How much further can the iPhone go?

[Harpham]

Just having a wonder... As above, how much further can Apple take the iPhone??

Its pretty much got everything you need in a phone hasn't it, so what else can/may they add/develop to it for potential future versions?
Or will it just be a case of updating/uprating the current things, e.g. better camera etc.

 

[nicknick]

I want the back to be a solar panel.

 

[nicknick]

and also stereo speakers.

 

[ForceIndia]

Be nice if I could make a call without the f**king thing muting or calling someone else. And running tomtom without crashing on 50% of journeys.

 

[Danny133]

Be nice if I could make a call without the f**king thing muting or calling someone else. And running tomtom without crashing on 50% of journeys.

lol

 

[jenic]

The first iphone should have had what the 4 has, none of the 4's tech is beyond what phones could do before the first iphone tbh.

Apple have always held features back so they have something to add in the future. Still to come, maybe a proper flash, bluetooth sharing (at least of your own pics and videos), bluetooth itunes sync, better internal speaker, improved signal (all the iphones ime have never been as good as other phones such as my nokia work phone), custom text tones, longer battery life, theres loads it still needs.

 

[SirSimon]

They could bring out a white one?

 

[nickthegun]

Its funny how the iPhone wishlists always boil down to 'give us features that have been standard on phones for the last 8 years'.

 

[word_easy]

ios with widgets!

 

[Ash - Clio GTT]

mini projector that puts the image off the phone and displays at say 15" width on any flat surface. but realistically the ability to lock the buttons on the phone whilst video's are playing so my son can watch his kids programs without pressing the backup button or the touchscreen buttons lol

 

[DrR]

Still can't have your own ringtones/text tones FFS, pretty basic stuff.

 

[ForceIndia]

Still can't have your own ringtones/text tones FFS, pretty basic stuff.

There's an app for.........

 

[DrR]

not for text tones, and it's not "part of the phone"

 

[young_lew]

Wifi hotspot capability.

FaceTime over 3G

32GB as standard

Errrm that's about it from me lol

 

[ForceIndia]

In all honesty, I was a massive iPhone cynic. Now I wouldn't have anything else (unless someone comes along with a quantum leap). The facts that it's so good to use, throws the small faults into a harsher light.

 

[SC03OTT]

I'd quite like to be able to turn the phone off, but still be able to use the alarm.

 

[JamesBryan]

Needs flash player, which it'll never have

HTC Desire HD all the way! 8mp camera and 720p video

 

[Kane.]

Needs flash player, which it'll never have

HTC Desire HD all the way! 8mp camera and 720p video

Html5 is the new flash apparentely.hmm

 

[word_easy]

I'd quite like to be able to turn the phone off, but still be able to use the alarm.

Like nokia's have been doing for years?

I think people who believe that apple will never be toppled are very naive, just look at nokia!

 

[Jason_E]

I'd quite like to be able to turn the phone off, but still be able to use the alarm.

One thing I like about my Bold BB is you can turn it off and it will start up just in time to be an alarm, all by itself.

It's very easy saying "Well what can they do next, it's got all the features you want." But 10-15 years ago you could probably say the same about phones "It makes phone calls and texts, why would I need anything else?"

 

[Gally]

My post from a few days ago...

Agree Revels.

I mentioned a while ago that as a blackberry owner I just can't see past an iPhone as my next contract.

It does everything and just so simple. I mentioned how a lot of phone manufacturers are going to be in trouble as the majority of people will still head towards an iPhone and I think once you jump on the wagon you won't get off, you'll just upgrade to the next one, and more people join ala myself.

Even looking at phones these days it just looks like they use Apple's ideas and try to compete. Touchscreen to start then go from there and look at what make the iPhone so good.

I genuinely don't see how they can compete, the sheer simplicity of the iPhone with the power it possesses makes it a winner.

I can't see how any phone could unseat it.

 

[Krispwee]

The OS is going to be the biggest issue in the coming years. Users are going to start getting bored (maybe not the big Apple fans) of the same old OS when they have had it on 2 or 3 phones for the past 4 / 5 years and will start to crave something different. Thats where MS and RIM (as long as they use the PlayBook OS) need to pounce and have the right app's available.

