I never thought about this downside to the built in sim cards... I don't know what I want them to do now! haha, we'll see
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Apple Working on Cheaper, Smaller iPhone and MobileMe Overhaul
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Now that the iPhone 4 is out with it's 2X resolution screen, this seems doable!
Just halve the device dimensions and use the iPhone 3G screen resolution at the same dpi as the iPhone4 retina display, resulting in a phone like:
In Landscape the keyboard would be about the same size as the current iPhone in portrait. In Portrait mode we could get a class numeric keypad (1, 2ABC, 3DEF, etc).
Backwards compatibility continues to work as well by using the standard app assets (1X size).
Edit: Of course, in reality I think a 3/4 size phone would be much better, i mean... a 1" wide phone!
Just halve the device dimensions and use the iPhone 3G screen resolution at the same dpi as the iPhone4 retina display, resulting in a phone like:
Height: 2.25 inches (57.6 mm)
Width: 1.155 inches (29.3 mm)
Depth: 0.37 inch (9.3 mm)
Weight: 2.4 ounces (68.5 grams)
Resolution: 480x320 (326 dpi)
Width: 1.155 inches (29.3 mm)
Depth: 0.37 inch (9.3 mm)
Weight: 2.4 ounces (68.5 grams)
Resolution: 480x320 (326 dpi)
In Landscape the keyboard would be about the same size as the current iPhone in portrait. In Portrait mode we could get a class numeric keypad (1, 2ABC, 3DEF, etc).
Backwards compatibility continues to work as well by using the standard app assets (1X size).
Edit: Of course, in reality I think a 3/4 size phone would be much better, i mean... a 1" wide phone!
I'm not a hardware guy, so my thinking on this could be backwards. But doesn't this pixel density mean that Apple could put the old 480x320 resolution into a smaller screen - maybe 3.2"? And then apps that are compatible with the 3GS would still render correctly (if smaller) on the iPhone Nano? I know it would be more difficult to interact with the touchscreen. Resolution independence? On-the-fly and by-the-device scaling? I don't know. This is beyond my ken, just thinking out loud.
Thinner and lighter, not smaller I would say.
The screen will stay the same size, it'll be basically the ipod touch form factor, but with a different material for the back. By the summer they should be able to cram all the cellphone stuff in and keep the current specs. i.e. A4 chip, current graphics with decent battery life, and maybe a slightly better backside camera than the current touch. Can't really see them doing anything else.
The screen will stay the same size, it'll be basically the ipod touch form factor, but with a different material for the back. By the summer they should be able to cram all the cellphone stuff in and keep the current specs. i.e. A4 chip, current graphics with decent battery life, and maybe a slightly better backside camera than the current touch. Can't really see them doing anything else.
me.com overhaul would be great, I even thought it might be ultimately useful instead of an appleid just have me.com id's for me.com email, find my iphone and itunes store accounts.
Possibly be even apple's social networking site for photo storage, status updates, itunes music sharing and ping related stuff.
Idk, say if youre on the go and dont have back up device; computer, etc just can back up to your me.com account or even 'phone home' back to your computer or a time capsule through me.com; but thats assuming you have wifi/3g access i suppose.
And possibly merge it into the home theater area, instead of always having an active machine on any purchases you have made can stream from me.com or even have a companion appliance to the appletv such as a timecapsule/timecapsule server running a itunes streaming service.
all i know is theyre severely limiting the abilities with me.com, it has potential but would be great to see it kick gmail in the ass with some great services.
/head out of the cloud
Possibly be even apple's social networking site for photo storage, status updates, itunes music sharing and ping related stuff.
Idk, say if youre on the go and dont have back up device; computer, etc just can back up to your me.com account or even 'phone home' back to your computer or a time capsule through me.com; but thats assuming you have wifi/3g access i suppose.
And possibly merge it into the home theater area, instead of always having an active machine on any purchases you have made can stream from me.com or even have a companion appliance to the appletv such as a timecapsule/timecapsule server running a itunes streaming service.
all i know is theyre severely limiting the abilities with me.com, it has potential but would be great to see it kick gmail in the ass with some great services.
/head out of the cloud
a cheaper iOS phone makes sense
One of the main reasons Android's marketshare grew so quickly is because the OS is available on phones that are on the cheap and even 'free' phones with some carrier plans. To keep iOS on top has to make it possible to saturate all levels of the user price chain.
Look for a smaller 'pretty smart' phone that has some limitations beyond just the screen to fill that nitch without risk of cannibalizing the full size iPhone's market.
And as long as they don't remove any MobileMe features free would be great and a bit draw for both the phone and the Mac market in general - the very best feature of MobileMe is it keeping all my devices in sync all the time from the iPad, iPhone, and 2 household and one off-site work computer.
One of the main reasons Android's marketshare grew so quickly is because the OS is available on phones that are on the cheap and even 'free' phones with some carrier plans. To keep iOS on top has to make it possible to saturate all levels of the user price chain.
Look for a smaller 'pretty smart' phone that has some limitations beyond just the screen to fill that nitch without risk of cannibalizing the full size iPhone's market.
And as long as they don't remove any MobileMe features free would be great and a bit draw for both the phone and the Mac market in general - the very best feature of MobileMe is it keeping all my devices in sync all the time from the iPad, iPhone, and 2 household and one off-site work computer.
If they want to release a cheaper iPhone, I would have thought they would be better of using cheaper components (like the iPod Touch which has a TN screen vs the IPS screen in the iPhone4). I am not sure what the point of making it smaller will be (as surely that will just make it more expensive), although I guess they could be ditching the home button like has been rumored.
iPhone 5 & iPhone 5 Pro?
