GSM sucks. I used to (actually still do) have a Nokia 9000i GSM phone. If your wondering which phone that is it's the one that was like a mini laptop computer. (the movie the Saint)
AFAIAC Apple should use something that is not as constrained as GSM is. I think you can use a RAZOR with every carrier, and that is what Apple should strive for. Something everyone can use with out switching carriers. Just buy the phone, and your set.
GSM sucks. I used to (actually still do) have a Nokia 9000i GSM phone. If your wondering which phone that is it's the one that was like a mini laptop computer. (the movie the Saint)
AFAIAC Apple should use something that is not as constrained as GSM is. I think you can use a RAZOR with every carrier, and that is what Apple should strive for. Something everyone can use with out switching carriers. Just buy the phone, and your set.
My 2¢
The carriers in the US are as follows
Cingular: GSM
T-Mobile: GSM
Verizon: CDMA
Sprint: CDMA (I think)
The RAZOR is offered in a GSM and a CDMA version, but you can't use the CDMA version on a GSM network and vice versa. The benefit of of GSM is the sim card. It allows me to "activate" my phone just by inserting my sim card into it- no need to call your carrier and have them activate you phone or anything. This is why I think they will go with GSM- plus they're already semi-in-bed with Cingular anyway with the ROKR...
And GSM is more of a world standard. They would be able to sell to the the European market without any changes to the design.
++
GSM and 3G are the only options if you are serious about global telephony. CDMA is a good technology, but it is WAY to restrictive for international use.
a plug in makes no sense, you'd have to disable the phone to plug the ipod into your mac to sync or charge, I think an 'ipod mobile' will be an all in one purchase... drop your own sim card in and bingo you have the best mp3 player on the market with mobile built in, my only reservation is in the UK camera phones appear to be far more popular than mp3 phones - so will Apple go down that route as well? Sync your photos from your mobile to iphoto, iweb, dot mac etc....
This could actually be a few things in one, like you suggested. If they go the route of like a Palm Treo then the "touch screen" iPod would be explained. The iPod PDA would get taken care of and the phone. So you have a phone, video/mp3 player, calendar, address book, moble email, etc all in one unit. The possibilities are really endless.
I'm so confused right now.. why would I want an iPod in my phone?
I've dropped on my phone, stepped on it, slept on it, thrown it off a 2 story balcony, and forgotten to charge it to the point where the battery became useless.
If it were an iPod, I would've had to replace it probably 15 times this year alone. However, since it's a monochrome cheapo verizon phone, it's just got a few scratches and a new battery.
I think this so-called convergence of all the portable digital tech is vastly overrated. You don't carry all your books to each class, do you? So why would you want a $200 in your pocket at all times when you could have one $100 object and occasionally the other?
I guess most people aren't very physically active these days though. Otherwise they'd note the advantage of products that are cheap but don't break, like the shuffle.
The ROKR was always dead in the water, because it was launched at the same time as the iPod nano.
If anyone had a choice between an iPod nano and a Motorola ROKR, I'd guess that the vast majority would pick the iPod, and then laugh at the ROKR. 100 songs limit indeed.
I'm so confused right now.. why would I want an iPod in my phone?
I have never come accross a mobile phone with a user-friendly and thoughtful OS. As far as I can see, no manufacturer has actually put a lot of thought into usability and appearance of the OS for years. Creating great operating systems has been one of Apple's strongest points for years, so to me a mobile phone made by Apple would be fantastic. You know they are going to put time, effort and thought into making OS as user-friendly and attractive as the iPods and Macs.
It would also be great to have a phone that can properly sync with my Mac. Some phones can, some phones can't. Even the ones that supposedly do sync struggle from my experiences.
I'm not particularly fussed about having iPod functionality on my phone, but having a phone made by Apple is what I've been waiting for for years. The only feature I think is completely neccessary is built in Bluetooth for wireless syncing. Any extras such as built in iSight and iPod functionality is a bonus, but it comes at a great cost in terms of battery life.
Plus there's the exterior stlying to think of. There hasn't been a Mac in years that I haven't loved the appearance of, and the iPods are just plain sexy, especially the Nano, which I'm betting is what an iPhone would be based on if it ever does appear.
I bet they come out with a GSM version that works with all GSM carriers. ...
A fine idea, but GSM is dying fast in developed markets.
