Now I'm A Fanatic. Or Not.

Like many other millions of users out there, I went ahead and bought myself an iPhone 3GS earlier tonight at the Singtel hello shop at Takashimaya Shopping Centre.

I suppose you can say that it is an impulse buy for I had no original intent to buy anything tonight, other than having a dinner appointment with my university friends, Joanna and Vanessa. All I wanted to do was to check out the corporate price plan for buying and using the iPhone and voila! I ended up being an iPhone owner overnight.

My dear NTT Docomo Sharp phone has barely been used for half a year, mind you. The only saving grace that the iPhone will have over my SH-06A is the connection to Singtel's satellite. Now I will no longer experience a sudden signal cut from my phone.

I bought the white version of the 16GB model. Too bad the phone doesn't come in red. That would have been a killer model.

Nonetheless my fingers are not quite used to the typing on the iPhone's screen keyboard as I tend to hit the wrong letters. Just writing a SMS to my friend takes me around 10 mins as I just can't get the hang of the keyboard. Argh... I gotta keep practicing to master the typing for this iPhone.

Anyway I am not to going to become an Apple fanatic who gets all defensive if someone else critisize my phone. Go ahead. I also can't stand some of the nitty gritty details that are missing on the iPhone. For example, changing the ringtones and SMS tones should not be made so difficult. I know Apple wants to make more money but simply getting users to pay US$0.99 for a ringtone for a song that they already own in the first place is bullshit. That kind of money-grubbing attitude from Apple is something that I can't stand. Apple stands to earn millions just from selling songs via its iTunes store. Why does it need to earn more by forcing iPhone users to buy their ringtones from Apple? It doesn't make any sense to me.

I managed to get around changing my ringtones on the iPhone without buying them from the iTunes store but I can't change my SMS tones. Those are way too tough and require a jailbroken iPhone. I am not going to jailbreak my iPhone for the sake of some measly SMS tones.

Next, the wallpaper setting on the iPhone is quite weird. I only can see my wallpaper each time I unlock my iPhone to get to the main screen. The home screen doesn't show my wallpaper but a black blank background. Not very appealing to me. Being able to display the wallpaper on the home screen is a basic mobile phone function yet the iPhone is not that clever enough to allow that.

Then there's the odd missing function of allowing you to copy your contacts from your iPhone to your SIM card. Strangely enough, this function is not implemented by Apple. The only way iPhone owners can save their contacts is to sync to a PC via Microsoft Outlook. That is so unnecessary and stupid. Even my SH-06A can do this simple task. Why not the iPhone? That said, many experts acknowledge that the iPhone is not the most technologically advanced smartphone out there. It just happen to be the most user-friendly and the most popular, mostly thanks to Apple's skilled marketing tactics.

Oh well, I'll see how it goes for me. I hope I haven't wasted my bucks for nothing. See ya on the iPhone next time.

iPhone price plans for M1 and Starhub out

Finally we get to compare the pricing plans for the highly sought after Apple iPhone offered by both M1 and Starhub. They have joined the market which used to be dominated by Singtel. How do their plans score?

Cnet has compiled a table for easy reference. The official date launch for both telcos are 9th December 2009, which is this coming Wednesday. Will many Singtel customers make the switch? For me, I am still under a current contract with Singtel and that will only be due next May. So I have got a long wait ahead of me.

Still it wouldn't hurt to start researching and comparing those prices. On the other hand, Singtel has announced they will be making revisions to their current price plans for the iPhone. How much of a difference it will make depends on how big (or small) the revisions are.

I shall be waiting for Singtel's move before making the final decision.

All 3 Telcos in Singapore to carry the iPhone 3GS

The latest news from CNET is circulating around the web, that Starhub is the latest telco to announce that they will start carrying the iconic iPhone. Singtel has been selling the iPhone since August 2008 whereas MobileOne announced in October that they will start carrying the iPhone at the end of this year.

iPhone 3GS

This is nothing but good for all consumers in Singapore as it could mean that the iPhone could come cheaper and more affordable for many people to buy. For me, I won't be able to buy any contract phone as my two years mobile contract is not yet due for renewal. The earliest time for me is next May so I might as well sit back and relax.

This goes to show how big of a success iPhone has proven itself to be worthy of Apple's new cashcow status since the iPod days. Everywhere you go, people can be seen carrying or using an iPhone in one way or another. I think it's only a matter of time before the iPhone will overthrow Nokia as the world's top selling mobile phone ever.

