More Evidence Next iPhone to Have Front Facing Camera, iChat, and More

[fishkorp]

(content removed, NDA)


*edit*
Here you go, Engadget has a post that points out the parts in the SDK that reference a flash, front camera, etc.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/09/ichat-video-with-front-facing-camera-evidence-mounts-in-iphone-o/

 

[moniker]

Front facing camera is nice, as long as the phone also supports real, standard 3G video calls and is not just there for iChat.

 

[masteroflondon]

Why would they announce it now without any hardware with a front facing camera?

RFIDs are coming eventually but I guess that might be iPhone 5G or 6G.

I don't understand why there *has* to be both. I would use iChat without a front facing camera. I use it iChat on the Mac, but not the video feature. I realise some people would want both, but I'm just saying that there is a use for iChat even without the camera.

 

[Stella]

I wonder if the front facing camera will be usable by third party apps, such as Skype?

Apple have a habit of cosying up to AT&T and bending over to AT&Ts demands.

 

[Nein01]

Except if people don't buy the 1st generation, there is no second generation.

sorry, but technological advancement doesn't depend on money, profit, consumer demand or any other part of a capitalist system. it evolves out of curiosity and/or necessity.

 

[Splutterbug]

A front facing camera is an absolute must I can't understand all the negativity towards one, I'm not interested in video calls over 3G, but Skype video calling over wi-fi has completely replaced making international phone calls for me. The camera and mic allow the whole family to talk together.

 

[Hawke]

Front facing camera is nice, as long as the phone also supports real, standard 3G video calls and is not just there for iChat.

I agree.. before I switched to the iPhone... my Nokia had a front facing camera, and I used to use it a lot, so am quite happy for this feature, but like you said.. i hope it does support standard 3G calls, and hopefully even skype, and so forth

 

[HarryKeogh]

I could care less about a front-facing camera. Just give me an iPhone with 64 gigs of storage and I'll be happy. I want features I'll use every time I pick up the iPhone and I'm sick of picking it up and realizing that song I want to hear is sitting on my computer and isn't on my phone.

 

[DakotaGuy]

Verizon? Lol, ain't happening. You won't get any data while on a call... and besides, Apple is pushing the whole 7.2Mb/s iPhone 3GS; I highly doubt that Apple would want slower theoretical speeds to advertise.

What is it with your Verizon obsession? Why do you personally care so much? Did it ever occur to you that there are many people that only get decent Verizon service? Would you look me straight in the face and tell me to get rid of my Verizon 3G and go with AT&T who does not even do business in my state? I guess I could somehow get an address in another state and then suffer roaming on a GPRS with spotty EDGE only system, but how would that be better then Verizon 3G? I think they would shut me off after awhile for spending all of my time roaming.

There is nothing wrong with more carrier options. By staying with a one carrier strategy Apple is just making more people move to Android (and other) smart phone platforms.

Now back on topic. I wonder if AT&T will be ready to handle all of the data usage that a front facing camera will use? Are they ready for this now or will actual live video chat have to wait for awhile?

 

[Garion]

Verizon? Lol, ain't happening. You won't get any data while on a call... and besides, Apple is pushing the whole 7.2Mb/s iPhone 3GS; I highly doubt that Apple would want slower theoretical speeds to advertise.

Not so fast. The iPhone could still be coming to Verizon.
It is true that iPhone customers on Verizon won't be able to use online data-apps during calls due to the limitations in the CDMA network technology, but that may be a trade off that many are willing to make for other benefits. Such as the ability to, you know, place and receive phone calls! Just ask iPhone owners in New York and San Fransisco.

 

[jragosta]

Yes, I did but I was thinking that you usually don't see them offer a feature in another country. I usually see them streamlining their product line across different countries. But, I could be wrong here.

*cough* tethering *cough*

If those are the only new hardware spec for the next iPhone, then meh. If you have a 3G, then it's a great upgrade as you'll also be getting video recording, compass, multi-tasking, etc. But for 3GS users, meh. Front facing camera sounds cool, but do you know anybody that use them? I don't. All my friends that have Nokia phones with front facing camera only brag about it, but never use it.

