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A friend has sent you a link to the following article: http://mac360.com/index.php/mac360/comments/985/ Apple won’t deny they’re working on a cell phone. Why do they need one? What’s inside? Will it be cool or common? It’s easy to know what Apple needs to put inside the so-called “iPhone” when you see where other cell phones fail. What’s wrong with other cell phones that Apple could, should, will improve upon? What are the basics that Apple’s “iPhone” will need to be competitive? Where will it exceed competition? Speculation is running rampant as to the details for Apple’s very secret iPhone. Here’s my list of expectations, right or wrong. I won’t be the first to spill the beans, but a bunch of items on this list will show up in the first few iPhones out the door in early 2007. See? There’s one already. The date. Early 2007. That will make 2007 one of Apple’s busiest ever for new products. Mac OS X Leopard. iTV. iPhone (or whatever name it finally receives). At the top of the list will be iPod capability. Apple’s iPhone will feature four and eight gigabyte storage for music, just like the iPod nano. Unlike the crippled ROKR from Motorola, the iPhone can be filled up with music from iTunes, Mac or Windows. That brings up the second big feature Apple is required to bring to the table. Synchronization. Instant, automatic, simple. Just like the iPod. Expect USB 2.0 as the connection standard, with a dock, and I’d be surprised if it didn’t include charging capability, just like the iPod does now. So, iPhone will sync music from iTunes. That already makes it better than most cell phones on the market. Add to the list. Any decent cell phone these days requires a big color screen and a color multi-megapixel camera, built in. iPhone will have both. The camera will be for single shots and QuickTime movies (audio and video) and sync up with iPhoto when connected. Since syncrhonization is so important, expect instant sync with Mac OS X’s iCal and AddressBook for Mac’s. Windows users will get synchronization for Outlook’s standard. {embed=“360admanager/content-rectangle-content-A-300x250”}Music, photos, movies, synchronization. What’s so special about all that? No one does it well, Apple will make it elegant and simple to use. But there’s more. There’s all kinds of speculation as to the type of phone Apple will introduce—3G, GSM, et al. And more speculation as to the wireless carrier of choice in the US rollout. Cingular, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, et al. It doesn’t matter. Apple will provide the iPhone for a chosen wireless carrier to start, then make the phone “portable” so it can be sold and used on any carriers network. Anything else? Yes, internet access will be an important part of the iPhone, and so will iChat or Skype—built in applications for doing a cell phone version of Voice Over IP. OK, I’m dreaming up that last one because I want it. But what’s to prevent it from happening? Everything else is logical and reasonable, right? The key to the iPhones sales will be attractiveness to Windows PC users who already love iPods. Full music storage for iTunes playlists and instant synchronization is a start. There needs to be more to get them to drop their current cell phones and pick up an Apple iPhone. My list covers music, movies, photos, iTunes sync, data sync, camera, storage, elegant design and iPod look and feel. What’s on your list? What’s required vs. what Apple can deliver? Did I miss a feature? How will Apple’s iPhone attract Windows users?