what accessories do you want apple to make for the iphone?

[r6girl]

i am, like many here, anxiously awaiting the release of the iphone. i have a treo 680 right now that serves my needs well, but a commute to work on the train makes a device with a larger screen and better multimedia features overall quite tempting. i'm already with cingular so i have no worries about needing to switch carriers. all i hope for is that they don't slam iphone purchasers with some exorbitant data plan (i have the unlimited data + 200 text messages plan now for $19.99/month and hope this won't need to change for the iphone).

anyway, i always find that i buy a fair amount of accessories for all my gadgets, usually multiple cases, car mounts, charging cradles/cords, etc., etc. what accessories are you hoping apple will make for the iphone (not necessarily to be included with the iphone, but able to be purchased separately)?

i'm hoping for:
- a nice case, maybe similar to the leather ipod cases they make, but not so expensive ideally in a few varieties - with and without belt clips, different materials, etc....
- a non-stereo wired headset. i use a bluetooth one often, but actually prefer a wired headset for conversations where i absolutely don't want to have any issues (i have a great bluetooth headset, but have experienced the odd drop once or twice out of the blue). and i hate the stereo headsets as i don't always want 2 ears "covered" on a conversation - i like one ear free to hear what's going on around me. plus, they're illegal when driving a car. but maybe i'm just odd that way.
- a travel charger. i hate carrying cumbersome charging docks with me when traveling, so a nice travel charger (ideally with switch-able connectors for AC/car/airplane use) would be great.

these are just a few off the top of my head. of course, i'm sure the many existing makers of existing ipod accessories will flood the market with their own versions of these and a billion other accessories, but i'm also in favor of some core apple-designed ones that will really complement the iphone.

so what accessories do you want apple to make?

 

[Cepe Indicum]

A stylus... no, no, only joking

I don't usually like cases and things, but I agree with you, and think a decent case would be essential for the iPhone.

I'm not sure about Apple making this one - and I know not everyone is very keen on the idea - but I would like to see a GPS 'jacket' that would turn the iPhone into a SatNav system. I notice the Apple have started selling TomTom navigation systems through the UK Store, so I'm hopefully there might be some collusion on this.

I spend quite a bit of time in the car, I have a TomTom (which is a great device), and would love to combine it with the iPhone, ideally with an in-car charging facility also.

 

[siurpeeman]

- a nice case, maybe similar to the leather ipod cases they make, but not so expensive ideally in a few varieties - with and without belt clips, different materials, etc....
- a non-stereo wired headset. i use a bluetooth one often, but actually prefer a wired headset for conversations where i absolutely don't want to have any issues (i have a great bluetooth headset, but have experienced the odd drop once or twice out of the blue). and i hate the stereo headsets as i don't always want 2 ears "covered" on a conversation - i like one ear free to hear what's going on around me. plus, they're illegal when driving a car. but maybe i'm just odd that way.

- i, too, would like to see a case made iphone. i'm hoping it would be similar to that of old palms with a flip lid. sony cliés had this, too.

- about the stereo headset, wouldn't music come through as stereo and conversations as mono?

 

[r6girl]

A stylus... no, no, only joking

I don't usually like cases and things, but I agree with you, and think a decent case would be essential for the iPhone.

I'm not sure about Apple making this one - and I know not everyone is very keen on the idea - but I would like to see a GPS 'jacket' that would turn the iPhone into a SatNav system. I notice the Apple have started selling TomTom navigation systems through the UK Store, so I'm hopefully there might be some collusion on this.

I spend quite a bit of time in the car, I have a TomTom (which is a great device), and would love to combine it with the iPhone, ideally with an in-car charging facility also.

on the stylus! i'm so used to having one for the treos and other pda's i've had that it will probably be an adjustment to use just my finger too!

i see what you mean about the gps jacket. i have a tomtom too, but i actually like having it as a separate device. the one i have has a 20gb hard drive and has maps of all north america and europe - with just 8gb in the iphone (at least for now), i don't think it would be possible to get all of the maps and related stuff i'd want in a gps onto an iphone...

 

[r6girl]

- i, too, would like to see a case made iphone. i'm hoping it would be similar to that of old palms with a flip lid. sony cliés had this, too.

- about the stereo headset, wouldn't music come through as stereo and conversations as mono?

flip lids are neat in that they do provide protection for the screen. i had a case like that for one of my last phones, but found it somewhat uncomfortable sometimes when i had the phone up to my ear and the lid flopping around the side of my head. i guess i'd just have to get quicker with fishing my bluetooth headset out of my purse and using that instead.

i'm not sure if conversations do come through as mono. but if they do, it still doesn't solve the "both ears covered" feeling that i hate. and walking around with one of the earphones hanging off just doesn't seem right - i would almost definitely get it caught on something, and the weight of it might pull the other one out of my ear. call me picky!

 

[Cult Follower]

I wouldn't want a case, because it will hide the beauty. Inless this so called case was just meant for temporary storage.

 

[deasine]

HAHA talking about accessories... I want apple to include a nice wired headset and a bluetooth remote, similar to Front Row remotes or iPod remotes. heeheehee...

