Introducing iPhone Nano & Shuffle
Once again, Apple proves that nowadays the interface is the brand. It goes without saying that I’ll be getting that little miracle as soon as I can here in Japan (where we will have to wait until next year). Yet my Uncle Fritz isn’t so keen on buying any of those fancy iPhone accessories beforehand. He is still desperately waiting for the other Apple promise to be fulfilled: simplicity.
iPhone: A geek’s dream, an interface miracle. But over-the-top for Uncle Fritz.
iPhone Nano: A cell phone like the ones we have here in Japan, just easier to use. SMS killer.
iPhone Shuffle: Write E-mails and enter numbers via speech recognition. Use side buttons to go through your library.
Click image for 1:1 aspect ratio.
Mental Model of a Mobile Phone
Why are people not using their mobile phone as an MP3 player? Because listening to music on a phone is weird. The basic functions of a mobile phone are: a telephone, plus messaging, plus a watch. And that’s out mental model of a cell phone. If you create tools with too many different functions, they lose their purpose.
Strip It Down for Uncle Fritz
The iPhone has solved many of the interface problems of the regular cell phone and came up with a beautiful, Wii-like interaction model. Of course, the tech guy loves this widget-machine as it is. My old Uncle Fritz might be a little scared, though. In order to win him over, they need to strip it down:
iPhone Nano
For the iPhone Nano, I suggest phone, Web, and E-mail. That’s right: no SMS, no iPod. Of course, you can take pictures, notes and change the settings.
Mix E-mail with SMS
No SMS: who cares about what technology is used? Mail is mail. Mix E-mail with SMS and make SMS disappear. In Japan, we have no SMS. Our mobile phones use E-mail. Simply put: much easier, much better, much cheaper.
No iPod: keep it as a mobile phone, keep the mental model intact.
iPhone Shuffle
Just phone, mail, and the time. If you turn the device, you can read the mails. This little guy needs advanced speech recognition to write mails. Yeah, now we’re talking… It should also read emails to you. You deal with the settings by plugging it into the USB port of your computer.
Dear non-readers, before you comment: iPhone Nano and Shuffle are studies. One is serious, one is funny. And to all the “I-want-it!-people”: The iPhone can be bought here.
Interesting about not having SMS in Japan, and I’ve heard people in the US say they never use it too. Here in New Zealand, everybody uses SMS, possibly because calls aren’t cheap and data over the cell phones is ludicrously expensive.
With BluePhoneElite sending SMS’s is a dream, typing them on the computer instead of the phone.
http://bla.st/mobile/
Motorola have started on the right track with the Motofone: http://direct.motorola.com/hellomoto/motofone/
Slim, cheap, excellent battery life, easy to use, good looking, a fantastic screen that can be read in daylight, and completely lacking features you don’t use eg. a camera.
The only little deal breaker for me is no bluetooth, which means keeping the address book synced is a pain (and no SMSing from the laptop). Also the screen doesn’t have many lines of text although I guess that will improve.
I’m surprised Apple didn’t bring out a super simple phone, but who knows maybe the iPhone is just the first in a complete lineup (like the original iPod)
Excellent! Finally a constructive idea related to iPhone
The absence of SMS would be a killing argument in Germany as well. I think from the technical aspect it would be more usefull to bind SMS and eMail in one “Message Channel”, where the system only distincts between in the way the addressee will received - via a phone number or @-address.
If the system has GSM and IP-Access, it should self-decide to send via mail. But even this model would only work if the receiver has the same access capacities for both technical paths. Since very few can receive eMail via phone in Germany, this would probably also fail.
Not to forget the telecommunication provider. Since SMS is one of the last flexible revenue drivers for these they will do everything possible to avoid switching to email.
In general there are three giant new problems for apple on the phone market. First, phone markets are quite diverse all over the world. Especially from technical aspects like the used network iMode, 2G, 3G and the services (mail, SMS…)
The second, as mentioned, the telco provider. They will have a big voice on which functions will enabled and which not. They like the most profitables functions the most, not the most innovative ones.
