Hardware


May 7, 2008 - Posted by Dan Moren at 12:36 PM ET

Juice Packs no longer just for kids

If you’re a road warrior who relies on having a phone/email device on you at all times, then you know there’s nothing worse than a dead battery, especially on the iPhone, where you can’t swap it out for a fresh one. There have been plenty of top-up solutions that use...

0 Comments

 

Feb 15, 2008 - Posted by Dan Moren at 12:11 PM ET

Device allows you to watch TV on your iPhone

I ask you this: why can't I watch TV on my iPhone? Seems like it can do everything else. Packet Video's matchbox-sized Mobile Broadcast Receiver, demoed earlier this week at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, aims to fill that niche. The device basically acts as a go-between for television...

2 Comments

 

Nov 26, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 2:40 PM ET

German unlocked phones still need iTunes

Thanks to legal wranglings between rival German mobile operators Vodafone and T-Mobile, the iPhone is available as an unlocked option, albeit a rather expensive one. But just how is such unlocking accomplished? Word on the virtual street is that it all stems from iTunes, naturally. But here's the catch: the...

0 Comments

 

Nov 9, 2007 - Posted by Jonathan Seff at 3:16 PM ET

iPhone timing, MythBusters style

If you've watched the Discovery Channel for more than a few minutes, chances are you've come across the show MythBusters. In at, special-effects gurus Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman -- previously seen pimping Intel's Santa Rosa chipset at an event in San Francisco in May -- test popular myths and...

7 Comments

 

Nov 6, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 1:41 PM ET

Can't stand your iPhone? PED3 to the rescue!

The iPhone and iPod touch are definitely the best video-watching portable devices that Apple—possibly anybody—has ever created, but they still have their shortcomings. For example, while the touch ships with a plastic stand that lets you prop up the iPod for longterm watching, poor iPhone users are condemned to a...

5 Comments

 

Nov 2, 2007 - Posted by Jonathan Seff at 6:46 PM ET

Fastmac joins the iPhone headphone adapter race

Every time I listen to something on my iPhone, I have to decide whether to use Apple's stock headphones (which include a microphone and track controls but make music almost inaudible when I'm walking down the street or on the train) or my fancy, custom-molded ear pieces (which seal out...

9 Comments

 

Oct 15, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 12:53 PM ET

3G iPhone getting closer to reality

Arguably the most requested feature for the next version of the iPhone is 3G, or third-generation, networking. 3G promises large speed increases for both uploading and downloading, giving mobile users quick network access even when not on a Wi-Fi hot spot. When Steve Jobs announced the iPhone in January, he...

3 Comments

 

Oct 1, 2007 - Posted by Jonathan Seff at 6:11 PM ET

My iPhone is now an iPod touch (sort of)

So I spent much of last night and today trying to turn my bricked iPhone into something other than an emergency cell phone. I went through the various methods outlined on the Web for downgrading the firmware from 1.1.1 to 1.0.2 (knowing full well that having run a software SIM...

5 Comments

 

Sep 28, 2007 - Posted by Jonathan Seff at 8:16 PM ET

Bricking my iPhone (updated)

I guess Apple was telling the truth. I decided to try the 1.1.1 iPhone update on my unlocked and hacked phone. The process went along just fine until the iPhone restarted. Then I got a message on the screen that I had an incorrect SIM. I took the SIM out...

159 Comments

 

Sep 18, 2007 - Posted by Jim Dalrymple at 6:10 AM ET

Apple announces UK iPhone

Apple CEO Steve Jobs told invited press in London on Tuesday that the iPhone will be available beginning November 9, 2007. Jobs also confirmed Apple’s mobile partner in the UK will be O2. You will be disappointed if you were waiting for a 3G iPhone -- Apple said the UK...

3 Comments

 

Sep 5, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 3:21 PM ET

iPod touch lacks recessed headphone jack

The ability to summon playback controls without having to "slide to unlock" may be one new feature that you'll see on the iPod before on the iPhone, but it's not the only trump that the new product has. An eagle-eyed commenter over at MacUser pointed out to me that the...

7 Comments

 

Aug 24, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 12:35 PM ET

Unlocking the iPhone in ten sort-of-kinda easy steps

By now you've heard the news. Town criers are shouting it from the rooftops. People passing in the streets are whispering to one another, and even the animals have sensed that something is amiss. But in case you've just emerged from some sort of ursine-like hibernation, allow me to tell...