Quote:
Originally posted by slughead
I'm so confused right now.. why would I want an iPod in my phone?
Less to carry around. Not everyone is so hard on their phones, and NAND memory is quite rugged. As long as there's no HD, it shouldn't be a problem. I'm also not sure how people manage to destroy their iPod batteries so easily -- Mine seems to be fine after two and a half years. I've also never replaced a phone battery. Part of the problem is that the industry isn't spending the extra $1 for protective components, but most of it is that people are careless with electronics.
I would love to buy an iPod phone. My iPod mini is getting a little old, and my phone contract expires a few months from now.
I'm not particularly fussed about having iPod functionality on my phone, but having a phone made by Apple is what I've been waiting for for years. The only feature I think is completely neccessary is built in Bluetooth for wireless syncing. Any extras such as built in iSight and iPod functionality is a bonus, but it comes at a great cost in terms of battery life.
This is what I was saying. I don't see the point of having music on your phone let alone all these battery-draining features.
You're also not mentioning that putting an iPod into a phone means the price is going to be pretty gruesome.
As far as phones having crappy OS's, that's very true and It'd be cool to have Apple show everyone how it's done.
There's no way Apple can make a phone without an iPod in it, which is why I'll probably never own an Apple phone.
Personally, my dream would be to have a phone with some freakin wattage in it, like those old car phones which weighed like 10Lbs. It seems phones keep getting crappier every year. Keep your damn iPod functionality, give me a phone that gets 3 bars in my APARTMENT.
really quickly, Nand flash and a purpose-built decoder chip actually are very easy on the battery. a cellular phone radio, on the other hand, is not. Additionally, the price might not be too bad since phones and iPods do a lot of the same thing. Since you'll never be using the phone and listening to music at the same time (how would that work?), there's a lot of overlap in BOM. Mostly, you'll just be paying extra for the Flash memory.
You're also not mentioning that putting an iPod into a phone means the price is going to be pretty gruesome.
I don't think this is neccessarily true compared to what is currently available. Most (half decent) handsets at the moment are more expensive than most iPods, and Apple wouldn't have to put in a huge memory straight away. 1Gb 2Gb and 4Gb models (the same as the Nanos) would be sufficient for an iPhone in my opinion - it would still be much bigger than other current handsets. They could offer higher capacity models in the future, as the cost of flash memory drops. I heard Apple is rumoured to be bringing out an 8Gb iPod soon as the cost of the flash memory has dropped so much (as I understand it - I'm no expert!).
The point is that if you buy a handset sim-free at the moment, it will not be cheap, so what does it matter if an iPhone costs up to £300 - £400 sim free. If you get it on a contract (if that's the way Apple distribute it), then the cost of the handset would be swallowed by the network provider, and the price would drop dramatically.
The RAZOR is offered in a GSM and a CDMA version, but you can't use the CDMA version on a GSM network and vice versa. The benefit of of GSM is the sim card. It allows me to "activate" my phone just by inserting my sim card into it- no need to call your carrier and have them activate you phone or anything. This is why I think they will go with GSM- plus they're already semi-in-bed with Cingular anyway with the ROKR...
Don't forget the old farts who haven't switched from AT&T to Cingular on the old TDMA network...
Also, this means nothing, but Cingular and T-Mobile generally use the same towers as one another. T-Mobile "rents" or shall I say "borrows" the towers from Cingular since they've only been around for 4 years. Borrowing allowed them to grow so fast. They have put up a few of their own however. I always thought that was a little funny. You think of T-Mobile being so big yet all they are are just little free-loaders...
Apple is also working against a political clock right now. One thing a great many states are talking about is passing laws to make it illegal to operate a cell phone while driving.
So, no cool headsets, no cool phones would make it any nicer for the user if they are not allowed to use the phone while they are in transit. Any other time, it might be a plus.
I think there is real political will behind this, since it is a fact that operating a phone while driving makes the driver more dangerous than a drunk.
Apple is also working against a political clock right now. One thing a great many states are talking about is passing laws to make it illegal to operate a cell phone while driving.
So, no cool headsets, no cool phones would make it any nicer for the user if they are not allowed to use the phone while they are in transit. Any other time, it might be a plus.
I think there is real political will behind this, since it is a fact that operating a phone while driving makes the driver more dangerous than a drunk.
