3G on 1st gen iPhone?

[kneshoba]

I may just be crazy, or just full of wishful thinking as Friday approaches. But what if the 1st Gen iPhone has 3G capabilities maybe hidden, kinda like the wireless N capabilities in the MacBook/Pro where you had to have a update to enable it. Here is the reasoning to my post:

"The GSMA wants regulators to co-ordinate their planning so that the industry can plan and invest around UMTS equipment and terminals that can operate at 900MHz. The GSMA also suggests that the 850MHz waveband in the USA and Latin America be refarmed for UMTS."



But like I said I may just be crazy, or just full of wishful thinking.

 

[wjp09]

I don't think so, it is a battery killer aparantly.

 

[Harleyguy]

I seriously doubt the 1st gen will support 3G... after all, how else will Apple get us to by the 2nd Gen iPhone and lock us in another 2 years?


That being said, I would gladly take a battery length hit for added internet speed!

 

[doron]

...i tlkd with a rep and he said that it wont be 3G...at least on this one...

 

[kdarling]

I don't think so, it is a battery killer aparantly.

Battery usage doesn't stop all the other high-bandwidth phones that are available. Just carry a backup battery and slap it in, in a few seconds, and keep going.

I'll take high speed internet any day over something that takes 30 seconds to load a page. Ditto for GPS, so I don't have to enter my location for searches, directions each time, etc.

Not to mention, if you kill your battery watching videos on a long flight, you can still use your phone at the other end if you can pop in a charged battery.

 

[soloudinhere]

Battery usage doesn't stop all the other high-bandwidth phones that are available. Just carry a backup battery and slap it in, in a few seconds, and keep going.

I'll take high speed internet any day over something that takes 30 seconds to load a page. Ditto for GPS, so I don't have to enter my location for searches, directions each time, etc.

Not to mention, if you kill your battery watching videos on a long flight, you can still use your phone at the other end if you can pop in a charged battery.

The iPhone does not have user replaceable or user-exchangeable batteries.

 

[JnC]

I think the point that everyone has overlooked is just how small AT&T's current 3G deployment is. Check out the detail from the coverage map that was linked above.

 

[kdarling]

The iPhone does not have user replaceable or user-exchangeable batteries.

Thanks, I know. It was in reply to a suggestion that high-speed internet was left out of the iPhone because it chews up batteries. That answer to that is obvious: they could've made the battery replaceable, like everyone else.

 

[wot_fan]

Thanks, I know. It was in reply to a suggestion that high-speed internet was left out of the iPhone because it chews up batteries. That answer to that is obvious: they could've made the battery replaceable, like everyone else.

Look at all the comments made by Apple haters about the iPhone. Do you really think Apple wanted to give them ammunition by making the iPhone's battery life so poor that you would have to carry an extra battery? I for one would rather have battery life than 3G. I don't think we will see a 3G iPhone in the States until Apple can provide both.

 

[kdarling]

Look at all the comments made by Apple haters about the iPhone. Do you really think Apple wanted to give them ammunition by making the iPhone's battery life so poor that you would have to carry an extra battery? I for one would rather have battery life than 3G. I don't think we will see a 3G iPhone in the States until Apple can provide both.

You're probably right about the wait, but since other devices have the same battery problem, there's no ammunition there.

If it takes an iPhone 30 seconds to download a web page, and another device only 6 seconds, which one will a reviewer go ga-ga over?

It'll have the same battery problem using WiFi, btw. If we're out all day on campus, say, away from a charger, using the web, ipod and phone, we'll wish we had an extra battery.

 

[fitz62]

The iPhone does not have user replaceable or user-exchangeable batteries.

there goes the bearer of bad news again..don't they have a board where you could go spew your hate?

 

[iphonenut]

the iPhone in its current state was approved by the FCC under certain criteria. in order for it to be 3G, it would have to be reevaluated.

in other words...aint happening.

 

[robhon]

Has anyone considered this in relation to the 3G issue?

Where is the market going? Even 3G is not THAT fast. And more and more data is going to be downloaded via cell phones. I imagine that's a race (data rate v. data volume) that can't be won. Hell, the computer industry barely stays ahead of land line speed demands for most people.

There are places where they are installing free wifi through out an entire city. Most peoples homes have wireless. Is this where MOST of the data, even on your phone, is going to come from?

Personally I don't see EDGE (or 3G for that matter) being that useful for anything other than texting and whatever data has to transfer for visual voicemail. Any web surfing, for me at least, is going to be via wifi.

 

[FeistyGirl]

I think the point that everyone has overlooked is just how small AT&T's current 3G deployment is. Check out the detail from the coverage map that was linked above.

Luckily I live just outside Baltimore, so 3G is available within my area.

Having used the 8525 though, I will say that 3G, while certainly speedier for texting, etc, is still pretty darn slow for web browsing. Even with 3G, I find myself only really using web browser when using Wifi.

Should be interesting to see how the speed on the iPhone is when browsing 'normal' sites