Mr. Blurrycam takes new iPhone's features for a test drive? (updated)

There are two sides to this coin, the way we see it. On the one hand, the handful of pictures that have just popped over on UMPC Fever demo many of the features we're expecting to see in new iPhone hardware this summer -- magnetic compass, autofocus camera, video recording capability, and a battery percentage meter in the status bar. On the other hand, having a good feel for those rumored features makes it that much easier to mock up ridiculously blurry shots of 'em in action. The compass seems a little overdone, but then again, it's not necessarily out of place considering the direction Apple has taken its voice recorder app in 3.0, so we're going to play the cautiously optimistic diplomat here and say these could very well be real.

Update: We've swapped the top pic and added some larger, clearer looks after the break. It's possible that we might be looking at two new variants of iPhone hardware here. Note the difference in styling between the phone on the right and the phone on the left? Well, if we're to believe what we've heard about the future of the line, these could be the first photos of what Apple has in store for WWDC. The model on the right might easily be that matte version we've heard about... but that thing on the left? We have no idea, though it would be an insane move on a counterfeiter's part to fake something so bizarre. What we mean is: it's almost too weird to be fake.

[Via The iPhone Blog]

[switchbitch @ May 30th 2009 8:45PM]

That compass will be useful for helping you find directions to the nearest bin to put your iPhone in.

[glenskey @ May 30th 2009 8:47PM]

bitch

[jjrudey @ May 30th 2009 8:51PM]

lol @glenskey

[Look_Around_You @ May 30th 2009 8:52PM]

Ok, that was just clever.

If you're gonna flame, then do it with style.

[hangfire @ May 30th 2009 8:55PM]

can't do that, the bin is full of win mobile device's

[Kaitou KID @ May 30th 2009 9:01PM]

win mobile device's...what?

apostrophe...I don't think it its used how you think its used.

[iphonerulez @ May 30th 2009 9:16PM]

The Palm Pre doesn't stand a chance against the might of Apple and the iPhone. Direct movie and TV show downloads to the iPhone is something Palm can't compete with. Both the Pre and Zune HD are already done for and they haven't even seen the light of day. The Pre wll be out in less than a week. It will have maybe one or two days of glory before the iPhone hype begins and then the Pre will be forgotten and written off as the contender that got knocked out before the first round ended.

Palm will only be able to get third-rate developers to write software for them because all of the top developers will be writing iPhone and iPod Touch software for the tens of millions of iPhones and Touches. If a developer wants to become a millionaire, there's an app for that, an Apple App Store app. Once iPhone 3 hits the streets, the applications and games will increase at an exponential rate, leaving competitors in the dust. iPhone/iPod Touch to Palm Pre sales will be about 50 to 1, so who'd bother to develop for such a tiny platform.

The main selling point of the Pre now is that it can sync with iTunes, that's how badly Palm needs to get recognition for the Pre. The 32GB iPhone Pro coupled with the $99 8GB iPhone just about takes Palm out of the smartphone game unless Dell buys Palm. Dell tries to market the Pre for $99 and then files for bankruptcy since it knows even less about cellphone sales than computer sales.

[bluesky_v2.01 @ May 30th 2009 9:26PM]

@iphonerulez
read Look_Around_You's comment. Read it again, and again if necessary. Keep reading it until it really sinks in.

[sweet greggo @ May 30th 2009 9:36PM]

@iphonerulez

Have you always been stupid?

[coffee @ May 30th 2009 10:29PM]

I love how fans like iphonerulez completely write off 2 products that aren't out yet, then tout their own new product, which also isn't out yet.

At least the Pre and the ZuneHD have been seen in person, pictures, and video. The iPhone, as usual, is mostly rumor, blurrycams, and Chinese carrying cases.

While I expect neither to beat Apple in the iPhone/iPod game (since iphonerulez incorrectly compares the iPhone to the ZuneHD, which is an mp3 player), I love having all these devices coming soon.

[rTwelve @ May 30th 2009 11:13PM]

I'm sorta an apple fanboy but I would really like the Pre to succeed. Just look how it affected the iPhone when the Pre was merely announced. Spotlight search, and everything else. Competition is a good thing to have.

Also I like the font in the UI. I modified the Lucida Grande dfont in my Macbook's system to display Avenir instead. :)

[Levi @ May 30th 2009 11:18PM]

"The main selling point of the Pre now is that it can sync with iTunes"

Not that we didn't already know you were an idiot... but seriously... the main selling point of the Pre is that it syncs with iTunes? Are you kidding me? I NEVER feed trolls, but this one is just too good to ignore. My god damn RAZR could sync with itunes years before the first iPhone (funny side note, I paid $300 for my RAZR v3i, and $250 for my first gen iPhone XD)... You really are the blindest of all blind fanboys if you believe that dude.