2 Comments

 

Aug 7, 2007 - Posted by Dan Frakes at 2:53 AM ET

Review: Apple iPhone Bluetooth Headset

Since the iPhone's release, we've received several Bluetooth headsets for review. Today I tackle Apple's own $129 iPhone Bluetooth Headset, a svelte and stylish model that's likely the simplest on the market--in terms of both its ease of use and its functionality. In the box One thing to point...

8 Comments

 

Jul 31, 2007 - Posted by Dan Frakes at 10:22 PM ET

Our iPhone Wish List: Hardware

Earlier today, we published our "consenus" wish list for the iPhone. Based on an informal survey of iPhone users among the Macworld editorial staff, that list of 27 items represents the features that all, or nearly all, editors requested. But it wasn't a comprehensive list by any means. Our...

14 Comments

 

Jul 31, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 2:54 PM ET

DIY iPhone battery replacement

At the risk of turning into iPhone Battery Central, here's something that might bring a ray of sunshine to the lives of those disappointed with the fact that the iPhone's battery is not user-replaceable. The first third-party battery replacement kit has hit the market, courtesy of Brando (no, not the...

3 Comments

 

Jul 20, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 12:20 PM ET

BMW + iPhone: Look ma, no hands!

Own an iPhone and a BMW? And what kind of security do you have? I'm just...asking. Anyway, if you're interested in using your iPhone while in your car, BMW has confirmed that the handsfree system found in models made after October 2004 will be compatible with the iPhone. Not only...

6 Comments

 

Jul 12, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 3:20 PM ET

On the button

It's little surprise that so much of the talk about the iPhone's interface discusses the multi-touch screen. After all it's innovative and it's flashy, and those are two things we love. We've had hardware buttons for ages after all: there's nothing new there. But it's worth taking a look at...

3 Comments

 

Jul 9, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 10:06 AM ET

Say cheese

Ahoy. Having spent most of the last week in an undisclosed location that lacked not only Wi-Fi but pretty much any shred of cell phone reception, I've been suffering from the dreaded "half-an-iPhone" syndrome: when showing off the iPhone to the a large number of relatives, I had to continually...

4 Comments

 

Jul 2, 2007 - Posted by Rob Griffiths at 6:50 PM ET

iPhone headphone surgery

As has been noted in nearly every writeup about the iPhone, the headphone jack is recessed. This design decision (apparently necessary due to some element of the iPhone’s design) means that most headphones won’t fit into the port. The list of victims includes my beloved Bose QC2 noise cancelling headphones....

81 Comments

 

Jul 1, 2007 - Posted by Rob Griffiths at 9:31 AM ET

Blue over Bluetooth

Yesterday, Dan Moren wrote about Bluetooth, and included this small summary of the iPhone to Mac Bluetooth connectivity: “I also decided to try and pair my iPhone with my MacBook to see if I could wirelessly sync my contacts via Bluetooth. The short answer? Not so much. The iPhone will...

19 Comments

 

Jun 29, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 7:26 PM ET

iPhone unboxed!

Yes, I have an iPhone. However, it appears that in my infinite wisdom, while I packed my bag this morning, I did not put my MacBook's power adapter in. So, while I have my iPhone, I can't activate it. If you heard a piercing scream about ten minutes ago, that's...

4 Comments

 

Jun 27, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 9:46 AM ET

The iPhone's virtual keyboard is definitely my type

Bob is back. Today we get a video walkthrough of the iPhone's virtual keyboard, one of the most contentious features of the device. Many of us have dealt with virtual keyboards in the past (my old Handspring Visor had one), and know that they're little substitute for a fullsize keyboard....

7 Comments

 

Jun 25, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 4:54 PM ET

Yes, the iPhone will get you buzzed

Reader Christopher sent us this succinct question about the iPhone:Rumor has it that there is no vibrate function on the iPhone. True or False?Man, I used to love true or false questions—with a fifty-fifty chance of getting them right, they were totally way better than multiple choice questions. Hmm. Let...

6 Comments

 

ABOUT iPHONE CENTRAL

Get the latest news, reviews, and opinion about Apple's groundbreaking iPhone from the Apple experts at Macworld.

Want more information? Be sure to check out our complete iPhone coverage.

iPHONE VERSION

Our site's pretty iPhone friendly. But if you'd like to test an iPhone-app-like version of our site, click here and give it a go.

MACWORLD'S iPHONE REVIEW

How does the iPhone stack up? Read our in-depth review.

iPHONE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

Send your iPhone thoughts:
via e-mail
via voicemail
and we may use them on the site.


CATEGORIES

BLOG ARCHIVE