The next iPhone Round 2: More of what's likely and what's random

April 20, 10:40 PMApple Gear ExaminerChad Bonin

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Three iPhone 3Gs

I've already covered what I expect in what I've dubbed "The Next iPhone." Most likely due this summer, I surmised that the new iPhone would have new cameras, new networking, new storage sized, amongs other changes. Half a month has gone by, and other things have been revealed.

Video didn't kill the radio star

• Much has been said that the next iPhone will use a chip from Broadcom, labeled BCM4329, with many pointing out that this is for increased networking speeds. AppleInsider's screencap of the technical specifications of the chip includes the phrase "FM radio reciever and transmitter" as part of the capabilities of the chip. It's not too much of a stretch for Apple to allow transmission of the iPhone over FM radio, great for people who don't have any other way to get their music playing in their cars. A FM radio reciever would allow for iPhones to ignore the iPod functionality completely and listen to radio stations, while jogging or during other activities.

Can you hear me now? Good.

• Google's application for the iPhone gets one thing down very well: Voice recognition. Users just put the iPhone next to their ear, and say what they're looking for... and Google processes it and searches away. Apple may skirt Google entirely with their next iPhone, as Ars Technica reports that an upcoming iPhone 3.0 update will allow functionality, codenamed "Jibbler" to be built into the SpringBoard. With speech functionality similiar to that found in the current iPod Shuffle generation, it would also add recognition. iPhone users could finally have a proprietary way to say "Call Anna Haro" and have it done.

Bye-bye Apple TV, hello iPhone TV?

• Phone News reports that Apple is encouraging clearncing of it's current stock of Apple video cables, with the intention of releasing a new Apple AV Cable. They continue to go on about how a new iPhone may have a new resolution for HD movies and television. It seems likely that future iPhones can plug directly into a TV to broadcast HD content from their iTunes account stored locally on the iPhone. With the waning interest and support in the Apple TV, Apple could be positioning their iPhones and iPod Touches against the upcoming Zune HD. Additionally, in working with third parties, Apple may be positioning the iPhone to compete against the Wii. It's not a stretch to imagine a baseball game where the user holds the iPhone as a bat, while processing video and outputting it over a cable to a connected TV. I'm not sure how many people would want to swing $200+ electronics in such a crazy way, but in a world of the Nintendo Wii, people may be a little careful, but still enjoy swinging pricey electronics at other pricey electronics.