I still can’t really believe that the “noughties” have nearly gone; it’ll be 2010 in less than a month. I’ve been thinking about 2010 (what an impossibly futuristic date that sounds!) and what it might hold in store for me as a web worker:

Faster, Better Browsers

The ongoing browser war means that browsers are improving at an almost unbelievable rate. In particular next year I’m looking forward to using Chrome on my MacBook (s aapl), and seeing whether Google (s goog) can cultivate an extension ecosystem for Chrome that rivals Firefox’s. (more…)

I am sure you have all seen the amazing mockups of the Apple iPhone 4G from Rodolphe Desmare.  Here is my favorite, an aluminum unibody tapered like the MacBook Air.  Nice.

Many believe the iPhone 4G is already being tested based on logs captured in San Francisco with the moniker (3,1).   The 1G was (1,1), 3G (1,2), and 3GS is (2,1).  So if (3,1) really is the 4G this would lead us to believe it will be a major hardware change.

So here are some of the features I would like to see.  Many are based on the latest rumors.

1. Like the mockup, a front facing camera for video conferencing.  I am not sure how you would take pictures if this was the only camera (unless you only like pictures of yourself!) so I would also want a 5-megapixel camera with flash on the back.
2. HD video.  I would like to see HD video good enough to compete with the popular pocket video cameras like the Flip Mino HD or Kodak Zi8.  Then I would have one less device to carry.
3. A faster processor … maybe from PA Semi which Apple acquired two years ago.
4. At least 64GB of memory.  I would also like a SD/SDHC card slot that can hold at least 32 GB.  Then you could capture hours of video without having to sync.
5. Higher screen resolution.  Some want a larger screen but for me that would make the iPhone too bulky.  I do want a higher resolution then the current 320?480 that hasn’t changed since the 1G.  OLED technology would also be nice and would help with the much maligned battery life.
6. Increased battery life.  I currently get about a day and a half on a single charge.  This is acceptable but twice this would be nice.  I am not really a fan of removable batteries.  They take up more room requiring a thicker device and for me my old phone is on eBay way before the battery dies.
7. Flash support.  Adobe and Apple stop fighting and make this happen!
8. Include turn-by-turn navigation software.  I know this will break the backs of companies like Garmin and TomTom but Apple must be competitive with the numerous Android phones.
9. Improved email app.  I currently have six email accounts so it is cumbersome to read my mail with the current app. For example, if I want to check email for two accounts I select the first account, then inbox, read mail, then go back twice to see all accounts, select the second account, then inbox.  I would like to see all my email accounts combined into a single inbox.
10. A better way to organize applications.  I try to organize my apps by pages.  The first two pages are my most frequently used, followed by less frequently used, a couple of game pages, etc.  But as anal as I am it is still hard to find infrequently used apps.  Search helps but I would like to have the ability to create folders (don’t shoot me).
11. Easy way to delete Apple provided apps.  I do not use the weather app because I like The Weather Channel one better.  Why can’t I delete the Apple weather app?
12. Limited multitasking.  Because applications on the iPhone remember their context multitasking is not a big deal.  But limited multitasking for applications like Pandora would be nice.  Then I could listen to music while surfing like I do with the iPod app.
13. Streaming video over 3G.  I really like my SlingBox but a Slingplayer that only works over wifi defeats the purpose.
14. Verizon, Verizon, and Verizon.  I did not upgrade to the 3GS so that when my AT&T contract ends I could get an iPhone 4G on Verizon.  As of this writing this is unlikely.  One warning for Verizon if they get the iPhone … DO NOT cripple features so you can sell your crappy services like V Cast.

Anyway, I am very excited about the arrival of the iPhone 4G next summer.  As usual we will not know anything official until Apple announces it in the spring.  Until then I am sure the rumors will run rampant!

Apple has ruled the smartphone space for two and half years. Apple’s profitability numbers are disproportionate compared to its market shares. Over the last 2 years, Apple has not evolved the design architecture of the iPhone and it looks like with iPhone 3.1, Apple could change the iPhone form for the first time. Check out the pictures

Apple has continued defying doom-sayers and detractors after its June 2007 launch of the original iPhone. June launches for the year was the way Apple defined the game. Apple’s June has been a global event that has captured the fancies of tech geeks and media enthusiasts across the world.

iPhone was the device which turned the conventional definition of smart-phone world upside down. It introduced Mobile Apps to the Smart-Phone world. It re-defined the way consumers accessed their devices and revolutionized the UI. Even as the user and developer community marveled at the revolutionary touch design, for Apple it was only a step forward from the iPod Touch into the smart-phone space.

After the success of the iPhone, Apple upped the ante with the iPhone 3G which was a partial improvement on the iPhone 3G. Apple only added the HSDPA 3G capability in the second coming. Apple did not otherwise add much to its 2007 best seller. However, the iPhone euphoria was good enough to cruise the iPhone 3G to the history books. It was the proliferation of applications on the Apps store which added to the sheen of iPhone 3G.

Given the migration of the US and European markets to 3G and beyond, it was about time in June 2009, that Apple released iPhone 3GS with a 600 MHz processor and a 7.2Mbs HSDPA capability for enhanced data speeds. The S in the iPhone 3GS was “Speed”. The Third edition also got the much improvement in the camera from 2.0 Megapixels in earlier versions to 3.2 Megapixels AF.

The iPhone 3.1 which will see the light of the day in June 2010 is the next installment from Apple. After the 3GS, iPhone 3.1 will be a 4G installment. VoIP may be the next big thing on the iPhone 4G. Over the last three earlier versions, the iPhone has not changed much in terms of its form. Knowing Apple, while they have grown in strength in the Apps market, they would not have been bidding their time resting of the laurels of iPhone. The design element in iPhone as suggested by this picture is an interesting evolution in the form factor. It is not just the curvature but the slimness that is striking. So then if Apple can do away with the CPU, have they done away with the thickness of the iPhone. Looks like that could be the case with iPhone 3.1.Watch this space!