Apple's iPhone 2.0 firmware to bring contact search?
Tucked away in Apple's presentation of its iPhone and iPod touch version 2.0 upgrade was evidence of a search feature coming to the handset's contact list.
As noted in a post by blarg Kaboom, an inconspicuous magnifying glass icon -- visible for just a few moments -- appears just above the alphabet search strip in the Contacts application in one of Apple's slides during the presentation from last week.
Without a live demonstration of the feature, the exact behavior of the icon is uncertain. Nonetheless, the image resembles the Spotlight icon in Mac OS X Leopard, alluding to a likely search function for iPhone owners with large contact lists or specific search criteria.
Apple hasn't discussed the presence of the image. No users with access to the iPhone software development kit have reported the feature appearing in the contact list for the version 2.0 beta, however, which hints at a feature either pulled from the software or else shelved until its planned final release in June.
In November, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster fueled speculation by claiming that a phone-wide search feature would appear along with the iPhone SDK for Apple's official announcement, which was planned for February at the time. While the accuracy of the researcher's sources has yet to be settled, they suggested that users could search not just contacts, but also data within calendars and email messages.
The lack of search has been a frequently cited omission from the iPhone's feature set since its launch last June.
Click here for larger view.
As noted in a post by blarg Kaboom, an inconspicuous magnifying glass icon -- visible for just a few moments -- appears just above the alphabet search strip in the Contacts application in one of Apple's slides during the presentation from last week.
Without a live demonstration of the feature, the exact behavior of the icon is uncertain. Nonetheless, the image resembles the Spotlight icon in Mac OS X Leopard, alluding to a likely search function for iPhone owners with large contact lists or specific search criteria.
Apple hasn't discussed the presence of the image. No users with access to the iPhone software development kit have reported the feature appearing in the contact list for the version 2.0 beta, however, which hints at a feature either pulled from the software or else shelved until its planned final release in June.
In November, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster fueled speculation by claiming that a phone-wide search feature would appear along with the iPhone SDK for Apple's official announcement, which was planned for February at the time. While the accuracy of the researcher's sources has yet to be settled, they suggested that users could search not just contacts, but also data within calendars and email messages.
The lack of search has been a frequently cited omission from the iPhone's feature set since its launch last June.
Click here for larger view.
Comments
Jon
So now all we need are:
1- Voice Dialing, for calling while driving.
2- Voice Recording, for taking audio notes on the go.
hmm, I wonder what that could be.
Cool, although that icon seems too small to be clickable, but I guess it will be changed.
So now all we need are:
1- Voice Dialing, for calling while driving.
2- Voice Recording, for taking audio notes on the go.
No I dont need that
No I dont need that
I don't either.
If my ailing memory can recall I thought there was the iPod Touch's 'contacts' icon on the main screen of the iPhone as well ... a big thumbs up from me as I find it a real pain to have to get to my contacts through the phone function ...
Jon
VERY true.
Apple, i'm still waiting for...
- View Numbers files. Duh!
- Folder for storing files that i can view or send.
- Ability to save to that Docs folder.
- Ability to send contacts.
- Ability to send iCal events.
Also, i'm wondering why my phone wont sync my iCal and contacts correctly. I hope i don't have to 'restore' my phoneThe phone will need system wide search. I already have four pages of web icons. Its becomimg a chore flicking from page to page. It will become worse when I add apps.
I like the idea of the search icon, but it doesn't stand out--maybe they should put it in a circle like the Tiger Spotlight icon.
If you all so notice on the phone how it has the group icon next to "All Contacts".
hmm, I wonder what that could be.
The Address Book interface in the iPhone SDK suggests the presence of contacts groups in version 2.0 of the iPhone software.
If you all so notice on the phone how it has the group icon next to "All Contacts".
hmm, I wonder what that could be.
Im guessing you do not have an iPhone - that has been there since the phones release - it goes back to the groups you have set up in your address book on a Mac. Its not new and we know what it does
Apple, i'm still waiting for...
And what about Expose and Fast User Switching. My iPhone won't replace my Mac until they have these
Cool, although that icon seems too small to be clickable, but I guess it will be changed.
So now all we need are:
1- Voice Dialing, for calling while driving.
2- Voice Recording, for taking audio notes on the go.
yeah, I would like that too, voice dialing especially. Surprised to see so many say they don't need it. I don't have an iPhone yet, still using a Windows based smartphone but I'm ready as soon as iPhone 2 arrives. The vioce dialing I use on my smartphone works great, no need to train it. I use it on the road thru bluetooth headset, just say "Dial xxxx" and away it goes. I hope this experience will be duplicated on the iPhone. I really don't like fumbling around with my phone while driving, so voice dialing is a must for me.
- The ability to record Video
- The ability to send pix and flix messages without using the phone number email bypass
- The ability to make and/or buy other ringtones rather than spending $2 for each one from Apple
That would be a great start for me, after holding off on getting the iPhone since its debut I finally broke down and made the purchase only to find it lacked these simple yet effective abilities!!!
Voice dialing is not important to me, but voice memos could be quick and convenient to have. Maybe built into Notes as a one-stop memo destination.
Look for Note2Self coming to the iPhone. Its actually pretty slick since we can do some neat things on the iPhone we cannot do on other devices (not giving the ideas away).
2) What happened to copy/paste?
3) MMS
4) Flash
If you're using the address book and the number you need is not in your Favorites, you must first click the Phone icon, click the contacts icon, scroll to find your contact, click it, and then click the number to dial from the contact info screen. You must do all that while your eyes are on the phone, VERY dangerous when driving!
Cool, although that icon seems too small to be clickable, but I guess it will be changed.
So now all we need are:
1- Voice Dialing, for calling while driving.
2- Voice Recording, for taking audio notes on the go.
during the presentation, one of the components of the "media" layer of the OS was "voice recording" if i remember correctly. so it's there in the actual OS, apple just doesn't feel like using it yet.