I, for one, am happy they didn't shelf it. It really has brought "some" organization to my life of disarray. One device, many uses - iPhone. 
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Jonathan Ive on How Apple 'Nearly Shelved' the iPhone
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He was talking about the problem that having a proximity sensor solved, not what the sensor has to take account of.
I have a feeling they were using a front facing camera conceptually as the sensor before deciding distance sensor (proximity sensor) was the way to go.
He's confused a simple proximity sensor with Apple's camera-based face/head detection research for which we recently saw a patent application. The latter is what requires adjustment for skin color and facial feature shapes.
Could be, assuming their prototypes had a front-facing camera.
That PDF says it all.
One does not simply invest countless time and effort into creating(and then perfecting), the antenna band, only to dump it, so quickly.
What is with mobile, That folks demand a radical change in both hardware and software every year or so?
What is with mobile, That folks demand a radical change in both hardware and software every year or so?
No, they had to proximity sensor. The fact that things like ear shape, skin, and hair color had to factor in before the introduction of the proximity sensor means they were using a camera, which would be a real bitch to program for this type of functionality.
Hm. Well, I can't say I've ever had an issue with the sensor of my 4. Do we have links to threads where tons of people have had the issue?
Skin colour?
It's an Infrared Sensor so yes colour can make a difference.
Ever used an optical mouse, right in the beginning they had problems with colour, laser IR sensors are better for that.
We just wouldn't know any better... and we probably wouldn't care. We'd have other toys...
We have 5 years of hindsight now... not back then...
Glad they worked through this.
Me, too. There are those who really need reliable phone service, but my primary use of the device is for its other features. I'm talking about its apps. My friends thought I was nuts when I suggested that my Nokia 6620 should not only be a phone, but also play MP3s with reasonable sound clarity.
Sounds like an apologist response.Yup, its the design that sells the iPhone, nothing about how it works, or its ecosystem makes it happen.
It's Apple, that brags about world class design and how important it is to their products. It's very obvious when you look at what they build. Design does matter, especially to your average consumer that has no clue about the rest.
There's a well respected, very true saying in the world of sales: "customers buy with their eyes".
All one has to do is read this forum and all the raving that goes on about how "cool" Apple products look. All the agonizing over "do I buy white or black? " And on and on it goes.
Anyone who dismisses the importance of design to Apple has not been around very long.
What about the performance? The UI? The eco-system. At no time have I ever discounted any of those considerations, but before you can use the eco-system you have to buy the product. Before your can have the "experience" you have to buy the product.
If styling were not an issue, then we would not have Apple defending their designs, form factors etc. Such as the MBA. Widely recognized as the best looking thin and light laptop it's all about the styling.
Cars sell based on Style, Clothing based on Style, nearly everything in the Western World is judged based on appearance.
So yes.. Styling is a hallmark of Apple's success.
Absolutely not! If you don't like it, purchase the old 4S.
The rumored streteched screen will make a lot of people happy because it will increate the screen size while still fitting into a shirt pocket and have the keyboard reachable with a single hand (thumb). It provides for both demands.
They were talking about detecting a face near the phone.
One method of facial detection (that is, just knowing that a human being is looking at the front of the phone) is to look for a predominant color filling the camera field.
The good news for developers is, apparently Apple found that everyone in the world is a darker or lighter shade of orange! (Makes sense if you think about it.)
In other words, there are no/few blue-green skin shades, so if you see a lot of that color, then a human is not looking at the device. Aliens are a different story
There's an opposite side of this in computer history. Remember a few years ago when (I think HP) came up with camera following (I think) on their home computers, but it turned out that they had only dialed it in for lighter objects against a darker background? The problem was that the developers couldn't figure out a luminance based method of detecting dark faces against a dark background... or for that matter, light skins against a bright background. Anyway, there was a big outcry because the computer didn't notice if darker skin people used it. That's why multiple color detection, instead of brightness detection, is more useful.
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Skin colour?
Didn't you know that Ives is British, or didn't you know that they spell things different over there?
This is what separates great companies from the competition. Focus.
If the focus is on making profits you get a horrible product.
Competitors need to start taking notes and make products with the user experience, craftsmanship and quality materials as the focus.
If the focus is on making profits you get a horrible product.
Competitors need to start taking notes and make products with the user experience, craftsmanship and quality materials as the focus.
Could not agree more.
This device single handedly replaced four devices I carried around daily.
1) Motorola V557 phone
2) Palm, TX I think it was called
3) iPod
4) point and shoot camera
My pants pockets were very happy!
I, for one, am happy they didn't shelf it. It really has brought "some" organization to my life of disarray. One device, many uses - iPhone.
This device single handedly replaced four devices I carried around daily.
1) Motorola V557 phone
2) Palm, TX I think it was called
3) iPod
4) point and shoot camera
My pants pockets were very happy!
Or perhaps not. Nokia had a touchscreen phone in 2002, as did Sony Ericsson with the P800 and later P900. Both eventually concluded that consumers didn't want touchscreens, and reverted to non-touch phones. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_7710