The third will be the innovation speed itself. In the old computer market where Microsoft is the biggest competitor, with a new buggy OS every decade, there it was quite easy to remain cool and innovative. But in the phone market where SonyEricsson or Nokia release dozens of phones a year Apple will really have to heat up its R&D to take step with the competition.
“iPhone” is the wrong name. It may invoke “Internet Phone” but fails to create a new metaphor for something so in need of a new metaphor.
Why would Uncle Fritz pay $250+ for an iPhone when he can get another phone much cheaper, that in his eyes will do what he expects a phone to do? Call people. Mail people.
The problem with “iPhone” is that it does not differentiate. “iPod” as moniker would have been perfect since the term iPod was used in the first place to represent “a mobile workstation that can dock with a hub”.
On the other hand, perhaps Uncle Fritz would perceive it as music player first, phone second?
iPhone it is.
Nice article, interesting thoughts. Keep them comming!
I’m all for the advancement of text based messaging from SMS to richer, more extended formats (ie: real email). However, a phone that isn’t compatible with SMS is not going to sell a single unit in the UK, and possibly large chunks of Europe. I know the US and East Asia haven’t adopted it in the same way, but look up the SMS useage figures over here, they’re astronomical.
Phones without cameras sell here, phones without 3G and video calling sell, phones without web browsers sell. A phone without SMS in the UK market? You might as well try and sell us a phone that can’t make calls.
Ben: I didn’t say “no SMS”, I said bring them together. Don’t let the user care about the technology that sends the messages. Treat SMS as mail. And sneak in the new format.
Zensurzebra: Japanese Telcos make tons of money, and they don’t have SMS.
Oh mama! Where can i buy iPhone Shuffle?
Zensurzebra - excellent comment!
Oliver - fair point, my apologies
in spain (yey! we read you from spain too) phone + sms make the complete mobile experience. Not there’s nothing wrong with emailing or mp3 or so, but pricing is wrong wrong.
I’m just glad it finally came out in public. I mean, you need somebody to use it in order to understand what’s the right direction to go.. There’s not much space to evolving in a lab.
People will complain how little memory it has or capped osX functions or whatetver… But this is a newborn we are talking about; nobody expected click wheel + video + lifetime battery time on the very first iPod…
It’s an adding process, i think, and if it is given enough time, it will compensate…..
On the other hand i think all fuzz on iphone should lead the conversation towards what has motorola acchieved for example in its lifetime… We (I) don’t see motorola as a cellphone company, but as a waste industry, you design waste, you package it, you sell it and the user deals with it until it breaks or the user is damn fed up. Ashes to ashes. And men, they had time to improve. This is of course just my opinion, but it’s a good place for starting to question… Why nobody expects motorola to make a true product? Why nobody is so hyped for it?
How about an iPhone Shuffle with only one button, no screen, and storage capacity for 20 phone numbers which you call randomly by hitting the button?
Same concept as the iPod Shuffle: nice and small, cheap, fun and useless…
Hmmm it really is a shame that the iPhone won’t make it to Japan until 2008. I guess the industry is too advanced.
An iPhone nano would be awesome.
As far as i know, the only phone officially released by Apple is the iPhone - the first one from the pictures above. The rest would be mock ups and speculations, although they sure would be nice to have!
Mihai,
Of course they’re speculations. Our speculations. That’s obvious, dude… Just read the article.
No SMS in Japan? My phone (Vodafone/Softbank) actually DOES have SMS. Maybe some companies discontinued the service? I believe AU provides SMS as well, the only one i am not sure about is Docomo. Most people I know (both Japanese and foreigners) with Vodafone do use SMS, it’s simply much cheaper.
Yeah, we do have a sort of SMS in Japan, but usually you can only message to others on the same network. So email is preferable for a lot of use.
Tim, the idea of a phone without a camera in Japan wouldn’t sell well. People use the cameras on their phones a LOT here (and for many different purposes). The different markets definitely define just what a ‘phone’ is. I can’t wait to see how the iPhone sells here, I would personally get it just to replace my ipod and current phone (which, when you’re travelling on a crowded train every morning, would be nice, just to reduce some of the extra bulk and weight).
