Thursday, June 26, 2008

How iPhone works





iPhone 3G uses a technology protocol called HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) to download data fast over UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) networks. Email attachments and web pages load twice as fast on 3G networks as on 2G EDGE networks.1 And since iPhone 3G seamlessly switches between EDGE, faster 3G, and even faster Wi-Fi, you always get the best speeds possible.

Talk and browse. At the same time.

iPhone already gives you mobile multitasking. But 3G technology lets you multitask in more places — without connecting via Wi-Fi. Since 3G networks enable simultaneous data and voice, you can talk on the phone while surfing the web, checking email, or using Maps. All from your 3G cellular network.

Go anywhere.

iPhone 3G meets worldwide standards for cellular communications, so you can make calls and surf the web from practically anywhere on the planet. And if you’re in an area without a 3G network, iPhone connects you via GSM for calls and EDGE for data.

More wireless. Less space.

iPhone 3G delivers UMTS, HSDPA, GSM, Wi-Fi, EDGE, GPS, and Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR in one compact device — using only two antennas. Clever iPhone engineering integrates those antennas into a few unexpected places: the metal ring around the camera, the audio jack, the metal screen bezel, and the iPhone circuitry itself. And intelligent iPhone power management technology gives you up to 5 hours of talk time over 3G networks.2 That’s some of the best in the business.

With its large Multi-Touch display and innovative software, iPhone lets you control everything using only your fingers. Type using the predictive keyboard, glide through albums with Cover Flow, scroll through photos with a flick, or zoom in and out on a section of a web page — all courtesy of Multi-Touch.


The Multi-Touch display layers a protective shield over a capacitive panel that senses your touch using electrical fields. It then transmits that information to the LCD screen below it. And the iPhone software enables the flick, tap, and pinch.

GPS technology and iPhone software come together to create a new dimension in mobile phone mapping. Get a fast fix on your location. Track your progress as you go. Use applications that take advantage of GPS navigation features. All from iPhone 3G.


GPS (Global Positioning System) technology uses information from earth-orbiting satellites to find locations. A receiver estimates the distance to GPS satellites based on the time it takes for signals to reach it, then uses that information to identify its location. But the A-GPS (Assisted GPS) solution on iPhone 3G goes a step further, using a unique approach to find the closest satellites and more quickly identify your position. That gives you a faster fix on your location than with regular GPS.


In addition to A-GPS, iPhone 3G uses signals from GPS satellites, Wi-Fi hot spots, and cellular towers to get the most accurate location fast. If GPS is available, iPhone displays a blue GPS indicator. But if you’re inside — without a clear line of sight to a GPS satellite — iPhone finds you via Wi-Fi. If you’re not in range of a Wi-Fi hot spot, iPhone finds you using cellular towers. And the size of a location circle tells you how accurately iPhone is able to calculate that location: The smaller the circle, the more accurate the location.

Stay on track.

Maps on iPhone 3G use GPS to help you get from point A to point B. Find a location, get directions, and, if you like, follow your progress along a highlighted route with live GPS tracking. Learn more

Get apps that map.

iPhone 3G provides GPS-powered location feeds to built-in applications as well as to applications available on the App Store. Take a photo with the camera, for example, and iPhone can geotag it with GPS location information. That way, when you share photos online, friends and family can see where every snapshot was taken. And you can shop the App Store for GPS-enabled applications such as mobile friend finders or interactive city guides. Learn more

Save power.

GPS on iPhone is active only when you need it. iPhone powers the GPS unit on and off quickly and automatically, so it won’t adversely affect battery life.

iPhone responds to motion using a built-in accelerometer. When you rotate iPhone from portrait to landscape, the accelerometer detects the movement and changes the display accordingly. So you immediately see the entire width of a web page, view a photo in its proper aspect ratio, or control a game using only your movements.


The accelerometer inside iPhone uses three elements: a silicon mass, a set of silicon springs, and an electrical current. The silicon springs measure the position of the silicon mass using the electrical current. Rotating iPhone causes a fluctuation in the electrical current passing through the silicon springs. The accelerometer registers these fluctuations and tells iPhone to adjust the display accordingly.

Built into iPhone are two small but intelligent sensors that pick up cues from the environment and adjust the screen accordingly. These sensors both work to maximize the battery life and improve your iPhone experience.

Ambient light sensor.

The ambient light sensor in iPhone automatically brightens the display when you’re in sunlight or a bright room and dims it in darker places.

Proximity sensor.

When you lift iPhone to your ear, the proximity sensor immediately turns off the display to save power and prevent inadvertent touches


The first solid info anyone heard about the iPhone was in December of 2004, when news started to trickle out that Apple had been working on a phone device with Motorola as its manufacturing partner. About ten months later, under the shadow of the best-selling iPod nano, that ballyhooed device debuted -- the ROKR E1 -- a bastard product that Apple never put any weight behind, and that Motorola was quick to forget. The relationship between Apple and Motorola soon dissolved, in turn feeding the tech rumor mill with visions of a "true iPhone" being built by Apple behind the scenes. After years of rumor and speculation, last January that device was finally announced at Macworld 2007 -- and here we are, just over six months later -- the iPhone, perhaps the most hyped consumer electronics device ever created, has finally landed. And this is the only review of it you're going to need.

Introducing iPhone 3G. With fast 3G wireless technology, GPS mapping, support for enterprise features like Microsoft Exchange, and the new App Store, iPhone 3G puts even more features at your fingertips. And like the original iPhone, it combines three products in one — a revolutionary phone, a widescreen iPod, and a breakthrough Internet device with rich HTML email and a desktop-class web browser. iPhone 3G. It redefines what a mobile phone can do — again.

With iPhone, making a call is as simple as tapping a name or number. All your contacts appear in a list you scroll through with a flick of your finger. And Visual Voicemail plays your messages in any order you want, just like email.

With its beautiful 3.5-inch widescreen display and Multi-Touch controls, iPhone is also one amazing iPod. Browse your music in Cover Flow and watch widescreen video with the touch of a finger.

Email on iPhone looks and works just like email on your computer. With support for popular email servers and providers — including MobileMe, Microsoft Exchange, Yahoo! Mail, Google Gmail, and AOL — and most industry-standard IMAP or POP mail systems, iPhone puts email in your pocket.

iPhone features Safari — the most advanced web browser ever on a portable device. And with 3G and Wi-Fi, you can browse the real Internet really fast. iPhone also syncs your bookmarks from your PC or Mac and has Google and Yahoo! search built in.

Find your location, get directions, and see traffic — all from your phone. Maps on iPhone 3G combines GPS, Wi-Fi, and cell tower location technology with the Multi-Touch interface to create the best mobile map application ever.

iPhone 3G finds your location via GPS or by triangulating your position using Wi-Fi and cellular towers. It also finds points of interest by keyword: Search for “coffee” and iPhone shows you every cafe nearby.