Although Apple’s iPhone has been one of the biggest high-tech success stories of the past year, power users and critics have had big problems with the phone’s relatively slow Internet bandwidth since its launch just over four months ago. Now, Apple representatives say they are planning to release a new version of the iPhone, featuring faster download speeds and taking advantage of 3G mobile networks.
The iPhone was widely criticized upon its launch for not using 3G, which is the fastest available mobile Internet network. Instead, the original iPhones were designed to run on the much slower 2.5G networks, frustrating many Apple fans and business users.
In a way, it’s puzzling why Apple didn’t design the iPhone to use the 3G networks from the start. After all, they elected to use AT&T as their network provider for the phone, and AT&T currently has the most widely available 3G network in the United States.
Even more puzzlingly, the iPhone was paired with 3G network providers in Europe from the start, resulting in a huge “speed gap” between iPhones bought in the United States and those purchased in Europe.
Although Apple has not set an exact release date for the new 3G version of the iPhone, the company’s network partner, AT&T, has verified that the new faster iPhone will be available sometime “next year,” according to the MSNBC web site.
The announcement of a new faster iPhone on the way comes at a bad time for Apple. With the holiday shopping season in full swing, some experts predict that consumers who were considering purchasing an iPhone this holiday season may hold off, waiting for the new 3G version next year. This could result in a huge stockpile of unsold iPhones simply taking up shelf space through the Christmas season.
Earlier this year, Apple CEO Steve Jobs had indicated that a battery life problem prevented the iPhone from using 3G networks for higher-speed Internet access. Apparently though, Apple has either solved the battery issue, or will do so before the 3G iPhone is released.
Many Apple fans are overjoyed at the prospect of a new faster iPhone, and the ability to surf the Web at near-DSL speeds, even if they are nowhere near an available WiFi network. If Apple can produce the new 3G iPhone within the first few months of 2008, they are sure to have a winner on their hands.
However, if they should drag their heels on releasing the new model, it is likely that other cell phone manufacturers will jump in to fill the void. If this happens, the new 3G iPhone could find that it has some serious competition to deal with.
Related Web Directory Categories:
[...] Nokia’s new N82 smart phone is raising the bar for mobile multimedia devices, and sports a plethora of features to make even Apple iPhone fans jealous. Released in Europe just six weeks ago, the N82 is officially called a “multimedia computer,” NOT a cell phone. Got that? [...]
Pingback by The Nokia N82: Multimedia “Superphone” — January 10, 2008 @ 7:51 pm