Prelaunch upgrades peg iPhone hype-o-meter at maximum
With the June 29 launch entering final countdown, Apple has announced upgrades to the iPhone that address what some considered two key flaws in the device: battery life and screen cover quality.
At launch, the new iPhone battery will be capable of up to eight hours of talk time, six hours of Internet use, seven hours of video playback or 24 hours of audio playback, the company said. [news release].
Concerns about the battery had arisen because, unlike similar devices by some other manufacturers, an iPhone user apparently won’t be able to change the battery with a fully-charged spare on the go. The longer battery life should allay some of those concerns, making the iPhone more practical for users without easy access to a power outlet.
Apple also announced that the iPhone’s touch-sensitive screen will be made of optical-quality glass instead of plastic. The glass should make it more scratch resistant.
So how hot will it be? The iPhone is all but certain to be a huge hit — even though it has its pluses and minuses — especially in light of a survey indicating 19 million Americans have strong interest in buying the device. In announcing the device in January, Jobs said the company’s goal was to sell 10 million by the end of 2008.
being a ppc user……and knowing life on the go….one has to wonder where exactly one will ever recharge the piece of crap if the is no way to change the battery..
as I change out one a day.
and starbucks has one outlet per store and could care less
Funny how the Merc and all other media outlets imply that this “hype” is all Apple’s fault.
But if you read any iPhone article you’ll notice how they slip in the little paragraph: “An Apple spokesperson said that they do not comment on unannounced products.”
Which really means that journalists have no facts to base their reviews on (Takahashi today reviewed the iPhone–yet he has yet to receive one), and are just as guilty of propagating the hype as the next news outlet.
Apple, meanwhile, had nothing to say.