I have been reevaluating what I think future iPhones need most of all

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
My main areas of interest were "additional storage capacity" & "3G".



No longer, I don't even use EDGE on mine, I have no EDGE contract. Don't get me wrong I would welcome 3G, it's just not a major issue for me. And I can get by with 8GB. I would love 100GB of storage, and I would love a really expensive car too (but I don't need either).



More battery-life is number 2 on my list of wants right now, you can never have too much battery life. Although the battery life on the iPhone is pretty good considering the size of its screen etc. I want it to be amazingly good, not pretty good.



The main thing "above all else" though I think future iPhones need (and I don't think it's coming too soon either) are "OLED screens". Deep, deep, deep black levels, 1,000,000/1 contrast ratio (which OLED screens can provide) and color to die for. Yeah that's the bad news about the iPhone in my opinion - it's weakest link is 'surprisingly' the screen.



Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade my iPhone for any other phone on the market, and I like it a lot. But for me to truly love this device it needs an OLED screen in my opinion. There are too many iPhones around, including mine that go into negative black when watching a dark movie. I'm sorry but that just bugs the shit out of me, and I feel myself looking at that more than the actual movie. Yes I am aware that other iPhones aren't as bad, but that's exactly the problem - it's impossible to have exceptionally high quality picture across the board with this current small LCD technology they are using for iPhone screens. And the additional fact that the user-interface is on the actual screen is what encourages my thinking on this OLED matter even more. It's doubly important now. A home screen with "true blacks" behind those icons? That would rock!!



There's too much difference in quality between one iPhone and the next ones' screen. OLED would solve this issue completely, and I'd nearly bet mass produced 3.5" OLED screens are almost ready for production. I'd pay $499 for an OLED-screened iPhone, it wouldn't bother me paying that extra 100 to get a screen I could "truly enjoy". This LCD screen isn't the worst thing in the world, it's not bad, but it's holding the iPhone back in my opinion.



And to top it all off, this new screen would actually increase battery life. When OLED shows black on screen those parts of the screen are actually "off".
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 32
    dave k.dave k. Posts: 1,306member
    Another drop in price is needed.



    I can't imagine why people are paying $400 for a phone on a lousy network.
  • Reply 2 of 32
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dave K. View Post


    Another drop in price is needed.



    I can't imagine why people are paying $400 for a phone on a lousy network.



    Yeah, people would rather pay nothing for the phone too, but that isn't happening. I'm specifically talking about hardware here in this thread.



    (Even if I did mention price once)



    OLED is where it's at right now, especially for handhelds.
  • Reply 3 of 32
    nofeernofeer Posts: 2,427member
    now with the "nuvi-phone" gps AND 3g now will be the standard. apple needs a price drop.

    now i'm tempted to get a nuviphone (following a macworld review) we know one of the killer apps for the iphone is "google maps" but a full featured gps, voice dialing, 3g will be awsome. the big question will the iphone linger till summer (june) or fall......apple doesn't want to lose momentum, so look out aftr the february sdk
  • Reply 4 of 32
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by NOFEER View Post


    now with the "nuvi-phone" gps AND 3g now will be the standard. apple needs a price drop.

    now i'm tempted to get a nuviphone (following a macworld review) we know one of the killer apps for the iphone is "google maps" but a full featured gps, voice dialing, 3g will be awsome. the big question will the iphone linger till summer (june) or fall......apple doesn't want to lose momentum, so look out aftr the february sdk



    You are aware the Nuviphone wont be out until about September aren't you?
  • Reply 5 of 32
    dmberdmber Posts: 204member
    the screen is the thing i keep coming back to when telling people how great the iPhone is. the crispness and clarity of the display are the only things that impress me every time i use it.
  • Reply 6 of 32
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dmber View Post


    the screen is the thing i keep coming back to when telling people how great the iPhone is. the crispness and clarity of the display are the only things that impress me every time i use it.



    Yes, but not the black levels. Trying to watch a movie in a dark room reveals the truth about that.
  • Reply 7 of 32
    Thanks for the updated review, Ireland. There are ways to improve it. However, was I right to suggest that about two weeks after using the iPhone you would like it even more? Imagine once the SDK comes out. Apple’s learning from our feedback and the next version of the iPhone will likely have various improvements. What you have in mind is one way to help do that.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dave K. View Post


    Another drop in price is needed.



    I can't imagine why people are paying $400 for a phone on a lousy network.



