Countdown to iPhone
Tomorrow is Macworld 2007, where Apple fanboys hope that Steve Jobs will release new products like the iPhone, iTV and maybe even the video iPod (although the latter appears to have been displaced by the iPhone in the hype-o-sphere).
Personally, I could see myself buying an iPhone; not necessarily for its presumed music-playing abilities (my 5G iPod is performing perfectly well in that department), but for some kind of advancement in phone design. My current Samsung flip phone is only adequate; my favourite features are the flip form factor and its small size but those are about all it has going for it. The camera is lacking for capturing those spontaneous moments, the battery life is average, and the music playing capabilities are not worth the effort (you can either transfer via spotty Bluetooth or via slow USB 1.1 connection and are limited to 80 megs of mp3 or aac files). The UI is better than I expected, but that says more about my low expectations than anything else.
I think that's why everyone is anticipating Apple's applying their design nous to a difficult problem space. Nokia is still the 800lb gorilla and I always found their phones to be the most user-friendly, but somehow they've dropped the ball in the design flair department. Seriously, candybar phones are so 2002. Everyone is looking to Apple to make a smart device that avoids the complexity of say, Windows Mobile, without sacrificing the functionality that 80% of users will want.
Okay, my armchair, not-particularly-out-on-a-limb prediction: a slider GSM phone with Bluetooth, at least a 1 megapixel camera, scrollwheel interface, 4G built-in flash memory for music, photos, contacts etc., and heavy integration with iTunes, iPhoto, AddressBook, Mail and maybe even iChat. I don't know how well it will work for Windows users since I think a large part of the iPod's success was the integration story with iTunes. I think this will be the key -- for too long, my mobile phone has remained separate from my computer. Yes, I could get it to sync with Outlook, but I've always been afraid to do it for fear of clogging up my phone with useless crap... Yep, if the iPhone can seamlessly connect to my MacBook like my other Bluetooth devices (why can't Windows and Bluetooth work together as easily?), Apple will have a device that finally bridges the gap between online and off, mobile and desktop. Sign me up.
