The rumour mill is dizzy with speculation about what 'cool new stuff' Apple's iPhone will shortly be sporting, ahead of chief executive Steve Jobs's keynote at the annual Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco on Monday.
Rumoured tweaks include a front-facing camera for video calling, variations on form factor and GPS capability. There have even been reports doing the rounds on the internet of Apple filing a patent for solar cells that could be installed under the screen, opening up the possibility of an iPhone part-powered by green energy in the future.
But as consultancy Analysys Mason associate Mark Heath says, Apple knows how to keep its iPhone secrets fresh: "People talk about having GPS capability in there, perhaps a slightly changed device to make it more suitable, more robust for some users; it's all speculation at the moment so we'll just have to wait and see what it looks like."
One thing analysts and commentators are agreed upon, however, is that a 3G device is coming.
Peter Cunningham, senior analyst at analyst house Canalys, told ZDNet.co.uk's sister site, silicon.com: "I'd be very surprised if it wasn't the 3G iPhone."
But the analyst is also holding out for a little extra from Jobs: "Apple has got a track record of being very innovative and a habit of surprising people so I'm certainly expecting it to be more than just a 3G iPhone — I'm certainly expecting something a little bit special."
Many industry watchers — and Mac co-founder Steve Wozniak — expressed disappointment when Apple chose to launch its mobile gambit via a mere Edge device, rather than going straight to the mobile superhighway of 3G.
Already speaking as if the second coming of iPhone has occurred, Dr Windsor Holden, principal analyst at Juniper Research, told silicon.com: "One of the key drawbacks of the old iPhone was you had this wonderful device for accessing the mobile internet but the speed at which it could be accessed once you moved away from the cloud was very limited indeed.
"And now you have the UMTS capabilities within that device I think it's got quite enormous potential to do very, very well."
Analysys Mason's Heath pointed out that iPhone users have already been sideloading content and utilising Wi-Fi to watch video on their handsets.
"3G is absolutely critical to give that extra distribution channel [to stream video outdoors] and allow you to offer a compelling service. And this is way before broadcasting networks and things like DVB-H come along, so we think that the iPhone could have a significant impact in the mobile TV market in the short term," he said.
According to Holden, the clearest sign a 3G device is imminent comes from an announcement today by Japanese mobile operator Softbank that it has signed an iPhone distribution deal with Apple.
He explained: "That's probably the biggest indication yet we're going to see the 3G iPhone very, very shortly. There was just no opportunity at all for them to offer a 2G iPhone in Japan — given that 70-odd percent of people in Japan have a 3G handset."
Shipping a 3G device therefore does more than just improve Apple's mobile hardware street cred: it opens doors to more markets worldwide. As Canalys' Cunningham points out: "Edge across the GSM networks or GSM operators is still pretty limited — predominantly it's 3G or HSPA networks now being rolled out now — so what 3G does [is] it provides compatibility with a far greater range of operators."
Other sure-fire tweaks on the way for iPhone 2.0 are the firmware updates Apple announced back in March, when it said it would be licensing Microsoft's ActiveSync protocol.
Talkback
Why is this such a big deal? Unless you are a highly mobile individual using web applications that are necessary to consume in real time on the move and add real value to justify the premium on 3G data vs. free access on a fixed connection its a waste of money. Its much cheaper to access broadband from a fixed connection and sideload non real time content to play later on the mobioe device, as with an iPod. Downloading non real time content via expensive 3G data on the move if you don't have to is crazy and very expensive. For the rich and people who have their company pay their phone bills with a really mobile work regime, yes. Journalists for instance. Not mass market.
Most mobile users just want to talk to people on their small as possible phones, OBTW. They already have a computer. This is just the in bred industry getting wet thinking about all the ARPU supposedly irrational customers will fork out to access non real time content while on the move. No they won't, not after the first bill anyway. iPod is better. Only apps are real value added mobile services, probaly Web 2.0 style, mainly for corporates and public services. Unless 3G data gets as cheap as fixed cable/DSL, that is. IMO. Brian Catt
Almost everyone I know who has an iPhone loves it. So I can see this being one of those bits of gear that gets into companies through the back door--people want to use it enough that they'll find workarounds and put up with the missing features they need. We've actually got a ZDNet UK survey (<a href="http://survey.cnet.co.uk/wix/p1370677.aspx">http://survey.cnet.co.uk/wix/p1370677.aspx</a>) running at the moment to try to find out what would make the iPhone fit for business use. If you've got a suggestion, please tell us what you think.
