Abstract :
The front
surface of the Apple iPhone has only one button -- the Home button. Pressing the
Home button takes you to the main screen of the iPhone's graphical user interface.
There, you can choose from the device's four primary functions using icons at the
bottom of the phone:
Phone: 3G, GSM or EDGE cellular phone service
as well as a visual voice mail menu
Mail:
POP and IMAP e-mail access, including in-line pictures, HTML capabilities and
push e-mail
Web: Safari Web browser
iPod: Music and videos
You can open
the iPhone's other applications from the upper portion of the Home screen. These
include a calendar, calculator, notepad, and widgets, or mini-applications made
specifically for the iPhone. Older iPhones include a 2.0- or 3.2-megapixel camera
and software you can use to organize your pictures -- the iPhone 4 ups the stakes
with a 5-megapixel camera. You can also use an iPhone to check weather reports and
stock quotes. Even though the iPhone doesn't support
Flash, which
the YouTube site relies on, you can watch YouTube videos using the corresponding
application. The keys and buttons you need to navigate each application appear
only when you need them.
The shape of
the screen changes when you need it to as well -- you can shift the perspective
from vertical to horizontal by tilting the phone. An accelerometer inside the iPhone
lets the operating system know to change the orientation of the image on the screen.
This means that you can scroll through long lists of music files on a long, narrow
screen, and you can watch movies in a widescreen format. You can learn more about
accelerometers in How the Wii Works.
The iPhone principle
Yesterday Apple
introduced the new iPhone. It features a very precise touch screen and some
other sensors. On the first look it may only seem like a fancy phone that manages
to get rid of buttons and integrate features of an iPod. But I think it is much
more than that.
I believe Apple
has really defined a new type of device. Just think for a second that it is not
called iPhone — let’s say you don’t have any idea what an iPod, PDA or Smartphone
is. So you have a device, that does communicate wirelessly through certain
protocols, stores 8 Gigabyte of data, comes with this multi-touch display, mircophone,
earphones, camera, speaker, volume control and a singular button on the front.
The iPhone is not only a universal device — is a principle.
Now – just imagine
apple would have just delivered the hardware to the open source community maybe
with that OS X basis and some development tools to create apps. The screen could
show any interface for whatever application you can think of. It is called “phone”
so people can connect it to certain activities and they see an instant reason why
they may buy one.
But let’s assume
it is called “iHeld” or “iTouch”. Can you see why people will loose the competition
against Apple in the very moment they try to make a competing phone?
I am very eager
to see what tools Apple is going to provide for developers to create new applications
for the “iPhone principle”.
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