Me: I just wish Nokia started applying the UI effects of Apple, so that Symbian interface loading times [equal to the iPhone OS' in my opinion] are better disguised.

Image from Tom's Guide

Also I hope Nokia won’t do an Apple and try to control the app market for Symbian. It’s kind of retarded that people are lauding the iPhone-iTunes store when smart phone [not smartphone mind you] of Nokia and SE have been getting apps for free, but also paying for premium ones like CorePlayer and the like.

What I hate about it is the fact that it’s considered revolutionary (only in America however). Yes I hate the iPhone, it’s being praised for shit that was done before and with better ethics to the consumer. And history will have it as some kind of device that’s so fuckin’ superior despite being 2 years behind in technology.

When I read some person saying that $600 for an iPhone is justified because it’s the most advanced hardware for phones out there, I die a little inside. It’s inferior to my phone already, it’s inferior to a large majority of N Series phones, and it’s just eye candy for crying out loud.

Mr. X is a Sony Ericsson user. Questions, reactions, violent objections and counter-rants are welcome in the comments below.

If you really wanted an iPhone 3G but never wanted to adhere to the carefully cultivated Jobnesian smartphone setup (or you didn’t want to pay a massive extra for freedom), here’s your chance!

Through buy.com, you can get a “never-locked” iPhone 3G for only $200. The special label applies because this is a rare, fully-functional, and affordable unit that has never been jailbroken. It enjoys full support courtesy of Apple’s warranty, and will not break when new software updates are installed. Most importantly, being “never-locked”, the phone works with any network provider.

What are the catches? First and foremost, the $200 gets you a refurbed unit. It’s not brand-new. Also, from all indications, you still have to commit to a two-year plan from AT&T. Unfortunately, the offer is currently “temporarily sold out”, so it’s impossible to fully verify this offering.

Thanks Peter The Mordo Juan! Image courtesy of Apple Inc.

Yippee kay yay if you’ve dreamed of owning an iPhone without committing to a two-year AT&T contract! Seems that by March 26, the service provider will start offering Apple’s smartphone with no strings attached for at least $600.

$600 is a lot of money, and I’m not even sure if that price gets you full iPhone functionality. For instance, will Visual Voicemail run on other networks? To be sure, unsubsidized iPhones aren’t really new. The French and Germans required that their local counterparts also be available without any sort of lock-in.

Is the relatively high price worth it? Gearfuse implies that unsubsidized units free the user from the jailbreaking game, definitely a benefit worth considering. But I imagine bypassing Apple’s and AT&T’s restrictions will remain in vogue, so long as really good apps only work on jailbroken units.

(image and source: BGR)

Introducing the Carbon Fiber iPhone 3G Case, a good buy in a world where spending $85 for a phone protector sounds sensible.

To be fair though, DRO Concepts promises that their product is made out of genuine carbon fiber, which of course implies strength and lightness. And like any well-designed case that somewhat justifies the price tag, the carbon fiber case is designed in such a way that still permits full access to the iPhone’s controls.

You can check out the product here. (image courtesy of DRO Concepts)

Check out these iPhone-themed cupcakes, which recently won some cupcake decorating contest. A little rough on the edges, but you can be forgiving when pastries are involved. Besides, they look so yummy, it’s to imagine competitors wishing they could eat Apple’s “significant” competition away. (laughingsquid.com)

Here’s some of the current badness related to Apple’s supposedly superior smartphone:

Apple iPhone ad banned - The Advertising Standards Authority lays the smackdown on Apple, banning them from promising access to “all parts of the internet” with the iPhone. Read more

No doubt about, Apple’s marketing is king (with a few exceptions). The company’s reliance on well-crafted and pithy messages manage to build an aura of accessible exclusivity that always attracts customers. With the iPhone 3G, “twice as fast at half the price” became the battle cry that rallied more users in the Apple fold.

Yet recent events have shown that Apple’ matter-of-fact statements may actually work against its interests. And more importantly, the same marketing that have built and sustained interest in the phone may also work against network partners who enjoy relative iPhone 3G exclusivity in their respective areas. Read more

We’ve already featured Knalihs Athem’s diamond-encrusted phones, so it’s no surprise that they eventually came up with a diamond-encrusted iPhone 3G. Continue to see a message we received from the company recently. Read more

It’s amazing how Apple provides products lacking functionality, but enjoy a user-base willing to add the kind of versatility that should’ve been there in the first place!

Case in point: OpenClip, an open-source project dedicated to giving the iPhone copy-paste functionality. Apple’s lucky; they let all the fanboys do the work of making a better product, and also have doe-eyed tech reporters speed-talking about such developments. Read more

That evil Microsoft! That jealous PC World! Why gang up on Apple, even though the company’s managed to convince a bunch of groupies that they’re the best at everything—especially since they’re not! Poor Apple has to bear the humiliation as PC World talks about 10 Things Missing on the iPhone 3G, on MSN no less! The horror! The shame! Who really needs MMS, Bluetooth A2DP, support for Flash and a better built-in camera? You all have no idea what you’re talking about! (tech.msn.com)