• Pixel Destiny
The single largest feature addition to the iPhone 3GS, performance improvements aside, was video. Suddenly, the iPhone became an interesting competitor in the pocket-sized digital video camera space. While the pioneering Flip camera had clear technical superiority, why would I carry a second device for HD video when my phone already does video at good-enough quality?
But that’s old news. What’s next?
Giving some thought to what the next major leap could be (again, not including performance), high-definition video recording makes a great deal of sense. One year after the 3GS, I feel safe in my wild speculation that HD camera technology should be cheaper. Especially in the quantities we’re talking about.
Matt Galligan argues that the iPhone’s pixel density should be increased to 720×480. My gut reaction is to say no. 320×480 is so ingrained into the minds of iPhone designers that it inspires the name of libraries (three20, the library that powers, inter alia, the Facebook app). But convention alone isn’t a good enough reason to stick with inferior technology.
With everyone but Apple announcing the coming of the Apple Tablet — which of course will run a modified variation of the iPhone OS — the argument for higher pixel density starts to solidify. Which is not to say that the next iPhone and the mythical Apple Tablet should share the exact number of pixels, but rather that resolution independence within the OS could solve this handily. Applications would require updated artwork and a recompile, but tales of sub-24 hour turnaround on app approval — a dramatic leap forward from the previous average of two weeks — would suggest that Apple is ramping up for an onslaught of submissions1.
So what about that artwork? As an iPhone designer myself, one of the things that attracts me to the device, compared to the web, is that you know exactly how many pixels you have to work with. You have a complete understanding of, and therefore control over, what the user will see. Resolution independence sounds nice, but any worthwhile designer who obsesses over pixel-perfection may fly into fits of rage if their artwork doesn’t look exactly right across all devices. Even vector-based drawing applications like Illustrator have anti-aliasing and half-pixel problems.
Another obvious approach would be to require multiple sizes of artwork, similar to how Mac application icons are handled. But this would significantly increase the file size of many apps, resulting in higher bandwidth usage and causing more apps to hit the 10MB ceiling2.
Semantics aside, there are multiple technical approaches to this problem which, if handled artfully, could keep designers and developers happy. If Apple hadn’t successfully pulled off the migration from PowerPC to Intel processors, I might doubt their ability to make this work in a way that doesn’t drive designers crazy.
The iPhone’s screen already looks pretty nice, and Apple isn’t in the habit of jumping through technical design hoops just to match a competitor’s bullet points. If the iPhone is getting a higher-density screen, it’s going to be part of a more interesting feature suite. High-definition video and stills will look great on a high-definition screen. And so will the high-definition movies and TV shows that you can buy from the iTunes store. With dramatically improved video editing software on the phone itself (not to mention iMovie on your Mac), you can easily create, edit, and share HD video with your friends and family.
iPhone HD. Starting at $199.
And all of that HD content will require more storage space. This is purely a guess, but a step up from the 3GS’s current lineup of 16GB and 32GB to 32GB and 64GB feels natural.
A high-def device deserves a high-def network. I’ve written before about my thoughts on Apple and Verizon, and I’ll go on record now as saying that a Verizon iPhone is happening this year. Whether or not this would factor into the marketing campaign would depend upon the exclusivity of such a deal. It would be deliciously poetic if the newest iPhone was only available on Verizon, while AT&T customers were left to choose between the 16GB and 32GB models of the 3GS. iPhone OS 4.0 will, of course, still be available for older iPhones.
Though it may seem odd to spend so many words on the iPhone while everyone else is musing about the iSlatelet, it’s important to remember that the iPhone is still Apple’s flagship mobile device. The Tablet is happening, this much I know, but it probably won’t fit in your pocket, and I doubt it will receive calls. And while it’s also safe to assume that it’s getting a fair amount of Steve’s attention, don’t think for a moment that anyone at Apple has forgotten about the millions upon millions of iPhones that are already in people’s pockets, not receiving calls.