DailyTech - 6/27/2007 Daily Hardware Reviews -- Apple iPhone Edition

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Hardware 6/27/2007 Daily Hardware Reviews -- Apple iPhone Edition
Brandon Hill (Blog) - June 27, 2007 11:55 AM

36 comment(s) - last by crystal clear.. on Jun 28 at 9:25 AM

Apple iPhone @ Everywhere

Diamond Radeon 2900 XT 1GB @ GotFrag

DailyTech's roundup of hardware reviews from around the web for Wednesday

Radeon 2900XT 1GB
Diamond Viper Radeon HD 2900XT 1GB @ GotFrag

Apple iPhone
@ NY Times
@ AllThingsD
@ USA Today
@ Newsweek

Dell XPS M1330
@ Notebook Review
@ CNET
@ PC Magazine

UMPCs
Samsung Q1 Ultra @ Trusted Reviews

Motherboards
XFX nForce 680i SLI Motherboard @ bit-tech
Asus P5K Deluxe Mainboard @ X-bit Labs

Memory
Mushkin HP2-6400 2x2GB Memory @ EclipseOC

Displays/TVs
V7 D22W12 22" Widescreen Monitor @ motherboards.org

Enclosures
Revoltec Zirconium PC Chassis @ Guru3D
Antec P190 Case @ Bjorn3D
Antec P190 Case @ 3dGameMan
Antec P182 Mid-Tower Case @ TheTechLounge
Spire Pininfarina @ techPowerUp

Cooling
Noctua NC-U6 Chipset Cooler @ Hardware Canucks
Coolage Freezer Orb F0-Z924AL Intel Heatsink @ Frostytech.com

Power Supplies
Thermaltake PurePower RX 600 Watt Modular Active PFC Power Supply @ Tweaknews.net
Hiper HPU-4M730-SS Type M 730W PSU @ Benchmark Reviews

Peripherals
HP Officejet 5610 All-in-One USB Printer @ Bigbruin.com
Antec MX-1 External HDD Enclosure @ HardwareLogic
Evoluent Vertical Mouse 3 and Mouse Friendly Keyboard @ OCC

Multimedia Devices
iRiver T60 (4GB) @ TrustedReviews

Digital Cameras
Samsung Digimax A7 7-Megapixel Digial Camera @ ThinkComputers.org

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best to wait

By colonelclaw on 6/27/2007 12:01:58 PM , Rating: 2

frankly if i was a hardware manfacturer i would hold back on releasing anything at all this week, cos even if it plays WoW AND does the washing up it isn't likely to get a great deal of coverage :)

RE: best to wait

By KristopherKubicki

(blog) on 6/27/2007 12:04:16 PM , Rating: 5

No 3G on the iPhone. Immediate thumbs down.

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RE: best to wait

By EarthsDM on 6/27/07, Rating: -1

RE: best to wait

By KristopherKubicki

(blog) on 6/27/2007 12:30:17 PM , Rating: 3

Yes, 3G is only about 2Mbps where I live (Chicago). But I can get 3G just about anywhere, where as WiFi is relatively locked down out here.

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RE: best to wait

By Zirconium on 6/27/2007 12:45:33 PM , Rating: 2

quote:
I live on a college campus with 1.5 gigabit wireless.

There is no 1.5 gigabit wireless. Not even at MIT. And while the iPhone is an impressive machine, the lack of 3G support is a killer for many people who buy smartphones. Also, the enormous hype surrounding it is quite annoying.

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RE: best to wait

By h0kiez on 6/27/2007 1:56:31 PM , Rating: 4

quote:
Text

Just because 3G is good, and EDGE is terrible, doesn't make the iPhone bad.

For me it does. Once you have use EV-DO on Verizon or Sprint (what I use), you just can't go back. Wi-Fi may be useful to some, but I honestly almost never use it on my PPC. At work, all the Wi-Fi networks are locked down...in the car, there are none, and at home, I'm not using a phone to get on the internet.

