Waiting for iPhone v2.0

[Cool Cat]

I have several reasons for waiting for iPhone v2.0. Here are the features I'd like to see it have:

- Streaming media client (not just YouTube, I mean streaming internet radio like Kinoma and pTunes do on Palm OS)
- CDMA with EVDO Rev A (I'm a Verizon customer), lacking this AT&T's coverage in my area would have to catch up with VZW's and it'll have to have a 3G GSM data capability (I know, AT&T's exclusivity lasts 5 years, by that time we'll probably be at iPhone v4.0 or something)
- Stereo BlueTooth (I don't understand why it doesn't have this already)
- More/Better games (I love Warfare on my Treo)
- Higher storage capacity OR external storage (pref. SD)
- GPS Nav to go along with Google Maps (pref. with GPS receiver built in)
- Office document editors to go along with the readers
- A call recorder app

As I sat there lusting after the iPhone in my hands at the Apple Store I actually got a crazy idea in my head to ditch my Verizon Treo 700p, get the iPhone, then rig up my Verizon EVDO USB720 modem in my Kyocera KR1 WiFi router with a battery and lug it around with me so I'd always have high speed WiFi for my iPhone. That way I'd be able to have the iPhone, use AT&T for voice but never have to worry about the slow data access on EDGE. Crazy, I know.

 

[Chris Kingree]

I wouldnt mind seeing it have some sort of removable storage for picture and video sharing or some better way to do it. and also built in GPS reciever. The last Must that I would say is 3G!!!
but, whatever features that it might have, I now know this time around that I will be waiting a day or so after to make sure I dont have the same problem as this time.

 

[ediamond]

I have several reasons for waiting for iPhone v2.0. Here are the features I'd like to see it have:

- Streaming media client (not just YouTube, I mean streaming internet radio like Kinoma and pTunes do on Palm OS)

Possibly.

- CDMA with EVDO Rev A (I'm a Verizon customer), lacking this AT&T's coverage in my area would have to catch up with VZW's and it'll have to have a 3G GSM data capability (I know, AT&T's exclusivity lasts 5 years, by that time we'll probably be at iPhone v4.0 or something)

That will be tough...the carriers don't want to play nice with Apple, and the iPhone while cool as hell, is still a niche market.

- Stereo BlueTooth (I don't understand why it doesn't have this already)

It is a battery hog and requires chipsets that would make the phone bigger.

- More/Better games (I love Warfare on my Treo)

Ok.

- Higher storage capacity OR external storage (pref. SD)

This, I think will be the big chasnge. As Flash memory development continues I see larger capacties for future top-of-the-line iPhones/

- GPS Nav to go along with Google Maps (pref. with GPS receiver built in)

I'd settle for BT connection of a tiny GPS unit, like the VisionTac. Apple could OEM VisionTac with a cool tanslucent Apple logo where the BT emblem is.

- Office document editors to go along with the readers

I doubt this will ever happen natively on the iPhone

- A call recorder app

That would be cool.

 

[surur]

- Stereo BlueTooth (I don't understand why it doesn't have this already)

It is a battery hog

True, to a degree.

and requires chipsets that would make the phone bigger.

False. Its just software. I'm sure the chipset supports it already. The technology is 4 years old.

Surur

 

[whmurray]

True, to a degree.



False. Its just software. I'm sure the chipset supports it already. The technology is 4 years old.

Surur

It is certainly only software on the Treo. Third party software at that. However, it is a battery hog. Therefore, I tend to use the Plantronics transponder dongle that has its own battery. I expect this solution to work for the iPhone when Belkin delivers the extender so that I can attach the dongle to the iPhone.

 

[Draiko#IM]

I don't understand why Apple didn't include Battery-sucking features like A2DP (stereo bluetooth) and 3G on the current iPhone!

Why not include those and have the user turn them off and on as they wish, right?

 

[surur]

I don't understand why Apple didn't include Battery-sucking features like A2DP (stereo bluetooth) and 3G on the current iPhone!

Why not include those and have the user turn them off and on as they wish, right?

In Soviet Apple, you dont make decisions, decisions are made for you!

Surur

 

[Rene Ritchie]

Surur is hilariously correct. Apple believes their brand stands for a certain level of quality, and they will typically ship without something rather than with something that doesn't meet their quality standards. Neither A2DP (for sound quality) nor 3G (for battery life), reportedly fit their quality standards for the initial iPhone. A year having past, chipsets and software improving, iPhone 2.0 might well include improved versions of both.

As we've seen with Apple's unprecedented update schedule, they are also very quick to add services when ready (such as Wi-Fi location based services, iTunes Music Store, etc.)

BTW- You can already stream music and video on the iPhone via MobileSafari. Anything in the proper Quicktime format, be it podcast, movie trailer, or radio stream will launch fully controllable, rotatable, QuickTime plugin which will stream away to your heart's content.

CDMA probably won't happen as AT&T has the exclusive and they, like most of the rest of the world Apple wants to sell to, is GSM. Though if Verizon moves to LTE for 4G, who knows?

GPS is showing up in Apple patents, so might make it in.

