iPhone Part II - The iPod Funda

If you ask me, the blending of the iPod with the iPhone is a brilliant idea. Simply because there is so much more you could derive out of the iPod, that has always been felt missing. I for one, have been using one for a long time, and was really eager to check the iPhone out for myself. Amidst disappointments and some clear-cut hoorays, I have to say, what we have here is something quite unique. Read on!!

iPod
There may still be time before the next generation of the iPhone is announced (And following Apple's past behavior trends, we can be sure that the next generation of the iPhone will be out a lot sooner that you think), but the iPod that the phone sports is sixth generation.

This integration of a music player into a phone, is the best I've seen so far. The built-in iPod not only enhances the value of the phone, but also successfully leverages it from the phone's design and interface. The responsive touch screen and the innovative cover flow technology used, just makes the interaction that much more fruitful and fun-filled. The only thing that I hate is the fact that it offers only 4 or 8 GB of storage space, yet the quality... stays true to the iPod.

One of the main complaints I have had with most multimedia phones is that even though they take so much effort into integrating good music players, they still come with a whole lot of proprietary bullshit!! Here the iPod uses the standard 3.5mm earphone jack. A word of caution though, the jack is embedded inconveniently on top of the phone in a sort of caved in area, restricting much movement. So if you have any fancy headphones with a slightly curved or right-angled pin design you might not be able to use it.

Interface/Interactivity
To launch the iPod player all you need to do is click on the icon on the lower right hand corner of the screen. This springs up a user-friendly interactive iPod interface wherein you can control almost everything that's present. For example, you can sort the menu bar at the bottom to display icons according to your own preference vis a vis Artists, Albums, Songs etc. To rearrange or add/remove the icons, you need to click on more, and then edit. Staying true to the feel of the interface, the sorting and rearranging can be a lot of fun too. You can simply hold an icon down and move it around the screen. And if you want to add or remove anything from the bar, you can simply drag and drop. Brilliant!! This supplements the iPhone to take one step ahead of the current iPods by giving the users the platform to a interactive environment.

The album artwork makes the backdrop while listening to the song, and while most people don't see much sense in talking about this, I personally feel that it's very important. It's through the artwork that you can feel the true impact of what the music can do. With a swipe of your finger you jump between album artwork. The cover flow system allows you to work on the iPhone in landscape mode as well. Here the interface turns somewhat futuristic and gives you a 3D environment, quite like the new iTunes. And everything happens without any lags. Sound adjustments can be accessed from settings. You can select from a wide range of EQ presets, and it also provides a couple of other options as well.

Another thing worth mentioning, and has always eluded the iPod, are the speakers. These are situated at the bottom of the phone but unfortunately are really not any good. However this could be a problem with just this one piece.