First, double the performance, double the resolution, and a few other features IS a reasonable improvement in a year. But aside from that, who cares? Is it a failure if they can't get everyone to upgrade every single year? Most companies would be ecstatic with getting people to upgrade their phone every other year - which you're admitting the iPhone 4.0 is likely to do.

Meh. Second disappointment in 24 hours.

When it has a second camera—the most useless thing in the world—then I'll skip it (and stop my iPhone blog) and have to live with my non-multitasking 3G for the rest of my days.

Well, no. The most useless thing in the world is a post from someone who argues that they will never upgrade their phone from 2008 technology simply because it includes a feature that they don't want to use.

sorry, but technological advancement doesn't depend on money, profit, consumer demand or any other part of a capitalist system. it evolves out of curiosity and/or necessity.

ROTFLMAO. I guess I missed all the great innovations out of the USSR.

Sorry, but almost all technological advancement depends on people thinking that they can profit from their invention. Even academic research is tied in more with the profit motive these days.

 

[Boston007]

5 megapixel camera?

Is the back camera going to be upgraded to a 5 megapixel model? I hope so!

 

[diamond.g]

Meh. Second disappointment in 24 hours.

When it has a second camera—the most useless thing in the world—then I'll skip it (and stop my iPhone blog) and have to live with my non-multitasking 3G for the rest of my days.

Better make the "first camera" of an even higher quality—there are reasons enough. For those who can't live without "mobile video conferencing" take a simple MIRROR in front of you but leave us alone with such a crap. Thanks.

A second front facing camera would allow some thing like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5QSclrIdlE

 

[bigjnyc]

Sounds awesome, if they change the design that would just be the icing on the cake for me I just want them to change the way the front of the phone looks already, its been the same since 2007

 

[Habakuk]

Well, no. The most useless thing in the world is a post from someone who argues that they will never upgrade their phone from 2008 technology simply because it includes a feature that they don't want to use.

If you don't mind paying for costly and space- (an absolute precious thing on such small devices) and bandwidth-wasting hardware features you won't use: Just go on, moniker. I am sure: Steve loves you.

I want to say a front facing camera is plausible, but this is AT&T we presumingly are talking about, which I doubt would have the bandwidth to cope with users trying to video chat.

Yes. An extraordinary waste of bandwidth!!

And everyone seems to forget *) that you can do something like video chat right now: Get an account @ UStream live broadcaster (App Store link) or Knocking™ Live Video (App Store link)—both apps free the last time I checked it—put a simple mirror in front of you and just do it. It really works! (Image and sound quality depending on internet connection quality.) I tested it technically but I'll never need it for video chat.

The new iPhone coming out in a few months will not have a front facing camera. Mark my words.

Still hoping that you are right…

Front facing camera sounds cool, but do you know anybody that use them? I don't. All my friends that have Nokia phones with front facing camera only brag about it, but never use it.

EXACTLY!!! I made the very same observations here. Nobody needs it.

I have yet to see any compelling evidence of a front facing camera. To me the iChat evidence could just as well point to a non-camera chatting function.

I don´t necessarily see that iChat automatically implies a front facing camera.

Acknowledged.

I don't get the deal with front facing cameras.

Ack again. And again:

I would use iChat without a front facing camera.

I could care less about a front-facing camera.

Much more important in my honest opinion:

1. Spice up existing "first and only" camera as much as possible, get advice from Panasonic, my favourite compact cam manufacturer, add fast Leica optical zoom & macro lens (not only that digital zoom crap in new iPhone OS 4), add real-time 720p HD; the best thing of the iPhone camera is that it's literally always with you, never forget that, people LOVE taking photos and videos with the largest and most brilliant viewfinder in the world (compared to camera size)
2. Add mic IN (better: add wireless solution for sound input, that would be outstanding and surpass most compact and hybrid video cameras), add manual sound level control (peak) for perfect primary sound recordings, add manual camera settings, replace CMOS sensor with CCD or something new and even better
3. Add this fabulous hybrid camera and top-notch digital sound recorder to iPod touch and iPad, naturally
4. Spice up and develop more easy video and sound editing features directly on iDevice
5. Add stereo loudspeakers maybe but you'll need three four of them for any orientation of screen—so better forget it for the small devices (iPad could make use of it) and make wireless sound and video OUT for local power amplification

PLEASE don't leave us alone with the new Game Center, let our beloved iPhones become serious and exclusive Multimedia Recording & Production Centers. Always in our shirt pocket! Even TV correspondents could make use of it.


