[titeun]

First off I would like to say the iPhone is going to kick the mobile phone industry's big a**.

Now, we all know that the new iPhone has a 2 megapixel camera. But where is it? On the back or what? Nowhere on apple.com go into any detail about the camera. Even when it demos the photo stuff it doesn't show you anything about taking pictures or any functions of this 2 megapixel camera.

My guess/prediction: Apple purposly avoided discussing the camera because of a secret feature it is trying to keep under wraps until the phone debuts in June.
VIDEO CONFERENCING with other iPhones and with iChat. WOW! That would make Apple's iPhone the first and only phone in the USA to let users have live coversations with video and audio.

This must be true! All the technology is there. The highspeed netorks, Apple's top notch video conferencing technology, and the obviousness that Apple isn't going into more detail about the camera feature. We don't even know where the camera is? That is an awfully big thing to add into a phone that is totally feature packed and then not even discuss it at all.

What do you guys think?

[Shades of Blue]

Originally Posted by titeun Now, we all know that the new iPhone has a 2 megapixel camera. But where is it? On the back or what?

In the keynote, it was shown on the back. I imagine that would interfere with video conferencing.

[Suddoo]

likely, but would EDGE be able to stand up to the (comparativly) huge amounts of data being passed through the device? I think the reason why this hasnt been done well before, is because the bandwidth is simply too high.

*gets ready to be flamed because I might have got it completely wrong*

~/Suddoo

[thingi]

Originally Posted by titeun First off I would like to say the iPhone is going to kick the mobile phone industry's big a**. My guess/prediction: Apple purposly avoided discussing the camera because of a secret feature it is trying to keep under wraps until the phone debuts in June. VIDEO CONFERENCING with other iPhones and with iChat. WOW! That would make Apple's iPhone the first and only phone in the USA to let users have live coversations with video and audio.

Video calling is nothing to shout about or even whisper about, we've had it in the uk for 3+ years and guess what no one uses it, it's expensive and the quality sucks even over a 3G EDGE network.

[Buffalo]

Yeah, but this is APPLE video conferencing. Have you used iChat AV on those new iMacs?

[Suddoo]

*True - you pay though your asshole with 3G videocalling. And it sucks, real badly. I.e take a 160x120 video image, put the FPS down to 10/15, make the permanent colour scheme a slight brown, and then view it though a fish tank. Not good..

~/Suddoo

[Wyatt]

Originally Posted by Oyarses Yeah, but this is APPLE video conferencing. Have you used iChat AV on those new iMacs?

Have you ever seen news correspondents use videophones? The quality is flat-out horrible. Videophones suck more dick than Paris Hilton.

By the way, check out this picture. The circle near the top left? Yeah, that's the camera.

[titeun]

Originally Posted by thingi Video calling is nothing to shout about or even whisper about, we've had it in the uk for 3+ years and guess what no one uses it, it's expensive and the quality sucks even over a 3G EDGE network.

well i can understand that, but as the next person said, this apple we are talking about. They are getting into the business to revolutionize it.

And if the camera was shown on the back, DAMN! I've just been waiting for the webcast of the event. Maybe it was just a ploy by Mr. Jobs. PLEASE LET IT BE A PLOY.

I realize it isnt the biggest thing in the world, but this is apple we are talking about and when they do it it may be big. IF vid conferencing wasn't that big, than why are all new macs coming with built in iSight cams. This is the way of the future.

[thingi]

Originally Posted by Oyarses Yeah, but this is APPLE video conferencing. Have you used iChat AV on those new iMacs?

Err yes I use it iChatAV lots, I've a 10mb cable connection and my bro has a 4mb connection so bandwidth isn't an issue.

All 3G networks have big bandwidth issues especially when multiple people make a call within the same network cell (I work in telecoms).

Apple may be clever but "Ya can't change the laws of physics!"

[titeun]

what about the wifi support built into the phones. What is it exactly for. Of course i can see the many uses it will give us, but what is the main advantage and use? I can see one use could be video conferencing only when on the wifi networks if edge isnt good enough.

