iPhone Hysteria

[BigInJapan]

Softbank announced on June 18 that per-order reservations are finished due to the greatest number of reservations ever.
They also said that some stores will be selling on a first come, first served basis upon release (June 24). Numbers will be limited (I'm sure the usual gang of otaku will line up days in advance).

Here is the list of stores offering iPhone 4 sales on the day of release without reservations (only Tokyo listed):
- Bic Camera Ikebukuro Store
- Bic Camera Shinjuku West Exit Store
- Bic Camera Yurakucho Store
- Yamada Denki LABI Ikebukuro Mobile DreamKan
- Yamada Denki LABI Shibuya Store
- Yamada Denki LABI Shinjuku East Exit Store
- Yamada Denki LABI Namba Store
- Yamada Denki LABI Ikebukuro Main Store
- Yodobashi Camera Shinjuku West Exit Store
- Yodobashi Camera Multi-Media Akiba
- Yodobashi Camera Multi-Media Umeda
- Yodobashi Camera Multi-Media Yokohama
- Softbank Omotesando Store
- Softbank Shibuya Store
- Softbank Roppongi Store
- Apple Stores

ITMedia article (Japanese)
Softbank press release (Japanese)

[nottu]

[Cyka UchuuJin]

I should add that there are two types of jailbreak:

1) Tethered jailbreak

2) Untethered jailbreak

The second type is much, much better but is also much harder to create. To develop an untethered jailbreak the iPhone Dev Team generally must find a bug in the boot ROM of the iPhone and find a way to exploit that bug to inject jailbreak code each time the phone boots. This allows the phone to boot in a jailbroken state.

The first type of jailbreak (tethered) really sucks. They are generally easier to create but if your phone only has a tethered jailbreak it means your phone has to be connected to a computer in order to boot. If your phone crashes and needs a reboot you can't use it until you get back to a computer that has the tools to allow it to boot. This sounds like a bad joke I'm sure, but it's not.

Thankfully my 3GS has a ROM bug and I can use untethered jailbreaks. New 3GS phones don't have any currently exploited ROM bugs so people with those phones were stuck with tethered jailbreaks until recently. The current jailbreak solution works on these phones but Apple will fix that with iOS 4 and they will probably be stuck with tethered booting again.

This shit sucks. Buy a factory unlocked phone.

yikes, you are right. that's ridiculous.

any idea which countries will have the factory unlocked phones? what about america or china?

[canman]

A friend of mine who is a big Iphone fan, told me that the new Iphone 4G uses a microsim card, and the docomo phone uses a regular simcard and that it won't work. Does anybody know if that is true. He also said that the packet cost would be much higher, but since we were talking during the soccer game with a hundred cheering Japanese fans, I couldn't really hear what he said.

[Mike Oxlong]

Seems both CU's and canman's questions were answered earlier in the thread.

[FG Lurker]

any idea which countries will have the factory unlocked phones? what about america or china?

The best place to look is probably this Apple page though it hasn't been updated yet for recent changes with the iPhone 4. (It shows UK/France/Canada as still being SIM locked but it has been announced that unlocked phones will be available directly from Apple in all three countries.)

It looks like there are a good number of countries where unlocked phones can be purchased. Of course without signing up for a 2 or 3 year contract you aren't getting the several hundred dollar/euro/pound carrier subsidies so the prices are pretty damn high.

A friend of mine who is a big Iphone fan, told me that the new Iphone 4G uses a microsim card, and the docomo phone uses a regular simcard and that it won't work.

Standard sized SIMs and MicroSIMs are the same devices electronically, the larger standard SIM just has more plastic around the electronics. You can cut a standard SIM down to MicroSIM size, either with a steady hand and a box cutter or with a special tool.

It is also important to realize that Docomo is not yet offering their keitai unlimited packet plans for use on non-Docomo phones. You can get their PC-oriented plan though, but the cap is 13,000yen per month vs about 5000yen a month (I think) for their phone plans. It's a big jump but Softbank sucks enough that for me it will be worth it when I switch. As an added bonus it allows full tethering so you are free to tether your phone and computer together for wireless access anywhere without worrying about the carrier cracking down and sending big packet bills.

[Cyka UchuuJin]

Seems both CU's and canman's questions were answered earlier in the thread.

kind of. what apple says and which countries actually have the factory unlock tend to be different.

thanks for all the advise, FGL. at this point, i am not going to spend much time on it. i am in japan from tuesday then shanghai and hk and dubai over the next two weeks. given how many pre-orders and apple's non-stellar record of delivering on time, i'm going to advise the person it's for to wait until august at least. thanks again for all the help!

