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Hardware wishes warning! This article or section documents a Hardware Wish List item, the features described here may or may not be implemented in future devices. |
This is the current back, showing where the battery plugs in (central) where the SIM plugs in (middle, lower) and the microSD socket, which is under the SIM socket.
The USB socket is approximately a centimetre to the right of the edge of the void the battery fits in.
The standard back fits snugly to the phone, meaning there is no spare space.
An altered back, that is 5mm or so deeper offers many possibilities, without modifying the core phone at all, and offering users more choices.
Alternatively, a spacer could be made that fits between the phone and the existing back. The user could insert as many spacers as desired to obtain sufficient space. See: Wishlist:ExpansionSpacer
If the phone offers a mic-in jack, we can add some cool gadgets:
-A cycle-computer's sensors could be jacked into the mic plug
-The signals of a cycle-computer with wireless sensor could be absorbed by a flat antenna on the phone's back
-A magnetic card stripe-reader has already been shown to work over a laptop's mic-in plug. software available
This adds many possibilities. Add a small 3.6-5V converter, and if it's possible to switch on the voltage status of the D0/D1 lines, to turn these off, and add a USB 1.1 hub chip, this makes for a very, very hackable back.
With a slightly thicker back, and much more complex mechanics, a slide-out keyboard - for use in landscape mode - would be possible. A larger fold-out keyboard similar to the device in the previous link could also be possible. The keyboard could be stored in the back of the case and unfolded/swiveled/rotated, placing the phone in the preferred orientation. The keyboard does not have to be powered separately since its physically attached and could be a very "low tech" device but add functionality while attached. Possibly include an integrated mini trackball or other selection device to allow control of on screen selection without using a stylus.
A camera would also be an interesting option.
The advantage of the first class of devices is that they requires no engineering on the behalf of FIC, everything is external, and yet the case can be easily swapped by users.
The second type, with USB requires another socket on the board, and some plastics changes, or a much more involved install suitable only for a very few users.
There are many possible special or general purpose backs possible.
A Expansion Device Specification could be created that standardises the type of physical and electrical connections to the phone. The phone could have a back that could have expantion backs that clip onto the current back of the phone. This could even be stackable for smaller add-on devices(until the size of the phone becomes unwieldy) or the add-on device could be exclusively controlled by the phone e.g. Camera with telephoto lenses where the phone controls the camera.
Some basic ideas:
This probably belongs to:
/*Ideas which require major modifications of the phone */
The phone should consist of 1 base unit with:
- VGA touch screen for stylus input and media display - WiFi radio for web browsing and Voip - Bluetooth stereo for MP3 - Power management/Batteries - Buttons -- reset; up-down for volume; ESC/home/clear(non-essential but convenient) - Misc. -- USB/SD flash card slot/mono-speaker(for handfree/navigation)/Vibrator/Finger-print reader
Up to 2 expansion modules, 1 for each end of the base unit with options like:
- GSM or CDMA or HSDPA with built-in SIM/antenna for whatever the local market dictates - GPS module (US/Russia/Galileo) with built-in antenna - WiMax - Extra storage; e.g. 8Gbyte harddisk/flash-disk - Smart-card reader - Or any other un-dreamed-of modules as long as enough of the main-board interface pins are provided
Even without any expansion modules, the base unit is interesting/attractive enough as a mass market personal media player cum communicator. The rest should be left to the local market to decide.
But with GPS and 3G expansion modules added, the whole gizmo will start to look like
http://www.america.htc.com/products/advantage7501/default.html
Minus the keyboard/camera AND the WM6 OS.