The iPhone in Europe: To 3G or not 3G?
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With Apple holding a press event in London next Tuesday, expectations are running high that the iPhone will make its long-awaited European debut. But if the iPhone is unveiled next week, will it be in its current form or as a 3G handset? The answer to that question could go a long way toward determining whether the mobile device enjoys as much initial success overseas as it has in the U.S.
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Mobile WiMax supposedly will be faster and cheaper than 3G cellular data service.  So why are there so many skeptics?
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Apple Inc is calling a London news conference next Tuesday as speculation mounts that the U.S. consumer electronics guru will unveil long-awaited plans to bring its iconic iPhone cell phones to Europe.
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I had a great Skype talk with Paolo yesterday. He was driving his car, in Italy near his home in Trieste. The connection was great, it was like living in the future.  One of the things we talked about was the iPhone. At first I talked about it as if Paolo had had one from the outset. He feels that close, and he's the kind of person who would get the latest Mac toy on Day 1, just like me. Later, when he said he just got his iPod Touch, I realized of course, this is one of those things we got here in the U.S. that they haven't gotten yet in Europe. Don't worry, they have some something we don't, a strong currency. :-( So here's his first writeup of the iPod Touch.
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Barely out of the shops in the United States, Apple&#39;s eagerly anticipated iPhone is the subject of increasing speculation about how and at what price it will be rolled out in Europe later this year.
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(InfoWorld) - The first generation iPhone is barely on the streets, but some users and analysts are already talking about when a second-generation model will be launched to take advantage of faster 3G wireless network speeds for speedierÂ  Internet browsing. The first version of iPhone supports AT&T's EDGE -- Enhanced Data Rates for GSMÂ  Evolution -- network, a 2.5G network advertised as providing download speeds ofÂ  70Kbps to 135Kbps AT&T and Apple chose that network because it isÂ  the largest network, reaching 270 million people,Â company officials said last week. However, several analysts and reviewers believe that the next-generation iPhone, which could ship early next year in the U.S., will be provisioned toÂ  handle a faster 3G network, such as AT&T's High Speed Downlink Packet AccessÂ  (HSDPA), to support download speeds of 400Kbps to 700Kbps. However,Â  AT&T and Apple would not comment Thursday on their plans or a timetable forÂ  iPhone 2.0 or AT&T's HSDPA. AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel stressed that "HSDPA is available in 160 metro areasÂ  and AT&T will continue to build it out through the rest of the year, soÂ  obviously we're continuing to build 3G. " But Siegel also repeated comments made last week that iPhone users will acceptÂ  the slower EDGE speeds, especially since the iPhone can access faster WiFiÂ  networks when a hot spot is available at home or a coffee shop. "We haven't hadÂ  many complaints about EDGE," he said. "What really matters for a real humanÂ  being using the iPhone who doesn't know anything about EDGE is that this isÂ  going to be a great experience in totality, whether searching for a stock quoteÂ  or a map or many other things. We think overwhelmingly that people will beÂ  thrilled using this device. The experience they have on EDGE will be a reallyÂ  good one." Siegel's comments, however, don't match user consternation about EDGE speedsÂ  registered atÂ theÂ MacRumors forums, or concerns raised by some reviewers, including one who said itÂ  took two minutes to download the Yahoo Web site home page. The discussion thread at MacRumors asked people to post their EDGE speeds overÂ  iPhone using a network measuring tool. Some reported speeds were higher thanÂ  those advertised by AT&T, but most were slower, with 64Kbps on July 3 inÂ  San Diego and 71Kbps in Los Angeles that same day. "Boooooo!" is the onlyÂ  comment from the