Sweet idea. Anyone think it will take flight?
hey, thats pretty cool 4 the old peeps i guess, but what kind of uncl or old dude would buy it?they just want 2 keep it old scool and stick w/ their original phone. cool but i’d still buy Iphone!
Suppose the touch screen stops working, which of course it will…how can u make calls?
Those image r all fake, just edited the original iphone image.
James, of course, and that was never a secret. Read the article before you complain.
Cool! But I want to know how much it is!
I don’t think Apple will introduce its low cost iPhone in near future. It will take time when we will c first low cost iPhone - may be with some other name or model. First they will prefer to market their existing iPhone model.
hola soy de españa. no creia que apple fabricara telefonos moviles, con lo qual se puede apreciar que tiene una magnifica pantalla, pero en las galerias de fotogrfias, en concreto de este telefono movil no he podido apreciar teclas para poder marcar a otros moviles.porfavor contestarme porque me urge comprarme uno y lo necesito saber para podermelo comprar. besos a todos los que lean este pequeño mensaje.
Yo quiero uno de esos
iShuffle so fake ! look at the bottom of the image, the border… tssssssss
Hi. Just wanted to let you know that there is no “shuffle” or “nano” iphone. Just the original iphone one size only and your suggestions are a little off because apple would never leave their biggest product off of “two supposedly models” itunes! I am living in America who gets it this Friday on June 29 and I am getting it so trust me you are just a whole lot of little off.
Lexi and Unknown.
What is wrong with you guys? These sketches are obviously sketches and decleared as sketches. Read before you comment.
hi i come from the nederlands i speak not verry good inglish becose i’m 14 years old but i’ve a question how is the iphone becose you had it in the nederlands is the prada phone new about an half year comes the iphone to holland and i want the good sides en the bad sides of the iphone send it to me thanx
iPhone is really a new revolution in the world of mobiles. Its a combination of mobile and IPod. Really worth of using it.
Why are people not using their mobile phones as MP3 players? Because to listen to music on a phone is weird.
That’s simply not true. The main complaint is the drain an MP3 player makes on the battery life of the phone. If the iphone combats this problem it will be even more popular.
hey how much is it ???? love rissa
I don’t like to bash ideas because I believe that creativity should be encouraged. That aside, your idea doesn’t take into consideration why people want the iphone. They want it because it can do all those wonderful things and when you take those things away there is no longer a why. Without a why; the consumer doesn’t buy it and the company loses money. So the real question is; are you trying to put poor old Mr. Jobs out of a job?
@Philthy: I don’t care why people want an iPhone. I am an information designer. I care about interfaces. Apple did a wonderful job on the interface. But the iPhone is not a cellphone and doesn’t compete with cellphones, it’s a blackberry-ipod. And it does all those things (blackberrying, ipoddin, taking pictures, calling) not as well as the devices it incorporates. Yet it is still a hell of a device, because of its magnificent interface. Features and tech specifications don’t matter so much, the interface makes or breaks the success of electronic devices.
If they use those same interface principles on a cellphone with minimal functions with maximum usability, people will fall in love with it like crazy. Imagine you have the choice between any Motorola, Nokia SonyEricsson cellphone and an iPhone mini, based on the design principles of the iPhone. Isn’t that the easiest choice?
What I am saying is that Jobs could easily grab a big chunck of the cellphone market with an easy-to-use cellphone. So no, I actually would like Mr. Jobs to show those messy cell phone companies how to create a nice cellphone interface. I am quite postive that the iPhone Nano or iPhone Mini will come though.
Man, IPhone rulz allright, but I live in Belgdade, Serbia so I guess it’ll be possible to have my IP somewhere beyound 2010
Anyways it’s great to see this “new” touch screen technology living amoung us, although it remains to see how durable it really is. The real question is what’s the next step in mobile tech? ILook, which reacts on where I look, blink once to… and twice to… Why not?!
I have an iPhone. Its Fricken amazing.
iphone looks soo awesome to me.. but i’m on a w810i.. i haven’t gotten to know more bout the iphone features yet. But i love the touchscreen feature. Does it have a camera? also, u mentioned bout using emails and not smses.. i wud prefer sms. TO access email on d phone, need d Internet in d phone.. and it’s BLOODY expensive in AUSTRALIA to use Internet on phone.. those phone companies are bloodsuckers..