Habakuk, photographer and cameraman. Loves gaming on iPhone.

*) Did you know that your iPhone is a pretty HD cam? Check out time lapse recording apps. I love using each feature of my iPhone. Please don't cark for new features when you even don't use the existing ones.

 

[AtlasBoy]

If AT&T has bandwidth to spare (and thats a BIG if), I for one would like to have tethering over video chat. If we could have both, even better but tethering is much more useful to me than video chat.

 

[Eye4Desyn]

If AT&T has bandwidth to spare (and thats a BIG if), I for one would like to have tethering over video chat. If we could have both, even better but tethering is much more useful to me than video chat.

+1. However, I can see this becoming a bottleneck problem for AT&T over existing 3G infrastructure - much like tethering was promised late summer of '09 (never happened and still waiting). Hopefully Apple can pull off the iChat technology well enough in the new hardware so that the new feature wouldn't tax/burden the existing system to the point of being pathetic. (@ anyone) Didn't AT&T say they were rolling out 4G/LTE network Q2/Q3 of 2011?

 

[Compile 'em all]

If those are the only new hardware spec for the next iPhone, then meh.

I guess you were expecting it to give you a foot massage as well?

 

[Enuratique]

Not holding my breath

I'll believe it when I see it... There has been evidence of these neat new features in SDKs of the past... I'd LOVE for the new iPhone to have a front facing camera and all these goodies, as my 3G is now old-hat. However, I think this stuff will probably meet Apple's standards 2 revisions from now (so in 2012). They're putting the plumbing in now and will pull the trigger when the time is right, perhaps testing stuff on the iPad first.

My only hope to the contrary is that Steve said the next update would be "A+" and that this summer is the tick portion of the tick-tock upgrade cycle.

 

[NebulaClash]

I appreciate that apple doesnt move until they are sure they can get it right but I want ipad video chat now!

So you want it when it's not yet right.

 

[mojoxp]

All I want is a return to the metal back of the iPhone 2G. Hopefully the iPhone HD, or whatever it'll be called, will have a metal back similar to the iPad design.

Oh and Gorilla Glass would be nice two. Metal back unibody design + gorilla glass = indestructible.

My bets are the Gruber is right; we get a front mounted VGA camera and a back mounted 5mp camera with something like "OptiML Zoom" and flash.

 

[apttap]

The iPad has a resolution of 1024 x 768..

Yeah, but the iPad still only pixel doubles iPhone apps. Meaning they display at 960 x 640. iPhone apps are slightly "letter boxed" for lack of a better term, even when pixel doubled. I think a 960x640 iphone is the best thing they could do, along with adding an A4. Its almost a sure thing given that they really want to maintain cross compatibility between their app piles.

Here's hoping for more RAM though. iPad is in need of more...the extra screen resolution takes up more RAM...the same would apply to a new iPhone.

 

[PandaOnslaught]

and i jizzed in my pants!!

 

[cvaldes]

*cough* tethering *cough*

*cough* carrier issue *cough*

Ask our Canadian neighbors if tethering works north of the border.

 

[cvaldes]

Let's face it: the new iPhone is not coming to the Verizon network.

The fact that Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg actually asked for the iPhone a week ago in public leads me to believe that it will not be in Verizon's short-term future. Historically, Apple's business partners clam up real quick when there's a deal in the works.

There's a far greater chance that the new iPhone would appear on T-Mobile's network. Adding T-Mobile USA's AWS band to the iPhone to provide 3G data would require minimal engineering effort compared to reworking the phone for CDMA. T-Mobile USA already has plenty of jailbroken iPhones on its network (using EDGE for data).

That said, I would be happy to be proven wrong and witness the iPhone at Verizon. I'm an AAPL shareholder, so the only downside is stubbing my toe on one of these large sacks of money strewn about the place.