San Diego user identified as FreeState. GnarleyMarley87 inÂ  Atlanta reported 126Kbps in Atlanta on EDGE, but 1,245 Kbps over WiFiÂ  at home. Other uses weighing in on Macrumors about the differences between 3GÂ  and EDGE and why Apple is waiting indicate that iPhone users are aware thatÂ  AT&T's 3G network is not widely available in the U.S. Users also noted thatÂ  3G-capable phones consistently run down batteries faster than those on slowerÂ  networks. One analyst, Ken Dulaney at Gartner, recently confirmed that aÂ  3G phone can use up a battery at a rate 30 percent faster than a 2.5G phone. Apple officials would not comment on a timetable for the next iPhone release,Â  or even whether it will support 3G. Two analysts tended to support the decision to release the first iPhone overÂ  EDGE in order to get the broadest network reach over higher bandwidth. "EDGE isÂ  not a show-stopper for iPhone, and I think the next version will likely haveÂ  3G," said Michael King, an analyst at Gartner Inc. King said some industry experts believe Apple can have a second generation device ready by October, but that Apple won't unveil them so closely behind theÂ  first version's June 29 release. King believes AT&T's HSDPA network will beÂ  more widely available for U.S. users in late 2008. "It's a pretty usableÂ  network now," he said. With a second generation iPhone, Apple is also likely to support QuickTime, giving access to streaming video that will also use more bandwidth that willÂ  tend to require a 3G network, King said. Shiv Bakhshi, an analyst at IDC, said that Apple was "wise to have chosen unibiquitous network reach over bandwidth ... a culture of mobile data consumption in the U.S. is only beginning to set in. By the time it takes hold,Â  Apple will be out with 3G iPhones and AT&T will likely roll a 3G HSDPA networkÂ  across its national footprint." Asked when both will happen, Bakhshi said "in under a year." But Bakhshi said that it is not clear how much current iPhone users will be downloading from the Web. Songs and video can be imported from a PC, so EDGEÂ  speeds might not be an impediment for the average user. "Every network falls short as your expectations rise higher," he said."SomeÂ  people will always be high-end users and will find EDGE really frustrating, butÂ  for the average Joe Blow like you and me, it will suffice." Bakhshi said that data usage may not be the biggest driver of iPhone sales."The single biggest driver of iPhone may not be data usage," he said. "Instead,Â  it might be just its ability to invoke envy in your friends." Â
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Slow transfers while using AT&T's EDGE network for Web browsing with the iPhone have prompted interest in when Version 2 will emerge and whether a faster 3G network will be ready to accommodate it.
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Vodafone have launched the long-awaited third generation, 3G, mobile phone service that offers video calls and music downloads. The use of 3G technology promises faster data rates for mobile users that will
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With AT&T reportedly having activated over 600,000 iPhones as of Monday, it's no surprise that European carriers are eager to jump on Apple's bandwagon. Numerous reports have pointed to wireless carrier O2 being chosen as Apple's exclusive iPhone partner in the United Kingdom.
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Vodafone to be the UK provider? A German newspaper has claimed that Apple's iPhone will be coming to Europe through a deal with local carrier T-Mobile.â¦
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Samsung held a forum in South Korea this past week showing off fourth-generation wireless technology. However, with the uptake of 3G not as quick as planned, do consumers need faster wireless data just yet?
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Apple's reportedly will announce deals to sell the iPhone in Europe this week. Carriers O2, Orange and T-Mobile are said to be giving huge portions of the usage fees back to Apple.
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Barcelona will host the wireless industry this week at the 3GSM World Congress. Look for flashy cell phones, faster networks and small-screen entertainment. By the Associated Press.