How will the local mobile phone scene play out for the telcos and the consumers? It could potentially lead to a pricing war between the 3 telcos or it may not. However the consumers only has goodness to gain from it all. It's the telcos' fight to earn and keep the consumer dollar firmly in their hands. Only their pricing plans will sway consumers successfully to their side, provided it's the most competitive amongst all.

I can barely wait for the drumroll to start. =D

New iPhone 3G S Coming

I had just received an advertisement from Apple, which states that they will be launching the newest version of the iPhone, iPhone 3G S, worldwide soon.

Apple claims that this iPhone is the fastest phone yet and it will come in 16GB and 32Gb sizes. Naturally prices will be high due to the foreign exchange rates. Singtel will be bringing the phone in July 2009, that's 1 more month to go.

Let's see how the reception to the new phone will be like. My guess is that it will be phenomenal as this version addresses a lot of issues that current owners have with their iPhone 3G. I shall wait and see if it would be worthwhile to buy. Otherwise I will settle for a Japanese mobile phone instead.

I shall write more about that the next time. See ya!

New Samsung I7500

Besides HTC, Samsung is also coming up with its own andriod-powered mobile phone, the Samsung I7500.



It looks somewhat similar to the HTC Magic, only that it comes in a black colour. But since most of the Samsung phones are also sleek and pretty, I suppose they might score higher in the looks department than HTC.

Again, there is not much information released on this phone but we do have some basic information like connectivity. There's 3G, HSDPA, HSUPA, GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPRS/GSM, USB, and EDGE.

It also comes equipped with a 5 megapixel camera as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack that allows for use of personal earphones other than the phone's version. It also has a built-in 8GB storage as well as a microSD card slot so overall it's quite a well-rounded phone.

Oh, these phones better come quick then we can have a real look at their functions.

New HTC Magic

Whoa, andriod phones are starting to invade the mobile phone market and the newest model from HTC is the MTC Magic.




It looks so much better than its predecessor, the HTC Dream. So far not much details are known about this phone except that it doesn't come with a slide out keyboard like the HTC Dream.

Based on looks, it sure wins over the HTC Dream anytime but iPhone is still way too sleek for its competitors to catch up to it in terms of the looks.

So far reports are saying that the phone will be selling in Europe but no releases has been announced for Asia yet. By the time that release comes, Apple will probably have released its third version of its hugely popular iPhone, which is slated for an update this July.

Kuroshitsuji Manga on Sale at Kinokuniya

I had finally submitted my application to a degree course at Global SIM earlier this evening with one of my colleagues from Nursing.

As she knew how to get to the place, Wendy offered to accompany me to submit my application and we went for dinner after that. Well, I was disappointed that I couldn't apply to the university of my choice as my results weren't that good enough.

It was a UK university but I ended up settling for an Australian university which had a much lower ranking than the UK one. Oh well, I am truly not qualified to study in prestigious schools anyway. Let's hope that I can succeed in entering this Australian one otherwise I'm better off sticking with just my diploma. Who in the world needs a degree to survive as a human anyway?

Hmmm....

Right so after that, we headed to Bugis for a simple dinner at NYDC at Parco Bugis. There was a cute Elmo plush toy on display and we promptly took picture of it with our handphones. See mine below, taken with Nokia N95 8GB:




As for food, I chose the Hawaiian baked pasta and I added lots of cheese onto it. Hee... Wendy was quite shocked to see me putting so much cheese onto my food.




For window shopping, we popped in to some shoe shops as well as Kinokuniya.

Whoa, I was so excited to see that they were selling the Kuroshitsuji mangas at $6.71 each. I wonder if I should buy them even though I have access to online scans. If only I have a Kinokuniya membership card, then I could enjoy a 10% discount off the pricing. Hmmm but the subscription fee is not cheap and I don't really shop very often at Kinokuniya.

But the Kuroshitsuji mangas made me feel very tempted to buy as the drawings inside are superb. Too bad the books are all skrink-wrapped so I can't browse through them. Currently they are selling volume 1 to 5. The latest volume 6 is not among the selection so I can only assume that it's not yet available outside of Japan.

I think all the mangas are in chinese versions so I might have a little problem reading as my chinese has really gone down the drain. Oops.

Hmmm so should I apply for the Kinokuniya membership card then buy the mangas? Or stick to online reading? Hmmmm....

Well I suppose it might not be worth getting the membership card after all. A yearly subscription fee of $21.40 means that I would need to spend more than $200 per year at the shop to recoup my membership fee. Honestly, I don't spend that much of money on books.

