Features I'd like to see in the iPhone - Possible with OS update?

[saminsocks]

I know there's a similiar thread, but it doesn't really address whether or not these updates are possible in firmware. I don't mind waiting a few months for updates, but if I'm going to have to get a new phone in a year or two to make use of these features I may just wait.

Better use of Bluetooth. File transfering, modem, etc. - These were all key features when I bought my free phone 2.33 years ago, so now it'll be difficult not to have them. The file transfering I mostly used for ringtones, although it would be helpful to be able to transfer files to friends instead of having to send texts or emails. The modem is pretty important, though. I don't use it much now, since it's a pain and really slow, but it would be great to have with the iPhone. Surfing the web is one thing. Updating my website is another, and that I can't do from my iPhone.

Video recording - This is the one I'm most concerned about as far as software/hardware goes. I have a 7 megapixel camera that does pretty nice video, but sometimes I don't want to have two devices. And my phone is often times convenient when my camera is not. I'm sure I'd use this a lot more than I would use the phone to take pictures.

There are a few other features I really need/want as well, but those I'm pretty sure can come with an update, so it's just a matter of if Apple decides to develop it, or let's an App developer release it. Any thoughts on these? Any others you can think of?

 

[wonderbread57]

How about mapping the "take picture" function to a volume button when in camera mode so it's not so fr*akin impossible to take self or arm extended group pictures

 

[Warbrain]

I know there's a similiar thread, but it doesn't really address whether or not these updates are possible in firmware. I don't mind waiting a few months for updates, but if I'm going to have to get a new phone in a year or two to make use of these features I may just wait.

Better use of Bluetooth. File transfering, modem, etc. - These were all key features when I bought my free phone 2.33 years ago, so now it'll be difficult not to have them. The file transfering I mostly used for ringtones, although it would be helpful to be able to transfer files to friends instead of having to send texts or emails. The modem is pretty important, though. I don't use it much now, since it's a pain and really slow, but it would be great to have with the iPhone. Surfing the web is one thing. Updating my website is another, and that I can't do from my iPhone.

Video recording - This is the one I'm most concerned about as far as software/hardware goes. I have a 7 megapixel camera that does pretty nice video, but sometimes I don't want to have two devices. And my phone is often times convenient when my camera is not. I'm sure I'd use this a lot more than I would use the phone to take pictures.

There are a few other features I really need/want as well, but those I'm pretty sure can come with an update, so it's just a matter of if Apple decides to develop it, or let's an App developer release it. Any thoughts on these? Any others you can think of?

Bluetooth could potentially be added through software update. You would expect that it's just Apple's lack of code for the protocol but it could be that it's crippled hardware as well.

Same goes for video recording. I just experienced this with my Pearl. Depending on the camera in the phone, it can be done. I think it's safe to say that video recording is possible on the iPhone and it'll just take software changes to allow it to occur.

 

[saminsocks]

How about mapping the "take picture" function to a volume button when in camera mode so it's not so fr*akin impossible to take self or arm extended group pictures

As long as they don't map camera mode to one of those buttons. That's how my old phone was and I can't tell you how many pictures of my pocket I had.

 

[saminsocks]

Bluetooth could potentially be added through software update. You would expect that it's just Apple's lack of code for the protocol but it could be that it's crippled hardware as well.

Same goes for video recording. I just experienced this with my Pearl. Depending on the camera in the phone, it can be done. I think it's safe to say that video recording is possible on the iPhone and it'll just take software changes to allow it to occur.

That's great to hear about your Pearl. I guess it will depend on whether or not put in an upgradable camera. How many megapixels is your Pear camera?

 

[waterskier2007]

Bluetooth could potentially be added through software update. You would expect that it's just Apple's lack of code for the protocol but it could be that it's crippled hardware as well.

Same goes for video recording. I just experienced this with my Pearl. Depending on the camera in the phone, it can be done. I think it's safe to say that video recording is possible on the iPhone and it'll just take software changes to allow it to occur.

video recording is possible, i know there was a jailbroke app that could do this

 

[drpellypo]

The tethering thing I understand, as the whole ethos of the iPhone as it's the internet in your pocket. Making it possible to use it with your laptop dilutes the advertised functionality of the phone. As much as I'm annoyed by this, I accept it as a deliberate move on Apple's part. However, the camera issue really really annoys me. To not have a hardware button for this, but one for putting the phone on mute, it madness! It is, as said, practically impossible to take group pictures arms stretched. Considering the phone is pitched at social people who like to twitter etc etc, I have no clue why they missed something so obvious. Even a timer would have sufficed.

 

[saminsocks]

I don't want to jailbreak my phone, but I'm glad to hear the camera is capable.

As for the tethering, I don't think it dilutes the functionality of the phone at all. If anything, it enhances it. 95% of the time if I'm on the go I will use my iPhone. But as a photographer, I like the ability to edit and update without waiting until I get home, especially if I'm at a festival or some place where I'm shooting for a few days and would like to send updates daily. I'm not going to use my 3 megapixel iPhone camera instead of my 10 megapixel DSLR just so I can regularly update. The iPhone claims to cater to a lot of audiences, including business customers, and as great as it is, it's just not going to replace the need for notebook computers while on the go for some of us.

 

[rasmasyean]

Fergit the single connection "tether". iPhone need something like the Windows Mobile.

Windows Mobile devices can tether via WiFi with an app (WMWiFiRouter) that makes the phone a "mobile hotspot" and you can even put WEP, WPA on it, etc. or just leave it open for the public. But Windows has this thing called "Internet Connection Sharing" built into the OS. The funny thing about this is that you don't even need a tethering plan because it just uses the data plan. heh

Sure providers hate it, but ISP's hated the WiFi Router too. It's just the next step. Talk about last-mile internet access. Now we're talking about last-foot.

Greedy providers just want's everyone to subscribe to a dedicated line but it hinders progress.

 

[saminsocks]

Fergit the single connection "tether". iPhone need something like the Windows Mobile.

Windows Mobile devices can tether via WiFi with an app (WMWiFiRouter) that makes the phone a "mobile hotspot" and you can even put WEP, WPA on it, etc. or just leave it open for the public. But Windows has this thing called "Internet Connection Sharing" built into the OS. The funny thing about this is that you don't even need a tethering plan because it just uses the data plan. heh

Sure providers hate it, but ISP's hated the WiFi Router too. It's just the next step. Talk about last-mile internet access. Now we're talking about last-foot.

Greedy providers just want's everyone to subscribe to a dedicated line but it hinders progress.

Macs also allow internet sharing. They just don't call it that. And honestly, I wouldn't even care if I had to have my phone plugged in to use the internet. Verizon used to allow you to create a network and share the internet, but they recently put a limit on data and I think the software update has disabled that option.

 

[rasmasyean]

Macs also allow internet sharing. They just don't call it that. And honestly, I wouldn't even care if I had to have my phone plugged in to use the internet. Verizon used to allow you to create a network and share the internet, but they recently put a limit on data and I think the software update has disabled that option.

I meant the IPhone OS. Not too much use in sharing the internet from the Mac. That's a legacy residue feature back from the old days before all the new networking technology became mainstream.