Many states, and more specifically CA, have that law already in place, with the exception that you may use a hands-free headset. Why they want your hands in the 10-and-2 position (I prefer the single-hand gangster lean 12:00 position) I have no idea, you're still USING the phone.
Maybe this will bring some cool hands free earpieces? Lol...
Comments
AFAIAC Apple should use something that is not as constrained as GSM is. I think you can use a RAZOR with every carrier, and that is what Apple should strive for. Something everyone can use with out switching carriers. Just buy the phone, and your set.
My 2¢
Originally posted by Harald
No iPhone.
Bluetooth GSM / UMTS iPod accessory using the sync'd address book to dial from.
Hypothetically.
I agree.
Apple will downplay the phone functionality and make it a dock snap-on like the Nike wireless receiver.
Originally posted by onlooker
GSM sucks. I used to (actually still do) have a Nokia 9000i GSM phone. If your wondering which phone that is it's the one that was like a mini laptop computer. (the movie the Saint)
AFAIAC Apple should use something that is not as constrained as GSM is. I think you can use a RAZOR with every carrier, and that is what Apple should strive for. Something everyone can use with out switching carriers. Just buy the phone, and your set.
My 2¢
The carriers in the US are as follows
Cingular: GSM
T-Mobile: GSM
Verizon: CDMA
Sprint: CDMA (I think)
The RAZOR is offered in a GSM and a CDMA version, but you can't use the CDMA version on a GSM network and vice versa. The benefit of of GSM is the sim card. It allows me to "activate" my phone just by inserting my sim card into it- no need to call your carrier and have them activate you phone or anything. This is why I think they will go with GSM- plus they're already semi-in-bed with Cingular anyway with the ROKR...
Originally posted by jdcfsu
And GSM is more of a world standard. They would be able to sell to the the European market without any changes to the design.
++
GSM and 3G are the only options if you are serious about global telephony. CDMA is a good technology, but it is WAY to restrictive for international use.
I've dropped on my phone, stepped on it, slept on it, thrown it off a 2 story balcony, and forgotten to charge it to the point where the battery became useless.
If it were an iPod, I would've had to replace it probably 15 times this year alone. However, since it's a monochrome cheapo verizon phone, it's just got a few scratches and a new battery.
I think this so-called convergence of all the portable digital tech is vastly overrated. You don't carry all your books to each class, do you? So why would you want a $200 in your pocket at all times when you could have one $100 object and occasionally the other?
I guess most people aren't very physically active these days though. Otherwise they'd note the advantage of products that are cheap but don't break, like the shuffle.
If anyone had a choice between an iPod nano and a Motorola ROKR, I'd guess that the vast majority would pick the iPod, and then laugh at the ROKR. 100 songs limit indeed.
Originally posted by ecking
I always found it funny that the sony store doesn't sell unlocked versions of their phones.
USA: http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTE...nes&Dept=audio
Canada: http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/ser...ionPath=100057
UK: http://www.se-store.co.uk/?cc=gb&lc=...&zone=pe&lm=pe
Originally posted by slughead
I'm so confused right now.. why would I want an iPod in my phone?
I have never come accross a mobile phone with a user-friendly and thoughtful OS. As far as I can see, no manufacturer has actually put a lot of thought into usability and appearance of the OS for years. Creating great operating systems has been one of Apple's strongest points for years, so to me a mobile phone made by Apple would be fantastic. You know they are going to put time, effort and thought into making OS as user-friendly and attractive as the iPods and Macs.
It would also be great to have a phone that can properly sync with my Mac. Some phones can, some phones can't. Even the ones that supposedly do sync struggle from my experiences.
I'm not particularly fussed about having iPod functionality on my phone, but having a phone made by Apple is what I've been waiting for for years. The only feature I think is completely neccessary is built in Bluetooth for wireless syncing. Any extras such as built in iSight and iPod functionality is a bonus, but it comes at a great cost in terms of battery life.
Plus there's the exterior stlying to think of. There hasn't been a Mac in years that I haven't loved the appearance of, and the iPods are just plain sexy, especially the Nano, which I'm betting is what an iPhone would be based on if it ever does appear.
Bring it on Steve - you'd be silly not to!
Originally posted by tacojohn
I bet they come out with a GSM version that works with all GSM carriers. ...
A fine idea, but GSM is dying fast in developed markets.
Originally posted by slughead
I'm so confused right now.. why would I want an iPod in my phone?
