Yesterday I met up with Jeff Pulver to discuss some business ideas, and one of the topics we touched on was, “If you could build any iPhone app, what would it be?”
The new iPhone 3G and the imminent release of the App Store have created an amazing amount of buzz and speculation about what the next generation of mobile apps might be.
While I am unable to comment on any of my iPhone development efforts or the details of the iPhone SDK, I thought it might be interesting to ask here as well, “If you could build any iPhone app, what would it be?”
So, simple as that. What is your ideal “killer app” for iPhone? Write your idea here, and maybe we’ll build it!
52 comments ↓
It is the one, that is not allowed by Apple: a navigation software.
VoIP Phone application that compatible with any voip provider around the world… Full features & functions
i would like to lock&unlock my door with the phone.
Universal Remote?
Twittervision. Oh wait that’s your idea.
Well actually my killer app wouldn’t be able to run on the IPhone because the camera doesn’t have the capacity to shoot video. I would live to see live steams and Video conferencing over IPhones.
With the new built-in GPS, it seems rather obvious to me that we should have something that works like Britekite, except that it checks in automatically, no matter where you are, and perhaps even leaves a trail of where you and your friends have recently been on the map. 🙂 Also, it should incorporate Dopplr and TripIt functionality and let you know when you are near friends and also when you’re going to be near friends.
A remote for MPD (music player daemon)
Surf forecasts w/ GPS
Unversal Txt and Email and Voice interconnector with video enhancement. I want to hear my emails. I want to speak my txts. I want to see everything.
Oh and if it could roast a little coffee too…………
The whole mobile social network option, but make it work. I’ve always been amazed that the hotel/airline industry hasn’t jumped on board with this. There are a high number of consultants and sales people that continually travel the states on business. Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone sit next to you, or at a hotel schedule a dinner with you whom you’ve never met before but has similar interests. Many times I used to talk to customers with a problem and within the last 2-3 weeks I had been in their town and could have met face to face if I knew they were thinking about it. You could filter by work skills, hobbies, etc. based on your current mood. Location information would take this to a new level.
QR code reader…… It could drastically change museums and neighborhood information sharing.
hardlinks in real life
I am working on one right now that combines enjoying wine, social networking and GPS. Write me if you want to learn more.
Oh yeah, then you monetize it though discount offers / recommending local eating establishments, may it a pay service for the hotels and airlines to add it as premium perks.
A bluetooth controller for Logic Studio. Just basic shuttle functions, nothing fancy. Perhaps cloning the Apple remote function through bluetooth.
How about email you can search for starters. Next, a photo program like Picasa where you can actually make changes to the pictures real time. Then, I suppose another show stopper has been the lack of voice command driven apps like phone book, music, web browsing…i mean come on this is an Apple product and multi-media is the name of the game. Finally, how about the ability to log all text messages and send them just like you do emails. Ok, another one is a real-time chat like Pidgin with multi-protocols.
Crap, I just thought of one final thing…..how about enabling the home button as a quick way to pull up your phone favorites when screen is locked.
Visual IVRs.
so all of those options that my bank reads me on the when I call them show up on my screen and I can click them with out having to memorise the whole list.
For med students and doctors, a software program that could replace the need for PDAs on the wards would be great. It would be nice to have just an iPhone instead of a cellphone AND my PDA with all of the medical stuff on it. And with an Apple group, the software would actually be user-friendly :/
Unified presence (IM, VoIP, PBX, Calendar, e-mail, SMS, and one or more social networks) would be an interesting project. This kind of work has of course been attempted many times before where there has been few commercial successes with desktop, mobile, and PBX applications.
In the not too recent past, some of the venture capital provided by Jeff Pulver has been spent on the idea of a real-time find-me follow-me solution to integrate status data pulled (and pushed) from different sources (namely PBX, VoIP, and IM).
If a reasonable partner can be found to host a server-side clearing house to gather and forward presence data, then the killer mobile presence application would follow similar paths used by previous developers.
Or… possibly we should also throw down the challenge to build a peer to peer mobile solution to share presence data via syncML.
Back when the Android competition had been announced I wrote a lengthy post with possible mobile app ideas. I guess the concepts described should be transferable to the iPhone’s platform. Here’s the post:
http://terrainnova.org/blog/?p=99
Enable flash on the iPhone and itouch. Would like to watch movies other than YouTube.
I am in agreement with aj. I desperately want a QR code reader. I was hoping one of the Japanese developers would have put one together. So many great uses for it.
Any app? Obviously that would have to be the downloadable pizza. Everything else is just the latest iteration of Pong.
I would like something like loopt or cenceme but for iPhone AND iPod touch and DOESN’T require texting.
I would like to use my iphone to not only rc my hifi set but also to browse my friends media collection. Once I finished the VB version of all this (see my website) I’d love to chat about a native iphone interface as the current web client is suffering from quicktime webkit shortcomings….
i would love to see something like tracking my position not only on other iphones but in google earth which in realized for a notebook+gps combo. Something similar to loopt (but available in every country) and on the iphone and the desktop.