 

[TheDance511]

if the screen is touch sensitive would a case work with it..or would the phone know through a case still..jw... i dont like cases because usually the plastic covering the screen on the phone gets pressed rly hard against the screen so when i take it off like a year later it leaves a mark on my screen!

 

[zap2]

Support for Apple BlueTooth Keyboard would be nice...thats not an accessory they would need to make, just support

 

[Cepe Indicum]

i see what you mean about the gps jacket. i have a tomtom too, but i actually like having it as a separate device. the one i have has a 20gb hard drive and has maps of all north america and europe - with just 8gb in the iphone (at least for now), i don't think it would be possible to get all of the maps and related stuff i'd want in a gps onto an iphone...

And I see what you mean about the HD situation However, my thought would be to build a HD into the GPS jacket itself to carry the maps; the iPhone would simply act as the screen.

I'm not sure if this is possible, of course, but I would love to have:

- The iPhone act as a widescreen TomTom when attached to the jacket.

- (Perhaps) Automatic connection to the car's stereo system, allowing you to listen to the music stored on your iPhone in between directions.

- 'Handfree' so that, when you receive a call on the move, the iPhone interrupts the music and directions so that you can take the call.

the way I see it, my TomTom already does all this using my current mobile phone and iPod. So why not combine it all, and put it all through one screen... the iPhone screen?

 

[r6girl]

HAHA talking about accessories... I want apple to include a nice wired headset and a bluetooth remote, similar to Front Row remotes or iPod remotes. heeheehee...

a bluetooth remote? that is a GREAT idea. that would be perfect if i could listen to music through a bluetooth headset (one ear only, given my already-mentioned preference to have not both ears covered), keep my iphone in my bag, and still be able to change tracks, pause, and adjust the volume with a small remote. i did always love the remotes that came with the older ipods, though they could be a bit of a hassle sometimes with the extra wire length they added to the headsets.

i can see it already - $29 for the bluetooth remote, and i'm sure i'd at least need to buy one or two replacements after losing the first ones somehow...

 

[r6girl]

Support for Apple BlueTooth Keyboard would be nice...thats not an accessory they would need to make, just support

i like that. i would think it shouldn't be too hard for them to provide functionality for connectin to the existing bluetooth keyboard. could be handy for any long text messages you want to send, or to start a long email you plan to finish while you're out and about with your iphone.

i had a palm v pda a long time ago, and had a portable keyboard for it. it was very handy, but quite dorky looking at the same time - i'd always get questions and strange looks from strangers while using it. if apple built text document creation (a version of text edit or pages?) in to the iphone, a portable keyboard (hopefully much less dorky than the one i had for my palm) might be a great alternative for the student or business person who wants to write or take notes on the go without bringing along a laptop...

 

[r6girl]

And I see what you mean about the HD situation However, my thought would be to build a HD into the GPS jacket itself to carry the maps; the iPhone would simply act as the screen.

I'm not sure if this is possible, of course, but I would love to have:

- The iPhone act as a widescreen TomTom when attached to the jacket.

- (Perhaps) Automatic connection to the car's stereo system, allowing you to listen to the music stored on your iPhone in between directions.

- 'Handfree' so that, when you receive a call on the move, the iPhone interrupts the music and directions so that you can take the call.

the way I see it, my TomTom already does all this using my current mobile phone and iPod. So why not combine it all, and put it all through one screen... the iPhone screen?

now i understand. then the gps jacket would be more like an extended sort of dock that you could just drop the iphone into when you get in your car. that is a neat idea. my car already does the ipod integration through a factory kit and handles my calls via bluetooth, but that functionality would be nice to have still if i were driving a rental car or something. taking advantage of the iphone's wide screen would be sweet for gps use.

it would be totally neat if car manufacturers built something like that into their cars. wouldn't it be cool if bmw (since they were the first to build a factory ipod kit for their cars) would do something like that? have a built-in spot to drop in your iphone that would hook up automatically to the car's gps antenna and map database, as well as to the stereo and an amplified cell phone antenna and microphone and speakers? that would definitely need to be a special ordered option, but i'd buy it in a heartbeat!

 

[srf4real]

I'm dying for a tele-transporter thingy so I can be like everywhere the waves are all in the same week. Do you think they will invent this in my lifetime or am I just dreaming?
That would get me to buy a new phone.

 

[r6girl]

I'm dying for a tele-transporter thingy so I can be like everywhere the waves are all in the same week. Do you think they will invent this in my lifetime or am I just dreaming?
That would get me to buy a new phone.

clearly dreaming, among other things.

 

[Cepe Indicum]

it would be totally neat if car manufacturers built something like that into their cars. wouldn't it be cool if bmw (since they were the first to build a factory ipod kit for their cars) would do something like that? have a built-in spot to drop in your iphone that would hook up automatically to the car's gps antenna and map database, as well as to the stereo and an amplified cell phone antenna and microphone and speakers? that would definitely need to be a special ordered option, but i'd buy it in a heartbeat!

