And this year, the meaning of Christmas is ‘I FINALLY GOT AN X1 XPERIA! HAHAHAHAHAHA!‘

Oh, alright, it can be about peace and love, and families coming together too. So, as we all head home from work, to go for the big Christmas burn (which involves eating turkey until it comes out your ears, and enough sprouts to make a Force 10 hurricane), everybody here at Mobileshop wants to wish every single one of you out there the bestest, happiest and most funnestest (I may have made that word up…) Christmas in the history of christendom.

So, eat, drink, be merry, enjoy any new mobile phones you’ve got (which I plan to do, and so will me mam and dad, since they’re both getting new’ns), and make it a Chrimbo to remember. I’ll be back in the new year, and I might even stretch to a review of the X1 Xperia, if you’re good boys and girls. In the meantime, peace to all, and enjoy the big day!

THE BESTEST, HAPPIEST, MERRIEST HOHOHO-IN’ CHRISTMAS FROM EVERYONE AT MOBILESHOP.COM!

Right, something completely off the topic of mobile phones, today, but it’s an important announcement, since it concerns, I would imagine, most of our readership.
Microsoft have announced a security alert on Internet Explorer 7, according to the BBC, as there is an unpatched flaw in the browser, which could lead to your machine being compromised, and open up your details to being nicked. The way it works is that if you go onto a site that has some malicious code added to exploit the flaw in IE, and potentially sit there harvesting your details; things like gaming passwords, and potentially your bank and financial details.

So, until Microsoft actually get round to patching the vulnerability, what should you do to minimise the threat? Well, it’s a simple answer this time: use another browser. When even Microsoft say to use a rival browser, you know it’s a serious issue… Personally, I’d recommend Firefox, since it’s what I use.

So, grab Firefox, and if you really must go back to IE7 afterwards, then wait until Microsoft have patched the vulnerability. Then you should be ok.

Firefox is still better, though…

Heard any more about this internet security alert? Spread the word here!

Oh, and she can dance, as well, she wants you all to know, although what bearing that has on mobile phones is anybody’s guess. Still, she knows her stuff, she’s as bright as a button, and she makes a stonking cuppa tea, so can’t really grumble (since my tea could, at best, be described as ’sludge’ and at worst, described as ‘venomous’)!

So, without further ado, say hello to our latest contributor, Jillian.

Jillian says: Helloooooo.

Wow, that was an exciting hello, well done, Jill…

Rest assured, you’re going to be seeing Jillian about the blog more and more over the coming weeks, but to kick off, she’ll be putting up her first story, this afternoon!

And I’m not moderating it, so we could get anything!

All the best, Jillian! Welcome aboard, and mine’s a coffee.

And remember, folks, be nice to him, he’s new! Well, you can be nice if you want. And don’t forget, jump in with any comments you have on his reviews, or any questions, because he’s nearly as knowledgeable about phones as me…

Well, we promised we’d keep you up to date on who buckled first and went back to their old ways, so here it, a special guide to how we faired with our New Year’s Resolutions. Just to remind everyone, (and fill those in who didn’t know), these were ours:

Technical Markus: “To stop smoking, but don’t quote me on that…”
John the Gooner: “To drink more”
Chewie: “To eat more fruit”
Gary: “To not say innit after every sentence I say. Innit…”
Melanie: “Get myself a Samsung MiCoach to get myself back to the peak of fitness after the Christmas binge!”

Well, everyone except John and Melanie have broken their resolution! (although let’s be honest, breaking a resolution to drink more isn’t hard, especially in John’s case… and Melanie kind of has, since she hasn’t actually bought a new phone, she’s just run about more…)

But who was the first to crack?

In a surprise victory, it wasn’t Gary (who we all thought it would be) but Technical Markus, who lasted a whole 13 minutes before he broke his New Year’s Resolution.

In his acceptance speech, he said, “I’d like to thank all the people who made this victory a possibility, and once again remind the world that you can win big just by being utterly rubbish at giving stuff up!”

As a reward for being rubbish, we made him wait until last week to get his new P1. That’ll teach him!

Now we’re into the new year proper, we now resume normal service!

Once again, thanks to all our readers over 2007 for supporting our blog, and Happy New Year to you all. May 2008 bring you all the happiness, wealth, and new phones you desire!

Also, don’t worry if you break your New Year’s Resolution, because I already have, and it’s not even the new year yet!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, FOLKS, AND SEE YOU IN 2008!

So, all of us here, me, John, Chewie, and everyone in the MobileShop.com family, want to take this opportunity to wish you all, all of our loyal customers and loyal readers, a truly fabulous Christmas!