As for hardware they can't really add much else. Obviously they can improve cameras, speakers etc but nothing "killer". Things like wifi hotspot are all just software related (as long as the wifi chips in them aren't like BB's)

 

[Revels]

Of course its not. People aren't concerned about the OS in reality, they just want it to work well and make it easy to do the general things they want to do. That goes for iOS/Android/W7. Whatever. All the OS does it let you get to the good stuff. People aren't bored with Windows and how that looks. They've been gradually changed over the years of course, make them more modern and change certain aspects. But Window have had a start button and a task bar for what, 15 years+? People aren't bored of that, they like that they know how everything works.

1.1.2 is massively different from 4.2 where we are now. But the basics, the key things that you need to do are still there. The opening/closing of apps, how you access things, the scrolling/moving etc etc. All aspects that they've kept.

You can move everything around and change it all. Geeks like us don't mind, we'll figure things out. Maybe even like the new changes. But smart phones aren't just a geeks choice anymore. They're becoming more and more popular.

As long as the devs keep making decent apps for the platforms, then they'll continue to grow. 5 years ago, nobody wanted touch screen because they were buggy and awful and nobody would have predicted how well the iPhone would do. You can't predict future tech, it's nigh on impossible. Things change so quickly.

 

[.Ben.]

Only things missing from the iPhone are customisable shortcuts to toggle common functions on or off(bluetooth/ 3G/ wifi/ GPS/ etc.).

Old SE devices had this capability (so does Android) and Apple should have it too. It grates on me every time I need to perform these actions I have to go through multiple menus to access them!

Actually, a video out would be nice to have too (though I suspect the resolution would be too low to be a worthwhile addition?) - this too would need to be toggle-able from a shortcut.

 

[Tom]

Only things missing from the iPhone are customisable shortcuts to toggle common functions on or off(bluetooth/ 3G/ wifi/ GPS/ etc.).

They arent missing at all, they just arent required because they arent common functions. If you consdider them common then there is something wrong.

Old SE devices had this capability (so does Android) and Apple should have it too. It grates on me every time I need to perform these actions I have to go through multiple menus to access them!

Actually, a video out would be nice to have too (though I suspect the resolution would be too low to be a worthwhile addition?) - this too would need to be toggle-able from a shortcut.

Sounds like you need an android phone tbh. iPhone has a video out. Doesnt need a toggle because you dont use it unless its connected to a display. 40,000 toggles for s**t you never use is not my deifinition of easy to use.

Anyway back on topic.


iOS isnt perfect, infact some aspects are terrible

1. Contact handling is s**t, i hate it and find it really clunky to change contact information.
2. Alerts and popups are terrible too, they need to redesign the notifications and make them more like WebOS
3. Custom SMS tones are required - 4.2 admittedly gives you about 15 more which helps, but i want my own.
4. Gmail intergration is rubbish
5. i'd like more lockscreen information.

And the turning the phone off so your alarm works thing is pretty strange if you ask me. Just put it in airplane mode.

 

[Revels]

The autocorrect/dictionary needs sorting. It STILL does 'mr' instead of 'me', it learns some things but not others. Then for some reason you mistype a word once and then it's in the dictionary forever. A list of words that you've added would be good.

Does anyone actually use multi-tasking? I never double tap and open another app. Maybe it's years of being used to do it the old way. I like that apps are still open so open quicker and resume, but I still scroll to a different folder/page and open an app the original way.

 

[Tom]

If you mean the drawer thing, no very rarely. Unless im doing two things at once.

 

[Sym0n]

Only things missing from the iPhone are customisable shortcuts to toggle common functions on or off(bluetooth/ 3G/ wifi/ GPS/ etc.).

Old SE devices had this capability (so does Android) and Apple should have it too. It grates on me every time I need to perform these actions I have to go through multiple menus to access them!

One of the most popular JB apps is SBSettings, which allows you to do exactly this. I've put it on purely so I don't have to go through however many menus to turn bluetooth on/off, I only have it turned on in the car, instead now I just swipe the status bar and press one toggle. Done.

Obviously this has it's downside as it requires jailbreaking of your phone, but personally I think a lot of the features people really use JB for (apart from the pikie pirates) are to add the options that Apple for whatever reason (shortsightedness?) have decided to holdback on.