Less to carry around. Not everyone is so hard on their phones, and NAND memory is quite rugged. As long as there's no HD, it shouldn't be a problem. I'm also not sure how people manage to destroy their iPod batteries so easily -- Mine seems to be fine after two and a half years. I've also never replaced a phone battery. Part of the problem is that the industry isn't spending the extra $1 for protective components, but most of it is that people are careless with electronics.
I would love to buy an iPod phone. My iPod mini is getting a little old, and my phone contract expires a few months from now.
Originally posted by tonyallsopp
I'm not particularly fussed about having iPod functionality on my phone, but having a phone made by Apple is what I've been waiting for for years. The only feature I think is completely neccessary is built in Bluetooth for wireless syncing. Any extras such as built in iSight and iPod functionality is a bonus, but it comes at a great cost in terms of battery life.
This is what I was saying. I don't see the point of having music on your phone let alone all these battery-draining features.
You're also not mentioning that putting an iPod into a phone means the price is going to be pretty gruesome.
As far as phones having crappy OS's, that's very true and It'd be cool to have Apple show everyone how it's done.
There's no way Apple can make a phone without an iPod in it, which is why I'll probably never own an Apple phone.
Personally, my dream would be to have a phone with some freakin wattage in it, like those old car phones which weighed like 10Lbs. It seems phones keep getting crappier every year. Keep your damn iPod functionality, give me a phone that gets 3 bars in my APARTMENT.
Originally posted by slughead
You're also not mentioning that putting an iPod into a phone means the price is going to be pretty gruesome.
I don't think this is neccessarily true compared to what is currently available. Most (half decent) handsets at the moment are more expensive than most iPods, and Apple wouldn't have to put in a huge memory straight away. 1Gb 2Gb and 4Gb models (the same as the Nanos) would be sufficient for an iPhone in my opinion - it would still be much bigger than other current handsets. They could offer higher capacity models in the future, as the cost of flash memory drops. I heard Apple is rumoured to be bringing out an 8Gb iPod soon as the cost of the flash memory has dropped so much (as I understand it - I'm no expert!).
The point is that if you buy a handset sim-free at the moment, it will not be cheap, so what does it matter if an iPhone costs up to £300 - £400 sim free. If you get it on a contract (if that's the way Apple distribute it), then the cost of the handset would be swallowed by the network provider, and the price would drop dramatically.
Originally posted by Splinemodel
A fine idea, but GSM is dying fast in developed markets.
How did you come to this conclusion?
Originally posted by tacojohn
The carriers in the US are as follows
Cingular: GSM
T-Mobile: GSM
Verizon: CDMA
Sprint: CDMA (I think)
The RAZOR is offered in a GSM and a CDMA version, but you can't use the CDMA version on a GSM network and vice versa. The benefit of of GSM is the sim card. It allows me to "activate" my phone just by inserting my sim card into it- no need to call your carrier and have them activate you phone or anything. This is why I think they will go with GSM- plus they're already semi-in-bed with Cingular anyway with the ROKR...
Don't forget the old farts who haven't switched from AT&T to Cingular on the old TDMA network...
Also, this means nothing, but Cingular and T-Mobile generally use the same towers as one another. T-Mobile "rents" or shall I say "borrows" the towers from Cingular since they've only been around for 4 years. Borrowing allowed them to grow so fast. They have put up a few of their own however. I always thought that was a little funny. You think of T-Mobile being so big yet all they are are just little free-loaders...
So, no cool headsets, no cool phones would make it any nicer for the user if they are not allowed to use the phone while they are in transit. Any other time, it might be a plus.
I think there is real political will behind this, since it is a fact that operating a phone while driving makes the driver more dangerous than a drunk.
Originally posted by SpamSandwich
Apple is also working against a political clock right now. One thing a great many states are talking about is passing laws to make it illegal to operate a cell phone while driving.
So, no cool headsets, no cool phones would make it any nicer for the user if they are not allowed to use the phone while they are in transit. Any other time, it might be a plus.
I think there is real political will behind this, since it is a fact that operating a phone while driving makes the driver more dangerous than a drunk.
Many states, and more specifically CA, have that law already in place, with the exception that you may use a hands-free headset. Why they want your hands in the 10-and-2 position (I prefer the single-hand gangster lean 12:00 position) I have no idea, you're still USING the phone.
Maybe this will bring some cool hands free earpieces? Lol...