I saw this picture of the LG-KV5900 and was inspired to render this image in Photoshop to illustrate an idea that's been percolating in my head of a true cellphone meets ipod.
(this image is fake)
Cingular recently released the Rokr phone that has been met with less then stellar reviews. The problem with the Rokr is that it doesn't have a well thought out end to end design. I believe it's just a matter of time until Apple either partners with someone or makes their own phone.
Prediction for the Apple phone of the future:
- Music player first, cell phone second. The Rokr is a phone first and although this makes sense for a phone company I would expect an Apple centric phone to be more focused on a good music experience.
- Integrated interface with itunes contacts and calendar - I was surprised that this wasn't mentioned in the reviews but the Rokr itunes application seems to be missing all the Contacts/Calendar support that is available in every other iPod. It would make sense to synch contacts with other iTunes information. This means that there are likely two separate syncing efforts. (not 100% sure on this)
- Either a flip phone or a slider - This type of design makes the most sense since it's truly a tranformer. The Rokr isn't designed to play music. It doesn't have the obvious play/pause button and is missing the signature jog wheel that makes ipods unique.
- No Camera - I would expect that an apple ipod/phone would not have a built in camera as is present in the Rokr. If you try to do too much you can't do it well. I also would not expect a speaker phone, flashy lights or similar features. Apple is a strong believer of less is more.
Let's see if this prediction pans out.
Update: Looks like I was 1 for 4 on my iPhone predictions. It had a camera, it wasn't a flip or a slider, and surprisingly music seems less important. The calendar and contacts are integrated but that was too obvious. Apple really surprised me on this one.