Is the iPhone Nano Apple's attempt at a Razr?

Stan Beer
Tuesday, 10 July 2007 19:56

Business IT - Technology

Rumours about an iPhone in a iPod Nano form factor may well turn out to be correct. After all, like the device outlined in the recently revealed Apple patent application, the iPhone was also described in a great detail in a similar patent application last year. However, will what is essentially an iPod Nano with a phone tacked on for say US$300 fly?

The iPhone, despite criticism from some quarters has so far been a roaring success. However, most agree that it is more like an ultra mobile computer with multifunctional capabilities, one of which includes acting as a cellphone.

The iPhone may be the best iPod ever built and a great mobile Internet device but it certainly isn't the best cellphone ever built. As slim as it is, iPhone is not quite the right form factor to be a comfortable handset, it reportedly has average voice quality, a weak handsfree speaker and weak vibrator mode.
Then of course there's the non-removable battery issue and all that entails. On top of that, iPhone has a relatively high price for a phone. These are not issues for an ultra mobile computer and multi-function device, which includes an iPod. However, ignoring the AT&T Edge network, if you're looking at iPhone as a cellphone first and foremost then the iPhone is probably a bad choice.

So will an iPhone Nano work better? After all it is tipped to be cheaper at around US$300 and it will have an ultra slim form factor like a Motorola Razr. However, when we get down to tin tacks, the iPod Nano is a music playing device - something which Apple is very good at designing. Thus, like the iPhone, an iPhone Nano is likely to be an iPod Nano with a phone tacked on.

One of the criticisms levelled at iPhone has been the fact that it takes to much mucking around to get to the phone function in order to make a call. Hopefully, however, with the much simpler Nano version, this would be less of an issue. As for the price, well if you want an iPod Nano anyway, paying a bit more would not be an issue.

This would particularly be the case if, as my colleague Stephen Withers pointed out the iPhone Nano could be sold without being tied exclusively to a network and the iPod function is not dependent on the phone function for its operation. There would still be the battery and phone quality issues. However, from all accounts it's possible to replace an Ipod nano battery yourself. As for the phone part, well Apple early reviews of the iPhone indicate Apple is going to have to work on that anyway.

Other than its sleek looks, an iPhone Nano would probably fall well short of being a challenger to the Razr. However, as iPod that can also successfully serve as your pocket phone, it could well end up being a more practical solution for most consumer's needs than the iPhone.