless has bowed slightly to public pressure, introducing a $30 per month 6GB data plan to allay some of the criticism the carrier’s been facing over its iPhone tariffs.

The carrier will also open up six of its Candian retail stores at 8am on July 11 to sell the iPhone 3G. Customers attending launch day events at these Rogers Plus stores will be treated to a free early bird breakfast and have a chance to win Rogers Wireless prizes.

Effective July 11, and as a limited time promotional offer for customers who activate by August 31 on a three year contract, a data-only offering of 6GB of data for $30 per month is being made available that can be added to any in-market voice plan.

"As Canada’s leading wireless carrier, Rogers is excited to bring iPhone 3G to Canadians even sooner, allowing our customers to be amongst the first in the world to experience this amazing mobile innovation," says John Boynton, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Rogers Wireless. "To celebrate its launch on Canada’s fastest wireless network, we’re rolling out the red carpet with special events at six Rogers Plus stores and a limited time price promotional data offer from coast-to-coast."

The following Rogers Plus stores in these cities will open their doors at 8am (all times local) on Friday, July 11 for advance purchases of the Apple iPhone 3G:

    Toronto: 112-10 Dundas Street East

    Montreal: 1015 rue St. Catherine Ouest

    Ottawa: 690 Bank Street

    Halifax: Unit 265, 7001 Mumford Road

    Calgary: 5244 Falsbridge Gate, NE

    Vancouver: 2097 West Broadway