5th
The Perfect iPhone
Here’s a collection of features that, if added to the iPhone, would address almost all the concerns that people have. Hello 40 million iPhones.
The Common Wants…
Tethering: No point building 3G/HSDPA modems into MacBooks, if Macs can connect to iPhones via Bluetooth for internet access. The greedy telcos are making this really hard, and Apple doesn’t have the balls to just insist on this for their customers.
Auto-focus camera: Forget about the megapixels. Just add auto-focus so that pictures are sharp whether the subject is near or far. We can talk about that 3 megapixel sensor and a flash next time.
Spotlight, especially for the Mail and iPod apps
Turn-by-turn GPS: Garmin and competitors are really scared of this.
Front-mounted camera for video calls. Most non business-focused 3G phones can.
Video recording. Imports into iPhoto or a folder on the PC, or sent via email or MMS and even uploaded instantly to YouTube. Greedy telcos are not going to like the last part.
Notes syncing: Sync notes to the desktop. Even syncing to text files inside a folder is fine.
Better organizer features: A todo app that syncs to the desktop. iCalendar subscriptions. Week and agenda view in the calendar app.
Landscape keyboard, especially for the typing-intensive apps like SMS, Email and Notes. Then, haptic feedback when the technology is mature. (No, not the Samsung Omnia vibrating crap.)
Really shut off all sounds when the silent switch is on. Don’t embarrass users when their phones start screaming during a meeting. Some folks like to play game because most meetings are really boring anyway.
Even Dumbphones Have These…
Removable battery: Enough said. Find an elegant way like the MacBooks. Just do it. (Though I hope its not because people just want a way to hard reset the iPhone, like all the other unstable smartphones out there.)
Full-featured SMS: Forwarding, delivery reports, and sending of contacts via SMS.
MMS, especially for sending photos to other people without phones that have a decent email app that can view image attachments in a decent way.
Full-featured Bluetooth: A2DP stereo Bluetooth (screw the battery life issues) and file transfer (technically known as “object push”).
Cut, copy, paste: Right now. The RAZR has it. Shame shame.
iChat: Sending messages to friends without the SMS charges. Better still if it can make voice calls (and if the next iPhone comes with a front camera, video calls).
Voice dialing: Important for drivers.
A strap loop: Some folks like to hold their phones this way. Good way to secure a slippery iPhone. Say hello to the brand new “iPhone strap” accessory market.
