Apple's Phone Revealed?

[williedigital]

Two things

1) it seems like people are overexagerating with the "having to slide the clickwheel up to call anyone" thing. Everyone I know uses a contact list almost exclusively, something which could very easily be incorporated into the standard ipod interface (already is sort of). Calling the odd number i'd be fine with sliding it up. Perhaps they could introduce some really innovative contact list stuff software wise to make it even less necessary to "dial" people.

2) Maybe all the touchscreen stuff we think is for the video ipod is really for the phone and the dialpad and clickwheel both use a touch sensitive thing to work.

 

[Rhema]

Take a PSP. Chop the two ends off that hold the game controls. You have about a 3"x4"x.75 16:9 unit, all screen. User replaceable battery, openable back. quad GSM. Bluetooth. Touch screen, pressure sensitive to sense clicks. Touch brings up on-screen controls, translucent. Can bring up traditional number buttons, or a contacts list with a click wheel scroller. Speaker makes subtle click sounds like Mighty Mouse. Internet browser. EMail. The usual phone PDA stuff. *nix OS.

Apple starts a virtual carrier in its huge new data center. Does perfect syncing, has all you can eat Internet at 3G speeds.

It's also an iPod. Hard disk. Virtual click wheel. Stereo Bluetooth. iPod dock port. Headphone jack. Hold switch. No WiFi. Bluetooth will be extended soon to have more range and speed.

It's also a video iPod. Wide screen. Virtual click wheel. Plays movies.

It's also an IR remote for CE stuff and Macs. Interface ala Harmony Remote. IR port.

It's also an Apple Remote Desktop. Links to any Mac, puts 2nd Mac screen on the device. Controls your Mac through touch guestures, Apple Speech Recognition, Apple Text to Speech, through phone mik/spkr or Bluetooth headset. Hooks over Bluetooth if Mac is close, GPRS/3G connection of Mac is distant. File transfer too.

$500.

I would looove this idea, all around. although I really feel like the best thing for a smart phone is to have a keyboard. I really really dont think a virtual keyboard will work, because you can't feel yourself press the keys, and the keyboard would take up so much of the screen that you couldn't see what your supposed to type into.

but as far as it being a camera, video camera, have a simplified OS X operating system, having perfect sync. and being able to remote desktop into your mac, that would be amazing. Also, i think they should put more 3D into the OS design, mabye designing it after the front row look. Having a mobile version of Itunes that you could browse though your collection just like the new itunes 7. different things like that.

Also, how great would it be if you could make your own ring tones with your itunes library, like, choose 10 seconds from any song and set it as a ring tone.

I have to many ideas about what I would want in a Iphone. One thing, I really dont like iPhone as a name...how about iMobile? with all the talk about having all of your music with you, your photos, your videos, games, address book, etc. it could be branded as a mobile version of having a mac...iMobile.

I just think it sounds a lot better.

 

[Lynxpoint]

I just do not think Apple is going to introduce a cellular phone. The ideas sound great around here, but I don't see any good busness model for such a device. What is Apple going to make money on selling such a product?

 

[macboy62]

Does anyone remember Apple + SoftBank?

SoftBank are offering a new iPod nano free with the new Sharp 705SH phone...

http://www.vodafone.jp/special/index.html?cc_1001=

 

[shecky]

2) Maybe all the touchscreen stuff we think is for the video ipod is really for the phone and the dialpad and clickwheel both use a touch sensitive thing to work.

good point. for me after using a RAZR for the past year, i find myself always looking at the phone to dial a number; therefore a "virtual" keypad on a screen would be no different at all, barring the very slight (tho admittedly noticeable) physical feedback of hitting an actual button instead of a virtual one. having said all that, the idea of a iPod size (tho preferably something between a nano + a fullsize iPod) with a virtual keyboard for the phone/limited PDA stuff and a wheel for the music stuff sounds perfect for me. as long as its got something to the tune of 8GB like the new nano i would definitely get it, including swapping carriers if need be.

 

[Zadillo]

Yes, it was the "pre-announcement" that I find very un-Apple. The fact that the product doesn't have a solid name just adds to the strangeness. Is there a precedent for this at Apple announcements. Sure, I've heard of products that I couldn't go out and get today or even for 4 weeks, but Q1 2007?

This seems to me the "plan b" that had to get announced because the real "one more thing", out of left field announcement, hit a snag.

Maybe it wasn't the iPhone, but something didn't go exactly a planned on the 12th.

Anyone hear how they liked the satcast of the keynote in London?

I think Steve Jobs has done a good job of explaining why they did something so un-Apple like. In the USA Today article about it, he told the reporter that there was no way they could announce the movie store but not also let consumers in on the fact that something like the iTV was coming soon. Otherwise Apple would be asked the obvious question of "Great, I can buy a movie, but what am I going to watch it on?" knowing that "Your Mac and your iPod" isn't enough of an answer.

