2011/09/11
New blog theme
Just to give this blog a bit of a spring clean, I've twiddled with the theme. Is it an improvement?
IPhone 5 - what would I want to see?
Update 2012-03-31 I have just read that Apple is working on 3d camera tech which it might use in the iphone 5, so that may be in the next version (see http://feeds.iphonehacks.com/~r/iphonehacks/~3/zr09cDP6PrA/3d-camera-for-iphone-ipad.html)
The Apple hype/rumour mill is churning and it seems we can probably expect a new iPhone version fairly soon. My own iphone 4 contract runs out in December too, so I'm looking ahead to what might convince me an upgrade is worth while. I thought I'd share my thoughts and also reflect on them later when we know what Apple have deigned to allow us to use.
More memory
This is my #1 bugbear with my current 32GB iPhone 4. I would like to keep more of my music collection and photos on the device as well as space for more of the many apps I've got. As it is, even the 64GB iPad is woefully short of space and I'm always having to compromise between space for apps and data.
What I would really like Apple to provide is a mechanism for upgrading/swapping the storage using SD cards, but given Apple's reluctance to allow any user expansion of any of their devices, I don't give that much chance to be included.
I also need a lot more dynamic RAM for apps to run well. Many apps for photo editing or movie editing, as well as games, "crash" (=are killed by the OS) on iOS when they need more RAM to run than is available. So a doubling of this would be nice - ideally I think 512MB would be nice. Apple don't tend to quote this figure though, and while it is important, I'm not going to include it as a specific wish.
So, my top wish would be for at least a 256GB option for storage.
Screen improvement
The retina display of the iPhone 4 is nice, but...
It's reflectiveness makes it a pain to use with certain indoor lighting in offices, it's barely usable in direct sunlight, its glass and fragile and it isn't 16:9 wide screen for watching certain media on.
So, what I'd really like to see is a new screen that is matt, transflective (if that's a word - using the sun to reflect back a brighter image is what I have in mind and I think someone made a display like this), flexible (!) and using the whole of the current size/shape of the iPhone to be wide screen.
Of these, I doubt Apple will announce any significant technology changes, not least due to them not owning the ideas, and so my second wish list item (I think the best I could hope for) would be a slightly larger and slightly matt screen.
Camera improvements
The camera on the iPhone 4 is pretty good already but I can see some scope for improvement, and i have read about some new camera solutions available off the shelf which include some of these and still fit the same form factor. So my third and fourth wish list items would be for an optical zoom and 1080p HD video recording.
Update: after posting, I realised I missed another obvious improvement which is eminently possible - 3d camera. This would need 2 cameras built in which would eat a lot of space internally, but could be cool. It's on my wish list now anyhow even if unlikely and impractical.
Ports
The fact that Apple have adopted a unified dock connector with their devices for quite a while is a really good thing as it allows many of the peripherals/chargers etc to be used between them, but...
The EU has declared that mini-USB should be the standard for charging for mobile phones as I understand and I think that would be a good thing for Apple to include - as long as they keep the standard dock connector too because so many other gadgets I take with me on trips use the mini-USB standard (GPS/mini-tv/etc).
I can't see how Apple could do this without impinging on the design though as every port means extra internal space and compromising the integrity of the case. Perhaps a very small dock/mini-USB "plug" could be included instead which could be left connected as a dock port protector while providing a mini-USB through port? That could then be used like the camera connection kit on the iPad for connecting other USB peripherals too - like midi-keyboards etc.
I can't see Apple making this compromise though, not least because with that "plug", their huge mark up on official Apple dock cables would be written off. I'm going to take a punt and guess that their include a separate mini-USB port for charging only and because I don't want to set my expectations too high, that's all I'll include on my wish list.
Battery life
OK, battery life on the iPhone 4 has been much better than the iPhone 3 for me, and much better than most people I know with Android phones, and usually it does last easily between charge opportunities - but I still have to plan ahead and be aware of taking those opportunities to top up when available, and I miss the days of phones that would last a week between charges if necessary (and that was basic smart phones not completely dumb phones).
So, if Apple could invent a mini fusion reactor, or a fantastically efficient solar charger built into the screen, or a kinetic booster that charges the phone from the vibration of carrying it around or....you get the idea.
In the meantime, I'll keep my wish list to the more pragmatic: at least the same battery life as the iPhone 4 and ideally a noticeable improvement (with little/no extra weight)
Some blue sky ideas
Now some more unlikely ideas which I really don't expect but could be cool:
What do you think? Anything that bugs you about the iPhone 4 or might convince you to switch to iPhone if you prefer Android now?
