Originally Posted by
derpelikan
in europe you dont need 3G for a phone. let me know a reason why you might need 3G if you have EDGE, which is supported by T-mobile in europe...but i think if you are permanently online, GSM + Edge is enough even for emails and syncing over the GSM net
Wrong on many counts. Here in the UK for example, the major networks skipped EDGE and went straight to 3G. They massively overpaid for 3G licences and need to recoup. EGDE is irrelvevant and just about non-existent here. Only one out the five major mobile networks (Orange) has EDGE here, a small partial network, and that fact is so obscure that most people dont even know it - the network itself doesnt publicise it and it doesnt use it - it puts its customers on 3G.
Also, you dont buy a shiny widescreen smartphone if you weren't planning on surfing the internet extensivley and watching video on it.
Here in the UK it is becoming quite common for people to watch news clips sports and oterh video streaming on their phones. SkyTV (popular satellite TV provider) even allows you to watch your home subscription on your phone.
People are not going to walk backwards to the primitive past here, not even for Apple. Sorry. The phone will need to have 3G if they plan on selling it at the nosebleed price points they are in.
Originally Posted by
Boraxo
Here's a question - why no built in radio? Are the parts that bulky? Or is it just not something that appeals to the target market?
Personally I would love to see a device with AM (not FM) where I could get free news and sports broadcasts but apparently you need to be driving a vehicle to find these anymore.
Radio=free content. Apple wants you to buy from their ITunes shop or pay to stream it from the network operator. Which is why they dont build it in to their MP3 players even though most of their competiton has them. Apple is a very efficient bleeder of pockets!
The difficulty with AM radio in MP3 players and phones is the length of antenna needed, I suspect.