Here in the Philippines (Manila) we are not really as excited over this IPHONE. Being the sms and mobile phone capital of the world with more than 60 million mobile phone users, we have been using what iphone can offer years back through other phone models. XDA for instance. Xda has made our lives easier by making telecommuting a reality. With wifi,sms, and gprs connection together with the MS office applications, i no longer have to be physically present in the office to do my job.
The latest craze here in manila are the new phones manufactured by a chinese company. It is indeed a multimedia experience. Currently im using a phone with a brand of CAT Mobile. Physically, the design is a fusion of xda mini and iphone having touch screen and dial/text pad combine - which makes sms easier whether you’re better in using your thumb or stylus. The unit as I have said is a comple multimedia experience. It has a built in ANALOG TV. Yes, no need for any connections. Just open the program and use the stylus as a convertible antenna and you can watch ALL local channels very clearly. To top that, it also has fm radio, 2mp camera, expandable memory via micro sd, a 3″ 265k color screen, a MP3 and Mp4 player. Best of all, it has wifi connection, bluetooth, GPRS and 3G ready.
If these features are not enough, the phone is also a DUAL SIM PHONE. meaning, you can use two networks at the same time. Both networks are active in one phone. Here in Manila, almost everyone has 2 cell phones since one of the local companies ( SUN MOBILE ) offered unlimited calls and sms for a very minimal monthly subscription costs.
The phone i have been using has been very reliable and the price is only US$ 300.
With all these features, who needs an IPHONE? im not against Apple. Actually I have been an avid user of IPOD from the first gen all the way to their IPOD Video.
Best regards to everyone.
Wars
all u guys dont know what your talking about the iphone rules period. but the iphone shuffle makes it look like an ipod. who wants a phone that looks like a stick
I live in japan, how can I get it? Rakuten?
Help me, reply on sleetherz@gmail.com
wt the heck man !!! we dnt get i phone in india.i really want it man.can sm 1 tell me wen will it launch in india?
I think an iPhone nano would be nice. I would keep it touch and add safari to the nano
Since u still want to stay with that I theme I think that u should show these but remember that the hole concept of yhese things is for them to havethe “iPod” thing added on them since that should put music -_-
whos uncle fritz?
wow amazing gadget
I know these are phone not MP3 player but I think they should make the option as to buying these with or with out mp3. I have an MP3 phone and so does most of my friends. We usualy use the MP3 funtions on our phones because lugging around multiple devices gets frustrating, harder to keep from getting stolen, heavier, takes up un-needed space and less accessable as fast as we need in some cases. (ex: Ipod/Mp3, Cell Phone, Camera, ect. in just two jean pants pockets or a purse or backpack.) I think they should give the option of MP3 or no MP3 when purchasing the phone. Maybe a difference in price, like 30$ more for MP3, would make this do-able. My opinion. MP3′S, cameras, and phones go together and that should not change.
Great article. I can’t wait until these hit Canada if they do.
iPhone nano and shuffle need music. My friend got an iPhone so he could talk and listen to music with only one device.
“No SMS: who cares about what technology is used? Mail is mail. ” - this is an excellent point, something I’ve been thinking for long time as well.
One thing you have to remember tho - Uncle Fritz doesn’t want the others think he’s old and dumb. This means he’s going buy the iPhone anyway. Whereas the cool kids down at Harajuku get the smaller versions, just to stand out from the crowd.
This iPhone nano is the phone I’ve been dreaming of. I keep telling my friends, ‘I’m going to build a phone with no keys! You’ll just use voice recognition. You big ugly phones are nasty!’ I also buy the smallest sony ericcson’s I can find. I’d give this phone a shot tho.
This is the worste thing I ever saw. I hate how they have to make something for everybody. Like why cant we just settle on the iPhone and just leave it. Not make is any less than it already is and then allow more people to afford it.. I actually think this BS and thats not even real.
