Giving up on the iPhone but where next?

Thoughts on iPhone firmware 3.0

Cut and paste, MMS, proper bluetooth - hardly groundbreaking! does this really deserve 3.0 status? I don't think so when you remember the jump from 1.0 to 2.0 with the revolutionary App Store.

Some have said that now Apple are allowing devices to be plugged into the iphone and controlled using a dedicated app that this could change everything e.g. medical kit attachments. Maybe, but the iphone is an all in one device as soon as you have add-ons such as a camera you run into a few issues:

- extra bulk and hardly apple minimalism

- forgot the add on I needed!

- why not just get a dedicated device rather than some mad iphone/camera/urine testing monster hybrid.

Obviously the main reason for 3.0 is the new generation of iphones and Apple wanted to hype it up a bit. Talking of which my prediction for the new iphones is as follows:

1. iPhoneHD (to compete with the mouth watering OmniaHD and Idou) - better screen, improved camera, video recording, front cam for video calls via iChat

2. iPhoneNano (to compete with the Tocco - best selling phone in UK) - just like iPhone 3G but smaller possibly aimed at the ladies.

I have to admit the new iphone is going to have to be pretty special to tempt me away from the OmniaHD

Thoughts on Palm Pre

I normally follow the live blogging on Apple key notes because of the reality distortion field that those chaps in Cupertino are so good at creating (Oh wow, you've added face recognition to iPhoto and only want $79 for it!!!)

However I saw alot of buzz around the Palm key note at CES and thought I would follow it on my iPhone. At first I thought that this would be another iPhone wannabe but this soon changed.

The multi tasking is brilliant, if it works as promised, it would really recreate the desktop experience rather than the usual mobile pain of switching applications. The pre is the first real smart phone innovation since the iPhone in my opinion. Using the area below the screen as a touch pad is genius. In fact, I was so taken by the gesture driven UI, I actually checked to see when my contract runs out.

But then I thought: the Pre doesn't seem to have the versatility of the iPhone. Third party apps will be in html and javascript which sounds a bit rubbish. I can't see the same sort of iphone apps on the Pre unless they release an iphone type developers kit. Also synergy is a great idea but I don't have lots of email and im accounts. Lastly I like the convience of the Apple ecosystem.

Still the Pre should be a good kick in the backside for the smart phone market and a warning to Apple that others can innovate too.