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Next-Generation iPhone May Have Videoconferencing at Last

A

aznkid25

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 15, 2007
472
2
http://i.gizmodo.com/5144555/next-generation-iphone-may-have-videoconferencing-at-last

Given Apple's focus on videoconferencing with iChat AV, I always found strange that there wasn't a front camera in the iPhone. Looking at their gigantic iPhone patent, it may be coming in the next generation:

"In some embodiments, the functions may include telephoning, video conferencing, e-mailing, instant messaging, blogging, digital photographing, digital videoing, Web browsing, digital music playing, and/or digital video playing. Instructions for performing these functions may be included in a computer-readable storage medium or other computer program product configured for execution by one or more processors."

"In some embodiments, an optical sensor is located on the back of the device, opposite the touch screen display on the front of the device, so that the touch screen display may be used as a viewfinder for either still and/or video image acquisition. In some embodiments, an optical sensor is located on the front of the device so that the user's image may be obtained for videoconferencing while the user views the other video conference participants on the touch screen display. In some embodiments, the position of the optical sensor can be changed by the user (e.g., by rotating the lens and the sensor in the device housing) so that a single optical sensor may be used along with the touch screen display for both video conferencing and still and/or video image acquisition."

Most probably, it was shaved from the first version for the same reason 3G was avoided: Cost. My guess is that, as manufacturing prices went down, Apple added the GPS and 3G. And next in the Big Features list, is videoconferencing (late, as almost every other 3G phone in the market has this feature already).
 
Hahahahaha!!! Don't be a numbskull. I knew it was only a matter of time before these threads started up
 
why would apple to this? Makes no sense? Who would use this? According to apple nobody uses MMS, so why would anyone use this.
 
SatanLover said:
Hahahahaha!!! Don't be a numbskull. I knew it was only a matter of time before these threads started up
Click to expand...

Jeezus! Who pissed in your cheerios this morning? Do you have any evidence or logic to back up your smarmy-ness or do you just enjoy being a dick?
 
Thanatoast said:
Jeezus! Who pissed in your cheerios this morning? Do you have any evidence or logic to back up your smarmy-ness or do you just enjoy being a dick?
Click to expand...

that's funny i did eat cheerios this morning! but they weren't pissed in :( how am i being a dick? Where you are wrong is that the burden of proof isn't on me! it's on all the other crazy people who think apple is going to release an iphone nano and all of this crazy nonsense.
 
Watch some cell-phone-shot videos on Youtube.

Now, to that shakiness, add the fact that your own hand is moving around as you hold the phone. Cut the frame-rate down to 8-12 frames per second for bandwidth issue.

NOW, put all that together and you've got something that, if watched, will probably make you sea-sick in less than a minute.

I think Video-confrencing on the iPhone SOUNDS cool, but I just can't imagine it not being a total disaster. Kind of like how touch-screen laptops were 'the next big thing' until HP actually made one? Remebmer that? Suddenly Apple's multi-touch trackpad seemed like a good idea.

I think someone else will eventually come out with a video-confrencing cell phone. Everyone will say "iPhone killer!" until they use it and then everyone will be all "huh, that's a lot more difficult to use than I thought."

I could be wrong, but that's how I see this going over the next year or so.
 
Small White Car said:
Watch some cell-phone-shot videos on Youtube.

Now, to that shakiness, add the fact that your own hand is moving around as you hold the phone. Cut the frame-rate down to 8-12 frames per second for bandwidth issue.

NOW, put all that together and you've got something that, if watched, will probably make you sea-sick in less than a minute.

I think Video-confrencing on the iPhone SOUNDS cool, but I just can't imagine it not being a total disaster. Kind of like how "touch-screen" laptops were the 'next big thing' until HP actually made one? Remebmer that? Suddenly Apple's multi-touch trackpad seemed like a good idea.

I think someone else will eventually come out with a video-confrencing cell phone. Everyone will say "iPhone killer!" until they use it and then everyone will be all "huh, that's a lot more difficult to use than I thought."

I could be wrong, but that's how I see this going over the next year or so.
Click to expand...

You're saying that like there hasn't been a video conferencing phone before. While there isn't a phone with a front facing camera on any US carriers, in Asia and Europe it's common to have video conferencing. It has already but done and seems to work there.
 