Eat, drink, be merry, and here’s hoping Santa brings you everything you wish for!

And here’s hoping you can’t remember Boxing Day. THAT’s the mark of a good Christmas.

Join us back here on New Year’s Eve, for our very last blog of 2007, annnnnnnnnd a special on our New Year’s Resolutions, and who we think won’t manage to keep them…

 

HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL YOU SHINY, HAPPY PEOPLE!

Ah, the traditions of Christmas…

Oh, and carol singers. Every year, these tireless souls wander round, bringing cheer to people’s homes, asking nothing more in return than a few quid, any alcohol you may have lying around, and your car stereo (maybe that’s just down my street).

So, in the spirit of these fine people who never stop and never give up (unless you use a well-aimed half-brick), I present the MobileShop.com players (ie/ me) with a stunning rendition of…

The 12 Phones Of Christmas

On the 12th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…

12 texters texting

11 drunken callers

10 chavs-a-slapping

9 funny mishaps

8 divvy blondes

7 gadget lovers

6 thieving scumbags

(altogether) FIIIIIIIIIIIVE BIIIIIIIIIITS OF BLIIIIIIIIIIING

4 calling birds

3’s weird ads

2 gobby gits

AND A PHONE BUILT INTO A TREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Ah-thankyou…

Stay with us throughout December for more tomfoolery and shenanigans!

And hey, office party this Friday, we might let you all see the photos, too! After vetting them, to make sure I didn’t make too big an arse of myself, and to make sure Chewie did…

Below is my un-edited comment…

Hi Julian,

Just wanted to stop by and say whilst I appreciate that the layout of the blog is similar we do not feel that we have copied anything.

For a start our font and colours are taken from http://mobile-internet.mobileshop.com/ which was developed long before we realised you even had a blog. In fact as we were developing those pages your blog looked like this… http://web.archive.org/web/20070519152533rn_1/www.dialaphone.co.uk/blog/

The style of those “zones” was also supposed to represent the style which the blog was to follow, as you can see there is the blue header text along with banners/information down the side which is the reason for the post header text colour and layout in the blog.

Now as you can see, if you remove that top banner and widen the page then it already fits the outer template of the blog which was always the idea since the tabs at the top (before they were changed) represented different “zones”.

I appreciate that the search box and rss feed box are in the same position on the page but again the rss box looks completely different to yours. There are a ton of wordpress blogs which use a similar style for their RSS feeds. Furthermore the navigational boxes on the right hold standard wordpress information other than the top 3 phones. The style of the boxes doesn’t copy yours at all and since we are both using wordpress there is only so much information we can present.

The content of the blog is intended to be a little more light hearted along with delivering Mobile related news so taking a pop at our credibility is a bit over the top.

So in closing I just wanted to let you know that no one ever had the intention of “ripping off” your blog and we will continue to enjoy your posts.

Regards

Chewie

So how did this all start?

Julian over at the Dialaphone blog, (intentionally?) whipped up a frenzy after slamming the iPhone in his 51 reasons not to buy an iPhone post. Whilst I agree with some of his points I think a lot of others are waaaay off the mark. As the proud owner of an iPhone myself I have decided to come to the devices rescue. I don’t think Julian meant to upset so many people (fan boys can be fickle) so take this post with the same pinch of salt you should take his.

Julians points are numbered with my responses below each one. Get your sword and shield out boys, we are about to defend the iPhone’s honour.

1. High Price – £269 (A lot when you can pick up the N95 for free)

The price is high for a traditional phone, however if we pop over to the apple store we can see that an 8gb iPod touch is currently selling at £199. This makes the iPhone effectively 79 quid with a lot more features than the ipod touch has.

2. Slow internet connection – The iPhone doesn’t have 3G, it only has EDGE so browsing the internet is gonna be sloooow.

No 3g might be a pain for some, but not for me. I have a wifi connection at home (loving the bedroom surfing ;o) and haven’t been able to get 3g on o2 in Lincoln for the last 18 months anyway. Lets also not forget that o2/Apple have done a deal with BT where by you can get free wifi whilst in the boozer on a Sunday. Pretty much exactly what I was doing 3 days ago.
Also, If you have one of those touch screen quiz machines in your pub then there is a pretty good chance that you can get free wifi access from it.

3. Only 8gb memory – 8gb what? You can pick up a 160gb video ipod (£229) from the Apple store for less than the 8gb iPhone (£269).

Yes you can pick up a NORMAL ipod (non touch) version for that price but the iPhone equivalent (the ipod touch) will cost you £199 for the 8gb version.