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(InfoWorld) - The U.K. is considering letting mobile phone operators run 3G (third-generation) services on frequencies reserved for 2G services, a change that could mean better 3G coverage and lower costs for the public, the government's telecommunications regulator said Thursday. The move by the Office of Communications (Ofcom) follows the expected relaxation of a longstanding European Union (E.U.) restriction on how certain frequencies could be used. A consultation period started on Thursday and runs through Nov. 29. Other European countries are undertaking similar moves to liberalize their 2G spectrums, according to a spokesman for the GSM Association (GSMA), a trade group for mobile phone operators. A 1987 E.U. directive restricted use of the 900MHz and 1800MHz spectrums second-generation services based on the GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) standard, which at the time was intended to foster growth of mobile communications across Europe by ensuring a large market for common hardware. The European Commission has proposed allowing 3G in those spectrum ranges: It says the original directive is now stalling growth of 3G services. The proposal should become policy by the end of the year once it is approved by the European Parliament and the E.U. Council of Ministers, according to the Commission. Operators across Europe have been running 3G services in the 2100MHz frequency band for several years. But opening up the 900MHz spectrum is key, as the lower frequencies allow better penetration of buildings, Ofcom said. The signals also carry further, so in rural areas fewer mobile phone masts are necessary: Ofcom estimates that high-quality mobile broadband Internet services could be provided with 10,000 fewer sites per operator. In turn, consumers should see lower costs for 3G services, the Commission has said. Finland and France are already trialing 3G services in the 900MHz band, the GSMA spokesman said. Market analyst Ovum estimates 300 million people will have 3G connections in Western Europe by 2012 if 3G is deployed at 900MHz and 2100MHz. That's compared to only 235 million connections if 3G is restricted to only 2100MHz. About 50 million have access to 3G today. Operators will likely want to continue using the 2100MHz band, as it has a higher traffic capacity than the 900MHz band, and so is better for urban areas where there are more users. In the U.K., Vodafone Group and O2 (UK)Â use the 900 MHz spectrum but only for 2G services. Ofcom is suggesting letting the other operators, Three, run by Hutchison 3G UK; T-Mobile International; and Orange, to have access to that band. The spectrum would be auctioned, with Ofcom awarding licenses as soon as 2009 and services starting by 2010, the regulator said. Ofcom is also looking at removing some technology-specific restrictions from the 1800MHz and 2100MHz bands, which could happen next year.
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Users may see an iPhone with 3G technology in the next six months, a financial analyst said Monday, citing waning inventory of Apple&#39;s current iPhone and the increasing demand in Europe for 3G products.The iPhone shipments are likely to be weak during the March quarter, and inclusion of 3G technology in the phone could ensure that Apple meets its target of shipping 10 million iPhones in 2008, analyst Richard Gardner of Citigroup said in a research note on Monday. 3G is a high-speed wireless communications standard that provides broadband Internet capabilities to cell phones and mobile devices.An iPhone upgrade to include 3G technology could help the company forge more relationships with carriers as it builds a European presence. &quot;We believe that lack of 3G has been a significant headwind for iPhone in Europe where 3G is already pervasive,&quot; Gardner said.During meetings with Citigroup, Apple reiterated its plan to introduce the iPhone into additional European countries and Asia by the end of 2008, Gardner said.In a December report, Shaw Wu of American Technology Research said a 3G iPhone would likely ship around the middle or in the second half of this year after network coverage and battery life issues are addressed.During the iPhone rollout in the U.K. last year, Jobs said that 3G chips were &quot;power hogs&quot; but also said he expected to see better battery consumption this year. Chip vendors, including Broadcom and Arm, are developing power-efficient 3G mobile chips with multimedia capabilities.3G is still not widely deployed in the U.S., Wu wrote in a report. Apple could possibly position the new iPhone as a high-end smart phone with the current iPhone being shipped as a more mainstream product, Wu said.Apple&#39;s 3G plans in the U.S. could get a boost from AT&amp;T&#39;s announcement last week that it was expanding its 3G wireless coverage to 350 major U.S. markets, including all 100 of the largest cities.Until the iPhone becomes available in more countries, unlocking numbers will remain high. But as the iPhone&#39;s presence expands, &quot;most consumers will prefer to use iPhone on the network with which Apple has a relationship -- only then can they take advantage of innovative features, such as visual voicemail and ongoing software updates,&quot; Gardner said.Up to 35 percent of all iPhones sold since its launch in June have been unlocked and sold in countries where Apple does not yet have a formal relationship with a wireless carrier, Citigroup&#39;s Gardner said.There has been plenty of speculation surrounding the release of a 3G iPhone. Last year, Apple CEO Steve Jobs and AT&amp;T CEO Randall Stephenson separately said a 3G iPhone was coming in 2008, though the exact date is shrouded in secrecy.
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A new report from investment bank Goldman Sachs predicts that Apple's 2008 releases will include a 3G iPhone and a modified Apple TV. According to AppleInsider, the research report was written by Goldman Sachs analyst David Bailey and was based on information obtained from component suppliers in Asia.
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US technology giant Apple picked mobile phone operator T-Mobile on Wednesday to launch its iPhone handset in Germany, with deals in more countries expected as the group prepares for the European roll-out of its latest gadget.