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@ Shaw Wu's predictions

I can see it now. Drivers using the iChat feature on their iPhones while hurtling down the interstate. 🙄
 
I played with a Samsung Blackjack this weekend and boy was that sweet (other than it was running MSMobile). I really hope Apple comes out with something like the Blackjack except with their own mobile OS.
 
artist rendition?
iSsistant.jpg


okay i'll stop
 
Only If Verizon Is The Carrier For Me

It would have to have exceptional features and Verizon would have to be a carrier or it's DOA for me.
 
for me Verizon is alright. i hope Cingular is not the only carrier, then is DOA for me as well. What good it makes a cool phone with crappy service and coverage.😱
 
Wow, that is one nasty Danish mockup. I hope it won't look like that.😱
iphone.jpg


Here's actually a nice touchscreen iPhone mockup:
299323271_8625bfb1c6_o.jpg
 
If it comes in the tired "Nokia" candybar design, I won't be purchasing it. I absolutely detest candybar designs because I've never had decent reception from any of the models I've had (whether by Nokia or SonyEricsson, for example) regardless of GSM or CDMA support. It wasn't until I acquired my current Motorola RAZR (with T-Mobile) that I've had better reception than what I used to have with the analog Motorola cell phones from the early 90s with CellularOne.

So unless its a flip phone, The Lynxpro ain't a goin' to buy it. But if Apple makes it like a RAZR but with more iTunes/iCal/iSync/iChat capabilities and a 3 megapixel camera, I'll buy one.

While I don't use the SideKick, I think it would be in Apple's best interest to buy Danger and "Apple up" the design. The SideKick is very popular, and it would also help Apple if they were to acquire the company and switch the SideKick's browser over to Safari since the existing Danger browser does account for 1% to 2% of all net surfing currently, and Safari could use an easy increase in usage if for no other reason to prompt various holdout websites to make their designs more standards compliant and reduce the Microsoft lock-in.

I also think Apple should bring out their own branded flash media (which would complement the iPhone or a Danger SideKick acquisition). Its time they started bringing the hurt to SanDisk's native market, and they could do that simply by bundling some free iTunes downloads with the flash products.
 
iPhone. I'll take on of those !

I want a device the size of an ipod that I can check my mail on, chat, and do some web-surfing for info, all without the ridiculous GUI deformities of windows mobile and treo, etc. and simple, easy to use hardware to back it up. I want to take it out of my pocket, see what I want, then put it away. Seamless integration with my macs as well.

Maybe I'm in a nitch, but I don't see how this could lose. Make it simple, powerful, and seamless and people will ditch the baffling ordeal of their ipaq-esque phones in a heatbeat.

I'm in the same boat. There are enough of us to sell a ton of those phones. Bring it on !
 
weren't there other rumors regarding an "os x lite" edition earlier in the year?

I think the consensus is that Apple abandoned the idea of building a phone completely from the ground up, which was their original idea. The question is *what* exactly they abandoned. At some level it makes sense for them to use Symbian or some other existing OS in order to get the benefit of 3rd party app availability.

Then again, that rather un-Apple like, since I would think Apple would want to have total control over the interface. Maybe Apple *will* come up with a real-time "OS X Lite" operating system, and the 3rd party apps will have to be Java apps, basically. If Apple makes sure that Java performs well on the iPhone then that would be their best strategy...
 
Oh my god, if an iChat Mobile phone happens, and my boyfriend gets a hold of one, I'm doomed. I can't get him away from the computer now as it is, but if he has a way to IM his friends while we're on the street.... ack!!! This could be seriously dangerous to chat junkies.

As for design, I'm REALLY hoping for a flip phone -- but something tells me Apple is going to go with a candy bar design. The only reason I hate those is because no matter HOW complicated it is to lock/unlock the keys, it manages to ALWAYS happen in my pocket. And then I unknowingly place calls to people without realizing it, which is my worst nightmare.

By the way, I think "iChat Mobile" sounds a bit silly for some reason. It almost sounds like it's not a real phone, but a "play" one. Does anyone else get that impression?
 
well...

