iPhone Duo But…is it still a phone?

[jinnyman]

And I know young people are less likely to contact in phone call than texting compared to more aged people. No wonder smaller phones are not doing well + larger & more capable computing phones are mainstreams.

 

[rui no onna]

It is something that as my Gen-Z children are discovering, must be used if you wish to converse with medical providers and their billing departments, government services and employment.

Many, many things are online or function as an app. But not everything has fully caught up so that no one has to use a phone for calls anymore.

The back office billing department for my son's doctor for example, does not have a direct website or app where you can dispute the bill or ask questions, nor an email address or texting capability to do the same. You have to actually call them if you have questions.

But, if your life is so arranged that everything you ever deal with can be handled with a device and not a phone call, then I am happy for you.

I normally use speaker phone for that as it often requires pressing a bunch of numbers on the keypad before you get an actual person, and using voice recognition often sucks.

 

[NvidiaIntelPC]

View attachment 2661603Prove me wrong, but I‘ve noticed that Apple hasn‘t mentioned AT ALL in their presentations or shown in ANY of their marketing materials the basic functionality of the iPhone Duo as an ordinary phone…

For sure, not a coincidence?

Perhaps, to avoid undesirable impressions such as this? (for clarity, the image is AI generated, can‘t assert this is showing the proportions with fidelity)

People used to say similar things about the first few generations of the Samsung Galaxy Note, back when Apple was still making small phones. Then later they said the same thing about the first big iPhone, the 6 Plus—that it’s not a “phone,” it looks dumb when you hold it up to your ear, etc. But here we are now.

I mean, it’s just evolution. Being a “phone” for calling and talking to someone is only one of the many things these devices do now. It shouldn’t have to sacrifice everything else just to be a traditional voice phone.

 

[subjonas]

I don't think they're hiding anything, unless they're hiding phone usage of all iPhones. How many times in the last 10 years have they shown people holding any iPhone up to their ear in marketing images? I can't recall any myself. That's just not the focus of phones anymore, and more importantly that's not the feature that sells the product, so naturally marketing won't care to show it.

And I actually had to stare at the image for a second to try to find what was supposed to be wrong with it. The only thing I noticed at first was that the AI woman didn't seem to have a thumb. The Duo may be a little wider than we're used to seeing, but phablets were much more drastic of a change and received much more ridicule (so far), but those became normal pretty quickly.

 

[azhava]

And I know young people are less likely to contact in phone call than texting compared to more aged people. No wonder smaller phones are not doing well + larger & more capable computing phones are mainstreams.

I'm in my mid-60s and very, very rarely use my iPhone as an actual phone. I text at least 100x more often than I make/receive phone calls. Phone calls are disruptive and almost always seem to come at inconvenient times, I avoid them whenever possible.

 

[Bkdodger]

I'm in my mid-60s and very, very rarely use my iPhone as an actual phone. I text at least 100x more often than I make/receive phone calls. Phone calls are disruptive and almost always seem to come at inconvenient times, I avoid them whenever possible.

Right there with you I barely use the phone for phone calls and if I do I have my airpods in when I'm working from the office, every other time it's either connected to my car or if I'm not around people I have it on speaker

 

[WebHead]

The end.

Plus,

😏

These devices have now long been pocket computers that take pictures and make phone calls: although we all make a lot of calls, the phone functionality seems basic and to be of lesser importance to most people than the other features. Maybe “phone” should be de-emphasized in the naming.

I've always wished they'd called it Apple Communicator

 

[Pipper99]

😏





I've always wished they'd called it Apple Communicator

Me too: that would have been great.

I think Adam Christiansen had a podcast at one time called “We Have Communicaotrs”.

 

[webkit]

I've always wished they'd called it Apple Communicator

"Communicator" is what Nokia called their first series of smartphones launched in 1996. They dropped the Communicator name around the time iPhone launched.

 

[eyoungren]

I normally use speaker phone for that as it often requires pressing a bunch of numbers on the keypad before you get an actual person, and using voice recognition often sucks.

I do use speakerphone on occasion, especially when I know I will be pressing buttons. But, primarily only in private. I have some hearing loss though, so whether using the device normally or through speakerphone it can be hard to decipher what people are saying. In any case, when I am in public, I do not like taking calls - unless they are important. I'm still one of those persons who thinks it's rude to be on the phone while also dealing with other people in public. Sure, I can find a spot out of the way, but I just don't care to handle private conversations in public. And some places are noisy, which with my hearing loss can be a problem.

Important calls where I feel it is necessary for me to understand and not guess at any words being said, I will use my bone conduction headset. It bypasses all my hearing loss. And the headset has a mic.

 

[klasma]

Personally I’m waiting for the iPhoneBooth Duo ⬆️.

 

[klasma]

I still haven't seen any images of the on screen keyboard on the front display. This is a more noticeable omission.

The front display is larger (in height as well) than the iPhone 6/7/8/SE2/3 display, it should be fine.

 

[TroyBoy30]

You‘re right. Seems my thread has caused some upheaval. ChatGPT now tells me that Apple stopped featuring imagery of their phones being used as such (held to the ear) from about the arrival of the iPhone 6, and are instead highlighting all other uses.

In all seriousness that’s weird to me as well

 

[WebHead]

"Communicator" is what Nokia called their first series of smartphones launched in 1996. They dropped the Communicator name around the time iPhone launched.

True, it was also the name of Netscape's browser suite. iPhone was inevitable as the name, it just hasn't dated well despite the mega sales. Missed opportunity to redefine the "phone".