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Apple to Add Micro Projectors to iPhone and iPod Touch?

It does have amazing practical uses

As soon as the technology develops to be small enough to be practically fit inside a device like the iphone, something like

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/pattie_maes_demos_the_sixth_sense.html

could be an amazing when it has a realistic price point.

Don't forget that a micro projector that you can carry with you has a million realistic applications when the technology gets there. Maybe we'll eventually get rid of the screen all together and just have a 32GB nano and interactive ipods on all of our hands!

Minority Report and then some :cool:
 
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No. But I have missed ridiculous rumors like this!
 
I can see where a projector might come in handy from time to time, but it had better be accompanied by a leap in battery capacity to be practical.
 
Micro Projector for iPhone?

Well let's explore this idea. It has been two years since the iPhone surfaced and we FINALLY have cut and paste, voice dialing, video recording ability, and the ability to text a picture ("later this summer"). Wow these are great OLD innovations that should have been included from DAY ONE! And now comes this IDIOTIC RUMOR of a micro projector for the iPhone. The iPhone is finally near perfect and the gold standard in the smartphone category. Apple would NEVER implement such a stupid, nearly useless function (micro projector) into the iPhone! Any Mac iChat user would agree however, that iChat impementation would make perfect sense! Still APPLE, with the release of 3.0 software has dramatically raised the bar WELL above any smartphone on the market. Bravo!
 
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This could possibly be very useful in the business world. Should be an interesting development to keep an eye on.
 
These phone image projectors have been in the works for some time. I think Samsung or LG had one at CES. It is marketed for looking at picutres and maybe video. As long as it doesn't had more bulk to the iphone, I would see this as a plus. Obviously it will use more battery, but so does the GPS and watching movies.
 
Not yet

Unless there has been a breakthrough I haven't heard of I think the technology is not quite there yet. Eventually this will be possible with a very small device. The devices I've seen have been a bit bulky and too low resolution to be useful. It is almost a certainty that first we'll see tiny pocket-sized projectors before built in ones.

I doubt we'll see anything really useful at more than about a 20" display, but if that were implemented with decent resolution it would be very helpful. I can see giving presentations to small groups on the spur of the moment. Set up a small screen, pull out something like the Crabble folding stand and away you go. Similarly, in the hotel room I can watch a movie or just surf the web. This is the key technology needed to turn the iPhone into a laptop replacement.
 
Stupid idea? Yes.

Implausible because the technology is not there yet? No.

Samsung i7410 has been out for a while.
 
I really don't see any value in this. Unless the projector has an ultra bright, low heat, and low draw lamp, I see this more as a gimmick than anything else.

I can barely see the benefit of a 2 or 3 Megapixel camera, let alone a dim projector with low resolution.

image.php
 
Are the people saying they see no need for a projector on a phone the same people who saw no need for a camera once upon a time? I think a projector on a phone would be great, provided it doesn't get too big and is bright enough. That remains to be seen.

But as far as rumours go this seems to be far fetched one.
 
"Why would you need a really crappy projector in a phone/portable media player, seriously, the whole in built projector thing is such a gimmick...""

The same reason you need a crappy built-in speaker on the iPhone, for casual events.

It would be cool though but I don't see it happening soon. As somebody said it before, maybe as an accessory - Cheers.
 
How utterly stupid

Instead of this or a front facing camera, how about adding a freaking FLASH to the camera???? Is that too much to ask?

Apple should spend the $0.30 per phone it would cost to bring the iPhone up to 2005 standards.
 
MacRumors said:


In a brief note, DigiTimes reports that Taiwanese firm Foxlink is currently developing micro projectors for use in mobile phones, with Apple being one of the companies expected to launch devices with built-in projectors later this year.
Click to expand...

Have you got blue-rays in your macs yet?! :rolleyes:

This is still very nascent. Hard to see it included in any apple device this year.
 
I think it would be cool, but don't want to see extra bulk or weight so I don't see how that would happen. Maybe in the famed tablet?
 
I would think there would be more use in having projectors support BT/WiFi and then just having the iPhone, iPod Touch connecting that way, or the link someone already showed which had a USB connection on it and you can use your white USB cable.

Including a projector which is more business than consumer into a product like these is of debatable use. Of course then there is the need to get to the content of the power point file etc anyway. Right now you would need to access it via a webpage or an email. Sounds like a lot of hassle.
 
iPhone iPod projectors should be off the unit

The iPhone and iPod projectors should not be integral to the unit, but should be independent bluetooth items. That way you can hold your iPod in your hands and have a separate projector like normal. You could have a 'reverse' projector function to enable HUD displays for your windshield for GPS functions and rear-view cameras (also bluetooth and mounted off the unit). Multiple cameras and multiple projectors to provide instant information for safety applications, for parenting, this would open up the whole world. :cool:
 
Sambo110 said:
These devices are getting so much stuff in them, it's amazing they can all fit in. What will be added next.
Click to expand...
Pretty amazing indeed, but don't forget the 30 pins connector since that is even more interesting – I personally can't wait for the day that iAED (Automated External Defibrillator) and other interesting stuff gets approved (both hardware and software).

Now back to the projector, which can be quite helpful to the US Military since they are using both the iPod and the iPhone (mostly for translations and gestures) but me personally? I don't have use for it.

Apple introducing a new iPod Touch with a projector for the general public? Nah... I don't think so.
 
andiwm2003 said:
BS

apple would never do this unless the technology allows it to be as small as the current camera. even then it would be a waste of space and battery because 99% of customers would never use it.

more likely the "projector" is a simple flash for the camera.
Click to expand...


I think a lot of people would use this, if shown how easy it is to do. Any one that travels would love to be able to throw a movie up on a 50+ inch screen in a hotel room without having to pay the hotel extra money.
Guaranteed it would be a killer, widely used feature.

The other guarantee, is that there's no way in hell it's coming to the iphone or ianything this year. 2 years from now, MAYBE, but the mini projectors are still HUGE in terms of trying to fit one in an ipod/iphone.

Not gonna happen...yet.
 
The HOUR after this debuts, the first thread titled "My battery drops 1% a second - I can only give a 1 min 40 sec Keynote presentation on a single charge" will pop up! :D
 
Apple will not refresh the iPhone until next June 2010. Now maybe this could be built into the tablet? :eek:

I think it would be pretty cool and convenient at times and I can see this kind of technology becoming common place with mobile devices or something like it.

What if they did a touch interface on the screen of the iPhone like the new Apple TV Remote App and projected a big screen with the actual GUI, you could do some really cool stuff with that! :D

I wonder about holding the device and having a big projection shaking all over though. Might need a stand or something, but there would always be times when you are just holding it and a big image would be wobbling everywhere and that would be very annoying!
 
PICO projectors are barely usable. Low illumination. Run warm to hot. Low resolution.

At this time, Apple is not going to include a projector, with the technology available today, in an iPhone.

Not. Going. To. Happen.

Now a few years down the road as the technology matures, then sure we may see some sort of projector included.
 
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