IPHONE......

IPHONE: IPOD + PHONE

The long-awaited Apple iPhone, which hits store shelves on June 29, marks Apple's formal entry into the cell phone world.It's a phone with an ipod or an ipod with a phone. Steve Jobs announced the iPhone at Macworld 2007 to a frenzied reception and the handset has continued to attract wide interest since then. A full iPod MP3 player with a wide screen, the iPhone also packs in a version of OS X, true push e-mail via Yahoo Mail (plus compatibility with your office e-mail), a 2-megapixel camera(but 5 mpx cameras were introduced in mobiles already), and a 3.5-inch display with higher resolution than any current iPod. But with only one physical controller and only a touch screen for a keypad, some critics predict that the iPhone will be harder to use than fans might like. The iPhone will be available in 4GB and 8GB configurations for $499 and $599, respectively, and will be carried by AT&T starting on June 29, 2007.

The iPhone, as Jobs proudly dubbed the device to thunderous applause, will be three devices in one: a cell phone, a wide-screen iPod with touch controls, and an Internet communications device. Cingular is the lucky carrier (apparently the companies have patched up their relationship following the Motorola Rokr bust).

As usual with Apple gear, the iPhone breaks some design boundaries. Say goodbye to traditional cell phone buttons-the iPhone is all touch screen, all the time. With only one hardware control (a "home" key), iPhone's real estate is dominated by a huge, 3.5-inch display. From what we call tell, the device looks beautiful with a resolution of 320x480x160 pixels per inch (the highest iPod resolution yet, according to Jobs). The videos and photos look great, and we love that the "smart" screen shifts automatically to a landscape orientation when you start to play a video. One giant touch screen controls the phone, and no stylus is needed. Use your fingers to type messages and e-mails on an onscreen keyboard--Jobs promises onscreen typing will be faster than on a standard smart-phone keypad, but we'll believe that theory when we actually get a device in our hands.

Of course, such a large display makes for a large phone: the iPhone measures 4.5x2.4x0.46 inches. No, it won't slide into smaller pockets, but it joins the similarly sized Palm Treo 750, and its weight (4.8 ounces) is mostly standard for a handset of this size. Of course, the slim profile is noteworthy as well. We're a tad surprised Apple has jumped on the thin phone bandwagon, but trim design, after all, is the cell phone trend of the day. As Jobs made clear, iPhone is thinner than both the Motorola Q and the Samsung BlackJack.