Five iPhone Accessories That Still Keep Us Waiting

[santaf]

universal remote would be amazing. haha me and my friends would have LAN parties well all we did was play halo using 3 tv's linked up all night literally no sleep haha. and this kid that was always on my team had a phone with a universal remote it was so much fun messing with the other tv's haha

[Blowfish64]

UiRemote was supposed to be the solution to the universal iPhone remote. Unfortunately, it was abandoned, as usual. If someone could use the Griffin Total Remote IR dongle and whip up a program to run it on an iPhone, it'd be perfect.

[hollow0]

Bro that's what the jailbreak is for and makes it so great

Yes, that's true there is jailbreak..but this a basic function that every phone has lol. C'mon now!

O.k, I have to disagree with the article, several of these are currently available, or will be soon:

Keyboard (Available Now):
iPhone Keyboard - iTwinge

Game Controller is on it's way (Available soon):
22Moo - GameBone Pro : iPhone 3.0 Game Controller + Battery Pack with 30-pin cable or Bluetooth connectivity

Universal Remote (Available now):
There are various Apps available on the App store that use a device that connects to your wifi network and will send out IR signals and make the iPhone a universal remote, take a look at:
Bobby Universal Remote
iMasterControl
RedEye (The App is free, but you still need the device of course)
iRedTouch

They all have instructions on how to get such a device as well.

a true universal remote doesn't need wifi to control a device..we're talking about iPhone with IR communicating with another IR port and controlling the device..all devices, as long as you have the code or the iphone app can automatically search for the code. Those other apps require you to buy their device so it can control it.. and that's garbage.

[Mbeck0265]

My personal opinion is that the only real thing that the Iphone is missing is a Flash for the camera , Dog training tools are we really serious about that? C-MON MAN !!!

[brianiino]

I think the iPhone should have a detatchable battery. I would so buy an extra battery to throw on when the other goes out. I also think they should put the camera on the front for an iChat, to see the person your talking to. To be able to swap out the memory card would be nice too instead of upgrading to $700 phone.

[chris4851]

I 100% believe that there should be an iPhone with a keyboard. Yes many do not like a keyboard but some DO WANT A KEYBOARD!!! And NO a detachable keyboard will not do it for me.

[hollow0]

I 100% believe that there should be an iPhone with a keyboard. Yes many do not like a keyboard but some DO WANT A KEYBOARD!!! And NO a detachable keyboard will not do it for me.

The iPhone is not for you. The virtualness (not sure if that's a word or not) is the iPhone and that's how it distinguishes itself from other phones and their plastic buttons. You my friend are not worthy to use one. If you have an iPhone return it at ONCE! j/k :P

[Don Juan]

The remote is a great idea... I posted my idea in the iBluetooth fourms about making a Playstation 3 BluRay remote / keyboard since it uses bluetooth. Don't think anyone has run with it yet

the best damn idea i've heard in a long while... maybe Apple should come and recruit you!

[Antman217]

I agree with cmwade77 some of these things are available but it would be nice to have these features officially from apple but to me all these things are uneccesary except maybe the game pad but I don't even play on my iPhone too much since I got my psp but still would be interesting to see these things coming from apple

[rhekt]

why go backwords in technology? the iphone was exactly what i allways had in mind for a phone. full phone screen [not just the pidly inch by inch or so] touch and gesture controlled. i couldnt believe it when it first advertised!

its the minimalization of not having the drop down keyboard [instead a touchscreen] that made every other phone manufacturer on the market salivate in jealousy and quickly jumped to try and imitate the iphone in one way or another....

the iphones overall design is perfect as is....dont think your getting a drop down keyboard anytime soon....apples not only about performance. but asthetics as well

[cmwade77]

Yes, that's true there is jailbreak..but this a basic function that every phone has lol. C'mon now!



a true universal remote doesn't need wifi to control a device..we're talking about iPhone with IR communicating with another IR port and controlling the device..all devices, as long as you have the code or the iphone app can automatically search for the code. Those other apps require you to buy their device so it can control it.. and that's garbage.

it's a hardware issue, there is no built-in IR on the iPhone, no matter what you do you will have to buy additional hardware. I don't see how you can possibly get around that.

[rwin84]

there are some viable ones here...

[mbaharvard]

Ugh! Physical keyboard? WTF!

Whenever I have to use a friends phone that is not entirely touch screen as is the iPhone I am left wanting my iPhone back.

A detachable one would be only useful in the same vein I use wy wireless keyboard with my laptop.

As for all of the other "wish" items - just give it time.

Oddly enough, I have never "wished" for any of them...

The iPhone is still head and shoulders above all other cell phones in the usability arena, especially once jail-broken.

I even have a GPS dongle for my 2G that works remarkably well, but my "wish" for GPS has already been answered with the newer model iPhones.

As will most of those mentioned in the OP by ensuing development and innovation from Apple and the developers of software for the iPhone.

[Shashlike]

I agree with this list, but prior to these additions I wish that Apple would stop castrating Bluetooth. I've had multiple occasions where people wanted to send me files...or Vcards...via bluetooth. It's a bit bothersome, considering my Nokia 6310i (year 2002) was capable of these highly "sophisticated" actions. Does anyone know why Apple is sorestrictive with Bluetooth? Is it the same BS reasoning as not including Copy&Paste in pre 3.0 OS?

[meecheeman]

I just have One question!
What the HELL ever happened to the iControlpad???

I mean they just left us high and dry since like January, The gaming REALLY suffers on the iphone becuz of not having a control pad. Just a simple D-pad with three or four buttons on it would be nice!!!

[bbillh77]

Full keyboard maybe but make it detachable so I can leave it at home with the other pile of stuff I need to put on ebay cuz it seemed cool but after a couple days I was right back to the plain old iPhone I will play with a droid when they come out but its going to take more than a keyboard and good camera to make me switch I will keep the best phone available I still haven't found a competitor

[rafx80]

What is it with the physical keyboard!! It's manual labor pushing down on those keys when you can effortlessly touch them instead. My studies show that touch screens reduce blister injuries by 90%.

[Boker]

I've been waiting for something like a "Universal Remote" to come out. hmm..

[Daughain]

Apple is about planned obsolecense. The only upgradable feature is the next gen phone. Who needs to replace a battery when you will need to buy a whole new device when it dies? 16G isn't enough to hold your pics/tunes/whatever? Buy a new phone....The Iphone may be pretty, but I would hate to drop one at work. Also, getting grease/degreaser/brake fluid/etc on the screen isnt going to do any good to either the phone, or your ability to use it. Just some grease from the fried chicken last night made it difficult to use the touch interface. Every device has its good points and its bad, to claim one is carte blanche better than all other similar devices is silly, since it ignores the basic fact that different devices are needed for different uses. The Iphone is a great toy, one of the reasons it is so popular. Its an extra screen when I have too many things going on on my other systems, but as a tool, I dont find it as useful. All depends on what the user wants it for.

Dog training device????? Buy a cattle prod, cheaper.
j/k

[GURVIN1]

dog training tools? talk about a limited market. does the droid do that too? why waste your time with that?

Nice one...