iPhone’s coming to South Africa

Get a second job if you need to, or be extra specially nice to your nearest and dearest, because according to reports in http://www.ioltechnology.co.za/ and http://www.thetimes.co.za/, the Apple’s popular iPhone is coming to South Africa soon.

The British cellphone giant Vodafone announced on 6th May, that it has signed the rights to sell the iPhone in 10 new countries including Australia, India and South Africa.

The handset, as many of you know, combines Apple's popular iPod music player, a video player and web browser with a nifty touch-screen device, and you can make a call just by pointing your finger (nicely please) at a name or number in the address book.

Shortly after its limited release last year, many people bowed down in reverence, hailing the handset as nothing less than revolutionary. A cellphone that is truly a mobile PC. Other technophiles, especially in South Africa, were left to turn a putrid shade of green in envy – some even imported the iPhone to have it cracked.

But no more. This desirable looking device should be available sometime later this year, although details about pricing and contracts have yet to be released.

So why has there been a time warp? Well, Apple was demanding a cut from iPhone users’ cellphone bills from the networks. “The limited release was due to a delay in establishing tie-ups with cellular operators, from which Apple receives a cut of call and data revenue,” reported Toby Shapshak writing for The Times on May 07, 2008.

Why are we drooling?
It’s a multi-band, internet-enabled multimedia cellphone. It’s got internet services, e-mail, web browsing and Wi-Fi connectivity. It features a virtual keyboard in the form of a multi-touch screen, and buttons. There’s a capable camera, an iPod media player, text messaging and visual voicemail.

Oh, and it’s not so shabby to look at either.

Now you can stop hyperventilating because there are a couple of “downers”.

What’s not so cool?
It’s not 3G or HSDPA-enabled, which makes connecting to the Internet slow. Currently the iPhone uses the slower 2.5G Edge data standard.

Although a 3G phone is scheduled for release this year, some say June, the question is, will this beefed-up version also be released in South Africa?

And if you’re not used to a touch screen you might find it takes a little time to get used to the navigation.

Will it work with MXit?
Currently MXit won’t run on the iPhone. The good news is that sometime in the future, we might make a special version for it.

Shake, rattle and roll

Handset manufacturers have cool new plants for devices that are not only touch sensitive, but also motion, rotation and shake sensitive. Our thumbs, which some people joke are becoming genetically modified for keypads, might soon be made redundant because keypads and buttons could soon be relegated to history.

So LG electronics unveiled the Secret (KF750) on 25th April, 2008, a snazzy touch phone that has Motion-Sensing, DivX. It’s the slimmest 5MP camera phone on the market at 11.8mm, includes photo and video editing features like Morphing (facial editing) and SmartLight that adjusts the picture’s light settings.

You can create music videos, and a single button accesses all five multimedia functions; music, photos, games, documents and FM radio. It’s loaded with a Google Package to surf the Internet, and the screen automatically shifts display from narrow to wide by holding the Secret horizontally. Gamers have got the added benefit of the motion sensing capability made possible by a tiny sensor called an accelerometer. This enhances games when tilting and rotating the handset so that you can, for example, catch a fish, or navigate your way through a maze.

Launched in Europe already, it will soon be available to the rest of the world.

MXit compatibility? Looking at the specs, it should work with MXit, but at the time of going to press, we can’t guarantee it.

Samsung G800

What is it?
A phone, a camera, an MP3 player


Who should buy it?
Photographers, that’s who. It features the first ever optical zoom for a 5MP camera phone. If you’re a pro you’ll like the face detection and Wide Dynamic Range (WDR). Digital camera features include panorama shots, multi shots and macro shots. There are video editing functions so that you can cut, past, and edit your own films. It supports High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), which means the photos or videos can be sent to others quickly.

Why buy it?
You’re after a digital camera and a multimedia mobile in one. You want a sleek, sexy handset that looks like a digital camera on one side and fashionable, eye-candy, cellphone on the other. You like a large, wide display 2.4”.


MXit compatibility
The Samsung G800 is MXit compatible and works quite well with it, altho’ sadly the camera does not work with MXit.


How Much?
At the time of going to press it was advertised at http://www.pricecheck.co.za/ for between R4,400 – R5,716.








Specs

• HSDPA (3.6Mbps)


• Embedded MP3 player


• Camera: 5 Megapixel, optical inner zoom (3X Optical, 4X Digital), Xenon flash, Auto Focus, Wide Dynamic Range, Face Detection, Image Stabiliser, Image Editor, Image Stamp, Panorama/Mosaic/Macro Shot, Landscape Camera UI, Camera Lens Cover


• 120MB memory + microSD card slot


• Display 2.4” 262K QVGA TFT LCD


• Features: Mobile blogging, PictBridge/USB 2.0/Bluetooth v 2.0, Multi-format Audia & Video, Full Browser, Google Search


• Size: 101.5mm x 52mm x 18.8mm

Love at first byte

Buying a cell phone? Considering a new contract phone?
MXit plays Cupid and offers 15 tips and questions to help you find your perfect phone.

You buy a handset because it’s cool, or you sign a contract in a hurry, and then you’re most probably stuck with the phone for a couple of years. The next thing you know, your friend’s bought a handset and it’s even better, and you wish you’d chosen that one instead.

Don’t decide on an impulsive whim, or just because the phone is really sweet. Understand what’s important to you, and make your choice based on some definite considerations. Then someone else’s nifty handset won’t seem quite so appealing after all.

1. Does it have a speakerphone? Or does it have an earphone, or Bluetooth for hands free calling - essential for in the car.
2. Is size or weight important? Would you rather have something small and slim to fit in your pocket?
3. Do you really need a 5MP camera or stacks of storage space for pics and music?
4. Check the speed of the user interface – important for overall ease of use and enjoyment of the phone.
5. Are you mad about music – is a good music player with ear-meltingly audio quality essential?
6. Do you want programmable ringtones – check if you can download them for free.
7. Is a touch screen important, and what about the size of the screen?
8. What’s the display quality like? Can you see the screen easily - contrast and backlight are important to make text and graphics easily viewable
9. Would you rather a large or small keypad?
10. The layout of the keypad and user-friendliness of the navikeys are important – especially for MXit. So make sure they are easy and quick to use because it will make a huge difference in the overall usability.
11. Will you be sending lots of emails – if so, is a Qwerty keypad important?
12. Are you always scrummaging around for your charger? Do you need a phone with a long battery life?
13. What design would you like? Flip-open, clamshell, or candybar? Slider-style (slide open) or swivel (twist open)? Try them all and decide which is best for you. A flip phone is not always so easy to open with one hand and if you go for a non-flip candybar style, make sure it has a locking device so that you don’t dial someone by mistake when you put it away in a hurry.
14. Do you want to be able to access the Internet? Most phones connect at slower speeds on the GPRS network; on EDGE. 3G networks are faster.
15. And most important of all: Ask - is the phone compatible with MXit?!