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There wont be major hardware changes with iPhone 3 will there?

Hardware improvements?!

I bloody hope they stick a good camera with optical zoom!

Also a some video recording would be nice... the iphone is the perfect (keyword here) multimedia device bar these two features which other phones triumph on. We're seing 8-10mpix cameras becoming mainstream. I really think the iphone's 2mpix is great so i'd be happy to see a better sensor at 3-5mpix.

doesn't the iphone have the most flicker photos? Makes sense to have some better picture taking moment hardware.
 
all great speculation, however, the announcement yesterday was with respect to a new SOFTWARE release (3.0), not a new hardware release.
 
Faster processor
More RAM
More power-efficient components
802.11n
Better camera (lens, sensitivity, MP, flash)
Haptic touch
Higher-res, sharper, brighter screen
Higher capacity battery
Front-facing camera
More storage
Digital compass (ala G1)
Improved speakers and microphone
Thinner and ligher
Return of the metal back (please!)
Something new and exciting we can't even imagine

What might not change?
 
acfusion29 said:
I don't know... personal preference I guess?

I find the touch way too thin.
Click to expand...

Me too. I like the thickness the way it is. I'd prefer more battery power to a thinner form factor if batteries get smaller.
 
Luke1robb said:
The only other things I could see changed in hardware is video camera (possibly front facing for iChat) and better cmaera on the back. Really, anything else, is not needed or not gonna happen.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

I think we are more likely to see a boost in RAM and Processor before the fabled front facing camera.

Not that I wouldn't like to see one soon, but it's on the bottom of my list as far as realistic upgrades. But that's just me. :D
 
Keep is current size

Like the iSight on the iMac they could put it on the iPhone. I rarely notice it. But Apple, don't make it thinner. I don't want it to explode in my pocket. Or the screen cracking with the touch of my finger. I love my current 1st gen iPhone and iPod touch 2G. The touch however is a bit too thin for me, but it feels very sturdy. It wouldn't if the back was made of crappy plastic.
 
lloydh said:
Faster processor
More RAM
More power-efficient components
802.11n
Better camera (lens, sensitivity, MP, flash)
Haptic touch
Higher-res, sharper, brighter screen
Higher capacity battery
Front-facing camera
More storage
Digital compass (ala G1)
Improved speakers and microphone
Thinner and ligher
Return of the metal back (please!)
Something new and exciting we can't even imagine

What might not change?
Click to expand...

Whoa! That's quite a list. I say pick 2, maybe 3, things off that list and this will be your new iPhone. Remember, the more hardware improvements you add, the less profit Apple will make and that's just not their style. Most improvements are likely going to come via a firmware update, which won't cut into their bottom line.
 
pauld said:
I can see the 3.0 software exclusively being for the 3G and the new iPhone, i.e. Original iPhone users being prodded to upgrade.
Click to expand...

I think you're right, it will either be a pay $10-50 to upgrade to 3.0 or buy a new phone and upgrade choice. They will def be forcing those users to upgrade whether its through software or amazing new hardware that the original iphone users can't turn down. We shall see...
 
gottafly said:
all great speculation, however, the announcement yesterday was with respect to a new SOFTWARE release (3.0), not a new hardware release.
Click to expand...

We know. It is likely (based on market conditions and what Apple did last year) that a hardware refresh will hit when the 3.0 software is released. This will probably be between May and August.
 
Luke1robb said:
I have to agree, I don't think this thing is gonna be updated hardware wise. As much as I thought it was (and I told people on here that they were silly for thinking that), but now I'm thinking its more possible with the 3.0 software coming out. With the 3G rolling out in multiple places soon, its possible they just really overhaul the software, adding alot and not changing hardware.

The only other things I could see changed in hardware is video camera (possibly front facing for iChat) and better cmaera on the back. Really, anything else, is not needed or not gonna happen.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Why is apple buying up the world's RAM supply?

http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2009/...available-flash-ram-supplies-for-next-iphone/
 
I have an iPod Touch and I think it is way too thin. I like the thickness of the iPhone and will be very disappointed if the new generation is thinner.
 
It will be interesting to see what happens - in some ways, the App Store is preventing Apple from doing anything too radical, given the masses of apps built for a certain screen resolution and hardware configuration.

My guesses for the next iPhone would be:
- Faster CPU, more memory, better GPU
- Better battery life
- Redesigned casing

I'm indifferent about a higher resolution screen since the current one seems fine to me - if there is one, I would expect it to be twice the resolution of the current one (so that existing apps/games will scale up nicely).

I do agree, a better camera would be great - I loved my Sony Ericsson k800i with 3.2 Megapixels, flash, autofocus. The challenge for Apple is that a comparable camera will require them to increase the thickness of the device just due to how the optics work. I'd settle for a very-good 2MP camera, with image stabilization, whilst keeping the current thickness. Without better optics, there is little point in just adding more megapixels.

802.11n wifi is pointless given the capabilities of the device - I doubt it has the CPU and internal hardware with enough throughput to take advantage of the the speed improvements over g.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5H11 Safari/525.20)

aaquib said:
acfusion29 said:
I don't know... personal preference I guess?