4. Expensive tariffs – You only get 200 mins and 200 text for £35 a month. This is 40% more than the normal O2 200 minutes and 200 texts tariff which only costs £25. You do get “unlimited” data but because the iPhone is not 3G I can’t see many people using it to browse the internet at dial up speeds.

Yeah the tariffs are expensive but if like me you have been living off £35 tariffs for the last 18 months then this isn’t really a killer.

5. Only available on 02 – The iPhone is only available on O2 and there are only 3 tariffs available. So if you are a high text user, there isn’t a package for you.

Again I see Julians point here, it would be nice to see the iPhone on other networks. If you just cant wait for the deal to be over then pop to www.iphonesimfree.com and get yours unlocked for use on any network.

6. It’s a first generation device – Buying the first version is risky, usually there are problems, bugs, errors, etc. 68 bugs have already been found.

Not exactly 68 bugs, most of those “bugs” are suggestions for changing the UI (user interface) to keep a rounded experience. I agree with usability but labelling them bugs is a bit far fetched.

7. A better version will be coming out soon – You know that in a few month’s time a new, improved version will be available. Rumours are that a 16gb iPhone with 3G will be released in the new year.

Rumours, rumours, rumours. Yeah sure a new version will come out soon, just like any other product in the market. Does that stop you buying a new tv because next year the new Samsung 152” super colour make your breakfast in the morning Tv will be out? The answers is a resounding no!

8. The price will be cut shortly – in America the iPhone cost $599 at launch but within a couple of months the price dropped to $399. So hold out buying one for a few months and you could save yourself £100+.

Again, I come back to the fact you are paying £79 for the phone part of the iPhone, sure I’ll be pissed off if the price drops but its worth the bragging rights in the pub.

9. Termination fee maybe payable? – In Amercia AT&T (the network provider) charges a $175 termination fee. Will O2 do the same?

Termination fee is pretty much standard on ANY PHONE on ANY CONTRACT, nice try.

10. Video iPod has ten times the memory and costs 40% less – You can buy an 80gb video iPod for £159 direct from the Apple store, while the iPhone cost £269 and is only 8gb.

Again, this is the old video ipod not the touch version. Why don’t I compare the iphone to my car if we are comparing apples to oranges (apples, geddit?)

11. No Internet Explore or Firefox, you have to use Safari – I’ve never used Safari but I’ve heard that Firefox is better.

Admitedly I am Firefox man but safari on the iphone is awesome, you can actually use the internet on this device like you would a pc. Lets not forget the awesome http://iphone.facebook.com for getting your social networking fix. Also when you open a new tab (yes tab browsing on a mobile device) there is a swish animation where the new page fades in… lovely.

12. Some websites won’t work – The iPhone doesn’t support Flash, which means that most online animations simply won’t display. Some interactive graphics won’t display and entire websites won’t display if they are made using Flash.

STOP THE PRESS! Some flash only websites might not work on a mobile device, oh my god, well I have never seen that before. Getting past my sarcasm (and something a lot of people don’t know) is that Adobe have to make an SDK available for browser developers to use the platform on any device other than a pc. The Opera guys had this problem when developing their mini browser and also the early days of the Wii internet browser.

13. No Java – Java is mainly used to create applications embedded within webpages – things such as online calendar tools or broadband speed tests.

Java would be nice but it is not needed. People are actively developing apps for the iPhone now, and an official SDK is coming out in February. Also check out the web apps at Apple’s site which can be loaded straight onto your shiny new iPhone.

14. Can’t switch to another network provider – If you decide that you want to switch from O2 to another network, you can’t officially, as the iPhone has been locked to O2 only. There are several unofficial methods to unlock it but they cost money and the phone may become locked again when software updates happen.

So how is this different to any other phone? Most PAYG handsets are locked to their networks. Again nice try Julian but a little misleading.

15. Difficult to type – The iPhone only has one physical button, the rest of the controls are via a touch screen. Texting is particularly difficult because the keys are tiny, making it easy to type the wrong letter.

Have you used one? Texting is difficult to GET USED TOO just like any new phone. The new style predictive text is awesome though.

Trying to type happy but typed jappt? The iphone replace the word for you after pressing the space bar. Easy peasy.

16. No iChat – So no ability to chat.

The amount of people who use ichat compared to pc messengers such as MSN is tiny, no real need to include it on the phone.

17. No other instant messaging client – You can’t install any instant messaging client, so it looks like its back to text messaging.

I agree an IM is missing, luckily there is a version out there for people who want to use IM

18. iTunes Lock-in – No window’s media player, etc.

Could be an issue for some people but provides a standard platform for people to update their iphone on.

