Rotten To The Core!! Apple Lies To Their Customers

If you've been paying attention to any of my iphone posts in the last year or so, you would have a pretty good idea of how I feel about it.

I LOVE(D) IT!!!

I've made it very clear that it is the most influential smart phone (or any cell phone) since the Motorola Star-Tac flip phone. I've never owned a device that has gotten better and better everyday, and has never lost its 'new' feel. That's why it pains me to say that I and may other users have been lied too by Apple.

The problem began with the latest update to the iPhone, which usually brings more features and functionality for the device. But the 3.1 firmware update was created to hide what Apple calls "a bug" in all 2G and 3G iPhones. Once the update is taken, any iPhone that is not a 3GS will lose its Exchange Support ability..... And there is no rolling back!!!

The funny thing about this is that Apple doesn't see this as an issue, but as a "fix" to the older iPhones. The way Exchange Servers work is that it will not sync to a device that does not have hardware encryption enabled. Well the previous iPhone firmware updates would tell the Exchange Servers that it WAS a hardware encrypted device and would sync. The problem is that it wasn't true..... Up until the iPhone 3GS, none of the previous iPhones had hardware encryption.

But that didn't stop Apple.....

During the launch of the 3G iPhone, Steve Jobs (black turtle neck and all) trumpeted the iPhone as having Exchange Support. Even going so far as saying businesses should dump Blackberry because their servers were not secure and very unreliable. Exchange Support was a huge selling point for the new iPhone 3G. So Apple rushed the 3G iPhone to market even though the device didn't have the hardware encryption needed, and gave it firmware that reports false information to Exchange Servers. So once the iPhone 3GS was released they finally had a true hardware encryption device that would legitimately have Exchange Support, to which Apple responded by pulling the Exchange Support plug on all original and 3G iPhones.

No matter how you look at this, it can only be viewed as fraud. There is no way you can tell me that Apple didn't know that iPhones were falsely reporting it was a hardware encrypted device to Exchange Servers. When I bought my iPhone 3G it was mostly due to it having this support, and now Apple is telling me that it was a "mistake" that took them 15 months to discover? Perhaps they should change the slogan of "It just works" to "It'll work, as long as we're not liable". Now my trust in Apple has been destroyed, as I now have an iPhone which I can never take another update if I wish to continue to receive work email on. If this is how Apple has decided to do business, then how can I trust them enough to purchase any product of theirs again?

Has Microsoft ever done anything like this?

Hero of Sparta

OK, finally a game that looks like it could compete with PSP and GameBoy games for the iPhone.  There are some great puzzle and word games so far, I haven't liked a single driving one I've tried yet.  But I'm not a person that normally plays driving games.  And despite all the reviews, Super Monkey Ball was not as fun as previous titles.  Well, this looks like it'll drain my battery a little more than Scrabble has so far.

The Blackberry Storm: Reviewed

With all the hype that’s surrounding the Storm, Blackberry’s new flagship touchscreen. I have to admit that I want to get my hands on one just to test drive the device. Without checking it out, I’m still sure that it doesn’t measure up to the iPhone and its overall appeal, but I know that Blackberry put together a pretty solid handheld. Well the guys at Gizmodo did get a chance to fondle one, and the results might surprise you about this smartphone. Some of the strongest features of the Storm that Blackberry talks about might actually be its weakest points.

For me, no Wi-Fi in the device is a deal breaker, but there are other quirks that might bother you.

It’s a good read, check it out.

[Gizmodo]

iPhone Ad Pulled In UK Due To Accuracy

Boy the UK's Advertising Standards Authority is a stickler on advertising accuracy. Hence why they have pulled the latest Apple iPhone ad, that says "all the parts of the internet are on the iPhone." Well the ASA says that it's not entirely true, and I have to agree to a certain point. Check the quote:

"Because the iPhone doesn't support Flash or Java, you couldn't really see the internet in its full glory...[Apple] made a very general claim that you can see the internet in its entirety, and actually that's not quite true - so we've upheld."

Apple argues that what they mean is that the iphone can access any webpage, not appearance. What I'm curious about is when Apple will make flash and Java work with the iPhone?