This is a great idea! I have an iPhone and i love every minute of it. I can not see using the shuffle. Its just too simple only mail and a phone way too easy. I think that having the ipod in the iphone is the whole reason that apple made the iphone and that not having music in the nano is BS! That is a dumb move by apple and cingular. The shuffle is dumb! they should screw that idea. The iphone classic and the nano are plenty good. ANd No IPOD in the IPHONE WTF! YOu have to be kiddin me right? and cingular my iphone service is the best! i got up to 30000 texts last month and I love this phone so much!
If someone wants to listening music and use iphone functions, and iphone doesn’t have ‘listening music functions’…
that person have to fill two pockets? (one for iphone, one for ‘mp3 player’?)
if that person is using headphones and receives a call…
that person should take off headphones to answer the call?
(sorry for my bad english)
Apple has changed the mental model because has introduced a new technology, considering the context and the user (simple design)
I think that apple should just stick to the iphone, the ORIGINAL one. The iphone nano is nice, but people in America usually TEXT alot with their phones not EMAIL through their phones as much. Im not saying its not done, but most people here wont want a phone that doesn’t text. As for the Iphone Shuffle, that is just JUNK. Its like the Firefly phone!!! You can only like call people. Most people now a days like phones that do many things, and the Iphone Nano is just NOT appealling to the mind. It’s practical, but not something that many people would want to buy.
I wanted an iphone but cant afford it .. with the nano and shuffle cost more or less than the iphone?
Cool.Ishould say.Iphone Nano.is very cool.I love that thing.slim,affordable,easy,nice… I will buy one more of this iphone shuffle…
What a failure of concept. All that processing power, and stripped down functions. Why not integrate MP3 player in the phone? No one is forcing you to use it, right?
If you do not like to listen to music on your phone - don’t! Leave MP3 capability for those that actually understand that carrying one gadget is much easier than carrying two gadgets (duh!). Not to mention that if i have MP3 player separated from phone, i will most likely not hear the phone ringing. While listening to my music on phone, my phone (Sony Ericsson K800i) nicely volumes down the music, and i can accept the call by voice command or by pressing the button on on-wire remote. After the call is finished, the volume slowly goes up, and i continue to listen to music.
Prove me that this concept is not light years away from your “2 gadget” solution.
dude, if someone invents the iphone nano i would totally buy it
I personally think that Apple should create these masterpieces. I mean seriously, why wouldn’t they want to? Target Market!! =] Great idea. I’d buy the nano !! Bye! ♥
They look so sleekly marketed side by side. Tweak the design, the interface, and the OS a bit, and design this as a new line entirely: an integrated trivium.
I would love to see all three on the market in North America, but I really don’t think any of them would be successful when released in Japan.
They are already holding off the release of the iPhone here because Docomo is having serious doubts about the release. The functionality of the iPhone isn’t optimized for the Japanese society. I’m living in Tokyo and have been for the past year and half. Right after I got here, the iPhone was getting big back home and I was desperately wanting one. When the iPod Touch was released, it kind of filled my need for that touch interface and wireless email (mail etc.)/net device that I wasn’t getting with my cell phone here.
After some experience with the iPod Touch and playing around with email and the interface (Japanese and English) I can honestly say that I don’t think anyone will be happy about having to type an email on the iPhone in a cramped train or walking on the street. Sounds stupid maybe, but I truly believe that the functionality of the interface (while beautiful for me) won’t fly very well with how Japanese people use their mobiles here.
And the iPhone Shuffle would never get released here! Haha, imagine talking out an email on the Yamanote or Toyoko Line here? I can imagine the looks I would get…
No SMS works great, but I believe their SMS is “CMail”. Which no one uses anyways.
Well, I can see the joke in this one. However, Apple did file for a patent on a nano-like deal. http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2008/03/18/applepatentsflip-screen_iphone/1
Love the design ideas. Would be so cool if Apple took these little beauties on.
In Italy the iPhone is super expensive, also calling costs are very high and Wi-Fi areas are small and poor. I love the iPhone design and its features but I disagree with the Apple philosophy of “You must use only Apple products”. Why I can’t drag and drop my music into an iPod? Why I must use iTune? Too much cool design and little attention to the common user needs (mini-USB port, bluethoot, dimensions etc) Very nice work guys!