iPhone: SPLASH DOWN

By DAVID YI THE GAZETTE


Apple fanatics like Alex Donaghy will go to great lengths to obtain the highly prized iPhone — even if it means waiting outside in Colorado Springs, hours before the launch.

Possibly the most-hyped phone in history, the iPhone is set to debut at 6 p.m. Friday. It will be available at AT&T stores (formerly known as Cingular Wireless), Apple stores and at Apple’s online store. There are three AT&T retailers in Colorado Springs.

All Apple and AT&T stores across the country will close at 4:30 p.m. local time Friday to prepare for the release and will reopen at 6 p.m.

The iPhone’s price — $499 or $599 for 4 gigabytes and 8 gigabytes, respectively — might deter some from buying the phone, but Donaghy and other Apple fanatics say they’ll gladly pay that much. Donaghy said he’s thinking about camping outside an AT&T store, and that he knows he won’t be alone.

“I’m a longtime Mac fan,” Donaghy said. “I’m a PDA phone user, but the iPhone is going to have a better user experience.”

AT&T and Apple have helped fuel iPhone hype by keeping even the most minute details surrounding the phone as secret as possible. Local AT&T store managers said they have little information about how many phones they’ll receive Friday and have been instructed not to talk to the media. That’s left some consumers confused as to where and how to obtain the phone.

“Quite a few called in,” said the manager of the Spring Communications store on Space Center Drive. Spring Communications is an AT&T authorized retailer but not an official corporate store. “But we’re not getting the first batch. We’re going to get the second in about a few months.”

Employees of the three AT&T stores in Colorado Springs did not know details of the events Friday.

“They’ve been pretty frugal about information,” salesman Preston Fobe said. “We’ve been trying to find shipping orders, but it’s difficult.”

Even some managers said they don’t know many details about Friday’s launch.

“We don’t know about it per se,” local store manager Brian Tony said. “It’s hushhush until the day of.”

Fobe predicts the phones will arrive in two shipments, one in the morning, and the rest when the store is closed Friday afternoon.

The stores have been preparing for the event, training employees about the phone’s features.

AT&T and Apple stores are not pre-selling the phone, nor are they taking orders. The phones will be sold on a firstcome, first-served basis.

One salesperson, David Las Cano, at the Spring Communications store in The Citadel mall, said he did not see it as a big deal.

“It probably won’t sell,” he said. “Most people want to play with it but not buy it. People probably won’t buy it because of the price.”

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Q&A

WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?

The iPhone is a luxury product, costing $499 for 4 gigabytes of memory and $599 for 8 gigabytes with the purchase of a two-year service plan from AT&T. The phone has a large touchscreen, not a traditional keypad. It doubles as an iPod music and video player and comes equipped with a digital camera. Apple said it has increased the phone’s battery life and given it a new, scratch-resistant screen.

HOW CAN I GET ONE?

The iPhone goes on sale at 6 p.m. Friday at AT&T and Apple retail stores and at Apple.com. Neither company would say how many iPhones will be available in the first shipment, but analysts project 1 million to 3 million will hit shelves Friday. AT&T has hired about 2,000 extra employees to help with crowd control during the first weeks.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE DOWNSIDES?

Consumers will have to have an iTunes account to download content, and they’ll need to hook up to a computer to load songs and videos rather than get them wirelessly. The iPhone will connect to the Internet using AT&T’s EDGE network, which is generally slower than the 3G network used by Verizon and Sprint. Instant messaging is not available. Some analysts wonder if Apple’s software will easily sync with personal and corporate business software. Typing on the touchscreen could also require patience.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FEATURES?

Simple access to Google Inc.’s online maps and route directions; an intuitive user interface, which allows for easy scrolling through a contact list; fast searches through photo albums; and quick callback for missed calls and recently dialed numbers. Also, instead of making users listen to voicemail in the order received, Apple has created what it calls “visual voicemail” for iPhone, an innovative way to see the list of voice messages so users can quickly choose the one they want to hear first.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I BUY IT?

Many analysts predict there could be glitches with the first iteration. Apple plans to offer automatic updates through iTunes. The iPhone comes with a WiFi receiver, which means you can get a faster connection at a hotspot. Apple has a 14-day return policy on the device. AT&T will handle service issues. The standard warranty package is good for 90 days, and Apple sells extended warranties. You aren’t covered if you break the device.

WHAT OTHER DETAILS HAVE BEEN RELEASED?

Customers will be able to activate their wireless service, including transferring their existing cell numbers to the handset, from home, using Apple Inc.’s iTunes software. That’s a convenience no other cellular carrier offers and something UBS Securities analyst Benjamin Reitzes called a “game changer” for the industry. Making the purchase and activation easy will lower selling costs and potentially further lift sales, Reitzes said Tuesday.
NEWS SERVICES

PLAN DETAILS

AT&T’s service plans for the Apple iPhone will cost $59.99 to $99.99 a month, the companies said Tuesday. The $59.99 monthly plan includes 450 minutes of voice time; a $79.99 plan includes 900 minutes; and a $99.99 plan includes 1,350 minutes. All three offer 200 text messages, unlimited data services, minutes that roll over from month to month and mobile-to-mobile calls. There is also a $36 activation fee.