-Zadillo

 

[mlrproducts]

Yeah, I think they want people to download content starting today knowing that they'll be able to watch it on their nice big flat screen tv in the living room soon.

Steve jobs said "nice big flat screen tv" a lot during the itv intro, didn't he?

It is a loaded term that is generic for HDTVs (plasma, LCD, what have you). Very appropriately used IMO.

 

[berkleeboy210]

I'm calling for another invite to go out w/ in the next 2 weeks saying "One More Thing" and we'll get the phone and the true vPod

 

[DaveK]

I'm hoping for something a little more than a slicker LG Chocolate that syncs with iLife.

Hs anyone seen the Synaptics Onyx? It's only a prototype, or is it?

http://www.synaptics.com/onyx/

Now this seems like the iPhone to me. I want an easily cleanable, hard to scratch touch screen, impeccable voice recognition, an onscreen clickwheel, and great text to speech, ala Alex from the Leopard demo to read me my e-mail while I'm driving to work, and iChat. Not asking for much am I?

I am also waiting for the day when Steve, while showing a new portable product, has the battery die on him. He plugs in the charger and makes the usual sheepish excuses about how this wasn't supposed to happen and stalls for about a minute to explain some of the other new features. He then picks up the unit and announces that while he was talking the unit has 80% of it's charge due to a new battery they are introducing today.

It's the Toshiba "Super Charge Battery"
http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/toshibas-60second-charge-battery-037558.php

Now if they can only make the batteries not ignite. Shoot, I seem to have misplaced my Flying Car keys.

 

[iProd]

I am holding out on getting a new phone in hopes this will be a universal service phone so I can get it for free from Verizon

 

[macfan881]

I'm calling for another invite to go out w/ in the next 2 weeks saying "One More Thing" and we'll get the phone and the true vPod

one question any word on who will suport this COpany wise like Verizion cingular nextell etc or will this start off like The Espn phone?

 

[BobbyDigital]

Touch screen or click wheel?

Hello everyone! I've been a daily MacRumors.com nerd for about 2 years now, but I never took the time to register until today...

I am definitely going to buy an Apple phone when and if it becomes available. I'm sure they'll get the design and interface right, as they always do. I saw someone post something on here (or maybe it was another recent thread) claiming their friend saw the Apple phone branded as a Samsung at a mobile phone convention just recently (which I totally doubt, they would never bring it out in public before release)... I think they're talking about this phone:

Samsung SGH-Z610​

I love the design of it, but I'm really not sure if Apple would abondon the click wheel on their first step into the cell phone market. One part of me wishes they would go with a full touch screen, but I think the click wheel will make it easier to market to the masses of iPod lovers.

 

[Donz0r]

I'm calling for another invite to go out w/ in the next 2 weeks saying "One More Thing" and we'll get the phone and the true vPod

that'd be two more things, no vPod soon. iPhone, we can only hope

 

[dondark]

I dont like touchscreen, we will make it dirty very easily.

 

[Donz0r]

Hello everyone! I've been a daily MacRumors.com nerd for about 2 years now, but I never took the time to register until today...

I am definitely going to buy an Apple phone when and if it becomes available. I'm sure they'll get the design and interface right, as they always do. I saw someone post something on here (or maybe it was another recent thread) claiming their friend saw the Apple phone branded as a Samsung at a mobile phone convention just recently (which I totally doubt, they would never bring it out in public before release)... I think they're talking about this phone:

[image removed]

I love the design of it, but I'm really not sure if Apple would abondon the click wheel on their first step into the cell phone market. One part of me wishes they would go with a full touch screen, but I think the click wheel will make it easier to market to the masses of iPod lovers.

touch screen dialing sucks, not being able to feel buttons is actually a big deal, even though most numbers are dialed through contacts list.

consumers won't fly for the touch screen thing, we have to remember apple is targeting the average american consumer, not us techno-nerdy macrumors folk

 

[mlrproducts]

MR should be happy, as it seems there are plenty of new, naive and ignorant noobs running around.

1) Read the darned article before you spout off about "well hows'I gonnda call wichout me dile pad?"

2) There is a slim to none change this will be any type of smart phone. Scratch that, there is no chance. I would post numbers but I don't have to, because anyone with common sense could put together that the number of non-smart phones outsell smart phones to about a billion to one. (However aside from the obvious mp3/aac playing abilities, it will be "enhanced" in the sense that it will have bluetooth and sync seamlessly with iSync.)

3) Touchscreen would be nice, but it seems as if Apple's patents never materialize. That, and 3b) any type of touch device [that already gets skin/hair oil on it] would be too dirty with fingerprints all over it.

4) Quit complaining about a slider. 4b) They are popular (which for the economically challenged=they sell well=more money for Apple). Also, I would ask that you really think about how often you use your "most recently dialed" list or phonebook vs. new numbers.

5) Technically the artist's rendition is not "nano-like," it is now "vintage retro-1st gen nano-like."

