Analyst Predictions for 2010 iPhone: 70% Chance of Verizon, Battery Improvements, RFID

[jjack50]

Storm 1 & Tour does NOT have HSDPA/UMTS bands that cover North/South America! You cannot use this as a general statement in the same sentence that covers quad-band GSM. UPDATE: Storm2 ALSO doesn't have a usable UMTS/HSDPA band for North America as well: 2100 MHz UMTS/HSPA networks. http://na.blackberry.com/eng/devices/blackberrystorm/storm_specifications.jsp Also the 9550 has BTv2.1+EDR, while the 9530 has BTv2.0 (no EDR).

I mis-wrote. They do not cover North American HSDPA/UMTS bands, just North America/Europe/Asia Pacific GSM/GPRS bands and 2100 mhz HSPA/UMTS band.

The point is the same though. The technology already exists for Verizon and AT&T to use the same iPhone.

 

[ssspinball]

The network quality is bound to be different in the US for T-Mobile, but the customer service, support etc. is bound to be equally dreadful.

Interesting... T-Mobile continually wins awards every year for "best customer support" in the US, while ALL the rest are terrible at this. At a long-time customer, I can attest to the fast the support is wonderful from T-Mo, USA.

They also have the cheapest prices. The big downside is they don't have the best coverage, so if you live in the countryside, they might not be an option. I live in a metropolitan area and spend 99% of my time there, so I don't have a problem with coverage as much as others might.

 

[lukin]

The iPhone is such a groundbreaking device. While I don't necessarily believe all the rumors, I do believe that each iteration will add even more and better features that make it a product that everyone should have and use. Maybe thats 1 year, maybe it's 5. Who knows.

Why does Apple want any form of exclusivity agreement? Aren't they only hurting themselves? How many more phones could they sell if they just give it to all the big carriers?

I purchased an iPhone a week after launch in 2007. Earlier this year my contract ended and I moved back to Sprint on an employee plan. I've been on VZW, ATT, and Sprint. By far, Sprint has the best cell service. I don't want to leave (largely because of the employee plan I'm on I save over $50 a month).

So, yes, I'm wishing Sprint would get it. The Pre sucks. But why be exclusive at all?

 

[bergmef]

Apple should stay with ATT. The profits will only get bigger, it's a sound business decision. ATT will be begging to keep the iphone and, at the pace they are rolling out 3G, Apples radios will be the same same for years on end. Why move to another carrier. Everyone is pointing fingers at ATT, what if people that don't normally get dropped calls, get an iphone and start having them. Then Apple has to answer. They will stay as is for at least 2 more years instead of a cdma/lte phone.

 

[bkap16]

This guy does not understand the nature of mac battery improvements. The most impressive gains made in the macbook pro line came from making the batteries non-removable. That is, they took out the mechanisms that allowed you to take out the battery in order to make more room for battery. You can't do that in iPhone. The battery is already non-removable. I'm sure there will be incremental gains in battery life, because there always are. But I'd be really shocked if the battery life shoots up from ~1 day to ~2 days.

Apple did make some improvements. Beyond the size of the battery (which, as you stated, can't be accomplished with the iPhone), they also managed to extend the life of the battery to 1000 recharges.

 

[crimsontwo]

What Apple should do

OK, here is what I personally think would greatly benefit the next gen. iPhone and secure its leadership position:

== HARDWARE

1) larger capacity battery even at the expense of a slight increase to overall size.

2) higher resolution screen. OLED would be even nicer.

3) larger RAM capacity. c'mon. ~150MB of operating memory left to run apps is nothing.

4) RFID & FM are nice-to-have but not essential. it is my understanding that the WiFi chip inside the device is already capable of FM reception.

4a) fingerprint reader on the back of the phone. this will appeal to business users as well as make authentication much more secure and faster. I use fingerprint reader on my laptop exclusively, never worrying about forgetting a password.

4b) allow attachment of third-party USB storage devices to the iPhone. I have 32GB in a tiny package. being a photographer who travels with his device, I would love being able to dump my photos on the iPhone and freeing up space on my DSLR. you can think of numerous others uses.

5) front camera. hello! video conferencing is huge. my backup Nokia has 2 cameras in a small form factor. why not iPhone? now that Fring offers video calls through Skype (unidirectional though) and Ustream is officially in the Appstore and allows one to stream video FROM the iPhone, Apple should realize that this is a must-have feature in their next gen. devices.

== SOFTWARE

1) enable backgrounding. implement it just like "notifications" for apps -- user confirms/denies an app's request to be backgrounded.

2) reserve "user space" on the filesystem so that content saved inside a given app could be access from other apps. say, I am editing a Word document in "Documents To Go", saving it, and then opening it in "Mail" to send to others.

2a) enable attachment saving/sending from custom locations.

3) Apple could make big bucks on creating something like SpringBoard and then licensing it to third parties who will create and sell "mods" in the Appstore. people LOVE customizing their gadgets.

an added benefit of that would be reduction in a number of users willing to jailbreak their device. the primary reason to jailbreak is to use custom apps. installing cracked IPAs and "unlocking" the device is secondary (I am talking about an average Joe)

4) give users control of their Bluetooth. while not as prominent in North America, BT is big in foreign markets where users share photos/tunes/etc. via this protocol.