And yeah, I agree with the dude above me, judging these things before they are even out is bad enough, COMPARING THEM before the come out is astounding. You must have one hell of a flux capacitor to be able to tell which device is better when neither of them are even on the shelves yet. Same bullshit happens over at Joystiq, only worse. "There is no possible way this game will be better than Left 4 Dead." Oh really? You've come to that conclusion from one screen shot? Nice dude. Nice.

Rant much?

[Sax25 @ May 31st 2009 12:06AM]

@switchbitch

A compass merely tells you where you are in relation to the earths magnetic poles and therefore a compass would be of no use when infact looking for a bin, as you will have just as much luck finding a bin by randomly walking around.

A GPS unit however is much more akin to actually finding a particular point. So maybe a GPS unit would be useful for helping you find directions to the nearest school to put your brain in.

[cbw87 @ May 31st 2009 1:28AM]

@Kaitou KID

Nor is it used how you think it's used.

If you're gonna be the grammar police, get it right bruv.

[loocas @ May 31st 2009 5:44AM]

So... the compass is the definitive Apple answer to no navigation software support? Clever...

[redcard @ May 31st 2009 6:54AM]

kaitou kid, I'm sure glad you know how to use apostrophes! Dumbass!

[Cheddar @ May 31st 2009 8:46AM]

Hey Trolls, if you are pre fanboys or microsoft fanboys just PASS up the post!!

The fact you all feel the need to post says (1) you secretly wish your company could put out something as successful as the iPhone; (2) you secretly want an iPhone; and (3) you recognize whatever product you are currently using is a piece of crap!!

If the above weren't true you would just pass on by the post and not feel the need to bag on something in the hopes to bring it down or sway someone else into making the same STUPID decision you made to buy a Winmo, or nokia phone, zune or some other iPod knockoff...

Trolls be gone!!

[puhsitch @ May 31st 2009 11:04AM]

@Kaitou KID: Yes, please tell us all how apostrophes are supposed to be used. Integrate examples within your explanation if possible.

Damn grammar vigilantes. Next time just let the trained professionals take care of it.

[david @ May 31st 2009 11:17AM]

Its just a case on the same model, no big deal.

[MioTheGreat @ May 31st 2009 12:05PM]

@iphonerulez: You're right about the Pre. Anything that has to sink as low as to be iTunes compatible is a pretty shitty device in my book.

[FoxKenji @ May 31st 2009 3:53PM]

@MioTheGreat

You mean the Pre having to come scratching at the door of the most successful online music store in the world. Makes complete sense. There's no reason Apple will prevent the Pre to sync with iTunes since all the Pre owners would become potential new iTunes users. Pre users would benefit extremely well. Fantastic.

In fact, that would be the only strategy that could pull the Zune out of its grave. It's embarrassing enough that the Zune Market Place doesn't even rank in the top 5 online music stores with all the cash MS is throwing a it. The Amazon, eMusic, Napster and Rhapsody music stores are all light years ahead of the Zune Market Place. But then again, any music purchased would end up inside the Zune and that thing is garbage. So why even try.

[boss-hogg @ May 31st 2009 4:54PM]

Is there a setting on this site that I can auto neg anyone with (Iphone rulz, i love apple or some other clever use of Apple) in their name? Its always those people go on and on about how great the Iphone is for no reason. Bla Bla, Its a good device yes, but its not the best device of all time. Get over it fanboys and get a life.

[Keith @ Jun 1st 2009 10:26AM]

@cbw87

I think that was a reference to a quote from "The Princess Bride".

The part where the Spaniard says, "I do not think that means what you think it means". He was, of course, speaking about the word "inconceivable".

If it was a quote from "The Princess Bride"....AWESOME!

[Jeremy K. @ May 30th 2009 8:45PM]

I don't mean to hijack a discussion about this article, but it looks like Palm has nothing to worry about. If Apple came out with a true multitasking OLED phone that had a keyboard, then Palm would have a run for their money. Looking forward to getting my Pre next month.

[justsilhouettes @ May 30th 2009 8:58PM]

or there could be like, you know, products that compete.

that's okay too.

you're not gonna get every person to buy the same car, or phone, or tv. but if the Pre and iPhone are both awesome, yet different (and they both are), that's a good thing.

[Major_Player @ May 30th 2009 9:59PM]

Mr. Blurrycam AKA iPhone camera!


AHAHAHAHAHHA!!! eat it you stupid iNoobs!!!!

[Ryan @ May 31st 2009 1:30AM]

@Major_Player

take a hint from @switchbitch and learn to flame better

[Mystic @ May 31st 2009 11:59AM]

Keyboard? HAHAHAH, get a damn Pre if you want a stupid hard keyboard. That would be the stupidest decision ever made if Apple put a hard keyboard on the iPhone. Many people prefer the soft keyboard, including myself.

