by Playfuls Staff |
18th December 2006
iPhone has finally been launched
and not by Apple, as everyone expected, but by Linksys, a company owned by
Cisco. Rumors that Apple is considering producing a mobile phone inspired by
the iPod have been around for a year now. [more]
Apple first ventured into the
world of mobile phones in collaboration with Motorola. Motorola ROKR, the first
mobile compatible with iTunes, was launched in 2005 but didn’t prove to be such
a success.
The fact that Apple registered
the “Mobile Me” brand last year gave way to a new wave of speculations. The
Apple mobile is eagerly awaited with each new Apple event. It’s not impossible
that it will one day appear, but it will certainly not be called iPhone, as
this particular name is already claimed by Linksys.
The iPhone family of handheld
devices harnesses the power of the Internet to enhance voice communications,
integrate compelling information services, and deliver access to multimedia. In
short, Linksys iPhones voice solutions and products give consumers the ability
to do more with their phone than talk.
Since the summer of 2004, Linksys has shipped more than 3
million VoIP products worldwide, including seven phones in its iPhone product
line - all immediately available in the United States:
iPhone Cordless Internet Telephony Kit - CIT200
iPhone Dual-Mode Internet Telephony Kit - CIT300
iPhone Dual-Mode Cordless Phone for Yahoo! Messenger with
Voice - CIT310
New! - iPhone Dual-Mode Internet Telephony Kit for Skype -
CIT400
iPhone Wireless-G IP Phone - WIP300
iPhone Wireless-G IP Phone with Web Browser - WIP330
New! - iPhone Wireless-G Phone for Skype - WIP320
Enhanced Communication
Voice applications are at the core of the iPhone family.
However, with iPhone handheld devices, consumers can do more than just dial a
phone number and wait to see if someone answers on the other end. Products in
the iPhone product line integrate popular communication clients, like Skype and
Yahoo! Messenger with Voice, to help enable real-time presence features that
can allow consumers to see when their friends and family are online and ready
to receive a call. With products in the iPhone family, callers can toggle
between the free VoIP calling options available from Skype or Yahoo! and
traditional landline service with the click of a button.
As the first product to couple Yahoo! Messenger with Voice
and access to Internet services like Yahoo! Local Search and weather forecasts,
the Dual-Mode Cordless Phone for Yahoo! Messenger with Voice ( CIT310 ) has
given consumers access to information in a convenient and timely manner. They
no longer have to pick up a printed phone book, or go to their computer to find
a phone number. By programming the phone with a local zip code, people can
search for local business information directly from their phone and then
effortlessly place a call to the business with one click. In addition, a
weather search setting permits quick access local weather forecast.
The iPhone product family also includes products like the
Wireless-G IP Phone ( WIP330 ) that integrate the popular standards-based SIP
VoIP protocol. Consumers can use the WIP330 to access music, photos, and
streaming video from sources on the Internet so they can combine the product
with wireless video cameras like the Linksys Wireless-G Compact Video Camera (
WVC54GC ), to create a real-time home monitoring solution.
Launching today, the latest iPhones products help free
consumers from the requirement of an always-on PC to make calls over the
Internet. The iPhone Dual-Mode Internet Telephony Kit for Skype ( CIT400 )
embeds the popular communications client into a cordless phone base station
that is attached directly to the home network via Ethernet, making it easy to place
calls to other Skype users, mobile phones, or landlines without turning on a
computer. The iPhone Wireless-G Phone for Skype ( WIP320 ) makes Skype portable
by integrating it into a Wireless-G handset, allowing consumers to place calls
from anywhere they can connect to a wireless access point.
Both new iPhones products allow free or inexpensive voice
calls in addition to real-time contact list access and presence information
that lets the user know if the intended call recipient is available. The new
phones also support popular Skype calling services, such as SkypeOut, SkypeIn,
and Skype Voicemail.
iPhone Family Pricing and Global Availability:
iPhone Cordless Internet Telephony Kit - CIT200 -
Available globally through e-commerce retailers, retail stores, and VAR
partners. Estimated Street Price: $79.99.
iPhone Dual-Mode Internet Telephony Kit - CIT300 -
Available globally through e-commerce retailers, and VAR partners. Estimated
Street Price: $99.99
iPhone Dual-Mode Cordless Phone for Yahoo! Messenger with
Voice - CIT310 - Available in the U.S. through e-commerce retailers,
and VAR partners. Estimated Street Price: $99.99
New!! iPhone Dual-Mode Internet Telephony Kit for Skype -
CIT400 - Available immediately in the U.S. through e-commerce retailers,
and VAR partners. Global availability through e-commerce retailers, and VAR
partners is expected for Q1 2007. Estimated Street Price: $179.99
iPhone Wireless-G IP Phone - WIP300 - Immediately
available in North America, Europe and Asia
through distribution and authorized VAR partners. Estimated Street Price:
$219.99
New!! iPhone Wireless-G Phone for Skype - WIP320 -
Immediately available in North America through distribution, online retailers
and VAR partners. Europe, Asia and LATAM
availability is planned for Q1 2007. Estimated Street Price: $199.99.
iPhone Wireless-G IP Phone - WIP330 - Immediately
available in North America, Europe and Asia
through distribution and authorized VAR partners. Estimated Street Price:
$369.99