6) While I don't want to challenge Arn's sources, it would be difficult to make the back true "chrome" as the iPods, due to signal issues (unless an external antenna was used, which is unlikely based on a whole slew of reasons I won't go into).

7) The phone will more than likely be GSM. You MIGHT get a CDMA version poor other folks, but not likely (and if so, perhaps only carried on Verizon, and not at release).

8) And #7 leads to real issues re: business. These include: will Apple become a virtual carrier, will the release the phone GSM unlocked and only Apple branded, will it be produced by another manufacturer (ie: Samsung) and attributed as such (unlikely), or are they going to go with the obvious Cingular release (and the possibility of adding to T-Mobile after a Cingular exclusive period). Lastly, worldwide release/availability issues.

EDIT:
9) Quit asking about live iChat video chat, it AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN. A possible related item would be iChat texting (similar to current AOL, Yahoo, ICQ).

 

[BobbyDigital]

touch screen dialing sucks, not being able to feel buttons is actually a big deal, even though most numbers are dialed through contacts list.

Very true... I wish there was a way to make a touchscreen have a tactile feel... If there was a way, I'm sure Apple would be the one to do it.

 

[dondark]

I hope the iPhone can be use iChat and we can video chat with and Mac at any time.

 

[freddiecable]

I agree - a thing called capitalization - they have to develop an iPhone and it would be very stupid not to follow the iPod concept. That's why it takes so long I think...

But - there is nothing in this "news" that's close to "revealed"...

arn very rarely posts info from his own sources. When he does, that info is always correct. I'd bet a good deal of my savings that the iphone will look very similar to that pic.

 

[peeInMyPantz]

I think they are going to hold this for quite a while since they just released their new ipods. Since consumers are rushing to get the new ipods now.. holding it back a few months will make these ipod-owners think about buying iphones to replace their new ipods. So instead of releasing iphone now and let the consumers choose one of them.. they will want them to buy both..

I think it's the same reason why they aren't releasing merom versions of MB/MBP before school starts, because this is the time when everybody is rushing to get new laptops. Sale will probably fall quite a bit after that... so when everyone has a yonah MB/MBP... they then releases merom MB/MBP to stimulate sales again during school period.. tempting yonah owners to replace their laptops...

haha... just my opinion

 

[mlochm]

I just do not think Apple is going to introduce a cellular phone. The ideas sound great around here, but I don't see any good busness model for such a device. What is Apple going to make money on selling such a product?

everything- thats the point. It completes the picture, as SJ has said. They make money on increasing the functionality of everything. Now that you can use an iPod to transport songs seemlessly into iTunes on other computers (authorized ones...) I'm sure that this will be something of use in the iPhone- For example- if you're out and about in the world, and someone gives you their phone number, you save it to your contacts. When you get home and plug in your phone to the computer to charge, it syncs with address book. In turn, address book syncs the phone number you were emailed this morning to your iPhone. I don't even use address book but I would under those conditions. Thing I would love to see in the phone is bluetooth connectivity. as in it could be a bluetooth handset for a phone you already have. And when your contract is up with -insert your provider- you can get service with apple. That would be be nifty.

 

[DaveK]

I think Steve Jobs has done a good job of explaining why they did something so un-Apple like. In the USA Today article about it, he told the reporter that there was no way they could announce the movie store but not also let consumers in on the fact that something like the iTV was coming soon. Otherwise Apple would be asked the obvious question of "Great, I can buy a movie, but what am I going to watch it on?" knowing that "Your Mac and your iPod" isn't enough of an answer.

-Zadillo

I agree, but somehow watching content on "Your Mac and your iPod" until recently, was a good enough answer, and doesn't seem to have affected TV show sales on iTunes, even if it wasn't easy to watch them on our TV. I hope Steve keeps up this new thing of letting consumers in on what's ahead (the usual OS previews excluded).

Start the countdown to Q1 2007 when movie sales will take off.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

I hope the image isn't the iPhone. I didn't like the nano, and the 2nd gen ones aren't any better. They're all flat.. I don't like that. They need the bulge of the middle button that the mini and 1-4th gen iPods had. Yeah, there've been better renderings of "iPhones".

The other thing I'm worried about is that everyone is saying it's an iPod with phone functionality. That's not Apple at all. Apple focuses on one thing only, and then adds the rest. For an iPhone to happen, Apple would make a phone first, and then add music playback 2nd. not the other way around. That leaves me to believe that a screen with a wheel below it wouldn't be the best design.

Having said all this, I am in need of a new iPod, and a new phone.

 

[mlrproducts]

I hope the iPhone can be use iChat and we can video chat with and Mac at any time.

Not to be mean, I am being redundant, but the chances of that happening when/if this phone is released is about the same as a Powerbook G5 coming out in matching colors.

 

[peeInMyPantz]

i think iphone will have aluminium surface to match the new ipods. maybe same colour combi?