Now you're talking

Actually, I just remembered this Microsoft / Ford idea... perhaps Apple would consider competing? I'd be next in line behind you to buy what you describe above!

 

[LoganT]

Small fold-up keyboard with a place to dock the iphone.

 

[JaegerMac]

I would like to see apple make a virtual keyboard accessorie that would sync up bluetooth style, and then maybe a Ncase Iphone Sock so I can have it in my pocket and not hav my chance scratch it all to hell!!!

Like this

<img src="http://moblog.co.uk/blogs/2634/moblog_04fc75aba02d0.jpg">

What you think?? I can be done Steve!!!! Do It!!!!

Eric

 

[r6girl]

Now you're talking

Actually, I just remembered this Microsoft / Ford idea... perhaps Apple would consider competing? I'd be next in line behind you to buy what you describe above!

i hadn't heard of that microsoft/ford thing. i'm sure apple could do something much better if they went after this! times like these i wish apple's product marketing group read these forums for ideas!

 

[r6girl]

I would like to see apple make a virtual keyboard accessorie that would sync up bluetooth style, and then maybe a Ncase Iphone Sock so I can have it in my pocket and not hav my chance scratch it all to hell!!!

Like this

<img src="http://moblog.co.uk/blogs/2634/moblog_04fc75aba02d0.jpg">

What you think?? I can be done Steve!!!! Do It!!!!

Eric

a sock or some other simple case is definitely in order - i certainly won't want to scratch my iphone up either!

that is a funky keyboard. neat concept, but it would take me a while to get used to after so many years being used to tactile feedback from a regular keyboard. then again, i'll have to get used to the on-screen keyboard on the iphone anyway, so bring it on!

 

[anti-microsoft]

i am, like many here, anxiously awaiting the release of the iphone. i have a treo 680 right now that serves my needs well, but a commute to work on the train makes a device with a larger screen and better multimedia features overall quite tempting. i'm already with cingular so i have no worries about needing to switch carriers. all i hope for is that they don't slam iphone purchasers with some exorbitant data plan (i have the unlimited data + 200 text messages plan now for $19.99/month and hope this won't need to change for the iphone).

anyway, i always find that i buy a fair amount of accessories for all my gadgets, usually multiple cases, car mounts, charging cradles/cords, etc., etc. what accessories are you hoping apple will make for the iphone (not necessarily to be included with the iphone, but able to be purchased separately)?

i'm hoping for:
- a nice case, maybe similar to the leather ipod cases they make, but not so expensive ideally in a few varieties - with and without belt clips, different materials, etc....
- a non-stereo wired headset. i use a bluetooth one often, but actually prefer a wired headset for conversations where i absolutely don't want to have any issues (i have a great bluetooth headset, but have experienced the odd drop once or twice out of the blue). and i hate the stereo headsets as i don't always want 2 ears "covered" on a conversation - i like one ear free to hear what's going on around me. plus, they're illegal when driving a car. but maybe i'm just odd that way.
- a travel charger. i hate carrying cumbersome charging docks with me when traveling, so a nice travel charger (ideally with switch-able connectors for AC/car/airplane use) would be great.

these are just a few off the top of my head. of course, i'm sure the many existing makers of existing ipod accessories will flood the market with their own versions of these and a billion other accessories, but i'm also in favor of some core apple-designed ones that will really complement the iphone.

so what accessories do you want apple to make?

I would like apple to make a dock adaptor for the normal ipod dock insted of having a completly different dock for the iPhone.

 

[Cepe Indicum]

i hadn't heard of that microsoft/ford thing. i'm sure apple could do something much better if they went after this! times like these i wish apple's product marketing group read these forums for ideas!

Hey, I hope we get a personal message from Mr Jobs giving us credit for the idea, along with a promise of 20% of the profits Guess it's unlikely, but it's still a great idea!

I would like apple to make a dock adaptor for the normal ipod dock insted of having a completly different dock for the iPhone.

Or maybe Apple could take up the induction charging idea. I would love to just come in and throw (of course, I mean carefully place) my iPhone on a "charge pad" that automatically starts to charge it

 

[Rocketman]

wifi enabled external displays and drives.

 

[r6girl]

I would like apple to make a dock adaptor for the normal ipod dock insted of having a completly different dock for the iPhone.

that's a good idea. lord knows i'd love to be able to use the ipod dock i have for an iphone rather than pay extra for a special dock (which i'm guessing won't be included with the iphone). but maybe this is already in the works, or else the iphone won't work with the ipod hifi either? i can't recall this part of the keynote...

 

[r6girl]

Hey, I hope we get a personal message from Mr Jobs giving us credit for the idea, along with a promise of 20% of the profits Guess it's unlikely, but it's still a great idea!



Or maybe Apple could take up the induction charging idea. I would love to just come in and throw (of course, I mean carefully place) my iPhone on a "charge pad" that automatically starts to charge it

part of the profits would be sweet! we can totally dream! that wireless induction charging would also be excellent. so much cool tech out there, so little time!