[jimmy @ May 31st 2009 12:06PM]

@Major_Player: I'm going to assume you're about 8 years old and let that pass.

@justsilhouettes: Amen. Competition makes things better. There's no "best" phone. There's no "bad" phone. I love my iPhone. For what I do, it's the best for me. My grandmother loves her Jitterbug phone. For what she does, a phone with a big dial pad and an LED screen is just fine.

Apple's advantage is (currently) the App Store and a seamless way to get media on your device. People (OK, people who don't read engadget) don't care about processor speed, RAM, OLED, battery tech, or any of that crap. They want to do what they do. If they do a ton of e-mail, they'll get a Blackberry. If they buy a bunch of stuff from iTunes, they'll get an iPhone, if they like to tinker, they'll get a G1.

Palm needs to find out why people want a Pre. No phone can do everything, so stop trying. Do a few things well, and you'll get your market share.

See, that's why they call it "market SHARE." There's more than one thing in there.

[Jonathan @ May 30th 2009 8:48PM]

Does the iPhone need to be flat for the compass to work? Or if I hold it upright will it give me the compass direction to where the phone is pointing?

I might have an app idea... now I just need to figure out how to program!

[PuBeLeSs @ May 30th 2009 8:51PM]

simple answer no. it can be pointing in any direction.

[Jonathan @ May 30th 2009 9:31PM]

Thanks. I looked into how to develop an iPhone app and gave up when I found out the SDK is only mac compatible.

[Lando Calrissian @ May 30th 2009 10:07PM]

I just might know about a place called The Pirate Bay where you might be able to download a modified copy of OS X that'll run on most modern PCs, but of course you'll buy a license first, or not.

[cmuska902 @ May 30th 2009 8:55PM]

So these pictures are supposed to be of the new iPhone? Why would Mr. Blurrycam not include any pictures of the iPhone itself? We already know what 3.0 can do ( for the most part), I just wanna see the snazzy new device. What a punk...

[Majestix @ May 30th 2009 8:58PM]

As for the battery text... take a search for 'Dice of Catan' in the app store. The screenshot has something similar!

[PuBeLeSs @ May 30th 2009 9:03PM]

@ majestix

my phone was hacked before i upgraded to 3.0 and i had a hack where it let me see the battery percentage. anyways after i upgraded to 3.0 and resyned. the 100% showed up for me. i cant get to it in the settings, but its there. its kind of nice. i cant wait for 3.0 im done with beta 5.

[Epsilon-Not @ May 30th 2009 9:14PM]

Apple seems to like the design of the iPhone 3.0, I sincerely doubt a new one will look all that different anyway.

[Epsilon-Not @ May 30th 2009 9:15PM]

Ah, I meant iPhone 3G, not iPhone 3.0, better go edit my comment then...

Oh, wait...

[oliver hart @ May 30th 2009 9:48PM]

When will mr. blurrycam become mr. low res videocam?


If I have the new iPhone, for as long as this guy did, you best believe I'm grabbing a video camera son. And in Hong Kong!!?? Come on! They sell cheap video cameras at news stands for a dollar in Hong Kong!

[Max @ May 30th 2009 11:53PM]

@cmuska902
MacRumors says that the blog claims the hardware they have is a prototype, and that's why they don't have photos featuring the hardware.

[cmuska902 @ May 30th 2009 11:57PM]

Thanks to the people whom replied that had anything to do with my original post. Can't wait to see what's new in the weeks to come. Pre, iPhone, or even more waiting...

[Mobilehavoc @ May 30th 2009 8:58PM]

Looks like an iPhone 3G with OS 3.0 beta and some of the hidden features enabled. Lame.

[support @ May 30th 2009 9:01PM]

Get ready for the mob of iPhone haters. Although in reality its just a phone. You nerds are rating phones like normal people rate women. Get a life and if you want an IPhone or Pre then get it. Get what you want.

[freehunter @ May 30th 2009 9:33PM]

Or like car fans rate cars, or movie buffs rate movies, or farmers rate their largest crops, or grocery store owners rate their sales for this quarter.

[NickNick @ May 30th 2009 9:35PM]

no, people who "rate" women aare sexist pricks.

now get off our property "normal" gguy

[David Z. @ May 30th 2009 9:08PM]

Maybe once Mr. Blurrycam gets a new iPhone his close-up shots won't be blurry anymore!

...But then what are we going to call him?

[Templarian @ May 30th 2009 9:20PM]

+1

[DarkXane @ May 30th 2009 9:23PM]

Well... probably it was Mrs. Blurrycam. She has better accuracy, yet... blurry...

[NickNick @ May 30th 2009 9:27PM]

why would Mr Blurrycam get an iphone?

[m3tric @ May 30th 2009 9:28PM]

3.0 is very underwhelming. Too bad Apple dropped the ball in 2009