Weblog of Fernando Reig Matthies

Ever since hot streaming music startup Spotify hired a director of “portable solutions” you just knew they were going to do something cool in mobile. And frankly there is no cooler place to do it right now than on the iPhone.

... assuming Apple lets it into the App Store of course.

Via TechCrunch

During the briefing, Greg “Joz” Jozwiak , the marketing head for the iPhone and iPod, slid a small plastic and metal object over to me without comment. I put the thing in my hand and thought, “Huh. Metal prongs on one end – clearly power. A slot on the other side. Looks like a USB port. Plug, port. Plug, port.” My brain took a moment and then told me, “It’s a power adapter, dummy, just one smaller than you’ve ever seen before.”

And so it is. Exceedingly tiny, the adapter seems like it can barely contain the metal necessary to provide conductivity. It’s another aspect of Apple’s overall design philosophy. Even if another maker could design the iPhone’s industrial look and feel, they would still send you an ugly black brick to go with it.

Via TidBITS

Communications chipmaker Broadcom today revealed that it had developed the BCM21551, the first major cellphone processor to include both 3G cellular data access as well as other technologies in a single chip. The chip is ready for current and near-future mobile Internet access with connections to HSDPA networks (such as AT&T, Rogers, and some European networks) peaking at 7.2Mbps in ideal downloads, and the fast-upload HSUPA at up to 5.8Mbps; new, however, are the inclusion of a radio receiver for picking up calls as well as an FM radio tuner and an integrated Bluetooth module. These give any future phone using the chip true high-speed Internet connections without requiring a separate processor and the increased size or reduced battery life that often comes with the extra hardware, Broadcom says. Legacy access to GPRS, EDGE, and other legacy connections are also built in.

The Broadcom development may address a key complaint of Apple chief executive Steve Jobs, who in a European press conference said that 3G iPhones were held back primarily because of the poor battery life of current chipsets. Most 3G phones top at three hours of battery life when using the technology for enhanced calls or data versus the eight hours of calls for slower, EDGE-only hardware. However, Apple currently uses Infineon hardware and would likely have to switch suppliers entirely to use the Broadcom development in the iPhone.

Via Electronista

I really only care about the first two, but Rui Carmo hits the nail on it’s head with the following 5 issues no one is talking about, and at least the first two seem so obvious to me that I can’t agree more:

1) It doesn’t sync over the air with anything – neither .Mac nor your Mac.
2) You can’t use it as a data modem.
3) No A2DP Support.
4) The camera is pedestrian.
5) Apple’s own notion of standard connectors.

As of the first two ones, it’s true that I’m so used to sync my Phone via Bluetooth and from time to time using it as a data modem with my MacBook that I can hardly imagine living without it.

I often sync my Nokia N70 and my Mac via Bluetooth not really knowing if my Phone is in my bag or in the living room lying around. It’s also true that I don’t use the Nokia that much as a data modem, but when I need to there’s often no other solution (e.g. no Wi-Fi hotspot).

I really don’t care about the cameras quality, but at least it should be able to record video.

And regarding connectors, neither my 3G iPod nor my Nokias have had standard connectors (like mini USB), forcing me to carry around cables for syncing or charging. A standard USB for syncing (as you can’t sync via Bluetooth) and charging would be a great improvement.

My question would be if the issues regarding Bluetooth (syncing, A2DP support, usage as a data modem) could be ironed out updating the iPhones OS X or with a new firmware.

Have to ask Rui Carmo!

As you all probably know, Steve Jobs admitted that Apple is working on future iPods based on OS X as the iPhone does.

As John Gruber puts it, the big question is whether …

The biggest question, as I see it, is whether Apple plans to introduce iPods that are more or less just the iPod app from the iPhone (i.e. just music and video players), or iPods that are everything but phones, with Wi-Fi networking for email, web, and more.

I would love to see an iPod with Wi-Fi networking being able to do email and web as on the iPhone. Better yet, an iPhone that shipped officially in Europe.

What will come first? My bet: new iPods.