I just heard that the new iphone will have a metal detector installed! Man this is going to change the way we use the phone... WOW.. CANT WAIT FOR THIS!! :p:p Its also going to have a Co2 sensor in case your heater is broke and your dont suffocate in your own home. :rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
randomusername said:
You're saying that like there hasn't been a video conferencing phone before. While there isn't a phone with a front facing camera on any US carriers, in Asia and Europe it's common to have video conferencing. It has already but done and seems to work there.
Click to expand...

But don't they have more robust networks there that allow higher-quality video with more frames per second than you'd get on any U.S. network?

Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought they were all ahead of us in terms of network speed and capacity. That would make it possible, sure, but I'm not holding my breath for that in the U.S. anytime soon. AT&T just invested a ton of money in upgrades last year and they're already reaching the limits of what they can do.
 
Private Dirt said:
I just heard that the new iphone will have a metal detector installed! Man this is going to change the way we use the phone... WOW.. CANT WAIT FOR THIS!! :p:p Its also going to have a Co2 sensor in case your heater is broke and your dont suffocate in your own home. :rolleyes::rolleyes:
Click to expand...

i know we should start a bunch of threads about this stuff! it sounds TOTALLY plausible to me too. why would apple NOT want to include these features? everybody would want them
 
SatanLover said:
that's funny i did eat cheerios this morning! but they weren't pissed in :( how am i being a dick? Where you are wrong is that the burden of proof isn't on me! it's on all the other crazy people who think apple is going to release an iphone nano and all of this crazy nonsense.
Click to expand...

Accordingly, he posted bits from Apple patent applications that could imply video conferencing on the iPhone. It's not proof, by it's enough for speculation, particularly because this is a rumor site. I don't mind if you disagree, or even if you think the OP is dumb, but calling names and not giving a reason for disagreeing other than "duh" is neither constructive nor a compelling argument.
 
Thanatoast said:
Accordingly, he posted bits from Apple patent applications that could imply video conferencing on the iPhone. It's not proof, by it's enough for speculation, particularly because this is a rumor site. I don't mind if you disagree, or even if you think the OP is dumb, but calling names and not giving a reason for disagreeing other than "duh" is neither constructive nor a compelling argument.
Click to expand...

hahaha ya you're probably right, cross out the numbskull part of my comment. i stand by the rest of what i said.
 
TSX said:
Did anyone forget the iPhone doesn't even have a video recorder.
Click to expand...

Don't worry about that minor detail. Steve Jobs gives us what we should have, not necessarily what we want. Otherwise, we would have all this stupid stuff like cut and paste and mms! :p
 
TSX said:
Did anyone forget the iPhone doesn't even have a video recorder.
Click to expand...

What part of "next-generation" did you miss?

Here's the original source, 8:25 this morning:

http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/02/iphone_patent_p.html

There's a lot of speculation in there, but there's little doubt video is coming. As for videoconferencing, all the naysayers could be right, but then again, there were a SHlTLOAD of people here naysaying the ipod back in the day, and the original iphone, and the list goes on....
 
aznkid25 said:
(late, as almost every other 3G phone in the market has this feature already).
Click to expand...

I don't know if you noticed... but, every feature on the iPhone is late to the market. You know why? It's because the iPhone is Apple's FIRST phone. The other cell phone companies have been in the game for much longer.

The next generation iPhone might have a flame thrower too!
 
tveric said:
There's a lot of speculation in there, but there's little doubt video is coming. As for videoconferencing, all the naysayers could be right, but then again, there were a SHlTLOAD of people here naysaying the ipod back in the day, and the original iphone, and the list goes on....
Click to expand...


What does that prove in this case? nothing. video conferencing may be available some day, but in the NEXT revision of the iphone? highly doubtful.
 
TheSpaz said:
I don't know if you noticed... but, every feature on the iPhone is late to the market. You know why? It's because the iPhone is Apple's FIRST phone. The other cell phone companies have been in the game for much longer.

The next generation iPhone might have a flame thrower too!
Click to expand...

that doesn't even make ANY sense at all. first of all the iphone 3g is their SECOND phone. that still doesn't mean they're not aware of things going on in other mobile camps. apple deliberately chose what to include and what not to include in terms of features.

are you seriously suggesting they're just sitting around going "oh well this is our first phone..therefore we have no idea how to add MMS/copy&paste/voice+turn by turn gps/etc etc"???

fanboys should really stop trying to defend apple with lame excuses.
 
deadsouls said:
that doesn't even make ANY sense at all. first of all the iphone 3g is their SECOND phone. that still doesn't mean they're not aware of things going on in other mobile camps. apple deliberately chose what to include and what not to include in terms of features.

are you seriously suggesting they're just sitting around going "oh well this is our first phone..therefore we have no idea how to add MMS/copy&paste/voice+turn by turn gps/etc etc"???

fanboys should really stop trying to defend apple with lame excuses.
Click to expand...

