Apple have just started informing resellers of their strategy for the release of the Apple iPhone in Australia. Resellers have been told the following:

• Release will be in the last week of June
• The iPhone will not be exclusive to one carrier
• You won’t be locked in to a contract with a particular carrier
• Current resellers will be able to sell iPhones

Being able to use more than one carrier suggests that the iPhone will be compatible with the latest 3G networks. In Australia, the only high speed network the current iPhone works on is Telstra’s network. If Apple was to release the current model here in Australia, they would need to be exclusive to Telstra, or persuade other companies to upgrade their network to support it. However, if a 3G iPhone is released it won’t matter, as all Australian telcos have a 3G network

The iPhone – A Revolutionary New Mobile Device
The Apple iPhone was released in the US in June 2007 and has sold like hot-cakes. The iPhone is a mobile device that does pretty much everything – mapping, email, internet, digital music, photos, video, calendar, stock quotes, sms , note taking – plus more! There is the ability to write applications (or “widgets”) as the iPhone uses the full Apple MacOS operating system (not some cut down version).

The iPhone, while apparently similar to a high-end Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), goes significantly further in usability and does away with a stylus (the plastic pointing device used by most PDA’s) by using a new input method called multi-touch. Multi-touch is a new, more versatile way to interact with the iPhone by using hand and finger gestures. An example of this is unlocking the iPhone by simply running your finger across the bottom of the screen. The iPhone also contains all the music and video capabilities that has made the Apple iPod so popular.

iPhone Features
SMS texting with a predictive QWERTY software keyboard that avoids and corrects mistakes.

2 megapixel camera and a photo management software that is better than anything used before on a mobile phone. You can synchronise photos from your PC or Mac computer.

Tilting the iPhone turns the device into a widescreen iPod with touch sensitive controls that allow you play digital music, audiobooks, videos, TV shows and movies on a beautiful 3.5 inch colour widescreen display. You can synchronise your iPhone from the iTunes library on your PC or Mac and can scroll through songs, artists, albums and playlists with just a flick of your finger. The album artwork is colourfully presented on the large display.

Includes a HTML email client and Safari web browser which automatically syncs from your PC or Mac computer. The web browser includes built-in Google and Yahoo! search, plus the iPhone multi-tasks, so you can read a web page while downloading your email in the background.

The iPhone’s Maps application lets you view Google maps and satellite images, or get directions and traffic information.

The device also has widgets, which are small programs that give you helpful information like stock reports, weather reports, and more in real time.

The iPhone detects when you rotate the device from portrait to landscape and automatically changes the contents of the display, so you see the entire width of a web page or a photo in its proper landscape mode. A sensor detects when you move the iPhone to your ear and turns off the display to save power and prevent accidental touches until it is moved away. An ambient light sensor automatically adjusts the display brightness to the best level for the current light, therefore enhancing the user experience while also saving power.

Apple iPhone Specifications
These are the specifications for the current model Apple iPhone sold in the US:

• System requirements – Mac OS X 10.4.8 or later or Windows XP or later , iTunes 7, broadband connection is recommended
• External Controls – Volume Up / Down – Ringer / Silent – Power / Lock – Sleep / Wake – Menu Button
• Dimensions – 4.5 x 2.4 x 0.46 inches / 115 x 61 x 11.6mm
• Weight – 135 grams (4.8 ounces)
• Input Method – Multi-touch
• Operating System – OS X
• Screen size and resolution – 3.5 inches, 320 x 480 pixels
• Storage – 4GB or 8GB
• GSM – Quad-band (MHz: 850, 900, 1800, 1900) – Australian version is rumoured to be 3G compatible)
• Wireless data – Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) + EDGE + Bluetooth 2.0
• Camera – 2.0 megapixels
• Battery – Lithium – Up to 5 hours – Talk / Video / Browsing – Up to 16 hours – Audio playback
• Connectors and other input & output – 30 pin iPod connector, 3.5mm jack includes audio and mic support, SIM tray, built-in speaker and microphone