5) allow tethering through WiFi.

6) allow in-call recording. this is a must-have feature for a lot of people who do teleconferencing/etc.

==

this list is only of key/essential features that I would like to see implemented. all of them are value-added and doable, not something that Apple cannot implement and/or would require tremendous investments/device price skyrocketing (except for some hardware mods such as fingerprint reader/additional camera/RFID).

all of the software features (+ being able to use the phone on another network since I travel abroad frequently) are THE reason why I Jailbroke my device. essentially, I already have it all. why can't Apple make it official and profit?

cheers.

 

[kdarling]

iPhone won't be on Verizon because Verizon uses outdated CDMA technology, while most of the world moved to GSM.

That's backwards. CDMA was always the superior radio technology.

Almost fifteen years ago, engineers already knew that CDMA radios were the way to handle more users, with higher bandwidth. That's why Verizon and some high-tech countries started with CDMA, even though it cost more to do than using the older GSM/GPRS/TDMA radios. But 3G was an easy transition for them.

GSM carriers had to later add support for CDMA radios to get 3G, which is why ATT is so far behind in coverage... and why they have other problems since their cell network was not originally designed for CDMA.

(OTOH, they were able to use wider bands and allow simultaneous data + voice.)

The iPhone will not be available on the Verizon network in 2010.

Not a response to you in particular, but...

It would be fun if there was forum software where each user could vote on a half dozen predictions... and get locked into them at a certain point. When the event later happened (or not), their avatar+name would have flag dots set to green or red.

Then you could easily look at the person's name on a post, and see flags indicating how many predictions they were right on, and how many were wrong.

 

[hellodon]

I dont think iPhone is going to end up on Verizon.
Both T-Mobile and Verizon have talked down the iPhone in advertisements in the last few months. This is a common marketing strategy, but I'm SURE they wouldnt do it if they had an agreement to have the product within the next 12 months. That would have been something that was in talks long ago and that would just be a slap in the face.

 

[powers74]

T-mobile

In Germany and here in The Netherlands the iPhone is being sold by T-Mobile, and I can assure you that you will eat that wish once your are one a two year contract (that's the minimum here) with them. I have never experienced such a dreadful carrier, and I have had them all here in The Netherlands.

What's especially difficult to stomach is that they advertise, no brag about their network quality, whereas the 3G reception in 3 of the three largest cities of the Netherlands where I work is practically non-existent.

The network quality is bound to be different in the US for T-Mobile, but the customer service, support etc. is bound to be equally dreadful.

Oh, and Gene Munster? All due respect to the guy but his accuracy has been off ever since I first read about him. I now only read his predictions for comic relief...

I don't know what to tell you man. Last year our december bill was over $200. I knew we didn't talk that much. I called Customer service, the girl told me it was right, I said there was no way. I studied the bill for hours - one thing I will bitch about is their cryptic bills - but then we got our February bill. $0.00 The coverage is pretty solid here too. The only dropped calls I ever get are when I'm on the phone with my friend who's with Verizon. So. I'm waiting to see where it goes before I make a move to a new carrier.

 

[powers74]

liklihood

3) larger RAM capacity. c'mon. ~150MB of operating memory left to run apps is nothing.


1) enable backgrounding. implement it just like "notifications" for apps -- user confirms/denies an app's request to be backgrounded.

2) reserve "user space" on the filesystem so that content saved inside a given app could be access from other apps. say, I am editing a Word document in "Documents To Go", saving it, and then opening it in "Mail" to send to others.

Three out of 14 aint bad. I like the idea to have storage within an app. A fingerprint reader would be sweet too, but not on the back of the phone, no, embedded in the home button. And that's even less likely than a front facing camera.

 

[M!M!C]

Sprint Please

I personally wish they would bring the iPhone to either T-Mobile or Sprint because I don't want to be paying the prices of big blue or red. My first gen data planless iPhone on T-Mobile is getting a little long in the tooth, and if the iPhone does not come out on either T-Mobile or Sprint I will probably get some sort of Android phone with Snapdragon next year.

I am with you on the Sprint side!!

 

[duramax]

I do realized dropped calls and crap sucks on AT&T, but I bet it'll get better. I just for some reason LOATHE Verizon. The name even just pisses me off.

I would not use an iphone on Verizon if I was paid for it. HATE THEM

Sprint is good but needs to get with it before its too late. I would love an iphone on Sprint but I don't think a CDMA company (verizon or Sprint) will get it until they have a solid 4g network.

 

[ThunderSkunk]

I do realized dropped calls and crap sucks on AT&T, but I bet it'll get better.

Yeah, I'll bet it'll get better when they get the iPhone exclusively and have to live up to expectations or face the competition.

What part of that idea works?

 

[twoodcc]

i don't see apple making a special iphone for verizon. so unless they make a hybrid chip, i don't think there'll be a verizon iphone. battery improves and rfid sound nice though