If the rumors are right, Apples next iPhone is right around the
corner. And not a minute too soon, since its been years since
Ive experienced public iPhone snobbery.
The rumor mills are hopping with reports on what new features
we can expect, but really who cares what were getting? The real
question is: what do you want?.
Im Donald Bell, and in this Top 5 were counting down five of the
features YOU want most from the next iPhone. These numbers
come straight from polling data we collected from CNET readers
over the past few weeks -- so dont you yell at me if you dont
agree with what you hear. Go yell at yourself, I guess.
BODY
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5. -NFC
Starting off at #5 with around 9,000 votes, we asked you what
long-missing feature of the iPhone you wanted most in the next
one and you said: NFC. Near-field communication. Well, I
wouldnt count on it, but I understand the appeal in theory. If
nothing else it could turn the undeletable Passbook app into a
functional wallet, that you still wont use and cant delete.
Also, the AirDrop feature of iOS 7 is already bringing local file
sharing without the awkward ritual of bumping your phones
together. Im glad somebody wants NFC, but its not me. Im am
not rubbing my phone on stuff. When they come out with
introvert germaphobe communication, then well talk.
4. -Control Center
When we asked you what feature you wanted most from iOS 7,
we got nearly 10,000 votes for #4: Control Center. I dont blame
you. This is Apple finally admitting that Android had the right idea
when they took all the most frequently used settings and plopped
them into one panel that you can access from any screen. No
more digging around for Bluetooth, or clicking three places to
adjust the screen brightness. With any luck, you may never have
to open the real Settings menu again.
3. -Metal design
For #3, we asked you what kind of material you wanted the
iPhone to be made from. Maybe Kevlar like the Moto X, or
Plastic like the Galaxy S4. But instead, you voted: Metal.
Maybe the poll got hacked by a rogue group of Beavis and
Butthead fans, or maybe you just like the feel of cold, hard metal.
Youll probably get this one, considering that the iPhone 5
already uses a mostly metal design. Rumor is well also see a
low-cost plastic version of the iPhone as well, which is exciting
news for the 6% percent of you voted for plastic.
2. -Longer battery life
For #2 we asked what was the most important hardware upgrade
that would influence your decision to buy the new iPhone. You
said: better battery life. A whopping 57% of voters.
I totally know where youre coming from. How much of our lives
do we spend tending to our battery life? And you just know that a
decade from now these things will harvest wireless ambient
energy and well have to bore our kids with tales of the great
Lightning cable shakeup of 2012. It was mayhem, I tell you.
1. -Bigger screen - 4.7 inches
Now the bad news is that the #1 feature CNET readers want
most from the next iPhone runs completely counter to your
dream of better battery life. At #1: a bigger screen.
We gave you a range of sizes to choose from and the most
popular option was 4.7 inches. Same size as the Motorola X, but
not quite the 5-inch plank of Samsung Galaxy S4.
The funny thing is, once we start getting all our email on our
Google Glass and our Tweets on our iWatch, and maybe some
Yahoo underwear and a Facebook girdle, the idea of actually
looking at your phone is going to seem like overkill.
CLOSE
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So there you go, five of the features that you guys want the most
from the next iPhone. For all the latest rumors visit
CNET.com/iPhone. And for more Top 5s from me,
Top5.CNET.com
Im Donald Bell. Thanks for watching.