I said nothing about MMS, Copy & Paste or anything software related. Also, by their FIRST phone, I meant the "iPhone" in general is their first ever phone product. Obviously it's their second "iPhone". Apple will give us what they think we want. If they find video conferencing a necessary feature, they'll give it to us. For all we know, they could be working on getting a longer lasting battery so we can use things like this without our phones dying in 30 minutes. I bet streaming video recordings will hit the battery big time.
 
I fully expected the current iPhone 3G to have a forward facing camera and was very surprised when they didn't do it.

Im certain the next one will, i'd argue that its not unlikely at all and its far more likely to be the main hardware improvement on the next one apart from being thinner, having more storage etc. Slowly but surely there playing catchup on all the others.

It'll be more evolution than revolution, with some sexy new software too. You'll finally get your skype client too when it can do video conf.
 
Small White Car said:
Watch some cell-phone-shot videos on Youtube.

Now, to that shakiness, add the fact that your own hand is moving around as you hold the phone. Cut the frame-rate down to 8-12 frames per second for bandwidth issue.

NOW, put all that together and you've got something that, if watched, will probably make you sea-sick in less than a minute.

I think Video-confrencing on the iPhone SOUNDS cool, but I just can't imagine it not being a total disaster. Kind of like how touch-screen laptops were 'the next big thing' until HP actually made one? Remebmer that? Suddenly Apple's multi-touch trackpad seemed like a good idea.

I think someone else will eventually come out with a video-confrencing cell phone. Everyone will say "iPhone killer!" until they use it and then everyone will be all "huh, that's a lot more difficult to use than I thought."

I could be wrong, but that's how I see this going over the next year or so.
Click to expand...

Video conferencing is trying to run before walking, jogging and running perhaps:
Walking - having a better camera setup
Jogging - Having video recording
Running - Having 1 way video recording & streaming

So you'd need some iLife like program, that maybe did motion stabilisation for video recording. Hmmm

Maybe use wifi, or bring in faster network speeds. Or use lower frame rates. Or make 1 way video, 2 way chat.

Video conferencing is icing on a cake. video recording brings Qik, Kyte etc mainstream. Which will be big - in the iPhone using world.

(You could, if you had the knowhow, actaully tag a movie with peoples names, if the resolution was good enough, via face recognition tech, but that's a way away...)

Jesus Diaz seems to be being lame by not linking to what I think is a prior article at the start.

Anyhow - the original article missed out lots of hints. It's still rumours, but at least we can have much better ones here ;)
 
Malcster said:
I fully expected the current iPhone 3G to have a forward facing camera and was very surprised when they didn't do it.
Click to expand...

I expected this as well. I remember countless threads and speculation all around the web, leaked photos, article after article.

I was really expecting that the only other thing that was certain besides '3G' was gonna be a front-facing camera.

So...

I'll believe it when I see it. ;)

:rolleyes:
 
t0mat0 said:
Video conferencing is trying to run before walking, jogging and running perhaps:
Walking - having a better camera setup
Jogging - Having video recording
Running - Having 1 way video recording & streaming

So you'd need some iLife like program, that maybe did motion stabilisation for video recording. Hmmm

Maybe use wifi, or bring in faster network speeds. Or use lower frame rates. Or make 1 way video, 2 way chat.

Video conferencing is icing on a cake. video recording brings Qik, Kyte etc mainstream. Which will be big - in the iPhone using world.

(You could, if you had the knowhow, actaully tag a movie with peoples names, if the resolution was good enough, via face recognition tech, but that's a way away...)

Jesus Diaz seems to be being lame by not linking to what I think is a prior article at the start.

Anyhow - the original article missed out lots of hints. It's still rumours, but at least we can have much better ones here ;)
Click to expand...

t0mat0 is that you in the comments? Thanks for the links btw. :D

http://www.9to5mac.com/iphone-viseo-conference#comments
 
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