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Assorted WiFi power reduction tricks may be used to increase battery life.
See also this article about WiFi support in OpenMoko.
WiMAX is a high-speed data service, similar to wifi, though longer range and newer. Where service is available, this would complement WiFi. Unfortunately, frequencies vary worldwide, so global usage may be complex.
Near Field Communication support would enable many new applications for the Neo1973 such as a digital wallet or electronic keys. NFC is designed to work at very short ranges (0-20cm) and can be used to pair devices for longer range/higher bandwidth communications such as Bluetooth. In fact, the recently introduced Bluetooth 2.1 Core Specification includes NFC support.
The current Neo1973 processor does not have a camera interface. A chip with the MIPI interface might be used as a future proof solution.
Main article: Spell weaving
See also this page containing a link to a video demonstration.
With help of mouse and keyboard, a TV output may be very useful. Or to watch photos taken with a digital camera on holidays. Or for showing a slide presentation off.
A model with a larger screen would be of use to many, especially with multi-touch. Higher resolution is probably less important than size until the DPI drops below 150 or so.
Hardware acceleration for video playback.
3D hardware acceleration for 3D games, GUIs, etc. (maybe a PowerVR MBX Lite ?).
Possibility to use something like Eyeglass Mounted Display.
Or electronic paper display, EPD is used in many new devices such as the new Motorola motofone, sonys new e-reader and Irex's iliad. The technology provides thin, flexible, power saving screens using new eink technology. This technology could cut the weight of the phone and its power usage. For more info see: eink's website.
It would be nice to have (the option of) a transreflective display, which while being less bright, is readable without needing to power the backlight. Then again, it depends on how much power the backlight uses compared to everything else...
Game buttons would be best on both sides of the screen. The larger the buttons, the better. 2x 4 buttons in up-down-left-right configuration + some extra buttons separately a bit lower on the device would be good for many for emulation games.
Here is a concept drawing of a possible neo1973 gaming version:
(This has a 4-way direction pad, 8 way may be better for gaming)
Digital Television, Digital Radio or even normal analogue TV/radio is available widely in the world. Though unfortunately in various different forms. In markets where one standard is widespread, and hardware is suitable, it would be a great extension of the phone to a general entertainment device for when you're away from home. Multi standard devices would be ideal, but may not be small, low-power, or cheap.
This enables the phone to sense where 'down' is - to enable various options.
See Accelerometer Fundamentals for more information on accelerometers as they may be used in phones.
A digital compass is useful for orienting maps to the terrain when the user is standing still (regardless of GPS reception) and for following a bearing when GPS reception is poor.
An electronic thermometer might become handy for some users.
There are very small I2C devices available, that could easily integrate to the existing bus. For example this one from ti.
A Barometer measures air pressure. This can be used to give weather information, and also as a variometer, to sense relative altitude. Variometers are commonly used in flying microlight and ultralight aircraft, to get accurate relative altitude.
See Wish List - Hardware - Atmospheric for more information.
Fingerprint sensor gives easy and fast access to the phone, could lock the touchscreen etc. An example of this device can be found at Sony UX17.
As these are typically implemented with a small camera (256*4) focussed on the finger, with appropriate hardware and software, you can also use them as an optical mouse in reverse, detecting movement of the finger over the sensor.
A trackball would provide an efficient mouse-like interface in a very compact package. As exemplified in the newer Blackberry® models. Maybe instead an optical sensor as are used in mice could be used so that the whole phone can be moved over a surface just like a mouse. The same sensor might be usable as a barcode reader
A joystick, or Rollermouse-like device would provide additional control, compared with touchscreen only.
Wireless USB is the wireless version of USB offering data-rates up to 480 Mbit/s over short distances (<3 meter). Chipsets suitable for a phone are likely to take some time to be available.
Other uses.
I2C is an internal 2-3 wire bus in the phone. It is low powered, and can be daisy-chained. It would be a great candidate to bring out into the Expansion Back.
Readily available I2C chips range from temperature sensing, digital input/output chips to 1-wire bridge chips (which is designed for external switches, ID, sensing, ...)
To use your phone as a remote for TV, stereo etc. In combination with camera, to make night vision pictures/video.
Flashlight, finding keyhole etc.
Small FM transmitter to output to car, and other nearby radios.
GSM/GPRS is at best slow. Ideally supporting EDGE - which is an evolved form of GPRS, UMTS - which is widespread in Europe, HSDPA (asia) and any other mobile standards would be nice. It is unlikely that all of these will be supported initially, but it is a goal. Until that goal is reached, it is likely that some phones will be brought out for various specific markets - Europe, Asia, US.
Mechanical tripod connector to mount the entire device on a mini tripod or whatever camera stand offers this kind of connector. This would be handy for making steady pictures or simply mount the device to anything you want. Preferably this connector would b on the side of the device.
A difficult to scratch but lightweight mirror on the backside can be used for making self portraits and for putting in contact lenses of putting on make-up. Note that such a simple feature as a mirror is highly popular with make-up users. Also an engraving service could be offered for personalizing the mirror like is available or iPod.
The hole at the bottom of the phone takes a lot of space. A Kensington Security Slot could be used instead.
We need something you can drop from 4 feet in to a puddle of dirty water on construction site. You know the big ugly pseudo military version
Many PC-based media centers are being equipped with an RF (433 MHz) / X10-based remote control. The X10 protocol also facilitates home automation to control lamps, switches, etc. The advantages of using RF for control instead of Infra-red this that it also works when furniture, walls, or doors are blocking the path between RF remote and the equipment or device. Lirc supports X10-based RF remotes (but expects having an USB RF receiver attached to the media center).
The Neo1973 uses a 4-conductor 2.5mm jack for stereo headphones and a microphone. One advantage of a 2.5mm jack is that voice headsets are most common in this format.
Adapters to 2.5mm are of course available, but 3.5mm jacks are much more robust.
There is an emerging convention for a 4-conductor 3.5mm jack that can use a microphone with special headsets, but can also be used with off-the-shelf 3.5mm stereo headphones. The Nokia N800 and a few others use this type.
Perhaps it is possible to offer both a 4-conductor 2.5mm jack and also a 4-conductor 3.5mm jack with the 4 extra pins on a small rectangular extension like you find on iPod headsets. The latter will provide buttons for play/pause and prev/next. In this way you dont need to carry along jack converters and you can connect whatever you want.
Offering both a 2.5mm and a 3.5mm jack as described above could also facilitate surround audio output for ou home entertainment set (if the audio hardware supports this feature). An open schema about how to create a converter from these 2.5mm and 3.5mm connectors to 4 tulip connectors could be made available, as well as a separately purchasable manufactured converter.
Include a built in laser pointer. Everything is better with lasers.
Consider selling one device with absolutely no non-free components in it, even if that means dropping the GSM support. I believe having one such device available would be good, because then it could be recommended by organizations like the FSF which typically never recommends anything if it has even a little non-free code in it.
Avoid anything proprietary, I know it helps generate $$$$, but it really irritates everyone.
Do not embed the battery, it needs to be user replaceable
No DRM music system or you must buy from our network etc... I want to plug it in to my USB port and drag and drop my music, that's it, simple, no synchronization needed.
With all due respect to the keypad people, please do not add a keypad it just takes up space that should be occupied by the touchscreen, there are good text recognizers out there that are simple and easy to use, if you need a keypad make it an attachment. That being said you may want to add simple keys for easy dialing, don't forget its a phone, don't make it hard to use it as a phone.