[waruta]

Just got a red snot for a comment I posted a couple of pages back...*sigh* everyone is such a tough guy in front of their pc screen....

BTW, anyone know of whats happening (progress?) with the whole SIMlock thing and Softbank screaming bloody murder about it?

[FG Lurker]

BTW, anyone know of whats happening (progress?) with the whole SIMlock thing and Softbank screaming bloody murder about it?

Yeah. The government has backed off on the plan for now and is waiting to see how the market evolves with regards to unlocked phones.

Docomo seems to be moving towards allowing full access for overseas phones onto their network though. By this I don't mean roaming, but being able to bring any compatible phone from overseas and sign up for a Docomo SIM. It's very odd to see Docomo doing something that can even be remotely considered as being "open"... These moves seem to be their way of preparing for the eventual forcing of unlocked phones in Japan but I guess it is going to take a few years to get to that point.

[canman]

[FG Lurker]

EA has put a good selection of their iPhone games on sale for 99c for 48 hours. List of all games on sale and a link to EA in iTunes is available here.

[Mulboyne]

[YT]KXghHiSAiFg[/YT]

TBS report (Japanese only)

[BigInJapan]

iMovie has been ported to run on a jailbroken iPhone 3GS (iOS 4).

[YT]<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/N6L07nPrjzo&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/N6L07nPrjzo&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>[/YT]

It seems that 540p and 720p are not supported, only 360p output.
I would be happy to see Jobs and co. release an official version for the 3GS, and turn on 720p recording as well (the chip supports 720p, just not turned on).

Article on Slashgear

[Cyka UchuuJin]

iMovie has been ported to run on a jailbroken iPhone 3GS (iOS 4).

[YT]<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/N6L07nPrjzo&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/N6L07nPrjzo&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>[/YT]

It seems that 540p and 720p are not supported, only 360p output.
I would be happy to see Jobs and co. release an official version for the 3GS, and turn on 720p recording as well (the chip supports 720p, just not turned on).

Article on Slashgear

cool, does this mean it works for ipad too?

[BigInJapan]

[floatl][/floatl]A newly opened Burger King in Roppongi has two "sound spot" booths where you can plug in your iPhone or iPod touch and enjoy a "musical shower".
Apparently this in accordance with BK's theme "Have it your way", letting people listen to the music they want, while relaxing in a booth.

Original Walkerplus article in Japanese.
Short English translation on OhGizmo.

[BigInJapan]

Definitely one for the "TIJ" category....

Cadbury Japan, and Young Magazine are collaborating on a "Halls Eater" campaign.
The object of the iPhone/iPad app is to have one of the "Miss Magazine" idol types feed you a Halls candy.
I think most guys will be checking out the included "gravure" album though...



Japanese article on ITmedia

YouTube video of a dweebtastic otaku using the app (smooching with the screen and generally getting it all sticky...).

[YT]EdhqAu__8nc[/YT]

[Cyka UchuuJin]

Definitely one for the "TIJ" category....

Cadbury Japan, and Young Magazine are collaborating on a "Halls Eater" campaign.
The object of the iPhone/iPad app is to have one of the "Miss Magazine" idol types feed you a Halls candy.
I think most guys will be checking out the included "gravure" album though...



Japanese article on ITmedia

YouTube video of a dweebtastic otaku using the app (smooching with the screen and generally getting it all sticky...).

[YT]EdhqAu__8nc[/YT]

i'm so excited to be going back to japan next week. just for this.

[BigInJapan]

[FG Lurker]

Just found another reason to jailbreak -- a VNC Server for the iPhone. Not a client, a server.

I can type pretty well on the iPhone's keyboard but nothing like as fast as I can type on my PC's keyboard. Now if I want to reply to an SMS when I'm in the office (most of the time these days, lol) I just flip to the VNC session and reply that way. It doesn't work well for Japanese input unfortunately, but it is great for English!

[Coligny]

Just found another reason to jailbreak -- a VNC Server for the iPhone. Not a client, a server.

I can type pretty well on the iPhone's keyboard but nothing like as fast as I can type on my PC's keyboard. Now if I want to reply to an SMS when I'm in the office (most of the time these days, lol) I just flip to the VNC session and reply that way. It doesn't work well for Japanese input unfortunately, but it is great for English!

I never thought of it that way... (I'm a huge VNC fan, but the IPad server was sort of... WTF for me...). Good reason to re-jailbreak mine (after the 4.2 os update...)

[Samurai_Jerk]

The iPhone's popularity in Japan is cracking open an industry long thought inaccessible to outsiders.