And while we're on the negatives, let's talk about price and
1) How the markup on the phone is said to be well over 100% based on iSupply stats, and
2) How utterly retarded it is that AT&T wants a $175 ETF, yet provides absolutely no subsidy for the phone whatsoever.

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RE: best to wait

By theapparition on 6/28/2007 7:07:33 AM , Rating: 2

Even if there existed 1.5Gb Wireless (Which doesn't, AFAIK), the iPhone only supports b/g. So 50Mb with limited range at best.

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RE: best to wait

By reactor on 6/27/2007 12:23:41 PM , Rating: 2

It has wifi though, which is where I think mobile tech is going. No more cell phones just mobile voip phones.

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RE: best to wait

By inorganicmatter on 6/27/2007 12:37:49 PM , Rating: 5

WiFi is only covered in certain areas. The whole point of smartphones is that you get internet ANYWHERE. If we had WiFi everywhere, we'd be spending our $2000 on ultraportable laptops instead of iPhones (and yes, do the math, an iPhone will cost you close to $2000 after the rapage...I mean contract).

No 3G = instalose

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RE: best to wait

By reactor on 6/27/2007 1:08:28 PM , Rating: 3

I agree that at this point in time, not having 3G is a big loss. What I was saying is that I think Wifi is where we are headed for mobile devices.

You right in that wifi will not provide the same coverage as a cellular network, but having a network in nearly every town is feasible giving the lower operating cost of wifi. Think about it, how many people buying these things will ever be outside a city or town that will have wifi? Not many. These things are the new urban status symbol.

$2000?; buy the time the iPhone gets all the issues resolved(no Flash and Java are my main gripes), the contract should be finished and hopefully they will open it up to all networks. You'll still get raped, cause thats what all carriers do, but some give you the courtesy of a reach-around.

Not having 3G is but one problem, I won't be buying one until all the gaps are filled(at which point there might be something better). And at that point in time, wifi should be much more widespread, which is what I was originally getting too.

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RE: best to wait

By theapparition on 6/28/2007 7:05:11 AM , Rating: 2

quote:
buy the time the iPhone gets all the issues resolved(no Flash and Java are my main gripes), the contract should be finished and hopefully they will open it up to all networks.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't AT&T have an exclusive 3 year deal. If so, 3 years from now, there will be a lot better phones available. Wifi should just be an add on, to suppliment when available.

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RE: best to wait

By GoatMonkey on 6/28/2007 8:33:46 AM , Rating: 2

I went to the Cingular/AT&T web site this morning. The first thing you see is a big ad for Motorola Razr 3G phones. I'm guessing that this means their network does support it. It's crazy that they wouldn't take advantage of that with such a high profile phone.

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RE: best to wait

By h0kiez on 6/27/2007 2:11:38 PM , Rating: 2

quote:
It has wifi though, which is where I think mobile tech is going. No more cell phones just mobile voip phones.

Here's the thing...a phone needs to satisfy demands TODAY. People that have phones like WinMo phones, Treos, Blackberries, and now iPhones are at or near the cutting edge. We get new phones every year or two if not more often than that. A phone dropping today needs to work well TODAY, not have a feature that "is where tech is going" since today's iPhone will be trashed in 18 months for something better.

Also...tons of other phones have Wi-Fi. It's not exactly revolutionary thinking from Apple.

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RE: best to wait

By AmbroseAthan on 6/27/2007 12:37:57 PM , Rating: 2

I like how the reviews I have read find the iPhones main problems being: bad cell phone service/quality, and extremely slow internet (which will likely get solved with somftware upgrade, maybe).

Besides the bad services of AT&T, it seems Apple has pulled off all of its side of the iPhone. The reviewers seem to really like it once they are used to it, a great all-in-one device, and I would love to have one on someone else's network with 3G. Or even just give me a widescreen video IPod with the same touchscreemn and everything.

