The iPhone is the smartphone that changed the world. Its revolutionary design defined the way we interact with a touch screen using Multi-Touch and it showed how apps can be distributed in a seamless manner through an App Store.
In case you didn’t know, the iPhone was first released exactly 10 years ago on 29 June 2007 after it was first announced at Macworld on 9 January 2007. At that time, the first gen iPhone was offered in two options: a 4GB option at US$499 (RM1,721 in 2007) and an 8GB option at US$599 (RM2,066 in 2007) on a two year contract with Cingular in the US.
Today, the 9th of January 2017, marks 10 years since Apple introduced the first iPhone ever — though the actual device was put up for sale on the 29th of June 2007. In a press release commemorating this momentous occasion, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that the “best is yet to come”.
There aren’t many technological revolutions quite like Apple‘s original iPhone. It was so radical and revolutionary that it ushered on an entire generation of new devices that we now probably couldn’t live without.
That was almost a decade ago and Apple’s idea of the iPhone has changed over 10 different iterations. So, with the launch of the brand new iPhone 7, we thought we’d take a quick look back at one of the most storied smartphones in the world.
Experiments are fun, mobile related experiments are even more so. MacRumors decided to record a blocked number’s attempts to call and text a blocker on an iPhone. And we’re sure that you’ve always wondered what actually goes on and whether these blocked numbers can actually reach you. This was what they found out.
They say a king is nothing without his people. A tree, nothing, without its roots. A product, nothing, without its consumers. So what happens when a smartphone manufacturer gets slapped with a class action lawsuit filed by the very people who used to preach their excellence?
If you’re getting an iPhone 6s outright without contract, SenQ wants to make the switch easier. They have just announced a trade-up program where you can trade-in your existing iPhone to get as much as RM900 off on your next device.
Apple’s latest iOS 8 update for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad is rolling out now in Malaysia. The latest software update brings tons of new features and it is close to 1GB in size.
It is available for iPhone (iPhone 4S and above), iPod Touch (5th Gen) and iPad (iPad 2 and above). To start downloading, head over to Settings > General > Software Updates. It takes about 30-40 minutes on 5Mbps Unifi plan to download.
UPDATE: Take note that iOS 8 would require up to 5.7GB of free space to update from the phone. Mashable has posted a solution that you can install with less free space by updating using iTunes on your computer. Just make sure you click on “Check for updates” and DON’T click on “Restore iPhone”.
During the announcement of the latest iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, Apple mentioned that the latest iOS 8 will be rolled out starting next Wednesday 17th September. This offers quite a significant update over the current iOS 7.1.2.
If your current smart phone is holding you back from getting a new iPhone 5S, Maxis has an easier way to switch. Now they are offering a trade-in and trade-up program which lets you swap your current Galaxy Note II, Galaxy S III, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S for the latest iPhone 5S on contract.
As comparison, normally the iPhone 5S is offered at RM1,599 with 24 months contract of iValue 1. If you bring in your Galaxy Note II or iPhone 4S, the iPhone 5S can be yours at RM849, which effectively is RM700 trade-in value. For the Galaxy S III and iPhone 4, that’s equivalent of RM500 trade-in value.
The trade-in program is available nationwide at Maxis Outlets and Exclusive Partners. All you need to do is bring your device even without the box, chargers or cables.
For more information, head over to Maxis or you can check out the full trade-in list after the break.
Fans of the Force, you can now pimp your iPhones in the most awesome Star Wars swag this side of the galaxy far, far away. These cases are as authentic as phone cases can be — the C3PO case is every bit just as shiny as the droid it mimics and the Chewbacca case has fur!
If you’re interested in getting one — or all — the cases are available on Amazon and is available for the iPhones 4, 4S, and 5, in used and new condition, from over 30 vendors. We tried ordering a Chewbacca case from the seller “Amazon.com”, and found that on top of the USD 27 for the case, the 2-to-4-day shipping charge to Malaysia was USD 31, bringing the total to about RM175. Not bad and probably worth it considering how easily scratched the iPhone 5 can be.
Just in “case” you’re thinking of buying one of these, remember to check that you order the right size!
UPDATED: Added Nokia & BlackBerry into Malaysian launch dates comparison.
Everyone wants to get their hands on their latest models right after it is being announced. With strong demand, manufacturers would want to get their devices into market before the competition comes out with a better model. So how long have we waited for the latest smart phone in Malaysia? We have compared global announcement and local availability dates of various iPhone and Android smart phone models to give an illustrations on our wait times.
Historically Apple has been reducing the roll out waiting time for Malaysia with the exception for iPhone 3GS which took a rather short 53 days. After that, the iPhone 4 took slightly more than 100 days which is then shorten to 72 days for the 4S.
For those still waiting for the illusive availability of the iPhone 5, so far we have waited about 59 days to-date. If Apple wants to beat the iPhone 4S in terms of waiting time, they have 13 more days to go which can be indicated if the telcos start their Registration of Interest by next week.
Apple isn’t the only one doing this as the other smart phone contenders too have been busy shortening its roll out wait times. As seen above, the Galaxy S II had taken more than 4 months for it to reach Malaysia but has shorten it to as little as 27 days for the Malaysian launch of the Galaxy S III. Other players too have strive to bring down the wait time under 2 months. The fastest roll out we’ve seen for Malaysia is the Motorola RAZR which took just 3 weeks to reach our shores.
Nokia and RIM in the other hand have taken more than 100 days to make their current models available after its initial announcement. Hopefully they can do better with their upcoming line up.
Overall we have been getting our latest gadgets quicker than before. Now it all depends on manufacturers if they can supply as quickly as possible while demand is still strong. Otherwise, it is their own loss if consumers are spending their money with something newer in the market.
With the anticipated iPhone 5 coming soon, telcos are beginning to cut prices on the current iPhone 4S. DiGi is now offering the iPhone 4S from as low as RM499 on its iDiGi 138 plan with 24 months contract. That’s RM1,300 subsidy over its current outright price of RM1,799.
The iDiGi 138 plan comes with 3GB of data, 450 minutes of calls, 400 SMS and 40 MMS for RM138/month. During sign up, there’s a RM1,200 advance upfront payment required which will go back to your monthly bills. If you don’t want to pay for upfront payment, there’s also an Easy payment model where you pay the 24 months total subscription via credit card across the contract period. Offer is valid until end of this month and while stocks last.