SSH!
[…] haven’t had much time to think about the wonderful new 3g iPhone lately, however reading the comments on Dave Troy’s blog got the ball rolling […]
+1 for ssh
+1 for Sat Nav (TomTom)
+1 for Skype
But what I’m desperate for is for my Outlook Tasks and notes to synchronize (:o(
With the above 5 things my iPhone would be the PERFECT device.
oh, universal Remote Control would be cool also
I like games, so I’d like a version of Battleship Solitaire (not the same as the board game; see for example)
What I really want is IM for MS Office Communicator. I’d also like to have BT or wired support for an external folding keyboard.
Since texting is illegal in Missouri, I was thinking of making an app that is similar to Microsofts “Out of Office” mail reply. A teenager, right before they drive, can simply tap on the app and then, anyone who texts the driver, will get a reply back saying that the teenager is driving. The driver can customize the text to be cute, serious, funny, and possibly how long they will be driving. When they are done, they can turn the app “off”. I don’t even know if this is possible, but, again, it’s an idea. This is one of the apps that parents especially will download for their kids.
they also collect iphone app ideas http://www.your-apps.com/
What about a built in condenser microphone inside the Iphone, and a multitrack recording program in the phone as an app that will allow you to record multiple tracks, edit, add effects, and master all in one.
Check out http://www.phonefreelancer.com if you have an app idea but don’t know how to create it. Its a free website that connects entrepreneurs with app ideas and iphone developers.
Check out http://www.phonefreelancer.com if you have an app idea but don’t know how to create it. Its a free website that connects entrepreneurs with app ideas and iphone developers.
somthing for hunting and out doors fish all the man need
I want an app that filters my ipod for the situation i'm in.
for example, if im at work, its probably not a great idea to blast swear words and screamo. in the same token, its a little awkward listening to songs about sex when im hangin with the grandfolk.
i really dont want to have to go through every song and actually listen to the lyrics and sort them into a playlist, but thats what im doing at the moment. someone should make this automatic.
I've used http://www.NewAppIdea.com to help me develop two iPhone apps. Pretty good site.
thanks for the share. yea i don't think apple will allow any of this.
http://www.m65jacket.com/
Hi, i'd like an app for my company http://www.bedandfed.co.uk? Is this possible?
Lots of great app ideas. If you've got a killer app idea that you want to have developed and sell yourself on the app store, we can help. We're EdgeState, a professional iPhone developer. We can help turn your idea into reality. We're a work-for-hire company so you don't need to worry about 'royalties' or other oddities; we provide a fixed price for development.
Security feature with personal bluetooth dongle, when out of range phone locks and alarms.
We are pleased to introduce NewAppIdea.com (https://www.newappidea.com). NewAppIdea.com is a community where people with creative new app ideas but no programming skills meet and hire expert app developers and programmers.
After reading article-upon-article about people turning their app ideas into app store success stories, we became frustrated with our inability to find a qualified developer to turn our own app idea into a reality. We also sensed that we were not the only people out there with great ideas and searching for app developers. From that experience NewAppIdea.com was born.
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App for people sending animations. They would click on the animation and say copy and they could email or text it. It would be called, “awesome animations”
i want an app where i can sweep my camera horizontally to take an easy panoramic picture.
Hey there,
it seems that you have brilliant ideas for iphone devices,
please if you have any good idea or anything that comes to your mind please let me know by replying to my email address: claude.manassa_at_hotmail_dot_com
kindly regards
claude
Hey there,
it seems that you have brilliant ideas for iphone devices,
please if you have any good idea or anything that comes to your mind please let me know by replying to my email address: claude.manassa_at_hotmail_dot_com
kindly regards
claude
What is missing is a GIRLY PDA (Personal Daily Assistant) App. Believe me, I have looked. The closest I have found is Cutiary and Emily's girl talk. Both are geared to young teens and have a lack of useful/practical utilites. I am 27 and would love a girly app that included most of the folllowing:
-A beutiful girly, flowery, customizable innerface
-Calendar with date entry and reminders/DAY planner/to do list.
-Sales percentage Calculator
-Restaurant tipper calculator
-Weight Loss/maintenece tracker
-Period tracker
-Grocery list
-Girly social mini games like: palm reading, fashion, wedding, shopping, trivia, weekly horoscopes, etc.
-Ability to play music from my ipod bank
**I can even see there being a basic PDA app, in which, you could purchase additional addons like the tip calculator seperately and keep adding on to your PDA to make it great. I would personal pay 10 bucks easy for an app with all of this**
No sure what to call this one but how about an application that lists locations, clubs, venues etc in your community. Selecting the location puts you on a list that displays that you will be attending that particular day. That way, your friends can check if anyone else is going to the same restaurant or bar that they are choosing to go to that night.
have one already
i would do it for you (for money)
Hi
I would like an app that puts dates from my text messages into my calendar, that way I wouldn’t miss social and business appointments
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