I think the consensus is that Apple abandoned the idea of building a phone completely from the ground up, which was their original idea. The question is *what* exactly they abandoned. At some level it makes sense for them to use Symbian or some other existing OS in order to get the benefit of 3rd party app availability.

Then again, that rather un-Apple like, since I would think Apple would want to have total control over the interface. Maybe Apple *will* come up with a real-time "OS X Lite" operating system, and the 3rd party apps will have to be Java apps, basically. If Apple makes sure that Java performs well on the iPhone then that would be their best strategy...

I think that rumor that Apple abandoned the idea of building a phone completely from the ground up is really old and probably not true. They've had a long time to work on this now...
 
I'd prefer a flip phone, but I don't think Apple could squeeze all the needed hardware into the design. Either that, or we'd have people start thread about how the fan noise drowns out the call and the phone burns their ear 😛

If it's gonna be iChat mobile, then they're gonna have to do AV. That'll be their added value. you can get a music-playing phone from anywhere. But a mobile video phone? You have to go to Japan. And if people can just carry over their iChat/AIM accounts, it makes it that much easier.

I know they've got mobile wifi phones now, do they also have combo phones? Thought I saw one once... Anyway, if it's a normal cell untill you move into range of an open network and then automatically connects to iChat, heck, why not?

I'm still looking for the smartphone angle more than any other, though.
 
Yeah, right. And don't tell me that you haven't heard about the release that will follow Leopard! They say it will even have a new Finder.
 
Wow, that is one nasty Danish mockup. I hope it won't look like that.😱
iphone.jpg


Here's actually a nice touchscreen iPhone mockup:
299323271_8625bfb1c6_o.jpg
I've been in many debates with people about the iPhone and I've always been on the side that Apple just shouldn't do one. Everyone always says that it would sell like hot-cakes because it would be an Apple phone, but my stance has always been that it would have to run on a particular carrier.

But lately I've been thinking about this and what if Apple bucked the system a little. They made a phone which connected directly to your computer and you downloaded the correct carrier setting to. So if you used Verizon, all you had to do is in setup select Verizon or Sprint....

I feel that one of the big problems with mobile phones is the computer connectivity has always been an afterthought, mainly because they're not computer companies. But what if Apple created a new iApp which managed the phone (ran on both Windows and OS X), which made the connectivity easy. This is basically what happened with the iPod.

Would the carriers care that a generic iPhone ran on their network, maybe the stupid ones, but in the long they're lives would be easier, because they wouldn't have to market the phones, just their service (which is where they really make their money).

I also like the idea of using the click wheel to make a retro style digital-rotary phone. However, I doubt Apple would just display the numbers on the screen and not on the unit. So when in dial mode, you would spin the click wheel and the numbers, displayed on the display in a circle, would highlight the number that you were on and then click the center button on the click wheel to select. If you wanted to get really old school, you could have the rotary sounds come through the headphones. Or course you would still be able to dial by your address book or search through a downloaded version of the white or yellow pages (which would naturally sync into your phone whenever you charge it at home, via blue tooth or direct connection to your computer).
 
As for design, I'm REALLY hoping for a flip phone -- but something tells me Apple is going to go with a candy bar design. The only reason I hate those is because no matter HOW complicated it is to lock/unlock the keys, it manages to ALWAYS happen in my pocket. And then I unknowingly place calls to people without realizing it, which is my worst nightmare.

Yeah, the candybar design seems to be the general consensus, though I'd consider one depending on what it has to offer. I made the switch to a flip phone after my old candybar type accidentally made calls to the police (even if the keys are locked, apparently 911 still goes through); I had a very awkward conversation over the phone, as I got a call back after one of these calls was placed asking if everything was alright 😱 . I think because I was watching Goldfinger, they heard gunshots and yells. My new phone just randomly takes pictures in my pocket. 😕
 
Maybe Similar to Skype Phone?

i've sort of dismissed the iphone rumors in past, but the ichat connection makes it sound like something that could well be and soon. but the wifi phone sounds like an effort to build up ichat. why not?
 
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