iPhone: Information from Answers.com Mobile

iPhone

A very popular smartphone from Apple, which revolutionized the mobile computing world almost overnight. More than a half million free and paid applications are available from Apple's iTunes Store (see App Store). Data and applications can be sent to the phone wireless or via Apple's iTunes software, which is used to organize music, videos, photos and applications (see iTunes). The current model is the iPhone 4S. For a summary of all iPhones, see iPhone versions.

Quite a Frenzy

No phone in the history of the cellular industry ever created so much buzz. People camped out overnight to be first in line when the iPhone debuted in 2007. Considering more than 200 million devices using the iPhone's iOS operating system were purchased in the following four years, the enthusiasm was justified.

Specifications and Network Speeds

The iPhone is a GSM or CDMA phone with music and video playback, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and still and video cameras. Powered by an ARM processor, it uses a custom version of the Mac OS X operating system. The maximum flash storage started out at 8GB, increasing to 64GB in subsequent models.

Often called the "2G," the first AT&T iPhone used only the EDGE cellular data network, while the AT&T iPhone 3G, 3G S, 4 and 4S support both EDGE and the faster HSDPA 3G. The Verizon iPhones 4/4S use the EV-DO data network. Although EDGE/HSDPA and EV-DO service are generally available and Wi-Fi hotspots are not, Wi-Fi still provides the fastest data transfer (see Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi hotspot).

One inconvenience is that, like the iPod, the iPhone has a sealed battery and must be sent to Apple or to a third-party company for replacement if not under warranty. There is also no slot for memory card expansion. See iPod, iPod touch, iPad, iBricking and iClone.

The Home Screen

Pressing the only physical button on the front of the unit displays the home screen, which is the main menu to all operations. (Image courtesy of Apple Inc.)

Beautiful Presentations

The iPhone set a precedent for attractive screen presentations and clever functions. The weather panels of selected cities are scrolled horizontally with the finger.

The iTunes App Store

In 2008, Apple launched the App Store with the 3G, turning it into a general-purpose mobile computer. The 3G was also aimed at corporate users with its Exchange mail support. Later that year, this encyclopedia became available on the iPhone.

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