1. Contact handling is s**t, i hate it and find it really clunky to change contact information.
2. Gmail intergration is rubbish

Those two really suprise me, maybe it's because I've come over from BB but I find the contacts really straight forward compared to any other phone I've had. What more do you want Gmail to do? Admitidly I rarely use my Gmail account but I do have it setup through an exchange account and it syncs mail, contacts and calendars OTA and pushes new mail out instantly. On a BB you were lucky to get your emails from Google lol.

I can't praise the JB LockInfo app enough.

All I really REALLY want is push notifications for my emails. I have them for texts and f**king facebook but not my emails. WHY?!

 

[Tom]

You can have them with an app. You get push badges and sounds with exchange.

Gmail needs its own app, like android. (preferably the same one)

 

[Sym0n]

I get the badge and noise as standard, but I want the popup like you get with a text etc. Searched high and low on Appstore and Cydia but can't find owt .

Thought there was a Gmail app? Although I could be confused with BB store.

 

[Will.]

The autocorrect/dictionary needs sorting. It STILL does 'mr' instead of 'me', it learns some things but not others. Then for some reason you mistype a word once and then it's in the dictionary forever. A list of words that you've added would be good.

Does anyone actually use multi-tasking? I never double tap and open another app. Maybe it's years of being used to do it the old way. I like that apps are still open so open quicker and resume, but I still scroll to a different folder/page and open an app the original way.

Mine will replace hell with He'll and ill with I'll. So f**king annoying.

 

[Gally]

You need to go into your mail folder to se if you have mail?

How did DK come to the conclusion that that's better than BB's "sms style" alert idea for email?

 

[Revels]

ill to I'll I can understand. Because unless you're a hypochondriac or female, the latter will be used more.

But there are aspects of it that really need changing. The auto-correct used to be really good, aside from the blips, but since the dictionary, it's got worse. It's almost like they want to prove the dictionary is there and you should just use it. No. Just correct me.

Gally, you don't need to access the folder. It will show up and icon and or make a noise if that's on. Mine works fine, not sure what Tom's problem with it is. Mine often appears on my iPhone before the computer I'm sat in front of.

 

[Sym0n]

You need to go into your mail folder to se if you have mail?

How did DK come to the conclusion that that's better than BB's "sms style" alert idea for email?

No, you can activate the phone and if you have a number (badge) above the mail icon then "You've got mail".

I have my phone totally silent at work so, as standard, without swiping the screen, putting in my lockcode and checking I have no idea that I've got a mail. With the exception of that the email is good, really good. It's a lot quicker and more reliable (at least for me with push) than BB's BIS and you can access all the folders on your account from within the mail app, no logging in to a website to find a sent email etc.

I specifically jailbroke my 4 just for the LockInfo app. At least this way I just tap the home button and can easily see at a glance if I have any emails etc. But I'd still kill for an on screen popup to announce new mail...or even better a flashy coloured LED . God I miss that LED.

 

[Tom]

I use Gmail in a different way from you.

 

[treemanx]

The multi-tasking 'drawer' isn't really multi-tasking is it? Its just a list of previously used apps? Because it doesn't matter how many icons are 'running' it doesn't affect the free memory according to SBS settings.

 

[Gally]

No, you can activate the phone and if you have a number (badge) above the mail icon then "You've got mail".

I have my phone totally silent at work so, as standard, without swiping the screen, putting in my lockcode and checking I have no idea that I've got a mail. With the exception of that the email is good, really good. It's a lot quicker and more reliable (at least for me with push) than BB's BIS and you can access all the folders on your account from within the mail app, no logging in to a website to find a sent email etc.

I specifically jailbroke my 4 just for the LockInfo app. At least this way I just tap the home button and can easily see at a glance if I have any emails etc. But I'd still kill for an on screen popup to announce new mail...or even better a flashy coloured LED . God I miss that LED.

I heart my red led when I have mail/sms.

Does it vibrate on the iPhone if you have a sms/email?

 

[Revels]

Yeah.

 

[word_easy]

The multi-tasking 'drawer' isn't really multi-tasking is it? Its just a list of previously used apps? Because it doesn't matter how many icons are 'running' it doesn't affect the free memory according to SBS settings.

I called it pretend multi tasking months ago and no one believed me :-(

 

[Revels]

It's more of a 'short cut to things that are open, but not really running, just where you left them' but that title isn't as snappy.