The hiPod Phone

Not that we ever think Apple is going to do a cellphone—it's hard to imagine Steve Jobs wanting to deal with the messy (and incredibly messed up) world of wireless carriers and handset manufacturers—but Isamu Sanada (who specializes in Apple-related concept designs) has rolled out his vision for the hiPod Phone, which basically looks like an iPod mini with a color screen and a dial pad attachment.

[Via Cult of Mac]

[TurtleD @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

iTurtleD loves iGadget, and when i drive my iBlazer, i listen to my iOneer (get it, piOneer) iMP3 player. i don't know what i would do with an iPod, iMac, iPhotopod, iPhone or what an iRobot would to with an iVaccum, but iAmsickoftheiPod. iUnderstand it's need to be posted, iJust won't buy one. What about u? uGame? uPod? uRobot? uCell? What would uDo without technology? iNeed to file patents on my new uPhrase. uSee? iSee. weSee.

[Kyle Fiducia @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

as creative as turtle's post is, i have to disagree, i would sooo buy one of those. even if i had to buy a new ipod, man, thatd be awesome, nice job to the designer.

[Mark Verrills @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

I agree with TurtleD. The world-wide obsession with ipod is becoming a bit pathetic. I have one. It's good. But it's a well-designed consumer product at the end of the day. Well done to Jonathon Ives (especially as he started his product career designing toilets) and I suggest leaving him and his competant team to future developments. Why does Isamu Sanada bother?

[Aaron @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

that mock up is horrible. Yeah an apple designed phone would be cool, but yee gods, man. That mockup is iLame.

. . . . . .and so is my iJoke.

[Jon B @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

The design is bad, the concept is ok, however what could Apple bring to the mobile market? the designs of mobile phones are much better than the designs of other Apple rival products like mp3 players and personal computers. Apple would have to do something special to stand out - I don't think they could - especially with the amount of criticism the company is increasingly getting over DRM, bugs, security holes, bad batteries - with popularity comes many people trying to find faults - Apple does have a few.

Back to the phone tho, I think it'd be cool if they dropped teh key pad altogether and used the scroll wheel as a retro yet modern take on the old 'dial phones' - also it could easily be used for text messages - infact I think there is already a phone that uses a scroll wheel for text input and it works better than expected. It might not be great, but it'd be cool and it'd stand out.

[Ryan Peterson @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

I think if apple were to truly design it the scroll wheel would either flip or slide open to reveal the number pad so that it didn't add another 2" to the phone.

[ben @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

an ipod that doubled as a smartphone. . .hmm. . if it had a halfway decent camera on it i'd never have to buy another gadget to carry around with me again. . .

[Vincent Oberle @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

Apple could bring _simplicity_ to a phone, with usefull features in a great design and ultra-simple to use interface. Not many phones that fill these criterias.

"Why don�t we have an iPod phone yet?"
http://www.oberle.org/blog/2004/07/06/why-dont-we-have-an-ipod-phone-yet/

[Zorkerman @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

I think they shouldn't have the keypad at all, instead it should work like one of those old rotary phones. :)

[Mike @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

The heck with a phone, I want a satellite radio reciver add-on for my iPod. A full on PDA/Phone iPod would be awesome, but I want ONE device for all my music, and an iPod with an XM or Sirius reciever would be it.

[Ramo @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

ipods are pathetic. open your eyes people, they are the only ones out there, and are especially not the best!

[Stewart @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

Nice, but its HUGE!!!!

[jason @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

I was just thinking about a cell phone that HDD based similar to the ipod mini....but it wouls be slightly thicker and headset only. with a full qwerty keyboard under a flip up ipod interface on the outside (kinda like the side kick)....i hope you can see my vision, if not oh well......

[D W @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

I think this product looks cool. It's simplicity is what people want. Not to mention the iPodMini has a metal case - quite unlike most of the tacky plastic garbage most companies make you buy.

Give me an alternative to the iPod, accounting for it's size, *idiot proof usability*, capacity, compatibility and it's available accessories and I'd give it reasonable consideration.