[zsummers]

It's on the back. You can see it pretty clearly here: http://www.engadget.com/photos/first...e-pics/130246/.

I don't think videoconferencing is here yet; not being able to see the screen would be weird. But hopefully down the line.

[Wyatt]

Originally Posted by titeun what about the wifi support built into the phones. What is it exactly for. Of course i can see the many uses it will give us, but what is the main advantage and use? I can see one use could be video conferencing only when on the wifi networks if edge isnt good enough.

You're really grasping at air now. What's the point of video conferencing if you can't see the damn screen?

WiFi is pretty obviously for Web access when you don't want to use the cellular network, particularly since EDGE is slower than 802.11g.

[titeun]

Originally Posted by fcgriz You're really grasping at air now. What's the point of video conferencing if you can't see the damn screen? WiFi is pretty obviously for Web access when you don't want to use the cellular network, particularly since EDGE is slower than 802.11g.

GASP GASP! Well why doesnt apple.com show any pics of the back. i am hoping they will change the design to have the camera on the front. It is a clear ploy.

LOL well anyways i have my cingular salesman on alert for the first 2 8gb iPhones that arrive months from now. i can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[spikeh]

Yeah I'm hoping they rework the design a little, particularly the back - it's a bit ugly IMO.

[Baron Munchausen]

I am sure 3G will be on the menu for Europe. As for iChatAV, the video cam for this does not need 2MP, so I predict 2 CCDs, one for photo/vid on the back and another for VCs in the front (doing, say, 800x480 = 0.4MP...cheap as chips!).

[Fahrenheit]

The apple on the back looks really old school and not that nice in my opinion. If I had my way with the design I would have gone with an all black-macbook finish. But then, who am I to argue with the man Ive (who looked fatter than what I expected from headshots)

[Doxxic]

Originally Posted by titeun First off I would like to say the iPhone is going to kick the mobile phone industry's big a**. Now, we all know that the new iPhone has a 2 megapixel camera. But where is it? On the back or what? Nowhere on apple.com go into any detail about the camera. Even when it demos the photo stuff it doesn't show you anything about taking pictures or any functions of this 2 megapixel camera. My guess/prediction: Apple purposly avoided discussing the camera because of a secret feature it is trying to keep under wraps until the phone debuts in June. VIDEO CONFERENCING with other iPhones and with iChat. WOW! That would make Apple's iPhone the first and only phone in the USA to let users have live coversations with video and audio. This must be true! All the technology is there. The highspeed netorks, Apple's top notch video conferencing technology, and the obviousness that Apple isn't going into more detail about the camera feature. We don't even know where the camera is? That is an awfully big thing to add into a phone that is totally feature packed and then not even discuss it at all. What do you guys think?

I think you must be perfectly right, apart from the highspeed networks.

But as soon as the bandwith is available, Apple will do something about the camera placement and make iChat available for the iPhone.

Steve wouldn't be Steve if there weren't some iChat AV for iPhone ready and waiting in Apple's vaults.

Hell, imagine you work for a competing company, developing a phone with similar functions, while you *know* that when you release it, Apple will have the same thing ready as well, and probably better.


Did anyone realize that the iPhone is also a potential Zune on steorids, networking-wise?
The hardware is there. The software can't be far away.
Deciding when to release it and how is just a matter of watching how the Zune will do.


Apple is in an *extremely* comfortable position for the next, say, five years, when more bandwith through air should become available.

(gaming)

[IVIIVI4ck3y27]

Hrm... gaming, eh? I just remarked to someone earlier that the iPhone looks sorta' like a PSP crossed with an iPod Video, with a touch screen and rounded corners. Gaming could be quite interesting on it, especially with gesture-based inputs like Gameboy DS. Sell the games through iTS like they do for the iPod, could be big.

Of course... might need to wait for much larger Flash memory for the gaming to get super serious or hardcore (although with all of the graphics transitions the phone shows, I don't doubt you couldn't produce some beautiful graphics). LoL Still going to need enough storage to fit a handheld Wi-Fi capable World of Warcraft on there and not hamper your music, photo, and movie collection space. Not sure if 8 gig is nearly enough for all of that. For cheekier games without the hardcore graphics capabilities, it could work well. Tetris could probably be quite fun on that big of a screen and using the finger gestures to turn and drop blocks.