    Such a drop in price is needed for whom? Over three million people (including myself) have already bought an iPhone at $400. The iPhone has sold that many in months while most cell phones (in various models) have been out for years. Apple doesn’t have to play “el cheapo” to encourage more people to buy it. What may be a lousy network for you, in your area, doesn’t mean that’s the same for everyone. The iPhone (and its network) works great for me and millions of others. Your experience may vary.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by NOFEER View Post


    now with the "nuvi-phone" gps AND 3g now will be the standard. apple needs a price drop.

    now i'm tempted to get a nuviphone (following a macworld review) we know one of the killer apps for the iphone is "google maps" but a full featured gps, voice dialing, 3g will be awsome. the big question will the iphone linger till summer (june) or fall......apple doesn't want to lose momentum, so look out aftr the february sdk



    I’m excited about the nuviphone because it will encourage more people to buy the iPhone instead. I can sit right here and laugh, at my leisure, as to exactly how many people are turned off once they discover how much it will cost up front, which carrier(s) does it work with, types of service packages for voice minutes and data bandwidth usage, plus how hard or easy it is to sync the user’s pictures and music and contacts and data with their PC or Mac, since it’s not likely to directly access iTunes.



    Since AT&T has an exclusive deal with the Apple iPhone (until 2012), it's very unlikely they will be the carrier for the nuviphone. That leaves Sprint and Verizon as the only ones big enough to join up with. Wait a second, isn't Google trying to introduce new cell phone software to - oh, right, in that case, Sprint and Verizon are already working on their own versions to fight the iPhone. Well, whomever elects to be the carrier, there are plenty of people who won't buy it just because of that alone, much the same as those that don't like AT&T.



    Next month third parties can start programming for the iPhone. Is that the plan with this other cell phone? What’s its storage capacity? How will it update its software? What’s the battery life and is it removable? How many models will first be available? Even if it’s better than the current iPhone what about the new 3G iPhone Steve plans to release later this year? What about any new software updates Apple releases for the iPhone?



    In short, I’m not buying any shares of Garmin. Your intentions may vary.
  • Reply 8 of 32
    I don't really care about a price drop.* People concerning themselves excessively about that are making a pretty short-sighted decision, I think. They should be looking at the long-term cost of service as that is what determines a phone's real cost. Compare the iPhone and AT&T's current plans to that of other smart phones and you'll probably start to see a great value.



    *And when I say I don't care, I mean I like Apple's price point for a quality product and would be pleased to see the iPhone's capabilities steadily increased rather than overlooked. If they do drop the price I think -$100 would be good for interest in the device, perhaps with two models (8GB and 16GB), but regardless, features are more important to me. $100 just doesn't matter as much when you are talking about a device which, with many years of use, you will be spending a couple thousand dollars on (or more).



    3G would be nice. I use EDGE frequently but I find that my issue is not the speed of EDGE, but rather the availability. When it works, it works plenty fast for me. When the iPhone doesn't have a signal good enough to make proper use of EDGE, it is frustrating.



    What do I really care about? Hmm...



    I would like it to have some kind of file storage/Finder capability.

    I want official support for third-party applications.

    True GPS would be a nice add-in feature, but again isn't huge. (In terms of finding your way from point A to point B the triangulation WIFI/Cell Tower capability works quite well).

    I want multimedia text messaging.

    I want video recording capabilities.

    I want better performance while typing text into a web form.



    That said, I would not trade the iPhone in for any other device. I would not even consider it. It isn't something I can imagine on a feature-by-feature comparison, the means so many people use to evaluate this wonderful device. The iPhone's greatest feature of all is the smooth interface and its ease of use. I hated phones before I got my iPhone. I always marveled at how much Apple could teach these crappy interface designers.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    You are aware the Nuviphone wont be out until about September aren't you?



    And assuming the Nuviphone is even worth comparing to the iPhone.

    Adding a few new features is nice. But they have a lot to live up to.
  • Reply 9 of 32
    Well said, Xian Zhu Xuande. Here’s a friendly reality check for anyone who doesn’t like the iPhone.



