We're not sure whether to classify this as a deal or not, but getting an iPhone for 100 EUR (about $155) sounds tempting, nevertheless. Not all is sweet, though. In order to take advantage of the "99 EUR for the 8GB iPhone" deal, interested Germans will have to sign for the "Complete XL" plan which costs 89 EUR per month. Sure that amount buys you thousand minutes, 300 SMS and unlimited use of EDGE data and T-Mobile's hotspots, but that's still a lot for a monthly bill.

Alternatively, other "Complete" plans — L, M and S — can make iPhone cost 149, 199 and 249 EUR respectively, while at the same time delivering less minutes and SMS, and limited use (500 MB) of EDGE data in case of the "S" plan.

Obviously, we're wondering where this goes. Is T-Mobile having hard time selling iPhones to the 3G-lovin' German, or they are preparing for the 3G iPhone launch? We can only hope the latter is true…

[Via: Engadget Mobile]

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• iPhone hits Austria via T-Mobile
• T-Mobile Germany chime in on iPhone sales - 70,000 iPhones sold so far
• T-Mobile Germany announces the MDA compact IV
• Vodafone Germany gets jiggy with Visual Voicemail too - kind of
• T-Mobile Germany announces MDA Ameo 16 GB

If you're like me, you don't buy into the antenna-boosting scam. I may be little harsh to the whole niche industry, but adding an external antenna without opening the actual device and connecting the wires simple doesn't make much sense to me. Maybe I'm wrong…

Anyway, we've recently spotted Griffin's antenna-boosting case for iPhone called ClearBoost which promises, guess what, to improve the signal reception on your shiny handset. The case seems solid enough and the package even includes the so-much-needed screen protector sticker. The piece of metal on the back of the case supposedly should do all the magic when it comes to signal reception.

Griffin says that "you can expect to see improvements that won't necessarily be reflected in the number of bars on your iPhone," making me even be more cautious. Maybe I'll try one after all. Have to see whether the stores around have it, and if it works, I'll report back to you. In the meantime, check out the Griffin's "How can I measure how well ClearBoost is working?" video after the jump. Alternatively, you may want to visit their site to get more info on the product.

[Via: CrunchGear]

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• Wi-Ex zBoost zP Gets Personal- Indoor Wireless Signal Booster Promises Better Reception
• Apple iPhone book, "How to Do Everything with Your iPhone" available for preorder
• BoxWave announces iPhone accessories

Folks living in Germany have it easy where the iPhone is concerned, thanks to T-Mobile who are offering the 8GB iPhone for a mere €99, as long as you purchase it with a 24-month contract. Granted, there are plenty of rumors floating around about a 3G iPhone being released sometime this year, but I’m sure the iPhone will still look good a couple of years down the road. Folks rocking to the monthly €89 Complete XL plan will benefit from 1,000 minutes, 300 SMS messages, and unlimited data. Does this news make you want to move to Germany? I’d prefer to go there during October for Oktoberfest while talking nonsense with my friends on the iPhone in a drunken stupor.

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At AT&T's press conference, CEO Ralph de la Vega primarily talked about cooperation with Microsoft to deliver Surface tables/computers in the mobile operator's stores around the country. Along with Microsoft's Robbie Bach, the two talked about wonders of the customer experience and how AT&T will benefit from using the Surface technology. We've already covered that part and that's not "on the table" in this post.

The other part of presentation as well as the post-conference Q&A session was more focused on 3G and 4G technologies. There, at some point, de la Vega himself said that all of the carrier's smartphones will be 3G within a "months." Now wait a minute, AT&T also carries Palm Centro and Apple iPhone. While I doubt we'll see Garnet singing along HSDPA, iPhone is completely another beast. Is this a hint or what? CEOs are well trained to speak with the press and I doubt de la Vega accidentally said the "months" word. On the other hand, he may just wanted more publicity, which is also highly unlikely. Guess we'll have to wait and see…

[Via: Engadget Mobile]

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US iPhone owners are spending their time enjoying all its capabilities – voice, data communications and multimedia entertainment – rather than exclusively using it for traditional voice calls, according to a latest consumer survey by research firm iSuppli.

Owners of all types of mobile handsets use their phones for voice communications 71.7% of the time, according to research from iSuppli’s ConsumerTrak survey of US residents. In contrast, iPhone owners spend just 46.5% of their time with the product engaged in voice calls.

US consumers said they spent 12.1% of their iPhone usage time accessing the Internet, a stark contrast with 2.4% for all mobile phones on average. Furthermore, iPhone owners spent 11.9% of their usage time listening to music or other audio, compared to just 2.5% for all mobile handset users.

“This usage pattern shows Apple has succeeded in producing a true convergence product that consumers like to use for multiple purposes,” said Greg Sheppard, chief development officer for iSuppli. “Apple has come as close as anyone to achieving a balanced convergence in mobile-handset features and usage.”

It’s a phone, too

Even before Apple released the iPhone, everyone anticipated it would integrate the mobile phone’s voice communications capability with the iPod’s audio and video playback functionality. However, Apple has also worked to tailor and promote the iPhone as a device that makes Internet access pleasant and productive, and more like using a computer, according to iSuppli. The large multi-touch screen, ergonomic user interface and Wi-Fi connection, make accessing the Internet something people want to do more with a device like the iPhone, the research firm claimed.

