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Message indicator LED idea...

mcdj

mcdj

macrumors G3
Original poster
Jul 10, 2007
8,972
4,225
NYC
I think Apple really dropped the ball by not giving us some glanceable way to see missed call/SMS/email alerts without having to push a button, slide to unlock, stand on one foot, twirl a baton, etc. I can appreciate that they didn't want to disrupt the clean lines of the bezel and overall symmetry, but IMO, they had a perfect place for a flashing LED already built right into the phone.

And it goes a little sumthin like this...

iphoneled.gif


If they wanted to get really fancy, they could change the color depending on the alert...blue for email, green for SMS, red for missed calls.
 
That and also they forgot fingerpring identificator or maybe a retinol scan like mentioned before.
Hope they add them to the next gen iPhone.
I also contacted apple and told them to add a garage door opener to the Iphone so I dont have to use the remote and I can open up my garage thru my cell at any time if Im locked out :D
 
Canuck4 said:
That and also they forgot fingerpring identificator or maybe a retinol scan like mentioned before.
Hope they add them to the next gen iPhone.
I also contacted apple and told them to add a garage door opener to the Iphone so I dont have to use the remote and I can open up my garage thru my cell at any time if Im locked out :D
Click to expand...
...seriously.:rolleyes:

It's not a bad idea, though it could be implemented better with something other than an LED I think. Maybe a subtle area under the black glass that pulses like the sleep light on a MBP. And different colors for different indications could work well... that or a simple white light to serve as an umbrella alert.
 
That and also they forgot fingerpring identificator or maybe a retinol scan like mentioned before.
Hope they add them to the next gen iPhone.
I also contacted apple and told them to add a garage door opener to the Iphone so I dont have to use the remote and I can open up my garage thru my cell at any time if Im locked out
Click to expand...

Well Chuckles, I'm glad you find a flashing LED indicator as superflous and silly as a retinal scanner or a garage door opener. The first time I missed a call and didn't find out about it until I physically checked the iPhone an hour later, it didn't feel very silly at all. I lost a freelance gig because someone else beat me to it.
 
I love my iPhone but the blinking notification I had with my Blackberry is actually the thing I miss most. I have to check my phone all the time now because I don't feel confident that I know if I've missed something.

I love your idea! Hardware wise it's not possible on our current phones to have the blinking light where you put it but I wonder if in a software update they could make the screen blink or "breathe" (like on the iMac when sleeping) to notify you that you've missed something.

That would be very useful!
 
With the current hardware, they could release a small little led that fit flush into our headphone jacks. Whenever an alert goes off, Apple could send a small signal to the headphone jack (white noise) to turn the LED on and off. It would stop you from using the headphone jack while the LED is installed, but you could always take it out if you needed to.
 
I hate blinking LEDs on phones, they jsut need a little icon on the screen to let you know about alerts.
 
Kev1000000 said:
With the current hardware, they could release a small little led that fit flush into our headphone jacks.
Click to expand...

Pretty clever, I like it.

Or you could have a Bluetooth finger ring or bracelet indicator. I wonder if the phone works with those Bluetooth watches that show the caller id and let you send the caller to voice mail?

Of course, it would help if the phone allowed more than one Bluetooth attachment at a time.
 
kdarling said:
Pretty clever, I like it.

Or you could have a Bluetooth finger ring or bracelet indicator. I wonder if the phone works with those Bluetooth watches that show the caller id and let you send the caller to voice mail?

Of course, it would help if the phone allowed more than one Bluetooth attachment at a time.
Click to expand...

Wait, the iPhone doesn't allow more than one BT device to be paired with it?

I have always wanted one of those BT watches, they seem so cool.
 
If Apple were to add this feature, I'd think the top-most edge would be the best place. Those of us using fully-enclosed pouches / slip cases could see it, and those using holsters could glance down and see it.
 
This would be a great addition to the iPhone - of course with the OPTION to turn off the visual reminder for people who don't want to be reminded that they missed a call.

Since this can't be added to our phones, I would like to see an OPTIONAL audible reminder - a beep or vibrate would be great. Again - OPTIONAL so those of you who don't care about missing calls don't have to be bothered.

This is pretty standard stuff for every other phone I've had in the past.

Others may complain about lack of 3G support (not available in my area anytime soon), and other things, but this is my biggest complaint about the iPhone. OK, well the recessed headphone jack stinks but that is another story...
 
diamond.g said:
Wait, the iPhone doesn't allow more than one BT device to be paired with it?
Click to expand...

Yes, plus the lack of many Bluetooth profiles:

iPhone Bluetooth is crippled

Hmm. But Jobs says the "iPhone is five years ahead of anything else". And he never lies or exaggerates, right?

So that can only mean that he's travelled five years into the future, and for some weird reason, future smartphones will NOT support stereo BT headphones, BT keyboards, voice dialing, MMS, or a ton of other common things available today.

Perhaps a future terrorist nuclear pulse weapon will wipe out anything that's not dirt simple. Yeah, that must be it.

Or maybe he just fell asleep while watching "Dark Angel" reruns.

:D
 
An audio or vibration alert will be sufficient for current models.

For future models, a visual indicator should reside just below the black glass area, using tech similar to what Sony used on some of their mp3 players:

sony_walkman_01.jpg


It should display two simple icons -- an envelope for email/SMS, and an envelope with a speaker for voicemail. Do them in different colors for quick detection. Simple and clean.
 
Wow, I'm not sure what model iPhone the OP has, but on mine I push one button, and right then and there know if I missed something (blue bubble alerts). You don't need to hit the slider or anything else, and the display turns off in 5 seconds to save battery. An LED would be nice if it was user selectable (Some Motos have this feature) but I found myself flipping my moto open anyway to see if I missed a call. Tapping a button seems quicker for me. Now my REAL complaint is that it's not loud enough, and I DO miss TXT's and email alerts. That's the real problem, and indicator is just the band-aid.
 
Blue LEDs are so last year ;)

All the iPhone needs is a tiny round WHITE LED, somewhere underneath the glass panel, gradually glowing (ie. "sleeping"). When the LED is off, you can't see there's even one there.
 
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