What's the one really essential cellphone activity we still don't know about three days before the iPhone's released?

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What's the one really essential cellphone activity we still don't know about three days before the iPhone's released?

Date Created: 27 Jun, 2007, 12:09 AM

As iPhone day approaches - June 29 - some questions remain about how this new device will operate on a day to day basis.

Certainly, the iPhone tour which Apple posted last week which showed so many features close up will have won over some doubters.

There is still much to be learnt and which can only be understood by physically handling the device: its balance in your hand and as you lift it up to your face; how the multitouch actually works for your fingers; how the text input function matches your expectations, and other tactile elements.

At the iPhone's first showing at Macworld and again within the tour, one of the "Aha!" features was Voicemail. Finally, there was a sensible way to deal with voicemail. The iPhone offered a means to select the voicemail of choice from the list it offers up. This presumes of course that Caller ID has been activated by your caller, otherwise it's probably going to come up with its own version of "Withheld" or "Private" or "unknown" or "Caller ID restricted" message which current phones use.

But the ability to treat each voicemail as if it was an mp3 and can be scrolled back and forth to catch a muffled message is sure to be a delightful innovation which will please users on a daily basis.

But there is one thing we don't know yet with respect to Voicemail, and that's the input of our message saying we're not available and please leave a message.

Conventionally, the means to record your outgoing message is either by telephoning your telco's voicemail system, or as most people will do it, using the phone itself and following the messagebank's prompts.

Wouldn't it be great though if you could put together using, say Garageband for Macs, your own well-produced outgoing message. Choose your own music, mix it together, add some reverb to give your voice some resonance, and then upload it via iTunes.

Hmmm.... but why stop there?

Why not the ability to record several outgoing messages?

Today, I was in session with a patient when a friend rang, her caller ID letting me know who it was. Why couldn't I hit a series of hot buttons on the iPhone when the Caller ID appears to let her have a particular outgoing message?

"Sorry, right now I'm in session with a patient... I'll be free on the hour and will call back if you leave a number and message."

Or,

"I'm in the theatre right now, and can't return your call for a couple of hours. Leave a message and I'll call you back when I'm free."

Or, how about letting me set up another message system so that if a member of a pre-designated group should ring (like the groups function in Address Book), I can let them know I'm on a plane and will be able to pick up their message in about two hours. If you don't belong to the group, you'll get a generic message that doesn't reveal I'm away from the office or home.

(Why not leave specific messages for groups synced to your Address Book, as shown in the Apple Activation movie?)

I'm guessing it will be little elements like these which could make the iPhone even more user friendly, identifying the kind of activities people like me would want in the ideal phone. Given how much of the iPhone is software driven, how hard would it be for son-of-iPhone (i.e., the next iteration) to feature this and other elements once the iPhone is in people's hands and the feedback process begins.