Storage cards almost definitely won't. Apple has already moved to 16GB NAND chips (meaning iPhone hits 16GB and the 2 slot iPod Touch hits 32) and may be moving to 32GB soon (making for 32GB and 64GB respectively) and with physical device space being a premium, and given their history of not giving emphasis to expansion cards (to the point of ignoring them) I don't see it.

Personally, the only things I miss about my Treo are DialByPhoto (3rd party), video record, and beaming info. Other than that, the current gen iPhone has obliterated even the memory of that archaic device from my brain...

 

[marcol]

In Soviet Apple, you dont make decisions, decisions are made for you!

You may have some sort of point for A2DP but not really for 3G. iPhone not having 3G is a hardware decision and is no more 'Soviet' than, e.g., HTC selling devices with a 320x240 screens or Palm selling Treos without Wifi. There's no compulsion here. If you want a high-res screen don't buy a Tilt, if you want Wifi don't buy a Treo, if want 3G don't buy an iPhone.

For the record, I think 3G, high res screens and Wifi are all great. A2DP, not so much.

 

[surur]

You may have some sort of point for A2DP but not really for 3G. iPhone not having 3G is a hardware decision and is no more 'Soviet' than, e.g., HTC selling devices with a 320x240 screens or Palm selling Treos without Wifi. There's no compulsion here. If you want a high-res screen don't buy a Tilt, if you want Wifi don't buy a Treo, if want 3G don't buy an iPhone.

For the record, I think 3G, high res screens and Wifi are all great. A2DP, not so much.

I, of course, disagree. In this case the motivation counts. Apple consciously decided to use 2002 technology when everyone else was already 3G for 2 years now, to "protect their uses from battery life issues", and in the process deprived their users of the choice of sacrificing battery life for speed.

In this case its the paternalistic attitude which is galling, and its pretty funny seeing so many Apple fans buying into the "Jobs knows best" attitude.

HTC not using high res screens in their mid-range devices have always been an issue, and while you could find some people defending it, most wished they did use higher-res screens. We know HTC is just doing it to save money. HTC does not go around telling us they are doing it for our own good.

Surur

 

[marcol]

I, of course, disagree. In this case the motivation counts.

The screen on the Tilt looks better because HTC have (what you judge to be) good motives?

I do take your point, but for most it's really just a question of what you can buy and whether the product meets a need/satisfies a desire (with the occasional filtering for gross ethical transgression I guess).

 

[Rene Ritchie]

Surur is funning you again, dude. In fact, he had another post ready "Apple uses 3G too early, drains batteries, doesn't care about users..." just in case they'd announced already.

Remember, he's the iPhone Colbert!

 

[surur]

Surur is funning you again, dude. In fact, he had another post ready "Apple uses 3G too early, drains batteries, doesn't care about users..." just in case they'd announced already.

Remember, he's the iPhone Colbert!

"Apple uses 3G too early"

Now that would be ridiculous, wouldn't it. It must have been fun buying a product that was already obsolete on release day.

Surur

 

[marcol]

"Apple uses 3G too early"

Now that would be ridiculous, wouldn't it.

Yes

It must have been fun buying a product that was already obsolete on release day.

You bought a (non-3G) HTC Touch around that time, no?

 

[surur]

You bought a (non-3G) HTC Touch around that time, no?

I bought a Kaiser soon after

Surur

 

[JNGold]

I, of course, disagree. In this case the motivation counts. Apple consciously decided to use 2002 technology when everyone else was already 3G for 2 years now, to "protect their uses from battery life issues", and in the process deprived their users of the choice of sacrificing battery life for speed.

In this case its the paternalistic attitude which is galling, and its pretty funny seeing so many Apple fans buying into the "Jobs knows best" attitude.

And HTC's excuse for not including video drivers to make its recent round of devices the best they could be is?

 

[surur]

And HTC's excuse for not including video drivers to make its recent round of devices the best they could be is?

I missed where they said its for our own good.

Surur

 

[JNGold]

I missed where they said its for our own good.

Surur

No, it was HTC's own good, which IMHO makes it worse.

 

[surur]

No, it was HTC's own good, which IMHO makes it worse.

The difference is one is lying (Apple) and one is telling the truth (HTC). I know which I prefer, but I understand Apple users prefer ignorant bliss.

Surur

 

[JNGold]

The difference is one is lying (Apple) and one is telling the truth (HTC). I know which I prefer, but I understand Apple users prefer ignorant bliss.

Surur

Ah, I see, so telling the consumer "screw you" is better if a company tells you outright? That sentiment is the same in my book and doesn't matter how the company portrays it to the consumer.

Not everyone that buys an iPhone is an "Apple user" per se. Given the success of the device I would say that your assumptions of "iPhone users" are faulty. Plus, given that the chipsets and battery technology at the time the iPhone was in developement were not as efficient as current sets, I would say Apple made the right decision. What good would would a phone and heavy multimedia player be if it only got a couple hours of battery life? All you would need to do is use a typical 3G WM device for more than a couple of hours (using media of course) to understand.

Now where I do agree with you and your assumptions is Apple's omission of A2DP and voice command tech, which the iPhone could most certainly handle easily given the tech it has already present.