7 and Beyond: What's left to do with a phone?

[Devilstower]

Several threads seem to be dominated by people noting their disappointment with the iPhone 6s (Often stated along the lines of hey, you mean it's only it's only much faster, with a better front camera, better back camera, more RAM and new interface features? How lame!)

Similarly, when asked to state what they expect out of an iPhone 7, the biggest item mentioned is a physical redesign. Which is... fine, I suppose. Though the focus of several posters seems to be "a physical redesign so no one will mistake me for not having the latest model." Which is... kind of pathetic, actually.

But here's the thing. An iPhone 6s is fast, has a beautiful display, a fantastic camera, good battery life, is so thin that it strains material science to keep it intact, and contains a thousand wonders to which we've already become inured. (It reads my fingerprints, securely stores my credit cards, and runs a million apps? How last year.)

So... what's left? What could you do with a phone at this point that wouldn't bring cries of "yeah, so what?" When what we have is so good, are there features remaining that would make you break out the tent so you could wait outside the local Apple store as in days of yore?

 

[Hexiii]

I don't mind Apple just upgrading the usual stuff like processor, camera and display as I don't buy a new phone every year. What I don't like is adding features just for the sake of adding features (which there are loads of in the last 2 versions of iOS), makes the system too cluttered.

 

[eyoungren]

Several threads seem to be dominated by people noting their disappointment with the iPhone 6s (Often stated along the lines of hey, you mean it's only it's only much faster, with a better front camera, better back camera, more RAM and new interface features? How lame!)

Similarly, when asked to state what they expect out of an iPhone 7, the biggest item mentioned is a physical redesign. Which is... fine, I suppose. Though the focus of several posters seems to be "a physical redesign so no one will mistake me for not having the latest model." Which is... kind of pathetic, actually.

But here's the thing. An iPhone 6s is fast, has a beautiful display, a fantastic camera, good battery life, is so thin that it strains material science to keep it intact, and contains a thousand wonders to which we've already become inured. (It reads my fingerprints, securely stores my credit cards, and runs a million apps? How last year.)

So... what's left? What could you do with a phone at this point that wouldn't bring cries of "yeah, so what?" When what we have is so good, are there features remaining that would make you break out the tent so you could wait outside the local Apple store as in days of yore?

Well…if looks don't matter that much to you then I think the car makers should stop killing themselves to update the look of their cars every few years.

I mean…it doesn't matter right?

 

[KittyKatta]

But here's the thing. An iPhone 6s is fast, has a beautiful display, a fantastic camera, good battery life, is so thin that it strains material science to keep it intact, and contains a thousand wonders to which we've already become inured.

Okay, so when the 6 came out then didn't a lot of people say the same thing? We got the bigger screen so what else is left? And here we are again with people claiming the same thing over the next phone.

I know that some people get personally offended over the opinions of others but there's nothing wrong with apathy or disappointment in tech. In fact, it's what Spurs innovation.

Just because I'm buyin a 6S doesn't mean I can't think it's boring because in the end then it's just a tool and not something that defines me.

 

[Sukach]

Well…if looks don't matter that much to you then I think the car makers should stop killing themselves to update the look of their cars every few years.

I mean…it doesn't matter right?

Apples and Oranges. (pun unintended)

 

[SMIDG3T]

Several threads seem to be dominated by people noting their disappointment with the iPhone 6s (Often stated along the lines of hey, you mean it's only it's only much faster, with a better front camera, better back camera, more RAM and new interface features? How lame!)

Similarly, when asked to state what they expect out of an iPhone 7, the biggest item mentioned is a physical redesign. Which is... fine, I suppose. Though the focus of several posters seems to be "a physical redesign so no one will mistake me for not having the latest model." Which is... kind of pathetic, actually.

But here's the thing. An iPhone 6s is fast, has a beautiful display, a fantastic camera, good battery life, is so thin that it strains material science to keep it intact, and contains a thousand wonders to which we've already become inured. (It reads my fingerprints, securely stores my credit cards, and runs a million apps? How last year.)

So... what's left? What could you do with a phone at this point that wouldn't bring cries of "yeah, so what?" When what we have is so good, are there features remaining that would make you break out the tent so you could wait outside the local Apple store as in days of yore?

It's pretty simple. Make it bezel-free and have no buttons. No power button, no home button and no volume buttons.

This is a few years down the line however!!

 

[eyoungren]

Apples and Oranges. (pun unintended)

I disagree. If looks don't matter then we should all be carrying around the original iPhone in different sizes running iOS 9.

If looks don't matter then companies in all fields are killing themselves for nothing. If looks don't matter then you have no iPhone 4/4s, which a lot of people around here like to claim was a game changer. Yeah, so the look of the iPhone 4/4s is irrelevant.

Looks may not matter to some people, but apparently it matters enough to enough people that Apple redesigns the look of the phone every two years.

 

[sterl320]

What's left is what apple always does. Things we don't know we need, then can't imagine or lives without it once we have it.

 

[Sukach]

I really don't know what "gamechanging" feature is left. But, I'm sure smarter minds than me will think of it. Wireless charging would be nice, but that technology still has a ways to go. It would need to be able to charge the phone in no less time than plugging it in. But, that could lead to a water/dust proof/resistant phone, which would be nice.

A truly unbreakable/unscratchable glass would be nice. Better voice recognition and interaction (I'm still waiting for Scarlett Johansson to be in my phone). I'd like to see the Apple Pay/digital wallet concept expand. I still hope one day I can have all my credit cards, loyalty cards, library card, insurance cards, etc at the push of a button. That scenario may be close to reality (looking forward to Apple Pay in my next phone).

Other than that, I welcome incremental improvements. To the camera (still a lot of room for growth in mobile photography), to the processor and all the other bits of silicon inside the phone.