- Posted using BlogPress from mobile device
The Apple hype/rumour mill is churning and it seems we can probably expect a new iPhone version fairly soon. My own iphone 4 contract runs out in December too, so I'm looking ahead to what might convince me an upgrade is worth while. I thought I'd share my thoughts and also reflect on them later when we know what Apple have deigned to allow us to use.
More memory
This is my #1 bugbear with my current 32GB iPhone 4. I would like to keep more of my music collection and photos on the device as well as space for more of the many apps I've got. As it is, even the 64GB iPad is woefully short of space and I'm always having to compromise between space for apps and data.
What I would really like Apple to provide is a mechanism for upgrading/swapping the storage using SD cards, but given Apple's reluctance to allow any user expansion of any of their devices, I don't give that much chance to be included.
I also need a lot more dynamic RAM for apps to run well. Many apps for photo editing or movie editing, as well as games, "crash" (=are killed by the OS) on iOS when they need more RAM to run than is available. So a doubling of this would be nice - ideally I think 512MB would be nice. Apple don't tend to quote this figure though, and while it is important, I'm not going to include it as a specific wish.
So, my top wish would be for at least a 256GB option for storage.
Screen improvement
The retina display of the iPhone 4 is nice, but...
It's reflectiveness makes it a pain to use with certain indoor lighting in offices, it's barely usable in direct sunlight, its glass and fragile and it isn't 16:9 wide screen for watching certain media on.
So, what I'd really like to see is a new screen that is matt, transflective (if that's a word - using the sun to reflect back a brighter image is what I have in mind and I think someone made a display like this), flexible (!) and using the whole of the current size/shape of the iPhone to be wide screen.
Of these, I doubt Apple will announce any significant technology changes, not least due to them not owning the ideas, and so my second wish list item (I think the best I could hope for) would be a slightly larger and slightly matt screen.
Camera improvements
The camera on the iPhone 4 is pretty good already but I can see some scope for improvement, and i have read about some new camera solutions available off the shelf which include some of these and still fit the same form factor. So my third and fourth wish list items would be for an optical zoom and 1080p HD video recording.
Update: after posting, I realised I missed another obvious improvement which is eminently possible - 3d camera. This would need 2 cameras built in which would eat a lot of space internally, but could be cool. It's on my wish list now anyhow even if unlikely and impractical.
Ports
The fact that Apple have adopted a unified dock connector with their devices for quite a while is a really good thing as it allows many of the peripherals/chargers etc to be used between them, but...
The EU has declared that mini-USB should be the standard for charging for mobile phones as I understand and I think that would be a good thing for Apple to include - as long as they keep the standard dock connector too because so many other gadgets I take with me on trips use the mini-USB standard (GPS/mini-tv/etc).
I can't see how Apple could do this without impinging on the design though as every port means extra internal space and compromising the integrity of the case. Perhaps a very small dock/mini-USB "plug" could be included instead which could be left connected as a dock port protector while providing a mini-USB through port? That could then be used like the camera connection kit on the iPad for connecting other USB peripherals too - like midi-keyboards etc.
I can't see Apple making this compromise though, not least because with that "plug", their huge mark up on official Apple dock cables would be written off. I'm going to take a punt and guess that their include a separate mini-USB port for charging only and because I don't want to set my expectations too high, that's all I'll include on my wish list.
Battery life
OK, battery life on the iPhone 4 has been much better than the iPhone 3 for me, and much better than most people I know with Android phones, and usually it does last easily between charge opportunities - but I still have to plan ahead and be aware of taking those opportunities to top up when available, and I miss the days of phones that would last a week between charges if necessary (and that was basic smart phones not completely dumb phones).
So, if Apple could invent a mini fusion reactor, or a fantastically efficient solar charger built into the screen, or a kinetic booster that charges the phone from the vibration of carrying it around or....you get the idea.
In the meantime, I'll keep my wish list to the more pragmatic: at least the same battery life as the iPhone 4 and ideally a noticeable improvement (with little/no extra weight)
Some blue sky ideas
Now some more unlikely ideas which I really don't expect but could be cool:
- 3d glasses-less display - holographic even
- foldable form factor/flexible screen
- haptic feedback
- 4G support (actually that might be included, but it's not on my wish list really as we don't have the infrastructure for it and contracts would cost a fortune I expect)
What do you think? Anything that bugs you about the iPhone 4 or might convince you to switch to iPhone if you prefer Android now?
- Posted using BlogPress from mobile device
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