GadgetDotRed

M1 finally announced on October 13th that they have reached an agreement with Apple to bring the iPhone to M1 customers in Singapore later this year. M1 also hinted at ‘tailored’ service plans for iPhone customers. More details will be revealed in ‘due course’.

Way to go M1! Welcome to the party, better one year late then never.

GadgetDotRed – Now looking even better on your iPhone, iPod Touch and Android phones :) With the new mobile theme, our site looks even better, and is easier to navigate. Many thanks to WPTouch. Give us a whirl on your iPhone, iPod Touch or Android Phone today at the same web address – www.GadgetDotRed.com

The Internets are buzzing with updates from Apple and Microsoft.

Apple – Safari 4 Beta is out – Argumentatively the current fastest browser available mainstream.
Some of the reported 150 new features include Full-Page Zoom, a improved JavaScript engine (part of the webkit), pin-top sites, web page cover flow and full featured RSS reading capability.

Microsoft – Internet Explorer 8 RC1 is also out for Microsoft fans and includes features such as a Web Slices (with subscription options), improved JavaScript and Ajax processing, automatic Crash Recovery and Private browsing.

Apple – iPhone OS 3.0’s features are finally out of the bag, due to for a Summer 09 relase and will have long awaited features such as Cut, Copy & Paste, A2DP Bluetooth, P2P Connectivity over Bluetooth, Landscape Typing in all the core apps, MMS, Spotlight Search and Phishing protection.

Back in September, we reported that the G1 had launched. Well, the G1 has finally hit our shores and is now available via Singtel

Looks like Singtel managed to score a hat-trick, fielding both the G1(Singtel has rebranded it as the Singtel Dream; ugh!) and the iPhone, giving it the leg-up againast the local mobile competition.

Google recently launched Mobile Sync (in beta), a free service which synchronizes contacts and calendar entries /alerts between mobile phones and computers, with changes pushed to all devices. Currently, the service supports the iPhone, Blackberry, Symbian and Windows Mobile platforms. For more details, check out Google Mobile Sync.

Launch Event :

Singtel finally launched the iPhone 3G at midnight, August 22nd (as predicted) with much fanfare, putting up a good attempt in comparison to worldwide launches. Crowds started packing Singtel’s Comcenter with the first in line at noon. Local IT enthusiasts has noticed Singtel building a “cube like” structure, akin to Apple’s famous Fifth Avenue Store design, albeit much smaller.

The crowd control was very well done, almost to the point of being too extreme with batches led from one waiting area to another as the night progressed. Customers were treated to live music, blasting music as well as free drinks and snacks provided by various sponsors. Also present were a host of foreign and local media as well. The launch itself was brought to a climax with a textbook countdown and fireworks as the first in line made his way into the “Singtel Cube” amid staff applause (lifted from Apple’s textbook) and cheers, as the next 50 were ushered in. (50 slots were set up inside the miniature 2 storey cube)

Activation did take a while as the customer service personnel were new and hired specifically for the iPhone 3G lanuch. The person attending to me did not know that the sim card should be placed without the plastic which came as a place holder, nor did she know where the sim card removal tool was in the package. But in hindsight, the staff were extremely helpful and courteous; it was obvious that effort was put into customer satisfaction.

Afterthoughts :

Overall, the atmosphere was very carnival like and crowd control was well done (not that singapore has crowd issues). I will end this post with some tips for fellow iPhone 3G users in Singapore.

1. APN Issues

3G Data users, if  your APN settings were not set properly, you can set them up yourself using the information on the screenshot above, found in the iPhone’s Settings –> General –> Network –> Cellular Data Network

2. Data Usage Record

Singtel’s Data Usage Record Page might report your information as invalid, this is because it takes up to 3 days for new Braoadband on Mobile customers’ details to be available in the online system. (Information from Singtel Mobile Hotline)

3. Visual Voicemail

Currently there is no suport for the “Visual Voicemail” feature in Singapore. The “Voicemail” button will redirect you to Singtel’s voicemail number.

4. iTunes Store

As Singapore does not have an iTunes store, users with a US iTunes Account can get your iPhone to connect to the US iTunes Store after your first sync with your PC.

5. Data Plan Importance

Getting an iPhone without a Data Plan has its dangers. Full Article Here (courtesy of MacRyu!)

6. FAQ

Lastly, Singtel has put up a FAQ which answers the most common iPhone 3G questions.

Finally, the iPhone plans are about to be announced. Lets hope we dont see another Canadian Rogers local episode. Here’s the link.

Preparations for Apple’s 3G iPhone are underway in Singapore, with the initial training sessions for Singtel’s support staff almost complete. According to sources, Singtel will be handling the customer support except for hardware and iTunes store support, which Apple will be handling through the usual channels. All training sessions are being protected with NDA’s (in Singapore?!) which is to be expected from Apple, with the Singapore launch date still kept a closely guarded secret, although rumours are being whispered of an early August launch.

As for pricing details, available information is still very sketchy, although MacRyu has posted what is probably most thorough based on the limited information available.