It's Official! iPhone is coming

Steve Jobs told us from MacWorld Expo in San Fran. Really, it's just Apple's version of the smartphone. (Picture from Apple's Website) Article from InfoWorld

"This is a day I've been looking forward to for two and a half years," Jobs said. "Every once in a while a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything."

In 1984, said Jobs, Apple introduced the Macintosh, and changed the computer industry. In 2001, Apple introduced the iPod, and changed the entire music industry. "Well, today, we're introducing three revolutionary products of this class," Jobs said. "The first one is a widescreen iPod with touch controls. The second is a revolutionary mobile phone. The third is a breakthrough Internet communications device."

But, he added that "these are not three separate devices. This is one device. And we are calling it iPhone. Today Apple is going to reinvent the phone."

Jobs explained that smartphones provide phone and e-mail and what he called "the baby Internet. They're not so smart and not so easy to use."

Interesting pic. It looks like a phone that looks like the dashboard of my Ibook. More info.

The iPhone does not use a keyboard, nor does it use a stylus, as many smartphones do today. The device uses new technology called "Multitouch."

"We're going to use the best pointing device in our world," said Jobs. "We're born with 10 of them, our fingers."

Multitouch is far more accurate than any touch display, according to Jobs. It ignores unintended touches, supports multifingers gesture. "And boy, have we patented it," he added.

The iPhone runs Mac OS X, said Jobs. "Why would we run such a sophisticated operating system on a mobile device? It's got everything we need," he said. "It's got multitasking, networking, power management, awesome security and the right apps. It's got all the stuff we want. And it's built right in to iPhone. And has let us create desktop-class applications and networking.

IPhone also synchronizes through iTunes. It syncs media, contact information, calendars, photos, notes, bookmarks, e-mail accounts. "All that stuff can be moved over the iPhone completely automatically," Jobs said.

The iPhone features a 3.5-inch, 160 dot-per-inch color screen. There's a small "Home" button on it. It's also remarkably thin -- 11.6 millimeters, thinner than any smartphone out there, according to Jobs.

Here is the kicker. Actually two. The pricetag and the U.S. carrier.

Apple Computer Co. said Cingular, a unit of AT&T, will be the exclusive US carrier partner for Apple's iPhone, its new mobile phone that downloads and plays music.

As part of this multi-year partnership, Apple and Cingular are working together to provide new features such as iPhone's pioneering and unique Visual Voicemail, a first on any mobile phone in the world.

Apple's iPhone will be available in the US in June 2007 in 4 and 8 gigabyte models and will work in combination with Apple's iTunes running on either a PC or Mac.

According to the AP wire, the cost will he around $499. Not sure if I want to pay $500 for a phone though. Some people LOVE their phones. I like my phone and my service. But I have until June to decide.

Another factor. I am going out of the country for 2 months this summer (That's the plan). So I will either take this with me or wait to buy it. So I've got some decisions to make. Of course, I could pay a pretty penny and try for an unlocked phone on Ebay.