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RE: best to wait

By h0kiez on 6/27/2007 2:07:54 PM , Rating: 3

quote:
I like how the reviews I have read find the iPhones main problems being: bad cell phone service/quality, and extremely slow internet

Uh...believe it or not, those are pretty major problems for a phone/PDA. Maybe the reviewers love the UI, but if it sucks at making calls and accessing the internet, then there are better devices on the market for me.

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RE: best to wait

By Aquila76 on 6/27/2007 5:47:16 PM , Rating: 2

Yep. They should've called it the iBone.

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RE: best to wait

By masher2

(blog) on 6/27/2007 4:25:46 PM , Rating: 3

For those saying the iPhone is "too expensive", I have to quote from the NYT review:

quote:
Better yet, unlimited Internet service adds only $20 a month to AT&T’s voice-plan prices, about half what BlackBerry and Treo owners pay...

A $20 monthly savings over 2 years will almost pay me back for the entire cost of the phone itself.

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RE: best to wait

By theapparition on 6/28/2007 7:22:00 AM , Rating: 2

True, but your getting more (3G) with other services. Do you also pay for dialup or DSL (Slower & Cheaper) when Cable or Fiber is in your area (Faster but more expensive)?

Value is the real question. I'm not going to debate that, since it's a personal choice. Some people may value the iPhone higher than I do, and are willing to pay. I've had the opportunity to play with one a month ago and it is very slick, no doubt about it. But there were also some usability issues as well. Was it better than what I have now (cell and Axim X51v)? For me, the answer was no. I'd rather stick with what I have for many reasons.

One thing your forgetting is the future worth of money. For me, $600 invested today should be worth signifigantly more than that in 2years time.....so yes, all else equal, I'd rather pay more per month, than all upfront.

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RE: best to wait

By crystal clear on 6/28/2007 9:25:55 AM , Rating: 2

The picture of the iPhone in the article says "CINGULAR"-

should be AT&T.

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heh

By Anh Huynh on 6/27/2007 12:41:36 PM , Rating: 5

I find it amusing despite the long list of features it lacks when the free phones AT&T offer have said features, its still receiving positive reviews. Steve Jobs can do no wrong, except not support 3G, can't set songs as ringtones, no flash support, no instant messaging (no MSN for people sitting, waiting and bored), no picture messaging (how else are my friends going to send me funny pictures!), no voice dialing (sorry my old Nokia 3390 had this feature) and the list goes on...

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/apple/finally-confirmed...

I'll have to admit the browser is quite nice, however, after using Microsoft's Deepfish technology preview, its essentially the same thing in concept, except I can enjoy it with 3G goodness.

RE: heh

By InsaneGain on 6/27/2007 1:31:05 PM , Rating: 3

I haven't seen an iPhone myself, but I would guess that the fact that the reviews are positive even without the features you mentioned means that the features the phone does have are compelling.

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RE: heh

By gradoman on 6/27/2007 2:07:33 PM , Rating: 2

Could some of those issues be solved through software? I kinda remember during Mr Jobs' keynote (can't say I was really interested -- my girlfriend was, until she saw the price) that the iPhone's OS is based on Mac OSX...

Whatever, anyways, could some of these things you're looking for be added?

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RE: heh

By Anh Huynh on 6/27/2007 2:14:02 PM , Rating: 2

Yes. The features can be added, however, features claimed to be added to hardware in the past takes a while, or never comes to fruition. And by the time the features arrive, there's already newer, better devices.

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RE: heh

By Oregonian2 on 6/27/2007 5:51:37 PM , Rating: 1

No songs for ringtones? Puke! I've got very low cell phone standards, I use it mostly just for, uh, talking with it. 3G matters nothing at all to me, and I don't really even care about text messages. But among the very few things I did want (just went through this) were the MP3's as ringtones and an alarm-clock (for trips). Also wanted a folding clamshell type for reasons I won't go into there. Not much more (got a KRZR K1 in cobalt blue, so it also was small and very beautiful to look at ). No MP3 ringtones? Surely that can't be right, that's got to be about the most fundamental thing to do and should be a nobrainer software-wise for something that can play songs at all (it can, can't it?). good grief!

