Some people are complaining that Apple kept the same iPhone camera with its 2.0 megapixels in their new iPhone 3G.
To those people, I say: If you want to take better pictures, use a real camera.
That camera on the iPhone is for quick and dirty shots, mostly meant to be emailed as part of the communication process. For example, an architect snaps a shot for a contractor to not just tell him, but show him that his crew needs to learn how to frame a house. Or a parent grabs a quick shot of their kid playing soccer to dash off to grandma. That camera in iPhone 3G isn’t for the aspiring Ansel Adams framing their perfect shot of Grand Teton.
Apple correctly has given users enough to get the job done while not bogging down networks unnecessarily with 5+ megapixel shots of Sally running around in shin guards.
Ditto for the whole “iChat AV-yay-we’re-finally-gonna-have-video-phones!” idea. The network capacities are finite, people. Not infinite. I’d wager that Apple understands perfectly that if they put a front-facing camera and and iChat AV app on an iPhone, then they’d have a video phone. I’d also wager that they didn’t bother to even discuss it with the carriers, since they didn’t want to hear where to put their “video phone.”
The networks can’t handle millions of people making video calls along with all of the regular voice and other traffic, including all of that extra data bandwidth that iPhone users already use surfing. And, starting on July 11th, surfing on the iPhone 3G will only increase as it becomes so much faster.
So, let’s recap: Apple’s iPhone 3G camera isn’t overkill for the sake of looking good on a specs sheet, while negatively affecting network performance. iPhone 3G’s camera is the proper one for the average job for which it is intended to be used. If you want to be a photographer, get a real camera. Also, Apple didn’t fail to grasp anything. They understand perfectly well that a video phone is possible, but that millions of them in action isn’t a feasible idea, yet.
People who complain about the number of megapixels in iPhone 3G’s camera and/or wonder why Apple didn’t put a front-facing camera on the iPhone for video chatting simply aren’t seeing the whole picture.
SteveJack is a long-time Macintosh user, web designer, multimedia producer and a regular contributor to the MacDailyNews Opinion section.
Can’t believe people buy the iphone limitations trick.
Apple could easily add a front facing camera, 5 mpixel camera and 7.2 mbit hsdpa support like the X1 and HTV touch HD have. These are phones people are carrying around in the streets today. Nothing special.
But then Steve would lose money on iPhone 2 that will have the front facing camera but a 4 mp rear cam. Again apple fans are left wanting and Steve is left rich. Iphone 3 has 7.2 mbit hsdpa and a 10 mp cam, when the rest of the world has moved on.
Please guys, understand how product marketing and feature branding work in supply and demand. Apple has a winning UI, a name and great industrial design. But that is it, it is because of this that they make Apple fans suffer in terms of functionality. Apple fans (hell the world) is paying for the iphone just the way it is, why give people more? Why not just give them it in 2 years and get rich.
Only thing I think is sad is that Apple fans try to justify these marketing decisions to themselves and others because they can’t bear the reality of their “con”.
So is the deal that overseas mobile networks have the bandwidth necessary to handle a flood of big media files but the mobile networks in the U.S. don’t? How can this be? Do we really have sh*tty, dirt-slow mobile networks in the land of the free, home of the brave? Say it isn’t so!
Cell phone cameras are “real” cameras. A top of the line consumer oriented camera of only a couple of years ago was 2.0 Mp’s. —Jeremy
Same old ignorant argument. More megapixels do not a better camera make. G*d only knows what a tiny, noisy sensor these cell phone cameras must have. Cram more megapixels into that tiny space and your pictures get worse, not better. Cell phones are not real cameras and anyone who thinks they are should at least be embarrassed to admit that they can’t tell the difference.