Industry Transforming: The iPhone and the Casual User, Enterprise, and Gamer

[MacRumors]

Many iPhone and iPod Touch users and industry observers have noted that the iPhone platform is revolutionizing the mobile phone industry. Recently, Blake from iPodHacks.com analyzed the way the industry is transforming for the casual user, the enterprise, and even the gamer.

With iPhone software v2.0 (expected in June) and the recently released SDK, Blake notes that casual and enterprise users will have a lot to look forward to. In the enterprise specifically, the addition of more robust PUSH functionality and other corporate features promises to give RIM a run for their money.

However the most interesting comparison (in this editor's eyes) comes from Blake's comparison between the iPhone and the Sony PSP and the Nintendo DS. Apple made it clear during its presentation that native games were one of Apple's focuses with the SDK, and Blake points out that the iPhone's hardware gives Apple an edge when competing with Sony and Nintendo.

Sony PSP
Processor: MIPS CPU @ 222 or 333MHz (selectable)
Screen: 480x272 pixels
Input: D-pad, analog stick
Nintendo DS
Processor: two ARM CPUs (67MHz and 33MHz)
Screen: two 256x192 pixel screens
Input: D-pad, touch-screen
iPhone
Processor: ARM CPU @ 620MHz
Screen: 480x320 pixels
Input: multitouch, accelerometer

Note both the PSP and the Nintendo DS cost much less than the iPhone or iPod Touch, however some may feel the added capabilities of the iPhone and iPod Touch may justify the price difference.

Article Link

[macduke]

I have an iPhone, love it, and think it would be great for games. But I think we might be kidding ourselves if we think it would be a greater overall platform for games than a PSP. First of all it has tactile controls. This cannot be overstated. As for graphical horsepower, I'm not so sure that we can simply look at CPU clock speeds. I would imagine that the PSP has a more powerful graphics core than the iPhone. It features 512-bit interfaced 2mb dedicated graphics memory which can push somewhere around 35 million polygons a second. I thought the iPhones graphics were just a vector floating point coprocessor for 3d as a part of the arm chip. Does anyone know for sure which one is more powerful?

[dongmin]

Originally Posted by macduke

I have an iPhone, love it, and think it would be great for games. But I think we might be kidding ourselves if we think it would be a greater overall platform for games than a PSP. First of all it has tactile controls. This cannot be overstated. As for graphical horsepower, I'm not so sure that we can simply look at CPU clock speeds. I would imagine that the PSP has a more powerful graphics core than the iPhone. It features 512-bit interfaced 2mb dedicated graphics memory which can push somewhere around 35 million polygons a second. I thought the iPhones graphics were just a vector floating point coprocessor for 3d as a part of the arm chip. Does anyone know for sure which one is more powerful?

The controller issue could potentially be resolved by adding a d-pad accessory. But this may not even be an issue. The iPhone will spawn a whole different type of gaming with the multi-touch and accelerometer. The Wii and DS are proof of this potential.

And for graphics capabilities, one advantage the iphone has is that it's on a much faster hardware update cycle. The iPod Touch platform will soon run on Intel's Atom platform. Intel will keep pushing newer and faster chips and Apple, as been the case lately, will have no choice but to go along.

[dr_lha]

Originally Posted by dongmin

And for graphics capabilities, one advantage the iphone has is that it's on a much faster hardware update cycle. The iPod Touch platform will soon run on Intel's Atom platform. Intel will keep pushing newer and faster chips and Apple, as been the case lately, will have no choice but to go along.

The trouble is that for the iPhone to be gaming platform, it needs to be a stable platform, which means that no matter how much more powerful the iPhone becomes, game makers will have to target the lowest common denominator (i.e. the current iPhone/iPod Touch).

Changing CPU shouldn't be an issue (the SDK already targets 2 platforms, the ARM iPhone and the i386 Aspen Simulator), but making assumptions about how powerful your CPU is could lead to a lot of disgruntled iPhone users being told that they need to upgrade their iPhone to play the latest game, i.e. much like PC gaming.

This is not an issue for DS or PSP owners.

[sebastianlewis]

Keep in mind that one of the ARM CPUs in the DS is for backwards compatibility with Gameboy Advance games.

Sebastian

[ChrisA]

Originally Posted by dongmin

The iPod Touch platform will soon run on Intel's Atom platform.

No way. That's not going to happen any time soon. Atom is not intended for this kind of device.

[ChrisA]

Originally Posted by dr_lha

The trouble is that for the iPhone to be gaming platform, it needs to be a stable platform, which means that no matter how much more powerful the iPhone becomes, game makers will have to target the lowest common denominator (i.e. the current iPhone/iPod Touch).

I don't think so. If I were writing a game for the iPhone I'd have the game look at the hardware and then turn on or off certain features of the game based on the capabilies of the device. This could happen each time the game is launched but more likely it would be better to do this when the game is installed. I think this would give users what they expect, that the gameswould look better and do more after the iPhone is upgraded to a newer model

[blakespot]

Originally Posted by sebastianlewis

Keep in mind that one of the ARM CPUs in the DS is for backwards compatibility with Gameboy Advance games.

