Apple iPod and iPhone Patents?

[EricNau]

...My whole point is that the Apple phone would have to compete in this environment, with the same customer mentalities. I really would hate to see them get in this arena. I think it would crush the current quality reputation of their products.

Don't believe me? Just ask your friends. I would bet that the vast majority would say their cell service sucks and their phone sucks. It doesn't matter which carrier or phone brand. I don't mean the gadget freaks, the average people.

Sorry for writing a book

People treat their iPods the same way. They are dropped, sat-on, scratched, run-over, thrown, flung, washed, etc. etc. You name it and it's happened to an iPod.

...and for the record, my cell phone does suck and it's not my fault.

 

[Abstract]

Wow, a ridiculous patent. If another company held these patents and sued Apple for infringement, you'd all be up in arms.

The most recent application reveals methods to use a portable wireless device to purchase digital media items over a phone interface over cellular networks or wireless data networks.

Wow, purchasing over a phone network. That was an inevitability anyway, considering how it is done in several countries already.

Also described is the use of a browser to interface and select songs, and also discusses the sale of RingTones as well.

Did someone at Apple get paid for thinking of these "ideas"?

 

[andrewm]

A feature that I'd like to see

I want my stylus!

 

[MacsomJRR]

Please please please oh please!

I would buy this in a heartbeat. If there were such thing as an iPhone that integrated itself perfectly with my mac enabling me to transfer (and edit) mac apps like iCal and iMovie without any third party software... provide the mac OS ease of use... oh boy I'm getting giddy

 

[bigandy]

It will have to be amazing for me to give up my k750i. Or my k800i if I get that before the rumored Apple Phone appears.

i disagree. i think the k750 is awful. i'm getting rid of it as soon as it comes back from it's 9th repair trip. ebay or something. back to the p900 - now that was a good phone.

 

[Lollypop]

Its nice to say lets see the iphone, but for me a phone is more than just calling and music, I text and mms and transfer data, check my calendar... its nice to see pattents that hint at something but what about the rest of the phone? Im looking at a smart phone because I want additional functionality to be added as I want, if the iphone is anything like the ipod and has "limited" features I will give the iphone a skip.

 

[isgoed]

I voted negative

I hate ringtones

 

[Abstract]

I would buy this in a heartbeat. If there were such thing as an iPhone that integrated itself perfectly with my mac enabling me to transfer (and edit) mac apps like iCal and iMovie without any third party software... provide the mac OS ease of use... oh boy I'm getting giddy

There are lots of phones that fit your description with the exception of syncing with iMovie.

 

[jaxstate]

They need to hurry up if they plan on releasing a iPhone. I feel that MS is really making a strong move in the Smartphone business. Blackberrys and Windows Mobile phones are very hot right now.

 

[Cinch]

Ringtones? Why? Ringtone is yesterday news. I thought it is uncool to have your phone ring in public. This was settle longtime ago social pressure of course. Now you just look like a dork having your phone ring in public . However, I do see a desire to have your phone ring in your home.


aside: I like to see what Apple will do with the advent of city wide Wi-Fi and soon Wi-Max

Cinch

 

[The Dweeby Nerd]

FOR ME, the features that they were telling which the ipod phone will have, is MEDIOCRE. or so lacking. COME ON APPLE, you have to at least make a phone better than what NOKIA is doing. NOKIA's SMARTPHONE is the bomb. TONS of FEATURES, really really good. BUT FROM WHAT IM READING, apple is doing a phone that does nothing but to play music and to call. THEY ARE MISSING TEXT MESSAGING, integrated camera, video recording, bluetooth, gprs, etc. IF THEY WILL BE MAKING A PHONE, just a standard phone, not a SMART FONE but a FASHION FONE, then i'm a bit worried.

Not everyone wants a phone that's overloaded with tons of sh*tty features.
The more you pack into a single device, the more mediocre each of the features will be (or can you show me a phone with an integrated camera as good as my Canon?). Apple's been always good at making easy to use products with few but outstanding features (iPod, HiFi). Simplicity is what's it all about.