So I'm better off with my online reading for now. Until the day when I truly become a rich person like Emma Watson. Heehee...

Blackberry Storm Looks Awesome

CNET Asia has gotten a new report on an upcoming phone from Research In Motion (RIM). Pictures of the new phone, Blackberry Storm, has been posted by CNET for easy reference:

The date on the phone happens to be my birthday!Cool!

It's a touchphone with RIM's new technology, Clickthrough. Rather than provide haptic feedback like Samsung's Omnia, RIM uses a suspension system that lies beneath the display, so that when you select an application or enter text, you actually push the screen down like you would any other tactile button.

That's so cool but wouldn't that makes the screen more vulnerable to scratches and thumbprints? Since it's still too early to say, RIM probably might improvise the screen further. If the price is attractive and the phone functions are impressive, then I might change my phone to this Storm.

Today, my Nokia N95 8GB died on me for no reason and I'm very pissed off right now as that would leave me phoneless for 2 solid days. Looks like Nokia is losing its touch and the quality of its phones are getting worse.

All I need now is for the new phones to be released asap so that I could lay my hands on them. *drools*

Here Comes Google's Android Phone

The mobile phone market is abuzz with news on an upcoming model which will feature Google's most anticipated Android mobile platform. Pictures of the phone, T-Mobile G1, can be found on CNET Asia's website and I have posted some of them here for easy reference.




















The phone is produced by HTC, the same phone maker for the HTC Touch HD as well. Looks like this company reaching out for the skies and I am eagerly waiting for both phones to arrive to our Singapore shores. However, the T-Mobile G1 seems a bit too bulky and hopefully the commercial set will be slightly smaller.

If the Android turns out to be a huge success, it could be a serious contender for the Apple's iPhone as well. That would truly be an eye-opener and only good can come out of this competition.

Now we only have 1 thing to do.

That is, Wait.

Gorgeous HTC Touch HD Phone

I had just came across a really gorgeous phone on the Internet, the HTC Touch HD. It's really, really pretty and some pictures are attached below for easy reference:


















The pictures are from CNET Asia, which estimates that the phone will launch around November. That's around 1 month's time and I can't wait to get my hands on a commercial set. I'm interested to see how this phone can measure up to Apple's iPhone or will it get blown away by Apple?

The only thing that's not shown in the pictures is the keyboard for text input. Will it be those pc keyboard prototype or will it be modelled after conventional number pad for mobile phone? That would either make or break this phone as I'm more inclined towards the pc keyboard type as I tend to sms more often.

Whatever it is, I shall have to wait patiently for November's arrival.

=)

Weird caller and he's out of luck too!

Earlier in the day, I received this weird call from a guy whom I had thought to be one of those numerous vendor supplying medical equipments for our company.

Of all timings, he chose to call at a time when I was having lunch outside. Then the sound quality of his phone was so bad that I totally had no clue on what he was yakking about. The generic brief I got from him was that he would be coming over to my company for some delivery.

As it turned out later, it was a misunderstanding right from the start and he had dialled my number by mistake. He wanted to send his speakers for repairs and dialled my number instead. *sighs*

So 9181 9039, whoever you are, I'm sorry but you are truly out of luck. Wahahahaha!!!

=D

Picture of the Rumoured Sony Ericsson C905

All right, I have found a picture of the rumoured Sony Ericsson C905 to go with the vivid description posted earlier. Here it is:


Looking really good, isn't it? Now all we have to do is wait. Until its official release, that is. =D

Sony Ericsson C905 Coming?

According to this blog, Sony Ericsson appears to be gearing up for a release of the most powerful handphone ever made.

The specifications are very impressive. With a 8.1 megapixel camera on board, capable of VGA video recording coupled with both xenon flash as well as photoflash, it makes for a wonderful camera gadget.

Then there's multiple connections like WIFI, Bluetooth, TV-Out Cable ITC-60 to enable that perfect LCD TV viewing pleasure, etc... Looks like this phone has really got it going for Sony Ericsson, provided it's all for REAL.

The report is not official from the company although the blog quotes that very relevant sources are confirming the phone's details.

Now.... with this phone coming along, I am starting to re-think about getting that iPhone 3G. Looks like I'm not the only one who is thinking of switching. Even handphone operator Singtel is trying to grab the lion's share of the market first by allowing for reservations to be made for that fabled iPhone 3G.

The handphone market is heating up very fast here and looks like there can only be more good deals for the consumers. Woohoo~~