I've long suspected that June would be a great month for smartphones, and it appears to be off to a strong start. The Pre comes out tomorrow, and the initial reviews are quite positive. But more importantly, Monday will be Apple's WWDC keynote presentation. Will iPhone Software 3.0 be released? Will a new iPhone be released? My hope is that iPhone Software 3.0 will be released next week ... perhaps on Monday, or perhaps Apple will announce that it can be downloaded at some point later during the week. I am also hoping that Apple will show off the next version of the iPhone on Monday, although it wouldn't surprise me if the new device isn't actually in stores until July. As we wait with Christmas Eve-like anticipation of what is around the corner, here are some of the iPhone news stories that caught my attention this week:
- There is a new version of the AP Mobile news app. The Home Screen discusses the improvements and seems to like the app. TUAW, on the other hand, despises the new design, calling the app a mess. The app is free so it will cost you nothing to find out what you think. Click here to get AP Mobile (free):
- InfoWorld has an article titled "How much work can you do on an iPhone?" that asks whether an iPhone can serve as a laptop replacement. For me, it often does, although obviously there are also times when you need a real computer.
- TUAW reports on some interesting statistics about how much Internet use occurs on iPhones and other mobile devices. For example: "The iPhone has 8% global market share, but accounts for 65% of HTML traffic." Not much surprise to me -- using the web on other mobile phones is seriously disappointing.
- Have you ever found yourself composing an e-mail on your iPhone while you are walking around? Macworld reviews Email 'n Walk, an app that lets you see what is in front of you on the iPhone screen while you are typing an e-mail. I can't imagine how anything could possibly go wrong while using this app.
- iLounge has put together a "report card" of 20 iPhone features that people want in the next iPhone. I don't like the phrase "report card" because it implies that Apple is supposed to include all 20 features and should be penalized for omitting one or more. I'm sure that Apple has darn good reasons for selecting the features that are included and those that are omitted. As Steve Jobs told BusinessWeek five years ago, successful innovation is not just about coming up with good ideas, it is about staying on track: "But innovation comes from people meeting up in the hallways or calling each other at 10:30 at night with a new idea, or because they realized something that shoots holes in how we've been thinking about a problem. It's ad hoc meetings of six people called by someone who thinks he has figured out the coolest new thing ever and who wants to know what other people think of his idea. And it comes from saying no to 1,000 things to make sure we don't get on the wrong track or try to do too much. We're always thinking about new markets we could enter, but it's only by saying no that you can concentrate on the things that are really important." But whether it is properly called a "report card" or just a "wish list," iLounge identifies some interesting possible features. Macworld's iPhone Central also rounds up its predictions here.
- And finally, it appears that the days of people needing lawyers are numbered -- assuming that they are iPhone owners with a buck in their pocket. iPhone developer McApps -- maker of esteemed iPhone apps such as A Naughty Nurse, Beer Nutrition Facts, Corvette Girls, Crazy State Slogans and Coed Spring Break -- has released an iPhone app called Best Legal Tips. I haven't tried this app, but the description says: "Our General Counsel is full of very useful advice that keeps us out of trouble. He is so useful that we decided to compile his advice into a simple, easy to use app. Normally to get legal advice you'd have to pay a lawyer at least $300 an hour.
But, with this app, you can get some of the same advice for $0.99.
Kinda makes me think we're overpaying our attorney." Let's not tell our clients about this, but just between us lawyers, you could click here for Best Legal Tips ($0.99):
