RMW Web Publishing has created a iPhone Tester that supposedly simulates the iPhone mobile web surfing experience. RW Web claim it works better using Safari. I tried it in Firefox for Windows and Safari and it did not pick up the mobile fix plugin for this site or other mobile ready sites I know off. Though it did render their example site perfectly. This leaves a couple of questions open to hwo the iPhone is rendering mobile web ready sites. I have not actually tried the iPhone as it is not available in Europe yet.
Feel like trying out the iPhone simulator then head over to http://iphonetester.com and kick the tires. Some of the buttons do not work on the simulator and it claims there are more features coming soon.
It’s that time again where I am getting restless and wanting a change of mobile phone. Once again I find myself trawling through the phone reviews on the various mobile phone review sites. I’m finding myself torn between giving up some of the functions of the Blackberry Pearl and moving to a different brand. I went downtown Bournemouth today and ahd a look at some fo the newer phones that Blackberry had to offer. I can’t I was that impressed, anything of interest such as the Curve or the 8800 series, I didn’t like the wideness of them. Why couldn’t Blackberry have upgraded the Pearl, made it a little deeper and enhanced its functions. Will I wait for the much hyped iPhone, I doubt it, I am curious but not that curious. It seems all play and no business from what I have I heard, and then the debate over which network in the UK will it partner with!
I am being swayed by the HTC Touch, not only is it a stylish looking phone, it has a neat array of functions for business use. I had the Hermes before which I didn’t really enjoy, but this one seems a bit more compact. It is minus 3G though and that is a downside. Most reviews I have found on the HTC Touch have been fairly positive. I have thrown out of the equation the Nokia N95 after reading MobilePhones UK that it’s sluggish even though it has some great features such as that 5 megapix camera. I’m not hip enough to carry a LG Prada and think that touch screen only feature would soon get annoying. So what’s left besides the HTC Touch?
Apple may be considering the release of a phone based on it’s iPod Nano player according to the press:
“We believe it’s a strong sign that Apple could potentially convert every iPod Nano into a Nano phone,” Chang told clients. The Nano, using flash memory for storage, costs $199 for a 4GB version or $249 for the 8GB model. (Apple Considers Nano Phone)
A couple of things here come to mind, firstly to take Apple at their word that they are genuinely interested in releasing a lower cost phone albeit with less ‘bells and whistles’ of the iPhone, or they (Apple) may have realized that exclusively jumping into bed with AT&T was not the best idea in the world. This would give them a chance to release the Nano phone that would be possibly available across all wireless networks. There are a lot of upset consumers with Apple’s decision to use AT&T to be the sole supplier of Apple phones through its network. AT&T believe that this will increase their customer base as fans of the iPhone or consumers wishing to purchase it will shift to the network. The problem is like Sony with their ill-fated Betamax that it opened the doors to competing technologies. In this case large networks are already clamoring and planning their versions of the iPhone and I suspect utilizing more popular formats than just simply iTunes.
Apple may have heard alarm bells here and the consideration of releasing a Nano styled phone across all networks would be their saving grace. (If they do decide to make it cross network available). In the UK consumers have been speculating which network will the Apple iPhone will be tied too. While some argue that ‘3′ would be a logical choice because of their reasonable success with music downloads and media, others feel O2 would be more appropriate. Everyone I have spoken too will not switch networks over this phone and feel it is not enough to move to a new network carrier especially if the iPhone has limited functionality like what usually happens when a multifunction phone hits the UK market.
Apple would be best to consider when coming into Europe to open the doors to more than one carrier and not limit themselves or the functionality of their phone.