19. Screen – It’s hard to see in daylight.

This is a blatant lie and I am really starting to be sure that Julian has not actually used the iPhone. If this is the case there is little setting called brightness which will blind you if you turn it up full blast in the dead of night.

20. No MS Office – Can’t use MSWord etc.

No ms office reader, not many phones include an actual version of ms office. Yes could be handy. You could always load your office docs up to Google docs and read it on the awesome Safari browser? Checkout Apple’s web apps page to get Google docs

21. Lacking standard email functions – There’s no BCC field, and it doesn’t copy your sent messages over to the e-mail application on your Mac or PC. Also deleting multiple messages is a bit cumbersome.

Who really uses bcc that much? Yes the sent items issue is a bit of a drawback but something I can live with.

Deleting multi messages would be cumbersome if you didnt get to flick your hand to the right and watch the sexy animation )

22. Only 2 Mega Pixel Camera – The standard has been 3.2 mega pixel for a while now. Plus there are at least four phones with 5 mega pixel cameras (Samsung G600, LG Viewty, Nokia N95, Sony Ericsson K850i).

Again I agree with Julian here, the camera could have been a lot better, but I have my Panasonic Lumix Fx-55 coming soon so I don’t care )

23. No zoom in the camera – come on Apple, catch-up.

Stupidly missed out, can be fixed by a simple software update in the future.

24. No flash in the camera – so pictures at night are out

Apple should of included a flash but I think the drain on the battery probably rules this out. Carry a tourch when taking night photos )

25. No Real Apps – Since the iPhone is a new computing platform, one of the problems is that there are not many applications that are compatible with it. Apple has also made it clear that developers will only be able to create web-based applications, using the Safari web-kit. This means that no native applications will be available for the iPhone any time soon.

New SDK coming in February, and there is currently a major active development community creating apps. See herefor more info. Lets not forget the web apps i mentioned earlier.

26. Smudges – Because you have to use the screen to control the device it can accumulate a greasy film.

Smudges? Smudges? I mean really c’mon. I takes two seconds to wipe the screen.

27. Scratches – Unlike a clam-shell phone the iPhone’s screen is always visible and is therefore more like to get scratches.

And this is the issue with ANY OTHER NON CLAMSHELL SCREEN?

28. No built in voice recording – it can be very handy.

Can be handy I agree. Just ring yourself and leave a visual voicemail ;o)

29. No voice dialing – very handy too and pretty basic.

Something I have always found to be a pain even from Nokia, never works properly and is just as time consuming as pressing contacts > call.

30. No Games – There are no in-built games on the iPhone.

But you can download a NES emulator to play all your old nes games. Also the development community is creating games as we speak. Oh have i mentioned web apps?

31. No Yahoo Maps – Google Maps is probably better, but where’s the choice?

Why would someone want to use crappy Yahoo maps when google absolutely dominate in the online mapping world. This is like saying the email client is crap because it doesn’t have a default setting for Hotbot mail (i love you 1999).

32. Can’t save computer files – Unlike the iPod, the iPhone doesn’t offer a “disk mode” to allow storage of any computer files. So you can’t use it as a hard drive to move files between computers.

I know there is an iPhone Explorer out there i just cant find it. You could just buy a USB stick for about 50p off ebay.

33. You can’t edit Word and Excel docs – You can open, read and forward Word and Excel docs sent to you by e-mail, but you can’t edit them.

Havent we had this one? See Google Docs for iPhone

34. You must have a computer – You can’t activate an iPhone without a Mac or PC. Also a computer is the only way to get music, video and other media onto the phone. To copy a CD onto an iPhone, for example, you first copy it onto the computer and then transfer it from computer to phone.

Its not the only way to get music, video and other media onto the phone. There is a rather handy version of iTunes built into the iPhone which allows you to connect to the store wirelessly and download music and videos straight to the harddisk.

35. Can’t download music from the internet without a wi-fi connection – When you are out and about you can download music directly from iTunes but only if you are within range of a Wi-Fi connection.

Okay, does anyone remember how painful downloading mp3’s was sat in your room on your 56k modem? Apple has saved you from this by limiting the iTunes connection to wifi only.

36. The battery gradually dies over time and can only be replaced by Apple for a high fee – Unlike all other mobile phones, you will not be able to remove the battery in the iPhone yourself. The only way will be send it back to Apple who will charge a substantial fee ($76 in the US).

£35 for a replacement battery could be a bit of a stinger for some but I know people with 4 year old ipods which haven’t had to have the battery replaced.

37. Can’t send Picture Messages – You can take a picture with the iPhone, but stupidly you can’t send the picture to anyone because it doesn’t support MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service)

This is a glaring oversite by apple, should be fixed with a software update in the future though.