[Doxxic]

Game developers, welcome to Mac OS X...

[bassplayinMacFiend]

I imagine Breakout would be a blast on the iPhone.

[usurp]

for video chat you need 3G not EDGE. I have it here (i am in Kuwait) and trust me video chatting is not practical. When I first got it it was fun and it was even free but i used it a couple of times and thats it. that was a few months ago and since then havent used it since. and its not because i dont know people with 3G phones, a lot of people here have 3G phones.

[alexus]

iPhones biggest OVERLOOKED feature is...
10.5 !!
I think we saw 10.5 runnign on the iPhone - Stevie only said "OS X" not "OS X 10.4".
Well with the widget-like, Core-Anim-like, UI anyway.

What do you think? is this a sign of whats comming?
btw. on the tv is likely too an version of 10.5?
alex

[chucker]

Originally Posted by alexus iPhones biggest OVERLOOKED feature is... 10.5 !! I think we saw 10.5 runnign on the iPhone - Stevie only said "OS X" not "OS X 10.4". Well with the widget-like, Core-Anim-like, UI anyway. What do you think? is this a sign of whats comming? btw. on the tv is likely too an version of 10.5? alex

Steve did specifically mention Core Animation, so in that sense, it is closer to 10.5 than to 10.4.

[BFG]

Yes i would say undoubtibly we saw 10.5 cut down in that phone - it screamed core-animation (in fact he even said that if im not mistaken?)

Could 10.5 be RI and one of the big secret features?

*edit damn your fast fast reply chucker *

[PKIDelirium]

I think iTV uses Front Row 2.

[turano]

Does anyone recall a patent for imaging via an LCD display? I seem to remember one of those vague apple patents that came over the interweb a few months ago.

I also thought that no 'back shot' was a little weird.

Turano

[chaos123x]

Yeah iChat av would be sooooo perfect for the iPhone, it just screams it.

Either it's a surprise feature that will be announced later, or a feature that will be added to next years model.

I might wait a few generations of iPhone till it gets iChat av.

[Kickaha]

Originally Posted by alexus iPhones biggest OVERLOOKED feature is... 10.5 !! I think we saw 10.5 runnign on the iPhone - Stevie only said "OS X" not "OS X 10.4". Well with the widget-like, Core-Anim-like, UI anyway. What do you think? is this a sign of whats comming? btw. on the tv is likely too an version of 10.5? alex

Specifically, he said "OS X", and not "MacOS X" which is the official name of the OS on your Mac.

What we saw, is, in my estimation, the first device running a new type of OS X, based on the same code. If I were a betting man, I'd guess that at some point in the next couple of years at most, MacOS X will become OS X for Macintosh. The core code between OS X devices will be the same, so they can leverage the work across all platforms, but the kernel and device drivers will be different for each hardware unit, and the technologies selected will be different as well.

ie, OS X for Macintosh = Intel CPU, keyboard, mouse, Cocoa, Carbon, QuickTime, WebKit, networking, printing, Sync, Dashboard, CoreImage, CoreAudio, CoreAnimation, etc, etc, etc
OS X for iPhone = ??? CPU, touchscreen, QuickTime, WebKit, Sync, Dashboard, networking, CoreAnimation
OS X for Apple TV = Intel CPU, QuickTime, networking, CoreAnimation

This would make them very nimble. See a new market? Select the hardware, port the kernel, choose the technologies you want, and wire them up. Quicker time to market, much richer set of technologies to choose from. That may be the most exciting long-term news from the Keynote. It's a good day to be an AAPL stockholder.

[Schnauzer]

Yeah that OS X thing kind of confused me, when he said that , i thought wow, you could run mac os x apps on it, then i lost hope

[Kickaha]

I thought the same thing. BUT... if they developer APIs are the same, then it's *possible* you could get away with a recompile for the new hardware.

The big win here is for Apple, by using the same code base.

*IF* that's what's happening.