    Just about everything on the iPhone runs smooth and is simple and fun to use. By clicking two buttons (Calendar then List) I can see every single calendar event (clearly showing the day, date, time, and title of event) I have planned for the entire month. Pressing Calculator loads up ready to use well within 2 seconds, without first having to wait for a version of Java to load. I want to check the weather or stocks that’s one simple button. Want to take a picture, press Camera and within another 2 seconds, it’s ready. Need to jot something down, press Notes and it comes to the rescue - immediately. Already have a note and want to make sure you keep track of it, with two buttons (the particular note then the email button) and you can send it by email, to many people if need be.



    Keep in mind we can now place any iPhone app where we want them to be on our screen and it’s very quick and easy to do so. If you don’t use stocks or weather, move it off the main screen. Counting slots, 16 icons on each page, max of 9 pages, that allows up to 144 icons (apps and websites links) that any iPhone user can set up. It allows us to customize our iPhone according to our own tastes rather than how the company set the layout.



    Can your current cell phone do that? Well, maybe you can pick what happens when you press the up and down or left menu button, so it brings up your contacts or loads a java based calculator, but that’s about it, right? How long does that take? Even if you have a smartphone, when's the last time your cell phone company updated it's software and by doing so your cell phone could do more than what it did when you first bought it? I'm just checking.



    Apple updates our iPhones for free and there's more to come. Thanks Apple!



    As I’ve said before, “The iPhone is expensive for a cell phone but it’s cheap for a laptop.” While it’s not equal to a laptop its close enough. Above and beyond everything else, its fun to use the iPhone. Every other cell phone I’ve ever used, they may have done the job or worked well enough, but they certainly weren’t fun to use.
  • Reply 10 of 32
    sdw2001sdw2001 Posts: 18,015member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    My main areas of interest were "additional storage capacity" & "3G".



    No longer, I don't even use EDGE on ming, I have no EDGE contract. Don't get me wrong I would welcome 3G, it's just not a major issue for me. And I can get by with 8GB. I would love 100GB of storage, and I would love a really expensive car too (but I don't need either).



    More battery-life is number 2 on my list of wants right now, you can never have too much battery life. Although the battery life on the iPhone is pretty good considering the size of its screen etc. I want it to be amazingly good, not pretty good.



    The main thing "above all else" though I think future iPhones need (and I don't think it's coming too soon either) are "OLED screens". Deep, deep, deep black levels, 1,000,000/1 contrast ratio (which OLED screens can provide) and color to die for. Yeah that's the bad news about the iPhone in my opinion - it's weakest link is 'surprisingly' the screen.



    Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade my iPhone for any other phone on the market, and I like it a lot. But for me to truly love this device it needs an OLED screen in my opinion. There are too many iPhones around, including mine that go into negative black when watching a dark movie. I'm sorry but that just bugs the shit out of me, and I feel myself looking at that more than the actual movie. Yes I am aware that other iPhones aren't as bad, but that's exactly the problem - it's impossible to have exceptionally high quality picture across the board with this current small LCD technology they are using for iPhone screens. And the additional fact that the user-interface is on the actual screen is what encourages my think on this OLED thing even more. It's doubly important now. A home screen with "true blacks" behind those icons? That would rock!!



    There's too much difference in quality between one iPhone and the next ones' screen. OLED would solve this issue completely, and I'd nearly bet mass produced 3.5" OLED screens are almost ready for production. I'd pay $499 for an OLED-screened iPhone, it wouldn't bother me paying that extra 100 to get a screen I could "truly enjoy". This LCD screen isn't the worst thing in the world, it's not bad, but it's holding the iPhone back in my opinion.



    And to top it all off, this new screen would actually increase battery life. When OLED shows black on screen those parts of the screen are actually "off".



    Think about how you've put this. The OLED screen is the number ONE thing the iphone needs? That's silly. It's not a shortcoming anyone has pointed out, even if it exists. And you don't use EDGE? Well welcome to the 1% of iphone owners that are with you. I guess you basically make calls and listen to music.



    I REFUSE to buy an iphone until it's 3G. This is the absolute deal-breaker for me and many others. I want more storage. GPS would be great. But 3G is what I want, and what most want.
  • Reply 11 of 32
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SDW2001 View Post


    I REFUSE to buy an iphone until it's 3G. This is the absolute deal-breaker for me and many others. I want more storage. GPS would be great. But 3G is what I want, and what most want.



    That's great news, SDW2001, because Steve plans to release a new 3G iPhone later this year. The iTouch already comes in 8GB or 16GB so releasing a 3G iPhone with 16 GB of storage should open the floodgates for new customers that feel the way you do. As the iPhone models improve, just like the iMacs and iPods, they can keep the price about the same but offer more for that amount.