I find the touch way too thin.
Click to expand...


Nothing is too thin.

See: MacBook Air
Click to expand...

you can never be too thin or too powerful! ;)
 
I think there will be a higher capacity battery, but I don't think they'll make the processor faster or add more ram. What I think they will do is optimize the OS to run even more efficiently this making 3.0 run great on all iPhones. The iPhone 3G just came out 9 months ago. If they make 3.0 compatible with the iPhone 3G then there is no reason it won't be compatible with the first generation iPhone as the hardware is almost identical. Those are my thoughts. Who knows, they could always change the clock speed of the current processor because right now it's underclocked. They don't neccessarilly need to put a different procesor in it.
 
bigchief said:
Why is apple buying up the world's RAM supply?

http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2009/...available-flash-ram-supplies-for-next-iphone/
Click to expand...

Well, I would venture to guess they're buying up flash memory because (get ready), they're coming out with new iPhones in June! As for upgrading to 32GB, the article doesn't mention them. Unless, there is no such thing as 32GB chips, and Apple makes 32GBs from putting two 16GBs together. I really don't know too much about the inner workings of the Touch and iPhone.
 
TheSpaz said:
I think there will be a higher capacity battery, but I don't think they'll make the processor faster or add more ram. What I think they will do is optimize the OS to run even more efficiently this making 3.0 run great on all iPhones. The iPhone 3G just came out 9 months ago. If they make 3.0 compatible with the iPhone 3G then there is no reason it won't be compatible with the first generation iPhone as the hardware is almost identical. Those are my thoughts. Who knows, they could always change the clock speed of the current processor because right now it's underclocked. They don't neccessarilly need to put a different procesor in it.
Click to expand...

Apple's profit margins (their #1 priority) will be much greater if they could optimize the iPhone's firmware to consume less resources, like you suggest. Buying more powerful processors and more RAM are going to cost more money and the price of the iPhone is static. Therefore, less profit for Apple. However, this is assuming the prices for the latest mobile processors and RAM have dwindled considerably. I don't know how these prices actually compare to the prices of the current iPhone processors and RAM.
 
kas23 said:
However, this is assuming the prices for the latest mobile processors and RAM have dwindled considerably. I don't know how these prices actually compare to the prices of the current iPhone processors and RAM.
Click to expand...

Well, I sure hope they are cheaper than they were 2 years ago. Other phone makers are already putting faster processors with more RAM in their upcoming phones. I think 2009 will be the next benchmark to where we see 256mb RAM being the standard for smartphones rather than yesterday's 128.

Hey, the Pre has 256 and a bit faster processor, if I'm wrong please correct me.

Uh, and I think the G1 is running off of 192mb.

I think it's a good time to make a bump up, wouldn't ya say? :D I hope, anyways. ;)
 
Just some examples of what's to come...

http://prepoint.wordpress.com/2009/02/19/palm-the-pre-has-256mb-of-ram/

Palm rep clearly states that the Pre has “256 megs RAM.”

http://www.intomobile.com/2008/10/2...es-t-mobile-reality-ushers-in-android-os.html

processor running @ 528 MHz and backed by 256MBROM / 192MB RAM - the T-Mobile G1 doesn’t disappoint.

http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_2009_roadmap_gets_updated_now_weve_got_the_specs-news-821.php

Whitestone will pack a 528 MHz Qualcomm 7600 processor, 512MB of ROM and 256MB RAM

3G-capable Firestone will be equipped with a 600 MHz Qualcomm 8250 processor

The Thoth is expected to come with 512MB ROM, 256MB RAM 1GHz Qualcomm 8250 Snapdragon chipset.

Twin equipped with 2 processors (528 MHz Qualcomm 7501A and TI ARM-based LoCosto), 512MB ROM and 256MB of RAM memory.

Do you think if the new iPhone sticks with the same processor and same amount of RAM from 2 years ago it will lag a bit behind?

Guess we'll find out soon enough! :cool:
 
induo have a 15 megapixel camera and its pretty too :p

daneoni said:
I mean iPhone 3G is pretty stacked hardware wise

3G HSDPA
GPS
3.5mm Jack
Bluetooth with A2DP support
Wi-Fi

The only thing i can see with iPhone 3 would be a higher res/larger size screen, camera and larger storage....the end. Unless i'm missing something

....and no there won't be a qwerty keyboard don't even dream about that one

In other words the upgrades will mostly be software...i think
Click to expand...
 
The latest iPod Touch already has a faster clocked CPU (but giving the same battery life as the older slower one). So that's an obvious candidate for a hardware change, since their flagship phone shouldn't lag behind an mere iPod.

The new iPod also has a smarter headphone jack, so that's another obvious candidate.

One thing that most game developers complain about is too little memory left over for apps from the 128 MB RAM (much less than half). But if Apple did that, there would eventually be a whole tier of apps that wouldn't be compatible with tens of millions of existing (and non-upgradeable) devices.
 
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