:talkingfuture.com Come and learn about the future…

Martin: Its looking like there will be another new iPhone in June, or at least the summer, almost certainly announced if not released at WWDC on June 8th. The time frame comes from the release of the previous iterations and the expected release of the iPhone 3.0 software upgrade. It is very unlikely that there won’t be at least a mild spec bump to accompany the new OS.

I think that we will see another tweak to the industrial design, probably making the case a little sleeker but nothing too dramatic. Inside could be a different story altogether, it wouldn’t be out of form for Apple to try to make the device slimmer, more powerful and yet with longer battery life. This may be achieved using a higher efficiency processor, I think we will see something ARM based that will be designed by PA Semi the company that Apple bought last year for just such a task. The rumour mill is also pointing towards faster internet in the shape of “n” wireless and faster 3g connections.

Moving into less plausible, more wish-list territory I’d like to see the next iPhone get a little cheaper. The last one gained a plastic back, and possibly some internal cost cuts that helped to drop the price. If the iPhone follows the pattern set by the iPod then it will become more accessible. When they settle on an ideal price point then we may see other models that are cheaper still such as a Nano.

I’d also like to see an OLED screen, this will have low power consumption and a super sharp image. It may also lead to a thinner phone due to the lack of a back light or a bigger battery in the same space. Staying with the screen, they could incorporate Haptic feedback. This would help to answer some of the critics of the iPhone’s keyboard, although many of these people seem to want to write novels on it so they may still struggle! The other criticism to answer is to improve the camera. Many people are starting to use phone cameras as replacements for their compact cameras (more on that in a couple of weeks here at talkingfuture.com), the iPhone needs to compete with the phones that are capable of fitting this requirement.

Do you think this is plausible, busted or confirmed? Is there anything else that you see coming in the next iPhone?

Thomas: I think your pretty much on the money, and if that is the case It’ll certainly give me a reason to upgrade from my first gen iPhone (or iPhone Classic as I like to call it!). I’ve had a go on the iPhone 3G, and although it might seem a bit picky, one of the biggest reasons not to upgrade for me was that the phone now has a plastic back! OK, so this might give it better wireless reception, and it might make it a bit cheaper to mass produce, but it just doesn’t feel right. Imagine plastic money! Add to that the fact that no one has bother to erect a 3G mast near where I live and the whole thing looks a bit pointless.

Underneath the metal or plastic case and I doubt very much will change. The CPU will get a bit faster, but I don’t think we will see anything from PA Semi this year. I think the rumours are true, and we will be getting a much better camera in the model. This is one of the few areas the competition can actually compete. I don’t think Apple will go for anything with a mechanical zoom, just a higher resolution sensor. In a future model I’d like to see an optical zoom, but you’ll have to wait for another article to see how that’s going to fit into something as slim as an iPhone!

You have probably seen rumours about Apple eyeing up three megapixel and five megapixel image sensors. My first thought was that these would both go on the same model, one for taking photos and another forward facing camera for video chat. I’ve thought about this since, and I doubt it’s the case. These will either be for different models of phone (iPhone and iPhone Pro!) or completely separate product lines.

The other rumour that is definitely going to happen is the inclusion of some sort of ‘digital compass’. This gives the GPS functionality of the iPhone much more use in the real world. In-car sat-nav do without this because they’re always facing the same way as the car, and a car can’t turn on the spot, unlike us humans. Pretty much every hand held GPS (of the type used by walkers) has one of these so I think it’s a logical inclusion for the iPhone.

All things considered, the iPhone would still sell by the truckload if it didn’t change at all. The latest version of the OS is going to bring enough big changes as it is, I think the big hardware revision will wait till next year. I’m not expecting an iPhone Nano either, the best we will see is more differentiation between current models. Rather than just a split based on capacity, you might see the higher models featuring GPS or the better camera. Just as long as we don’t have to start paying more to get one in black…

Martin: As the latest rumours about Magnetometers, FM and more are starting to appear I think we are starting to see the direction that the iPhone is heading in. It seems to be becoming the perfect companion device for your entire life. Most of us carry a phone with us nearly everywhere we go. I think that Apple are aiming to make it your indispensable information provider. It isn’t designed to do work on, you need a Mac for that but it is going to be used for everything else in your life. Imagine if you could take it out biking or running with you, you have an emergency contact device, a compact camera for stills and video, a navigation aid and you can read talkingfuture.com while you stop for a rest, when you get home you can download the details of your trip to your training software! It has endless uses in any scenario of anyones life. The strong suite of Apps available in the App Store will help to make sure that you buy an iPhpne and not one of the endless imitators.

In fact, the only limit I can see to using an iPhone for everything is the life of the battery!