The ability of the new iPhone 3GS to record crystal clear video has been a big hit with consumers thus far, with YouTube announcing last week that mobile uploads to the site skyrocketed 400% in the wake of the iPhone's new ability to seamlessly upload videos with the simple tap of a button.
Just this past weekend, a friend of mine was showing off video footage, recorded on a new iPhone, of his daughter running around his backyard and playing with the family dog. Everyone wanted to take a look, and because of the small size of the device, 3 or 4 people would try and huddle over the iPhone at one time before passing it around to a new group of curious onlookers who wanted to see what all the fuss was about.
I mention that to point out the fact that the iPhone is fast becoming a great and easy way to record and store video footage. And with storage capacities, and perhaps video quality, inevitably on course to increase over the next few years, the iPhone and iPod Touch might soon become the video camera of choice for consumers. With that being the case, it would be extremely beneficial for consumers if they were able to show off and display their video footage to a large group of people without having to pass it along one person at a time the way may friend had to do this weekend. So imagine if your iPhone or iPod Touch had the ability to project video footage onto a wall or screen, making it instantly and simultaneously viewable for a large number people. Well, as luck would have it, that might be coming soon to an iPhone and iPod Touch near you.
DigiTimes reported earlier today that Foxlink, a company based in Taiwan, has been hard at work developing micro projectors for use in a number of mobile handsets. According to the report, Foxlink has already shipped demo units over to one of its clients in Europe, with small shipments to other handset manufacturers expected to commence sometime late in 2009.
Interestingly, the report goes on to note that Apple will be one of the companies who will implement Foxlink's mobile projector in an upcoming model of the iPhone. While the report suggests that Apple will include such a feature by the end of 2009, Apple seems pretty intent on maintaining its strategy of upgrading the iPhone once a year, during the Summer months. That does, however, open up the possibility of the iPod Touch receiving such functionality before the iPhone, but Apple seems intent on putting its latest and greatest features into the iPhone first, and then migrating them over to the Touch.
Still, the ability to project video footage onto a screen or wall would be a welcome feature for users looking to share their footage with friends and family without the need for wires and a TV. Again, DigiTimes reports that Apple is planning to include this feature towards the end of 2009, and while that time frame seems doubtful, I'd love to be proven wrong.
Lastly, it's easy to lose track of some of the logistical roadblocks when discussing speculative reports about upcoming technologies. That said, the internal components of the iPhone 3GS are packed in extremely tightly, and it seems that even if micro projectors were to shrink in size, Apple simply wouldn't have room for it. And seeing as how Apple is unlikely to change the form factor of the iPhone anytime soon, perhaps this report about micro projectors makes more sense in the context of Apple's rumored media tablet. Not only would a tablet be more appropriate, size-wise, for a micro projector, but a late 2009 launch makes a whole lot more sense if the product in question is indeed an Apple tablet, and not an iPhone.
Also see:
Apple iPhoneys: The 4G edition
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They could always make it as
They could always make it as a accessory to the phone.
Sounds like a good idea
Yea, you think they will make a version for the Online iPhone http://interactiveiphone.com ?
iPhone video
Am I reading this right? This article sounds like one written in 2005. Video has been on cell phones for *years* now, and just because Steve Jobs says we can finally have video on our iPhones everyone makes a big stink about it? And I know it isn't the only phone that can upload videos straight to YouTube. Everybody needs to calm down for a second before proclaiming that the iPhone with video is somehow remarkable new technology.
Full disclosure: I've owned an iPhone first gen, owned a 3G, and now own a 3GS. Great phone, love the video, but most of the features separating the 3G from the 3GS should have been on the first generation phone years ago.
I Agree...
I have had a version of a smart phone since around 2002. When I bought my first windows phone that could play movies, listen to music, take pictures, and record video people thought I was insane. Everyone said "you dont need all of that in a phone".
No Apple adds the features that have been available in smart phones for the last 7 to 8 years and its an amazing new technology that everyone must have. I get tired of all of the undue Apple buzz.
If you want to switch to using your iPhone for your sole video recorder then your already behind the times. Consumer video now is about HD and multi-CCDs. Even with the new mini HD CCD made by sony, the quality is really quite deplorable, too many pixels, too little space. To say that the current version of the iPhone 3GS video capabilities are comparable to a stand alone consumer device it retarded, and just showing who the blind fan boys are.
The Subject is "Micro Projector" Not Vidoe
You definitely misread this. Go back and read it again.
so what about printing from iphone
Micro projectors are great, but what about more mundane items like printing from your iphone, has anyone figured out how to do that? Thanks
Apple i phone features is
Apple i phone features is been the best features over all mobile segment and they really define the apple's innovation which is far ahead the then then other manufacturers,micro projectors are now become the necessary accessories of the phone that's why i recently switched to i phone from nokia 5310 recently.
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