Perhaps you misread me or I miswrote myself.
The only use I see for it is to run mobile corporate applications as a better/other form of smartphone. For most non techies a moby is for making phone calls and sending texts, maybe the odd picture. So consumers don't need most of the things an iPhone does, or the added cost of real time mobile access they can get for free on a decent screen and KB at home.
Anything other than business related time sensitive value added applications are better done at home or office on a full PC, period. So much easier and cheaper to wait for real screen and keyboard and all you can eat broadband for free. So no business case for anyone other than highly mobile users or those with a corporate application required on the move. Also a fashion product for rich Americans with too much of the world's money and not enough work.
I would ban them as a CIO, their users are probably independently minded loose cannons who won't follow corporate security policies and endanger the whole business for appearances.
Is that clear enough - the iPhone will have a small rich market and will continue to be very much a discretionary purchase by geeks and fashion victims who will never learn how to use them properly , not must have, a waste of money as a productivity tool - it isn't.
Unless its sold at the same price as ordinary smart phones like an N95, say. Then you can choose between touch screen and proper keys.
Hardly any real USPs or compelling applications, and not even a proper QWERTY keyboard. Who sold you that, then?
IMO
Brian Catt
Mac user since 1989.
OK, now people who actually need to do data on the move can decide between top level conventional phones and iPhone.
Amongst that segment - I imagine that will split between the antisocial white ear plug commuters who are familiar with the look 'n feel of the interface and more normal sociable folk who can read the printed word on their travels and prefer buttons to touch screens. I also refer you to the mostly pointless tablet PCs MS still pushes, technology before application.
So given its an even playing field on price lets see what wins. My money is on buttons.
However ruggedness could be an issue, if the iPod can avoid the problems of collapsing keys and displays that normal phones seem to suffer in heavy use and be made water and dust resistant.............
Brian
PS 5 Hours talk time, gimme a break! Is the target market teenage girls?
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More On The Fabulous iPhone (I use Fabulous in the fabled sense here)
No need to take it from me, check out what these serious CI, CI -Os in SFO think. Link below.
In summary outside of rich fashion led geeks this is an enterprise level
product, targeted to the consumer, that's too much for the consumer and not wanted by the enterprise (maybe Enterprise applications with the Starship of the same name in time) .
Confused? You will be!
BTW I see the attraction, just not a broad market. My friend Pip in
Carmel has one for his SOHO business and loves it, but he's a Mac fan,
techy by training and a gadget man.
Another UK pal who owns a Mac Prepress software business has one, ditto.
I may buy one, but I'm not the mass market.
My daughter is a journalist, worse she writes for Desmond. The shame!
She needs her N95 for Internet access on the move, but HATES the
complexity and would much rather have a normal and smaller Moby. So I think you have a Smartphone, maybe iPhone, if you have to for mobile work, or are excessively sad and geeeky/know how to set tabs and format paragraphs in WORD, etc. so can exploit the featureset - Limited market.
The 2 in 1 phone and push email device is the only real justification I see for the enterprise, so sales guys may be the first significant population to migrate to iPhone - and will prefer whatever makes them most money......whatever works.
Maybe I'm wrong?
Brian
PS Mac Desktop since 1989.
========THE FEATURE=========
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c5b80be2-3d95-11dd-bbb5-0000779fd2ac.html
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I just found the software out there that gives the iPhone iPod functionality as well as unlocks it for £25. Put that together with a decent way to back it up, server shadowing for all the mail and contacts content plus a decent way to back up all content on a PC/Mac in case of loss/theft and you have a killer three in one package for consumers.
One device replaces Phone, Blackberry and iPod.
Still not sure about enterprise.
They still buy PCs............why?
Personal content + Web 2.0 Mobile Services incl push email will accelerate adoption.
Still have to wait for Apple to give us the obvious functionality the 3rd party developers can see so easily.
Apple should have done that from the start, or offered it as an upgrade path - but they sold 'em all anyway so who am I to criticise.
Brian