38. Can’t send texts to multiple recipients – How basic is that?

Again very silly by Apple, again should be fixed in future update.

39. Can’t download games, ringtones and graphics – I assume this is so Apple can sell you their own content

I think you hit the nail on the head Julian, but you can transfere them all to your iPhone using iTunes.

40. No video output to TV – This is a nice feature, but the iPhone doesn’t have it

Err yeah it does, Settings > Iphone > TV Out

You can even change the option to have it widescreen and in NTSC if you so wish.

41. Can’t connect a blue tooth keyboard – Again, a nice feature, but sadly it doesn’t have it

Why would you need too? There is a full qwerty keyboard in the phone.

42. You might get mugged – Police have warned iPhone owners to mark it with an indelible UV pen or DNA marker. Also keep it hidden and in vibrate mode to avoid attention

Lol, just as you might get mugged walking round Brixton flashing any other electronic device, these points are getting weaker. Maybe the list should have been 30 reasons not to buy the iPhone?

43. Can’t use it while wearing gloves – This might not be a concern at the moment, but once winter kicks in you will be cursing Mr. Jobs everytime you take your gloves off just to make a simply phone call.

Anyone seen those gloves that hobo’s (homeless people) wear, the ones with the finger tips cut out? Offer your nearest hobo a bottle of cider and he will gladly swap them. Problem solved.

44. No stylus input for text – I think that the screen is not only touch sensitive, but it’s also heat sensitive, and because a stylus doesn’t produce body heat it wont work.

Why is this needed? To poke muggers in the eye in case they attack?

45. Not suitable for the visually impaired – Real keyboards have raised detents – usually on the 5 key – to help the disadvantaged use the keyboard. The iPhone has no raised keys.

We are scraping the barrel now, How did Mobile Phones ever become popular when they all had mono screens about 2cm wide? Oh I also heard that cars are no good for people who have no arms and legs because you cant drive them with your mind.

46. No bluetooth wireless connection to a laptop – Annoying

Have not tried anything with Bluetooth so will concede this point. I would bet my balls to a barn dance that there is an application that can do this, perhaps even that elusive iPhone explorer?

47. Can’t sync with corporate email systems – This will annoy the Blackberry crowd.

Being developed in the community, all your problems solved.

48. No VoIP – Why not? Something to do with the fact that VOIP calls are free?

Bah voip, who needs it when you got 500 free minutes per month. Don’t forget you have to call someone else on a voip equipped handset too, else you have to pay.

49. No GPS – The N95 has it, so why not?

Have you seen the thickness of the N95? Buy a Tom Tom if you want proper GPS.

50. iPhone doesn’t play on-hold music for my callers – I’ve never used this but some people like it

The most annoying feature ever put on a mobile phone. Why the hell do I wanna listen to your crappy music whilst I am ringing you?

51. Can’t use standard headphones – The iPhone features the standard headphone socket (also known as minijack socket or 3.5mm audio socket) but annoyingly you probably need an adapter. Some clever spark at Apple decided to recess the socket in such a way that most regular headphone jacks won’t fit.

Yeah this is a bit annoying, I am sure there is a reason for this but cant be bothered to find out why.

———————–

Once you start to use the iPhone as an everyday device all those silly little points don’t matter so much. You want to constantly pick the phone up and play with it because it is so sexy. The interface will make your jaw drop and the quality of the sound and video is unsurpassed.

Lets not forget that everyone in the pub will be crowding round whilst you pull off the Cadburys Gorilla Youtube advert. Just make sure that crazy Irish guy doesn’t nearly drop it in his pint (I’m looking at you Neil S).

In closing if you are a bit of a tech geek then you are going to love the iPhone. You can unlock it to allow you to use any application that is developed and you can also use anysim to switch networks. I wouldn’t recommend the iPhone to 14 year old kids getting pissed up down the park but that isn’t the market Apple is going for. You will be buying the iPhone if you are a) Really slick and wear £500 shoes to work or b) are a guy (or gal) that loves technology and wants something different.

Both Nokia and Sony Ericsson have sat on there asses doing nothing to innovate the phone market for a good couple of years. Sure we get a nice new case for the S500 or put GPS into an N95 but the tired old interface has been used for years, this is where Apple have easily beaten the two power houses of mobile phone technology. Sure Nokia will come out with something swanky in the next year but until then you have got an 8gb iPod touch with an awesome interface which will make you the talk of the town.

I would also like to give a nod to Julian for creating some brilliant link bait and taking the time to write out a big blog post. My reply is mostly in jest so no hard feelings huh?

Chewie