For a tech blog it's funny how little you know about product development. 8 months is the last stretch in CE product development - 18 months is the cycle from concept to actual.
"Apple's products are built just-in-time to avoid stock congestion or last minute changes." This may be true for ICs, screens or so but not necessarily plastics; especially if they know what the footprint of the PCB will be (I assume so) they could start their pilot on housing right about now and one of those parts can make its way to the spare part guys as heads up. #iphone2010
"Apple's products are built just-in-time to avoid stock congestion or last minute changes. They don't have parts ready eight months before release."
True, but design is finalized months before release, and then there are the many prototyping iterations. And let's face it, that midboard is pretty freakin' generic. Maybe if I saw the next-gen #00 Phillips screws, I might be more convinced? ;-) #iphone2010
@Geraldo: That's what I concluded, that maybe they obtained parts specs not from production (as on the 3GS) but someone involved in prototyping. #iphone2010
The question is could Apple come out with an update to the iphone just 6 months after the 3GS? I think so, for 3 reasons.
1. To me the 3GS was really more a speed bump than a real next generation update. So this would be an update to the 3G from 1.5 years back.
2. This could be the iphone being released to Verizon
3. At the pace Android phones are being released and the progress of the OS, in another 6 months the 3GS will feel and may actually be dated. #iphone2010
@Serpentor reads Gizmodo: people will *freak* *out* if they bought a "new" iphone only this summer and another "new" one comes out at christmas. it'll be the $600 to $400 price drop all over again. I don't think there's any way apple's doing this. #iphone2010
I just accidentally broke it in half by looking at it.
Give me a slide out qwerty keyboard. I'm tired of typing gibberish and the autocorrect function is starting to act like it suffered massive head trauma.
I dunno, what about a front-facing camera for videoconferencing? And I think tha a too-slim profile would compromise battery life -- which is already an issue. A tiered family of products would also be a good idea: I would pay extra to get a pro model with a slide-out physical keyboard and multitasking, for example.
@sharmanova: First gen ftw. I love the aluminum. I have to admit though that I do like the taper of the current gen, just not the plastic. The curved back in this concept looks a little busch league.
@Earthslide: Instead of giving it a diet, smash in some better features. WVGA OLED display, 5MP camera with flash, 1.3MP front-facing camera, better battery life, more storage, etc. See Japan for inspiration. The least they should do is make it uniformly thinner.
I'd buy it. Sorry. I would. They have me hating my Windows Mobile device. The UI is so far ahead of it's time that I can never go back. This would WIN.
@Ian Anderson: I think you're allowed to drive and video chat if it's hands free. So I'm guessing they'll be head devices that will clamp this thing in a position a few inches in front of your face so that your hands can stay on the wheel while your chat partner can witness your expression as you drive into a pole.
I actually got to get my hands on an IPhone yesterday (my first time) and I was fawning over it. The guy who owns it thought I was nuts, but hey, a woman was all over his hardware....he didnt complain.
@MikeSWelch: Yes, I live under a rock, well in Ohio anyway. Seriously, outside you Giz folks, I know NO cool tech people. Well none that will let me get physical with their phone anyway.
@Curves: Man I stayed in Dayton for a while, and lemme tell you....Zzzzzzzz-City. It was nice to visit the Wright-Patterson AFB to see the museum, but other than that, there was just so little to do unless you were willing to drive far.
@Tony C: Whats funny is the guy didnt actually let me HOLD the IPhone, he kept it in his hand, while I was touching it, which just goes to show how much owners love their phones and are SUPER protective.
@macserv: I was by no means trying to make my fellow Buckeyes look bad, just said that I had not had the chance to touch the Holy Grail of phones until yesterday. I am no longer an IPhoneVirgin.
@AtwaterCacharpa: I have been called a lot of things, but a "fat guy shut in" is a new one. I burst out laughing when I read this, so at least it was entertaining.....
@AtwaterCacharpa: I looked at your profile page, to see what other gems of idiocy you may have dropped here, and I note no other comments, etc, so I can only assume you set up a Giz account for the express purpose of saying I am a man, which makes it even funnier. I am glad you let me know what I really am, it will make life so much easier. Now I can get rid of these useless tampons, I can make 140% of my current income, I can drop at least 50% of my IQ and sit around my moms basement searching for Posers all day......
Personally, I think that the iPhone/iPod touch should never get rid of the full-face glass panel, no matter what they change on the back end. It's just really simple and it works really well.
@Kaiser-Machead: The Earth's gravitational force weakens with increased distance from the Earth's surface, which is why gravity exerts less pressure on your head than your feet. The tapering of this device is obviously designed to equalize the gravitational force differential between its bottom and top, making it that much easier to balance in the hand, text, video chat, game, etc.
11/03/09
"Apple's products are built just-in-time to avoid stock congestion or last minute changes." This may be true for ICs, screens or so but not necessarily plastics; especially if they know what the footprint of the PCB will be (I assume so) they could start their pilot on housing right about now and one of those parts can make its way to the spare part guys as heads up. #iphone2010
11/03/09
True, but design is finalized months before release, and then there are the many prototyping iterations. And let's face it, that midboard is pretty freakin' generic. Maybe if I saw the next-gen #00 Phillips screws, I might be more convinced? ;-) #iphone2010
11/03/09
11/03/09
1. To me the 3GS was really more a speed bump than a real next generation update. So this would be an update to the 3G from 1.5 years back.
2. This could be the iphone being released to Verizon
3. At the pace Android phones are being released and the progress of the OS, in another 6 months the 3GS will feel and may actually be dated. #iphone2010
11/03/09
04/06/09
03/31/09
Option of a slideout keyboard (would probably require a flat back)
- make it an accessory that can snap around the device like many current cases
- removing it, would give a touchscreen only iphone
- it would have a pass through plug for the dock connector
Additionally get rid of the extra non-lcd space on top and build the microphone into the frame
Possibly build the home button into the screen (like current macbook trackpad buttons), removing the dead space on the bottom
I believe apple had patented a behind the screen front facing camera, adding that would be great.
This is deep in the comments, so nobody will read it, but those are some hardware design changes that I'd like to see.
03/31/09
03/31/09
03/31/09
Give me a slide out qwerty keyboard. I'm tired of typing gibberish and the autocorrect function is starting to act like it suffered massive head trauma.
03/31/09
03/30/09
The first gen is still my fave design.
03/31/09
03/30/09
03/31/09
03/31/09
03/31/09
that = N95
03/31/09
that = Nokia never (in software)
fixed it for u
03/31/09
"@Ariel Sergio Wollinger Martins: that = N95 (in hardware)
that = Nokia (in software)"
fixed it for u.
02/10/09
02/10/09
Also, for videoconferencing, I prefer Skype 4 and my Microsoft LifeCam.
02/10/09
02/10/09
02/10/09
I actually got to get my hands on an IPhone yesterday (my first time) and I was fawning over it. The guy who owns it thought I was nuts, but hey, a woman was all over his hardware....he didnt complain.
02/10/09
02/10/09
02/10/09
02/10/09
02/10/09
02/10/09
02/10/09
02/10/09
02/10/09
Bow-chicka-wow-wow.....
02/11/09
You DO realize "curves" is some fat guy shut-in trying to be provocative so males will pay attention to him, right?
02/11/09
I understand you're new here but in the future please think before you post.
02/12/09
02/12/09
02/10/09
That tapering looks atrocious.
02/10/09