Video Reviews of the Samsung Instinct

You may have seen the commercials of the Samsung Instinct that compare it side-by-side with the first-gen iPhone. Here is a video review (in 5 parts) of some of the phone's features, done by PhoneDog.com.


Pt. 1: Web Browsing


Pt. 2 :Multimedia A


Pt. 3: Multimedia B


Pt. 4: Email


Pt. 5: Messaging

iPhone Competitors Should Focus on Keyboard

Here's some free advice to companies like Nokia and Research In Motion: focus on the keyboard. It's amazing that so much money is being poured into making touchscreen clones when it's obvious these companies simply don't have the software-developer talent to compete with Apple. What these companies need to do is spread FUD (fear uncertainity doubt) about the iPhone's touchscreen keyboard and point out that most people still prefer a keyboard with keys. Check out the Samsung vs Instinct video below. The whole point of the commercial (that the Instinct has GPS, the iPhone doesn't) was outdated as soon as it was made. And how much money do think was wasted on it? Competitors, focus on something that's likely not to change. I mean, the iPhone is still going to destroy you, but this way, it'll take a little longer.

Mobile Firefox Looks Good

Check out this video demo of Mobile Firefox. One thing that Apple should take away from this video is the disappearing URL bar. I can't understand why Apple let the URL bar take up so much screen real estate. It should go away when the page finished loading. Give the viewer maximum screenage. Another strike against Mobile Safari is that it also keeps a bar on the bottom of the screen that accesses and adds bookmarks and navigates to tabs. I know the iPhone offers a larger screen that most cell phones, but that doesn't mean we don't want every centimeter of it to view web pages.



Firefox Mobile Concept Video from Aza Raskin on Vimeo.

How Much is Apple Getting from AT&T for Each iPhone 3G?

Now that AT&T is no longer delivering revenue sharing, I wonder how much they're giving Apple upfront for every iPhone activated?

A clue may be in the price Vodafone is selling a contract-free iPhone 3G in Italy. They are selling the 8 gb for 449 euros, which is about $691, and the 16 gb for 569 euros, which is about $876 (according to Google's rate conversion for today).

If we assume those prices are what Apple would sell the iPhone in the US, then AT&T is reimbursing Apple $492 for the 8 gb and $577 for the 16 gb.

If we look back to revenue sharing and say Apple was getting $15 a month per contract, that comes out to $360 for each iPhone over a span of two years. Could AT&T have upped the ante in order to get the more draconian activation rules in place?

If I were AT&T, I would definitely up the ante, especially knowing just how powerful the new enterprise features in the iPhone are. They have to be salivating at the thought of getting contracts from the corporate world--the easiest big money out there. Plus, they are making an extra $10 per month on the $30 data plans. If Verizon didn't regret passing on the iPhone the first time they saw it, they have now with the iPhone 3G.

I did not think Apple would allow the kind of shitty customer experience that comes with phone activation for the iPhone. But I think all that upfront cash changed their mind.

Is the iPhone Too Cool for Companies?

With all its enterprise-friendly features, there has been much speculation about whether this version of the iPhone will take away a large amount of market share from the Blackberry in the corporate world, or maybe even replace it.

I would argue that perhaps no matter how sophisticated, powerful and easy to use Apple makes the iPhone, companies will not make it the standard phone they give out to workers. It simply comes down to the issue of class; the executives do not want to be on equal footing, even technology-wise, with someone way down the ladder.

Case in point. In my short career span, I've worked for several different companies in several different industries. The one unifying aspect of my jobs is that no matter how computer-intensive my job duties were (including editing videos), the executives of the company always had a better computer than me. And from what I saw, these same executives never did anything more computer intensive than check their email. So, unless Apple puts out a Nano version of the iPhone, it will probably be Blackberrys for the blue-collar white collars, and iPhones for the white-collar white collars.

I'm Convinced We Won't See 3G iPhone at WWDC

With all these rumors of boxes in warehouses, faked iPhone print ads, and secret envelopes from Apple, it's a wonder we haven't seen more actual photos of the 3G iPhone.

My prediction: we won't be able to buy the 3G iPhone next week. In a month, maybe. I think next week is all about iPhone 2.0 and iPhone OS. Afterall, WWDC is all about developers, developers, developers.

Gary Krakow: Apple Needs to License Blackberry

Ever have your grandpa complain about new technology and tell you everything was better in the old days? Well, here is a video of Gary Krakow from the Street.com saying Apple needs to put Blackberry and Windows Mobile on their iPhone. Now, this guy is the Senior Technology Correspondent for TheStreet.com, and I think that tells you everything you need to know about TheStreet.com. "Put the Blackberry on the iPhone." Hilarious. Also, notice how he treats the young woman at the beginning of the video. Also tells you everything you need to know.

iPhone 2.0 Interface Video (Fake But Cool)

This is an impressive video, a fake, that looks like it's the introduction of the 3G iPhone from Steve Job's upcoming presentation at WWDC. It features a home screen that goes into landscape mode when turned on its side. It has shows messages popping up on the home screen along with various controls on the home screen.