Although iSuppli’s research indicates smartphones from HTC are used more than the iPhone on a percentage basis for surfing the Web, the iPhone has the most volume and market impact. Google and Bank of America recently commented on how the rapid rise of traffic from iPhone owners is forcing them to modify their support of mobile Internet activities.

Feeling used

iSuppli’s ConsumerTrak survey revealed iPhone users also spent more time emailing than all users on average, with owners spending 10.4% of their time on this task, as opposed to 2.8% for all mobile-phone subscribers. In spite of having only limited corporate IT support so far, the speed (via Wi-Fi) and ergonomics of the iPhone are
compelling users to access their personal email more frequently.

iPhone users are no different from anyone else when it comes to text messaging, as 15% of their time is spent on this activity, according to iSuppli.

source

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Everyone wants needs an iPhone competitor. In a market flooded with notions that sleek and slim smartphones with a rock-solid and intuitive interfaces are the way to go, no carrier can afford to ignore the touchscreen craze that's sweeping the mobile space. And, Sprint has just announced their own attempt to woo the touchscreen crowd with the Samsung Instinct.

Sprint's Samsung Instinct wasn't available at Sprint nor Samsung's booth for some reason. I had to wait until an evening-event to get my hands on the Samsung Instinct, where Sprint had a handful of reps ready to showcase the new Sprint touchscreen handset.

Packed with a 2 megapixel camera, GPS, FM radio, EVDO Rev. A (the first Rev. A device on Sprint, according to the Sprint rep), 3-inch touchscreen (pressure-based and flush with the face of the device), and microSD card slot, the slim touchscreen offering from Samsung should help Sprint regain (or at least retain) some of its lost customer base. The Samsung Sprint measures a svelte 2.17 x 4.57 x 0.49 inches and tips the scales at a rather solid-feeling but still light 4.4 ounces.

The Samsung Instinct looks and feels much like the Samsung F700 Croix/U940 Glyde, without the sliding keyboard (of course) and without the award-winning Croix interface. The haptic feedback on the Samsung Instinct is the same pseudo-haptic feedback system that Samsung likes to use on their touchscreen handsets - the entire device vibrates with every touchscreen input. The vibration feedback novel at first, but then gets annoying quite quickly.

Overall, the pressure-based touchscreen was nice and firm - there was very little touchscreen "squish." The display's flush design helps to keep the Samsung Instinct's lines clean and smooth, and the LED backlit navigation buttons added a bit of flair to the device. As an iPhone competitor, this is probably as good as it's going to get for now (on Sprint). Capacitance touchscreen technology would have made the Samsung Instinct a little snazzier, and the UI could use some refinement. But in the end, if you want to get in on the full-body touchscreen craze, and you want to stay with Sprint, the Samsung Instinct is probably your best bet.

Booth reps said that the Samsung Instinct should be launching in June at a price point that is sure "to surprise" us all. I'd put money on the Sprint Samsung Instinct commanding a mid-$200 price tag with new contract.

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It is now clear that there is an iPhone shortage, since AT&T has been busy clearing out their refurbished iPhone stock while Apple stores seem to run short of iPhones no matter which part of the country you’re in. Pundits and Apple fanboys will definitely think positively - is there a much needed iPhone refresh on the way? Chances are Steve Jobs will wait until this June or WWDC to announce a 3G iPhone, so September ought to be the month where you break the bank to pick up one of these newfangled iPhones. Just keep your fingers crossed that a 3G iPhone, when released, won’t experience a $200 price slash a couple of months after that.

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From what we can tell in the Silicon Valley, a good chunk of these dual-users are around here. I do see a lot of people with an iPhone (to show off) and a Blackberry (to get stuff done) and it is not surprising: despite what iPhone fans are saying, the virtual keyboard of the iPhone simply underperforms, and guess what, it does not get any better overtime.

That’s exactly what I said on January 9 2007: “In my opinion, the iPhone can win the hearts (and wallets) of users who wants a read-only smartphone”

Highlights (from valleywag)

• The most heavily used data function on the iPhone is reading (but not writing) email.
• 40 percent say the iPhone has trouble displaying some websites they want to visit.
• 50 percent of iPhones replaced conventional mobile phones, 40 percent replaced smartphones, and 10 percent replaced nothing.

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The iPhone’s main strength lies in its ease-of-use and multi-touch interface (of course, good looks do go a long way), and not many challengers have surfaced in these departments so far. The Samsung Sprint Instinct could be just the one to topple the iPhone, featuring the following specifications :-

• GPS navigation capability
• 3G/HSDPA support
• Sprint TV and Microsoft Live Search
• Haptic technology for tactile feedback
• 2 megapixel camera
• microSD memory card slot
• Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity

There is no word on pricing as at press time.

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Ladies and gentlemen, I present to your the big momma of all iPhone unlocking tools to date known appropriately as ‘Pwnage’. this software update enables an iPhone to install unsigned firmware, which means hackers will be able to integrate their latest cracks/unlocks/applications directly into the newest firmware, leaving the user with a ‘pwned’ iPhone (for the want of a better adjective) that just needs to restore the hacked firmware through a file in iTunes. Guess jailbreaking an iPhone has just gotten so simple, even your dog could do it! I wonder what Apple has to say about this…

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