    That's not mentioning what the version of iPhone software and third parties will release by then, on the current model. That's on top of whatever new features the new one will have. Maybe like the iMac and the Mac Pro, the new iPhone will have an updated look and feel to it. Perhaps additional multi touch features too.



    However Ireland uses his iPhone, I'm glad he bought one and enjoys using it. From here on the iPhone can only get better. I look forward to the great news when the new iPhone model(s) meet your standards, SDW2001. When that day happens, feel free to post here in the forums and let us know.



    I'll be one of many to welcome you to the club.
  • Reply 12 of 32
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SDW2001 View Post


    Think about how you've put this. The OLED screen is the number ONE thing the iphone needs? That's silly. It's not a shortcoming anyone has pointed out, even if it exists. And you don't use EDGE? Well welcome to the 1% of iphone owners that are with you. I guess you basically make calls and listen to music.



    I REFUSE to buy an iphone until it's 3G. This is the absolute deal-breaker for me and many others. I want more storage. GPS would be great. But 3G is what I want, and what most want.



    Well since both Steve jobs and AT&T have confirmed that a 3G iPhone is coming this year I don't really think we even need to bother discussing that matter.



    As for an OLED screen, yeah I still want that. As I said it's impossible to have decent quality control with current 3.5" LCD screen technology. I have seen those images with about 20 iPhones beside each other and almost everyone of them has a different tone of black on their screen. Black should mean "black", and currently only OLED screen technology can truly & honestly provide that.



    You have to remember also I'm speaking as an owner of the phone, you are not. I use it a lot and I believe I am correct in my observations of the screen. The last thing I'd do is bash Apple if I didn't mean it sincerely.
  • Reply 13 of 32
    nofeernofeer Posts: 2,427member
    what about that "gps add on" that showed it's face a few months back, i quess it's rumor but it might work since most don't use gps as much as phone, internet, calendar, address book
  • Reply 14 of 32
    drnatdrnat Posts: 142member
    Blacks on all the iPhones I have seen are fine.



    There is more to good blacks than contrast ratio & the figures bear little relationship to actual picture quality - though not seen an OLED screen in the flesh.



    Screen quality is one of the real positives of the iPhone & something most people are really impressed with.
  • Reply 15 of 32
    dmberdmber Posts: 204member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by drnat View Post


    Blacks on all the iPhones I have seen are fine.



    There is more to good blacks than contrast ratio & the figures bear little relationship to actual picture quality - though not seen an OLED screen in the flesh.



    Screen quality is one of the real positives of the iPhone & something most people are really impressed with.



    i totally agree. the screen is immaculate.



    to each his own, but watching a movie in a dark room on a 3.5" screen is about the last thing i'll find myself doing. if it's on a plane, i'll listen to music as i fall asleep. i really can't think of any other situation where i'd be alone in a dark room and only have my iphone.



    i think an oled screen would be a nice upgrade, but number one new feature? not even close.
  • Reply 16 of 32
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dmber View Post


    i totally agree. the screen is immaculate.



    to each his own, but watching a movie in a dark room on a 3.5" screen is about the last thing i'll find myself doing. if it's on a plane, i'll listen to music as i fall asleep. i really can't think of any other situation where i'd be alone in a dark room and only have my iphone.



    i think an oled screen would be a nice upgrade, but number one new feature? not even close.



    Not even close but yet you admit you haven't watched a movie in the dark on it, shame.
  • Reply 17 of 32
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by drnat View Post


    Blacks on all the iPhones I have seen are fine.



    I'm glad "yours" is fine, I wish all iPhones were that good, but they aren't. That's the problem.
  • Reply 18 of 32
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by drnat View Post


    There is more to good blacks than contrast ratio..



    Actually technically there's not..
  • Reply 19 of 32
    dmberdmber Posts: 204member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    Not even close but yet you admit you haven't watched a movie in the dark on it, shame.



    where do you find yourself watching movies on the iPhone in the dark? i'm interested as this seems to be the only situation driving your number one need for the iPhone.
  • Reply 20 of 32
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dmber View Post


    where do you find yourself watching movies on the iPhone in the dark? i'm interested as this seems to be the only situation driving your number one need for the iPhone.



    Well it's not my only driving force, but I'll admit it did bring this screen issue first to my attention. Still the best phone on the market in my opinion, I just want to make it better.
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