iPhone "Nano"/"Lite"/"Gen1.5" Feature Set

[JNB]

OK, assuming that the concept of an iPhone Nano are valid, and disregarding the size or form factor, what features would you consider to be mandatory for this to take off?

Specifically, I'm interested in the existing apps from the current iPhone (with the exclusion of Phone, duh, it's assumed to be there already!) and not looking for added capability (like 3G, GPS, etc.). The idea is to take what they've already got with a reduced feature set for grandma and grandpa, younger kids, and others maybe interested in the iPhone conceptually but disinterested in the full range of capabilities, even at $399.

Try and limit your choices to no more than, say, five or six features.

 

[Drumjim85]

I think to be competitive it will have to have the features that every other phone in the world has, without the extra stuff the current iPhone has...

That being said, I don't see how they can make a phone like that with a full color touch screen any cheaper... Taking off a few apps won't make it cost less to make...

 

[JNB]

I think to be competitive it will have to have the features that every other phone in the world has, without the extra stuff the current iPhone has...

That being said, I don't see how they can make a phone like that with a full color touch screen any cheaper... Taking off a few apps won't make it cost less to make...

I understand your point, but I think you missed mine.

Just because phones have all these features doesn't mean they're being used (or understood, for that matter) by a large portion of the users. If that weren't the case, than the iPhone wouldn't have taken off in the first place; it's putting the features in, in a way that they can be used. The complaints about missing features are by those that were motivated to use them in the first place, and not necessarily representative of the greater population.

My thrust with this was to identify the minimum features that a basic user would honestly need and use everyday.

Personally, if a limited feature, smaller iPhone came out tomorrow for $199, my wife would have it that evening. Most of my friends, family, and coworkers don't use the vast majority of the features on their existing phones - including SMS and the cameras. I truly believe there is a vast market for phones that manage the basic contact tasks simply: Phone, Calendar, Email, Contacts, Voice Mail. The rest is just stuff we've convinced ourselves is somehow necessary to be a legitimate contender.

 

[nickspohn]

There won't be an iPhone nano.


No one is going to be a tiny phone with a 1.5 inch touch screen. If it has no touch screen, it's not a real iPhone then.

 

[JNB]

There won't be an iPhone nano.


No one is going to be a tiny phone with a 1.5 inch touch screen. If it has no touch screen, it's not a real iPhone then.

Which may very well be true, but also irrelevant to the discussion. I specifically started this as a discussion on features, not size or form factor, which I stated in the OP.

 

[Sobe]

voice (duh)
email
sms (hopefully by then MMS actually)
ipod

That's it.

no safari, no widgets, not even a calendar, just an little ipod you can communicate with.

Market it with all the flashy colors for the teen set, price it at $50-$75 higher than the most expensive nano and you have the ultimate holiday gift for the teen/young adult set.

Basically you'd be appealing to people who want a cool apple phone with ipod functionality but simply don't need all of the features that an iPhone offers (or the price).

 

[Astral Cars]

I think it's a mistake to pair iPod and iTunes store.

The way i see it it would be simply an iPod and a phone. Most phone users don't give a crap about email and internet on their phone, so simplify it and make it cheaper by leaving that all out along with eliminating the need for a data plan. It would be just like adding any other phone to a plan then.

Oh, I suppose it could include things like "clock" and would pretty much have to have sms, and why not throw in calendar.