 

[Sukach]

I disagree. If looks don't matter then we should all be carrying around the original iPhone in different sizes running iOS 9.

If looks don't matter then companies in all fields are killing themselves for nothing. If looks don't matter then you have no iPhone 4/4s, which a lot of people around here like to claim was a game changer. Yeah, so the look of the iPhone 4/4s is irrelevant.

Looks may not matter to some people, but apparently it matters enough to enough people that Apple redesigns the look of the phone every two years.

Maybe I'm being narrow-minded, a problem I'm sure Apple does not have, but there are only so many "design" for a phone compared to a near unlimited number of possibilities for a car. I don't know if the 7 will even have a new design. The only thing that changes between the 4/4S and 5/5S was lengthening it. There is no guarantee that the 6/6S to the 7/7S will be a completely new design.

 

[solo118]

Well this is why we see less and less new tech at these keynotes. There is not much left to do, but Apple will always be able to reinvent the wheel somehow!

Slimmer design, better screen, better camera etc etc

 

[squirrrl]

Indestructible, wafer thin phone with display on both sides and that can fold in half to fit in your pocket better.

 

[Sukach]

Indestructible, wafer thin phone with display on both sides and that can fold in half to fit in your pocket better.

Ha. I was thinking more iPhone 7/8/9 not iPhone 20.

 

[kupkakez]

I thought the same thing when I got my first smartphone the Cingular 8525. I didn't think it could get better than that. Come on I had solitaire in my pocket with a stylus.

They'll be something every year even if it just gets faster and a better camera.

 

[squirrrl]

Ha. I was thinking more iPhone 7/8/9 not iPhone 20.

iPhone 20 is the neural implant with Siri whispering so that only you can hear her.

 

[ckurt25]

Someone mentioned it above - Wireless charging and water resistance. I'm wearing an Apple Watch so I'm pretty sure they know how to do it.

 

[aesc80]

iPhone 20 is the neural implant with Siri whispering so that only you can hear her.

I thought it would be an eye implant, ala Futurama.

 

[timeconsumer]

Im hoping for one thing, innovation. Apple is certainly capable of it so it will be interesting to see where they go.

 

[Cryates]

You'd be surprised at the amount of possibilities left looking forward. I suspect the iPhone 7 will come with a complete redesign. I think they will reintroduce the 4" phone, but also have 5" and 6". I think we will see wireless charging next year. Other than those things, I'm not seeing anything more under-the-hood improvements.

They always preach innovation, so I'm expecting something new for the next lineup. One thing to look out for would be a one-port device, where the headphone/charge port are one and the same. They did it with the MacBook.

 

[DogHouseDub]

iPhone mini - bare minimum size to answer calls and reply to texts.

 

[macduke]

Things left that they could do (not necessarily all of these will be in the 7, but are likely in the few couple versions). I've been talking about many of these on the forums for a while.

• Liquid Metal enclosure using a seamless design in a multitude of colors as you can mix colors into the material that doesn't scratch or dent very easily
• Sapphire display coating to resist scratches. This will likely be combined with stronger glass underneath like a veneer.
  
• Thinner and lighter…you know the drill
  
• Remove all ports
  • Integrated programmable sim card
  • Inductive charging with a hidden diagnostic port like the AW
  • Bluetooth Earpods (might be too thin for a headphone jack)
  • Remove mute switch to streamline design, moved to control center like on ipad
• Waterproof or at least water resistant would be a lot easier after removal of ports
• Touch ID integrated into display using 3D Touch in place of a home button
• Much slimmer bezels, especially on the top and bottom, making the devices smaller
• They may simplify to 4", 5", and 6" sizes, especially with the smaller bezels that will make those sizes similar to existing ones and would make a 4" device that is the total size of a 3.5" device.
  
• Better battery life
• True @3X retina displays across the line
• OLED or other new display tech that has much better contrast outdoors
• 32/128/256GB sizes
• MIMO WiFi
• 5G wireless
• The rumored "dual camera, dSLR-like camera" improvements. It apparently uses two or more cameras to not only make a higher-resolution photo, but to fake depth of field effects to make subjects pop from their background using the offset between the cameras and software algorithms
• Even slower slow-mo
• 4K 60fps
• Apple Pencil support for making quick sketches
  
• Usual speed improvements, including a faster flash storage controller like on the iPad Pro to make apps open faster
  
• That rumored tech that changes the feel/friction of items on the touch screen surface. Could maybe simulate keyboard key edges to make typing better? Better taptic engine feedback could be a part of that.

 

[yaboyac29]

- thicker, round back (like the LG G4, iPhone 3G/3GS)
- bigger battery
- smaller bezels
- inductive charging
- notification LED (before you tell me the camera flash is a notification LED, go on youtube and watch a video of how it works cause you're ignorant on the topic)
- amoled display

 

[eyoungren]

Maybe I'm being narrow-minded, a problem I'm sure Apple does not have, but there are only so many "design" for a phone compared to a near unlimited number of possibilities for a car. I don't know if the 7 will even have a new design. The only thing that changes between the 4/4S and 5/5S was lengthening it. There is no guarantee that the 6/6S to the 7/7S will be a completely new design.

The 5/5s got thinner. Apple lost the stainless steel band and did away with the glass back. The case, except for the antenna windows is all metal.

That is a signifigant change to me

I believe there is still room to innovate in the external design.

 

[Number-Six]

Update the Facetime camera to this:

 

[kawalerzysta]

I don't have iPhone (back in a day I had 3Gs), but here is my opinion. I think we are slowly reaching era of good enough phone, be it on the android or iOS. The changes on both platforms will be more evolutionary, then revolutionary. Market had matured, so I would not expect any revolutionary changes for the while.