The WWDC conference is coming up for June 9th and I am certainly in a mode of anticipation for what I hope will be the unveiling of the new iPhone! Even though I currently cannot see myself with any device other than my trusty Samsung i780, I still find the thought of a new iPhone very intriguing. At the same time I am still not too hopeful for any new functionality to be introduced with the second generation. If this announcement turns out to be nothing more than a glorified overhaul of the iPhone's form factor then I would not be surprised. At the end of the day I think that I would still prefer to keep my qwerty bar for factor over a multitouch platform. My current iPhone that I sometimes use for nostalgic purposes reminds me of a toy instead of a full-fledged smartphone, so it is likely that I would end up keeping my Samsung i780 after all.
Off the top of my head I think that 3G support on AT&T would be the leading anticipated feature for the new iPhone, but this really isn't of any use to me. Speaking as a former owner of the Nokia E90 (which did not have American 3G) I can confidently say that I am fine in regards to living without 3G connectivity. After owning a TyTN 2 for a while and having a BRIEF test run of the iMate Ultimate 9502, 3G really doesn't strike me as an essential part of a well-rounded mobile user experience. In addition to providing fast downloads which were enjoyed by me whenever I got the chance to do so, 3G would also quickly drain the battery's power. An extreme case of mine would be for a charged battery to go for at least half a day and then show a little under 40 percent charge after moderate use. Unless I was into downloading podcast episodes through my carrier network or regularly surfing the web extensively, I really wouldn't get much use out of 3G that I couldn't already get with EDGE. Mastering the art of power management is what this new iPhone would have to do if it is to have the masses pleased and swooned once again under the spell of Steve Jobs. I am very interested in seeing THAT, for the Apple iPhone isn't exactly running the Palm Garnet OS or some hacked version of Symbian UIQ.3.
Next on the expected features list would be built-in GPS. While this is not exactly a necessity for me, it is nonetheless something that is worthwhile and can come in quite handy with apps such as Google Maps.
Another rumored addition would be a front-facing camera for video calls. While I wouldn't put it past Apple to do this as AT&T works to enhance its 3G network, I am still not entirely sold on this notion. Video conferencing is a capability that has long been enabled overseas but not here...yet. If Apple can single-handedly debut this feature in this US there would be definite cause for me to be impressed beyond belief!
Those three things are basically what I think will have a better chance of showing up on the new iPhone, but one can only wait at this point and continue to count down the days. I wonder if I will be as captivated on June 9th as I was with the first iPhone or highly ticked off for having wasted my time. My main concern for the current iPhone is that it doesn't have PIM syncing as detailed as Windows Mobile 6 or an email client as mature as Outlook. The lack of a physical qwerty is another, but that can easily be overlooked via the futuristic multitouch screen. Mentioning the lack of video recording capability is worth a shot as well in addition to lack of MMS and copy and paste functionality. Other than these few things I believe the iPhone to be the prime choice for any smartphone buyer who doesn't mind being like everyone else.
I am truly hopeful that Apple has some more tricks up its sleeve come June 9th, but I won't be disappointed otherwise since that would mean no spending money. It isn't like Apple hasn't dropped the bomb before, look at the overrated AppleTV and that overpriced iPod HiFi boombox! :-)
TRENT
Sent from my Samsung i780
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