For years, the typical Japanese cell phone — built to operate on a network hardly used anywhere else in the world — has been stuffed with quirky games and other applications that cater to finicky local tastes.

That helps explain why Japan's mobile phone industry earned the nickname "Galapagos" — drawing parallels to the exotic animals that evolved on the isolated islands off South America — and why cell phones are called "galakei," which combines "keitai," the Japanese word for cell phone, with Galapagos.

Foreign developers of applications for phones didn't give the Japanese market a second thought because of its insularity. But that is changing as the iPhone, for which tens of thousands of applications have been created, dominates Japanese smartphone sales.

Everywhere one turns, on commuter trains and urban cafes, people are tapping away at their iPhone screens in a relatively rare Japanese embrace of technology that isn't homegrown. (more)

[BigInJapan]

[IparryU]

So i was thinking about buying the Galaxy S vs iPhone/SonyEricson?.

Anyone have any input on this?

I will use this phone for work like emails, calls, skype?, and I wanted to use the phone's connection for my computer to use internet.... I know someone who uses their smartphone to give their pc internet connection, but i dont know how to explain it. i just know he bought some app for his phone/pc and he uses it on the bus/train to do emails and skpye calls.

and help on this would be great.

[aquamarine]

From what many folks back home (Canada) have been telling me (there's a 72 page thread with about 60 unique Galaxy owners), the Galaxy is just as good as the iPhone but without some of the annoying-as-fuck restrictions. I'm going to be getting one as soon as Yodobashi has more in stock (number 369 on the waiting list) and dumping my iPhone 3GS. SoftBank service sucks fuck where I live, work and vacation so I'll happily pay an extra 2000 yen/month to make sure my calls don't drop when I'm in my 7th floor apartment in Tokyo, or when I'm having a shit in the 4th floor toilet at work in Chiba.

[American Oyaji]

As big as an Apple fan as I am, I have to admit that the Galaxy is a pretty machine and the screen is gorgeous.

Not sure what restrictions you're talking about on the iPhone though.

[aquamarine]

The constant rejection of apps that go over-board on censoring, such as the photography magazine DuFronteur that was rejected because it had too much lingerie in it's premier ipod/ipad app issue and was thus considered to be pornographic and rejected from the app store.

I do not appreciate that I must jump through several hoops just to put in my own ring-tones (hey, I OWN over $150 worth of music from iTunes, why the shit can't I make those songs I legally own my ringtones for texting OR calls?). I do not appreciate Apple's over-zealous "We are the Gods of the kingdom of mobile computing". That said, I am somewhat anti-Mac, yet I have a 32gb iPod touch, 32gb iPhone 3GS and a 15" Macbook Pro (late 2008 model).

Anyhow, I'm 85% sure I'll be switching to DoCoMo as soon as Yodobashi calls me to tell me there's more stock in. Hopefully they have new stock before the 18th though, darnit (leaving for Canada for two weeks).

By the way, what is a speedier alternative to iTunes? Up until buying this Mac, I had used WinAmp and simply went to different folders do play different tunes. I was happy enough doing that and would be fine going back to that. I did run iTunes on my windows machine (which was no slow-poke by any means) but it was SLOW as refrigerated ketchup being served in an igloo.

[Bucky]

No sooner did Bucky Jr. and I spring to buy Mrs. Bucky an Ipad for Christmas did she announce that ". . .maybe I don't want an Ipad. Maybe I want a laptop"


We'll give her the Ipad and she'll be happy with it! Damn it!:smashpc:

[American Oyaji]

As far as ringtones go, I make all my own, and I don't really jump through hoops. I just specify what part of a song I want and then copy it out and rename it.
Maybe that is the hoop you're talking about. Well. They ARE a business.

As for iTunes being slow on Windows, I blame M$ for that. They're known for gumming up the works of products they don't care for. iTunes has never been slow on my Macs.

[FG Lurker]

As for iTunes being slow on Windows, I blame M$ for that. They're known for gumming up the works of products they don't care for. iTunes has never been slow on my Macs.

There are plenty of things in the world that can be pinned on MS but the horrific performance of iTunes on Windows isn't one of them. Every new version is slower than the last, even on machines that have no problem running programs that require far more power than a bit of multimedia management software.

[Ol Dirty Gaijin]

As for iTunes being slow on Windows, I blame M$ for that. They're known for gumming up the works of products they don't care for. iTunes has never been slow on my Macs.

So very, very wrong. The problem with iTunes on Windows is Apple's shitty programming and using a non-windows standard interface. No other Media Library software on Windows runs as bad as iTunes and a lot of them do a lot more. It's the only program I run that crashes and I'm sick to death of all the "services" it runs all the damn time.