[BBC via Gizmodo]

Connection Issues With The 3G iPhone?

So now that we’ve had the 3G iPhone in our hands for over a month, all the little likes and dislikes are starting to surface. For the most part I absolutely love the phone, but some of the things that I’m hearing on the net are giving me concerns. One of the concerns is that the 3G coverage is not as advertised, and that users are experiencing poor 3G signals (or no signal at all). Some are reporting that their iPhone reverts back to Edge network consistently, due to poor 3G signal. If this is the case, Apple and AT&T have a problem. This isn’t the service that was promised with the new iPhone and if rumors of this being a chipset issue with the 3G are true, this could be a larger issue. Infineon which is the chip manufacturer may not have had the quality control that they wanted, due to the huge demand of making the chip for Apple. And if this faulty chip is causing issues with 3G network, who knows if the chip is also hurting the battery life of the phone? If this is the case, Apple might have to deal with 3 million 3G iPhone users who need their 3G chip replaced to correct the issue.

Now that will be a long wait at the “Genius” bar.

[GigaOM]

iphone Firmware 2.1 In Beta Testing: New GPS Features?

The iphone 2.0 firmware isn’t even cold in our hands and word comes down that Apple is beta testing firmware 2.1. Gear Live is reporting that Apple is beta testing the new firmware which is said to improve the GPS features to the phone. The change is to the core location functions which will track what direction you’re going and how fast. Hopefully, this will be the beginning of true turn-by-turn directions for the iphone.

[Gear Live via Gizmodo]

The truth on the iPhone

Great iPhone commercial. That being said, I just went to the AT&T store again and just placed an order for a 16gig iPhone in black. I'll be dammned if I wait in a longer line at the Apple Store than I was in at AT&T on launch day and it's almost a week later.

Hands On With The 3G iphone

Those lucky bastards at Gizmodo got their hands on a 3G iphone, and had a chance to give a brief review of sorts. Check it out:

"In my hand, the 3G iPhone is lighter, fits better, and noticeably thinner feeling as it doesn't have the same squarish shape. (You won't notice that it is thicker at all.) I made a call with it, side by side with my 1st generation iPhone, and the reception is noticeably better as well." more>>

New 3G iphone Commercial

Here is the new commercial for the 3G iphone.

Boy, that didn't take long.

3G iphone Is Here!!!

The new 3G iphone is now official!!!!

Here are some of the dirty details.

• Available on July 11
• $199 for the 8GB model, and $299 for the 16GB
• GPS is confirmed
• 16GB model is available in white
• iPhone 3G customers will be $30/month with business users paying $45/month. This on top of the voice plan that you have to have, starting at $39.99.

[Crunchgear]

New iphone 2 Spec Rumors

Alright, here we go with some semi credible iphone rumors.

According to the people at Cult of Mac, the new iphone check list will read as follows:

• 3G

• GPS

• 2 x memory (16GB and 32GB)

• 22 percent thinner

• Better battery life

All this was expected except the 22 percent thinner part which is cool. It's also said that it will be subsidized to hit the $200 mark. All will be revealed next Monday at the big Apple party.

[Cult of Mac via Crunchgear]

AT&T 3G iphone To Cost $199

Well this is certainly a good way for AT&T to keep people from running out and unlocking the new 3G iphone due out soon. According to Fortune, AT&T will subsidize the new 3G iphone as much as $200. Making the iphone as low as $200 with a soul sucking 2 year contract, which isn't that bad when you think about it. The catch is that you have to buy it from AT&T, as the 3G iphone will go for $399 and 499 for the 8GB and 16GB models at Apple stores. People who want to take their new iphone to T-Mobile or to export it will have to pay the higher price.

So buying straight from Apple will cost you extra!

Fortune's source also state that the 3G iphone does has GPS and is 2.5mm thinner, not thicker as previous reports. Fortune said that you'll know when it will ship, because Apple will cut off shipments of the original iphone to clear inventory.

Now if I could get one of those drones at Apple to tell me when shippments have stopped, my journey will be complete.

[Fortune via Gizmodo]