What about Apple removing the bezel above and below the screen making it 1/3 smaller but still maintaining the same screen size which ensures the compatibility with all the apps, calling it the new iPhone 5. (slide out KB maybe?)
Whereas Apple introducing a completely new iPhone 5 Pro (?) with a bigger screen but matching the size of the current iPhone 4. (stretching the screen)
What about Apple removing the bezel above and below the screen making it 1/3 smaller but still maintaining the same screen size which ensures the compatibility with all the apps, calling it the new iPhone 5. (slide out KB maybe?)
Whereas Apple introducing a completely new iPhone 5 Pro (?) with a bigger screen but matching the size of the current iPhone 4. (stretching the screen)
Once the tech upgrades a little, 2 years or so, I'd love to have an iPhonano and iPad as my full mp3-communications-computing platform (outside of heavy duty computing).
While the iPhone is nice as is and very utilitarian, it's still a lot more function with too limited a screen. With a smaller screen, less function, and far smaller price, it will be what I would find truly best for a phone/mp3. The success of that combo of devices rests on higher res./greater memory/better cpu power on the iPad.
As for design: instead of shrinking the iPhone in all dimensions, I'd rather it were cut down the middle to be a thin strip of tech with a long screen you can turn sideways for info. That would negate a lot of computing function on the iPhone, but it would be just a phone/mp3/basic info device.
While the iPhone is nice as is and very utilitarian, it's still a lot more function with too limited a screen. With a smaller screen, less function, and far smaller price, it will be what I would find truly best for a phone/mp3. The success of that combo of devices rests on higher res./greater memory/better cpu power on the iPad.
As for design: instead of shrinking the iPhone in all dimensions, I'd rather it were cut down the middle to be a thin strip of tech with a long screen you can turn sideways for info. That would negate a lot of computing function on the iPhone, but it would be just a phone/mp3/basic info device.
Not enough obvious market differentiation and the hard feelings that would leave with those that did pay the premium price but didn't immediately upgrade.
The cheap phone has to be visually identifiable as the cheap phone.
The only advantage, from a personal standpoint, of getting an iPhone "nano" would be that I could justify getting an iPad. I love my MBP and my iPhone 4 but between the two of them there is no reason to have an iPad (personally). If I had a cheaper, less capable phone then I could add a more capable iPad and that would suit me much better.
This is a difficult rumor to believe.
If they shrank the screen, the on-screen keyboard would be awful and numerous apps would be more difficult to use.
Unless the iPhone nano is still 3.5" but with a smaller bezel.
(Which hopefully also means the iPhone 5 would get a bigger screen)
If they shrank the screen, the on-screen keyboard would be awful and numerous apps would be more difficult to use.
Unless the iPhone nano is still 3.5" but with a smaller bezel.
(Which hopefully also means the iPhone 5 would get a bigger screen)
Wasn't the mobile me free rumour a bit last year?
I will believe it when I see it, and for one, I will like and use it.
I will believe it when I see it, and for one, I will like and use it.
The reason the ipad has no contract is cause your paying full price. Either pay 600$ for your phone and you wont have a contract or pay 200$ with one. You always have had this choice.
I really don't see this as a good idea. The best thing about the iPhone is all the non-phone stuff. The worst part of the iPhone, the phone. I try to use it as little as possible.
So, if you make a mini iPhone, you will be severely lessening the experience of all the non-phone stuff the iPhone has to offer, leaving just "the bad", the phone part. So, we'll have a device that is basically a severely limited iPod touch that you can't make long quality calls on (unless you're on Verizon I suppose, I'm on at&t).
As for Apple offering this to compete with the low-price Android phones, let's be rational here. One can buy a $49 8gb iPhone 3GS today. If people can't afford to pay out $49, they sure as hell won't be able to spend $30 per month on their data plan.
And besides, putting out a mini iphone will further fragment iOS devices, which is a sticking point when trying to criticize Android phones.
So, if you make a mini iPhone, you will be severely lessening the experience of all the non-phone stuff the iPhone has to offer, leaving just "the bad", the phone part. So, we'll have a device that is basically a severely limited iPod touch that you can't make long quality calls on (unless you're on Verizon I suppose, I'm on at&t).
As for Apple offering this to compete with the low-price Android phones, let's be rational here. One can buy a $49 8gb iPhone 3GS today. If people can't afford to pay out $49, they sure as hell won't be able to spend $30 per month on their data plan.
And besides, putting out a mini iphone will further fragment iOS devices, which is a sticking point when trying to criticize Android phones.
The best revamp for MobileMe would be to make it a free service and then to restore Mac.com to a premium level service.
To me, having '@me.com' send the wrong message professionally. It implies that you think of yourself first...at the cost of the team effort. It was one of the stupidest things Apple Consumer Electronics has done in the last five years. It is disgraceful.
To me, having '@me.com' send the wrong message professionally. It implies that you think of yourself first...at the cost of the team effort. It was one of the stupidest things Apple Consumer Electronics has done in the last five years. It is disgraceful.
maybe this is wishful thinking or just my consumer brain wanting more than apple can deliver.
maybe mobile me will become a free service that will utilize iChat cross platform. like the way BBM is with Blackberry, perhaps apple will release an iChat application that does the same for the iPhone. Taking it one step further, this service could allow for messaging not only across the iPhone platforms but also from Mac/iPad to iPhone.
I have no idea about the logistics of this, im only in marketing, but i think it would help draw people away from BBM .
maybe mobile me will become a free service that will utilize iChat cross platform. like the way BBM is with Blackberry, perhaps apple will release an iChat application that does the same for the iPhone. Taking it one step further, this service could allow for messaging not only across the iPhone platforms but also from Mac/iPad to iPhone.
I have no idea about the logistics of this, im only in marketing, but i think it would help draw people away from BBM .