 

[iProd]

Not everyone wants a phone that's overloaded with tons of sh*tty features.
The more you pack into a single device, the more mediocre each of the features will be (or can you show me a phone with an integrated camera as good as my Canon?). Apple's been always good at making easy to use products with few but outstanding features (iPod, HiFi). Simplicity is what's it all about.

The cameras on camera phones are really for conveniant snapshots or whatnot...I doubt any phone would/should try to compete with something built specifically for the job

 

[The Dweeby Nerd]

The cameras on camera phones are really for conveniant snapshots or whatnot...I doubt any phone would/should try to compete with something built specifically for the job

Why then should I care for a built-in camera? I really don't need a gadget that is crammed with one hundred features of which every single one is mediocre at best.

All I want is a nicely designed, easy to use music player with basic phone functionality from Apple. I don't know about the US, but here in Europe there definitely would be a market for this type of thing.

 

[EricNau]

There are way too many people focusing on things we do not know about this phone. It's still a Rumor. We have very little idea which features this phone is going to have (or not have).

You're telling me the entire pie tastes bad and you've only tasted one ingredient.

 

[Scruff]

Personally, I'd prefer it if Apple integrated the iPod and iPhone concepts, because I really hate having to carry around both my phone and my iPod . Yeah, I'll give you that I'm probably just super lazy, but an iPod with phone capabilities sounds pretty hot to me.

In any case, if there IS an iPhone, I'd probably get one. I need a new phone anyway.

 

[Stridder44]

I'll believe it when I see it

 

[Shamus]

I'll believe it when I see it

Me too. We keep seeing these rumors, but they mean nothing really until the product is actually released.

But rumours are what this site is all about!

 

[Eldentistfuturo]

What cellular service would they make the phone for? cingular?

 

[EricNau]

What cellular service would they make the phone for? cingular?

Probably. Cingular is the largest carrier in America and usually gets all of the latest and greatest phones first.

 

[rjwill246]

Right on, mate

I work for a top tier cellular service provider in the US.

I would bet that the vast majority would say their cell service sucks and their phone sucks. It doesn't matter which carrier or phone brand.

The problem is less the phone but the service. Poor quality sound, dropouts, missed calls, messages already received coming up again as "new", messages coming up a day or two LATE... these are things that the non-critical PHONE user will blame Apple for and not the TelCo.

On top of that, there is the problem of how to deal with phone calls while listening to music and not get irritated by the interruptions. Example: I have a phone and navigation system in the car and have both on when driving to new locations. Listening to music becomes impossible as the voice of the 'navigator' breaks in or the phone interrupts with a new call. The iPod/phone user is going to have to learn to love this or else Apple is going to have to design a system in which interruptions to music/movies do not occur unless permitted by the user (some sort of flashing indicator or text message-caller-ID would help for notifications but that is not perfect).

Thus, the combo is a great idea but NOT in any of the current proposals made so far. This "dog don't hunt" will be the axiom of the day for most cell-phone music combos. Apple may solve this ugly conflicting design dilemma as they so often do-- but then there are those darn phone companies to deal with unless Apple becomes one too!!! Apple might need to, so that it can control the quality and distribution of the signal but THAT is a huge bite to take out of the-- er, well-- Apple!

 

[spinko]

keep it simple

The less they pack into a hypothetic iphone the better. It has to be lean. light and thin and have a easy to use interface (like the ipod) to be different from what is on the market right now. Synchronize with addressbook, iCal, iTunes that's all I'll ever need from a phone. If it can get onto a wifi network that would be a bonus.

I'm sick of carting 100g+ phones and devices around. I've tryied most SE's but none exept the T39 felt comfortable in my pocket.

 

[sysiphus]

Much as I love Apple's gadgets, I would have a hard time shelling out the $$ for a fancy phone that I would invariably drop, scratch, and have to lend to friends--thus the reason that I never pay a cent for phones, and get the "freebie phones"

 

[thejadedmonkey]

This is the patent, in plain english.

 

[Stridder44]

It could only be too cool if any of this was real.