New iPhone images surface, features added? [updated]

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New iPhone images surface, features added? [updated]

In an e-mail sent out today by AT&T to potential iPhone customers, additional images of the iPhone emerged, one of which subtly shows off two undemonstrated features in the device’s Google Maps application.

Buttons labeled “Map,” “Satellite,” and “List” were demonstrated by Apple CEO Steve Jobs during Macworld Expo in January, showing a drawn map, satellite imagery, and a list of locations generated by a top-of-screen search, respectively. These buttons have also been featured in Apple.com’s demonstration of iPhone. By contrast, AT&T’s photo—based on a slide only briefly shown during the demonstration—shows a new icon to the left, which appears to be a set of two arrows. The other new icon appears to the right, and shows the front view of a car. Either of these buttons may be used for a “Traffic” feature or a “Directions” feature, both of which were listed on one of Apple’s slides during iPhone’s debut, but never demonstrated. Accessed through maps.google.com, Traffic lets you monitor traffic conditions on highways in major U.S. cities, while directions provides to and from directions given two set locations.

Other than the replacement of Cingular’s logo with AT&T’s, the images are otherwise apparently unchanged in any significant way from those previously shown. [Note: This story was updated based on reader comments. Thanks!]

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Comments

1

I bet the two arrows are “Traffic” and the car icon is for “Driving Directions”. Just a guess.

Posted by Ryan on May 4, 2007 at 1:17 PM (PST)

2

Actually, those images were used during the keynote:

http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?p=3385588&postcount=7

and the icons are believed to be “Restaurants” and “Driving Directions”

Posted by arn on May 4, 2007 at 1:46 PM (PST)

3

Saying that a set of arrows indicate “Restaurants” is like stating that a picture of a car indicates newspaper stands…

Posted by Adrian on May 4, 2007 at 2:28 PM (PST)

4

And no, I didn’t check the link before my post! Still hard to see that it resembles a knife and a fork, though…

Posted by Adrian on May 4, 2007 at 2:32 PM (PST)

5

Arn, you’re right, they’re very close to images shown during the keynote. The photos shot is a bit cleaner, visual voicemail now has new names, and the Maps shot is one that came from a late slide. I’m fixing this in an update to the original article.

Worth noting: the Google Maps slide at MWSF mentioned “Directions” and “Traffic” as being two extra features iPhone would support. It’s possible that the icons are for both those purposes; Traffic may be at left and directions at right. As opposed to a fork and knife the left icon looks like arrows pointing up and down, which could be similar to how Google shows highway traffic flows, or “there and back” for driving directions.

Posted by Jeremy Horwitz in East Amherst, NY, USA on May 4, 2007 at 4:10 PM (PST)

6

Looking at the newer picture. There appears to be 3 tactile buttons on the left side of the device.

Posted by Eric on May 4, 2007 at 4:16 PM (PST)

7

The three side buttons are ring/silent and volume up/down.

Posted by Jeremy Horwitz in East Amherst, NY, USA on May 4, 2007 at 4:18 PM (PST)

8

God, I keep changing my mind about the iPhone. One day I’m definitely going to buy it the day it’s released, the next day I’m going to wait until it drops in price. Showing me pictures like this and making anouncements like this certainly aren’t helping. I think I’m back to wanting to buy it on the day of release. Gheesh!

Posted by urbanslaughter on May 4, 2007 at 7:07 PM (PST)

9

the new image also says “AT&T” at the top instead of “Cingular”

Posted by johnnay. on May 4, 2007 at 9:47 PM (PST)

10

i believe the arrows would be directions, and the car traffic, not the other way round.

Posted by stu on May 5, 2007 at 12:08 AM (PST)

11

Ummm, the “arrows” are a fork and knife….this is sort of the international “icon” for restaurants.

Posted by Zadillo on May 6, 2007 at 9:33 AM (PST)

12

if you look the picture they seem to be searching for sushi and the label seems to be a for a Japanese grill so that may indicate that it is a fork and spoon for restaurant and not arrows. The image seems to be too poor quality to really make it out.

Posted by kpb on May 7, 2007 at 12:57 PM (PST)

13

God, all this iPhone hype is so weak. If you want to see TRAFFIC and DIRECTIONS via google apps, get a blackberry. These features have been around for a year now free for blackberry or windows mobile users. By the time the iPhone comes out, these “google” features that supposedly are cool for the iPhone are old news to the real smartphone users.

Posted by Anh Lai on May 9, 2007 at 8:47 PM (PST)

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