When did we start taking cell phones for granted? Read a great article about how cell phones have changed our lives as well as other interesting subjects such as buying a computer or the importance of a computer buying guide at your place for history on the web.

The Apple iPhone is a touchscreen based 2.5G phone currently only available in the USA.

Specifications:
The manufacturer's page is at www.apple.com/iphone

The iPhone first generation is a GSM + EDGE phone. It also includes 802.11b/g wireless LAN and Bluetooth V2.0. It has a 2.0 megapixel camera.
It has few hardware buttons, relying on a touch screen for interfacing with the phone. The few buttons are: Home (below the screen); Sleep/Wake (Top right); Volume Up/Down (a rocker on the left) and the silent switch (above the volume rocker).

Availability:
The iPhone is only available on AT&T in the USA at the moment; it will soon be released in the UK (O2), France (Orange) and Germany (T-Mobile).
Many people have imported them and have gotten them to operate on Australian networks through unlocking.
It is planned for Australian release in 2008.

Advice for buying an iPhone: Buying an iPhone (Also see the Apple iPhone buying thread below.)

Applications
See iPhone_Applications

Important!
If you decide to install OpenSSH on your phone, it is a very good idea to change the default password on your phone. If this is not done, anyone can access your phone via SSH, potentially downloading all of your (personal) information or even wipe out all of your data.

To change your default password, install terminal (vt100) through Installer on your phone. Reboot, open terminal, and type 'passwd' (without the quotes). This will prompt you to change your password.

After restarting the phone, you can now log in using your new password.

If you will not use SSH, do not install it, it is a security risk if not used properly.

Easiest way to access and replace phone files:

Simply install iPhonebrowser - code.google.com/p/iphonebrowser

No need for SSH, you just need the phone connected to the computer. It also has 'bookmarks' that take you straight to the most popular folders and it'll auto backup your files when you replace them.

FAQ:
Can I use the iPhone on Three? No. Three's SIM cards only work on 3G phones.
Can I use normal headphone with the iPhone? The iPhone has a recessed headphone plug, pretty much the only ones that fit in are iPod headphones. A few companies have released extension cables and/or splitters to let you use your own headphones. See www.ilounge.com/index.ph..._grades/C275/275 for reviews of various adaptors. Of note is the Shure MPA-3C, while it is alot more expensive, it also has the mic, so you can use it as a handsfree with your own headphones!
Can I use mobile internet features in Australia? Yes. Although the only EDGE network available in Australia is run by Telstra, you can still use GPRS internet (but it's slower than EDGE). GPRS is available through most mobile providers (Optus, Vodafone, VirginMobile[through Optus]). A very comprehensive list of GPRS APN settings can be found here: home2.btconnect.com/Taniwha/gprs.html

Australianising the iPhone:
Using PACAL v2 - Point And Click Australian Localisation (1.1.1 Only)
This is an archive which contains all the necessary files you need to "Australian-ise" your 1.1.1 iPhone.
The following things are included:
1. Fixed UIPhoneFormats.plist (Various WP Members)
2. AppSupport Patch (Thanks cynix)
3. CallData.db (Thanks Daurnimator + Me)
4. Fix for "Call Forwarding" message (Thanks Saimen)
5. Changed E symbol to G symbol (Thanks Me)
Download it from here: habnetwork.com/PACAL_v2.rar

Using PACAL - Point And Click Australian Localisation (1.0.2 Only)
This is a batch script program much like PACAL and is the easiest way do everything you need to "Australian-ise" your 1.0.2 iPhone. It does the following things to your iPhone:
1. Fix YouTube (Thanks deleonju)
2. Fix ABPhoneFormats.plist (Various WP Members)
3. Apply AppSupport Patch (Thanks cynix)
4. Replace CallData.db (Thanks Daurnimator + Me)
5. Backup all files for easy "reversal" using the supplied "undo" script.
Download it from here: habnetwork.com/PACAL.rar

Change phone number mask for Australian phone numbers See here for instructions on doing this and a prepared example ready to use.
To make the iPhone match the correct number of digits for Australia: See iphone.fiveforty.net/wik...x.php/AppSupport
For 1.0.2 Replace /System/Library/Frameworks/AppSupp­ ort.framework/AppSupport with the one found inside cynix.org/iphone/AppSupport-8.tar.gz
To make the iPhone estimate where the caller is: Replace /System/Library/Frameworks/AppSupp­ ort.framework/calldata.db with the calldata.db here: With Source Zipped By Itself then restart the iPhone. Credits to Daurnimator and Gussy for creating this
To set your Voicemail number for use with the Voicemail button:
Dial *5005*86*xxxxxx# into a keypad, where xxxxxx is your voicemail number (on Optus for example, it's 321). The phone will tell you if it was successful. Note the iPhone will not send you a SMS notification of a voicemail.

Unlocking
First the iPhone must be "Jailbroken"
Then it will need to be activated (This is the questionably legal part)
Then unlocked. (Legality Unknown)

Miscellaneous Instructions
Getting to the Field Test menu: Access the Field Test feature by going to ANY keypad and dialing *3001#12345#*
Checking which firmware you have:
Enter the Fieldtest menu (see above) -> Go to "Versions"
03.12.06_G Is firmware 1.0.0
03.14.08_G Is firmware 1.0.1 and 1.02
04.02.04_G Is firmware 1.1.1

Glossary
Jailbreaking - The iPhone's filesystem by default is read-only. Jailbreaking allows the user to make changes to the iPhone's filesystem, therefore allowing the installation of third-party applications.
Activation - iPhones at the start are not activated. Non-activated iPhones have no functionality other than allowing the user to make emergency calls. Activation is usually done through iTunes, but there are applications which also do this. Activating is not the same as Unlocking. After activating, iPhone iPod, Safari, Mail, etc. become available to the user. However non-AT&T Simcards are still locked out from the iPhone.
Unlocking - Unlocking allows the iPhone to be used with non-AT&T simcards.

Links
iPhone Wiki (The main/biggest iPhone wiki on the net, its where all the development happens): iphone.fiveforty.net/wik...ex.php/Main_Page
Official 1.02 firmware: content.info.apple.com/i...C28_Restore.ipsw
iBrickr (Jailbreaking and App installer for windows): cre.ations.net/creation/ibrickr
Nullriver iPhone site (Home of Installer.app): iphone.nullriver.com
Other iPhone related sites: www.modmyiphone.com, www.macrumors.com