Sebastian

Both CPUs can and are usually used in concert for native DS titles, FYI. It's not merely there to run old code.

I am a big fan of the DS, by the way. I use a PSP as well, but my favorite portable gamer is the GP2X. Lovely, open unit. Let's see if the iPhone becomes my favorite game machine here shortly....


blakespot

[ubersalad]

I don't care much about iphone's capability as a gaming device, it is a business GOD machine when June rolls around if Apple keeps its promises. I also highly doubt a large population of iphone users care as well.

[UCLA-Bruin]

Apple takes these things in small bites (or bytes?) - they are gearing up to take over the entire RIM/BlackBerry marketshare...and probably want to keep the attention there for now. This is a good idea, since a venture into the business world doesn't play well if you are pushing the same device as a gaming machine.

[ThanatosId]

From a marketing view, Apple has put themselves into an amazing place. You're right about pushing the iPhone as enterprise God rather than the portable gaming God. I think Apple will use the touch as their gaming push. Both will be able to function as game and enterprise, but buyers won't be confused as to wether they are the target market or not.
I would hate to be in RIMs, Sony's or Nintendo's board room when June hits!

[ubersalad]

my thought exactly! I was thinking about how RIM was reacting to all this...can anybody reference anything RIM has publicized in regards to the latest iphone announcement?

[liberty4all]

The OBVIOUS question that Apple has not highlighted is: can iPhone 2.0 firmware do push email from Mac OS X Server and other ISP push IMAP solutions?! Gmail push would be nice!

[emotion]

Originally Posted by ChrisA

No way. That's not going to happen any time soon. Atom is not intended for this kind of device.

Yep, Moorestown maybe in 2009. Power consumption will be on a par with ARM at 32nm.

Atom maybe in a bigger 'slate' device with more space for battery perhaps?

[emotion]

Originally Posted by ThanatosId

From a marketing view, Apple has put themselves into an amazing place. You're right about pushing the iPhone as enterprise God rather than the portable gaming God. I think Apple will use the touch as their gaming push. Both will be able to function as game and enterprise, but buyers won't be confused as to wether they are the target market or not.

Very good point. Hadn't thought of it like that.

[vwDavid]

I'll be waiting to find that out too...

Originally Posted by liberty4all

The OBVIOUS question that Apple has not highlighted is: can iPhone 2.0 firmware do push email from Mac OS X Server and other ISP push IMAP solutions?! Gmail push would be nice!

[kashmoney2006]

just something that i thought about... what about making the iphone a wireless controller to be used for games running on an apple computer? would that be possible? you could use the multi touch for a d-pad/other buttons and also use the accelerometer for other controls. i though that this might be a cool way to integrate the iphone for use with games, but i am not so sure how practical this would be. what do people think about this?

[ubersalad]

sounds like a knockoff version of wii.

[megfilmworks]

Originally Posted by ubersalad

sounds like a knockoff version of wii.

Sounds like a Wii on roids.

[kashmoney2006]

Originally Posted by ubersalad

sounds like a knockoff version of wii.

i think alot of the games made would be wii-esque because of the use of the accelerometer. or develop a cross between wii and DS by using the computer screen for graphics along with the iphone for some other graphics plus controls? i think thatd be pretty cool.

[stagi]

can't wait to get some native games!

[tk421]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

However the most interesting comparison (in this editor's eyes) comes from Blake's comparison between the iPhone and the Sony PSP and the Nintendo DS. Apple made it clear during its presentation that native games were one of Apple's focuses with the SDK, and Blake points out that the iPhone's hardware gives Apple an edge when competing with Sony and Nintendo.

I think that's pretty secondary. Comparing just the DS and PSP, hardware power is far stronger on the PSP. However, the DS far outsells the PSP.

I think games on iPhone look like they will be a lot of fun. I just don't think it's realistic for the iPhone to outdo the others as a gaming handheld.

[bytethese]

Wow. Games. Games would rock. I would totally buy a few for my iPhone. That subway can get boring sometimes!

Is it June yet?

[shen]

those people who think that the iPhone isn't important as a game machine should go hang out in an Apple store for a few hours and watch the kids drool over them....

....and watch their parents buy them as presents. (god i feel like my parents abused me! )

a lot of kids own these things, and more will follow. if it plays games too, how many more will choose the iPhone before the psp/ds?

this IS an important area. all those texting game playing kids are a big market. a spoiled market. a market mommy and daddy, pay a lot to make happy.

[thefourthpope]

Originally Posted by kashmoney2006

just something that i thought about... what about making the iphone a wireless controller to be used for games running on an apple computer? would that be possible? you could use the multi touch for a d-pad/other buttons and also use the accelerometer for other controls. i though that this might be a cool way to integrate the iphone for use with games, but i am not so sure how practical this would be. what do people think about this?

I think that the accelerometer possibilities would outweigh the d-pad usefulness, given the lack of tactile feedback. I have a pinball game running on the iPhysics engine on my iPhone, and even with only two buttons, I miss quite frequently.