The iPhone is out! Already saturated with the reports and interviews and pictures, I really think I should share some of the hype and some of the rants with everyone.

I won’t flame, I won’t let my personal opinions shine too much trough the text, but I’ll try to be as explicit and as impartial as possible.

Apple’s remarkable marketing machine kept on ‘leaking’ hype, rumors and details until the very last seconds. The advertising part - as with all their products - worked like a dream. People have been queuing and debating and sweating for days, waiting for their ‘Jesusphone’.

The queues themselves have become real shows, with press and promotions and everything. Read on for a brief compilation of what happened and what has been unveiled.

The Launch:

At 18:00 local times, each store opened, just to be flooded with tired but happy looking people. In Valley Fair, the first in line was Steve Wozniak! Shortly after, the first people carrying the little phone boxes began leaving the stores; of course the press was all over them.

Sadly, nobody could truly enjoy their device prior to activating it, so the look and feel of the new device was all that buyers could enjoy. However, everyone had huge grins on their faces. I’ve never seen as many people be so happy about spending that much money, especially for a phone.

First impressions:

Shortly after, people and companies alike got home with the new toy and started analyzing it in every possible way. They photographed it (engadget), touched it, tore it apart(iFixit, very detailed), wanted to see how rough it is.

Conclusions?.. Well the device has bad sides and good sides. There’s no soul or revolutionary technology inside, just regular phone parts (not even smartphone-oriented parts)

The Good

1. The battery really lasts long
2. It can withstand lots of abuse (here’s a PC World demo video)
3. The interface runs almost as fast as in the advertisements
4. There is a better, landscape-oriented keyboard (even if it’s only accessible in Safari
5. The ‘Net is fast when in WLAN coverage

The not-so-good

1. EDGE makes Youtube unusable outside WLANs, mail and web work at dialup speeds
2. Touchscreen needs some power applied, some mis-taps are pretty unavoidable
3. Really no way to copy-paste
4. One-handed operation difficult; the usual typing motion is a godsend to RSI therapists worldwide

The downright ugly

1. Absolutely no way of saving items from the browser on your phone (yup, no wallpapers or sounds or music from the web… all to be done at home via iTunes
2. Only pocketable for cargo-pants wearers
3. No file manager at all (well, all smartphones have that, plus the ability to send/receive files or save them from the web
4. The Bluetooth connection can’t be used to send anything, not even pictures or contact cards
5. You don’t even get notified or get a link when a MMS is received!
6. Every SIM-change requires a new activation

The list would continue, but I’d be accused of senseless flaming by the cohorts of fanboys.

A conclusion:
The iPhone is a very sleek, fast and beautiful phone. Sadly, it’s limited to very, very basic functions, though they’re gorgeously dressed. Apple’s marketing division did everything for it, and many people are acknowledging it as a smartphone.
It definitely is a revolution in how you interact with a phone. I’m very glad about it, as it will stimulate other manufacturers for the better.

It’s not perfect. As a matter of fact, it’s far off. But let’s not forget: it’s a first-gen Apple product, and they will definitely improve over time. I’m really eager to find out about the iPhone2.0 or about the European version.

The rumors:

Of course, Apple wouldn’t be Apple without rumors. Here’s a roundup of the most important rumors floating around:

1. The European iPhone will be a Vodafone exclusive and will have 3G
2. The second version is already in the making
3. Software updates will start rolling off ASAP in order to fix what’s been left behind
4. Microsoft is working on a strong competitor
5. The Meizu M8 will be ready for the holiday season (can’t wait!)

Official site. It can even be ordered here if you’re interested and haven’t been waiting in line.

I’ll follow up with rants and kudos as they’re unveiled.