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Yes.  It’s true.  I do not own a mobile phone.  I use to have one but people kept calling me.  Go figure.  No matter where I was, my phone would ring.  Not only that, but they knew I had my phone with me and would get upset if I didn’t answer.  That and the whole cell-phones-cause-cancer thing played a roll in me saying goodbye to my Nokia 3650.  Man, I loved that thing.  AS far as I was concerned, there was no phone better.  Sporting a large screen, Symbian OS, funky rotary-style dial, bluetooth connectivity, address book with pictures, and MIDI support, the Nokia 3650 was the perfect phone for me.  It was a little big (rocket in the pocket), and had too many buttons, the camera wasn’t that great, and the face plate started falling off a lot, but I loved it all the same.

Now Apple has a new phone coming out.  Well, they haven’t said anything officially, but it will be called the iPhone.  How do we know this? Because we keep talking about it!  Just like that full screen iPod we brought up last quarter.... and the quarter before that, it must be true!  Truth is, however, there are a lot of reports that seem to verify the development of an Apple mobile phone.  Infineon supposedly won a contract with Apple to develop ships on the 3G platform.  Also, Apple filed several patents over the last year leaning toward a mobile/wireless application.  Even iTunes 7’s app resources point to clues supporting a device called iPhone.  Who knows, even with all the rumors pointing to yes, it may never happen, but the demand is certainly there.

Every tech website with any interest in the iPhone has been clamoring to guess which features it will have.  Some of the guesses sound more realistic than others, like the phone being of a candybar format rather than a flip phone.  Less probable are iTunes ring tones. If anything, it’ll play songs already purchaes through iTMS.  Kevin Rose, digg.com, brought up dual batteries.  But when it comes down to it, unless these rumors are originating from Jonathan Ive himself, they are just wish lists.

All the same, expect widespread disappointment when the iPhone is announced.  It sounds odd that a brand new product from Apple could be a let down, but look at recent history with other Apple products.  Every time Steve Jobs gets up on stage and announces his “insanely great” product, it’s rarely what audiences expect.  Some time ago, someone photoshopped a full screen iPod, made it look like a prototype, then sent it out on the “tubes” and Mac fans started getting wide-eyed. The thing looked incredibly real.  But when the latest iPod upgrade was announced with a brighter display, and super-thin metal nanos, Mac fans all across TUAW.com collectively whined, “but where’s the touch screen?” The new Intel-based iBooks didn’t come out when expected either.  But remember, they weren’t expected because Apple told us they were; they were expected because we decided they were.

But since everyone else is doing it…

There are aspects to the mobile phone I loved and some I could do without.  Apple, if you are listening, everyone has put their two cents in, here are my pennies for thought.

I already own an iPod I don’t need iTunes on my phone, I’ve already got it on my computer and iPod.  But that doesn’t mean that the iPhone can’t have sound or play music, just not 4 Gigs worth. A built-in QuickTime player would allow people to choose between MIDI, MPG MP3 for ring-tones without needing playlists or earbuds.  While we’re at it, make the batteries replaceable!  The iPod’s non-replaceable battery has been a consumer issue from day one.  Don’t do the same thing with the iPhone.

Hello Computer. Communication is a two way street.  Why would I want to use my phone if I’m already at my desk?  Leopard (OS X 10.5) is supposed to have great new iChat features such as slide shows, blue screen, and remote control.  Will this include iPhone integration?  If the Mac can communicate with other macs with zero-config technology, let’s have Macs handle SMS chatting with the iPhone through the computer.  Event triggers would allow Macs to know when someone is calling by displaying caller id information on the computer or even pause iTunes or DVD playback.

No more buttons. Have you seen those kids phones with just the three buttons on them?  It’s a phone with three programmable buttons and that’s about it.  I love that!  That is my phone… especially the pink one.  But seriously, my fingers are too big compared to those small buttons.  Which button do I use to make a phone call anyway?  The green one?  The middle one?  Besides, shoving a bunch of buttons together only takes away from the design of the phone.  One button, maybe a touch screen, is not as outlandish as it sounds.  The Apple remote is has two buttons, the iPod has only one (not counting click wheels).  Is a one-button phone that different?  If there has to be a keyboard, at least keep it simple or hidden.

We can make him better. We have the technology.  Even with all these wish list items, the iPhone could fail to impress.  There are already hundreds of models available with every sort of bell and whistle attached.  If Apple is going to do it, make the iPhone the best phone on the market.  Phone calls should have clearer conversations.  That means better microphones and speakers.  Make syncing with Address Book and iCal more seamless.  The interface should be so simple, parents can use it (if that means three buttons in stead of twenty, so be it).  Everything about the iPhone should ring true with Apple’s ideals of making the best product out there.  After all, Apple changed computing, and later how we listen to music.  Change how we communicate.

One More Thing... I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that whatever Apple comes out with will have that one more thing really sells it.  That last hook that ties it all together into the perfect package.  Maybe it will be WiFi with VoIP.  Maybe it will be that the phone can be dropped from a ten story building, scratch resistant and bullet proof.  Maybe it will come with some really slick blogging tool (now that would be cool).  But it has to be something really awesome, because we’ve already built enough hype for the iPhone without Apple having to have said a word.  They better not let us and our made-up expectations down!

Chris Williams writes a weekly column for PopSyndicate.  Apple could come out with the iBrick and he’d probably buy one.

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