P.S. - Although not a requirement, I find the KRZR's amazingly well working voice commands to be very useful (without voice training!). Especially with a good sized phonebook list. Surely the iPhone at least does that basic thing! (My wife has a European accent and it recognizes her english perfectly as well! Amazing technology).

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RE: heh

By colonelclaw on 6/28/2007 5:25:02 AM , Rating: 2

let's not forget that this is a version 1.0 release. the iphone will only get better and better, and it's inevitable that all the features people say are missing now will be eventually added. just as i never use a microsoft operating system until the first service pack, i'm not planning on buying this phone until v2.0, by which time it will be sorted

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Oops

By pauldovi on 6/27/2007 12:16:50 PM , Rating: 2

You know how mad people are going to be when they drop their iphone and break it... Opps, there goes $700

I wonder how easy the screen is the scratch?

I think the iphone is going to fall flat on its face.

RE: Oops

By KristopherKubicki

(blog) on 6/27/2007 12:30:47 PM , Rating: 2

quote:
I wonder how easy the screen is the scratch?

1st gen iPod Nano?

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RE: Oops

By Goty on 6/27/2007 1:19:25 PM , Rating: 3

They got rid of the plastic screen and replaced it with glass.

So, essentially, the answer is, "Not so easily."

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RE: Oops

By Haltech on 6/27/2007 3:53:37 PM , Rating: 2

a.k.a. no scratches but all break

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RE: Oops

By InsaneGain on 6/27/2007 1:23:58 PM , Rating: 2

Yeah I would be worried about dropping or losing an iPhone. My Motorola Razr has slipped out of my pocket a couple of times while I was sitting and I was lucky that friends later found it. That's the problem with expensive technology being packed in to smaller and smaller forms - it's easier to lose them. The iPhone is supposed to have a high quality glass screen that is not easy to scratch. The phone actually does look to be very well engineered and innovative. It is impressive how Apple takes what looks like a maturing, stagnant, generic industry and reinvigorates it with innovative marketing and product design.

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RE: Oops

By theapparition on 6/28/2007 7:28:30 AM , Rating: 2

quote:
You know how mad people are going to be when they drop their iphone and break it... Opps, there goes $700

That's actually a very good question. For most phones, they are basically $0-200 w/contract. However, if you try and buy one without contract, they are much more expensive. What is the cost of an iPhone without contract, to replace a damaged one? Or, since the activation is through iTunes, do they not place a premium on replacements?

Just wondering?

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Innerds

By Slaimus on 6/27/2007 3:37:38 PM , Rating: 2

Let's see which website dissects the iPhone first.

RE: Innerds

By Johnmcl7 on 6/27/2007 10:31:12 PM , Rating: 2

Well, it's not exactly hard is it? I'm completely baffled reading through these reviews how they can praise the Iphone so highly when it has so many deal breakers. If someone else produced a phone with such laughable faults, it would quietly disappear off the market.

John

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Picture error

By GoodBytes on 6/27/2007 12:59:29 PM , Rating: 2

Picture error, the iPhone clock should be 9:42, and NOT 9:41...
It must be consistent with other iPhone pictures on Apple site ;)

Remember iPod...

By Frags on 6/28/2007 4:16:04 AM , Rating: 2

Before the revisions of the iPod, many said the same thing. iPod doesn't have this feature and this..Compared to my Arcos, the iPod is trash and so forth. Look at where it is today.

Like others have said I will wait til the iPhone gets a few more software revisions and WiFi is more widely supported or it has 3G. I wouldn't mind if it also had a Silverthorn processor and Phase Change Flash.

Til then I will stick to my Blackberry and wait.

I'm not discounting this product, I just think it's not at the level that the current iPod is today. I love my iPod and can't wait til iPhone is more.